Fear of COVID-19: What Causes Fear and How Individuals Cope with It

ABSTRACT

The public’s fear of COVID-19 may cause severe consequences. The current project explored what caused U.S. adults’ fear of COVID-19 and how they regulated fear using a longitudinal two-wave survey on a national-representative sample (N = 315). Results showed that participants’ media exposure frequency and their perceived valence of interpersonal communication predicted their fear of COVID-19 at both waves, and fear at wave 1 further motivated higher frequency of media and interpersonal communication as well as strengthened perceptions that their interpersonal conversations emphasized the danger aspect of COVID-19 at wave 2. Counterarguing was effective in down-regulating individuals’ fear, which in turn further encouraged more subsequent use of such strategy. Avoidance used in wave 1 predicted counterarguing at wave 2, while counterarguing employed in wave 1 predicted the subsequent use of reappraisal. Individuals may choose to use counterarguing as a maladaptive coping strategy to control their fear, and they tend to shift from one emotion regulation strategy to another as the pandemic progresses.

Disclosure statement

I have no conflicts of interests to disclose.

Notes

1. The data was a part of a larger dataset that included additional measurements, such as participants’ perceptions of the risk, attitudinal and normative responses to COVID-19.

2. Given that an individual may choose to use one type of media as primary information source but not necessarily use other types of media simultaneously, the relatively low reliability score is understandable.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the author’s former university, Louisiana State University.