Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, declared to be over by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 5, 2023, significantly impacted global physical, mental, economic, social, and political conditions. Since the onset of the pandemic, conspiracy theories have surged globally, facilitated by the Internet and social media. Conspiracy thinking is associated with mistrust in traditional sources of information, such as newspapers and news/TV programs, and lower adherence to public health guidance. However, there is limited understanding of how these beliefs are reflected in specific health-related behaviors and the mediating variables involved. Objective: The study aims to analyze the relationship between the belief in conspiracy theories, perceived personal control, and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy to understand how belief in conspiracy theories may contribute to less adherence to government guidelines and the role of factors such as personal control, trust in social media, and traditional sources of information in this relationship. Methods: In total, 437 Italian adults (296 women, 140 men, 1 non-binary; M_age = 31.41, SD = 13.32) completed measures of well-being, perceived control, use/trust of traditional vs. social-media sources, conspiracy beliefs, and adherence. Results: Well-being correlated positively with perceived control and social-media trust. Perceived control correlated positively with social-media trust and negatively with traditional-source trust. Adherence correlated positively with traditional-source trust and negatively with all conspiracy measures. Mediation showed an indirect effect of conspiracy beliefs on lower adherence only via reduced trust in traditional sources. In contrast, no indirect effects were found via social-media trust or perceived control. Conclusion: Conspiracy beliefs undermine adherence primarily by eroding trust in traditional information. Risk communication should rebuild institutional trust and tailor messaging across both social and traditional channels, taking into account psychological factors.