Abstract

Engaging in leisure activities with a companion plays an important role in individuals’ psychological well-being. This study examines whether, and in what ways, the importance of leisure with a companion (i.e., social leisure) for psychological well- being extends to contexts in which aloneness is socially encouraged. Using a national sample of Korean women from the Ko- rean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families, we investigated the relationships between social leisure and psychological well-being—specifically levels of depression and happiness—before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results showed that social leisure predicted decreased depression and increased happiness across time (before and during the pan- demic), even after controlling for time spent on leisure and leisure satisfaction. Notably, during the pandemic, compared to the pre-pandemic period, the association between social leisure and reduced depression weakened, whereas its association with increased happiness strengthened. Social leisure before the pandemic predicted lower levels of depression during the pandemic. These results underscore the importance of having a companion(s) in non-work-related free-time activities, even when solitary pursuits were socially reinforced and normalized.