Cross Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping Health Anxiety through Religiosity during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract This study aims to investigate the role of religiosity in coping with health anxiety during the outbreak of COVID-19, a deadliest pandemic of century which is still affecting billions of lives globally. Using online survey method, the researchers collected the data from 408 Pakistani Muslim respondents. Health anxiety and religious coping were measured through seven items Likert scales. Psychometric analysis showed that both scales, health anxiety (Cronbach’s alpha ά=.87, composite reliability CR=.869) and religious coping (Cronbach’s alpha ά=.893, composite reliability CR=.888), showed good internal consistency. Path analysis, structural equational modeling performed, was performed. All the fit indices (GFI=.932, CFI=.954, TLI=.941, RMSEA=.073 & RMR=.035) were within acceptable limit. The regression results indicated that those who were suffering with health anxiety opted religious coping (β=.54, R2=.29, p<.001). These findings can be helpful for psychiatrists, physicians and researchers to understand psychological complications pertaining infectious diseases.