Media exposure predicted acute stress responses during COVID-19 outbreak in China: A cross-sectional study

The widespread pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to unprecedented psychological stress on the general public. However, the associations between media exposure and acute stress responses have not been explored during the COVID-19 epidemic. In current study, we conducted an online survey to examine the effects of media exposure on acute stress responses and recognize associated predictors of acute stress on a sample of 1450 Chinese people from February 7 to February 20, 2020. The results indicated that longer media exposure time and the use of social media were associated with higher acute stress and odds of probable acute stress disorder (ASD) after controlling for demographics. Viewing the situation of patients was associated with higher acute stress, whereas viewing latest news about epidemic data was associated with lower odds of probable ASD. Being females, living in Hubei Province, someone close to them diagnosed with COVID-19, history of mental illness, adverse life events and previous collective trauma exposures were risk factors for acute stress responses. These findings confirmed the associations between indirect media exposure to epidemic events and acute stress responses. The governments and other relevant agencies should be aware of the negative impacts of disaster-related media exposure, and implement appropriate interventions to promote psychological well-being following traumatic events.

2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的全球大流行，给普通公众带来了前所未有的心理压力。然而，在新冠疫情期间，媒体接触与急性应激反应之间的关联尚未得到系统探究。本研究于2020年2月7日至2月20日期间，针对1450名中国民众开展在线调查，旨在探究媒体接触对急性应激反应的影响，并明确急性应激反应的相关预测因素。研究结果显示，在控制人口统计学变量后，更长的媒体接触时长与社交媒体使用行为，均与更高水平的急性应激反应及疑似急性应激障碍（ASD）发生风险相关。关注患者救治场景与更高水平的急性应激反应呈正相关，而浏览疫情数据相关的最新资讯则与更低的疑似ASD发生风险相关。女性身份、居住于湖北省、身边有人确诊COVID-19、精神疾病既往史、不良生活事件及既往集体创伤暴露史，均为急性应激反应的危险因素。本研究结果证实了疫情事件间接媒体接触与急性应激反应之间的关联。各国政府及相关机构应充分认识到灾害相关媒体暴露的负面影响，并在创伤性事件发生后采取适当干预措施，以促进公众的心理健康福祉。