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. 2023 Mar 1:324:279-285.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.133. Epub 2022 Dec 28.

Existential isolation and psychological distress during COVID-19: The role of loneliness and resilient coping in Canadian help-seeking men

Paul Sharp  1 , David Kealy  2 , Simon M Rice  3 , Zac E Seidler  4 , John L Oliffe  5 , John S Ogrodniczuk  2
Affiliations

Existential isolation and psychological distress during COVID-19: The role of loneliness and resilient coping in Canadian help-seeking men

Paul Sharp et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on men's lives. Investigating specific constructs and pathways related to men's mental health outcomes may help to more fully understand the short and long-term impact of the pandemic and illuminate opportunities to better promote men's mental health. In this study, we assessed the mediating effect of loneliness on the relationship between existential isolation and psychological distress, and the moderating effect of resilient coping on that relationship.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included a sample of help-seeking Canadian men in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 434). Participants completed measures of existential isolation, loneliness, resilient coping, and psychological distress. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted.

Results: Over half (54 %) of the participants reported psychological distress in a clinical range. Findings indicated that loneliness was a significant mediator in the association between existential isolation and psychological distress. Furthermore, findings revealed that resilient coping moderated the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress, such that men who were low on resilient coping experienced the greatest effect on psychological distress.

Limitations: The employed mediation analyses were cross-sectional in nature, limiting any firm conclusions regarding causality.

Conclusions: Efforts to reduce psychological distress may be targeted at decreasing men's experiences of existential isolation or improving resilient coping. Consideration should be given to contextual factors related to COVID-19 as well as men's preferences for help-seeking and mental health support.

Keywords: COVID-19; Existential isolation; Loneliness; Psychological distress; Resilient coping.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Moderated mediation model of the indirect effect of existential isolation on psychological distress through loneliness, moderated by resilient coping. *p < .05 **p < .01. ***p < .001.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Interaction effects of loneliness and resilient coping on psychological distress.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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