Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil
IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to adopt strict measures aimed at reducing circulation of the virus and mitigating the burden on health services. Among these, the lockdown (social distancing/confinement) was probably the most controversial and most widely debated, since it affec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1310594/full |
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| author | Karla Gonçalves Camacho Karla Gonçalves Camacho Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Maria de Fátima Junqueira-Marinho Saint Clair Gomes Junior Adriana Teixeira Reis Adriana Teixeira Reis Dimitri Marques Abramov |
| author_facet | Karla Gonçalves Camacho Karla Gonçalves Camacho Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Maria de Fátima Junqueira-Marinho Saint Clair Gomes Junior Adriana Teixeira Reis Adriana Teixeira Reis Dimitri Marques Abramov |
| author_sort | Karla Gonçalves Camacho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to adopt strict measures aimed at reducing circulation of the virus and mitigating the burden on health services. Among these, the lockdown (social distancing/confinement) was probably the most controversial and most widely debated, since it affected the population’s daily life abruptly, with consequences for people’s emotional state and the operational logic of various economic sectors.ObjectiveAnalyze the relationship been Brazilians’ opinions on lockdown during the pandemic and individual, sociodemographic, and belief characteristics.MethodsWe conducted an online survey to evaluate Brazilians’ opinions on the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We prepared a questionnaire with questions on sociodemographic aspects and individuals’ points of view toward the lockdown. We sent a link for the survey through social media and encouraged participants to also share the link in their respective social networks, as a snowball sample. Cluster analysis was performed to identify different opinion profiles. Cluster Analysis is a multivariate approach that aims to segment a set of data into distinct groups, using some classification criteria.ResultsFrom April to May 2021, the link received 33,796 free participations via social networks from all over Brazil. We analyzed data from 33,363 participants. Pro-lockdown opinions predominated in most of the sociodemographic strata. Cluster analysis identified two groups: pro-lockdown, aligned with the scientific recommendations, and anti-lockdown, characterized by economic insecurity and denialism. Anti-lockdown participants downplayed the pandemic’s seriousness and believed in unproven measures to fight SARS-CoV-2. However, these same participants were afraid of losing their jobs and of being unable to pay their bills. In general, participants did not believe in the feasibility of a lockdown in Brazil or in the efficacy of the prevailing government administration’s measures.ConclusionThe study identified a lack of consensus among participants concerning lockdown as a practice. Issues such as disbelief in the pandemic’s seriousness, denialism, and economic insecurity were important in the determination of the profiles identified in the study. Denialism is believed to have been a subjective defense against the economic problems resulting from social control measures and the lack of adequate social policies to deal with the pandemic. It was also highlighted that political polarization and the lack of central coordination during social distancing are crucial aspects. The variation in results in different locations highlights the diversity of the Brazilian scenario. By analyzing Brazilians’ opinions about the lockdown, considering individual characteristics, the study seeks insights to face the pandemic and prepare for future crises, contributing to more effective public health strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:27:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aaa54e6b56ee47719310c1ee4dc19dfa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T11:27:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-aaa54e6b56ee47719310c1ee4dc19dfa2024-04-10T15:36:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-04-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.13105941310594Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in BrazilKarla Gonçalves Camacho0Karla Gonçalves Camacho1Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore2Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore3Maria de Fátima Junqueira-Marinho4Saint Clair Gomes Junior5Adriana Teixeira Reis6Adriana Teixeira Reis7Dimitri Marques Abramov8National Institute for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira, Department of Pediatrics, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilState University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Perinatology, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNational Institute for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira, Department of Pediatrics, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, BrazilFluminense Federal University, School of Medicine, Internal Medicine Department, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNational Institute for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira, Clinical Research Department, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNational Institute for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira, Clinical Research Department, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilState University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Perinatology, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNational Institute for Women, Children, and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira, Teaching Department, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNational Institute for Women, Children and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira Laboratory of Neurobiology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilIntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to adopt strict measures aimed at reducing circulation of the virus and mitigating the burden on health services. Among these, the lockdown (social distancing/confinement) was probably the most controversial and most widely debated, since it affected the population’s daily life abruptly, with consequences for people’s emotional state and the operational logic of various economic sectors.ObjectiveAnalyze the relationship been Brazilians’ opinions on lockdown during the pandemic and individual, sociodemographic, and belief characteristics.MethodsWe conducted an online survey to evaluate Brazilians’ opinions on the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We prepared a questionnaire with questions on sociodemographic aspects and individuals’ points of view toward the lockdown. We sent a link for the survey through social media and encouraged participants to also share the link in their respective social networks, as a snowball sample. Cluster analysis was performed to identify different opinion profiles. Cluster Analysis is a multivariate approach that aims to segment a set of data into distinct groups, using some classification criteria.ResultsFrom April to May 2021, the link received 33,796 free participations via social networks from all over Brazil. We analyzed data from 33,363 participants. Pro-lockdown opinions predominated in most of the sociodemographic strata. Cluster analysis identified two groups: pro-lockdown, aligned with the scientific recommendations, and anti-lockdown, characterized by economic insecurity and denialism. Anti-lockdown participants downplayed the pandemic’s seriousness and believed in unproven measures to fight SARS-CoV-2. However, these same participants were afraid of losing their jobs and of being unable to pay their bills. In general, participants did not believe in the feasibility of a lockdown in Brazil or in the efficacy of the prevailing government administration’s measures.ConclusionThe study identified a lack of consensus among participants concerning lockdown as a practice. Issues such as disbelief in the pandemic’s seriousness, denialism, and economic insecurity were important in the determination of the profiles identified in the study. Denialism is believed to have been a subjective defense against the economic problems resulting from social control measures and the lack of adequate social policies to deal with the pandemic. It was also highlighted that political polarization and the lack of central coordination during social distancing are crucial aspects. The variation in results in different locations highlights the diversity of the Brazilian scenario. By analyzing Brazilians’ opinions about the lockdown, considering individual characteristics, the study seeks insights to face the pandemic and prepare for future crises, contributing to more effective public health strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1310594/fullresistance to lockdownCOVID-19denialismeconomic insecuritypandemics |
| spellingShingle | Karla Gonçalves Camacho Karla Gonçalves Camacho Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Daniella Campelo Batalha Cox Moore Maria de Fátima Junqueira-Marinho Saint Clair Gomes Junior Adriana Teixeira Reis Adriana Teixeira Reis Dimitri Marques Abramov Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil Frontiers in Psychology resistance to lockdown COVID-19 denialism economic insecurity pandemics |
| title | Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil |
| title_full | Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil |
| title_short | Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from a polarized scenario in Brazil |
| title_sort | lockdown during the covid 19 pandemic lessons from a polarized scenario in brazil |
| topic | resistance to lockdown COVID-19 denialism economic insecurity pandemics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1310594/full |
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