A Cross-Country Examination on the Fear of COVID-19 and the Sense of Loneliness during the First Wave of COVID-19 Outbreak

The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-03, Vol.18 (5), p.2586
Main Authors: Lo Coco, Gianluca, Gentile, Ambra, Bosnar, Ksenija, Milovanović, Ivana, Bianco, Antonino, Drid, Patrik, Pišot, Saša
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Anxiety
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Communicable Disease Control
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Croatia
Disease Outbreaks
Economic impact
Fear
Female
Gender
Health risks
Humans
Infections
Italy - epidemiology
Loneliness
Male
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Outbreaks
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain - epidemiology
Well being
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Summary:The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on "Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time" in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries, females and the elderly reported more symptoms than males and the young; in Spanish and Italian samples, the pattern of differences is considerably more complex. Future research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues may help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph18052586