ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine whether social isolation during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Brazil led to higher signs of psychological distress, and which intra (loneliness, coping mechanisms, feelings of entrapment) and interpsychic (media consumption) variables mediated this effect. Method: Two phases of web-based surveys were applied to Brazilian participants between May 25, 2020 and August 19, 2020. Phase 1 involved the application of psychological scales as well as information on isolation habits and media consumption. Results: Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased psychological distress at clinically relevant rates, with loneliness being an important predictor of this effect. We also found that escape–avoidance and distancing coping strategies mediated this effect. Psychological distress was also related to high consumption of COVID-19-related information in social networks, print or online newspapers, and podcasts, but that relying on positive reappraisal coping strategies increased this effect instead of decreasing it. Conclusions: Our results suggest the need for policies that diminish the impact of social isolation on mental health;the need to assess and teach alternative coping strategies in clinical settings;and the need to address the impact of internet-based sources. © 2021. American Psychological Association