Effects of Wise Intervention on Perceived Discrimination Among College Students Returning Home From Wuhan During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, college students returning home from Wuhan, Hubei Province, experienced various degrees of discrimination. This study first investigates perceived discrimination among college students returning home from Wuhan. Then, an experimental method is used to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to reduce the perceived discrimination among those who returned to towns outside of Hubei Province. A total of 63 college students participated in the experiment. In the experimental group (N = 31), a wise intervention based on reading and writing was adopted to intervene in perceived discrimination among the participants. The results showed that the perceived discrimination among students returning from Wuhan to towns outside of Hubei Province was significantly higher than that among students returning to towns within Hubei Province. The wise intervention reduced the perceived discrimination in the experimental group but not in the control group. Further analysis found that perceived social support fully mediated the relationship between the intervention and perceived discrimination. These results provide insights on how the content of intervention (perceived social support) and the form of intervention (wise intervention) can prevent the occurrence of psychological problems in epidemic situations.

Mental health and psychosocial interventions to limit the adverse psychological effects of disasters and emergencies in China: a scoping review

“… Stress, well-being, resilience [SQ] This research revealed that SOCI had significantly improved participants' resilience, spirituality, and positive growth over time but not post-traumatic stress or negative affect. Lu, T. et al, 2021 [EN] COVID-19 [2019] National RCT [3 months] 86 Adult [IL] N=63 [31 INT, 32 CON] 40 minutes Intervention: wise intervention. Control: unrelated reading and writing.…”

“… 85 . 86 For example, in a trial about the effect of self-affirmation on anxiety, intervention-group participants performed self-affirmation writing exercises while control-group participants did unrelated writing exercises. 85 Similarly, in a study aimed at reducing perceived discrimination among people living in Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic, 86 intervention-group participants received a focused reading- and writing-based intervention while control-group participants did unrelated reading and writing.…”

How fear of COVID-19 promotes posttraumatic growth during COVID-19 epidemic: A moderated mediation model.

“…Liu et al, 2023). In addition, undergraduates returning home from Wuhan report experiencing varying degrees of discrimination (Lu et al, 2021). Based on the above, the COVID-19 epidemic traumatizes Wuhan college students in multiple ways, and it is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of university students in Wuhan.…”

“…Studies have shown that local university students in Wuhan became irregular in their daily routines and had their academic activities disrupted during the quarantine period, which seriously affected their mental health (F. Liu et al, 2023). In addition, undergraduates returning home from Wuhan report experiencing varying degrees of discrimination (Lu et al, 2021). Based on the above, the COVID-19 epidemic traumatizes Wuhan college students in multiple ways, and it is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of university students in Wuhan.…”

Psychiatrists’ occupational stigma conceptualization, measurement, and intervention: A literature review

“…It was found by Clinton et al [ 172 ] that Positive Empathy Intervention (imagining positive contact with the stigmatized person and establishing a positive emotional connection) was superior to traditional contact methods in terms of stigma reduction[ 172 ]. Cognitive-behavioral Intervention and Wise Intervention have been shown to increase perceived social support and reduce self-stigma in individuals[ 173 , 174 ]. Furthermore, Visual Information Image Interventions[ 175 ] and Work Integration[ 176 ] assist individuals in gaining correct knowledge, changing perceptions, and enhancing social inclusion, thereby reducing stigma.…”