Reduction Of Social Contacts Research Articles

Creativity Unlocked and Locked Down: Different Creative Activities Differently Affected by Restrained Social Interactions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Both social interaction and the lack thereof have been discussed as being beneficial for creativity. Strikingly, in both cases there seems to be an implicit assumption that different creative activities are all influenced in the same way. However, the idea that different creative behaviors are all equally influenced by social interaction seems not reasonable (e.g., poem writing vs. singing a song at a family celebration). The reduction in social contacts in Germany during the coronavirus pandemic offered a unique opportunity for a field experiment with high ecological validity. To explore how different creative activities are each influenced by reduced social interaction, 130 participants were asked in an online survey using a proxy pretest design about the frequency of everyday creative activities before and during the core episode of social distancing. The change in frequency for performing a given creative activity depended on the frequency at baseline, but not in a linear manner. Instead, the relationship was u-shaped: creative activities most frequently performed at baseline showed an increase in frequency, creative activities of medium frequency at baseline decreased, and the least frequent activities changed the least. In particular, activities represented by “Personal Environment Creativity” increased in frequency, while activities represented by “Self-Expressive Creativity” decreased in frequency during lockdown. Recalling the four p’s of creativity, it is accepted that the person aspect differs between domains. It is therefore surprising that we commonly assume press-level features work the same way across all domains, which is challenged by the current study.

Social and psychological characteristics of personal alienation of older people during the war

In times of war, the elderly are a vulnerable category of the population that experiences not only material losses but also significant psychological and social challenges. Observing and studying the social and psychological characteristics of personal alienation of this group of people is an urgent task, as it can determine the quality of their lives and contribute to the development of effective support programmes. The article presents a study of the socio-psychological factors of personal alienation of the elderly. The authors analyse and consider the main approaches to understanding the concept of alienation. The article describes the author's model of the emergence of personal alienation in the elderly, which demonstrates the mechanism and process of the emergence and development of personal alienation in the elderly, and also considers the peculiarities of experiencing personal alienation by the elderly during the war. The model of personal alienation includes: a change in social status, an increase in the amount of unoccupied time, a decrease in the number of social contacts and a decrease in social activity, which in turn lead to the experience of non-compliance with social norms and standards, which causes a limitation of own resources and leads to personal alienation. The article also presents and discusses the author's structural model of personal alienation of the elderly. The proposed structural model identifies the socio-psychological and psychological factors that characterise the personal alienation of the elderly. The socio-psychological factors include: refusal to participate in the affairs of society, reduced social responsibility and social distancing. The psychological factors of personal alienation include: isolation, maladaptability, consistency in achieving goals, life goals, interest in life, conscious loneliness, emotional rejection of the present, negative assessment of the past, and anxiety. Personal alienation leads to a loss of subjectivity, which, due to the reduction of social contacts and social exclusion, further intensifies the experience of personal alienation by older people.

Quality of life of caregivers of children with psychiatric illnesses: a comparative study in a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata

Background: Childhood psychiatric morbidity is a serious issue in middle- and low-income countries. With the increasing prevalence of mental disorders among children, the role of caregivers has become vital. As a result of caregiving, caregivers experience financial difficulties, a reduction in social contact, emotional distress, and poor mental and physical health, which may lead to a low quality of life (QOL) among them. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to explore the QOL of caregivers attending the psychiatry OPD of a tertiary healthcare facility for their child’s treatment and to compare it with that of caregivers of children without psychiatric problems. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational-analytical study was conducted at a tertiary care center in Kolkata. The sample size was estimated to be 75 for each group. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 16. Mann Whitney U test was done to compare the scores between caregiver groups. Results: The QOL scores of caregivers of children with psychiatric illnesses in different domains were physical health (11.69±1.74), psychological (9.78±2.72), social relationships (11.12±2.86), and environmental (11.66±2.13). The overall QOL of caregivers attending psychiatry outpatient departments was found to be significantly affected as compared to caregivers of children without psychiatric illnesses, except for the environment domain. Conclusion: In this study, the most affected QOL domain in the case of caregivers of children attending psychiatry OPD was the psychological domain, followed by the social relationship domain. This finding highlighted the need for socio-psychological support and a better environment for improving QOL.

