Seeking Order in Chaos: Anomie, Authoritarianism, and Mental Health in the Context of Social Crisis in Chile and Spain

The uncertainty triggered by high-impact crises activates cognitive mecha nisms aimed at restoring perceived control and security, often giving rise to defensive strategies, authoritarian attitudes, and support for strong leaders. This article examines how perceived anomie during a period of social crisis relates to psychological distress through distinct political-attitudinal pathways. Focusing on Chile and Spain during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we test a sequential process in which perceived anomie is associated with increased support for strong leaders, which in turn relates to higher right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and, ultimately, psychological distress. We analyze cross-sectional survey data collected in November 2020 from adult community samples in Chile and Spain. Measures assessed perceived anomie, support for strong leaders, RWA, and psychological distress. We estimate a sequential mediation model with bootstrap confidence intervals and examine cross-national regularities by comparing estimates across countries and conducting robustness checks to assess the stability of the findings. Results suggest a small serial indirect association in Chile: anomie related to strong leader preferences and higher RWA, and RWA was modestly associated with lower distress, yielding a small negative indirect effect. In Spain, the RWA-distress link was not significant while anomie showed a positive direct association with distress; therefore, the serial indirect effect was not supported. All associations were small-to moderate and are interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional, time-bound design. The study advances an integrative account connecting macro-level perceptions of social order with individual mental health through identifiable socio-political orientations. By comparing two countries exposed to the same global crisis yet with dissimilar recent political histories and differing levels of institutional trust, the article shows how perceived social breakdown can translate into heightened psychological distress via specific attitudinal mechanisms. The findings underscore the importance of addressing perceived social disintegration together with mental health support during periods of collective uncertainty.