Authors: Lisa Schmid, Pablo Christmann, Anne‑Sophie Oehrlein, Annika Stein and Carolin Thönnissen
Life Satisfaction during the Second Lockdown of the COVID‑19 Pandemic in Germany: The Effects of Local Restrictions and Respondents’ Perceptions about the Pandemic
In Applied Research in Quality of Life
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10249-x
Link with open access:
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11482-023-10249-x.pdf
During the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts were made to slow down the spread of the virus with the help of political measures. In Germany, the strength and duration of these measures varied from region to region. The study by Lisa Schmid and colleagues investigates whether life satisfaction was influenced by these measures during the pandemic. On the one hand, the researchers were interested in regional differences between various measures and their duration. On the other hand, the researchers considered the perceived impact of the pandemic on the well-being of the population in Germany and examined differences between parents and childless people and between men and women. To this end, the researchers analyzed the data from "FReDA- Das familiendemographische Panel" in the period from April to June 2021. The data provides information on people between the ages of 18 and 49 during the second lockdown in Germany.
The results show that the districts in Germany differ in terms of the strength of the political restrictions imposed and their duration. However, there are no discernible differences in life satisfaction at population level between the districts. The perceived burden of the pandemic also does not differ on average between the districts. At the individual level, it can be seen that people who perceived the pandemic as stressful were less satisfied with their lives in spring 2021. This correlation is particularly strong for mothers. The study shows that the individual perception of the pandemic is decisive for well-being. According to the researchers' findings, however, regional and temporal differences in the political measures implemented cannot explain life satisfaction.