Relationship of college students’ risk perception of COVID-19 and their anxiety and depression: A moderated mediation model

Yijing Hou; Yajing LI; Xun Wang; Zhaozhao Hui; Xuan Wang; Hailu Zhu; Mei MA; Zhenxiang Zhang; Mingxu Wang

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Relationship of college students’ risk perception of COVID-19 and their anxiety and depression: A moderated mediation model

VernacularTitle:大学生新冠肺炎疫情风险感知和焦虑抑郁的关系研究——基于有调节的中介模型
Author: Yijing HOU ¹ ; Yajing LI ¹ ; Xun WANG ¹ ; Zhaozhao HUI ¹ ; Xuan WANG ¹ ; Hailu ZHU ¹ ; Mei MA ¹ ; Zhenxiang ZHANG ² ; Mingxu WANG ¹
Author Information

1. School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an 710061
2. School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: college student; risk perception; anxiety; depression; attentional bias; perceived social support
From: Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2023;44(2):177-184
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: 【Objective】 To explore the effects of perceived risk of COVID-19 of college students on their anxiety and depression, as well as the roles of attention to negative information and perceived social support, so as to provide theoretical basis for colleges and universities to formulate corresponding intervention measures. 【Methods】 By the convenience sampling method, totally 1 404 college students from Shaanxi and Henan provinces were investigated online by using General Information Questionnaire, Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Pandemic Scale, Attention to Negative Information Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Perceived Social Support Scale. SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis, Pearson correlation method was used to explore the correlation between variables. The mediating effect of attention to negative information and the moderating effect of perceived social support were analyzed by PROCESS. 【Results】 The scores of anxiety and depression of the 1 404 college students included in the study were 4.03±4.48 and 6.21±5.41, respectively. The detection rate of anxiety symptom was 29.9%, and that of depression symptom was 44.4%. The risk perception of COVID-19 epidemic of the college students was positively correlated with attention to negative information (r=0.373, P<0.001), anxiety (r=0.227, P<0.001), and depression (r=0.226, P<0.001). Anxiety (r=0.553, P<0.001) and depression (r=0.497, P<0.001) were positively correlated with attention to negative information, while perceived social support was negatively correlated with the risk perception of the COVID-19 (r=-0.154, P<0.001), attention to negative information (r=-0.259, P<0.001), anxiety (r=-0.321, P<0.001) and depression (r=-0.278, P<0.001). The risk perception of COVID-19 affected the anxiety and depression of the students mainly through the mediating effect of attention to negative information. The total effect of risk perception of COVID-19 and anxiety was 0.227, and the mediating effect accounted for 80.18% of the total effect. The total effect of risk perception of COVID-19 and depression was 0.228, and the mediating effect accounted for 90.35% of the total effect. Perceived social support played a moderating role in the last half of this mediating model. 【Conclusion】 Risk perception of COVID-19 indirectly affects the occurrence of anxiety and depression in college students through attention to negative information, and perceived social support plays a moderating role in this mediating model. The findings suggest that when a risk event occurs, colleges and universities should pay attention to guiding students to adjust their attentional bias to external information, and give students enough care and support to improve their mental health.