The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in China, has caused severe health problems and imposed a tremendous psychological impact on the public. This study investigated the risk and protective factors associated with psychological distress among Hubei residents during the peak of the outbreak. Data were obtained from a combined online and telephone survey of 1,682 respondents. Various COVID-19-related stressors, including risk exposure, limited medical treatment access, inadequate basic supplies, reduced income, excessive exposure to COVID-19-related information, and perceived discrimination, were associated with psychological distress. Neighborhood social support can reduce psychological distress and buffer the effect of COVID-19-related stressors, whereas support from friends/relatives affected stress coping limitedly. Interventions to reduce stressors and promote neighborhood support are vital to reduce psychological distress during infectious disease outbreaks.

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Background While restriction measures are critical in containing the COVID-19 outbreak, limited studies have investigated the behavioral and psychological impact of these measures. This study aimed to investigate the effects of physical and sedentary behavioral changes and online behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and life satisfaction among the Chinese population. Methods The data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 2145 residents aged between 18 and 80 in Hubei province, China between March 23, 2020, and April 9, 2020. Results Participants who had high frequencies of physical activities before or during the COVID-19 outbreak exhibited higher levels of life satisfaction. Participants who increased their sitting time during the pandemic or kept sitting for more than eight hours before and during the pandemic reported worse mental health than those who maintained less sedentary behavior. Besides, participants who used the Internet for information seeking, communication, and entertainment more frequently reported better mental health and life satisfaction. In contrast, there was a positive association between commercial use of the Internet and symptoms of mental disorders. Conclusion Given the link between physical and sedentary behavioral changes with worse mental wellbeing, strategies to reduce sedentariness and increase physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic are needed.