Social-distancing fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mediation analysis of cognitive flexibility, fatigue, depression, and adherence to CDC guidelines

ABSTRACT

The researchers explored factors associated with depressive symptoms and adherence to CDC guidelines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to developing an original measure of social-distancing fatigue (SDF), two hypothesized models, grounded in a social skills deficit framework, were tested using Model 4 of the Hayes’ PROCESS 3.0. Results indicated that participants’ level of cognitive flexibility associated negatively with SDF, and positively with adherence. Moreover, while feeling exhaustion/burnout associated positively with depressive symptoms and negatively with adherence, a sense of tedium did not.

KEYWORDS:

• Social distancing
• COVID-19
• communication skills
• pandemic
• health risk

Acknowledgments

We thank Debora Seiter, Monique Frazier and Barbara Warnes for their assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University.

Notes on contributors

John S. Seiter

John S. Seiter (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is Distinguished Professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah State University. 

Timothy Curran

Timothy Curran (Ph.D., University of Georgia) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies at Utah State University.