The pandemic coping project: a randomized clinical trial of strategies for coping with isolation

Past research has suggested that isolation is associated with poorer psychological well-being, an issue of particular importance given the quarantines imposed during the recent coronavirus pandemic. The aim of the present randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for coping with loneliness and distress during isolation. In the online study, participants (N = 330) from a nationwide and international sample were randomly assigned to practice one of six strategies (i.e. social support, prosocial behavior, structure, distraction, exercise, using helpful resources) or to a comparison group. They completed measures of psychological distress and loneliness at baseline and after one and two weeks assigned to their strategy for coping. Results revealed that a strategy of structuring daily activities was more effective at reducing distress than the other coping strategies. Younger and middle-aged participants experienced less distress using structure than other strategies, but there was no difference in distress based on extraversion or personal need for structure. For loneliness, results depended on personal need for structure such that those with average or higher need for structure experienced less loneliness when using the structure strategy. Neither age nor extraversion was a significant factor in the impact of structure on loneliness. Structuring daily activities appears to be superior to other strategies for coping during isolation, except for older individuals and those with lower need for structure, who may benefit from other strategies. Based on the study findings, providers should consider a recommendation of structuring daily activities as a way of managing distress and loneliness during social isolation.