The latter group is striking. In the study, young people between the ages of 18 and 24 indicate that they themselves consider the virus the least threatening to their health. The measures to prevent the spread of the virus seem to have a greater psychological impact on that group.
Difference young and old
The measures include closing entertainment venues, canceling events and people are no longer allowed to come together in groups. More than half of these young people indicate in the study that they no longer have anything to look forward to.
That is significantly more than the people over 65 indicate. Of them, 22 percent say they have nothing left to look forward to. The study says the impact is huge. That young people miss contacts ‘, says deputy Peter van’ t Hoog. “This is a very striking figure. We have paid a lot of attention to the elderly and the vulnerable, but it means that we must also pay attention to the young people. ”
The first results came out earlier this week.
Also read: One in eight people feel lonely due to corona measures
More than 5,000 people completed the questionnaires, 4,786 of whom reported living in Gelderland. The questionnaires show, among other things, that one in eight people feels lonely during this period with corona measures. One in four people say that they help other people more often than before the corona crisis.
The province conducted a similar survey among Gelderlanders last year. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and measures against its spread, it was decided this year to bring forward the investigation. They are also asked specifically about the consequences of the crisis.
Loss of work has an impact
A large majority find the corona virus threatening the economic situation. More than a fifth of employed people say they have some fear of losing their job in the short term. This is even greater among job seekers. Two-thirds think they will not be able to find a job in the short term.
There is a fear of entrepreneurs that they may go bankrupt. Four out of ten self-employed people with staff indicate that they are not afraid of this at all. Almost a third of self-employed people without employees say they have already largely lost their income.
Women experience more stress
However, the vast majority adhere to the advice of the government. Eight in ten stay at home and almost nine in ten avoid physical contact. Nearly 40 percent of women say they are more likely to be stressed since the corona outbreak, compared to over 23 percent of men. And it is striking that one in five Gelderlanders is afraid to go to the doctor because of concerns about the risk of infection.
The study will be repeated regularly over the next two months to see if people’s feelings change. Economic figures on, for example, claims for benefits or medical figures on hospital admissions, are also kept up to date.
With the data from the research that is now coming out, the province wants to gain more insight into how people feel and how people can be helped. “It helps us in the short and certainly the longer term to take the right measures,” says Van ‘t Hoog.
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