Social-distancing fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mediation analysis of cognitive flexibility, fatigue, depression, and adherence to CDC guidelines

ABSTRACT The researchers explored factors associated with depressive symptoms and adherence to CDC guidelines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to developing an original measure of social-distancing fatigue (SDF), two hypothesized models, grounded in a social skills deficit framework, were tested using Model 4 of the Hayes’ PROCESS 3.0. Results indicated that participants’ level of cognitive flexibility associated negatively with SDF, and positively with adherence. Moreover, while feeling exhaustion/burnout associated positively with depressive symptoms and negatively with adherence, a sense of tedium did not.