COVID-19-survey: Significant mental stress due to Corona-pandemic

Contact prohibitions, nightlife restrictions, closed kindergartens and schools: Since mid-March, have applied or still apply in Germany, drastic measures to contain the Coronavirus pandemic. In other countries it has been shown that the so-called Lockdown brings enormous psychological burdens. Now the first results of the effect in this country.

The Corona pandemic also brings to Psyche a great challenge. The enormous restrictions and the loss of control makes people to create. As researchers found, about the end of the United States in a study that the COVID-19-pandemic favored conditions for the development of depression and anxiety. Also, experts from Hanover now report a severe psycho-social impact.

Concern, especially domestic violence

Scientists at the centre for Mental health, the Medical College of Hanover (MHH) reports in a recent communication on a first evaluation of the on 1. April-launched “COVID-19 survey Germany: Mental health in times of crisis”.

The experts see evidence of a significant mental workload with an increase of Stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, irritability, and Aggression.

Concern, in particular, to have five percent of the Participating information, domestic violence in the past four weeks to learn. This can be verbal, physical or sexual in nature. In addition, the majority of respondents reported that the violence had increased in recent times (Stand: 30. April 2020).

A large part copes well with the changing Situation

The information according to the first evaluation relates to the period 1. up to the 15. April 2020, and includes the framework of the sharpest Lockdown measures in Germany. A total of 3.545 Volunteers took part in the study, the mean age was 40 years. Of the respondents, 83 percent are women, and 15.2 percent of men.

As it says in the message, is this survey one of the first and largest surveys of mental health in Germany.

According to the experts, the current survey includes a web-based systematic coverage of the psychological well-being, the stress of life, the coping mechanisms and the experience of different forms of violence by using self-assessment scales.

The majority of respondents – 60 percent – said that very well or well with the changed Situation and the corresponding measures to cope.

Women reported significantly higher Depression and anxiety values on

26.9% of the Participants stated, however, bad or very bad deal with the Situation. Of the respondents, women had significantly higher Depression and anxiety values.

45.3 percent of the respondents have given to sleep in comparison to the time before the pandemic worse. It is noteworthy that 50.9 percent of the respondents said to be crank, and 29 percent experienced as angry and aggressive.

Those people who experienced themselves as angrier and more aggressive, directed their anger and Aggression to 65.5 percent against, while 32.6 percent were directed against themselves.

Deserves special attention, according to the specialists, the finding that five percent of all Participating information, domestic violence on the verbal (98, 4 percent), physical (41, 9%) or sexual (30, 2%) experience level.

Offers of help to expand

The study authors urge that the mental health of the population, is kept during the acute pandemic, and in the Wake continuously in the views and offers of help to continuously maintain or extend.

The Experience of domestic violence as well as their risk factors such as Stress, sleep problems, and irritability should be collected very carefully.

“All of these issues are not unknown to us. But the restrictions during the Coronavirus pandemic, and the associated spatial closeness in families can lead to a significant Flare-up of these problems,“ said Professor Dr. Tillmann Krüger, head of the study.

In addition, long-term effects through the Corona of a pandemic on mental health is expected. Therefore, the second wave of the survey, to all Interested in this Link to be invited now. (ad)