Poster #98 - Fear and the Perceived Stress associated with COVID-19 pandemic: The Moderating Effect of Online Support

• In Event: Poster Session 03

Abstract

An epidemiological survey among the general Japanese population revealed that the mental health of young individuals under the age of 30 has deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic (Ueda et al., 2020). The pandemic affected students dramatically. They were forced to cope with school closure and a subsequent shift to online learning, making them vulnerable to stress and severe mental distress (Midorikawa et al., 2021). Simultaneously, as social media has gained popularity for youth communication, the benefits of online versus offline social support have been investigated (Cole et al., 2017; Costa et al., 2022). Given the social distancing measures under the pandemic, the use of online social interaction has accelerated to the point of becoming the sole means of social interaction among the youth. However, the specific quality of online social support associated with psychological adaptation has not been examined in depth.

Therefore, this study aimed to identify the quality of online support that contributes to better mental health, with a particular focus on the moderating effects of online support on the relationship between fear of infection and perceived stress associated with various life changes after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Data from 3,112 college students (male 44.5%; mean age = 20.74 ± 1.7 years) from a nation-wide Web-survey in 2021 were used for analysis. Measurements used included the Japanese version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale, perceived stress, in-person/offline support, and online support scale that captured the frequencies of informational support, positive interaction, and emotional support available online.

Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that, after controlling for gender, age, perceived stress, and offline support, all types of online support were significant predictors of COVID-19 fear. The degree of informational support (B=.45, p=.003) and emotional support received online (B=.62, p=.008) were positively associated with the fear of COVID-19, whereas positive interaction was associated with a lower degree of the fear of the pandemic (B= -.46, p=.04). In addition, only online emotional support was a significant moderator between perceived stress and the fear associated with the pandemic (B=.10, p=.007). A subsequent post-hoc analysis revealed that when students who experienced higher stress due to the pandemic received emotional support online more frequently, they tended to experience a higher degree of fear of COVID-19 infection.

The effects of online social support on the fear of COVID-19 were dependent on the quality of the support. The fear can be aggravated via informational/emotional support and alleviated by positive interaction support received. Emotional support especially may exacerbate the impact of pandemic-related stress on mental health. Collectively, these results suggest that engaging in frequent online communication may increase the fear of infection. Companionship, if online, can be a beneficial way to control stress and anxiety during a lockdown.

Authors

• Naomi Yoshitake, Juntendo
  Presenting Author

• Yukina Sakata, Ochanomizu University

• Masumi Sugawara, Shirayuri University