Mediating role of negative emotion in social support and negative coping of medical staff

  Objective  To investigate the relationship between social support, negative emotion, and negative coping of first-line medical staff against COVID-19.

  Methods  Totally 1 372 first-line anti-epidemic medical staff were surveyed with general data questionnaire, the Social Support Scale, the Public Health Emergency Psychological Scale, and the Simple Coping Style Scale in a sole designated hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Sichuan Province. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship between variables. Bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect of negative emotion in social support and negative emotion.

  Results  The social support score of medical staff was 41.51±9.13. The score of negative emotion was 0.52±0.40. The negative response score was 0.80±0.56. The older the age and the longer the working time, the more social support they received, the lower the negative temperament they showed, and they were less likely to adopt negative coping styles(P < 0.05). Female medical staff were more likely to have negative emotions and adopt negative coping styles than male medical staff(P < 0.05). The negative emotion of nurses was much higher than that of doctors and medical technicians(P < 0.05). Social support was negatively correlated with negative emotions(r=-0.172, P < 0.01) and negative coping (r=-0.082, P < 0.01), while negative emotions were significantly positively correlated with negative coping (r=0.427, P < 0.01). Social support negatively predicted negative emotions (β=-0.306, P < 0.01) and negative coping(β=-0.077, P < 0.01). Social support had a significant effect on negative emotionsβ=-0.181, 95% confidence interval(-0.238﹣-0.124), t=-6.278, P < 0.001;Negative emotion had a significant effect on negative copingβ=0.188, 95% confidence interval(0.166-0.210), t=16.733, P < 0.001;The direct effect of social support on negative coping was not significantβ=-0.004, 95% confidence interval(-0.028-0.020), t=-0.733, P=0.760. Negative emotion played a complete mediating role in social support and negative coping, and the mediating effect accounted for 89.3% of the total effect.

  Conclusions  Social support indirectly affects the negative coping behavior of the first-line medical staff through negative emotions. We should strengthen the social support of medical staff, so that they can take a more positive coping style in their work.