The general level of anxiety climbed in France during confinement and then decreased significantly after a few days thanks "no doubt" to a protective effect of this measure, according to a study published Thursday.
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation
A general increase in anxiety in a first survey
The survey conducted by researchers from the public health agency France and the École des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique (EHESP) indicates a sharp rise in the level of anxiety in adults a week after the start of confinement, the 17th of March. The first wave of the survey (March 23-25) shows that more than a quarter of those over 18 suffer from anxiety: 26.7% of those questioned on the internet have an "HAD" score (internationally recognized scale for measures anxiety) greater than 10, which means anxious state, compared to only 13.5% in a comparable survey in 2017.
31.6% of anxious women, 21.3% of men
According to the study, women are generally more anxious: almost a third of them (31.6%) have a "HAD" score greater than 10 against only one in five men (21.3%). The researchers do not explain this difference but recall that "we find in the scientific literature, apart from epidemic situations, anxiety states that are systematically superior in women".
CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS
> Deconfinement: what you need to know about returning to work after May 11
> Partial unemployment: the parents' situation clarified
> What will shopping be like after May 11?
> The French will have to go on vacation near their home
> Why going to the hairdresser will cost more after confinement
A "protective effect of containment" in a second survey
They note, moreover, that in the second wave of the survey carried out a week later (March 30-April 1), anxiety decreased significantly for all, men and women. According to this second component, 21.5% of the population can be described as anxious (16.6% of men, 26% of women). This drop suggests a "protective" effect of containment. "By effectively reducing the risk of exposure to the virus, confinement has undoubtedly contributed to the decline in the level of general anxiety", underline the authors.
The elderly are the least anxious
According to the study, the elderly, more likely to suffer from severe forms of Covid-19, appear to be the least anxious: the proportion of anxious people is less than 20% among those aged 50-64 and those over 65 but exceeds 30% among 25-34 year olds. This paradox, already noted in a Chinese study, could be explained by the tendency of young adults "to actively seek information on the disease via social networks".
>> PODCAST - Coronavirus: find all the answers to your questions here
High anxiety in disadvantaged people
If the level of anxiety generally ebbs between the first and second week of confinement, it remains very high for certain disadvantaged categories: those who declare difficult financial situations or live in promiscuity. For them, it seems much more difficult to adapt to the new situation, says the study. "The lifting of containment, initiated to respond to the necessary resumption of economic activity, must question us about the future development of anxious states in the general population," conclude the investigators. Other waves of survey to measure anxiety are planned by Santé publique France.