“Pandemic stress” and who it affects most

How is pandemic stress affecting people’s lives, and which population groups in particular suffer from it? The researcher Markus M. Grabka from the Socio-Economic Panel and his co-authors shed light on the areas of family, partnership, personal financial situation, mental well-being, leisure activities, as well as life, work, and school situation. The data comes from a joint study of “Living in Germany” and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Pandemic-related psychosocial stress (PIPS, in short) generally has the greatest impact on social life and leisure activities. Women and younger people as well as people with low income and education have higher levels of stress. Thus, support measures during pandemics should be specifically aimed at these groups, according to the researchers.

Further information

Beese, Florian, Benjamin Wachtler, Markus M. Grabka et. al. (2024): Inequalities in Pandemic-induced Psychosocial Stress in Different Life Domains among the Working-Age Population. BMC Public Health 24 (2024).

All results in the overview

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