ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, its serious health consequences and the multiple and unprecedented restrictions put in place to protect populations from contamination and limit the transmission of the virus, had significant effects on French children/teenagers, arousing a great deal of concern among the latter. This unprecedented and anxiety-provoking situation had negative effects on the mental health of young people (Vandentorren, Khirredine, Estevez, De Stefano, Rezzoug, Oppenchaim et al., 2021). This study proposes to complete the knowledge on the psychological distress of children and adolescents, in particular in a pandemic situation. More precisely, on the one hand, the aim is to identify the roles played by the level of concern related to this situation and, on the other hand, to assess the perceived support. Beyond the effects of confinement on mental health, this study explores the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic during the 2nd and 3rd waves. To do this, the data collected as part of a cross-sectional survey carried out by UNICEF France between October 2021 and March 2022 will constitute the material. The survey in question concerns 25,300 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 who responded to a self-administered paper or online questionnaire related to various aspects. The results show that the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress is relatively high, thus confirming the hypothesis of a link between worry about Covid-19 and lack of perceived social support, which are associated factors to psychological distress. © Presses Universitaires de France. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures instituted by the French government to limit the virus spread, such as lockdowns or curfews, have drastically limited the freedoms and changed the way of living among French population. What is the short-term psychological impact of these measures and who are the most emotionally affected in France? Aim: The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of individual differences to understand difficulties in affective experiences during the lockdown periods by identifying distinctly positive and negative affects and activation level. 2367 French inhabitants completed a set of questionnaires via Qualtrics between March 20 and 30, 2020. The questionnaires assess affects with the MAVA (Measure of Affectivity: Valence/Activation, Congard et al., 2011), life situations and sociodemographic data. Descriptive analysis and multiple regressions were conducted using R software. Results and conclusion: The results show affect dysregulations (increase in negative affect) during the first week of lockdown. Women are more affected by COVID-19 and the lockdown compared to men. Results also indicate that unemployed participants and people who live in the smallest housing conditions show the most affective dysregulation during the first week of lockdown. Exposure to COVID-risk is the variable that most predicts poor negative affective regulation. During this first week of confinement, knowing someone with COVID-19 or having contracted it oneself is thus a factor of vulnerability in the regulation of affects. We discuss these results and their psychosocial implications. © 2022 Société Française de Psychologie
ABSTRACT
Résumé Introduction La crise sanitaire liée à la COVID et les mesures mises en place par le gouvernement français pour lutter contre la propagation du virus tels que les confinements ou les couvre-feux, ont limité de manière drastique les libertés et les habitudes des Français. Quels sont les effets psychologiques à court terme de ces mesures et qui sont les personnes les plus affectées sur le plan affectif en France ? Objectif L’enjeu de cet article est de souligner l’importance des différences individuelles dans la compréhension du vécu affectif difficile en période de confinement en identifiant les affects positifs et négatifs distinctement et leur niveau d’activation. Deux mille trois cent soixante sept personnes vivant dans toute la France ont complété un questionnaire en ligne entre le 20 et le 30 mars 2020. Il comportait notamment des échelles mesurant les affects (MAVA, Mesure de l’Affectivité : Valence/Activation) et des questions sociodémographiques. Résultats et conclusion Les résultats montrent des dysrégulations des affects durant la première semaine du confinement. Les femmes sont plus affectées par la COVID-19 et la situation de confinement en comparaison aux hommes. Les personnes au chômage et celles qui vivent dans les logements les plus exiguës souffrent affectivement de cette situation. L’exposition au risque est la variable qui prédit le plus un mauvais ressenti au niveau de l’affectivité négative. Ainsi, au cours de cette première semaine de confinement, le fait de connaître quelqu’un atteint du COVID-19 ou de l’avoir soi-même contracté, est un facteur de vulnérabilité face aux affects. Nous discutons ces résultats et leurs implications psychosociales. Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures instituted by the French government to limit the virus spread, such as lockdowns or curfews, have drastically limited the freedoms and changed the way of living among French population. What is the short-term psychological impact of these measures and who are the most emotionally affected in France? Aim The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of individual differences to understand difficulties in affective experiences during the lockdown periods by identifying distinctly positive and negative affects and activation level. 2367 French inhabitants completed a set of questionnaires via Qualtrics between March 20 and 30, 2020. The questionnaires assess affects with the MAVA (Measure of Affectivity: Valence/Activation, Congard et al., 2011), life situations and sociodemographic data. Descriptive analysis and multiple regressions were conducted using R software. Results and conclusion The results show affect dysregulations (increase in negative affect) during the first week of lockdown. Women are more affected by COVID-19 and the lockdown compared to men. Results also indicate that unemployed participants and people who live in the smallest housing conditions show the most affective dysregulation during the first week of lockdown. Exposure to COVID-risk is the variable that most predicts poor negative affective regulation. During this first week of confinement, knowing someone with COVID-19 or having contracted it oneself is thus a factor of vulnerability in the regulation of affects. We discuss these results and their psychosocial implications.