For more than a year now, the coronavirus epidemic has been a heavy screed that weighs on the mental health of the French. Between the repeated confinements, the curfew, the closure of restaurants and the lack of visibility for the next few months, it is difficult to keep your spirits up…
A recent study published by Inserm and the University of Bordeaux looked at the evolution of the mental health of the French population before and after the first confinement – which took place from March 17 to May 11, 2020.
Indeed: in 2014, Inserm and the University of Bordeaux joined forces with the Calyxis risk prevention center of expertise to form the MAVIE Observatory, intended to study everyday life accidents in France. On this occasion, 10,000 volunteers provided information about their mental health – depressive symptoms, anxiety…
A significant increase in anxiety during the first confinement
On the occasion of the first confinement, experts from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux recontacted the volunteers interviewed in 2014: among them, 1,237 agreed to re-evaluate their psychological state using a second survey.
Results ? The French researchers found that the proportion of people with symptoms of anxiety increased from 17% to 20%. The proportion of volunteers suffering from depressive symptoms increased from 27% to 28%. The “mental health score” (rated from 1 to 10) went from 7.77 to 7.58. The researchers point out that this last statistic has “decreased less among those who used to spend more than an hour a day on a screen, perhaps because it is an activity compatible with confinement“.
“The people who presented more symptoms of depression during the confinement were women, young people, and the oldest, as well as those who live in a dwelling of less than 30 m2“they add. In addition, people with poor physical health (sedentary lifestyle, etc.) had a 3 times greater risk of presenting more symptoms of anxiety during confinement.
The researchers, who published their work in the specialized journal Globalization and Healththen repeated this study during the second confinement (October 30 to December 15, 2020): the data are “Analyzing“.”Early results show sharp worsening of these same three mental health indicators” already announce the experts.
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