COVID-19 Home Confinement Negatively Impacts Social Participation and Life Satisfaction: A Worldwide Multicenter Study

Ammar, Achraf; Chtourou, Hamdi; Boukhris, Omar; Trabelsi, Khaled; Masmoudi, Liwa; Brach, Michael; Bouaziz, Bassem; Bentlage, Ellen; How, Daniella; Ahmed, Mona; Mueller, Patrick; Mueller, Notger; Hsouna, Hsen; Aloui, Asma; Hammouda, Omar; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa Liane; Braakman-Jansen, Annemarie; Wrede, Christian; Bastoni, Sophia; Pernambuco, Carlos Soares; Mataruna-Dos-Santos, Leonardo Jose; Taheri, Morteza; Irandoust, Khadijeh; Khacharem, Aïmen; Bragazzi, Nicola L.; Strahler, Jana; Washif, Jad Adrian; Andreeva, Albina; khoshnami, Samira C.; Samara, Evangelia; Zisi, Vasiliki; Sankar, Parasanth; Ahmed, Waseem N.; Romdhani, Mohamed; Delhey, Jan; Bailey, Stephen J.; Bott, Nicholas T.; Gargouri, Faiez; Chaari, Lotfi; Batatia, Hadj; Ali, Gamal Mohamed; Abdelkarim, Osama; Jarraya, Mohamed; Abed, Kais El; Souissi, Nizar; Gemert-Pijnen, Lisette Van; Riemann, Bryan L.; Riemann, Laurel; Moalla, Wassim; Gómez-Raja, Jonathan; Epstein, Monique; Sanderman, Robbert; Schulz, Sebastian; Jerg, Achim; Al-Horani, Ramzi; Mansi, Taiysir; Jmail, Mohamed; Barbosa, Fernando; Ferreira-Santos, Fernando; Šimunič, Boštjan; Pišot, Rado; Pišot, Saša; Gaggioli, Andrea; Zmijewski, Piotr; Apfelbacher, Christian; Steinacker, Jürgen; Saad, Helmi Ben; Glenn, Jordan M.; Chamari, Karim; Driss, Tarak; Hoekelmann, Anita

Public health recommendations and governmental measures during the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have enforced numerous restrictions on daily living including social distancing, isolation, and home confinement. While these measures are imperative to mitigate spreading of COVID-19, the impact of these restrictions on psychosocial health is undefined. Therefore, an international online survey was launched in April 2020 to elucidate the behavioral and lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 restrictions. This report presents the preliminary results from more than one thousand responders on social participation and life satisfaction. Methods: Thirty-five research organizations from Europe, North-Africa, Western Asia, and the Americas promoted the survey through their networks to the general society, in 7 languages (English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Slovenian). Questions were presented in a differential format with questions related to responses “before” and “during” confinement conditions. Results: 1047 participations (54% women) from Asia (36%), Africa (40%), Europe (21%), and others (3%) were included in the analysis. Findings revealed psychosocial strain during the enforced COVID-19 home confinement. Large decreases (p < 0.001) in the amount of social activity through family (−58%), friends/neighbors (−44.9%), or entertainment (−46.7%) were triggered by the enforced confinement. These negative effects on social participation were also associated with lower life satisfaction (−30.5%) during the confinement period. Conversely, the social contact score through digital technologies significantly increased (p < 0.001) during the confinement period with more individuals (+24.8%) being socially connected through digital technology. Conclusion: These preliminary findings elucidate the risk of psychosocial strain during the early COVID-19 home confinement period in 2020. Therefore, in order to mitigate the negative psychosocial effects of home confinement, implementation of national strategies focused on promoting social inclusion through a technology-based solution is strongly suggested.