The Fear of Contagion and the Attitude Toward the Restrictive Measures Imposed to Face COVID-19 in Italy: The Psychological Consequences Caused by the Pandemic One Year After It Began

Abstract

The pandemic nature of COVID-19 has caused major changes in health, economy, and society globally. Albeit to a lesser extent, contingent access to shops and places to socialize the imposition of social distancing and the use of indoor masks is measures still in force today (more than a year after the start of the pandemic), with repercussions on economic, social, and psychological levels. The fear of contagion, in fact, has led us to be increasingly suspicious and to isolate ourselves from the remainder of the community. This has had repercussions on the perception of loneliness, with significant psychological consequences, such as the development of stress, anxiety, and, in extreme cases, depressive symptoms. Starting from these assumptions, this research was developed with the aim of deepening the perceptions that the participants have of their own mental health, loneliness, fear linked to contagion, and attitudes toward imposed social distancing. In particular, we wanted to analyze whether there is a relationship between perceived fear and the perceived level of mental health, loneliness, and attitude toward social distancing. Finally, we wanted to analyze whether there are differences related to gender, age, marital status, current working mode, and educational qualifications. The research, performed after the diffusion of the vaccination in Italy, lasted 14 days. The participants were 500 Italians who voluntarily joined the study and were recruited with random cascade sampling. The research followed a quantitative approach. The analyzed data, from participants residing throughout the national territory, allow us to return the picture of the perceptions that Italians have of the fear of contagion, of their level of mental health, of loneliness and of their attitude toward social distancing. In particular, the data show that fear of COVID-19 is an emotional state experienced by the entire population and that young people have suffered more from loneliness and have been less inclined to accept the imposed social distancing. The data that emerged should make policymakers reflect on the need to find functional strategies to combat COVID-19 or other health emergency crises whose effects do not affect the psychological wellbeing of the population.

Enhancing empowerment in young adults during the COVID-19 era in Italy through the Photovoice technique

“…The COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus have not led to a halt in social relations, but to a new way of living them. As highlighted by Rania & Coppola (2022) the population has shown more or less favourable attitudes to the social distancing imposed; in the present research many participants had resorted to new technologies or had maintained higher levels of protection to maintain their emotional, social and working ties. The literature (Riva et al, 2020) has noted that the need to share one's values raises the need for a sense of connection, also through online exchanges, which is fundamental in containing the pandemic.…”

“…It emerged that it was important during life with COVID to maintain one's hobbies and passions or to practice new ones even in the company of significant others, especially family members: gardening, cooking, and painting were some examples of how people got active and had experimented with new activities for their physical and mental well-being. In this regard, a previous research highlighted how the family, as an instrument that generates trust in the other, in its adherence to the rules of protection and containment of viruses, represents the most functional group of mutual protection from contagion (Rania et al, 2022).…”

“…Moreover, numerous participants pointed out that in the absence of outdoor social activities, streaming channels could instead allow people to participate in virtual artistic or entertainment events wherein individuals could share the experience with each other. Indeed, some authors have found that companionship and emotional support online during COVID-19 have played an important role in alleviating negative emotions (Yao et al, 2021), especially the mothers seem to have used these strategies of solidarity network of care as shared literary / musical / cinematographic advice or created online content to entertain those who were at home (Rania & Coppola, 2022). From triangulation of the data, it emerged that the participants also identified solutions at the macrosystem level, focusing on the need for intervention by institutions to support and raise awareness and to involve the community in relevant pandemic-related considerations.…”

Tweet topics and sentiments relating to distance learning among Italian Twitter users

“…Finally, regarding marital status, Rania and Coppola 22 show how single, divorced and separated individuals were the most affected by loneliness and demonstrated a higher level of mental illness compared to married individuals. In addition, differences also emerged regarding work during COVID-19.…”

The Psychological Well-Being and Civic Engagement of Polish, Croatian and Lithuanian Academic Students during COVID-19 Outbreak

“…In the text, we focus on young adults and, in their case, as research shows, loneliness and social distance were the key factors increasing the problems in mental health. Fear of being infected was not a significant factor in this age group [ 17 ]. Considering, also, that among the factors that determine involvement is the belief in being less susceptible to infection [ 18 ], the group of young adults is one in which civic engagement during a pandemic can be seen as an essential factor for mental health protection.…”