Examining the Effect of Situational Awareness and Health Protection Behaviour on Loneliness and Hopelessness in COVID-19 Process

Abstract

This study focuses on feelings of loneliness and hopelessness in which COVID-19 was created. The research addresses the following questions: (a) How does trust in government or media affect loneliness and hopelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic? (b) How does trust in interpersonal information affect loneliness and hopelessness? (c) What is the mediating role of perceived personal sensitivity, hand hygiene, and social distance in the effect of trust in government or media on loneliness and hopelessness? (d) What is the mediating role of perceived personal sensitivity, hand hygiene, and social distance in the effect of trust on interpersonal information on loneliness and hopelessness? Trust in government or media information ( β: 0.200) positively affects Situational Awareness variables. While Trust in interpersonal information ( β: −0.106) affects negatively. Situational Awareness creates a negative effect on Loneliness ( β: −0.129) and Hopeless ( β: −0.155), while Health Protective Response affects positively. Finally, Health Protective Response negatively affects Loneliness ( β: 0.245) and Hopeless ( β: 0.253). Interpersonal information, on the other hand, causes individuals to feel both hopeless and lonely. And, when the relationship between individuals’ health protective response with hopelessness and loneliness is examined, it is understood that both health protection responses negatively affect these two emotional states, even if they have different effect levels. As individuals display health protection responses, they have higher hopes for the future and the loneliness felt decreases.