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COVID-19-Related Intolerance of Uncertainty and Mental Health among Back-To-School Students in Wuhan: The Moderation Effect of Social Support

Author

Listed:
  • Lijun Zhuo

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
    These authors contributed equally to this study.)

  • Qian Wu

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
    These authors contributed equally to this study.)

  • Hong Le

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Hao Li

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Ling Zheng

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Guoqing Ma

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

  • Hongbing Tao

    (School of Medicine and Health Management of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China)

Abstract

The current wave and future trend of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered public uncertainty, causing unbearable psychological pressure on people. A cross-sectional online questionnaire was conducted among back-to-school students in Wuhan from 31 August 2020, to 14 September 2020, by using convenience sampling. A total of 1017 participants voluntarily provided sociodemographic characteristics and accomplished the following scales: the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12), the Social Support Scale (SSQ), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7). Results revealed that the levels of anxiety, depression, and insomnia were moderate, moderate and subthreshold, respectively. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance indicated that those with different attitudes toward the trajectory of the COVID-19 epidemic in China showed significantly different results in anxiety and depression ( p < 0.001 ). Moderation modeling implicated that social support significantly moderated the predictive relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and mental health variables including anxiety and depression, but failed on insomnia. Findings indicate that back-to-school students in Wuhan experience mental health problems and improving social support measures could buffer the effect of intolerance of uncertainty with respect to COVID-19 on mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Lijun Zhuo & Qian Wu & Hong Le & Hao Li & Ling Zheng & Guoqing Ma & Hongbing Tao, 2021. "COVID-19-Related Intolerance of Uncertainty and Mental Health among Back-To-School Students in Wuhan: The Moderation Effect of Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-11, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:981-:d:485561
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xin Li & Peixin Lu & Lianting Hu & Tianhui Huang & Long Lu, 2020. "Factors Associated with Mental Health Results among Workers with Income Losses Exposed to COVID-19 in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-11, August.
    2. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2020_011 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Caggiano, Giovanni & Castelnuovo, Efrem & Kima, Richard, 2020. "The global effects of Covid-19-induced uncertainty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Jiannan Li & Wenqi Liang & Bocong Yuan & Guojun Zeng, 2020. "Internalized Stigmatization, Social Support, and Individual Mental Health Problems in the Public Health Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-14, June.
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    4. Peng Wan & Jinsheng Hu & Qi Li, 2023. "Impact of Social Support on Depressive Symptoms among Postgraduates during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
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    6. Hui Zhou & Eva P. W. Hung & Li Xie & Zhen Yuan & Anise M. S. Wu, 2022. "The Application of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model to Gambling Urge and Involvement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-11, November.

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