TY - JOUR
T1 - Dating Anxiety During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
T2 - Implications for College Students
AU - Dattilo, Taylor M.
AU - Fisher, Rachel S.
AU - Traino, Katherine A.
AU - Roberts, Caroline M.
AU - Lehmann, Vicky
AU - Chaney, John M.
AU - Mullins, Larry L.
N1 - Funding Information: Thank you to the college students for participation in the current study. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. This work was supported in part through the Vaughn Vennerberg Endowment at Oklahoma State University Publisher Copyright: © 2022. American Psychological Association
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Dating anxiety (i.e., anxiety experienced when initiating and/or maintaining a romantic connection) is prevalent in the college student population. Dating anxiety may contribute to psychological distress and diminished life satisfaction and has been found to be associated with depressive symptoms. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated preventative strategies that may negatively impact college students’ ability to socialize and thus potentially worsen their mental health. The current study examined whether the relationship between dating anxiety and depressive symptoms was moderated by perceived impact of COVID-19. Participants included college students (N = 225) enrolled at a large Midwestern university and were 18–23 years of age (Mage = 18.95). Participants completed self-report measures of demographics, dating anxiety, perceived impact of COVID-19, and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with dating anxiety, β =.40, 95% CI [.292,.513], and COVID-19 impact, β =.33, 95% CI [.220,.436]. The interaction term (Dating Anxiety 3 COVID-19 Impact) was significant, β =.15, 95% CI [.062,.240], such that the relationship between higher dating anxiety and greater depressive symptoms strengthened as COVID-19 impact increased. Our findings demonstrate that increased dating anxiety is related to increased depressive symptoms, which are worsened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. College students more strongly impacted by COVID-19 may have increased dating anxiety because of decreased exposure to social situations
AB - Dating anxiety (i.e., anxiety experienced when initiating and/or maintaining a romantic connection) is prevalent in the college student population. Dating anxiety may contribute to psychological distress and diminished life satisfaction and has been found to be associated with depressive symptoms. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated preventative strategies that may negatively impact college students’ ability to socialize and thus potentially worsen their mental health. The current study examined whether the relationship between dating anxiety and depressive symptoms was moderated by perceived impact of COVID-19. Participants included college students (N = 225) enrolled at a large Midwestern university and were 18–23 years of age (Mage = 18.95). Participants completed self-report measures of demographics, dating anxiety, perceived impact of COVID-19, and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with dating anxiety, β =.40, 95% CI [.292,.513], and COVID-19 impact, β =.33, 95% CI [.220,.436]. The interaction term (Dating Anxiety 3 COVID-19 Impact) was significant, β =.15, 95% CI [.062,.240], such that the relationship between higher dating anxiety and greater depressive symptoms strengthened as COVID-19 impact increased. Our findings demonstrate that increased dating anxiety is related to increased depressive symptoms, which are worsened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. College students more strongly impacted by COVID-19 may have increased dating anxiety because of decreased exposure to social situations
KW - College students
KW - Covid-19 pandemic
KW - Dating anxiety
KW - Depressive symptoms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133121388&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000307
DO - https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000307
M3 - Article
SN - 2332-2136
VL - 8
SP - 352
EP - 361
JO - Translational Issues in Psychological Science
JF - Translational Issues in Psychological Science
IS - 3
ER -