Self-control moderates the association between perceived severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and mental health problems among the Chinese public

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused thousands of death in China. Prior research suggests that individuals’ perceived severity of the COVID-19 is related to a range of negative emotional and behavioural reactions among the Chinese public. However, scant research has examined the underlying mechanisms. Drawing upon the risk-resilience model, this study proposes that self-control, as a resilient factor, would potentially moderate the association between perceived severity of the COVID-19 and mental health problems. Data from a national survey was used to examine this possibility. Participants were 4,607 citizens from 31 regions in China (Mage=23.71 years, 72.5% female) who completed a national survey at the beginning of February 2020. Results of hierarchical regression showed that after controlling for demographic variables, perceived severity of the COVID-19 and self-control were positively and negatively related to mental health problems, respectively. More importantly, self-control moderated the “perceived severity of the COVID-19 – mental health problems” association, with the said link attenuating as the levels of self-control increased. These findings suggest that compared to those with high self-control, individuals with low self-control are more vulnerable and are more in need of psychological aids to maintain mental health in the encounter of the COVID-19 outbreak.