Impact of Easing COVID-19 Restrictions on Fear of COVID-19 and Social Support Among Chinese Students: A Longitudinal Analysis

作者：Zhao, Yang; Wang, Ruizhe; Li, Hebin; Chen, Chong; Zhou, Bowen; Weng, Xinying; Hua, Yidi; Jia, Yaqi; Wu, Yajun; Li, Ying^*

来源：Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 2023, 16: 4685-4696.

DOI：10.2147/PRBM.S434765

• fear of COVID-19
• social support
• Chinese students
• COVID-19 policy
• longitudinal study

Introduction: This longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support among Chinese college students during two distinct periods of the COVID-19 pandemic: the period of strict control (time 1) and the period following a relaxation of restrictions (time 2). Methods: A total of 408 Chinese college students participated in this study. Data collection included demographic information, measures of fear of COVID-19, support-seeking behaviors, and perceived social support. Results: Fear of COVID-19 at time 1 showed a significant positive association with fear of COVID-19 at time 2. The relationship between support-seeking behavior at time 1 and fear of COVID-19 at time 2 was significantly mediated through a chain mediation effect of support-seeking behavior at time 1 and perceived social support at time 2. Discussion: This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscores the significance of social support in mitigating fear of COVID-19. It calls for a re-evaluation of public health policies considering their potential psychological effects and introduces new opportunities for developing psychosocial interventions.

• 单位
  青岛大学; 中国科学院; y