– Impact study identifies a decrease in isolation reports – Some well-being markers remain stable during the pandemic to date – Work routines could change permanently after confinements end
MADRID, May 28, 2020 / PRNewswire / – Cigna’s International Markets division, in association with Kantar, today released its first global impact study of Cigna’s COID-19. Part of Cigna’s annual 360 Well-Being Survey, this study is the first in a new series of Cigna studies to better understand the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s well-being.
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The Cigna 360 Wellness Survey has tracked perceptions of health and wellness, including an index that encompasses physical, family, social, financial and occupational well-being since 2014. This edition involved 10,204 people in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain , Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States between January and April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Well-being indicators remain stable
This new research suggests that our perceived well-being has been surprisingly resilient with the overall Overall Well-Being Index consistent between January and April 2020 at 62.5 points, despite the pandemic and confinement. Although financial and social well-being have decreased, with the financial decreasing 1 point (from 55.8 to 54.8) and the social falling 0.8 points (from 63.2 to 62.4), the employment and Family remained constant with marginal increases in some key areas.
The UK saw the biggest decline in the social welfare index with a significant drop of 4.1 points, driven by a decline in the number of people who feel they spend enough time in person with friends (from 31% to 17%) , that they have enough time for themselves (from 43% to 34%), and that they feel that they are part of a broader community beyond their family (25% to 15%). In contrast, the UAE social welfare indices increased significantly in some indicators, despite this confinement. Most notably, the number of people who feel they have enough time for themselves increased from 40 to 50% and who feel that they are part of a community (from 34% to 46%).
The labor well-being index remained constant (increasing marginally from 68.7 to 69 points). Contributing to this are improved rates for receiving development learning and training (rise from 4%, from 54% to 58%), as well as marginal improvements in a good balance between work and family life (rise from 1%, from 63% to 64%). Family well-being remained consistent, increasing marginally from 66.3 to 66.9 points. In Singapore and the UAE, there were large increases in the family well-being indexes (increases of 2.6 and 2.9 points, respectively). Globally, there were great improvements in people’s confidence in being able to protect the well-being of their partner (increase from 44% to 47%) and of their children (increasing marginally 3%, from 48% to 51%), along with passing Enough time with the family (increasing marginally 2%, from 43% to 45%).
Jason Sadler, CEO of Cigna International Markets, said: “Financial concerns have increased and this is really reflected in the conversations we are having with our clients. It is encouraging to see that overall well-being has remained stable, highlighting the resistance of the people when they try to focus on the positive in the current situation. We will publish the second edition of the Cigna Global Impact Study COVID-19 soon and see if these trends continue. “
Teleworking increases job satisfaction, work relationships and communication
Despite working longer hours, people reported that working from home has improved their working lives. 76% said their workday is more flexible, increasing to 90% in Thailand, 80% in Spain and 79% in the UAE, indicating that work routines are prone to change permanently after confinement ends.
People also feel that they have become closer to their colleagues during the crisis. 64% of people agreed that working from home and using communication technologies has streamlined connections with their colleagues compared to only 9% of people who said it was not. Interestingly, the highest levels of satisfaction were seen in Asian markets, which often offer less flexible work compared to Europe and North America. 79% of people in the UAE, 73% in mainland China, 68% in Thailand and 65% in Singapore said that communication with their colleagues had improved during the crisis.
Dr. Puihan Joyce Chao, a clinical psychologist at the Dimensions Center, commented:
“These findings are an important addition to our understanding of the impact of people on the COVID-19 pandemic. Coping with a crisis is very personal and many people will experience high levels of anxiety, confusion and perhaps a sense of fear. These initial findings suggest to deal with in times of complex crisis. Over time people will begin to make adjustments and will see confinement orders decrease, we will see that anxiety levels reach their maximum, as people will worry about going back to work or back to school for children. “
A reduction in insulation
The first impact study detected a reduction in isolation reports. Only 8% of respondents said they always felt isolated from others in April, compared to 11% in January. When asked if people felt close to other people, 73% said yes in April, compared to 69% in January. Notably, some markets with extensive quarantines saw improvements, with the UAE rising from 71 to 80%; the United Kingdom from 70 to 79%, and Spain from 81 to 91%.
Increased hours as people struggled to disconnect
79% of people reported experiencing the feeling of always working and this has increased in most geographies. It grew 7% in the United Kingdom (74%) and 6% in Singapore (78%) and Hong Kong (72%). We also see that the workday has gotten longer, with 59% of people saying they worked longer compared to just 18%, who said no. This increase was 75% of people in Thailand, 65% in UAE and 64% in mainland China.
Dr. Dawn Soo, Director of Wellbeing at Cigna International Markets, added: “The decrease in the isolation score is not as expected but highlights the positive impact that digital technology can have. We are also seeing a change in attitudes to work, with people feeling that teleworking has offered some positive things, especially in terms of reconciling family and work responsibilities, despite working longer hours. “
The demand for virtual healthcare is growing rapidly
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