Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

Abstract

BackgroundImpacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored these capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with people’s mental well-being, social support and existing vulnerabilities in Austria.MethodsAdult Austrian residents (n=560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression.Results31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of -6.54 (95%CI: -9.26,-3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (−1.79) and anxiety (−1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+3.77) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between -9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and +5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale.ConclusionsOur study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of a lockdown in association with specific vulnerabilities. The negative impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. In future public health policies, special attention should be also paid to improving social support levels to increase public resilience.

Mental Well-Being during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study of Fly-In Fly-Out Workers in the Mining Industry in Australia

“…There was no observed significant association between previous medical history and mental well-being in our study. This is in contrast with the observations made in other studies elsewhere in the general population where individuals with history of chronic illness/pre-existing health conditions typically reported poorer mental health outcomes such as stress, anxiety and depression [17,60] and lower mental well-being [52]. Having pre-existing health conditions can predispose individuals to severe or deadly COVID-19 infections [60], and as such, could increase the anxiety around getting infected and perceived survival risk when infected, among individuals with pre-existing conditions.…”

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Pseudoscience and fraudulent products for COVID-19 management

“…• Mental health and wellbeing COVID-19 has also had a significant influence on human behavior by raising anxiety/depression following the lockup and signaling longer-term mental health concerns (Serafini et al 2020;Santomauro et al 2021). Health emergencies may also affect individuals and communities through isolation, stigma, job insecurity, or inadequate resources for medical response (Simon et al 2020). Psy-Fig.…”