*1.2. Influence of Perceived Social Support, Risk Perception, and Confidence with Active Coping*

Whether perceived social support affects individuals' coping strategies against the threat of COVID-19 remains unclear. Chao reported that higher social support was positively associated with problem-focused coping among the elderly who experienced Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan [13]. In addition, a study in the US revealed that support via financial security was a predictor of adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for infection control of COVID-19 [14]. However, how perceived social support influences coping strategies against COVID-19 is not clear. Therefore, further studies are needed to investigate whether there are factors that mediate the association between perceived social support and active coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

A meta-analysis of experimental studies demonstrated that people's intentions and behavior change following heightened risk appraisal, including risk perception [15]. Several psychological or social factors are reported to be associated with risk perceptions of COVID-19. Improving perceptions about infectious diseases in society could lead to a significant improvement in a patient's well-being and decrease in discrimination [16]. In addition, prosocial values, trust in government, science, and medical professionals, and personal knowledge of COVID-19 were all significant predictors of risk perception [17]. Estimating the level of risk perception may be important for the public because that it will affect the public's behaviors or coping with COVID-19. It was reported that social distancing and hand washing were strongly predicted by the perceived probability of personally being infected, which is a kind of risk perception [18]. Another cross-sectional study in Mexico demonstrated that both higher level of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of COVID-19 were associated with protective behaviors of staying home [19]. On the other hand, confidence in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with active coping with COVID-19. Confidence in coping is similar to self-efficacy, representing the individuals' beliefs that they have the ability to do specific tasks in the future [20]. Previous studies have reported significant associations between having more knowledge about disease and self-efficacy in coping with SARS [21] along with COVID-19 [22]. Therefore, further studies are warranted to investigate whether risk perception and confidence mediate the association between social support and active coping with COVID-19.

#### *1.3. Aims of the Current Study*

Adopting adequate coping strategies for infective respiratory disease pandemics affects both personal health and also the efficacy of infection control for society as a whole. The aims of the present study were to identify any associations between perceived social support and active coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potentially mediating effects of risk perception and confidence. According to above reviews of literatures, it is hypothesized that perceived social support may be associated with active coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, either confidence or risk perception may be partial or full mediated the association between perceived social support and active coping with COVID-19.
