Publication date: Jul 05, 2024
Background/Objectives: The forced social isolation implemented to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus was accompanied by a worsening of mental health, an increase in insomnia symptoms, and the emergence of ‘skin hunger’-an increased longing for personal touch. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the interconnection between sleep, mental health, and the need for physical (NPC) and real-life social contact (NRL-SC). Methods: A total of 2827 adults participated in an online survey during the second COVID-19 lockdown. A Bayesian Gaussian copula graphical model (BGCGM) and a Bayesian-directed acyclic graph (DAG) were estimated, and mixed ANOVAs were carried out. Results: NPC with non-family members (t(2091) = 12. 55, p < 0. 001, d = 0. 27) and relational lifestyle satisfaction (t(2089) = 13. 62, p < 0. 001, d = 0. 30) were lower during the second lockdown than before the pandemic. In our BGCGM, there were weak positive edges between the need for PC and RL-SC on one hand and sleep and mental health on the other. Conclusions: During the second lockdown, people craved less physical contact with non-family members and were less satisfied with their relational lifestyle than before the pandemic. Individuals with a greater need for PC and RL-SC reported poorer mental health (i. e., worry, depression, and mental fatigue).
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Family | lockdown |
| Graph | long COVID |
| Nrl | mental health |
| Pandemic | pandemic |
| Sleep | sleep |
| social isolation | |
| touch |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 Pandemic |
| disease | MESH | insomnia |
| disease | MESH | lifestyle |
| disease | MESH | long COVID |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| disease | IDO | country |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Succimer |
| disease | IDO | algorithm |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Methylergometrine |