Media Exposure Related to the PTSS During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Risk Perception.

Yiqing Wang,Shuang Ma,Xiaohua Wang,Ling Jiang,Farooq Ahmed,Muhammad Shahid,Chengbin Liu,Jing Guo,Qinian Chen

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.654548

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to assess the relationship between media exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and to highlight the underlying mechanisms mediated by risk perception.Methods: This survey was conducted online in China from February 1st to February 10th, 2020. A total of 2,858 Chinese citizens aged ≥18 years from 31 provinces and autonomous regions were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess media exposure, PTSS, and risk perception.Results: The prevalence of respondents with heightened PTSS scores was 22.2%. After controlling for covariates, media exposure (more than five times a day) was significantly and positively associated with a high level of PTSS (B = 4.11, p < 0.001), and risk perception (worry and severity) significantly mediated the relationship between media exposure and PTSS (all 95% CIs did not include 0).Conclusions: Based on these findings, the frequency of media exposure was associated with PTSS. Risk perception (worry and severity) mediated the relationship between media exposure and PTSS. The mental health, particularly PTSS, of the general population should be closely monitored and “infodemics” should be combatted while addressing the COVID-19 outbreak; cognitive interventions may be promising.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic caused increasing mental health problems among the public worldwide
1,326 (46.4%) were male, 1,532 (53.6%) were female, and 91.9% of the subjects were between 18 and 50 years old; participants above 50 years of age contribute to merely 8.1% of the samples. 95.8% of the total participants belong to the Han ethnicity
The large majority (88.6%) had a middle to high-income level. When it comes to the health condition of participants, 14.6% of the participants had prior mental health problems, and 7.0% had a 2-week illness

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic caused increasing mental health problems among the public worldwide. The majority of studies have revealed the psychological outcomes of disasters, including epidemic outbreaks [1, 2]. These psychological outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), etc., among which PTSD is the most common outcome [3]. A recent review showed that the frequency of PTSS ranged from 7 to 53.8% in different groups of people during the COVID-19 outbreak [4]. This negative psychological outcome should receive more attention and the risk factors for PTSD must be identified.

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Conclusion