The Impact of Quarantine on Emotions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction The present study explores how the general population of Lithuania felt during the national quarantine of COVID-19 in the period from March 30th to June 8th, 2020. Representative subjects were interviewed five times using adapted single-item questions to evaluate their emotions, stress, and perceived pain levels. Methods It was hypothesized that gender and age-related differences would be found in emotional responses to the quarantine. Results and Discussion During the five polls taken, more women were found to report feeling stressed, anxious, sad, and in more physical pain than men. Evaluations of anger, enjoyment, and calmness provided no statistically significant gender differences. Emotions were found to differ significantly between three age groups (18-29, 30-49, 50-74). Conclusion Contrary to expectations, the biggest negative impact of quarantine was found in the youngest group aged 18-29 years: it showed the highest prevalence of stress, anxiety, and sadness of all age groups. Possible explanations for different gender and age-related emotional reactions are discussed.