Motivation and preference in isolation: a test of their different influences on responses to self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

This multi-wave study examined the extent that both preference and motivation for time alone shapes ill-being during self-isolation. Individuals in the USA and the UK are self-isolating in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Different motivations may drive their self-isolation: some might see value in it (understood as the identified form of autonomous motivation), while others might feel forced into it by authorities or close others (family, friends, neighbourhoods, doctors; the external form of controlled motivation). People who typically prefer company will find themselves spending more time alone, and may experience ill-being uniformly, or as a function of their identified or external motivations for self-isolation. Self-isolation, therefore, offers a unique opportunity to distinguish two constructs coming from disparate literatures. This project examined preference and motivation (identified and external) for solitude, and tested their independent and interacting contributions to ill-being (loneliness, depression and anxiety during the time spent alone) across two weeks. Confirmatory hypotheses regarding preference and motivation were not supported by the data. A statistically significant effect of controlled motivation on change in ill-being was observed one week later, and preference predicted ill-being across two weeks. However, effect sizes for both were below our minimum threshold of interest.

A COVID-19 descriptive study of life after lockdown in Wuhan, China

“…With respect to well-being and mental health indicators, the results favour the direction of change which reflects that this sample of individuals from Wuhan, China, have coped adaptively and remained psychologically stable, if not improved, after lockdown was lifted. Consistent with other longitudinal data in the UK and US showing the stability of mental health and well-being over time during lockdown [3,35], our results suggest that for our participants life after lockdown may have settled into the 'new normal'.…”

“…Some emerged evidence showed that these populations would face more mental health risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic [38][39][40]. As such, supporting previous take-aways by Weinstein & Nguyen [3], and by Luchetti et al [35], we see evidence of no drastic increase in mental health risks in general population as an encouraging sign.…”

“…Our study is not the first to show that mental health risks have not drastically increased during lockdown. Similar results have been found in samples recruited in the United Kingdom [3] and the United States [35]. These findings suggest that, despite concerns around rise in mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic self-isolation, the general population might have displayed tremendous resilience throughout this time [35].…”

“…We used the same items reported in Weinstein & Nguyen's [3] study, which surveyed participants in the US and UK about their experiences during lockdown in response to COVID-19. These items are adapted from Ryan & Connell's [10] self-regulation questionnaire (SRQ) and have been modified to assess reasons for engaging in self-isolation for personally meaningful reasons like health benefits or protection of others' health.…”

Change in Mental Health Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Appraisals and Daily Life Experiences

“…Findings on changes in well-being and psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic are accumulating from different countries, some of which found increases in distress (e.g., Elmer et al, 2020;Twenge & Joiner, 2020), whereas others did not (e.g., Fried, 2020;Weinstein & Nguyen, 2020).…”