The Impact of Social Support on Public Anxiety amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Effects of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome on cerebral white matter and emotional health among non-hospitalized individuals

Introduction

Post-acute COVID syndrome (PACS) is a growing concern, given its impact on mental health and quality of life. However, its effects on cerebral white matter remain poorly understood, particularly in non-hospitalized cohorts. The goals of this cross-sectional, observational study were to examine (1) whether PACS was associated with distinct alterations in white matter microstructure, compared to symptom-matched non-COVID viral infection; and (2) whether microstructural alterations correlated with indices of post-COVID emotional health.

Methods

Data were collected for 54 symptomatic individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 (mean age 41 ± 12 yrs., 36 female) and 14 controls who tested negative for COVID-19 (mean age 41 ± 14 yrs., 8 female), with both groups assessed an average of 4-5 months after COVID testing. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data were collected, and emotional health was assessed via the NIH emotion toolbox, with summary scores indexing social satisfaction, well-being and negative affect.

Results

Despite similar symptoms, the COVID-19 group had reduced mean and axial diffusivity, along with increased mean kurtosis and neurite dispersion, in deep white matter. After adjusting for social satisfaction, higher levels of negative affect in the COVID-19 group were also correlated with increased mean kurtosis and reduced free water in white matter.

Discussion

These results provide preliminary evidence that indices of white matter microstructure distinguish PACS from symptomatic non-COVID infection. Moreover, white matter effects seen in PACS correlate with the severity of emotional sequelae, providing novel insights into this highly prevalent disorder.

Exploring the association between social support and anxiety during major public emergencies: a meta-analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a surge in research focusing on mental health issues faced by society, with particular emphasis on the interplay between social support and anxiety. However, the results of these studies have often been controversial.

Methods

To address this, we conducted a meta-analysis of 104 studies (N = 107,660) to investigate the relationship between anxiety and social support and the potential moderate variables.

Results

Our meta-analysis revealed a negative correlation between social support and anxiety (r = -0.233). The study also demonstrated the variation in the relationship between social support and anxiety was moderated by cultural area (Q = 14.120, p < 0.05) and phrase of the pandemic (Q = 13.678, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The relationship between social support and anxiety can differ across different cultural areas and throughout the phrase of the pandemic. Consequently, we advocate for a nuanced assessment of the role of social support in mitigating public anxiety, taking into account the mediating effects of these factors in the context of major public emergencies.

Resilience and its influencing factors after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention in young and middle-aged patients with first acute myocardial infarction

Mental health after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) influences the prognosis of patients. Resilience may contribute to improving a patient's mental health. However, no study has investigated resilience and its associated factors in young and middle-aged patients undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after the first AMI. This study aimed to identify critical associated factors influencing resilience in these patients. This cross-sectional study recruited 161 young and middle-aged patients with first-episode AMI using a purposive sampling method. These patients were assessed 48 h after emergency PCI using the General Information Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Scale Civilian Version. Stepwise and logistic regression were conducted to analyze the factors influencing resilience. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were used to compare the area under the curves (AUC) for each indicator. The resilience of the 161 participants was 29.50 ± 4.158. Monthly household income, self-efficacy, social support, and post-traumatic stress disorder explained 51.4% of the variance in resilience. Self-efficacy (OR 0.716, CI 0.589-0.870, P < 0.01) and social support (OR 0.772, CI 0.635-0.938, P < 0.01) were protective factors for psychological resilience, while post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 1.278, CI 1.077-1.515, P < 0.01) was a risk factor. ROC curve revealed that self-efficacy, social support, and PTSD had an AUC of 0.822, 0.855, and 0.889, respectively. Self-efficacy and social support improve, and PTSD degrades psychological resilience in young and middle-aged AMI patients undergoing emergency PCI.

