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Cited by 329COVID-19 and Mental HealthResilience and Mental HealthHealth disparities and outcomes

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Resilience during uncertainty? Greater social connectedness during COVID‐19 lockdown is associated with reduced distress and fatigue

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Nitschke, Jonas P., Forbes, Paul A. G., Ali, Nida, Cutler, Jo, Apps, Matthew A. J., Lockwood, Patricia L., Lamm, Claus·2021·British Journal of Health Psychology
DOI 10.1111/bjhp.12485PMC PMC8247344
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Abstract

Background: Social connections are crucial for our health and well‐being. This is especially true during times of high uncertainty and distress, such as during the COVID‐19 lockdown. This period was characterized by unprecedented physical distancing (often communicated as social distancing) measures resulting in significant changes to people’s usual social lives. Given the potential effects of this disruption on people’s well‐being, it is crucial to identify factors which are associated with negative health outcomes, and conversely, those that promote resilience during times of adversity. Aims: We examined the relationship between individuals’ levels of social connectedness during lockdown and self‐reported stress, worry, and fatigue. Method: Survey data were collected from 981 individuals in a representative sample of Austrian citizens. Data collection occurred during the last week of a six‐week nationwide lockdown due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The final sample consisted of 902 participants. Participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires to assess levels of social connectedness as well as measures of perceived stress, worry—both general and COVID‐19 specific—and symptoms of fatigue during the previous two weeks. Results: Our results demonstrate that greater social connectedness during the lockdown period was associated with lower levels of perceived stress, as well as general and COVID‐19‐specific worries. Furthermore, we found a negative relationship between fatigue and social connectedness, which was mediated by feelings of stress, general worries, and COVID‐19‐specific worries—respectively, indicating that individuals with smaller network sizes, who were highly distressed during the pandemic, were also likely to report feeling more fatigued. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the important role that social connections play in promoting resilience by buffering against negative physical and mental health outcomes, particularly in times of adversity in times of adversity.

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Figure 1 Results of the multiple regression analyses. Left Y‐axis, results for the three z‐standardized‐dependent variables measuring distress (PSWQ, PSS, COVID‐19‐specific worries). Right Y‐axis, results for the dependent variable: perceived likelihood of contracting COVID‐19 within the next 12 months. All analyses included the following covariates: COVID experience, financial worries, age, and gender. The vertical red dotted line indicates the mean values for SNI size. The slopes regressing on distress are significant, whereas the slope regressing on risk perception is not significant.
Figure 1 Results of the multiple regression analyses. Left Y‐axis, results for the three z‐standardized‐dependent variables measuring distress (PSWQ, PSS, COVID‐19‐specific worries). Right Y‐axis, results for the dependent variable: perceived likelihood of contracting COVID‐19 within the next 12 months. All analyses included the following covariates: COVID experience, financial worries, age, and gender. The vertical red dotted line indicates the mean values for SNI size. The slopes regressing on distress are significant, whereas the slope regressing on risk perception is not significant.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Three independent mediation models explaining the relationship between social network size (SNI size) and CFQ scores (fatigue), mediated by three distress measures (PSS; PSWQ; COVID‐19 worries).These results indicate that social network size can have an indirect effect on somatic symptoms by reducing distress levels.
Figure 2 Three independent mediation models explaining the relationship between social network size (SNI size) and CFQ scores (fatigue), mediated by three distress measures (PSS; PSWQ; COVID‐19 worries).These results indicate that social network size can have an indirect effect on somatic symptoms by reducing distress levels.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Metadata

Authors
Nitschke, J. P., Forbes, P. A. G., Ali, N., Cutler, J., Apps, M. A. J., Lockwood, P. L., & Lamm, C.
Affiliations
  • University of Vienna (AT)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Nitschke, Jonas P.
  • Lamm, Claus
ORCID
Venue
British Journal of Health Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-10-25
Volume
26
Issue
2
Pages
553-569
ISSN
  • 1359-107X (ISSN-L)
  • 2044-8287
DOI
10.1111/bjhp.12485
PMC
PMC8247344
OpenAlex
W3094151465
Cited by
329
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 65 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 8
FWCI
24.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • British Journal of Health Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship@McGill (McGill) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Universität Wien
  • Austrian Science Fund (I3381)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
social connectedness, COVID-19 lockdown, perceived stress, worry, fatigue, resilience, social distancing, social networks, psychological distress, mediation
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Communicable Disease Control, Fatigue, Humans, Uncertainty, Pandemics

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