Specific features of the quality of life of primary school children during distance learning

Aim. To study the impact of distance learning on the quality of life (QoL) indicators of primary school children.Materials and methods. Primary school children and their parents were surveyed using the international questionnaire Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory PedsQL 4.0TM (block for children 8–12 years old). The research group included 182 children (and the same number of parents) undertaking distance learning. The control group consisted of 234 primary school pupils (and the same number of parents) undertaking traditional offline learning.Results. All QoL indicators in schoolchildren in the setting of distance learning differed significantly from those undertaking offline education. The greatest decrease in indicators was observed on the scale of physical functioning. The indicators of school functioning in distance learning amounted to 65.89±12.63 points (p = 0.04). Distance learning led to a reduction in social contacts among younger schoolchildren, which was reflected in a decrease in the level of social functioning and a decrease in the corresponding indicators to 66.90±10.18 points. The study of the respondents’ emotional well-being and psychological comfort established that changes in QoL indicators were accompanied by a drop in the QoL emotional component during distance learning by 17.98 points. The parents’ attitude to the QoL of their children during distance learning was characterized by anxiety about the indicator of school functioning. The parents also noted a deterioration in emotional functioning and assessed its decrease even at a lower level (64.36±29.37 points) than their children (70.74±19.32; p = 0.03).Conclusion. Distance learning affects all aspects of the QoL of younger schoolchildren. The greatest decrease in the indicators of physical, school, and social functioning was observed. The parents’ and their children’s opinions of QoL differed. Thus, primary school pupils suffer from insufficient social contacts, while their parents are concerned about a reduced emotional background.

Mobility restrictions and alcohol use during lockdown: “A still and dry pandemic for the many”?

Unexpected mobility disruptions during lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 became ’tipping points’ with the potential to alter pre-pandemic routines sensitive to socialisation. This paper investigates the impact of lockdown exposure on alcohol consumption. We document two findings using information from the Google Mobility Report and longitudinal data from the Understanding Society survey (UKHLS) in the United Kingdom. First, we find a sharp reduction in both actual mobility and alcohol use (consistent with a ”still and dry pandemic for the many” hypothesis). However, we document an increase in alcohol use among heavy drinkers, implying a split behavioural response to COVID-19 mobility restrictions based on alcohol use prior to the pandemic. Second, using the predictions of the prevalence-response elasticity theory, we find that the pandemic’s reduction in social contacts is responsible for a 2.8 percentage point reduction in drinking among men.

Stressful Life Events in Children Aged 3 to 15 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Class Analysis.

Although several studies have reported an increase in psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of stressful life events on Spanish children and adolescents using a person-oriented statistical approach and the relationships between the profiles and emotional and behavioral symptoms have not yet been examined. The present study aims to identify profiles of Spanish children and adolescents, considering life-threatening stressful events during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 252 parents of children aged 3 to 15 years old who completed an online structured questionnaire that collected information about stressful life events related to the pandemic and its impact on their children's welfare. Through Latent Class Analysis (LCA), four profiles of children and adolescents were found according to the stressful events experienced: "COVID infection, social confinement", "economic loss", "reduced social contact" and "parental stress", with no significant age or gender differences. Reduction in social contact was the most prevalent stressor. Comparisons of psychological symptoms across latent classes were analyzed. The findings increase our understanding of how stressful life events during the COVID-19 situation impacted young people's psychological welfare and highlight the need to promote strategies to prevent emotional problems during a pandemic considering the identified profiles.

Exploring the Experiences of People with Disabilities during the First Year of COVID-19 Restrictions in the Province of Quebec, Canada

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the province of Quebec, Canada implemented stringent measures to mitigate virus transmission, which considerably affected the life of people with disabilities (PWD). The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of PWD during the first year of COVID-19 restrictions across the province. Participants who self-identified as having a disability in the Ma Vie et la pandémie study (MAVIPAN) were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview between December 2020 and May 2021. A mixed inductive and deductive approach was used to conduct a thematic analysis using NVivo 12. Forty PWD from Quebec, Canada participated in the interviews (mean [SD] age, 55.4 [15.5] years, 50% women). A deterioration in mental health and a reduction in social contact with loved ones were reported. PWD experienced delays and cessation of health services and reported feeling at risk of contracting severe strains of COVID-19 because of their health condition. Enhanced difficulties experienced by PWD and the lack of consideration specific to PWD by public authorities during COVID-19 was particularly concerning for participants in this study. Future studies should explore the value of implementing social programs specifically targeting PWD to enhance support as the pandemic continues.

