Associations between Endorsement of Conspiracy Theories and Sympathy for Violent Radicalization in Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderation by Psychological Distress

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread uncertainty, promoted psychological distress and fuelled conflict. The concomitant upsurge in endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is worrisome because they are associated with both non-adherence to public health guidelines and intention to commit violence. This study investigates associations between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for violent radicalization (VR) and psychological distress among young adults in Canada. We hypothesized that a) endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is positively associated with support for VR, and b) psychological distress modifies the relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and support for VR. Methods: A total of 6003 participants aged 18-35 years old in four Canadian cities completed an online survey that included questions about endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for VR, psychological distress, and socio-economic status. Outcomes: Support for VR was associated with endorsement of conspiracy theories in multivariate regression (β=0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.96). The magnitude of the association was stronger in individuals reporting high psychological distress (β=1.36, 95% CI 1.26-1.46) compared to those reporting low psychological distress (β=0.47, 95% CI 0.35-0.59). Interpretation: The association between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and VR represents a public health challenge requiring immediate attention. The interaction with psychological distress suggests that policy efforts should combine communication and psychological strategies to mitigate the legitimation of violence. Funding: Fonds Quebecois de Recherche en Sante et Culture grant #2017-SE-196373 and Equipe de Recherche et Action sur les Polarisations Sociales grant #180645. Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University before initiating the study, and all participants provided an electronic informed consent.