Coping with the invisible enemy: The role of emotion regulation and awareness in quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

More information is needed on how quality of life was impacted by the recent pandemic, as little comparative data to pre-pandemic levels are available. This study examined how the quality of life of college students was affected during the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown in Cyprus, with a two-wave measurement design, which included a pre-pandemic baseline. The effect of emotion regulation styles on quality of life change was examined, using measures associated with 2nd and 3rd wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches, in an effort to identify processes associated with vulnerability and malleable risk factors that can be improved through intervention. Significant decreases in total, physical and psychological quality of life were observed relative to pre-pandemic levels. Significant predictors of decline in quality of life relative to pre-pandemic baseline were difficulty describing feelings and difficulty accessing emotion regulation strategies, pointing to the importance of emotional clarity and availability of a broad spectrum of strategies for coping with distress. Unexpectedly, difficulty identifying feelings predicted better sustained quality of life, pointing to the potential usefulness of alternative and flexible emotion regulation strategies in coping with such crises. Findings are discussed in relation to the role of emotion regulation and psychological flexibility in wellbeing. • Quality of life of college students declined during lockdown. • Emotion regulation via emotion awareness/expression predicted less QoL decline. • Some avoidant ways of emotion regulation were also protective. • Psychological flexibility and access to regulation strategies are beneficial.