Perceived stress and possible stressors in the general public in China during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading worldwide and a study found that front-line medical staff reported high levels of perceived stress during this pandemic. However, some findings indicated that the general public had more psychological problems than front-line medical staff. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate perceived stress levels and to identify possible stressors affecting the general public in China during the severe stage of COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted online from February 18 to25, 2020, with 1921 Chinese people aged 18-68 years (M = 29.28, SD = 10.66).

Results: Most participants reported low to mild perceived stress levels. Moreover, social stressors (e.g., disruption of normal life), rather than physical (e.g., burdened work) or psychological stressors (e.g., worried about self-infection) were the most frequently reported stressors of the general public.

Conclusion: In summary, our findings addressed an ongoing relevant situation affecting nations, communities, and individuals worldwide, and provided suggestions to regulate the perceived stress in the general public.