Loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: change and predictors of change from strict to discontinued social distancing protocols

Evaluation of the effects of pandemic-related fears on anxiety and depression: the mediating roles of traumatic stress and loneliness

BACKGROUND

The detrimental mental health effects which emerged from COVID-19 have profoundly affected healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of traumatic stress and loneliness on the fears of contracting and dying from COVID-19, and anxiety and depression of HCWs during the pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was completed by HCWs in a province of Turkey. The Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Impact of Events Scale-Revised and numerical rating scales (for fears of COVID-19 and loneliness) were used and a bootstrap approach was used in the analyses with SPSS PROCESS macro software.

RESULTS

Of the HCWs evaluated, 150 (34.4%) were doctors, with a mean duration of work experience of 10.6 ± 7.5 years. The results indicated that fear of contracting COVID-19 was directly related to anxiety (β = 0.244, p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.135, p < 0.01) and that traumatic stress and loneliness mediated the relationships between the fear of contracting COVID-19 and anxiety (β = 0.435, p < 0.001; β = 0.235, p < 0.001, respectively) and depression (β = 0.365, p < 0.001; β = 0.294, p < 0.001, respectively). The fear of dying from COVID-19 was determined to be directly associated with anxiety (β = 0.190, p < 0.001) but not with depression (β = 0.066, p = 0.116), and traumatic stress and loneliness mediated the relationships between the fear of dying from COVID-19 and anxiety (β = 0.476, p < 0.001; β = 0.259, p < 0.001, respectively) and depression (β = 0.400, p < 0.001; β = 0.311, p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The study results demonstrated the important roles of traumatic stress and loneliness in exacerbating the negative consequences of fears of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression, and provide insights for identifying HCWs at greater risk.

Exploring the impact of pandemic fear on visitation to park attractions in urban city: A case study in Seoul, South Korea

This research explores changes in perceptions and utilization of parks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, South Korea. It investigates the relationship between fear of the pandemic and individuals' opinions about open spaces and their visiting decisions. The study surveyed 600 adults from February 22-23, 2022, and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings revealed that increased fear of the pandemic led to more positive park sentiments, resulting in higher park visits and fewer visits to other public spaces. The research highlights the significance of parks during the COVID-19 pandemic and how people's perceptions were influenced by their pandemic-related fear.

The role of self-compassion in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a group-based trajectory modelling approach

Research has suggested an increase in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, but much of this work has been cross-sectional, making causal inferences difficult. In the present research, we employed a longitudinal design to identify loneliness trajectories within a period of twelve months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium (N = 2106). We were particularly interested in the potential protective role of self-compassion in these temporal dynamics. Using a group-based trajectory modelling approach, we identified trajectory groups of individuals following low (11.0%), moderate-low (22.4%), moderate (25.7%), moderate-high (31.3%), and high (9.6%) levels of loneliness. Findings indicated that younger people, women, and individuals with poor quality relationships, high levels of health anxiety, and stress related to COVID-19, all had a higher probability of belonging to the highest loneliness trajectory groups. Importantly, we also found that people high in two of the three facets of self-compassion (self-kindness and common humanity) had a lower probability of belonging to the highest loneliness trajectory groups. Ultimately, we demonstrated that trajectory groups reflecting higher levels of loneliness were associated with lower life satisfaction and greater depressive symptoms. We discuss the possibility that increasing self-compassion may be used to promote better mental health in similarly challenging situations.

Associations between social media use and loneliness in a cross-national population: do motives for social media use matter?

BACKGROUND

We aimed to examine the association between social media use and loneliness two years after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

METHODS

Participants were 1649 adults who completed a cross-sectional online survey disseminated openly in Norway, United Kingdom, USA, and Australia between November 2021 and January 2022. Linear regressions examined time spent on social media and participants' characteristics on loneliness, and interactions by motives for social media use.

RESULTS

Participants who worried more about their health and were younger, not employed, and without a spouse or partner reported higher levels of loneliness compared to their counterparts. More time spent on social media was associated with more loneliness (β = 0.12, p < 0.001). Three profile groups emerged for social media use motives: 1) social media use motive ratings on avoiding difficult feelings higher or the same as for maintaining contact; 2) slightly higher ratings for maintaining contact; and 3) substantially higher ratings for maintaining contact. Time spent on social media was significant only in motive profile groups 2 and 3 (β = 0.12 and β = 0.14, both p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that people who use social media for the motive of maintaining their relationships feel lonelier than those who spend the same amount of time on social media for other reasons. While social media may facilitate social contact to a degree, they may not facilitate the type of contact sought by those who use social media primarily for this reason.

