The beginning of the 21st century seems to be a time of global crises. From armed conflicts and natural disasters to financial turmoil, refugee displacement, and hunger crises, the world has been struggling with various challenges, all overshadowed by the constant threats posed by climate change. Despite the diverse nature of these crises, they all share a common feature - the strain they place on people’s psychological well-being. In three contributions, the present cumulative dissertation investigates associations between different facets of stress appraisal, well-being, and coping strategies. This is done both cross-sectionally and over time, with a focus on the global COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian War. Contribution 1 investigates the relationships between general worries about the COVID-19 pandemic (as a form of stress appraisal) and various measures of well-being based on the cross-sectional data of N = 665 German adults collected in April 2020. In addition, the moderating effects of coping strategies are explored. Unlike in Contribution 1, stress appraisal regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Contribution 2 was differentiated into different facets (fear of COVID-19, financial worries, social isolation). Here, associations between these facets of stress appraisal and several measures of well-being are reported in a structural equation model. Cross-sectional data of N = 480 German adults was collected from March until May 2021. Lastly, Contribution 3 highlights the change of worries about the Russo-Ukrainian war (as a form of stress appraisal) in a three-wave measurement of N = 175 German adults over two months starting with the beginning of the conflict. Further, based on a latent growth model, temporal changes in the use of coping strategies and their relations to worries are examined. The overarching results outline the cross-sectional relations and temporal dynamics of individual stress appraisals in relation to well-being and coping strategies during two global crises. In summary, this dissertation enhances the understanding of the psychological challenges posed by global crises, the nature of emotional responses, and the adaptive role of coping strategies.    «

The beginning of the 21st century seems to be a time of global crises. From armed conflicts and natural disasters to financial turmoil, refugee displacement, and hunger crises, the world has been struggling with various challenges, all overshadowed by the constant threats posed by climate change. Despite the diverse nature of these crises, they all share a common feature - the strain they place on people’s psychological well-being. In three contributions, the present cumulative dissertation inve...    »