Perceptions of Covid-19 lockdowns and related public health measures in Austria: a longitudinal online survey

Abstract Background Introducing national lockdown has been effective in containing Covid-19. However, several studies indicated negative impacts of lockdowns on the well-being and mental health of many people. In Austria, the first Covid-19-related lockdown was introduced on 16 March 2020 with most restrictions being lifted 1 month later. Seven months after that, in November 2020, the second full lockdown was implemented. The aim of this study was to compare the perceptions and experiences of the general population related to the first and second Covid-19 lockdowns in Austria. Methods Two waves of an online survey were conducted in May and December 2020 asking respondents about their concerns related to the Covid-19 illness, personal experiences of the lockdowns, perceptions of and compliance with imposed public health measures, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on different aspects of life during the two lockdowns. Descriptive statistics including frequency analysis were used to compare respondents’ answers collected in the two waves of the survey. T-test and chi-square tests were used to test differences between the two lockdowns. Results Five hundred sixty participants were included in the first wave and a sub-sample of 134 participants in the second wave of data collection. During the second lockdown, study respondents were more concerned about their family members contracting Covid-19 when compared with the first lockdown. Compliance with public health measures was overall lower during the second lockdown, although it varied according to the type of the measure. Closure of schools was seen as the least essential restriction during the second lockdown, while wearing masks gained additional approval between the first and the second lockdown. Larger negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on friendships, leisure activities, education and community were reported during the second lockdown. Conclusions The study found that the extended duration of the pandemic and recurring lockdowns restricting freedom of movement and social contacts appear to have caused significant disruptions to many areas of life. Furthermore, declining adherence to most public health measures over time raises a question about the effectiveness of future lockdown measures.

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The impact of COVID-19 on the care of people living with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of physicians and pharmacists in nine countries

Primary Health Care Research & Development ◽

10.1017/s146342362100030x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

Author(s):

Chris Bullen ◽

Jessica McCormack ◽

Amanda Calder ◽

Varsha Parag ◽

Kannan Subramaniam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

World Health ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Health Measures ◽

The Impact ◽

Low And Middle Income

Abstract Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where people may have limited access to affordable quality care, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to have a particularly adverse impact on the health and healthcare of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A World Health Organization survey found that disruption of delivery of healthcare for NCDs was more significant in LMICs than in high-income countries. However, the study did not elicit insights into the day-to-day impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare by front-line healthcare workers (FLHCWs). Aim: To gain insights directly from FLHCWs working in countries with a high NCD burden, and thereby identify opportunities to improve the provision of healthcare during the current pandemic and in future healthcare emergencies. Methods: We recruited selected frontline healthcare workers (general practitioners, pharmacists, and other medical specialists) from nine countries to complete an online survey (n = 1347). Survey questions focused on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice and NCDs; barriers to clinical care during the pandemic; and innovative responses to the many challenges presented by the pandemic. Findings: The majority of FLHCWs responding to our survey reported that their care of patients had been impacted both adversely and positively by the public health measures imposed. Most FLHCs (95%) reported a deterioration in the mental health of their patients. Conclusions: Continuity of care for NCDs as part of pandemic preparedness is needed so that chronic conditions are not exacerbated by public health measures and the direct impacts of the pandemic.

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Behavioral and Psychological Correlates of Well-Being during COVID-19

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/0033294120978160 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 003329412097816

Author(s):

Nicole C. Ryerson

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Time Management ◽

Survey Methods ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Well Being ◽

Management Skills ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Impact

The globe is currently experiencing the immense and devastating impact of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease. College students are being uniquely impacted by the pandemic as well as the lockdown procedures that are in place. The current study utilized survey methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on college students with a focus on changes in alcohol consumption and correlates of psychological health. Results found that participants reported a significant increase in alcohol consumption as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, this increase in consumption related to a decline in psychological health. Exploratory analyses found that a decline in psychological health correlated with negative impacts in several life areas (financial, resource, social, and academic) and a decline in time management skills. However, spending time on leisure activities and spending time in-person with family and friends negatively correlated with psychological decline. Interestingly, news exposure to did not relate to psychological health.

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Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182111406 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (21) ◽

pp. 11406

Author(s):

Narelle Campbell ◽

Sandra C. Thompson ◽

Anna Tynan ◽

Louise Townsin ◽

Lauren A. Booker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Qualitative Research ◽

Large Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Rapid Identification ◽

National Study ◽

The Public ◽

Health Measures ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Mental Well Being

This national study investigated the positives reported by residents experiencing the large-scale public health measures instituted in Australia to manage the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most Australians had not previously experienced the traditional public health measures used (social distancing, hand hygiene and restriction of movement) and which could potentially impact negatively on mental well-being. The research design included qualitative semi-structured phone interviews where participants described their early pandemic experiences. Data analysis used a rapid identification of themes technique, well-suited to large-scale qualitative research. The ninety participants (mean age 48 years; 70 women) were distributed nationally. Analysis revealed five themes linked with mental well-being and the concept of silver linings: safety and security, gratitude and appreciation, social cohesion and connections, and opportunities to reset priorities and resilience. Participants demonstrated support for the public health measures and evidence of individual and community resilience. They were cognisant of positives despite personal curtailment and negative impacts of public health directives. Stories of hope, strength, and acceptance, innovative connections with others and focusing on priorities and opportunities within the hardship were important strategies that others could use in managing adversity.

