The role of equanimity in mediating the relationship between psychological distress and social isolation during COVID-19

Abstract

Background Social isolation and the impact on mental health is a major concern during COVID-19. Trait equanimity is expected to protect individuals from psychological distress associated with social isolation. The aim of this study is to examine the link between social isolation and psychological distress via the mediator equanimity. It was hypothesised that objective (few social contacts) and perceived social isolation (loneliness) would predict psychological distress and that equanimity would mediate these relationships. Methods Five hundred and seventy-eight adult United States participants were recruited and completed measures of objective social isolation and perceived social isolation (De Jong Gierveld Social Isolation scale), trait equanimity (Phenomenological Experience of Meditative Equanimity Scale), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Short Form, DASS-21). Results Objective social isolation negatively predicted psychological distress, but equanimity did not mediate this relationship. Perceived social isolation positively predicted psychological distress and equanimity mediated this relationship. Limitations This study is limited by its cross-sectional and self-report design and by a United States sample, which may affect the generalisability of findings. Conclusions Rather than a lack of social contact it is the “perceived” nature of isolation that is related to psychological distress and this relationship indirectly operates through trait equanimity. Individuals high in trait equanimity may be better protected from the impact of perceived social isolation. Clinical interventions can be adapted to include equanimity skills to mitigate perceived social isolation for individuals and reduce adverse outcomes.

The relationship between mindfulness, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of correlational studies

“…But there are still some aspects of the literature we included that demand our attention. The majority of the scales used to measure mindfulness in the included literature are the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), whereas Mann and Walker (2022) employed the 20-item Phenomenological Experience of Meditative Equanimity Scale. They did not employ the definition used by the majority of studies, as was indicated in the introduction of their literature.…”

“…Based on the study, mindfulness involves equanimity. It is described as being receptive to and accepting of all events ( Desbordes et al, 2014 ; Mann and Walker, 2022 ). Instead, equanimity is thought to be a component of mindfulness, as per historical meditation teachings theories ( Zeng et al, 2015 ; Mann and Walker, 2022 ).…”

“…It is described as being receptive to and accepting of all events ( Desbordes et al, 2014 ; Mann and Walker, 2022 ). Instead, equanimity is thought to be a component of mindfulness, as per historical meditation teachings theories ( Zeng et al, 2015 ; Mann and Walker, 2022 ). According to the Buddhist meditation tradition, equanimity is considered to be a key outcome of meditation practices ( Desbordes et al, 2014 ).…”

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

“…This point is particularly salient in the context of COVID-19. Existential isolation may be catalysed by dramatic changes caused by pandemic conditions (e.g., routine, employment, family dynamics) and develop disproportionally in times of adversity ( Pinel et al, 2017 ), potentially explaining elevated rates of psychological distress ( Dozois, 2021 ; Mann and Walker, 2021 ; Ogrodniczuk et al, 2021b ).…”

Audio Commands Recognition Through Deep Learning for Control Mobile Residential Assistant Robot

“…El presente trabajo aprovecha las ventajas expuestas de las CNN en reconocimiento de patrones y señales de audio para exponer una aplicación de control robótico asistencial en entornos residenciales, donde los comandos de navegación del robot, para ir a alguna locación especifica dentro de la residencia, son recibidos mediante voz y preprocesados empleando Coeficientes Cepstrales en las Frecuencias de Mel, para ser reconocidos por una red convolucional. Dada las necesidades de aislamiento experimentadas en la pandemia por covid [18], los robots asistenciales entran a jugar un papel fundamental en asistir en sus casas a personas que lo requieran.…”