# Dispositional Awe Predicts Mental Health Through Interpretation Bias During COVID‐19 Transmission: A Longitudinal Study

## TL;DR

This study shows that a tendency to feel awe can protect mental health during the pandemic by shaping how people interpret events.

## Contribution

The study reveals that dispositional awe predicts mental health via interpretation bias during public health crises.

## Key findings

- Dispositional awe in Wave 1 predicted positive interpretation bias and reduced negative interpretation bias in Wave 2.
- Positive interpretation bias in Wave 2 was linked to better mental functioning in Wave 3.
- Negative interpretation bias mediated the effect of dispositional awe on psychosomatic symptoms.

## Abstract

During a public health emergency, such as the widespread transmission of COVID‐19 following loosened COVID‐19 policies in China, people's mental health is impacted along with their physical well‐being. In order to investigate ways to mitigate these negative effects, this study examined how dispositional awe can predict mental health outcomes during such emergencies using a three‐wave longitudinal design. Five hundred twenty seven participants (mean age = 21.18, SD = 3.39; 368 males) took part in the study within the first 2 months after the implementation of loosened COVID‐19 policies, with one‐month intervals between waves. Cross‐lagged analysis revealed that dispositional awe in Wave 1 significantly predicted higher positive and lower negative interpretation bias in Wave 2, which in turn promoted positive mental functioning in Wave 3. Furthermore, negative interpretation bias in Wave 2 acted as a mediator for the predictive role of dispositional awe in Wave 1 on psychosomatic symptoms in Wave 3. These findings suggest that dispositional awe can act as a protective factor for mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic by influencing people's interpretation orientation.