Loneliness in lockdown: Does psychological flexibility influence feelings of loneliness among students during the COVID-19 lockdown?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled governments and authorities to take lockdown measures. These measures have lead to an increase in loneliness, especially among the student population. These higher numbers of loneliness are concerning, as loneliness is a significant risk factor for poor mental and physical health. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between loneliness in lockdown and psychological flexibility (PF) in a student population (H1) and to see if this relationship is mediated by activity adaptability (H2). An online questionnaire was created to collect self-reported data. The sample consisted of N = 90 students. A linear regression was performed to test H1 and a mediation analysis in PROCESS was performed to test H2. Results. Results revealed that PF was negatively related to feelings of loneliness in lockdown. Furthermore, results showed that this effect was not mediated by activity adaptability. The current study provides evidence for the negative relationship between PF and loneliness in lockdown among students. Knowledge on factors that influence loneliness in lockdown is needed, as it can be used to create future interventions that aim to tackle loneliness in lockdown. The current results provide support for Acceptance and Commitment based interventions that promote PF. For future research it is recommended to investigate the causal relationship between PF and loneliness.