Risk perception and public pandemic fatigue: the role of perceived stress and preventive coping

Abstract

Abstract This study explores the current status of pandemic fatigue, predictors, and their mechanisms of action based on a stress-response framework and a parallel model of future-oriented response. Study 1 investigated 8426 adult residents' understanding of and willingness to cooperate with the pandemic prevention and control policies, and found that public understanding of and willingness to cooperate with prevention policies were significantly lower in 2022 than in both 2020 and 2021. Study 2 surveyed 1635 residents on their motivation to prevent and control the pandemic. The results found that risk perception negatively predicted motivation to prevent and control the pandemic; perceived stress and preventive coping significantly mediated the relationship between risk perception and motivation to prevent and control the pandemic; but perceived stress and proactive coping did not significantly mediate the relationship between risk perception and motivation to prevent and control the pandemic. This revealed an increase in public fatigue in the third year of the pandemic. Pandemic fatigue can be predicted by pandemic risk perception, but the direct pathway of action is not significant and requires the mediation of perceived stress and preventive coping.