Effects of home confinement on mental health and lifestyle behaviours during the COVID-19 outbreak: Insight from the “ECLB-COVID19” multi countries survey

  1. Achraf Ammar
  2. Khaled Trabelsi
  3. Michael Brach
  4. Hamdi Chtourou
  5. Omar Boukhris
  6. Liwa Masmoudi
  7. Bassem Bouaziz
  8. Ellen Bentlage
  9. Daniella How
  10. Mona Ahmed
  11. Patrick Mueller
  12. Notger Mueller
  13. Asma Aloui
  14. Omar Hammouda
  15. Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos
  16. Annemarie Braakman-jansen
  17. Christian Wrede
  18. Sophia Bastoni
  19. Carlos Soares Pernambuco
  20. Leonardo Mataruna
  21. Morteza Taheri
  22. Khadijeh Irandoust
  23. Aïmen Khacharem
  24. Nicola L Bragazzi
  25. Karim Chamari
  26. Jordan M Glenn
  27. Nicholas T Bott
  28. Faiez Gargouri
  29. Lotfi Chaari
  30. Hadj Batatia
  31. Gamal Mohamed Ali
  32. Osama Abdelkarim
  33. Mohamed Jarraya
  34. Kais El Abed
  35. Nizar Souissi
  36. Lisette Van Gemert-Pijnen
  37. Bryan L Riemann
  38. Laurel Riemann
  39. Wassim Moalla
  40. Jonathan Gómez-Raja
  41. Monique Epstein
  42. Robbert Sanderman
  43. Sebastian Schulz
  44. Achim Jerg
  45. Ramzi Al-Horani
  46. Taysir Mansi
  47. Mohamed Jmail
  48. Fernando Barbosa
  49. Fernando Santos
  50. Boštjan Šimunič
  51. Rado Pišot
  52. Donald Cowan
  53. Andrea Gaggioli
  54. Stephen J Bailey
  55. Jürgen Steinacker
  56. Tarak Driss
  57. Anita Hoekelmann
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Abstract

Background

Although recognised as effective measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing and self-isolation, have been suggested to generate burden throughout the population. To provide scientific data to help identify risk-factors for the psychosocial strain during the COVID-19 outbreak, an international cross-disciplinary online survey was circulated in April 2020. This report outlines the mental, emotional and behavioural consequences of COVID-19 home confinement.

Method

Thirty-five research organisations from four continents promoted the survey through their networks to the general society, in Ten different languages. Questions were presented in a differential format with questions related to responses “before” and “during” confinement period.

Results

1047 replies (54% women) from Western-Asia (36%), North-Africa (40%), Europe (21%) and other countries (3%) were analysed. The COVID-19 home confinement evoked a negative effect on mental wellbeing and emotional status (P < 0.001; 0.43 ≤ d ≤ 0.65) with a greater proportion of individuals experiencing psychosocial and emotional disorders (10% to 16.5%). These psychosocial tolls were associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours with a greater proportion of individuals experiencing (i) physical (+15.2%) and social (71.2%) inactivity, (ii) poor sleep quality (12.8%), (iii) unhealthy diet behaviours (10%), and (iv) unemployment (6%). Conversely, participants demonstrated a greater use (15%) of technology solutions during the confinement period.

Conclusion

These findings elucidate the risk of psychosocial strain during the current home confinement period and provide a clear remit for the urgent implementation of technology-based intervention to foster an Active and Healthy Confinement Lifestyle (AHCL).

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