The effect of a prosocial environment on health and well-being during the first COVID-19 lockdown and a year later

The outset of the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by prolonged periods of chronic stress and social isolation. While studies have investigated the changes to well-being (WB) during this period, the impact of the social environment on long-term physical and mental health requires further study. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing WB and health outcomes, with the hypothesis that a positive social environment would play a significant immediate and long-term role in improving WB and preventing the effects of anxiety associated with the pandemic. At time point 1 (April 2020), an Israeli sample of 206 participants (84% female, mean age 31.5) responded to traditional questionnaires assessing mental health and social support. Factors affecting WB were assessed within subjects during the first COVID-19 lockdown for 6 weeks using a daily survey (Beiwe phone application). A year later, in May 2021, at time point 2, the initial questionnaires were readministered to a subset of the same participants (N = 94). We found that anxiety during the first lockdown adversely affected WB and predicted health and WB deterioration a year later. In contrast, a high quality of social relationships was associated with better short- and long-term WB, and mitigated the adverse effects of anxiety. Daily activities, including physical activity, meditation, and romantic relations, were also positively associated with WB during the first lockdown but did not have long-term effects. In summary, our study underscores the enduring health advantages of a positive social environment, particularly during stressful periods. These results have implications for health policymakers: programs which support individuals with high anxiety and low support, by integrating them into community-based interventions, promise to enhance well-being (WB) and health, as well as to fortify the community as a whole.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Mental Health in Chinese College Athletes during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Multiple Mediating Effects of Basic Psychological Needs and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Psychological issues have a complex and multidimensional impact on a college athlete's training and performance. As the reserve talent of competitive sports, it is very important to investigate the psychological health of athletes. This study aims to explore the association between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), basic psychological needs (BPN), and mental health (MH) among Chinese college athletes. Chinese college athletes who were willing to participate in the study, had participated in national competitions, and had a Chinese athlete rating certificate were included in this study. Participants completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale (BNSG-S). The study involved 665 college athletes (415 males and 250 females), with an average age of 20.43 years (SD = 1.68). We performed descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and moderated chain mediation analyses using SPSS 22.0 and Hayes' PROCESS macro. The results of the final model showed that basic psychological needs were positively correlated with mental health (r = 0.443, p < 0.001), while PTSD (r = -0.346, p < 0.001) and generalized anxiety disorder (r = -0.527, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with mental health among college athletes. There were significant indirect impacts. According to the bootstrapping results, basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder played a mediating role in 22.54% and 50.29% of the total effects of PTSD on mental health, respectively. Meanwhile, the chain mediating effect of basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder (7.23%) was also significant. The study's findings advance our understanding of the connections between PTSD and mental health and highlight the significant roles played by basic psychological needs and generalized anxiety disorder in that link among Chinese college athletes.

Leadership and contagion by COVID-19 among residence hall students: A social network analysis approach

University students have changed their behaviour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of PCR+ and PCR- nodes, analyse the structure, and relate the structure of student leaders to pandemic contagion as determined by PCR+ in 93 residential university students. Leadership comes from the male students of social science degrees who have PCR +, with an eigenvector centrality structure, β-centrality, and who are part of the bow-tie structure. There was a significant difference in β-centrality between leaders and non-leaders and in β-centrality between PCR+ and non-leaders. Leading nodes were part of the bow-tie structure. MR-QAP results show how residence and scientific branch were the most important factors in network formation. Therefore, university leaders should consider influential leaders, as they are vectors for disseminating both positive and negative outcomes.

So far but yet so near: Examining the buffering effect of perceived social support on the psychological impact of Spanish lockdown

The main objective of this study was to examine the moderating or buffering effect of social support (SS) perceived by university students on the psychological impact of lockdown on mental health. Specifically, a total of 826 participants (622 women) completed an online survey that included standardized measures of anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and irritability (Brief Irritability Test), as well as measures of stressors, perceived SS, and self-perceived change in mental health. The results of hierarchical regression analyses suggest that SS contributes toward attenuating the negative impact of academic stressors, general overload, and interpersonal conflict on the indicators of psychological well-being; however, moderation analysis only confirms the buffering effect for symptoms of anxiety. In conclusion, it is suggested that SS networks need to be strengthened as a basic means of protecting health and well-being during unexpected disasters.

