With public health emergencies (PHE) worldwide increasing, the perceived risk of PHE has been one of the critical factors influencing college students’ psychological distress. However, the mechanisms by which the perceived risk of PHE affects college students’ psychological distress are not clear. The study’s purpose was to investigate the mediation roles of deviation from a balanced time perspective (DBTP) and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress. A convenience sampling method was used to survey 1054 Chinese college students with self-reporting. Data was collected using the Public Risk Perception Scale (PRPS), the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), the PHE Anxiety Scale, and the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The associations between the perceived risk of PHE, DBTP, negative coping styles, and psychological distress were clarified using the correlation analysis. Additionally, the mediating roles of DBTP and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress were investigated using a structural equation model. The findings revealed low to moderate correlations between the variables studied. Students’ perceived risk of PHE was a positive predictor of their psychological distress (β = 0.219, p < 0.01). DBTP and negative coping styles played chain mediation roles between them with the effect being 0.009 and a 95% Boot CI of [0.003, 0.023]. This chain mediation model had an excellent fit index (χ2/df = 4.732, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.930, RMSEA = 0.048, SRMR = 0.047). These findings showed how the perceived risk of PHE affected college students’ psychological distress. Specifically, these results suggested that improving students’ mental ability to switch effectively among different time perspectives depending on task features and situational considerations and reducing their negative coping styles might be effective ways to promote their mental health.
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