Moral Obligation to Follow Anti-COVID-19 Measures Strengthens the Mental Health Cost of Pandemic Fatigue (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Background: It has been observed that people became gradually exhausted about the COVID-19-related information and preventive measures as the pandemic unfolds. This phenomenon is known as pandemic fatigue. Not only is pandemic fatigue averse to the prevention of COVID-19, a small but increasing number of studies have also found that it is related to poor mental health. This study extended this line of research by examining a novel yet understudied idea that moral obligation, a crucial motivation that drives people to follow the preventive measures, would amplify the association between pandemic fatigue and mental health problems. Methods: Participants were 937 Hong Kong parents (88% mothers, 62.4% aged 31–40 years). They participated in an online survey reporting on pandemic fatigue, moral obligation, and mental health problems (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress). Results: Findings of moderation model analyses showed that higher levels of pandemic fatigues and moral obligation were related to more mental health problems. Importantly, these links were moderated by moral obligation, with those who felt more morally obliged to follow the preventive measures reporting poorer mental health than those who felt less morally obliged to do so.Limitations: The study was cross-sectional, which constrains the deduction of causality. Participants were only recruited from Hong Kong and females were over representative, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. Conclusions: People who experience pandemic fatigue while feeling more morally obliged to follow the anti-COVID-19 measures are at greater risk of mental health problems. These populations need more support from practitioners.