# Sympathy towards people infected with COVID-19 mediates relations between media use and death anxiety

## TL;DR

This study shows that media use during the early stages of the pandemic increased sympathy for those infected with COVID-19, which in turn raised death anxiety.

## Contribution

The study reveals a novel causal chain linking media use, sympathy, and death anxiety during the pandemic.

## Key findings

- Media use predicted increased future sympathy for people infected with COVID-19.
- Sympathy predicted increased future death anxiety.
- All three variables decreased significantly over the first month of the outbreak.

## Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic threatened mental health. This study examined the longitudinal associations among pandemic-related media use, sympathy for people infected with COVID-19 (PIWC), and death anxiety. 132 Chinese adults completed measures three times, one week apart during the initial phase of COVID. The results showed that media use, sympathy, and death anxiety decreased significantly over the first month of the outbreak. Pandemic-related media use predicted increased future sympathy for PIWC, and sympathy predicted increased future death anxiety. The study identified the short-term effects of media use on sympathy and death anxiety, and suggests that reduced media exposure may be beneficial.