Stress Response on Behavioral Response of University Students During the Peak Period of COVID-19

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between stress response and behavioral response and to develop a moderated mediation model with stress management and risk cognition. METHODS: We developed 4 novel questionnaires, namely, stress response questionnaire, behavioral response questionnaire, stress management questionnaire, and risk cognition questionnaire. A total of 5896 university students in China were investigated during the peak period of the coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: The results showed that stress response had a significant negative predictive effect on behavioral response (r = −0.489, P < .001). Moreover, stress management had a partial mediating effect between stress response and behavioral response. Risk cognition plays a moderating effect on the mediation model (β = −0.109, P = .030), and the effect of high-risk cognition is more significant. CONCLUSION: During the coronavirus disease 2019 period, improving the risk awareness of university students will help to enhance the buffering effect of stress management on behavioral response and indirectly reduce their behavioral response.