"Imagine Your Career after the COVID-19 Pandemic": An Online Group Career Counseling Training for University Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced the psychological well-being of people around the world; university students have experienced feelings of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the intolerance of uncertainty, and a worsened quality of life, related to the reduction of social contacts. Scholars all around the world widely suggest the need to take care of this issue, proposing solutions to support students' adjustment in the post-pandemic period. The literature on positive psychology and the life design approach has identified multiple psychological resources, the character strengths, that can sustain people's life satisfaction and well-being in changing contexts, including their university experience. We proposed an online group career counseling intervention for 30 Italian university students (experimental group) to promote university students' psychological resources and mitigate the long-term negative implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on life satisfaction. The other 30 students formed the control group. We found that the students engaged in the online group career counseling intervention evidenced, at the post-test, higher levels than the pre-test of (a) resilience, (b) subjective risk intelligence, (c) career adaptability, (d) self-efficacy, (e) optimism, (f) hope, (g) life satisfaction, and lower levels than the pre-test of (h) fears of COVID-19 pandemic. No differences at Time 1 and Time 2 were found in the control group. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

University Students' Well-Being and Engagement in Activities in the Early Days of Covid-19.

Governments worldwide took measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. Universities moved to online teaching almost overnight. This paper explores Belgian university students' perceptions, behaviors, and emotional well-being during the first weeks of strict preventive measures. We conducted a survey with 614 business administration students at the University of Antwerp. The results indicate that, in comparison to the pre-lockdown period, students feel less productive, engage less in healthy behaviors (e.g., healthy snacking, exercising alone), and report more study problems. Based on the emotional quality of their everyday experience, students can be clustered into two groups. One group (54.5%) experiences mostly negative affect, while the other reports experiencing mostly positive affect and personal optimism. The "negative affect" group consists of more women and students in the early years of their bachelor's. This group experiences more financial difficulties and spends more time on social media. These students seem to have a more challenging time coping with the lockdown: they perceive higher study load increase and more significant reduction of social contacts while facing more study problems, studying fewer hours, and perceiving a lower study efficiency. They also engage in less healthy behaviors (e.g., unhealthy snacking more, drinking more alcohol, and exercising alone less) to a greater extent than the positive affect group. These results confirm previous research, demonstrating a positive relationship between emotional well-being and the engagement in and the intensity of productive and healthy activities. Several recommendations are provided in light of these findings.

Investigation of turning points in the effectiveness of Covid-19 social distancing

Covid-19 is the first digitally documented pandemic in history, presenting a unique opportunity to learn how to best deal with similar crises in the future. In this study we have carried out a model-based evaluation of the effectiveness of social distancing, using Austria and Slovenia as examples. Whereas the majority of comparable studies have postulated a negative relationship between the stringency of social distancing (reduction in social contacts) and the scale of the epidemic, our model has suggested a varying relationship, with turning points at which the system changes its predominant regime from ‘less social distancing—more cumulative deaths and infections’ to ‘less social distancing—fewer cumulative deaths and infections’. This relationship was found to persist in scenarios with distinct seasonal variation in transmission and limited national intensive care capabilities. In such situations, relaxing social distancing during low transmission seasons (spring and summer) was found to relieve pressure from high transmission seasons (fall and winter) thus reducing the total number of infections and fatalities. Strategies that take into account this relationship could be particularly beneficial in situations where long-term containment is not feasible.