The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Research suggests that changes in social support and loneliness have affected mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are a lack of studies comparing the robustness of these associations.

AIMS

The aims were to estimate the strength of the associations of loneliness and social support with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) in the general population.

METHOD

The method entailed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of quantitative studies.

RESULTS

Seventy-three studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled correlations of the effect size of the association of loneliness with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress were 0.49, 0.40, and 0.38, respectively. The corresponding figures for social support were 0.29, 0.19, and 0.18, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the strength of some associations could be influenced by the sociodemographic characteristics of the study samples, such as age, gender, region, and COVID-19 stringency index, and by methodological moderators, such as sample size, collection date, methodological quality, and the measurement scales.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support had a weak association with mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic while the association with loneliness was moderate. Strategies to address loneliness could be highly effective in reducing the impact of the pandemic on social relationships and mental health.

Prepandemic relationship satisfaction is related to postpandemic COVID-19 anxiety: A four-wave study in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting impacts on people's interpersonal relationship and mental health. Using four-wave data in China (N = 222, 54.50% female, Mage = 31.53, SD = 8.17), the current study examined whether prepandemic relationship satisfaction was related to postpandemic COVID-19 anxiety through midpandemic perceived social support and/or gratitude. The results showed that people's COVID-19 anxiety decreased from the peak to the trough stage of the pandemic; perceived social support increased markedly from prepandemic to the peak and remained stable subsequently, while relationship satisfaction remained unchanged throughout. Further, it was midpandemic perceived social support, not gratitude, that mediated the association between prepandemic relationship satisfaction and postpandemic COVID-19 anxiety, indicating that perceived social support played a crucial role in this process. Finally, it is suggested that perceived social support should be distinguished from gratitude as two different components of social interactions.

Social support profiles correlate with depressive symptoms among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A latent profile analysis

This study explored pandemic-related social support profiles and investigated their relationships with depressive symptoms among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hypotheses were evaluated in an online cross-sectional survey of 1286 parents. Latent profile analysis identified two profiles of received social support (isolated and integrated support). Three convergent profiles (high, moderate, and low support) and one divergent profile were found in perceived social support. The results revealed that the distribution of age, region, income and educational level varied across these profiles. Only the "high" (β = -0.11, p < 0.01) and "divergent" (β = -0.12, p < 0.01) profiles of perceived social support were negatively associated with parents' depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of developing better-targeted intervention programs aimed at optimizing the allocation and improving the quantity and quality of supportive resources for parents.

Impact of social support on college students' anxiety due to COVID-19 isolation: Mediating roles of perceived risk and resilience in the postpandemic period

Introduction

Because of the outbreak of COVID-19, several colleges and universities in Xi'an, China, implemented quarantine measures and closed their gates, which increased anxiety among the students.

Methods

The Perceived Social Support Scale, Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Pandemic Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale were used for measurements. SPSS26 and AMOS26 (IBM SPSS AMOS Statistics, New York, United States) were used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the data from the 2,251 respondents and the hypothetical model.

Results

The students' perceived social support was discovered to have had a significant negative effect on anxiety. The students' perceived COVID-19 risk and resilience played significant mediating roles in the relationship between social support and anxiety.

Discussion

When college students feel social support and have resilience, they can reduce anxiety during the epidemic stage. Therefore, education administrators and parents should help college students to identify the current situation of the epidemic environment, enrich relevant knowledge.

Nomogram reliability for predicting potential risk in postgraduate medical students with anxiety symptoms

Purpose

This research aims to develop a Nomogram for exact anxiety symptoms prediction in postgraduate medical students so that they may be identified as high-risk individuals early and get focused care.

Methods

Using a convenient sampling method, for case-control matching, 126 participants with anxiety symptoms and 774 participants of the same age and gender but without anxiety symptoms were designated as the case group and control group, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify influencing factors for anxiety symptoms, then used to design and verify a Nomogram of anxiety symptoms.

