Younger people and people with higher subjective SES experienced more negative effects of the pandemic on their friendships

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 185; p. 111246
• Main Authors: Ayers, Jessica D., Guevara Beltrán, Diego, Van Horn, Andrew, Cronk, Lee, Todd, Peter M., Aktipis, Athena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Cooperation; COVID-19; Friendship; Guilt; Mental health; Pandemics; Risk management; Risk taking; Social support; Socioeconomic status; COVID-19; Friendship; Risk management; Cooperation
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549; 0191-8869
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111246

Friendships provide social support and mental health benefits, yet the COVID-19 pandemic has limited interactions with friends. In August 2020, we asked participants (N = 634) about their friendships during the pandemic as part of a larger study. We found that younger people and people with higher subjective SES reported more negative effects on their friendships, including feeling more isolated and lonelier. We also found that stress, isolation, and guilt were associated with greater COVID-related social risk-taking, such as making and visiting new friends in person. Our results suggest the pandemic is affecting friendships differently across demographic groups and these negative effects might motivate social risk-taking. •Older people were less motivated to make new friends and less lonely.•People with more COVID-19 stress felt more isolated and lonelier.•People using risk transfers wanted wider friendship networks and to befriend new people.•Higher subjective SES individuals wanted wider friendship networks.•Risk avoidant people were less likely to go to a crowded indoor party.