Isolated During COVID-19: Effects of COVID-19's Social Restrictions on Loneliness and Psychosocial Symptomatology

This study seeks to gather data and insight on epidemiologic trends of loneliness and other behaviors in the wake of the CDC recommended "social distancing" during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to use a cross-sectional survey to assess the impact of COVID-19's associated recommendations (social distancing, self-isolation, and self-quarantine) on loneliness and psychosocial symptomatology (depression, anxiety, substance abuse) on young adults (18-35 years old).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Anxiety; Loneliness; Drug Abuse; Alcohol Abuse

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1008

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
      • University of Miami

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Community sample

Description

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-35 years old
• Currently living in the United States

Exclusion Criteria

• Those under 18 years, or older than 35 years
• Adults unable to consent
• Non-English-speaking adults

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Isolated Observational group; All participants socially restricted as a result of COVID-19

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Loneliness as evaluated by the UCLA loneliness scale	University of California Los Angeles ( UCLA) Loneliness Scale is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that evaluates subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Participants rate items on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (often).Items are summed to create a score that can range from 20-80, higher scores being indicative of greater loneliness.	Day 1
Alcohol Use as evaluated by the AUDIT	Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item self-reported questionnaire used to identify individuals whose alcohol consumption could be hazardous for their health. Participants rate items in a 5-point Likert scale, indicating amount (0 to 10 drinks or more), frequency (never to daily or almost daily), and indication of problems caused by alcohol (yes or no). Items were summed up to create a score that can range from 0 to 50. A score of 1 to 7 indicates low risk consumption, whereas a score of 8-15 suggests risky or hazardous drinking, a score of more than 15 is likely to indicate high-risk drinking and alcohol dependence.	Day 1
Drug Use as evaluated by the DAST-10	The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) is a 10-item self-reported screening test that provides a quantitative index of the degree of consequences related to drug abuse. Participants rate items yes or no, positive responses corresponding to 1 point. Items are summed up to create a score that can range from 0-10. A score of 1-2 represents risky behaviors related to drugs, 3-5 represents moderate problems, 6-8 represents substantial problems, and 9-10 represents severe problems.	Day 1
Anxiety as evaluated by GAD-7	The General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD- 7) is a 7- item self-reported screening tool that assess presence and severity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Participants rated frequency of problems in a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Items are summed up to create a score with scores of 5, 10, and 15 being the cut-off points for mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively.	Day 1
Depression as assessed by CES-D-10	The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D-10) is a 10-item self-reported measure that assesses the frequency of symptoms of depression. Participants rate frequency of symptoms in a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (rare or none of the time) to 3 (most or almost all the time). Items are summed up to create a score that ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores representing greater depressive symptoms. A score of 16 or more represents clinical depression.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Miami
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Viviana E Horigian, MD, University of Miami

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Horigian VE, Schmidt RD, Feaster DJ. Loneliness, Mental Health, and Substance Use among US Young Adults during COVID-19. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2021 Jan-Mar;53(1):1-9. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2020.1836435. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 22, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 11, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): May 11, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 18, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 19, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 19, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2020
• Last Verified: June 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Alcoholism
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20200446

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No