Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Contagion and Frontline Paramedics' Agonistic Behaviour: Employing a Stressor-Strain-Outcome Perspective

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2020-07, Vol.17 (14), p.5102
• Main Authors: Shahzad, Fakhar, Du, Jianguo, Khan, Imran, Fateh, Adnan, Shahbaz, Muhammad, Abbas, Adnan, Wattoo, Muhammad Umair
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aggressiveness; Agonistic Behavior; Allied Health Personnel - psychology; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - psychology; Behavior; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Coronavirus Infections - psychology; Coronavirus Infections - transmission; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Emotions; Exhaustion; Female; Human behavior; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Investigations; Male; Mental depression; Pandemics; Paramedics; Physiology; Pneumonia, Viral - psychology; Pneumonia, Viral - transmission; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Social interactions; Social support; Stress; Surveys and Questionnaires; Theory; Threats
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145102

Historically, infectious diseases have been the leading cause of human psychosomatic strain and death tolls. This research investigated the recent threat of COVID-19 contagion, especially its impact among frontline paramedics treating patients with COVID-19, and their perception of self-infection, which ultimately increases their agonistic behaviour. Based on the stressor-strain-outcome paradigm, a research model was proposed and investigated using survey-based data through a structured questionnaire. The results found that the perceived threat of COVID-19 contagion (emotional and cognitive threat) was positively correlated with physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, which led toward agonistic behaviour. Further, perceived social support was a key moderator that negatively affected the relationships between agonistic behaviour and physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. These findings significantly contributed to the current literature concerning COVID-19 and pandemic-related effects on human behaviour. This study also theorized the concept of human agonistic behaviour, which has key implications for future researchers.