{"title":"How Does Psychological Distance Influence Public Risky Behavior During Public Health Emergencies","authors":"Yu Gao, Yuechi Sun","doi":"10.2147/rmhp.s458168","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Background:</strong> Public health emergencies not only threaten the physical and mental health of the public but also trigger a series of risky behaviors of the public, which in turn lead to the emergence or intensification of risk events, disrupting existing economic and social order.<br/><strong>Purpose:</strong> Based on construal level theory, cognitive appraisal theory of emotions and mood maintenance hypothesis, the study aims to investigate the collectively effect of risk perception and psychological insecurity in the connection between psychological distance and public risky behavior.<br/><strong>Participants and Methods:</strong> Cross-sectional data was derived from 257 China urban residents. All participants finished the psychological distance scale, risk perception scale, psychological insecurity scale, and risky behavior scale. The research hypothesis was tested using the PROCESS macro.<br/><strong>Results:</strong> The direct impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was not significant (β=− 0.018, p> 0.05). The indirect impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was significant. In other words, the impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was serially mediated via risk perception and psychological insecurity (β=0.011, 95% CI= [0.0013, 0.025]).<br/><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Risk perception and psychological insecurity play serial mediating roles in the relationship between psychological distance and public risky behavior. We conclude that during public health emergencies, public health managers should pay extra attention to the risk perception and psychological insecurity level of the public with closer psychological distance, take measures to reduce their risk perception, enhance their psychological security, and reduce their risky behavior, thereby ensuring the physical and mental health of the public and maintaining the stability of economic and social order.<br/><br/>","PeriodicalId":56009,"journal":{"name":"Risk Management and Healthcare Policy","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Risk Management and Healthcare Policy","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s458168","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Public health emergencies not only threaten the physical and mental health of the public but also trigger a series of risky behaviors of the public, which in turn lead to the emergence or intensification of risk events, disrupting existing economic and social order. Purpose: Based on construal level theory, cognitive appraisal theory of emotions and mood maintenance hypothesis, the study aims to investigate the collectively effect of risk perception and psychological insecurity in the connection between psychological distance and public risky behavior. Participants and Methods: Cross-sectional data was derived from 257 China urban residents. All participants finished the psychological distance scale, risk perception scale, psychological insecurity scale, and risky behavior scale. The research hypothesis was tested using the PROCESS macro. Results: The direct impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was not significant (β=− 0.018, p> 0.05). The indirect impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was significant. In other words, the impact of psychological distance on risky behavior was serially mediated via risk perception and psychological insecurity (β=0.011, 95% CI= [0.0013, 0.025]). Conclusion: Risk perception and psychological insecurity play serial mediating roles in the relationship between psychological distance and public risky behavior. We conclude that during public health emergencies, public health managers should pay extra attention to the risk perception and psychological insecurity level of the public with closer psychological distance, take measures to reduce their risk perception, enhance their psychological security, and reduce their risky behavior, thereby ensuring the physical and mental health of the public and maintaining the stability of economic and social order.
期刊介绍:
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal focusing on all aspects of public health, policy and preventative measures to promote good health and improve morbidity and mortality in the population. Specific topics covered in the journal include:
Public and community health
Policy and law
Preventative and predictive healthcare
Risk and hazard management
Epidemiology, detection and screening
Lifestyle and diet modification
Vaccination and disease transmission/modification programs
Health and safety and occupational health
Healthcare services provision
Health literacy and education
Advertising and promotion of health issues
Health economic evaluations and resource management
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy focuses on human interventional and observational research. The journal welcomes submitted papers covering original research, clinical and epidemiological studies, reviews and evaluations, guidelines, expert opinion and commentary, and extended reports. Case reports will only be considered if they make a valuable and original contribution to the literature. The journal does not accept study protocols, animal-based or cell line-based studies.