Public Trust During a Public Health Crisis: Evaluating the Immediate Effects of the Pandemic on Institutional Trust

Institutional trust is pivotal in facilitating targeted policy implementation and fostering appropriate preventative behavior amid public health crises. This study examines the immediate effects of the pandemic on institutional trust, investigating whether public trust in responding institutions underwent substantial changes pre and post the early outbreak of the pandemic. Leveraging data from two large-scale online surveys administered before and after the outbreak of the pandemic, our findings highlight a marked erosion of public trust toward the government in the aftermath of the outbreak. This effect is more pronounced at the local government level compared to the central government. Conversely, there was a significant increase in trust in medical institutions. Additionally, shifts in public trust in the government were found to be closely tied to evaluations of the government's pandemic-handling measures, with this relationship moderated by diverse media consumption.