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<p>In times of crisis, people often face heightened unpredictability and psychological distress. While governmental restrictions initially help mitigate these challenges, the relaxation of these measures introduces a new wave of uncertainty and anxiety. Social bonds, as vital sources to provide comfort, support, and guidance, play a crucial role in helping people navigate these turbulent times. To investigate the impact of various social bonds on individuals’ crisis perceptions during times of unsettling transition, where the crisis persists yet governmental restrictions are eased, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey involving 35,172 respondents in China, shortly after the end of the “zero-COVID” policy. Our findings reveal that closer social bonds, particularly family, have a substantially stronger influence on individuals’ crisis perceptions compared to more distant bonds, such as acquaintances and strangers, and external authoritative bonds like public health experts, and a relatively comparable influence to the World Health Organization (WHO), with family holding a subtle edge. This pattern of influence is particularly pronounced among individuals with higher vulnerability to the crisis, i.e., those who possess greater perceived threats from the crisis, COVID-19 uncertainty, intolerance of uncertainty, or inclinations towards risk-taking. Our study highlights the essential role of close social bonds in shaping people’s perceptions during the transitional stages of crises, emphasizing their pivotal contribution to alleviating distress, promoting social resilience, and offering compelling guidance for policy development.</p>

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The impact of social bonds on crisis perceptions during times of unsettling transition

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月9日

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  • Jing Yi Wang,
  • Jinghua Piao,
  • Zhilong Chen,
  • Yong Li

摘要

In times of crisis, people often face heightened unpredictability and psychological distress. While governmental restrictions initially help mitigate these challenges, the relaxation of these measures introduces a new wave of uncertainty and anxiety. Social bonds, as vital sources to provide comfort, support, and guidance, play a crucial role in helping people navigate these turbulent times. To investigate the impact of various social bonds on individuals’ crisis perceptions during times of unsettling transition, where the crisis persists yet governmental restrictions are eased, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey involving 35,172 respondents in China, shortly after the end of the “zero-COVID” policy. Our findings reveal that closer social bonds, particularly family, have a substantially stronger influence on individuals’ crisis perceptions compared to more distant bonds, such as acquaintances and strangers, and external authoritative bonds like public health experts, and a relatively comparable influence to the World Health Organization (WHO), with family holding a subtle edge. This pattern of influence is particularly pronounced among individuals with higher vulnerability to the crisis, i.e., those who possess greater perceived threats from the crisis, COVID-19 uncertainty, intolerance of uncertainty, or inclinations towards risk-taking. Our study highlights the essential role of close social bonds in shaping people’s perceptions during the transitional stages of crises, emphasizing their pivotal contribution to alleviating distress, promoting social resilience, and offering compelling guidance for policy development.