Level and factors of support for the Living with the Virus policy in a Chinese adult general population: a mediation analysis via positive and negative attitudes toward the policy.

Background: This study investigated the public's support for the Living with the Virus (LWV) policy, its associated factors, and related mediations at a time when more countries were considering adopting the LWV policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A random, population-based telephone survey was conducted among 500 Chinese adults in Hong Kong during March/April 2022. Results: 39.6% of the participants were supportive/strongly supportive of the LWV policy. Perceived efficacy of the control measures was negatively associated with the support and was partially mediated via the perception that the policy would greatly improve the economy/daily life of the policy. Perceived physical harms of the Omicron variant was negatively associated with the support and was fully mediated via perceived negative impacts of the policy. 26.2%/54.6% believed that the policy would improve the economy/daily life greatly; about 40% perceived negative impacts on deaths and the medical system due to the policy. COVID-19 ever infection did not significantly moderate the studied associations. Conclusion: The public was split regarding the support for the LWV policy and whether it would cause better economy/daily life, unnecessary deaths, and the collapse of the medical system. Health communication is needed in shifting toward the LWV policy.

Illness representation of COVID-19 affected public's support and anticipated panic regarding the living with the virus policy: a cross-sectional study in a Chinese general population.

Background: There is a global trend for countries to adopt the Living with the Virus (LWV) policy regarding COVID-19. Little is known about the public's supportiveness and emotional responses (e.g., anticipated panic) related to this policy. Such responses may be associated with illness representations of COVID-19 (i.e., how people think and feel about COVID-19). This novel topic was investigated in this study to facilitate policy-making and health communication. Methods: A random, population-based telephone survey interviewed 500 adults aged ≥18 of the Hong Kong general adult population from March to April 2022. Results: The prevalence of the public's support and anticipated panic regarding the LWV policy, which were negatively correlated with each other, was 39.6 and 24.2%, respectively. The illness representation constructs of consequences, timeline, identity, illness concern, and emotional representations were negatively associated with supportiveness and positively associated with anticipated panic regarding the LWV policy. Illness coherence was significantly associated with policy support but not with anticipated panic. The associations between personal control/treatment control and supportiveness/anticipated panic were statistically non-significant. Moderation analyses showed that the above significant associations were invariant between those with and without previous COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: Policymakers need to be sensitized about the public's supportive/unsupportive attitude and potential worry (panic) when adopting the LWV policy. Such attitudes/emotional responses may be affected by people's illness representations of COVID-19. In general, those who found COVID-19 involving a milder nature and less negative emotions would be more supportive and anticipated less panic under the LWV policy.

The Associations Between Loneliness, Hopelessness, and Self-control and Internet Gaming Disorder Among University Students Who Were Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cross-sectional Mediation Study.

BACKGROUND: The minority stress model postulates that men who have sex with men (MSM) often encounter multiple stressors because of their sexual minority status, which may lead to psychological problems and maladaptive coping such as addictive behaviors (eg, internet gaming disorder [IGD]). It was hypothesized that hopelessness and loneliness would be associated with IGD via self-control among MSM. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence of IGD and its associations with variables related to minority stress (loneliness and hopelessness) among MSM who were university students. Mediation involving such associations via self-control was also explored. METHODS: With informed consent, 305 MSM attending universities in Sichuan, China participated in the study. The validated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) checklist was used to assess IGD. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for background factors and structural equation modeling were conducted. RESULTS: The prevalence of IGD was 12.8% (n=39). Logistic regression found that IGD was positively associated with hopelessness and loneliness, and negatively associated with self-control. The structural equation modeling identified three significant paths between hopelessness/loneliness and IGD: (1) hopelessness → lower self-control → higher IGD (full mediation), (2) loneliness → lower self-control → higher IGD (partial mediation: effect size of 28%), and (3) a direct effect from loneliness to IGD. CONCLUSIONS: IGD was prevalent among young MSM and warrants interventions that may try to reduce the level of psychosocial problems such as loneliness and hopelessness and improve self-control. According to the socioecological model, the promotion of social acceptance and reduction in stigma toward MSM are important in reducing loneliness and hopefulness among MSM. Self-control links up the relationships between psychosocial problems and IGD and should be given special attention. Longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm the findings and test new mediations between loneliness/hopelessness and MSM with IGD.

Psychometric Properties of the Abbreviated Version of the Dual School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student (SCASIM-St15) among Adolescents in China.

School climate and school identification are two distinct yet closely interrelated components of school environment; both are associated with adolescents' multiple health behavioral changes. The 15-item Abbreviated version of the Dual School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student (SCASIM-St15) and its 5-factor model simultaneously and separately assess these two constructs. This study validated the Chinese version of SCASIM-St15 among 1108 students from junior middle schools, senior middle schools, and vocational high schools in Taizhou city, Zhejiang, China, via an anonymous, self-administered cross-sectional survey. Confirmatory factor analysis supports the 5-factor model of the original SCASIM-St15 with a satisfactory model fit. Its four factors (i.e., student-student relations, staff-student relations, academic emphasis, and shared values and approach) assess school climate; its fifth factor assesses school identification. The subscales of the SCASIM-St15 demonstrate good psychometric properties, including measurement invariance (across sex and school type), good internal consistency, an absence of floor effect, and good external validity with four external variables (depression, peer victimization, classmate support, and teacher-student relationship). However, some substantial ceiling effects were observed. The five subscales differ significantly across the school types but not between males and females. The validated SCASIM-St15 can be applied to simultaneously understand school climate/school identification among Chinese adolescents, which may greatly facilitate future related observational and intervention research.