Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Quality of Life. An Exploratory Study During the First Outbreak in Italy

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has been sweeping the world for more than a year. As physical health begins to stabilize in the western world, an increasing concern is related to the impact of the virus and its containment measures on people’s mental health. This work aimed to explore the effect of demographic factors (age, gender, level of education, and socioeconomic status) and variables such as fear of COVID-19 and social support in predicting the quality of life and mental health of adults during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. Through an online survey with 1087 Italian adults (M = 39.7, SD = 16.39; 74.4% women), gender and socioeconomic status emerged as crucial factors in determining differences regarding people’s responses and reactions to the pandemic. In addition, the results highlighted the importance of perceived social support and a moderate fear of COVID-19 in predicting people’s quality of life and mental health. The study suggests important guidelines for the development of interventions to support the population’s well-being and mental health.

Fear of COVID-19 among patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection: A cross-sectional study in Estonian family practices

“…In line with previous studies, we found that older age and being female were associated with higher levels of fear [ 7 , 8 ]. Elderly individuals are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infection [ 18 ].…”

“…Fear has enhanced cautious behaviour, such as social distancing and improved hand hygiene [ 6 ]. However, it has also been associated with factors that deteriorate mental health, such as anxiety [ 6 , 7 ], stress [ 7 ], depression [ 6 , 7 ] and perceptions of decreased quality of life [ 6–8 ]. Greater fear of COVID-19 has been associated with being female, older and lower income [ 7 ].…”

“…However, it has also been associated with factors that deteriorate mental health, such as anxiety [ 6 , 7 ], stress [ 7 ], depression [ 6 , 7 ] and perceptions of decreased quality of life [ 6–8 ]. Greater fear of COVID-19 has been associated with being female, older and lower income [ 7 ]. After acute infection, patients are at risk of developing long COVID syndrome [ 9 ].…”

Has the Pandemic Altered Public Perception of How Local Green Spaces Affect Quality of Life in the United Kingdom?

“…According to several studies, the interruption of daily routine had significant consequences for mental health globally [2]. The possibility of infection, as well as the fear of dying or infecting others, had a detrimental impact on people's quality of life and mental health [3]. Studies have also reported that essential workers had a higher risk of anxiety and pandemic-related stress compared to non-essential workers [4][5][6][7].…”

Psychological treatment of traumatic memories in COVID‐19 survivors

“…In families of COVID-19 patients, missing crucial end-of-life care communication with patients could result in long lasting and detrimental effects, including symptoms such as depression and anxiety, and an increased risk of complicated grief (Feder et al, 2021). In general population, especially in the first wave, being at risk of infection, the fear of dying, or the fear of infecting another, has strongly affected individuals' well-being thus impacting on people's quality of life still profoundly challenged by the pandemic and subsequent restrictive measures (Cavazzoni et al, 2022). The focus of the literature on the psychological impacts and interventions of the pandemic era has been mainly directed towards health care workers and special populations (David et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2021;Rodrigues et al, 2021).…”