Psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wuhan’s high school students

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the protective mechanisms of resilience and positive emotion regulation against psychological trauma among Wuhan’s high school students during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHOD: We obtained 286 valid samples from four high schools in Wuhan, China. To construct a measurement model and a structural model, structural equation models using four measurement scales with valid items were adopted, including a scale of psychological trauma, a scale of resilience, a scale of positive emotional regulation, and a scale of mental health. Participants reported their answers to items on a 5-point Likert-like scale. RESULTS: The results revealed that psychological trauma was a negative predictor of mental health, and resilience and positive emotion regulation mediated the relationship between psychological trauma and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Accordingly, we concluded that resilience and positive emotion regulation interrupted the direct impact of psychological trauma on mental health, thereby greatly protecting the mental health of Wuhan’s high school students during the COVID-19 outbreak.