The impact of social interaction anxiety on endemic blue among university students who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating effect of social phobia

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the mediating effect of social phobia between social interaction anxiety and endemic blue among university students who experienced the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods: This study employed a descriptive correlational design. The participants were 196 university students from 10 universities located in four major regions across the Republic of Korea. Data were collected from July 12 to 31, 2022, through an online self-reported questionnaire and were then analyzed using an independent t-test, one-way ANOVA with Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The mediating effect was analyzed using PROCESS macro model 4 with a bootstrapping method using IBM SPSS 27.0.Results: There were significant positive correlations among social interaction anxiety, social phobia, and endemic blue. Social interaction anxiety had significant effects on social phobia (β=0.77, <i>p</i><.001) and social interaction anxiety (β=0.33, <i>p</i><.001) and social phobia had a significant effect on endemic blue (β=0.29, <i>p</i>=.001). Concerning the influence of social interaction anxiety on endemic blue, a significant indirect mediating effect of social phobia was confirmed, and the size of the indirect effect was 0.14 (0.04~0.24).Conclusion: In order to manage the social and psychological health of university students who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic period, it is necessary to develop strategies to overcome endemic blue that reduce social interaction anxiety and take into account the mediating effect of social phobia.