Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Contagion and Frontline Paramedics’ Agonistic Behaviour: Employing a Stressor–Strain–Outcome Perspective

Fakhar Shahzad, Jianguo Du, Imran Khan, Adnan Fateh, Muhammad Shahbaz, Adnan Abbas and Muhammad Umair Wattoo
Additional contact information
Jianguo Du: School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Imran Khan: Department of Management Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab 63100, Pakistan
Adnan Fateh: Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Muhammad Shahbaz: Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Adnan Abbas: School of Economics and Management, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China
Muhammad Umair Wattoo: Department of Management Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab 63100, Pakistan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-22

Abstract: Historically, infectious diseases have been the leading cause of human psychosomatic strain and death tolls. This research investigated the recent threat of COVID-19 contagion, especially its impact among frontline paramedics treating patients with COVID-19, and their perception of self-infection, which ultimately increases their agonistic behaviour. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome paradigm, a research model was proposed and investigated using survey-based data through a structured questionnaire. The results found that the perceived threat of COVID-19 contagion (emotional and cognitive threat) was positively correlated with physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, which led toward agonistic behaviour. Further, perceived social support was a key moderator that negatively affected the relationships between agonistic behaviour and physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. These findings significantly contributed to the current literature concerning COVID-19 and pandemic-related effects on human behaviour. This study also theorized the concept of human agonistic behaviour, which has key implications for future researchers.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; depression; agonistic behaviour; social support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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