Abstract

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as well as face many negative and intense emotions felt by others. Thus, it is important to look for risk and protective factors that allow and help individuals to regulate these negative emotions and adapt to the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

The main aims of the study were to (i) test how empathic dimensions (perspective taking, empathic concern and personal distress) and emotion regulation abilities were related to intensity of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland, as well as to (ii) check if emotion regulation difficulties and personal distress predicted slower decrease in depressive symptoms over the two months in which the number of COVID-19 cases declined in Poland.

Methods

A total of 792 participants took part in the three-wave panel study. The sample was representative of the Polish population in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Participants completed the following online questionnaires: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form, and Brief version of the Empathic Sensitivity.

Results

Significant positive correlations were found between depressive symptoms and both personal distress and emotion regulation difficulties during the lockdown. Moreover, emotion regulation difficulties were the only significant predictor of slower decrease in depressive symptoms over time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

It seems that interventions focused on improvement of emotion regulation abilities could be particularly beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms during the pandemic and preventing potential negative long-term outcomes.

Details

Title
Investigation of prospective effects of emotion-regulation difficulties and empathic dimensions on depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak in poland
Author
Gambin, M 1 ; Woźniak-Prus, M 2 ; Sękowski, M 2 ; Holas, P 1 ; Wnuk, A 3 ; Oleksy, T 1 ; Cudo, A 4 ; Hansen, K 1 ; Huflejt-Łukasik, M 1 ; Łyś, A 1 ; Gorgol, J 1 ; Kubicka, K 1 ; Kmita, G 1 ; Łojek, E 1 

 Department Of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland 
 Institute Of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland 
 The Robert Zajonc Institute For Social Studies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland 
 Faculty Of Social Sciences, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland 
Pages
S255-S255
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Apr 2021
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
ISSN
09249338
e-ISSN
17783585
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2560873221
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.