Emotional Well-Being Under Conditions of Lockdown: An Experience Sampling Study in Austria During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stefan Stieger (), David Lewetz and Viren Swami
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Stefan Stieger: Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences
David Lewetz: Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences
Viren Swami: Anglia Ruskin University

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2021, vol. 22, issue 6, No 15, 2703-2720

Abstract: Abstract The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and attendant lockdown measures present serious threats to emotional well-being worldwide. Here, we examined the extent to which being outdoors (vs. indoors), the experience of loneliness, and screen-time are associated with emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic using an experiencing sampling method. In April 2020, Austrian adults (N = 286, age M = 31.0 years) completed a 21-day experience sampling phase in which they reported their emotional well-being (i.e., happiness), whether they were indoors or outdoors, and loneliness at three random time-points each day, as well as their daily screen-time. Results indicated that being outdoors was associated with higher emotional well-being, whereas greater loneliness and greater daily screen-time were associated with poorer well-being. Additionally, the impact of loneliness on well-being was weaker when participants were outdoors than indoors. These results have health policy implications for the promotion of population well-being during pandemics.

Keywords: Coronavirus; COVID-19; Emotional well-being; Outdoors; Loneliness; Screen-time (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-020-00337-2

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