Protective Factors for Loneliness among Adolescents during COVID-19: Role of the Interpersonal Relationships and Sibling Status

This study examined the moderating effects of parent-child, same-sex, opposite-sex and teacher-student relationships between sibling status and loneliness during COVID-19. A total of 1,591 adolescents in China completed the study questionnaires which assessed the aforementioned variables. The results showed that same-sex and teacher-student relationships moderated the association between sibling status and loneliness. The results indicated that among participants with good same-sex relationships during COVID-19, compared to non-only-children participants, the only-children participants were more likely to experience a lower level of loneliness. However, participants with poor same-sex relationships experienced similar level of loneliness regardless of whether they had siblings. These findings would be helpful for parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to take effective measures to reduce loneliness feelings among Chinese adolescents.