Risk Perception and Public Pandemic Fatigue: The Role of Perceived Stress and Preventive Coping

Abstract

Bin Wang,1,* Xiao Zhong,2,* Haojie Fu,3 Haobo Zhang,4 Ruilin Hu,1 Jufen Li,1 Changxia Chen,1 Kexin Wang5 1Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Psychology, Beijing University of Sports, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4College of Education Science, Guangxi University for Nationalities, Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China; 5College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Changxia Chen, Southwest University of Science and Technology, No. 59, Middle Section of Qinglong Avenue, Fucheng District, Fucheng District, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Kexin Wang, College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, No. 866 Yuhangtang Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: This study explores the status of pandemic fatigue, predictors, and their mechanisms of action based on a stress-response framework and a parallel model of future-oriented response.Patients and methods: Study 1 investigated 8426 Chinese adult residents’ understanding of and willingness to cooperate with the pandemic prevention and control policies and Study 2 surveyed 1635 Chinese residents on their activeness of pandemic prevention and control (APPC), pandemic risk perception, perceived stress, and future-oriented coping.Results: Study 1 found that public understanding of and willingness to cooperate with prevention policies were significantly lower in 2022 than in 2020 and 2021. Study 2 found that risk perception negatively predicted the APPC; perceived stress and preventive coping significantly mediated the relationship between risk perception and APPC; but perceived stress and proactive coping did not significantly mediate the relationship between risk perception and APPC.Conclusion: This revealed an increase in public fatigue in the third year of the pandemic. Pandemic fatigue can be predicted by pandemic risk perception, but the direct pathway of action is not significant and requires the mediation of perceived stress and preventive coping.Keywords: pandemic fatigue, risk perception, stress, proactive coping, preventive coping

Keywords

• pandemic fatigue
• risk perception
• stress
• proactive coping
• preventive coping.