Loneliness, personality traits, cognitive emotion regulation, and coronavirus anxiety

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is an emotional state, in which a person experiences a very strong feeling of intimacy and isolation, and in the period of coronavirus outbreak, most people feel lonely; thus, it is important to identify the factors that affect the feeling of loneliness in this period. This study was conducted with the aim to develop a model of loneliness based on personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation with the mediating role of coronavirus anxiety. METHODS: The present study was a descriptive-correlational study and the statistical population included all citizens of Qom province, Iran, in 2020. Thus, 400 people were selected through case-sampling as a research sample and were asked to complete the UCLA Loneliness Scale, NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Cognitive Emotion Regulation ‎Questionnaire (CERQ)‎, and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression methods. Moreover, Path analysis was used due to the existence of a mediating variable. RESULTS: Personality traits, cognitive emotion regulation, and anxiety associated with Australia-virus account for 40% of the variance in feelings of loneliness. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that patients with viral diseases are mediated in terms of personality traits, cognitive regulation, and loneliness.