Self-Control Moderates the Association Between Perceived Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mental Health Problems Among the Chinese Public

Abstract

<jats:p>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused thousands of deaths in China. Prior research suggests that individuals’ perceived severity of COVID-19 is related to a range of negative emotional and behavioral reactions among the Chinese public. However, scant research has examined the underlying mechanisms. Drawing upon the risk-resilience model, this study proposes that self-control, as a resilient factor, would potentially moderate the association between perceived severity of COVID-19 and mental health problems. Data from a national survey was used to examine this idea. Participants were 4607 citizens from 31 regions in China (Mage = 23.71 years, 72.5% female) who completed a national survey at the beginning of February 2020. Results of hierarchical regression showed that after controlling for a number of demographic variables, perceived severity of COVID-19 and self-control were positively and negatively related to mental health problems, respectively. More importantly, self-control moderated the “perceived severity of COVID-19–mental health problems” association, with this link attenuating as the levels of self-control increased. These findings suggest that compared to those with high self-control, individuals with low self-control are more vulnerable and are more in need of psychological aids to maintain mental health in the encounter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Practically, enhancing individuals’ self-control ability might be a promising way to improve individuals’ mental health during the early period of the COVID-19 outbreak.</jats:p>

Does Physical Activity Matter for the Mental Health of University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…Although a lockdown increases the chance of effectively dealing with COVID-19, it also contributes to a decrease in people's well-being [1][2][3][4], invoking several adverse emotional reactions such as anger, fear, confusion, irritability, frustration, elevated stress, insomnia, and nervousness [1,4,5]. Thousands of people have lost their work and socio-economic status during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…(3) Has the level of PA changed from before the pandemic? (4) What is the association between PA, anxiety, and depression in the study sample? Due to differences between the sexes found in previous studies on PA, anxiety, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, sex will be controlled in this study as a covariate.…”

Does Emotional Well-Being Mediate Between the Association of Peer Support and Depressive Symptoms in University Students During COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…Public places and schools were briefly re-opened in late May, only to be shut down a few weeks later when the third wave of virus outbreak hit the city (surging new cases had been documented since June 22nd). Such prolonged isolation and changes of daily routine are likely to cause psychological and emotional distress among the public and students [4][5][6][7]. One possible reason is that disease control measures such as social isolation make it more difficult for people to satisfy one of their fundamental psychological needs, that of belongingness [14].…”

“…To recap, under the impact of COVID-19, individuals around the globe have been experiencing psychological problems such as elevated depressive symptoms [4][5][6][7]. Some public health measures such as school closures and social distancing helped contain the spread of virus, but also prevented people, especially students, from satisfying their need to connect to others.…”

“…To understand the psychological impact of the pandemic, researchers across continents and disciplines gathered data from a wide range of population. Results consistently showed that, since the onset of pandemic, people around the globe have been experiencing a variety of psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety [4][5][6][7]. These problems also emerged among students, given that with the majority of schools temporarily shut down for a certain period of time across the globe, they were forced to leave schools and stay away from their friends, teachers, and classrooms; their perceptions of peer supporta critical psychological resourcemight thus be compromised.…”