Trajectories in life satisfaction before and during COVID-19 with respect to perceived valence and self-efficacy

Actions taken by governments to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic led to profound restrictions in daily lives, especially for adolescents and young adults, with closed schools and universities, travel restrictions, and reduction in social contacts. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the development of life satisfaction with assessments before and during the pandemic, including separate measurement occasions during a strict lockdown and when the implemented restrictions were relaxed again. Data are based on the German Personality Panel (GePP) with 1,920 young adults, assessed on four measurement occasions over a period of three years. Using latent change score modeling, we investigate the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to its perception as a critical life event over time. Further, we examine the influence of self-efficacy on change in life-satisfaction, as the belief in one’s innate abilities has been shown to promote health related behavior and buffers against effects of negatively perceived critical life events. While average life satisfaction remained stable across time, we found a main effect of perceived positive valence and self-efficacy on latent change in life satisfaction at the within person level. Expressions of self-efficacy did not moderate the influence of the perception of the pandemic on self-reported life satisfaction. This study provides an important contribution to the recent COVID-19 literature as well as to the debate on stability and change of self-reported life satisfaction.

Delays, Masks, the Elderly, and Schools: First Covid-19 Wave in the Czech Republic

Running across the globe for nearly 2 years, the Covid-19 pandemic keeps demonstrating its strength. Despite a lot of understanding, uncertainty regarding the efficiency of interventions still persists. We developed an age-structured epidemic model parameterized with epidemiological and sociological data for the first Covid-19 wave in the Czech Republic and found that (1) starting the spring 2020 lockdown 4 days earlier might prevent half of the confirmed cases by the end of lockdown period, (2) personal protective measures such as face masks appear more effective than just a realized reduction in social contacts, (3) the strategy of sheltering just the elderly is not at all effective, and (4) leaving schools open is a risky strategy. Despite vaccination programs, evidence-based choice and timing of non-pharmaceutical interventions remains an effective weapon against the Covid-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccination in Italian Children: The Limits of Parental Rights.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaigns initially targeted the adult population. After the authorization of the main agencies, including the EMA (European Medicines Agency), the European Vaccination Plan now involves young people between the ages of 12–17 and 5–11. In assessing the child’s “best interests”, the refusal of vaccination by parents or guardians, in addition to the increased circulation of the virus, is responsible for the risk of social distancing. This reduction in social contacts, particularly during very sensitive ages such as adolescence, has been linked to the increased incidence of psychiatric illness, a significant reason for extending vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in these younger children. One may consider that government should issue a law that allows the child to decide on the vaccination plan, even without the consent of the parents or guardians, without the need for a judge’s ruling. The availability of the child should be the point of reference, according to the National Bioethics Committee, for consent to vaccination. The authors investigate the subject in depth in order to counteract vaccination hesitation, and promote the dissemination of correct scientific information, using every different possible communication tool, as well as social networks and schools.

SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in elderly and immunosuppressed participants and patients with hematologic disease or checkpoint inhibition in solid tumors: study protocol of the prospective, observational CoCo immune study

BackgroundImmunocompromised people (ICP) and elderly individuals (older than 80 years) are at increased risk for severe coronavirus infections. To protect against serious infection with SARS-CoV-2, ICP are taking precautions that may include a reduction of social contacts and participation in activities which they normally enjoy. Furthermore, for these people, there is an uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of the vaccination. The COVID-19 Contact (CoCo) Immune study strives to characterize the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in immunocompromised, elderly people, and patients with hematological or oncological diseases. The study uses blood-based screenings to monitor the humoral and cellular immune response in these groups after vaccination. Questionnaires and qualitative interviews are used to describe the level of social participation.MethodsThe CoCo Immune Study is a mixed methods prospective, longitudinal, observational study at two large university hospitals in Northern Germany. Starting in March 2021, it monitors anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses and collects information on social participation in more than 600 participants, at least 18 years old. Inclusion criteria and subcohorts: Participants with (1) regularly intake of immunosuppressive medication (ICP-cohort) or (2) age ≥ 80 years (80 + -cohort). Additionally, patients with current or former (3) myeloid, (4) lymphatic disease or (5) solid tumor under checkpoint inhibition (3–5: HO-cohort). Exclusion criteria: (1) refusal to give informed consent, (2) contraindication to blood testing, (3) inability to declare consent. Participants complete a questionnaire at four different time points: prior to full vaccination, and 1, 6 and 12 months after completed vaccination. In addition, participants draw blood samples themselves or through a local health care provider and send them with their questionnaires per post at the respective time points after vaccination. Patients of the HO cohort dispense additional blood samples at week 3 to 12 and at month 6 to 9 after 2nd vaccination to gain additional knowledge in B and T cell responses. Selected participants are invited to qualitative interviews about social participation.DiscussionThis observational study is designed to gain insight into the immune response of people with weakened immune systems and to find out how social participation is affected after COVID-19 vaccination.Trial registration: This study was registered with German Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: DRKS00023972) on 30th December 2020.