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lack of social support (OR = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.91-0.99), low life satisfaction (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.86-0.95), low subjective well-being (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.41-0.83) and frequent tobacco and alcohol use (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.10-2.80) were independent predictors of anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students (P < 0.05). The Nomogram risk prediction model based on the above four independent prediction factors was established, and the verified C-index (Concordance index) is 0.787 (95%CI: 0.744-0.803, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students are influenced by various variables. The Nomogram prediction model has high accuracy, validity, and reliability, which can provide reference for predicting anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students.

Indoor thermal comfort in a rural dwelling in southwest China

Recently, indoor thermal comfort has received more scholarly attention than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global warming. However, most studies on indoor thermal comfort in China concentrated on urban buildings in the east and north. The indoor thermal comfort of rural dwellers in southwest China is insufficiently investigated. Hence, this study assesses residents' indoor thermal comfort in a rural dwelling in Linshui, obtains the thermal neutral temperature of the rural area, and analyzes the thermal adaptation behavior of rural dwellers. The results reveal that the thermal neutral temperature of rural dwellers is 29.33°C (operative temperature), higher than that presented in previous studies based on the same climate region. Indoor thermal conditions in rural dwellings are relatively harsh, but various thermal adaptation behavior of rural dwellers significantly improve their ability to withstand the harsh conditions. When people live in an environment with a (relatively) constant climate parameter (e.g., humidity), their perception of that parameter seems compromised. Most rural dwellers are unwilling to use cooling equipment with high energy consumption. Therefore, more passive cooling measures are recommended in the design and renovation of rural dwellings.

The Relationship between Social Support and Anxiety among Rural Older People in Elderly Caring Social Organizations: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Social support and anxiety have a major impact on later life quality in rural, older people in elderly caring social organizations (SOs). This study aimed to explore the relationship between social support and anxiety and their relevant influential factors among rural older people in elderly caring SOs in Anhui Province, China.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted through a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and a generalized linear model were employed.

RESULTS

A significantly negative association between friends' support and anxiety were found among rural older people in elderly caring SOs. Statistically significant relationships were found between social support and gender, marital status, education level, whether visited by relatives, and institutional satisfaction. Similarly, anxiety was associated with gender, institutional satisfaction, comorbid chronic diseases, and friends' support.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support from friends plays an important role in preventing and regulating anxiety among rural older people, especially those from elderly caring SOs. To reduce the occurrence and level of anxiety among rural elderly in elderly caring SOs, an effort should be given to strengthening social support, improving institutional satisfaction, and emphasizing comorbid chronic diseases.

Mental Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Women Receiving the Comprehensive Social Security Allowance in Hong Kong

Welfare recipients were often considered the least deserving of COVID-related support. Despite the recent attention paid to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, few studies have explored the mental distress experienced by welfare recipients. This cross-sectional study on female Comprehensive Social Security Allowance recipients in Hong Kong aimed to explore their level of mental distress and its association with a range of risk factors specific to welfare recipients. Hence, 316 valid cases from a local community center responded to our online survey. We found that 52.3%, 23.4%, and 78% of the participants showed moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. A higher level of mental distress was associated with having a psychiatric diagnosis, poorer social, and greater concerns over disciplining children, the living environment, daily expenses and being infected by COVID-19. Unexpectedly, being married, having a permanent residence, and having a job were not significant protective factors for this group. The models explained 45.5%, 44.6%, and 52.5% of the overall variance in the level of depression, anxiety, and stress (p < 0.01), respectively. Our findings have important implications for supporting female welfare recipients during a public health crisis and may help frontline staff and professionals provide prompt assistance to this group in need.

Impact of income on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Based on the 2020 China family panel survey

Since December 2019, the COVID-19 has continued to rage, and epidemic prevention policies have limited contact between individuals, which may has a great influence on the income of individuals, exacerbate anxiety and depression, and cause serious mental health problems. The current study aims to examine the association between income and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic by using the data of 9,296 observations from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies. Employing ordinary least squares regression and two-stage least squares regression, we find the significant positive effect of income on Chinese mental health during this pandemic. In addition, the number of cigarettes smoked per day has significant negative effects on mental health. Education levelˎmarriage and exercise frequency have significant positive correlation with mental health. Furthermore, the impact of income on individuals of different groups is heterogeneous during this pandemic. The impact of income for well-educated individuals is less strong than their less-educated counterparts. People who exercise regularly respond less strongly to changes in income than those who do not exercise. Finally, individuals’ salary satisfaction and interpersonal relationship are shown to be the potential mechanism for the effect of income on Chinese mental health.

