Risk Perception and Sense of Public Health Safety: The Mediating Role of Emotional Perception

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused significant economic, social, and cultural impacts, but it has also significantly influenced the public’s sense of psychological health and safety. Therefore, this study aimed to explain the theoretical logic of risk perception and the sense of public health safety. A conceptual framework of risk perception consisting of four dimensions—emotional perception, information perception, trust perception, and efficacy perception—was constructed. Additionally, the impact of risk perception on the sense of public health safety was empirically explored. By conducting an analysis of a survey of 292 residents in China, we found that risk perception had different impacts on residents’ sense of public health safety. Emotional perception and information perception had significantly negative effects on the sense of public health safety, while the effects of trust perception and efficacy perception were significantly positive. Notably, emotional perception played a partial mediating role in the impact of information perception, trust perception, and efficacy perception on sense of public health safety, respectively. The findings of this study showed that emotional perception is a critical mechanism for improving residents’ sense of public health safety. Some certain guidance measures are provided to reduce public anxiety and fear during pandemics.