COVID-19 Fears and Preventive Behaviors among Prison Staff

ABSTRACT This study focused on COVID-19 preventive behaviors and fears among prison staff members after the first wave of the pandemic. Cross-sectional data from 171 participants were collected in Switzerland. The level of fears (58.5%) and protective behaviors (100%) were high. Correctional officers adhered less to preventive measures than other staff members (p = .001). Fears were related to a reduction of social contacts (p = .006) and worries about physical health was related to preventive behaviors in general (p = .006). There is a need to raise prison staff awareness regarding their vulnerability to the SARS-CoV-2 in order to improve the effectiveness of health campaigns in prison settings. Special attention should be given to correctional officers.

Overcoming the liability of distance? An exploratory study of the associations between social networks, sense of community and spatial colocation

PurposeThis study aims to examine the associations of social networks with the sense of community (SOC) construct and spatial colocation or having an office. The study site was an institute for health-care policy research formed in 2011 by bringing together scientists from more than 20 different university units. Only 30% of the scientists were had an office or physical presence at the institute. Therefore, the institute was an ideal site to examine whether SOC was correlated with different dimensions of network position – connectedness, reachability and brokerage – even when the authors account for the lack of spatial colocation for the off-site scientists.Design/methodology/approachA two-part (sociometric and workplace) internet survey instrument was administered in 2014 to the institute’s population of 411 individuals. The sociometric data were used to create an undirected interaction network and the following dependent variables (DVs) or network centralities: normalized degree to measure connectedness; average reciprocal distance to capture reachability; and normalized betweenness to proxy brokerage. Separate node-level network regressions were then run with random permutations (N = 10,000) and listwise deletion for each of the DVs with SOC and spatial colocation as the independent variables, and variables that controlled for gender, organizational affiliation and job category.FindingsSOC and spatial colocation are both positively and significantly correlated with network connectedness and reachability. The results suggest that both SOC and spatial colocation have a larger impact on reachability than connectedness. However, neither SOC nor spatial colocation are significantly associated with network brokerage. Finally, the findings show that SOC and spatial colocation are more reliable predictors of network connectedness and reachability than are key individual- and unit-level control variables, specifically the individual’s sex, job category and organizational affiliation. The controls were not significantly associated with any of the three network centralities, namely, connectedness, reachability and brokerage.Originality/valueThis exploratory study used social network analysis and node-level network regressions to examine the associations from SOC and spatial colocation to dimensions of network position. SOC is positively and significantly associated with network connectedness and reachability, suggesting that SOC is an important consideration when individuals are disadvantaged from the absence of spatial colocation. The findings have implications for work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as they imply that interventions based on the SOC construct could potentially lessen the negative effects of remote work on workplace social networks due to factors such as the reduction of social contacts.

How working seniors rate their quality of life

Old age results in changes in the elderly due to: existential crisis, maladjustment to new functions, reform and reduction of social contacts. Most elderly people who continue to work belong to disadvantaged social classes, but there are elderly people who show dissatisfaction with being retired and try to return to work to feel energized. In view of this scenario, the present article is guided by the great appreciation of the quality of life in the elderly. The objective was to examine how the elderly who work rate their quality of life. Thirty-six seniors who were still working participated in the research, with a mean age of 71.5 and ± 5.4. Data was collected accidentally in the city of São Paulo. For this, 36 identical WHOQOL questionnaires and Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido (TCLE)[3] were used. To find out if there is a statistically significant difference, the non-parametric chi-square test was applied. As a result: 80.55% say they Totally agree with the premise that God cares about his problems; 63.88% Totally agree that they have a significant relationship with God; 50% are Satisfied with their sleep and 38.88% rate their need for daily medical treatment as Nothing. It is noticed that the elderly workers are mostly satisfied with the quality of the observed aspects of their lives.

