COVID‐19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms: Mediating role of self‐control and moderating role of life history strategy

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has emerged as a significant public health crisis, posing threats to physical health and mental well‐being. This study, grounded in the Risk‐Resilience Model, sought to elucidate how COVID‐19 risk perception impacts negative emotional symptoms. Specifically, we examined the mediating role of self‐control and the moderating role of life history strategies. We conducted a two‐wave longitudinal survey in October 2020 (N = 334) and November 2020 (N = 249), targeting residents across 14 provinces (24 cities) in China. After controlling for sex and age, the results supported the moderated mediation model, illustrating that (1) self‐control mediated the relationship between COVID‐19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms, (2) life history strategy moderated the first segment of the mediation process, and (3) life history strategies also moderated the mediating effect of self‐control on the link between COVID‐19 risk perception and negative emotional symptoms. Furthermore, compared to a fast life history strategy, a slow life history strategy mitigated the effect of COVID‐19 risk perception on self‐control, thereby reducing negative emotional symptoms. This study sheds light on how COVID‐19 risk perception affects negative emotional symptoms and identifies potential targets (i.e., self‐control and life history strategy) for addressing emotional distress during pandemics.