Increase in Stress Level in Public Spaces Following the Application of Measures Against COVID-19: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of a series of recommendations to safeguard public health that must be applied in public spaces. This research analyses the effects that these recommendations have had on levels of stress experienced by the population when out in public spaces. It starts from measurements of Heart Rate Variation (HRV) that were carried out on the same individuals both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results obtained point, in most cases, to an increase in the level of stress suffered, particularly in contexts in which there is an important presence of population or where people have not followed health care recommendations.