To reappraise or not to reappraise? Emotion regulation strategies moderate the association of loneliness during COVID-19 with depression and anxiety.
Anxiety Stress Coping
; 37(3): 305-317, 2024 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38124292
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in heightened feelings of loneliness due to lockouts and social restrictions.OBJECTIVE:
In the present study, we examined the association of loneliness during the pandemic with anxiety and depression, while exploring the moderating role of the tendency to use two emotion-regulation strategies (expressive suppression, cognitive reappraisal).DESIGN:
We chose to examine these associations in a sample of older adults, because they faced higher risk for loneliness and health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS:
Specifically, 174 Israeli veterans and ex-prisoners of wars from the 1973 Yom Kippur war (mean age = 69) completed self-report scales tapping loneliness, depression, anxiety, and emotion regulation strategies at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak (April-May 2020).RESULTS:
Findings revealed a stronger association between loneliness and depression among participants who had a greater tendency of using suppression. The tendency to use suppression did not significantly moderate the link between loneliness and anxiety. Additionally, a weaker association between loneliness and depression was found among participants who has a greater tendency of using reappraisal. However, these participants showed a stronger association between loneliness and anxiety.CONCLUSIONS:
These findings highlight the complexity of reappraisal and adds to the growing body of work on emotion regulation.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Emotional Regulation
/
COVID-19
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Anxiety Stress Coping
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
PSICOLOGIA
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Israel