**5. Conclusions**

As suggested by the World Health Organization, mental health represents a public health priority [49], and it has become more significant nowadays due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. In sum, our study evidences the crucial mediating role of mental health between perceived control over time and COVID-19 anxiety. We measured mental health using the SF-36 mental health subscale assessing positive and adverse emotions. Hence, mental health could influence the perceived control over time, emotionally regulating people's behaviors in different life domains, such as for instance academic achievements [50], job performance [51], or social activities [52], improving well-being and quality of life. Thus, mental health also becomes a protective factor from psychopathological threats related to COVID-19 fear. Furthermore, our results have practical implications since they could help psychologists, psychiatrists, and educators define treatment programs and guide the states' governance measures combating psychological distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, S.M., B.C., and M.C.; methodology S.M. and B.C.; formal analysis, L.V. and G.Q.; data curation, L.V. and G.Q.; writing—original draft preparation, S.M., B.C., and M.C., writing—review and editing, S.M., B.C., M.R., and M.C.; supervision, S.M., M.R., and M.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Palermo (n. 2/2020).

**Informed Consent Statement:** Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**