The Impacts of Environmental Dynamism on Chinese Tour Guides' Sustainable Performance: Factors Related to Vitality, Positive Stress Mindset and Supportive Policy

Although previous research shows great interest in improving the sustainability of organizations' performance, little is known about individual sustainable performance, especially for special groups such as tour guides. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study aimed to investigate the effect of environmental dynamism caused by COVID-19 on tour guides' sustainable performance and mediating role of vitality and intervention mechanism in this relationship. Adopting a quantitative research method, we collected data from 382 professional tour guides in China via three surveys. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) and PROCESS were used to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that: (1) environmental dynamism was negatively related to tour guides' sustainable performance and (2) vitality at work mediated this negative effect; (3) a positive stress mindset moderated the relationship between environmental dynamism and vitality; (4) supportive policy's moderating role in the relationship of vitality and sustainable performance was not significant. The above conclusions contribute to the literature about the external environment, emotional state, performance management and application boundary of COR theory in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship between Income and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Mental health problems represent one most pressing concerns in the world, which produce costly consequences for individuals, families and society as a whole. One of the determinants on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic is income. To complement relevant research and provide valuable recommendations for governments and societies, this study investigates the nexus between income and mental health in China by employing 8049 observations from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies. Using ordinary least squares regression we find the significant positive relationship between income and mental health, and estimate the effect of income on mental health. Furthermore, this effect is heterogeneous depending on individuals’ education level and registered residence type. Finally, individuals’ economic status and happiness are shown to be the potential mechanism through which the effect of income on mental health operates.

Built Environment Impacts on Rural Residents’ Daily Travel Satisfaction

The rapid urbanization in China urges scholars to investigate the impacts of built environment on the level of travel satisfaction of rural residents to improve their quality of life and make planning exercises more human-centric. This study samples six villages out of the 25 top rural areas in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, as the research object and constructs a structural equation model to explore the direct and indirect impacts of the built environment on daily travel satisfaction of rural residents. The research finds that building density (0.609), road density (0.569), the number of accessible markets (0.314), and private car ownership (0.02) have significant positive impacts on travel satisfaction. Public transport (−0.063) has a direct negative impact on travel satisfaction. Consequently, in order to further improve travel satisfaction, construction departments and rural planners should improve the building and road densities of new rural areas and increase the number of accessible markets. The convenience of rural public transport services also needs improvement.

Anxiety in patients treated in a temporary hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, during the first epidemic wave of COVID-19

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that COVID-19 patients in general often experience anxiety, depression and stress, but those problems in patients of temporary COVID-19 hospitals seem to have attracted less attention.

METHODS

The study included 87 SARS-Cov-2 infected subjects accommodated and treated in a temporary hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, during the first epidemic wave of COVID-19. The patients' level of anxiety was assessed on two occasions (at admission to the temporary hospital, and 2 weeks after discharge) using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Demographic and clinical data were obtained through questionnairesor retrieved from patients' medical records.

RESULTS

A multiple linear regression model revealed that sex, age, the severity of COVID-19 symptoms (COVID-19_SS) and the family history of psychiatric disorder (FHPD) remain significant predictors of the level of anxiety at hospital admission (F (4, 82) = 14.916, p < 0.0001), wih an R² of 0.421. Participants' predicted level of anxiety at admission to the temporary COVID-19 hospital can be calculated as 0.931-0.708 × SEX +0.029 × AGE +0.674 × COVID-19_SS + 1.491 × FHPD, where SEX is coded as 1 for male and 0 for female, AGE is measured in years, COVID-19_SS is coded as 0 for asymptomatic, 1 for mild, 2 for moderate and 3 for severe, and FHPD as 0 for negative and 1 for positive. Comparison between individual HAM-A score at admission to the temporary hospital (median (IQR): 7.00 (2.00-11.75)) and 2 weeks after discharge (median (IQR): 0.00 (0.00-1.00)) revealed significant reduction in the level of anxiety among study participants (Z = -7.53, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These data indicate that psychological changes exist in those hospitalized in temporary hospitals, but that they regress soon after they leave.

