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

Isolated Observational group

All participants socially restricted as a result of COVID-19

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.