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Continuing Entomological Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Outlooks on Pest Management ◽

10.1564/v32_jun_05 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 114-119

Author(s):

Sotiria Boutsi ◽

Heather Campbell ◽

Eugenia Fezza ◽

Ross George ◽

Cindayniah Godfrey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Research Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Early Career ◽

Widening Participation ◽

Public Health Campaign ◽

Health Campaign ◽

Health Measures ◽

Research Activities ◽

The Impact

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the UK has experienced three national lockdowns and a public health campaign designed to stop the spread of the virus. The first national lockdown, starting in March 2020, led to the closure of university campuses, and laboratories having to pause practical research and move research student supervision online. During this time, laboratories had to develop way for research activities to resume whilst also complying with public health measures. The entomology group at Harper Adams University is in the Agriculture and Environment Department and forms part of the Centre for Integrated Pest Management. At present our group consists of seven staff members, ranging from early career researchers to those with over 20 years of experience in academia and industry, who collectively supervise 10 PhD students at varying stages of their research. Two of these students are completing their research at an external institute. The group carries out research across multiple sites, office buildings, research laboratories, including the Jean Jackson Entomology Laboratory (https://www.infraportal.org.uk/node/1880), as well as field and glasshouse facilities. Here we provide a narrative account of the challenges in maintaining an active research group during a year of highly restricted activities. We begin by outlining the impact that national lockdowns and public health measures had on researchers working on PhD projects through to larger UKRI and levy-funded multi-institute, multi-year projects. We address four key areas: i) maintaining productivity, ii) student-supervisor interactions, iii) accessibility and widening participation and iv) well-being and mental health. We then outline how lessons learnt from lockdown can inform best practice for a research group. Many aspects will be useful for researchers working part-time, flexible hours, remotely or at multiple sites, but we emphasise that the aim of this contribution is to share our personal experiences and not to cover every theme in what is an extremely complex set of global circumstances.

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Strict Physical Distancing May Be More Efficient: A Mathematical Argument for Making Lockdowns Count

10.1101/2020.05.19.20107045 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Scott R Sheffield ◽

Anna York ◽

Nicole A Swartwood ◽

Alyssa Bilinski ◽

Anne Williamson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Simple Mathematical Model ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Economic Costs ◽

Health Measures ◽

Trade Offs ◽

The Impact ◽

Model Structures ◽

Economic Well Being

COVID-19 created a global public health and economic emergency. Policymakers acted quickly and decisively to contain the spread of disease through physical distancing measures. However, these measures also impact physical, mental and economic well-being, creating difficult trade-offs. Here we use a simple mathematical model to explore the balance between public health measures and their associated social and economic costs. Across a range of cost-functions and model structures, commitment to intermittent and strict social distancing measures leads to better overall outcomes than temporally consistent implementation of moderate physical distancing measures. With regard to the trade-offs that policymakers may soon face, our results emphasize that economic and health outcomes do not exist in full competition. Compared to consistent moderation, intermittently strict policies can better mitigate the impact of the pandemic on both of these priorities for a range of plausible utility functions.

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Changes in Care Provision During COVID-19 Impact Patient Well-Being

Journal of Patient Experience ◽

10.1177/23743735211034068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 237437352110340

Author(s):

Judy J Wang ◽

Jessica R Levi ◽

Heather A Edwards

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Medical Care ◽

Large Scale ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Health Emergency ◽

Care Provision ◽

Health Measures ◽

Routine Medical Care ◽

The Impact

The fast onset and extensive impact of COVID-19 necessitated strict public health measures and temporary diversion of personnel and resources from other types of medical care. This study examined the prevalence of such disruptions and their impacts on patient-perceived well-being using an untargeted survey. The majority of surveyed patients experienced changes in their routine medical care. Of those whose appointments were postponed or canceled, most patients indicated an overall negative impact on their emotional and physical well-being. We highlighted the impact of disruptions in nonurgent medical care during a large-scale public health emergency.

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Longitudinal Examination of COVID-19 Public Health Measures on Mental Health for Rural Patients With Serious Mental Illness

Military Medicine ◽

10.1093/milmed/usaa559 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Natalie B Riblet ◽

Susan P Stevens ◽

Brian Shiner ◽

Sarah Cornelius ◽

Jenna Forehand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Serious Mental Illness ◽

