A study of the relationship between social anxiety and mask-wearing intention among college students in the post-COVID-19 era: mediating effects of self-identity, impression management, and avoidance.

Introduction: During the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, wearing masks not only prevented transmission of the virus but also reduced social anxiety to some extent. With the end of the epidemic, the intention to wear masks to prevent transmission declined, but the effect of social anxiety on the intention to wear masks is unclear. The current study investigated the effects of social anxiety and fear of COVID-19 on mask-wearing intentions in the post-epidemic era, using self-identity, impression management and avoidance as mediating variables. Methods: In total, 223 college students participated in the current study, and the related variables were measured using the social anxiety scale, the social behavior questionnaire, the self-identity questionnaire, and the mask-wearing intention questionnaire. Results: The results showed that social anxiety was significantly positively correlated with avoidance, impression management, and intention to wear masks, and significantly negatively correlated with self-identity. The fear of COVID-19, avoidance, and impression management were significantly positively correlated with mask-wearing intentions, while self-identity was significantly negatively correlated with mask-wearing intentions. Social anxiety affected college students' intention to wear masks through three main pathways: the mediating role of avoidance, impression management, and the chain mediating role of self-identity and avoidance. The fear of COVID-19 directly and positively affected mask-wearing intentions. Discussion: The current study reveals the differential pathways of the effects of COVID-19 fear and social anxiety on mask-wearing intentions in the post-COVID-19 era, and the findings have some practical implications for social anxiety interventions.