The journal "Cognition and Emotion" published a study by Wollast and colleagues investigating the increase in loneliness during the pandemic using a longitudinal design with 2,106 participants in Belgium. The researchers aimed to understand how self-compassion could serve as a protective factor against loneliness over a twelve-month period.

Using a group-based trajectory modeling approach, the study identified five distinct trajectory groups of individuals based on their levels of loneliness: low (11.0%), moderate-low (22.4%), moderate (25.7%), moderate-high (31.3%), and high (9.6%). Younger people, women, those with poor relationship quality, high health anxiety, and COVID-19-related stress were more likely to experience high levels of loneliness. The study found that individuals high in self-kindness and common humanity — key facets of self-compassion — had a lower likelihood of experiencing high loneliness. The results also showed that higher loneliness was associated with lower life satisfaction and increased depressive symptoms. The study concludes that fostering self-compassion could improve mental health in similar challenging situations. This research adhered to ethical standards and was part of a larger project on COVID-19, health behaviors, and mental health.

The full article is available via https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699931.2023.2270201