Individual social contact data and population mobility data as early markers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics during the first wave in Germany\u2014an analysis based on the COVIMOD study

BackgroundThe effect of contact reduction measures on infectious disease transmission can only be assessed indirectly and with considerable delay. However, individual social contact data and population mobility data can offer near real-time proxy information. The aim of this study is to compare social contact data and population mobility data with respect to their ability to reflect transmission dynamics during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany.MethodsWe quantified the change in social contact patterns derived from self-reported contact survey data collected by the German COVIMOD study from 04/2020 to 06/2020 (compared to the pre-pandemic period from previous studies) and estimated the percentage mean reduction over time. We compared these results as well as the percentage mean reduction in population mobility data (corrected for pre-pandemic mobility) with and without the introduction of scaling factors and specific weights for different types of contacts and mobility to the relative reduction in transmission dynamics measured by changes in R values provided by the German Public Health Institute.ResultsWe observed the largest reduction in social contacts (90%, compared to pre-pandemic data) in late April corresponding to the strictest contact reduction measures. Thereafter, the reduction in contacts dropped continuously to a minimum of 73% in late June. Relative reduction of infection dynamics derived from contact survey data underestimated the one based on reported R values in the time of strictest contact reduction measures but reflected it well thereafter. Relative reduction of infection dynamics derived from mobility data overestimated the one based on reported R values considerably throughout the study. After the introduction of a scaling factor, specific weights for different types of contacts and mobility reduced the mean absolute percentage error considerably; in all analyses, estimates based on contact data reflected measured R values better than those based on mobility.ConclusionsContact survey data reflected infection dynamics better than population mobility data, indicating that both data sources cover different dimensions of infection dynamics. The use of contact type-specific weights reduced the mean absolute percentage errors to less than 1%. Measuring the changes in mobility alone is not sufficient for understanding the changes in transmission dynamics triggered by public health measures.

Cross-regional variations of Covid-19 mortality in Italy: an ecological study.

BackgroundDisparities in cross-regional coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) mortality remain poorly understood. The association between pre-epidemic health and epidemic mortality can inform a policy response to future outbreaks.MethodWe conducted an ecological study of the association between the cumulative deaths attributed to Covid-19 epidemic in the 20 Italian regions and nine determinants of population health derived from a systematic review of the literature. We used a multiple least square regression to predict the cross-regional variation in mortality observed from the onset of the epidemic to 23 September 2020.ResultsFour independent variables best explained the cross-regional differences in the number of deaths attributed to Covid-19: the force of infection, population density, number of elderly living in assisted facilities and the standard rate of diabetes. The semi-partial correlation coefficients suggest that the force of infection and the number of elderly residents in nursing homes were the dominant predictors of the number of deaths attributed to Covid-19. Statistical controls and validation confirmed the generalizability of the predictive model.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that a significant reduction of social contacts in main metropolitan areas and the timely isolation of elderly and diabetic residents could significantly reduce the death toll of the next wave of Covid-19 infection in Italy.

The impact of COVID-19 restriction measures on loneliness among older adults in Austria.

BackgroundTo halt the spread of COVID-19, Austria implemented a 7-week ’lockdown’ in March/April 2020. We assess whether the ensuing reduction in social contacts led to increased loneliness among older adults (60+).MethodsThree analyses were conducted: (1) A comparison between pre-pandemic (SHARE: 2013-2017) and pandemic (May 2020) levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 scale), (2) an assessment of the cross-sectional correlation between being affected by COVID-19 restriction measures and loneliness (May 2020), and (3) a longitudinal analysis of weekly changes (March-June 2020) in loneliness (Corona panel).ResultsWe found (1) increased loneliness in 2020 compared with previous years, (2) a moderate positive association between the number of restriction measures older adults were affected from and their loneliness, and (3) that loneliness was higher during ’lockdown’ compared to the subsequent re-opening phase, particularly among those who live alone.ConclusionWe provide evidence that COVID-19 restriction measures in Austria have indeed resulted in increased levels of loneliness among older adults. However, these effects seem to be short-lived, and thus no strong negative consequences for older adults’ mental health are expected. Nonetheless, the effects on loneliness, and subsequent mental health issues, might be both more long-lasting and severe if future restriction measures are enacted repeatedly and/or over longer time periods.