An internal locus of control (LoC I) refers to the belief that the outcome of events in one’s life is contingent upon one’s actions, whereas an external locus of control (LoC E) describes the belief that chance and powerful others control one’s life. This study investigated whether LoC I and LoC E moderated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress in the general population during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional survey study analysed data from a Norwegian (n = 1225) and a German-speaking sample (n = 1527). We measured LoC with the Locus of Control-4 Scale (IE-4), COVID-19 stress with a scale developed for this purpose, and mental distress with the Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4). Moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The association between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress was strong (r = .61 and r = .55 for the Norwegian and the German-speaking sample, respectively). In both samples, LoC showed substantial moderation effects. LoC I served as a buffer (p < .001), and LoC E exacerbated (p < .001) the relation between COVID-19 stress and general mental distress. The data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is easier to bear for people who, despite pandemic-related strains, feel that they generally have influence over their own lives. An external locus of control, conversely, is associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. The prevention of mental distress may be supported by enabling a sense of control through citizen participation in policy decisions and transparent explanation in their implementation.

中文翻译：

---

控制源调节了 COVID-19 压力与一般精神困扰的关联：一项挪威语和德语横断面调查的结果


内部控制点（LoC I）是指相信一个人生活中事件的结果取决于一个人的行为，而外部控制点（LoC E）则描述了这样一种信念：机会和强大的他人控制着一个人的生活。本研究调查了 LoC I 和 LoC E 是否调节了 COVID-19 大流行最初几个月期间普通人群中的 COVID-19 压力与一般精神困扰之间的关系。这项横断面调查研究分析了来自挪威语样本 (n = 1225) 和德语样本 (n = 1527) 的数据。我们使用控制点 4 量表 (IE-4) 测量 LoC，使用为此目的开发的量表测量 COVID-19 压力，并使用患者健康问卷 4 (PHQ-4) 测量精神痛苦。使用 SPSS 的 PROCESS 宏进行调节分析。 COVID-19 压力与一般精神困扰之间存在很强的关联（挪威语样本和德语样本的 r = 0.61 和 r = 0.55）。在这两个样本中，LoC 显示出显着的调节效应。 LoC I 起到缓冲作用 (p < .001)，LoC E 加剧 (p < .001) COVID-19 压力与一般精神困扰之间的关系。数据表明，对于那些尽管面临与大流行相关的压力，但仍认为自己通常对自己的生活有影响的人来说，更容易承受 COVID-19 大流行。相反，外部控制源则与抑郁和焦虑症状相关。通过公民参与政策决策和透明解释政策实施过程中的透明解释，增强控制感，可以支持精神困扰的预防。