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Berlin (dpa) - The second lockdown hits significantly more people in Germany on the psyche than the first one a year ago.
This is the result of a special survey by the “Germany Depression Barometer”, for which around 5100 people between the ages of 18 and 69 were interviewed online in mid to late February.
Almost three quarters (71 percent) of German citizens said they found the situation in the second lockdown to be depressing.
In comparison, there were less than two thirds (59 percent) of those surveyed in spring 2020, according to the survey, which was commissioned by the German Depression Aid Foundation and the Deutsche Bahn Foundation.
The first lockdown began on March 22, 2020 and was gradually lifted from the end of April.
According to the survey, almost half (46 percent) of German citizens now experience their fellow human beings as more ruthless than in spring 2020 (40 percent).
For psychiatrist Ulrich Hegerl, CEO of the German Depression Aid Foundation, these results are an expression of a general demoralization of the population.
"People no longer move, they gain weight, lie in bed longer and then sleep poorly at night," he says.
“You sit in front of screens longer.
None of this is anything that builds you up.
In addition, there are normal psychological reactions such as work worries, fears and domestic conflicts. "
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However, Hegerl does not assume that the number of depressed people will increase en masse as a result of the long lockdown.
"Just the perception that life is bitter right now does not lead to depression," he emphasizes.
“People react to this with fear, worry and despair.
These are painful, but not pathological human reactions. "
However, if a person is predisposed to depression, the measures against corona can trigger a depressive phase of illness.
The “Germany Depression Barometer” has been collecting representative data on mental health in the population since 2017.
The entire special survey is to be published on Tuesday morning.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210323-99-931060 / 3