COVID-19 Lockdown in Portugal: Challenges, Strategies and Effects on Mental Health

Abstract

Identified in China at the end of 2019, the COVID-19 infection has increased exponentially worldwide. Together with the threat of physical illness, this pandemic brought negative impacts on mental health. Additionally, the pandemic also interfered with other life domains: closings of schools and companies, restricted access to public places, changes in work and home routines and increased uncertainty due to the economic repercussions. This study examines people’s experiences and mental health in the 6th consecutive lockdown week in Portugal and compares with the pre-confinement population’s mental health. Specifically, we explore the difficulties experienced by the general population while in lockdown, their strategies to cope with it, and its impact on mental health. One thousand five hundred and two participants undergoing the 6th lockdown week answered a web-based cross-sectional survey. Demographic information, living conditions, confinement-related difficulties or challenges, strategies to cope with lockdown and mental health dimensions were assessed. Some difficult confined related experiences and sociodemographic variables were associated with poor mental health. When compared to our findings, the general population’ mental health was better before the pandemic. Lockdown challenges experienced by participants and their strategies to cope with confinement predicted 10 to 42% of the variance in mental health dimensions. This study identified several mental health-protective and risk factors related to long-term compulsory confinement. Individual strategies to prevent mental health problems are discussed. Additionally, our findings may inform national health agencies and governments on measures to enhance mental health among the quarantined general population.

Working from home: Cognitive irritation as mediator of the link between perceived privacy and sleep problems

“…However, little research exists regarding working conditions in home-based offices 9 ) . Wütschert et al 10 ) study examined the effect of perceived privacy and musculoskeletal complaints, and Vieira and Meirinhos 11 ) study provided additional evidence that perceived privacy among home-based teleworkers may play a supporting role in mental health. This paper aims to investigate this research gap in more detail by examining the impact of perceived privacy on sleep and cognitive irritation as an experienced perceived lack of psychological detachment.…”

Predictors of well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic: The importance of financial satisfaction and neuroticism

“…In China, a study assessing mental health among youths 2 weeks after the occurrence of COVID‐19 found that over 40% of the youths had poor mental health and had a tendency toward psychological problems, while over 14% reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (Liang et al, 2020 ). In Portugal, people reported poorer mental health and lower vitality in the sixth consecutive week of lockdown, as compared to before the pandemic (Vieira & Meirinhos, 2021 ). Similarly, Zacher and Rudolph ( 2021 ) found that SWB in Germany decreased between March 2020 and May 2020.…”

Mental health, quality of life and optimism during the covid-19 pandemic: a comparison between Brazil and Portugal

“…A Brazilian cross-sectional community-based online survey identified a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and impaired QoL during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic [12]. Same results were also identified in Portugal, showing that the mental health and QoL of the Portuguese population were also impaired during the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly affecting women, loweducated individuals, and older persons [13].…”