The current study investigated the relationship between COVID-19 prevention burnout and emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) among 1,837 Chinese college students and the underlying mechanisms. Results from moderated mediation analysis revealed that the association between COVID-19 prevention burnout and emotional symptoms was mediated by psychological inflexibility (β = 0.20, 95%CI = [0.10, 0.19]). Also, COVID-19 prevention burnout’s direct and indirect effects on emotional symptoms were more substantial for students with high susceptibility to emotional contagion than those with low susceptibility. These findings contribute to understanding how COVID-19 prevention burnout relates to emotional symptoms and provide a new perspective for interventions promoting students’ psychological flexibility, particularly those with higher susceptibility to emotional contagion.
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