IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i24p16541-d998353.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Country/Region Level Pandemic Severity Moderates the Relationships among Risk Experience, Perceived Life Satisfaction, and Psychological Distress in COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Yi-Hui Christine Huang

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

  • Jie Sun

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

  • Ruoheng Liu

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

  • Jennifer Lau

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

  • Qinxian Cai

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong)

Abstract

Scholars and communications practitioners worldwide have sought novel resilience models amid heightened rates of psychological distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined perceived life satisfaction as a determinant of resilience. Additionally, we investigated the assumption that perceived pandemic severity at the country/region level moderates structural relationships within our risk–resilience model. Analyzing more than 34,000 valid samples from 15 countries/regions, we found that (1) perceived life satisfaction alleviated psychological distress across all 15 countries/regions; and (2) country/region-level pandemic severity moderated the relationships among COVID-19 symptom experience, perceived life satisfaction, and psychological distress. The effects of COVID-19 symptom experience and perceived life satisfaction on psychological distress were conditional. We discuss possible mechanisms behind our findings and provide practical implications for mitigating psychological distress during public health crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi-Hui Christine Huang & Jie Sun & Ruoheng Liu & Jennifer Lau & Qinxian Cai, 2022. "Country/Region Level Pandemic Severity Moderates the Relationships among Risk Experience, Perceived Life Satisfaction, and Psychological Distress in COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16541-:d:998353
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16541/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16541/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maffly-Kipp, Joseph & Eisenbeck, Nikolett & Carreno, David F. & Hicks, Joshua, 2021. "Mental health inequalities increase as a function of COVID-19 pandemic severity levels," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    2. Ruut Veenhoven, 1996. "Developments in satisfaction-research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 1-46, January.
    3. Sheth, Jagdish, 2020. "Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 280-283.
    4. Yingying Sun & Ziqiang Han, 2018. "Climate Change Risk Perception in Taiwan: Correlation with Individual and Societal Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, January.
    5. Man Ho & Fanny Cheung & Shu Cheung, 2008. "Personality and Life Events as Predictors of Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: Do Life Events Mediate the Link Between Personality and Life Satisfaction?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(3), pages 457-471, December.
    6. Jihye Choi & Youjeong Park & Hye-Eun Kim & Jihyeok Song & Daeun Lee & Eunhye Lee & Hyeonjin Kang & Jeeho Lee & Jihyeon Park & Ji-Woo Lee & Seongeun Ye & Seul Lee & Sohee Ryu & Yeojeong Kim & Ye-Ri Kim, 2021. "Daily Life Changes and Life Satisfaction among Korean School-Aged Children in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Jian-Bin Li & An Yang & Kai Dou & Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, 2020. "Self-Control Moderates the Association Between Perceived Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mental Health Problems Among the Chinese Public," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-10, July.
    8. Paul Dolan & Grace Lordan, 2013. "Moving Up and Sliding Down: An Empirical Assessment of the Effect of Social Mobility on Subjective Wellbeing," CEP Discussion Papers dp1190, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Mariano Rojas, 2006. "Life satisfaction and satisfaction in domains of life: is it a simple relationship?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 467-497, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Milovanska-Farrington, Stefani & Farrington, Stephen, 2021. "Happiness, Domains of Life Satisfaction, Perceptions, and Valuation Differences Across Genders," IZA Discussion Papers 14270, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Stefani Milovanska-Farrington & Stephen Farrington, 2021. "Happiness, Domains of Life Satisfaction, Perceptions, and Valuation Differences across Genders," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1128, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Arnstein Aassve & Francesca Luppi & Letizia Mencarini, 2018. "Unlocking the black box of life satisfaction surrounding childbearing," Working Papers 120, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    4. Nicolas Loewe & Mehdi Bagherzadeh & Luis Araya-Castillo & Claudio Thieme & Joan Batista-Foguet, 2014. "Life Domain Satisfactions as Predictors of Overall Life Satisfaction Among Workers: Evidence from Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 71-86, August.
    5. M. Joseph Sirgy & Min Young Kim & Mohsen Joshanloo & Dong-Jin Lee & Michael Bosnjak, 2020. "The Relationship Between Domain Satisfaction and Domain Importance: The Moderating Role of Depression," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2007-2030, August.
    6. Luca Zanin, 2013. "Detecting Unobserved Heterogeneity in the Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Satisfaction in Various Domains of Life Using the REBUS-PLS Path Modelling Approach: A Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 281-304, January.
    7. Ali Zackery & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Zahra Heidari Darani & Shiva Ghasemi, 2022. "COVID-19 Research in Business and Management: A Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-32, August.
    8. Elena Bonel & Mauro Capestro & Eleonora Di Maria, 2023. "How COVID-19 impacted cultural consumption: an explorative analysis of Gen Z’s digital museum experiences," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2023(2), pages 135-160, June.
    9. Anna Matysiak & Letizia Mencarini & Daniele Vignoli, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict Moderates the Relationship Between Childbearing and Subjective Well-Being," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 355-379, August.
    10. David Tomé-Lourido & Dolores Ponte & María José Sampedro & Constantino Arce, 2023. "Pandemic Impacts on Athlete Competitive Anxiety and Its Relationship with Sex, Competitive Level and Emotional Self-Control: A Cohort Study before and after COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-12, June.
    11. Kathrin Maier & Karol Konaszewski & Sebastian Binyamin Skalski & Arndt Büssing & Janusz Surzykiewicz, 2022. "Spiritual Needs, Religious Coping and Mental Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Study among Migrants and Refugees in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-16, March.
    12. Sakari Kainulainen, 2020. "Flourishing within the Working-Aged Finnish Population," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 187-205, March.
    13. Wim Groot & Henriëtte van den Brink, 2003. "Sympathy and the Value of Health: The Spill-over Effects of Migraine on Household Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 97-120, January.
    14. Chen, Fuzhong & Hsu, Chien-Lung & Lin, Arthur J. & Li, Haifeng, 2020. "Holding risky financial assets and subjective wellbeing: Empirical evidence from China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Hajdu, Tamás & Hajdu, Gábor, 2011. "A hasznosság és a relatív jövedelem kapcsolatának vizsgálata magyar adatok segítségével [Examining the relation of utility and relative income using Hungarian data]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 56-73.
    16. Roberta Capello & Andrea Caragliu, 2021. "Regional growth and disparities in a post‐COVID Europe: A new normality scenario," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 710-727, September.
    17. Ceema Namazie & Peter Sanfey, 2001. "Happiness and Transition: the Case of Kyrgyzstan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(3), pages 392-405, October.
    18. Martin Ravallion & Michael Lokshin, 2001. "Identifying Welfare Effects from Subjective Questions," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 68(271), pages 335-357, August.
    19. Mauro Bambi & Daria Ghilli & Fausto Gozzi & Marta Leocata, 2021. "Habits and demand changes after COVID-19," Papers 2107.00909, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2022.
    20. Yunhui Huang, 2016. "Downward Social Comparison Increases Life-Satisfaction in the Giving and Volunteering Context," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 665-676, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16541-:d:998353. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.