Networks in lockdown: The consequences of COVID-19 for social relationships and feelings of loneliness

This paper studies social network changes during the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands and their relation to perceived loneliness for the younger and the older cohorts. Arguments from opportunity theory and social capital theory are used to formulate hypotheses on network changes during the pandemic. Core discussion networks and networks with practical helpers from two representative cohorts (18-35 years of age and 65+ years of age, n = 1342 participants in both waves) during the lockdown in May 2020 are compared with networks of the same respondents in May 2019. We find that networks became smaller and more focused on stronger ties, while weaker ties more often decayed. Feelings of loneliness incsreased on average for all respondents and in particular for those who live alone or have a disadvantaged socioeconomic position. Importantly, the decrease in the number of the practical helper network, that is, decline in relatively weaker ties, affects experiences of loneliness in both groups.

Risk Perceptions, Level of Government Trust, and Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan

PURPOSE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading worldwide, causing mental health concerns among people. People's perceptions of the disease affect their psychological adaptation and health outcomes. In this study, we present people's perceptions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), level of government trust, and their psychological distress during the pandemic for examining the impact of peoples' COVID-19 perceptions on their mental health.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted through a telephone survey in Taiwan in April 2020. Participants were randomly selected for telephone screening using a computer-assisted telephone interviewer system. A total of 1098 participants aged more than 20 years participated in the survey.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 47.7 ± 16.4 years. After controlling for covariates, participants who were worried about contracting COVID-19, those who believed that they had a chance of being infected with COVID-19, those who were reluctant to visit the hospital for fear of contracting the virus, those who felt that the pandemic had affected their daily life, and those with low levels of trust in the government's capacity to manage the pandemic had anxiety, hostility, depression, interpersonal sensitivity/inferiority, and psychological symptoms.

CONCLUSION

People's perception of COVID-19 and public's trust in the government's ability to respond to the pandemic are related to psychological distress. Although the Taiwanese government may have undertaken effective epidemic control measures to address with the COVID-19 pandemic, this crisis may have still caused mental health problems in the general population. Health professionals and policy makers should pay more attention to high-risk groups among those at risk for developing mental health problems.

Psychological well-being in times of COVID-19: Associated factors and levels in the general population

The COVID-19 pandemic and living under social distancing restrictions have been hypothesized to impact well-being and mental health in the general population. This study investigated the general Norwegian adult population's well-being after implementing and lifting strict social distancing restrictions. The study was conducted through digital surveys; during the implementation of strict social distancing restrictions in March 2020 (T1) and 3 months later, when the preponderance of strict distancing restrictions was discontinued (T2). Well-being was measured at T2. Four thousand nine hundred twenty-one individuals participated, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to ensure that the sample reflects the true Norwegian adult population. Hierarchical regression analyses show that contemporaneous employment status and positive metacognitions at T2 were associated with higher well-being. Negative metacognitions and the use of unhelpful coping strategies at T2 had a contemporaneous association with lower mental well-being. Negative metacognitions at T1 were associated with lower well-being scores, while positive metacognitions at T1 were positively associated with higher well-being. An indirect association between social distancing and lower well-being was found through heightened depressive symptoms. These results contribute to understanding how social distancing restrictions relate to general well-being, which may further contribute to designing proper strategies to strengthen mental health and well-being during challenging and unavoidable societal conditions.

Perceived stress of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown: Bayesian multilevel modeling of the Czech HBSC lockdown survey

Objective

Long-term isolation, including lockdowns and quarantines, may have a distressing effect on anyone experiencing it. Adolescent brain architecture is very sensitive to environmental adversities, and the mental health development of adolescents may be particularly vulnerable during the pandemic era. In order to better understand the triggers for perceived adolescent stress (PSS) during the COVID-19 lockdown, the present study aimed to assess the effects of social well-being and changes in time use during the lockdown, as well as the family COVID experience of adolescents.

Methods

The sample for this study comprised n = 3,440 adolescents (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.5 ± 1.6 years). Bayesian correlations between PSS, health and well-being variables were assessed. PSS was then modeled as an outcome variable in a series of nested Bayesian multilevel regression models.

Results

The negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was more apparent in girls. PSS was moderately correlated with adolescent health and well-being. The strongest predictor of higher level of PSS was frequent feeling of loneliness. On the contrary, lower level of PSS was most associated with having someone to talk to.

Conclusion

Long-term social isolation of adolescents could be harmful to their mental health. Psychological coping strategies to prevent the consequences of social isolation and development of mental health problems should be promoted on the individual, family, and even community level.

