Sociability Moderates the Negative Association Between COVID-Related Disruptions and Life Satisfaction

Disruptions in individuals’ lives during the COVID-19 pandemic have been associated with increased mental health problems and decreases in life satisfaction, although recent research indicates that these effects are not uniform across individuals. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of sociability in moderating the association between COVID-related disruptions and life satisfaction in a sample of adults. Using data from an online survey given to N = 166 adults, COVID-19 disruptions related to conflicts with household members or roommates and disruptions in care during the pandemic were negatively associated with life satisfaction. Sociability was found to moderate the associations between COVID-related disruptions in social interactions and life satisfaction; specifically, high sociability was found to possibly intensify the negative association between disruptions and life satisfaction. The findings of this study indicate that sociability may have been a liability during the pandemic, serving to worsen the potential negative effects of social distancing. Although future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms to explain these effects, the findings from the present study can be used to inform future interventions to help individuals better navigate social disruptions.