The “Eye of the Hurricane” Paradox: An Unexpected and Unequal Rise of Well-Being During the Covid-19 Lockdown in France

Recchi, Ettore; Ferragina, Emanuele; Helmeid, Emily; Pauly, Stefan; Safi, Mirna; Sauger, Nicolas; Schradie, Jen

doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100508

Cited by 118 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(1 reference statement)

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“…A developing body of research is suggested that for certain groups, there has been an unexpected increase in well-being during COVID-19, known as the 'lockdown paradox'. 18 In France, Pignon and colleagues 6 reported a 54% drop in psychiatric emergency consultations in the first 4 weeks of COVID-19 lockdown, relative to the same period in 2019. The authors cited possible increased strengths and improved coping strategies during disasters as a possible explanation for this phenomenon, 16 as such a trend in mental health presentations was also observed following the September 11 World Trade Centre terrorist attacks.…”

Section: Patient Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of use of secondary mental health services before and during COVID-19 lockdown: observational study

Tromans

Chester²,

Harrison

et al. 2020

BJPsych open

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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on both the physical and mental well-being of the global population. Relatively few studies have measured the impact of lockdown on utilisation of secondary mental health services in England. Aims To describe secondary mental health service utilisation pre-lockdown and during lockdown within Leicestershire, UK, and the numbers of serious incidents during this time frame. Method Data pertaining to mental health referral and hospital admissions to adult mental health, child and adolescent mental health, intellectual disability and mental health services for older people were collated retrospectively from electronic records for both 8 weeks pre-lockdown and the first 8 weeks of lockdown in England. Serious incidents during this time frame were also analysed. Results Significantly (P < 0.05) reduced referrals to a diverse range of mental health services were observed during lockdown, including child and adolescent, adult, older people and intellectual disability services. Although admissions remained relatively stable before and during lockdown for several services, admissions to both acute adult and mental health services for older people were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced during lockdown. Numbers of serious incidents in the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods were similar, with 23 incidents pre-lockdown, compared with 20 incidents in lockdown. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first UK-based study reporting patterns of use of mental health services immediately prior to and during COVID-19 lockdown. Overall numbers of referrals and admissions reduced following commencement of COVID-19 lockdown. Potential reasons for these observations are discussed.

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Section: Patient Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of use of secondary mental health services before and during COVID-19 lockdown: observational study

Tromans

Chester²,

Harrison

et al. 2020

BJPsych open

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“…While results are mixed, this research has often found relatively high levels of distress. Other studies have involved longitudinal examinations of wellbeing at various stages of the pandemic (e.g., Recchi et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2020). For instance, Recchi et al (2020) examined longitudinal subjective well-being data obtained at four time points from early April to early May 2020 during the early stages of lockdown in France and found no declines in well-being.…”

Section: The Effect Of Pandemic On Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies have involved longitudinal examinations of wellbeing at various stages of the pandemic (e.g., Recchi et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2020). For instance, Recchi et al (2020) examined longitudinal subjective well-being data obtained at four time points from early April to early May 2020 during the early stages of lockdown in France and found no declines in well-being. Nonetheless, these crosssectional and longitudinal studies generally lack a pre-COVID comparison group, which limits meaningful inferences about the causal effect of the pandemic.…”

Section: The Effect Of Pandemic On Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Big Five Personality on Subjective and Psychological Well-Being

Anglim¹,

Horwood²

2020

Preprint

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The current study assessed the effect of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic on subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) and whether the pandemic moderated the effect of personality on well-being. Measures of Big Five personality, SWB (life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect) and PWB (positive relations, autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, self-acceptance) were obtained from a sample (n = 1470) of young adults in Melbourne, Australia (13 July to 11 August, 2020) during a second wave of viral transmission and lockdown, and an identically recruited Pre-COVID sample (n = 547). Well-being was lower in the COVID sample and differences were largest for positive affect (d = -0.41) and negative affect (d = 0.64). While the effect of personality on well-being was robust, the effect of personality on well-being was slightly reduced and the effect of extraversion on positive affect was particularly attenuated during the pandemic.

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“…Importantly, women are also more likely to experience mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (Jacobi et al, 2014) and thus are more vulnerable to poorer mental health as a consequence of COVID-19-related stressors (see Pierce et al, 2020 for such findings in the United Kingdom). Others strongly affected by policy measures are those whose employment is insecure, for example, because they are working fewer hours, have been furloughed, or have lost their job; such people experience particularly high stress due to financial insecurity, loss of routine, and social stigma (e.g., during the 2008-2013 financial crisis (Drydakis, 2015); but see also Recchi et al, 2020). Last, people in poor health may be particularly stressed in the current crisis, because the potential health consequences of a COVID-19 infection are likely more severe and they are more likely to be in stricter social and physical isolation (voluntarily, or because of particularly strict rules in institutions such as hospitals).…”

Section: Covid-19 Lockdowns and Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health behaviors and mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based survey

Mata¹,

Wenz²,

Rettig³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Health behaviors such as physical activity and a balanced diet are essential to promote and maintain health. Especially during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they have the potential to buffer against stress and protect mental health. Method: In a longitudinal study with four measurement points over 3 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 3,500 randomly selected participants representative of the German population reported their mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness), screen time, snack consumption, and physical activity. Results: Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness were highest during the first month of the pandemic-related lockdown, particularly in women and people in poor health, and decreased over time. Screen time and snacking increased and physical activity decreased compared to pre-lockdown. Snacking and physical activity went back to pre-lockdown levels within 2 months; screen time increased further over time. Snack increase and physical activity decrease was stronger in women than men throughout the lockdown. Generally, more screen time, more snacking, and less physical activity were related to higher symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness across all time points. Changes in health behaviors over time did not predict changes in mental health symptoms. Conclusions: Mental health and health behaviors worsened as an immediate response to stress but mostly returned to pre-crisis levels within 2 to 3 months. Engaging in healthier behaviors is associated with better mental health. This study provides important descriptions of (unintended) side effects of a national crisis and contributes to our understanding of how to preserve mental health.

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The “Eye of the Hurricane” Paradox: An Unexpected and Unequal Rise of Well-Being During the Covid-19 Lockdown in France

Cited by 118 publications

References 2 publications

Patterns of use of secondary mental health services before and during COVID-19 lockdown: observational study

Patterns of use of secondary mental health services before and during COVID-19 lockdown: observational study

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Big Five Personality on Subjective and Psychological Well-Being

Health behaviors and mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based survey

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