Social Affiliation, Social Capital, and Longitudinal Adaptation to COVID-19 Economic Stress

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Project Summary/Abstract Lockdowns and other public health measures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have had profound social and economic consequences. In the United States, over 10 million jobs have been lost in 2020, and some regions, industries, and demographic groups have been particularly hard hit. Moreover, lockdowns have substantially limited the capacity for in-person social interaction with close others and “weak ties,” peripheral members of our social network who contribute to everyday well-being. These kinds of regularized social interactions have potent effects on mental health. Thus, it is especially important to understand the broader contextual forces that influence them. In social-contextual environments that are more trusting and cooperative, social-affiliative behavior is more likely to result from economic stress, leading to increased capacities for stress resistance. By contrast, social-contextual environments that are perceived as less trusting and cooperative may inhibit the use of social affiliation, depriving people of a potent source of emotion regulation and well-being. The proposed project will examine the interplay of broader social-contextual factors and individual social behaviors in response to COVID-19-related economic stress. A multilevel longitudinal framework will be used in conjunction with a quasi-experimental design involving COVID-19 economic impact (High vs. Low) and social capitol (High vs. Low). This work can provide crucial insight into the economic impact of COVID-19 with substantial implications for the mental health and happiness of human beings across the globe.