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. 2020 Dec;12(4):1095-1114.
doi: 10.1111/aphw.12232. Epub 2020 Sep 21.

Perceived Control Buffers the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on General Health and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distance

Lei Zheng  1   2   3 , Miao Miao  4   5 , Yiqun Gan  6
Affiliations

Perceived Control Buffers the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on General Health and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distance

Lei Zheng et al. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Ways to maintain good health during a pandemic are very important for the general population; however, little is known about the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on individuals' life satisfaction and perceived general health. This study aimed to examine the effects of COVID-19 on life satisfaction and perceived general health and reveal the buffering effect of perceived control on coping with COVID-19.

Methods: We collected 1,847 participants' data from 31 pandemic-affected provinces in China and obtained regional epidemic data of the same provinces. We employed a moderated mediation model with both individuals' self-report data and regional epidemic data to verify the hypotheses.

Results: Psychological distance mediated the relationships of regional pandemic severity with perceived general health and life satisfaction. Perceived control moderated the detrimental effects of regional pandemic severity through the moderating effects of regional pandemic severity on psychological distance, as well as the moderating effects of psychological distance on life satisfaction.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that perceived control may act as a protective factor buffering the psychological impact of the pandemic on general health and life satisfaction. Psychological distance can serve as a mediator that explains how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts perceived general health and life satisfaction.

Keywords: COVID-19; health; life satisfaction; perceived control; psychological distance.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Conceptual model.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Perceived control moderates the effect of regional pandemic severity on psychological distance. Note: Regional pandemic severity was measured by the number of confirmed cases at the province level, and the number was transformed by logarithm with base 15; the moderating effects were significant for Figure 2A and Figure 2C but not for 2B.
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