New Insights Into the Social Rumor Characteristics During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Background

In the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, several social rumors in the form of false news, conspiracy theories, and magical cures had ever been shared and spread among the general public at an alarming rate, causing public panic and increasing the complexity and difficulty of social management. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the characteristics and the driving factors of the social rumors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Based on a sample of 1,537 rumors collected from Sina Weibo's debunking account, this paper first divided the sample into four categories and calculated the risk level of all kinds of rumors. Then, time evolution analysis and correlation analysis were adopted to study the time evolution characteristics and the spatial and temporal correlation characteristics of the rumors, and the four stages of development were also divided according to the number of rumors. Besides, to extract the key driving factors from 15 rumor-driving factors, the social network analysis method was used to investigate the driver-driver 1-mode network characteristics, the generation driver-rumor 2-mode network characteristics, and the spreading driver-rumor 2-mode characteristics.

Results

Research findings showed that the number of rumors related to COVID-19 were gradually decreased as the outbreak was brought under control, which proved the importance of epidemic prevention and control to maintain social stability. Combining the number and risk perception levels of the four types of rumors, it could be concluded that the Creating Panic-type rumors were the most harmful to society. The results of rumor drivers indicated that panic psychology and the lag in releasing government information played an essential role in driving the generation and spread of rumors. The public's low scientific literacy and difficulty in discerning highly confusing rumors encouraged them to participate in spreading rumors.

Conclusion

The study revealed the mechanism of rumors. In addition, studies involving rumors on different emergencies and social platforms are warranted to enrich the findings.

The Impact of Public Opinion Pressure on Construction Company Green Innovations: The Mediating Effect of Leaders' Environmental Intention and the Moderating Effect of Environmental Regulation

Media has paid more attention recently on environmental issues caused by construction companies which imposes public opinion pressure on construction companies and could potentially impact their decision-making processes for green innovations. However, research on the relationship between public opinions pressure and construction company green innovation behavior is still limited. To understand how such public opinions pressure can impact construction companies' green transition and formulate advice accordingly, it is necessary to use empirical data to find the correlations. Therefore, this research has gathered questionnaire data of the construction companies in Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle of China to study the influencing mechanism of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior, analyzes the realization path of leaders' environmental intention as a mediating variable in the impact of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior, and reveals the role boundary of environmental regulation as a moderating variable in the impact of environmental public opinion pressure on enterprise green innovation behavior. The results show that environmental public opinion pressure has a significant positive impact on enterprise green innovation behavior. More specifically, enterprise green innovation behavior is affected by leaders' environmental intention and the latter plays a partial mediating role between environmental public opinion pressure and enterprise green innovation behavior. Environmental regulation also enhances the sensitivity of companies to environmental public opinion pressure, and therefore can significantly strengthen the relationship between environmental public opinion pressure and enterprise green innovation behavior. Further research find that, compared with incentive-based environmental regulations, mandatory environmental regulations make companies more sensitive to environmental public opinion pressure and has a more significant positive moderating effect. The research conclusions could be used to provide theoretical reference with empirical data for accelerating the green innovation transformation and promoting the high-quality development in the construction industry.

