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Keep Calm and Stay Safe: The Relationship between Anxiety and Other Psychological Factors, Media Exposure and Compliance with COVID-19 Regulations

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  • Tomer Mevorach

    (Department of Psychological Medicine, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 4920235, Israel
    Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel)

  • Jonathan Cohen

    (Department of Communication, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel)

  • Alan Apter

    (Department of Psychological Medicine, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva 4920235, Israel
    Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many countries to employ public health regulations to achieve behavioral change and stop the transmission of the virus. The factors influencing compliance with these regulations may differ from “classic” predictors for medical compliance. This study attempted to assess the effect of social communication and psychological factors on intention to comply. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on healthy adults living in Israel ( n = 697). The survey assessed the intention to comply with the state COVID-19 regulations and explored possible correlations with demographic and psychosocial factors. Data were collected during May 2020 using a Qualtrics online survey. Data were analyzed to find correlations between anxiety, uncertainty, media exposure and other variables and the level of intention to comply as self-reported. Moderation and mediation effects were studied by an integrative model of influencing factors. We found that media exposure change, trust in responsible agencies and anxiety were positively correlated with compliance, while uncertainty was correlated with noncompliance. The effect of media exposure on compliance had two components. First, media exposure was positively correlated with compliance. On the other hand, media exposure was positively correlated with uncertainty, and uncertainty was negatively correlated with compliance. Interestingly, anxiety, which was positively correlated with media exposure, also moderated the negative correlation between uncertainty and compliance. Our results highlight the important role of uncertainty and anxiety as moderators between media exposure and compliance. To increase public compliance with COVID-19 regulations, efforts should be directed at decreasing uncertainty and anxiety.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomer Mevorach & Jonathan Cohen & Alan Apter, 2021. "Keep Calm and Stay Safe: The Relationship between Anxiety and Other Psychological Factors, Media Exposure and Compliance with COVID-19 Regulations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:2852-:d:514873
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Xue-Jing Liu & Gustavo S. Mesch, 2020. "The Adoption of Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China and Israel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Jesper Akesson & Sam Ashworth-Hayes & Robert Hahn & Robert Metcalfe & Itzhak Rasooly, 2022. "Fatalism, beliefs, and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 64(2), pages 147-190, April.
    3. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    4. Catherine Mei Ling Wong & Olivia Jensen, 2020. "The paradox of trust: perceived risk and public compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 1021-1030, August.
    5. Sijia Li & Yilin Wang & Jia Xue & Nan Zhao & Tingshao Zhu, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic Declaration on Psychological Consequences: A Study on Active Weibo Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-9, March.
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