Associations Between Loneliness, Emotion Dysregulation, and Hookup Behaviors During COVID-19

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in response to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, resulting in changes in daily functioning for individuals. Although social distancing measures were successful at slowing the spread of infection in the U.S., such measures were also expected to have both short and long-term consequences for people’s mental health and overall well-being. An unavoidable consequence of social distancing tactics was that many people were isolated from friends, family, and the public in general. The effects of pandemic-related isolation are poorly understood and a topic of interest for many researchers. Prior research has demonstrated links between subjective experiences of loneliness and difficulties adaptively regulation negative emotions, and little is known about how individuals might have used sex to cope with loneliness during the pandemic. To that end, the present study explored potential differences in levels of loneliness and emotion regulation between single individuals who engaged in a hookup during the COVID-19 pandemic and those who did not. The sample consisted of 252 individuals at least age 18 within the United States. Hypothesized differences in loneliness and emotion dysregulation between those who did and did not engage in a recent hookup were not observed. Additional exploratory analyses were conducted regarding levels of loneliness and emotion regulation based on whether individuals discussed vaccination status with their hookup partners. No such differences were observed. Limitations and implications for future study of loneliness, emotion dysregulation, and sexual behavior are discussed.