Özet:

There is a need to identify possible protective factors against the psychological problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and make recommendations for future studies. The present study examines the mediating role of stress coping strategies in the relationship between locus of control and depression level. Research data were collected from 189 university students at the beginning of the pandemic process. Data were collected through the Internal and External Locus of Control Scale, Stress Coping Styles Scale, and the Continuous Depression Inventory. Research hypotheses were analyzed by Bootstrapping method. According to the study results, problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping strategies mediate the relationship between locus of control and depression. The direct predictive power of the locus of control disappeared as include these mediator variables in the model. The increases in the external locus of control decreased problem-focused coping and increased emotion-focused coping. Depression decreased as problem-focused coping increased and increased as emotion-focused coping increased. Findings discussed in the context of the psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relevant literature.