Overexposure to COVID-19 information amplifies emotional distress: a latent moderated mediation model

Abstract

An infodemic has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores whether overexposure to COVID-19-related information amplifies emotional distress. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China during the outbreak and after the peak of the pandemic (N = 1313). A latent moderated mediation model was built to analyze this relationship. COVID-19 information exposure was found to relate positively with emotional distress, and risk perception mediated the association between them. Additionally, psychological resilience moderated the mediating effects of risk perception. However, five factors of resilience differed in their moderating effects. This study offers theoretical and practical implications apropos clinical intervention and public health management.