Trust in institutions is a prerequisite for ensuring the population’s support for and compliance with the measures taken during global health emergencies like the current COVID-19 pandemic, while limiting panic-driven, irrational or unruly behaviors. Consequently, an analysis of the possible factors associated with an increase of trust in institutions in times of such crises is essential. Against this backdrop, we seek to contribute to the understanding of this topic by discussing the main predictors of trust in institutions in Romania, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on a national online panel survey (N=1160), representative for the online non-institutionalized population of Romania, 18+, we were interested in unveiling (1) how news consumption patterns influence the level of trust in institutions in times of crisis, as well as (2) the main predictors of the level of trust in institutions in times of crisis.
Main results show that, in a hierarchy of trust, people trust healthcare professionals and World Health Organization (WHO) most, EU institutions to a less extent, national political decision makers even less, and the least the clergy. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, trust in institutions is positively correlated with news consumption, irrespective of the source, in the sense that the more people consume news about COVID-19 pandemic, the more they tend to trust institutions and staff involved in the management of the crisis (i.e., political decision makers, EU institutions, healthcare professionals, WHO, and the clergy).
Belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19, which became very prominent during these turbulent times, is negatively associated with trust in institutions, in the sense that the more people believe in conspiracy theories, the less they trust the institutions and staff involved in the management of the crisis, with the exception of the clergy and church.
Such results are important due to the fact that trust in institutions is often associated with a better management of the crisis itself, as people might be more willing to accept all restrictions and rules imposed during these times if they trust the key institutions and people involved in the management of the crisis. Findings in this study could be used as starting points for possible recommendations to key stakeholders, in order to increase trust in people and institutions. We estimate that countries in which the level of trust in institutions is high will manage the crisis much better, as their populations might be much more willing to comply with lockdown's rules and accept the personal shortcomings caused by the crisis.