The effects of changes in daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Korea

This study aims to identify the effects of daily life changes due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional and secondary data analysis study collected and analysed the data of 72 335 older adults aged older than 65 who participated in the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey. Changes in daily life due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic were measured by changes in physical activity, sleep duration, consumption of instant foods or soda drinks, alcohol consumption, smoking, and social contact compared to before the pandemic as perceived by the participants. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depressive symptoms, and multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the two. After adjusting for socio-demographic and health-related factors, changes in daily life due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic that affected depressive symptoms in older adults living in the community were observed. This study confirmed that changes in daily life due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic negatively affected the mental health of older adults. Thus, there is a need to improve social support and care systems, by including non-face-to-face programmes using remote communication technology. It will allow older adults to maintain their daily lives and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social support coping styles and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of sex

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the onset and exacerbation of mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, and depression; yet stay-at-home-orders affected individuals' ability to make use of social support as a coping skill in managing distress. We aimed to evaluate how social support (emotional and instrumental) and biological sex were associated with stress, anxiety, and depression early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Participants (n = 7256) had an average age of 50.13 years (SD = 16.75) and 51.6% were male. Using a cross-sequential design, seven cohorts of individuals completed baseline (T1) and one-month follow-up (T2) questionnaires online from March to July of 2020. We used a series of hierarchical regressions to identify types of social support (Brief-COPE, T1) associated with stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10, T1 and T2), anxiety and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-4, T2).

RESULTS

Greater emotional support was associated with less perceived stress, anxiety and depression (all ps < 0.001), whereas greater instrumental support predicted increased distress (all ps < 0.036) on all four outcomes. Moderation analyses revealed that greater emotional social support was associated with lower perceived stress at T1 for both women and men, with a stronger association for women relative to men. For women, greater emotional social support predicted lower anxiety.

LIMITATIONS

Self-selection may have introduced bias and participant self-report on brief measures may not have fully captured coping and distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions enhancing emotional social support strategies, which appear especially important for women, might help manage enduring stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Are healthcare workers particularly vulnerable to loneliness? The role of social relationships and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Loneliness is a major public health issue with renewed prominence due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social restrictions. Healthcare workers (HCWs) may be at heightened risk, but research is lacking. We measured the prevalence of loneliness among HCWs during the pandemic in 2020 and examined pre-pandemic predictors and pandemic experiences associated with loneliness. HCWs at a designated COVID-19 hospital in Sydney, Australia completed an online survey examining health and well-being before and during the pandemic and changes to work, family and social experiences. Loneliness had negatively affected the well-being of 129 (39%) respondents (n ​= ​330). Pre-pandemic factors predicting loneliness were younger age (<30years compared to ≥50years), having ever been told you had a mental health problem and living alone. These became non-significant when pandemic-related factors were added to the regression. Less contact with family and friends, increased conflict at home, and living alone or with family but not a partner, increased the odds of loneliness, while a sense of camaraderie with colleagues had the opposite effect. Psychological distress and poor mental health during the pandemic were also positively associated with loneliness. Efforts to promote congenial social contacts may be effective in averting loneliness among HCWs.

Within- and across-day patterns of interplay between depressive symptoms and related psychopathological processes: a dynamic network approach during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

In order to understand the intricate patterns of interplay connected to the formation and maintenance of depressive symptomatology, repeated measures investigations focusing on within-person relationships between psychopathological mechanisms and depressive components are required.

METHODS

This large-scale preregistered intensive longitudinal study conducted 68,240 observations of 1706 individuals in the general adult population across a 40-day period during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the detrimental processes involved in depressive states. Daily responses were modeled using multi-level dynamic network analysis to investigate the temporal associations across days, in addition to contemporaneous relationships between depressive components within a daily window.

RESULTS

Among the investigated psychopathological mechanisms, helplessness predicted the strongest across-day influence on depressive symptoms, while emotion regulation difficulties displayed more proximal interactions with symptomatology. Helplessness was further involved in the amplification of other theorized psychopathological mechanisms including rumination, the latter of which to a greater extent was susceptible toward being influenced rather than temporally influencing other components of depressive states. Distinctive symptoms of depression behaved differently, with depressed mood and anhedonia most prone to being impacted, while lethargy and worthlessness were more strongly associated with outgoing activity in the network.

CONCLUSIONS

The main mechanism predicting the amplifications of detrimental symptomatology was helplessness. Lethargy and worthlessness revealed greater within-person carry-over effects across days, providing preliminary indications that these symptoms may be more strongly associated with pushing individuals toward prolonged depressive state experiences. The psychopathological processes of rumination, helplessness, and emotion regulation only exhibited interactions with the depressed mood and worthlessness component of depression, being unrelated to lethargy and anhedonia. The findings have implications for the impediment of depressive symptomatology during and beyond the pandemic period. They further outline the gaps in the literature concerning the identification of psychopathological processes intertwined with lethargy and anhedonia on the within-person level.