ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Personality and Social Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1651664
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Phenomenon of Misinformation in Different Domains and by Various DisciplinesView all 4 articles
The Perceived COVID-19 Pandemic Risk and Mental Distress in China: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Trust and the Moderating Role of Social Cohesion
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
- 2Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, China
- 3Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
- 4Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College, Wenzhou, China
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An increasing number of studies have highlighted the consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the mechanisms through which it inflicts harm. However, few studies to date have examined the relationship between perceived pandemic risk and mental ditress from an interpersonal perspective. Drawing on the stress-system model, trust theory, social support theory, and the exchange–emotion–cohesion theory, the present study investigates whether perceived pandemic risk is positively associated with mental distress, whether different types of interpersonal trust mediate this relationship, and whether social cohesion moderates this mediating process. The theoretical model was tested using data from 18,278 Chinese residents (Mage = 32.63 years, standard deviation = 13.85) between March and June 2020. Participants in this cross-sectional study completed a named survey assessing their perceived pandemic risk, different types of interpersonal trust, mental distress, and social cohesion. Correlational analyses revealed a positive association between perceived pandemic risk and mental distress. Further moderated mediation tests showed that interpersonal trust among non-strangers (family acquaintance ) partially mediated the relationship between perceived pandemic risk and mental distress, with social cohesion moderating the trust-to-mental distress pathway for acquaintance trust. Specifically, in environments with lower social cohesion, the indirect effect through acquaintance trust was stronger, indicating greater vulnerability to mental distress. These findings extend research on pandemic-related mental distress and highlight the role of social relationships in public health crises.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, risk, interpersonal trust, social cohesion, mental distress
Received: 22 Jun 2025; Accepted: 09 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhou, Liu, Wu, Liao and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Chuanjing Liao, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
Shengyu Zhao, Wenzhou Vocational and Technical College, Wenzhou, China
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