Social Loneliness, Anxiety and Depression

Page: 33-38

Vandana Gupta (Department of Psychology, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, Lanka, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)

Social loneliness is a feeling of lacking companionship, friends, and a social circle. It harms the mental and emotional well-being of individuals. The social relationship allows sharing of thoughts, emotions, and feelings, which helps ventilate the mind and brain. Social and physical restrictions imposed during COVID-19 caused problems of less physical and social connectedness. Studies indicated that many physical, emotional, and psychological problems are observed across the age group of people. Adults and the old age group of people have reported loneliness, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Students’ communities are the sufferer of lockdown too. Their academic and careers had been affected badly. This situation created uncertainty and fear for them. The study aimed to examine the role of COVID-19 anxiety and social isolation in anxiety and depression among students. A sample of 224 students was selected through purposive and snowball sampling. A google form was created for data collection, which was shared with a social group of students. Results of mediation analyses suggested that social loneliness mediated the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and depression and anxiety. Findings advocated the implementation of short- and long-term programs for the students who suffered during COVID-19 pandemic.