Would mask stock predict emotional state during COVID-19 outbreak?: The mediating effect of worry and moderating effect of hope and sleep

Objective: The current study aimed to explore the relationship between mask stock and negative emotional state during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the mediating effect of worry and moderating effect of hope and sleep on this relationship. The study assumed that the insufficient mask stock would predict more negative emotions during the epidemic, and the effect would be mediated by the high level of worry about masks and be less significant in people with a higher level of hope and good sleep condition. Method: An online survey was conducted on 796 participants currently lived in Hong Kong to measure their current mask stock, worry about the adequacy of masks, state hope, subjective sleep quality, subjective sleep duration, insomnia, and negative emotional states including depression, anxiety and stress. The Hayes PROCESS model 4 and 58 were used to analyze the assumed moderated mediation model. Results: The worry about masks completely mediated the effect of insufficient mask stock on depression and stress, and partially mediated the effect of insufficient mask stock on anxiety. Only Insomnia moderated the mediation model by regulating the effect of mask stock on mask worry. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the cognitive mechanism and individual differences of the negative emotional states predicted by the insufficient mask stock during the COVID-19 outbreak, and provided empirical evidence to support COR theory. All rights reserved.