Space at home and psychological distress during the Covid-19 lockdown in Italy. (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fornara, Ferdinando; Mosca, Oriana; Bosco, Andrea; Caffò, Alessandro O.; Lopez, Antonella; Iachini, Tina; Ruggiero, Gennaro; Ruotolo, Francesco; Sbordone, Filomena Leonela; Ferrara, Antonella; Cattaneo, Zaira; Arioli, Maria; Frassinetti, Francesca; Candini, Michela; Miola, Laura; Pazzaglia, Francesca
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental psychology. Volume 79(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: Perceived stress -- COVID-19 -- Restricted movement -- Satisfaction with the space at home -- Crowding -- Perceived risk of COVID-19 infection; Environmental psychology -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; 155.905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101747
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-4944

Abstract

Abstract: Prolonged periods of restrictions on people's freedom of movement during the first massive wave of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that most people engaged in all their daily activities at home. This suggested the need for the spatial features of the home and its occupants' perception of them to be investigated in terms of people's wellbeing. The present study was conducted on a large sample (N = 1354) drawn from different Italian regions. It examined the relationship between the "objective" and "subjective" dimensions of the home, measured in terms of objective home crowding and satisfaction with the space at home, in relation to perceived stress and the perceived risk of COVID-19 infection during the lockdown. The results showed that perceived stress is influenced by objective home crowding through the mediation of satisfaction with the space at home. These associations were more pronounced in younger generations. The negative association between satisfaction with the space at home and perceived stress was higher, the lower the perceived COVID-19 risk. Highlights: Data were collected during the first national lockdown in Italy (2020). The greater the objective crowding, the lower the satisfaction with the space at home. The lower the satisfaction with the space at home, the higher the perceived stress. This latter association was stronger when the perceived COVID-19 risk was lower. All these associations were stronger in younger generations than in older people.