Loneliness and Coping Styles Among Athletes With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study aimed to assess loneliness experiences among athletes with disabilities (AWD) during the different phases of the pandemic and to understand its relationship with coping styles. Ninety-one AWD participated in a longitudinal study spanning 10 months, covering three time points: April (A), June (Time B), and November (Time C) 2021. The study used the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations and the revised University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale-Revised (UCLA-R) to measure coping mechanisms and feelings of loneliness, respectively. Loneliness levels peaked during the most intense phase of the pandemic, showing significant differences between consecutive time points (χ² = 20.29, p < 0.001, d = 0.24). The most robust regression models were built in Time B, using the "intimate contacts" dimension of loneliness as the dependent variable and "emotion-oriented coping", "avoidance-oriented coping", and "impairment" as independent variables, explaining 44% of the variance (p < 0.001). Loneliness among Paralympic athletes fluctuated during various phases of the pandemic. The findings highlight the significant influence of coping styles, particularly emotional styles which heightened perceived loneliness, and task-oriented styles which reduced it, on athletes' experiences of loneliness. These results underscore the need for longitudinal studies to delve deeper into the relationship between loneliness and mental health. Moreover, they stress the importance of developing tailored interventions that promote effective coping mechanisms in AWD during challenging times amid to COIVID-19.