51.20 THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ACCEPTANCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COVID-19 IMPACT AND DEPRESSION IN YOUNG ADULTS

Objectives: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased experiences of despair, isolation, and a growing uncertainty surrounding the future of our global health The effects of the pandemic are evident in almost all aspects of daily life, from the risks to physical health to loss of employment and the ability to attend school Emerging adults are among the many individuals facing increases in mental illness during this time Acceptance is a well-researched emotion regulation strategy that has been associated with positive outcomes such as decreased negative affect and greater psychological health in young adults This study investigated the hypothesis that acceptance use is a mediator in the relationship between the perceived impact of COVID-19 and symptoms of depression among emerging adults Methods: Participants in this IRB-approved study were recruited via online flyers distributed through listservs and social media The sample (n =303;79% female;8 8% Hispanic;Mage = 20 9 years) completed a series of online self-report measures, assessing for current levels of depression, the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the use of acceptance Results: A linear regression indicated that the COVID-19 impact is significantly associated with depression (b = 0 77;p \u003c 0 001) Further regression analyses were conducted using Hayes’s PROCESS macro in SPSS The overall model was significant (F2,300 = 107 7;p \u003c 0 001;R2 = 0 42), accounting for 42% of the variance The path between the COVID-19 impact and acceptance use was significant (b = 0 71;p = 0 26), indicating that higher levels of COVID-19 impact are associated with less acceptance use The path between acceptance use and depression was also significant (b = 0 44;p = 0 0025), indicating that higher levels of acceptance use is related to lower levels of depression The indirect path from COVID-19 impact to depression remained significant when acceptance use was included in the model (b = 0 36;p \u003c 0 001) Conclusions: The results indicate that acceptance partially explains the relationship between the perceived COVID-19 impact and current depression This study highlights the importance of incorporating acceptance use within treatment interventions for young adults who have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and may be struggling with symptoms of depression DDD, COPI, R