Risk perception and gratitude mediate the negative relationship between COVID-19 management satisfaction and public anxiety

Abstract

In this study, we explored whether satisfaction with government management, perception of risk, and gratitude influenced public anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Using a cross-sectional, anonymous and confidential online survey, a nationwide sample of Chinese adults (N = 876) was targeted between March 25–March 30, 2020, a period in which newly confirmed cases significantly declined in China. The anxiety level was decreased as compared to that assessed during the peak period. Multiple parallel mediation modeling demonstrated that risk perception and gratitude partially mediated the relationship between satisfaction with government management and public anxiety. Increasing satisfaction and gratitude, as well as reducing risk perception contribute to the public’s mental health. The results may shed light on the positive factors for psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and may aid potential strategies for the policy maker, the public, and the clinic to regulate negative emotions or future emerging infectious diseases.

One step at a time: A statistical approach for distinguishing mediators, confounders, and colliders using direction dependence analysis.

“…Simulation studies have shown that under certain assumptions (discussed in a later section), DDA-based tests can correctly select the causal directionality in competing models (e.g., x → y vs. y → x ; Pornprasertmanit & Little, 2012; Rosenström et al, 2023; von Eye & DeShon, 2012; Wiedermann & von Eye, 2015a). More recently, we have observed an increasing number of DDA applications in the field of psychological studies (e.g., Akkuş & Peker, 2022; Chew et al, 2020; Dierckx et al, 2022; Li et al, 2022; Mei et al, 2023; Wiedermann et al, 2020).…”