Well Being ◽

Rural Populations ◽

Health Measures ◽

The Impact ◽

Rural Patients ◽

At Home

ABSTRACT Introduction There is emerging evidence to support that the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures may be associated with negative mental health sequelae. Rural populations in particular may fair worse because they share many unique characteristics that may put them at higher risk for adverse outcomes with the pandemic. Yet, rural populations may also be more resilient due to increased sense of community. Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of a rural population pre- and post-pandemic, especially those with serious mental illness. Material and Methods We conducted a longitudinal, mixed-methods study with assessments preceding the pandemic (between October 2019 and March 2020) and during the stay-at-home orders (between April 23, 2020, and May 4, 2020). Changes in hopelessness, suicidal ideation, connectedness, and treatment engagement were assessed using a repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman test. Results Among 17 eligible participants, 11 people were interviewed. Overall, there were no notable changes in any symptom scale in the first 3-5 months before the pandemic or during the stay-at-home orders. The few patients who reported worse symptoms were significantly older (mean age: 71.7 years, SD: 4.0). Most patients denied disruptions to treatment, and some perceived telepsychiatry as beneficial. Conclusions Rural patients with serious mental illness may be fairly resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic when they have access to treatment and supports. Longer-term outcomes are needed in rural patients with serious mental illness to better understand the impact of the pandemic on this population.

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The impact of COVID-19 on the lives and mental health of Australian adolescents

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry ◽

10.1007/s00787-021-01790-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sophie H. Li ◽

Joanne R. Beames ◽

Jill M. Newby ◽

Kate Maston ◽

Helen Christensen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Technology Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Anxiety ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Impact

AbstractThere has been significant disruption to the lives and mental health of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychological and lifestyle impact of the pandemic on Australian adolescents, using an online survey, administered during the outbreak. Self-report surveys were administered online to a sample of 760 Australian adolescents aged 12–18 years assessing impact on a range of domains including behaviour, education, relationships, lifestyle factors (exercise, technology use, and sleep), and mental health outcomes (psychological distress, loneliness, health anxiety and well-being). Results showed that three quarters of the sample experienced a worsening in mental health, since the pandemic began, with negative impacts reported on learning, friendships and family relationships. There were also high higher levels of sleep disturbance, psychological distress and health anxiety, relative to normative samples. Effects on mental health were worse among those who reported a previous diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety relative to those without no such history. Adolescents are already vulnerable to the onset of mental illness at this developmental stage, and the current research underscores the need to find rapid and accessible ways to support adolescent mental health during times of crisis.

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COVID-19 Lockdown and the Behavior Change on Physical Exercise, Pain and Psychological Well-Being: An International Multicentric Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073810 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3810

Author(s):

Anelise Sonza ◽

Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo ◽

Alessandro Sartorio ◽

Sofia Tamini ◽

Adérito Seixas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Exercise ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Model ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Multicentric Study ◽

Brazilian Sample ◽

The Impact

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following lockdown on physical exercise (PEx) practice, pain, and psychological well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional multicentric study was performed using a nonrandom convenience sampling from the general population (≥18 years-old) of 6 countries (Brazil, Italy, France, Portugal, Germany, and Spain) adopting social isolation (SI). The validated self-administered online survey (PEF-COVID19) was used. The tests T-test and Chi-square with Bonferroni correction were used for statistical analysis and a multivariate logistic regression model (p ˂ 0.05). Results: We included 3194 replies and ~80% of the respondents were in SI. Brazilian sample was highly influenced by the pandemic considering PEx practice and habits, pain, anxiety, and stress (p ˂ 0.05). Among the European countries, Italy presented the major changes. The model to predict the non-practice of PEx during SI showed that the variables countries, smoking, SI, and PEx level were significant predictors (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: The pandemic changed the PEx practice and habits, and the psychological well-being of populations in different manners. Countries, smoking, SI, and PEx level were predictors for the non-practice of PEx. Public health strategies are suggested to avoid sedentary lifestyles and quality of life decrease.

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“INSIDE” Project on Sexual Health in Spain: The Impact of the Lockdown Caused by COVID-19

10.21203/rs.3.rs-61952/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rafael Ballester-Arnal ◽

Juan E. Nebot-Garcia ◽

Estefanía Ruiz-Palomino ◽

Cristina Giménez-García ◽

María Dolores Gil-Llario

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

General Population ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Spanish Population ◽

Sexual Life ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming a major hazard to public health worldwide. This is causing a significant impact on life and physical health, as well as on the psychological well-being of the general population. Since the emotional distress and the social restrictions caused by this epidemic, it must be expected that its impact will also extend to sexual health. The purpose of this study, the first including a large sample of the Spanish general population, was to analyze sexual behavior during the 99 days of confinement in Spain (INSIDE Project). Method. 1,448 Spanish people, between 18 and 60 years old, were evaluated through an online survey during April 2020. The variables analyzed were the physical and social environment during confinement, sexual desire, type of sexual activity, masturbation, sexual intercourse, online sexual activity, general sexual frequency, sexual fantasies, degree of self-control over sexual drive, sexual abuse, general impact of confinement on sexuality and emotional mood. Results. Confinement has affected the sexual life of half of the Spanish population (47.7%), especially women. Those who reported a worsening of their sexual life are almost three times more (37.9%) than those who reported an improvement (14.4%). Conclusions. Different factors have been significant predictors of the positive or negative valoration about the impact of this confinement on sexual life, such as gender, couple life, privacy, stress level and the perception of confinement as unbearable. Policy Implications. These results have important implications for the public health and more especially sexual health of the Spanish population.

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