Psychosomatic Symptoms and Neuroticism following COVID-19: The Role of Online Aggression toward a Stigmatized Group

Fei Teng, Xijing Wang, Jiaxin Shi, Zhansheng Chen, Qianying Huang and Wanrong Cheng
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Fei Teng: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Xijing Wang: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Jiaxin Shi: Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Zhansheng Chen: Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Qianying Huang: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Wanrong Cheng: School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: The present study investigated the effect of interpersonal mistreatment on the perpetrators’ mental health. We proposed that the threat of COVID-19 will increase people’s mental health problems through their on-line aggression toward stigmatized groups accused of spreading the disease and that there might be potential gender differences in such effects. We tested our predictions among a sample of U.S. residents (Study 1) and a large sample of Chinese residents living out of Hubei province (Study 2) during a heightened period of concern about COVID-19, February 2020. Specifically, we measured U.S. residents’ on-line aggressive behaviors toward Chinese people (Study 1) and Chinese non-Hubei residents’ on-line aggressive behaviors toward Hubei residents (Study 2) as well as their neuroticism (Study 1) and mental health states (Study 2). In line with our predictions, both studies showed that perceived infection of COVID-19 can induce on-line aggression toward stigmatized groups, thereby increasing people’s mental health problems. Moreover, the relationship between COVID-19 vulnerability, on-line aggression, and psychosomatic symptoms was more prominent in men than in women. These results offer insights into people’s responses toward COVID-19 and add to the understanding of people’s mental and physical health during the epidemic stage of contagious diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19; on-line aggression; neuroticism; psychosomatic symptoms; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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