Abstract
BackgroundThe provision of public adaptive coping strategies to reduce psychological tension during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is critical. We sought to provide evidence-based guidance for psychological intervention, exploring the potential mediating roles of three sources of social support (i.e., subjective support, family support and counselor support) between coping strategies (i.e., cognitive coping, emotional coping and behavioral coping), and anxiety among college students at the height of the pandemic in China.MethodsUsing the Coping Strategy Questionnaire, Social Support Questionnaire, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, this large-scale online study analyzed the levels of social support, coping, and anxiety among 2640 college students in China from February 21st to 24th, 2020, when the students had been isolated at home for 1 month since the lockdown of Wuhan city.ResultsStudents reported high levels of cognitive coping, behavioral coping, and social support. They also experienced low levels of anxiety and emotional coping. Anxiety was significantly and negatively related to coping and social support. The mediating roles of three sources of social support were found between cognitive coping, behavioral coping, and anxiety, respectively. However, the effect of emotional coping on anxiety was not found to be mediated by social support.ConclusionsAdopting positive coping strategies may enhance social support that in turn relieves anxiety. The effect of social support, especially family and counselor support, should arouse greater awareness in coping with the pandemic cognitively and behaviorally.
Highlights
The provision of public adaptive coping strategies to reduce psychological tension during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is critical
Given the limited scope of available studies coupled with specific social support in this crisis, the present study focused on the roles of three sources of social support in managing the COVID-19 pandemic
RQ1: What is the status of coping strategies, social support, and anxiety among Chinese college students? RQ2: What are the relationships between coping strategies, social support, and anxiety?
Summary
The provision of public adaptive coping strategies to reduce psychological tension during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is critical. The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has invoked panic and anxiety in the world. Under this unprecedented circumstance, the Chinese government has taken an active stance and implemented extreme measures to mitigate the dissemination of the disease. Self-isolated adults who were suspected COVID19 cases reported high levels of anxiety with low sleep quality [7]. The reason for this psychological pressure is primarily due to the lack of interpersonal association, and the significance of social support deserves consideration [8]
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