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. 2021 May 20:12:633433.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633433. eCollection 2021.

A Conditional Process Model to Explain Somatization During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: The Interaction Among Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Sex

Fangfang Shangguan  1 , Chenhao Zhou  1 , Wei Qian  2   3 , Chen Zhang  1 , Zhengkui Liu  2   3 , Xiang Yang Zhang  2   3
Affiliations

A Conditional Process Model to Explain Somatization During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: The Interaction Among Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Sex

Fangfang Shangguan et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: More than 15% of Chinese respondents reported somatic symptoms in the last week of January 2020. Promoting resilience is a possible target in crisis intervention that can alleviate somatization.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between resilience and somatization, as well as the underlying possible mediating and moderating mechanism, in a large sample of Chinese participants receiving a crisis intervention during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Methods: Participants were invited online to complete demographic information and questionnaires. The Symptom Checklist-90 somatization subscale, 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and 10-item Perceived Stress Scale were measured.

Results: A total of 2,557 participants were included. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that lower resilience was associated with more somatic symptoms (p < 0.001). The conditional process model was proved (indirect effect = -0.01, 95% confidence interval = [-0.015, -0.002]). The interaction effects between perceived stress and sex predicted somatization (b = 0.05, p = 0.006).

Conclusion: Resilience is a key predictor of somatization. The mediating effects of perceived stress between resilience and somatization work in the context of sex difference. Sex-specific intervention by enhancing resilience is of implication for alleviating somatization during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Keywords: conditional process analysis; gender; perceived stress; resilience (psychological); somatic symptom; somatization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
(A) Conditional process model of sex on the link between resilience and somatization through perceived stress in conceptual form. (B) Conditional process model of sex on the link between resilience and somatization through perceived stress. Dashed lines indicated that statistically insignificant paths between variables. Solid lines indicated that statistically significant paths between variables.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Simple slope analysis showed that sex moderated the relationship between perceived stress and somatization.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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