Abstract
A lockdown of people has been used as an efficient public health measure to fight against the exponential spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and allows the health system to manage the number of patients. The aim of this study (clinicaltrials.gov NCT 0430818) was to evaluate the impact of both perceived stress aroused by Covid-19 and of emotions triggered by the lockdown situation on the individual experience of time. A large sample of the French population responded to a survey on their experience of the passage of time during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. The perceived stress resulting from Covid-19 and stress at work and home were also assessed, as were the emotions felt. The results showed that people have experienced a slowing down of time during the lockdown. This time experience was not explained by the levels of perceived stress or anxiety, although these were considerable, but rather by the increase in boredom and sadness felt in the lockdown situation. The increased anger and fear of death only explained a small part of variance in the time judgment. The conscious experience of time therefore reflected the psychological difficulties experienced during lockdown and was not related to their perceived level of stress or anxiety.
Highlights
In 2020, faced with a virus that is uncontrollable because of its unknown [1] and virulent nature (SARS-CoV-2), the governments of different countries of the European Union, as well as of the whole world, found themselves obliged to impose a lockdown on their citizens
Time and Covid-19 stress in the lockdown situation that time passed faster when a longer period of time was considered, i.e., a week compared to a day or the present moment (Bonferroni comparisons, p < 0.01)
The results of our survey showed that the stress felt by a broad cross-section of the French population during the lockdown was high, in particular with regard to stress relating to the Covid19 pandemic, as is indicated by the rating of 61.50 (+/-28.87) on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS)
Summary
In 2020, faced with a virus that is uncontrollable because of its unknown [1] and virulent nature (SARS-CoV-2), the governments of different countries of the European Union, as well as of the whole world, found themselves obliged to impose a lockdown on their citizens This unprecedented public measure is thought to allow the health system to manage the number of patients in hospital and ensure that they receive proper care in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak. The aim of the present study was to conduct a scale survey on a large sample of an as yet untested population—French people—in order to assess the perceived stress related to Covid-19 and the emotions (happiness, boredom, arousal) felt during as compared to before the lockdown and their links to the subjective experience of time
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