The effect of exposure to COVID-19 on life satisfaction: The mediating role of hyperarousal and moderating/mediating role of affective forecasting

BACKGROUND: As a global trauma event, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hugely impacts people's mental health and well-being. The purpose of our study is threefold: first, investigate the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 and life satisfaction among a large sample in China; second, test the mediating role of hyperarousal in the association between exposure to COVID-19 and life satisfaction; third, explore the moderating/mediating role of affective forecasting in the association between hyperarousal and life satisfaction. METHOD: The current study recruited 5546 participants to complete a set of self-report questionnaires online from April 22, 2020 to April 24, 2020. The moderated mediation and chain mediation model analyses were conducted using the SPSS software and PROCESS macro program. RESULTS: Exposure to COVID-19 negatively predicted life satisfaction (Effect = −0.058, p < 0.001). This relationship was partially mediated by the hyperarousal level (Effect = −0.018, CI = [−0.024, −0.013]). The moderating role of forecasted positive affect (PA)/forecasted negative affect (NA) between hyperarousal and life satisfaction was significant (β = 0.058, CI = [0.035, 0.081]; β = 0.037, CI = [0.014, 0.06]). The chain mediating effect of hyperarousal and forecasted PA/forecasted NA on the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 and life satisfaction was also significant (Effect = −0.003, CI = [−0.004, −0.002]; Effect = −0.006, CI = [−0.008, −0.004]). LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. CONCLUSION: Greater exposure to COVID-19 was associated with more severe hyperarousal symptoms, decreased life satisfaction. Forecasted PA and forecasted NA could moderate and mediate the negative impact of hyperarousal on life satisfaction. The moderating/mediating role of forecasted PA/NA implied that future interventions targeting at improving affective forecasting and reducing hyperarousal might be helpful to improve life satisfaction during the post-COVID-19 era.