The mental well-being of Belgians is moving in the right direction since the first relaxations, in early May, containment measures linked to the coronavirus epidemic. This is what the researchers behind the Great weekly study on the coronavirus of the University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen). However, the curve changes in the opposite direction for a small group of people with obvious signs of psychological problems.
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Since the start of these surveys, researchers from the Antwerp University, the UHasselt, the KU Leuven and the ULB have focused on the mental well-being of the respondents. On average, this systematically decreased until the beginning of May.
After the first week of this month – when containment measures were relaxed for the first time – the situation began to evolve in a better direction, scientists say. The Belgian however feels even worse about himself than in June 2018, when Sciensano had organized a large health survey.
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The researchers also note that there is a small group of people with obvious signs of psychological problems. Their share has gone from 1.5% at the start of confinement to 6% today. “It is important not to lose sight of them“, warns researcher Thomas Neyens.
In addition to their findings on mental well-being, scientists also comment on the type of infections people have contracted. According to the last three surveys, 303 people interviewed think they know where they were infected with the virus. Exactly 178 of them designate their workplace as a source of infection, of which a remarkably large number (98) work in the health care sector.
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