Leisure Attitude, Anxiety, and Mental Well-Being in Turkey: The Case of COVID-19

Abstract Evidence suggests that individuals’ leisure attitudes affect mental well-being positively and their anxiety negatively. In addition, there is no evidence of which of the dimensions of leisure attitude is more instrumental for mental well-being. A structural model is proposed to examine the effects of individuals’ leisure attitude and anxiety on mental well-being in the COVID-19 process. Data were randomly collected from people staying at home due to the curfew during the COVID-19 process. Model results showed that leisure attitude has a significant positive effect on mental well-being. The behavioural component of leisure attitude dimensions is relatively more effective in affecting well-being than others. Furthermore, anxiety negatively affects mental well-being. The obtained results provided important data regarding the effect of individuals’ leisure time and perception of anxiety on their mental well-being, especially during the pandemic period. In the light of the findings, the limitations and results of the research are discussed.