The Buffering Role of Self-compassion in the Association Between Loneliness with Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study Among Older Adults Living in Residential Care Homes During COVID-19

This study aimed to investigate whether loneliness mediates the effects of fear generated by a pandemic on depression. Additionally, we hypothesized that self-compassion moderates the effect of loneliness on depression. A sample comprised 323 older adults (females:n = 141, males:n = 182) withmean age  = 74.98 years (standard deviation = 6.59, age 65–90) completed a survey comprising the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, De Jung Gierveld Loneliness Scale, the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Self-compassion Scale. The results revealed that the total effect of fear on depression wa s statistically significant, with a medium effect size (Cohen’sf2 = .14) and this association was partially mediated by loneliness (β = .11, SE = .04,P <  .001, t = 2.91, 95% CI 0.04–0.19). The self-compassion also moderated the loneliness effect on depression. The findings of this study support COVID-19 evidence, indicating that a greater level of fear generated by the pandemic is linked to depression and loneliness. The findings support the notion th at self-compassion mitigates the adverse effects of stressful events in older adults. Customized self-compassion programs may be effective loneliness-mitigating interventions for older adults living in residential care homes.
Source: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Category: Addiction Source Type: research