Shifting Life Attitudes during the First Lockdown due to COVID-19 Pandemics. A Naturalistic Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the major tragedies for humanity since World War II because of its global threat both to global health and to the socio-economic basis of the entire world. There are investigations about protective and straining factors as well as about coping mechanisms, but little was investigated about changes in attitudes or value-based behaviour. Objective: The aim of this investigation was to assess the impact of lockdown expressing the new threat due to pandemics on life attitudes and on reflecting dimensions about the real finiteness of life. Method: This prospective, naturalistic, and comparative study began in November 2019 with the aim to examine the life attitudes and the pattern of confrontation with the death of young and middle-aged adults in the general population. At the time point of lockdown in Germany (March 23, 2020), participants were in addition assessed about the impact by pandemics on value-based responses. Participants (N = 302, n1 = 116 before, n2 = 186 during lockdown) were compared by means of Life Attitude Profile (LAP-R) and Anticipatory Farewell to Existence Questionnaire (AFEQT). Comparisons were computed by means of bivariate, multivariate and multinomial models. Results: Subsample during lockdown is older, besides no differences in socio-demographic, health and personality profiles. During lockdown, sample shows higher scores in LAP-R for the dimensions “death acceptance” and “goal-seeking”; in AFEQT for “metaphysical rise” and “altruistic preoccupation”. The higher “death acceptance” “charity” “fulfilment of existence” and “self-efficacy”, the less likely a person is to report that a pandemic influences her or his appraisal of value-based questions. Conclusions: These results indicate that lockdown conditions following the COVID pandemic have led to more intensive awareness about the mortal condition and the focus on relevant others. The question that arises is whether pandemics could urge people to reappraise the existential purposes and priorities, and independently of personality traits.