Can prolonged exposure to information on COVID-19 affect mental health negatively?

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a heavy blow to social and economic development globally and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health and livelihoods. Using data from a survey on the living needs of people in China amid the COVID-19 outbreak, this study analysed the relationship between the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 and mental health; the mediating effects of risk perception and confidence in pandemic prevention and control were also measured. We found that prolonged exposure to information on COVID-19 made people feel more anxious and stressed. Meanwhile, risk perception and confidence in pandemic prevention and control functioned as mediators between the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 and anxiety and stress. Therefore, reduced duration of exposure to pandemic information can lower risk perception and enhance confidence in pandemic prevention and control. It can also relieve anxiety and stress caused by information about the spread of the pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• duration of exposure to information on COVID-19
• mental health
• risk perception
• confidence in pandemic prevention and control

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The absolute value is used in the calculation result.

2 ① The method of calculating the total effects: Regression coefficient of the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 1 + regression coefficient of the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 4 x regression coefficient of the confidence in pandemic prevention and control in Model 5 + the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 3 x (regression coefficient of risk perception in Model 5 + regression coefficient of the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 4 x regression coefficient of confidence in pandemic prevention and control in Model 5).

② The method for calculating the proportion of risk perception as a mediator: (Regression coefficient of the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 3 x Regression coefficient of risk perception in Model 5)/ total impact.

③ The method for calculating the mediating effect of the confidence in pandemic prevention and control: (Regression coefficient of the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 4 x regression coefficient of the confidence in pandemic prevention and control in Model 5 + the duration of exposure to information on COVID-19 in Model 3 x regression coefficient of risk perception in Model 4 x the regression coefficient of the confidence in pandemic prevention and control confidence in Model 5) / total impact.