A Cross-Country Examination on the Fear of COVID-19 and the Sense of Loneliness during the First Wave of COVID-19 Outbreak

Gianluca Lo Coco, Ambra Gentile, Ksenija Bosnar, Ivana Milovanović, Antonino Bianco, Patrik Drid and Saša Pišot
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Gianluca Lo Coco: Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 15, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Ambra Gentile: Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 15, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Ksenija Bosnar: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Milovanović: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Antonino Bianco: Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 15, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Patrik Drid: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Saša Pišot: Institute for Kinesiology Research, Science and Research Center Koper, 6000 Koper, Slovenia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-12

Abstract: The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries, females and the elderly reported more symptoms than males and the young; in Spanish and Italian samples, the pattern of differences is considerably more complex. Future research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues may help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Keywords: COVID-19; fear of COVID-19; loneliness; cross-country; psychosocial distress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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