Feeling and Healing in Different Spaces and Phases: How Individuals Coped With the Pandemic Cognitively, Affectively, and Conatively

Abstract

This research investigates individuals' reactions and coping strategies during a prolonged health crisis over distinct temporal phases (i.e., early and late stages of the pandemic) and geographical locations (i.e., Australia, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United States). Using the infectious disease threat (IDT) appraisal model as a guide, we conducted two separate studies at different intervals to investigate the coping strategies individuals utilised in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings revealed cross-country differences in cognitive (i.e., COVID-19 risk perception and vaccine uncertainty), affective (i.e., hope, fear, shame, and anger), and conative (i.e., preventive behavioural intentions, vaccination intentions, and preventive behavioural engagement) outcomes, shaped by cultural and policy influences. Mediation and moderation analyses showed that the coping mechanism of cognitive appraisal indirectly influenced conative coping through affective responses, which could be contingent on pandemic fatigue. This research contributes to crisis and health communication literature by offering a more nuanced understanding of how individuals across different countries cope with and manage a long-lasting public health crisis and provides key takeaways for advancing pandemic communication theory and practice.