Does Tolerance Influence People’s Psychological Well-being during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic?
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Abstract
Introduction: The novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has significantly impacted all aspects of individual lives, particularly their psychological health due to the fear and restrictions associated with the resulting pandemic.
Objectives: This study seeks to determine i) if there is a correlation between tolerance and psychological well-being within the Jamaican population, ii) to determine some of the psychological effects of Covid-19 upon the Jamaican population, and iii) to ascertain the tolerance level of Jamaicans as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.
Method: This research is a cross-sectional correlational study. The data was collected via a standardized online questionnaire created in Google forms. The participants (n=1074) in this research included Jamaican citizens from all fourteen parishes. The retrieved data was stored electronically then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 27.0.
Results: This study revealed that Jamaicans generally displayed high levels of tolerance (61.5±17.4, 95%CI: 60.4-62.5, out of 90.0), and so was their psychological well-being (72.8±8.1, 95%CI: 72.3-73.2, out of 107). The study further revealed that social class, educational level, and distress tolerance also impacted the psychological well-being of respondents.
Conclusion: Based on the survey conducted, it can be inferred that tolerance did, in fact, have an impact on the psychological well-being of Jamaicans, particularly as the Covid19 pandemic persisted. Consequently, the researchers strongly recommend that the Jamaican government and other scientific and regulatory agencies:i) create more awareness by way of utilising mass media, ii) host mental health seminars to facilitate more counselling sessions, iii) develop partnerships with Heartland Counselling and other psychological services to provide telemedicine opportunities for Jamaicans as the pandemic continues.