Forced social isolation and mental health: A study on 1006 Italians under COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

Countries are tackling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic imposing people to social isolate. However, this measure carries risks for people’s mental health. This study evaluated the psychological repercussions of objective isolation in 1006 Italians locked down. Although varying for the regional spread-rate of the contagion, results showed that the longer the isolation and the less adequate the physical space where people were isolated, the worse the mental health (e.g., depression). Offline and online social contacts could buffer the adverse effects of social restrictions. However, when offline contacts are limited, online contacts can protect mental health from isolation. The findings could speak about the possible temporal evolution by which the length of isolation is associated with worse mental health. Moreover, the results outlined the downsides of the massive social isolation imposed by COVID-19 spread, highlighting risk factors and resources to account for in the implementation of such isolation measures.