The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health, intensifying negative emotions and challenging collective psychological resilience. This study examines the complex psychological interplay between social media engagement, emotional responses, and behavioral outcomes during crises. Using...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Psychiatry International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/1/12 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849339804549906432 |
|---|---|
| author | Soohee Kim |
| author_facet | Soohee Kim |
| author_sort | Soohee Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health, intensifying negative emotions and challenging collective psychological resilience. This study examines the complex psychological interplay between social media engagement, emotional responses, and behavioral outcomes during crises. Using an online survey (N = 500) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings reveal that heightened social media use for social interaction is associated with amplified emotional responses—particularly anxiety, anger, and sadness. Among these, anxiety demonstrated a dual role, acting as both a psychological stressor and a motivator for cooperative and prosocial behaviors, such as supporting government policies, volunteering, and donating. In contrast, anger and sadness were not associated with similar behavioral outcomes. These findings highlight the nuanced psychological impact of anxiety during crises, emphasizing its potential to drive adaptive responses amidst heightened emotional distress. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how emotional and psychological processes, particularly anxiety, influence public behavior during crises, providing insights for mental health interventions and policy strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d8f741f2055e4ebcac7b89c36f1b9c58 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-5318 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychiatry International |
| spelling | doaj-art-d8f741f2055e4ebcac7b89c36f1b9c582025-08-20T03:44:03ZengMDPI AGPsychiatry International2673-53182025-01-01611210.3390/psychiatryint6010012The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 PandemicSoohee Kim0Department of Communication Contents, Division of Future Convergence, Dongduk Women’s University, Seoul 02748, Republic of KoreaThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health, intensifying negative emotions and challenging collective psychological resilience. This study examines the complex psychological interplay between social media engagement, emotional responses, and behavioral outcomes during crises. Using an online survey (N = 500) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings reveal that heightened social media use for social interaction is associated with amplified emotional responses—particularly anxiety, anger, and sadness. Among these, anxiety demonstrated a dual role, acting as both a psychological stressor and a motivator for cooperative and prosocial behaviors, such as supporting government policies, volunteering, and donating. In contrast, anger and sadness were not associated with similar behavioral outcomes. These findings highlight the nuanced psychological impact of anxiety during crises, emphasizing its potential to drive adaptive responses amidst heightened emotional distress. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how emotional and psychological processes, particularly anxiety, influence public behavior during crises, providing insights for mental health interventions and policy strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/1/12social mediaemotionpolicy supportprosocial behaviorcrisesCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Soohee Kim The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic Psychiatry International social media emotion policy support prosocial behavior crises COVID-19 |
| title | The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | The Dual Role of Anxiety in Crisis Response: Emotional Intensification and Prosocial Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | dual role of anxiety in crisis response emotional intensification and prosocial behavior during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | social media emotion policy support prosocial behavior crises COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/1/12 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sooheekim thedualroleofanxietyincrisisresponseemotionalintensificationandprosocialbehaviorduringthecovid19pandemic AT sooheekim dualroleofanxietyincrisisresponseemotionalintensificationandprosocialbehaviorduringthecovid19pandemic |