Notes on Coronavirus: How is America Feeling? Part 4.
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% of conversations mentioning: virus, COVID, quarantine, or lockdown. Last 5 weeks, for the weeks starting:
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Mar 2: 1%
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Mar 9: 9%
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Mar 16: 22%
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Mar 23: 24%
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Mar 30 – April 6: 24% (We’re at the peak, and steady with last week)
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Has your school or workplace been closed as a result of coronavirus / COVID-19?
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Four weeks ago: 53%
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Three weeks ago: 77%
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Two weeks ago: 84%
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Last 7 days: 86%
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4% of our conversations are now about grief. Grandma and Grandpa are trending in the top 5 words in grief conversations.
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“Quarantine” is now directly mentioned in 8% of conversations, up from 5% two weeks ago, and 2% a month ago. And “home” or “house” is mentioned in ~14% of conversations.
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Isolation / loneliness is in 35% of these conversations, up from 20% of all conversations.
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Mentions of sexual assault and emotional abuse are 25% higher in these conversastions
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Eating disorder/body image issues are 45% higher.
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Insight: ~ 2/3 of texters are experiencing more intense anxiety and depression associated with COVID.
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Data: The data below is based on the PHQ scale, a standard clinical measure of anxiety and depression: “For each of the following, how have concerns around coronavirus affected how you feel, compared to how you normally feel?”
- Changing social relationships/loss of support networks.
- 89% of texters mention spending less time with friends.
- 36% of texters mention spending less time with family, 45% say more time.
- Those spending less time are more likely than other texters to be anxious (76% vs. 72%) and depressed or hopeless (75% vs. 65%)
- Less healthy habits
- 60% report eating less healthy food, only 13% report eating more healthy food
- 56% report exercising less, only 25% report exercising more
- 71% of texters say they are watching more tv/movies.
- The norm is disruption.
- 42% of texters are sleeping less, 45% sleeping more.
