Demoralization during the Italian quarantine due to 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic: prevalence and association with psychological well-being and coping strategies

ABSTRACT

The aims of the study were to investigate demoralization in a sample of Italian citizens during the Italian quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic and to explore its associations with psychological well-being, coping strategies, participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and COVID-19-related factors. Italian citizens aged over 18 and quarantined in Italy were recruited. A cross-sectional online survey was launched through a snow-ball sampling and 1123 surveys were collected. Participants answered ad hoc questions and completed the Psychological General Well-Being Index, the Demoralization Scale, and the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced-New Italian Version. Disheartenment, dysphoria, and sense of failure were the subdimensions of demoralization with higher scores. Demoralization was associated with depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, vitality, problem-solving, and avoidance and religious coping strategies. Individuals who were female, older, without children and not working during quarantine had higher demoralization. Quarantine-related changes can elicit demoralization that is associated to lower psychological well-being. Problem-solving and religious coping can protect against demoralization, while avoidant coping strategies can exacerbate it. Assessing and treating demoralization, especially in the categories of citizens most at risk of developing it, could be useful to provide adequate care against COVID-19-related distress.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• quarantine
• demoralization
• psychological well-being
• coping strategies
• pandemic

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available by emailing the corresponding author.

Ethical approval

The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was granted exemption from requiring ethics approval, because the survey has been addressed to free citizens, and not directly to people belonging to specific institutions. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Aknowledgments

The authors desire to extend a special thanks to all the Italian citizens who agreed to participate in the research for their precious contribute, that has allowed to deepen the knowledge of this unique condition and historical period.

They also wish to thank Dr. Marta Opezzo for her help in the work, her willingness and generosity.

Authorship

Rossana Botto: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Writing - original draft. Marco Galante: Data curation, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Reviewing – original draft. Marco Miniotti: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Reviewing – original draft. Paolo Leombruni: Reviewing – original draft, Supervision.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.