How social support predicts anxiety among university students during COVID-19 control phase: Mediating roles of self-esteem and resilience

Public health emergency, such as COVID-19 pandemic, generally has severe impacts on mental health in public. One of the often-neglected negative consequences is that the control and prevention measures of COVID-19 in the post-epidemic can pose psychological threats to public mental health. This study aimed to seek the factors and mechanisms to alleviate this mental health threat based on a sample of university students in China. Accordingly, this study proposed an environmental-individual interaction model examining the multiple mediating effects of self-esteem and resilience in the association between social support and anxiety among university students during COVID-19 control phase. A questionnaire containing multiple scales were administered on the sample of 2734 Chinese university students. Results indicated that social support negatively predicted anxiety through the serial mediating effects of self-esteem and resilience sequentially. Our results highlight the impact of social support and the internal factors on relieving anxiety among university students in COVID-19 control phase. Findings suggest that effective psychological intervention tools should be designed and offered to college students to reduce anxiety distress and improve mental health in the post-epidemic era or the similar situations in the future.

The impact of different AR-HUD virtual warning interfaces on the takeover performance and visual characteristics of autonomous vehicles

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the different effects of the arrow-pointing augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) interface, virtual shadow AR-HUD interface, and non-AR-HUD interface on autonomous vehicle takeover efficiency and driver eye movement characteristics in different driving scenarios.

METHODS

Thirty-six participants were selected to carry out a simulated driving experiment, and the eye movement index and takeover time were analyzed.

RESULTS

The arrow pointing AR-HUD interface and the virtual shadow AR-HUD interface could effectively reduce the driver's visual distraction, improve the efficiency of obtaining visual information, reduce the number of times the driver's eyes leave the road, and improve the efficiency of the takeover compared with the non-AR-HUD interface, but there was no significant difference in eye movement indexes between the arrow pointing AR-HUD interface and the more eye-catching virtual shadow AR-HUD interface. When specific scenarios were considered, it was found that in the scenario of emergency braking of the vehicle in front, the arrow pointing AR-HUD interface and the virtual shadow AR-HUD interface had more advantages in takeover efficiency than the non-AR-HUD interface. However, in the scenarios of a rear vehicle overtaking the vehicle ahead and non-motor vehicles running red lights, there was no significant difference in takeover efficiency. For the non-motor vehicle invading the line, emergency U-turn of the vehicle in front, and pedestrian crossing scenarios, the virtual shadow AR-HUD interface had the highest takeover efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

These research results can help improve the active safety of autonomous vehicle AR-HUD interfaces.

Relationship Between Family Functioning and Medication Adherence in Chinese Patients With Mechanical Heart Valve Replacement: A Moderated Mediation Model

Background: Medication adherence is crucial for patients with mechanical heart valve replacement. Although families functioning is positively associated with medication adherence, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Objective: To test whether family functioning affects medication adherence through illness perceptions and whether this mediating effect was moderated by medication literacy. Methods: 319 patients after mechanical heart valve replacement were included in this cross-sectional study from June 2021 to October 2021. Data regarding family functioning, illness perceptions, medication adherence, and medication literacy were collected through questionnaires. The moderated mediation model was examined by Hayes's PROCESS macro, based on the bootstrapping method. Results: The results revealed illness perceptions partially mediated the association of family functioning on medication adherence [β = 0.08, 95% confidence intervals: (0.04, 0.12)], and this effect was stronger for patients with low medication literacy than those with high literacy [β = -0.36, 95% CI: (-0.50, -0.22)]. Furthermore, the relationship between family functioning and medication adherence was only significant in patients with low medication literacy [β = 0.36, 95% CI: (0.23, 0.50)]. Conclusion: The mediating effect of illness perceptions between family functioning and medication adherence was moderated by medication literacy. Efforts to improve medication adherence by targeting at improving family functioning may be more effective when considering illness perceptions, especially for patients with limited medication literacy.

Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health of Chinese Residents in Its Initial Stage

This study aims to investigate the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the Chinese public's mental health during its early stage. We collected the data through an online questionnaire survey. Specifically, we adopted the impact of event scale-revised (IES-R) and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) to assess symptomatic responses to exposure to traumatic life events and public anxiety, respectively, in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Then, we evaluated the differences in the scores among various socio-demographic groups using Kruskal-Wakkis H tests and t-tests and analyzed the IES-R, state anxiety (SA) score, and trait anxiety (TA) score using the Pearson correlation analysis. Finally, we conducted a path analysis to determine the mediating role of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (measured by the IES-R) in the relationship between TA and SA. The results show that the average of the SA and TA scores were 48.0 ± 10.4 and 38.0 ± 8.2, respectively; the respondents who suffered from mild, moderate, and severe psychological impacts because of the health crisis accounted for 21.9, 5.2, and 13.1%, respectively; farmers have the highest IES-R score than others; people with the highest income have the lowest SA level; a significant positive correlation existed between the IES-R and STAI scores; and TA produces both direct and indirect (through the IES-R) effects on SA. Overall, the general Chinese public exhibited much higher anxiety levels than normal in the early days of the pandemic outbreak. Accordingly, we strongly recommend psychological counseling and intervention support to mitigate the adverse psychological impacts of such an event.

Relationship between social support, coping strategy against COVID-19, and anxiety among home-quarantined Chinese university students: A path analysis modeling approach

With the continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict implementation of quarantine policy, the levels of anxiety among university students surged in the lockdown period. Previous studies confirmed the effectiveness of social support in mitigating anxiety, so offering social support should be of high priority in COVID-19, especially in quarantine. However, various coping strategies against the pandemic may explain the link between social support and anxiety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of social support, coping strategy against COVID-19, and anxiety, identifying the potential mediating effect of coping strategy between social support and anxiety during the COVID-19 quarantine. Home-quarantined Chinese university students (N = 2640; 68.79% female) completed online ratings of social support, coping, and anxiety from February 21st to 24th, 2020, when they had been confined to their homes in the peak of the pandemic. Sex and academic attainment being covariates, path analysis with parallel mediation were conducted using "lavaan" package in R environment. Anxiety was significantly negatively related to subjective support and counselor support, while family support did not demonstrate substantive associations with anxiety. The mediating role of cognitive coping was found between all the three social support sources and anxiety. Emotional coping and behavioral coping were found to partially mediate the relationship between subjective support and anxiety, fully mediate the associations of family support and anxiety. However, the impact of counselor support on anxiety was not found to be mediated by emotional coping and behavioral coping. This large-scale online study provides initial evidence that various coping strategies may mediate the relationship between three sources of social support and anxiety in quarantine to some extent. Given that coping against COVID-19 is a valuable reasearch goal upon the global ongoing challenge, the findings will shed more light on the mechanism in the link between coping, social support, and anxiety.

The Moderating Role of the Hostile-World Scenario in the Connections Between COVID-19 Worries, Loneliness, and Anxiety

The COVID-19 pandemic has had pronounced effects on individuals' psychological well-being around the world. Concerns regarding the consequences of infection, as well as the general uncertainty and governmental regulations have resulted in increased psychological distress among many populations and cultures. In this regard, research has shown that the manner by which individuals perceive such large-scale threats and appraise them significantly contributes to the psychological consequences of such events. According to the Hostile-World Scenario (HWS) model, negative engagement (NE) with such threats weakens one's competence and coping abilities, whereas positive engagement (PE) facilitates resilience and enhances psychological adjustment. Accordingly, the current study examines the moderating role of both NE and PE in the connections of two main features of the current pandemic, COVID-19-related worries and loneliness, with anxiety. Data were collected between March 16 and April 14, 2020, from 1,112 Israelis (age range 17-92, M = 46.90, SD = 16.46), who provided information regarding COVID-19 health worries, loneliness, and anxiety. A special measure assembled items pertinent to the HWS-NE and HWS-PE throughout the survey. Results demonstrated that both HWS-NE and HWS-PE were significant moderators. COVID-19-related health worries/loneliness were linked with anxiety only among individuals with high HWS-NE, and were non-significant among those with low HWS-NE. Moreover, the positive association between loneliness and anxiety was significantly mitigated by high HWS-PE. The discussion highlights the importance of the HWS for understanding the psychological consequences of COVID-19 and offers practical suggestions, which may aid mental health practitioners in providing assistance and support to the general population.