Highlights Stressors from COVID-19 was positively related to onset of stress-consequences. Stressors from COVID-19 was positively related to engagement in rumination. Rumination mediated the link between stressors of COVID-19 and stress-consequences. Psychological support buffered the effect of COVID-19 stressors on rumination. Psychological support buffered the effect of rumination on stress-consequences.

The restriction of numerous sectors of society and the uncertainty surrounding the development of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in adverse psychological states to college students isolated at home. In this study, we explored the mediating role of fatigue in the effects of epidemic rumination and resilience on depressive symptoms as well as how epidemic rumination and resilience may interact with one another. A large sample of Chinese college students (N = 1,293) completed measures on epidemic rumination, resilience, fatigue, and depressive symptoms. Results indicated depressive symptomology was positively predicted by epidemic rumination while negatively predicted by resilience. In both cases, fatigue partially mediated these effects and positively predicted depressive symptoms. Unexpectedly, epidemic rumination and resilience interacted in a manner where the effect of rumination on fatigue became stronger as resiliency increased. Theoretical and practical implications are provided to further interpret the results.

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Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, fear has run rampant across the globe. To curb the spread of the virus, several governments have taken measures to drastically transition businesses, work, and schooling to virtual settings. While such transitions are warranted and well-intended, these measures may come with unforeseen consequences. Namely, one’s fear of COVID-19 may more readily manifest as aggressive behaviors in an otherwise incognito virtual social ecology. In the current research, a moderated mediation model examined the mechanisms underlying the relation between fear of COVID-19 and overt and relational aggressive online behavior among Chinese college students. Utilizing a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,799), results indicated that moral disengagement mediated the effect of fear of COVID-19 on college students’ overt and relational online aggressive behavior. A positive family cohesion buffered the effect of moral disengagement on relational aggressive behavior, but only for females. The findings, theoretical contributions, and practical implications of the present paper are also discussed.

Background The global spread of COVID-19 has brought immense psychological distress and sleep problems to those affected. This study examined the mediating role of rumination in the direct association between COVID-19 stressors and poor sleep quality and the moderating roles of emotion regulation strategies. Method A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in China during the early outbreak of the pandemic. A total of 1106 Chinese college students ( M age = 19.58, SD = 1.61) completed measures of COVID-19 stressors, rumination, emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and poor sleep quality. Results COVID-19 stressors were positively associated with poor sleep quality ( β = .431, p < .001), and rumination partially mediated this association. The mediation effect accounted for 70.93% of the total effect of COVID-19 stressors on poor sleep quality. Moreover, cognitive reappraisal moderated the relation between COVID-19 stressors and rumination, and expressive suppression moderated the association between rumination and poor sleep quality. Conclusion Rumination could be a mechanism by which COVID-19 stressors are linked with poor sleep quality. Cognitive reappraisal might provide desired benefits to improving sleep quality while expressive suppression may do the opposite. Implications for future steps and health interventions are discussed.