A Conditional Process Model to Explain Somatization During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: The Interaction Among Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Sex

Fangfang Shangguan; Chenhao Zhou; Wei Qian; Chen Zhang; Zhengkui Liu; Xiang Yang Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633433

A Conditional Process Model to Explain Somatization During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: The Interaction Among Resilience, Perceived Stress, and Sex

Front Psychol. 2021 May 20:12:633433. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633433. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Fangfang Shangguan¹, Chenhao Zhou¹, Wei Qian^{2

3}, Chen Zhang¹, Zhengkui Liu^{2

3}, Xiang Yang Zhang^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: More than 15% of Chinese respondents reported somatic symptoms in the last week of January 2020. Promoting resilience is a possible target in crisis intervention that can alleviate somatization.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between resilience and somatization, as well as the underlying possible mediating and moderating mechanism, in a large sample of Chinese participants receiving a crisis intervention during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Methods: Participants were invited online to complete demographic information and questionnaires. The Symptom Checklist-90 somatization subscale, 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and 10-item Perceived Stress Scale were measured.

Results: A total of 2,557 participants were included. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that lower resilience was associated with more somatic symptoms (p < 0.001). The conditional process model was proved (indirect effect = -0.01, 95% confidence interval = [-0.015, -0.002]). The interaction effects between perceived stress and sex predicted somatization (b = 0.05, p = 0.006).

Conclusion: Resilience is a key predictor of somatization. The mediating effects of perceived stress between resilience and somatization work in the context of sex difference. Sex-specific intervention by enhancing resilience is of implication for alleviating somatization during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Keywords: conditional process analysis; gender; perceived stress; resilience (psychological); somatic symptom; somatization.