Health crisis, the impacts on the mental health of French people

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The health crisis is experiencing a calmer period and life is gradually resuming its course. Reopening of bars and restaurants, sports halls, cultural venues, end of the curfew, end of wearing a mask outside… So much news that does good to the morale of the French. Indeed, the return to the company as well as the end of travel restrictions are major reasons for better mental health for a large number of workers. Thus, teleworking has been one of the main causes of the ill-being of employees, increasing the feeling of loneliness, the decrease in motivation and therefore in productivity. The return to business has thus allowed the French to improve their well-being after this complicated pass.

Health crisis, teleworking in half-shade

Teleworking has now been in place for almost a year and a half for a large number of employees. Indeed, the teleworking imposed overnight has created considerable stress, not the non-preparation of both psychological and material. Due to a lack of habit, employees had difficulty adapting to it in the first months, especially during the first lockdown in March 2020. Nevertheless, during the second lockdown in November 2020, employees and employers were able to anticipate in a better way.

As the health situation has stabilized in recent weeks, employers are allowed to bring employees back to the premises. Thus, according to the study carried out by Diffusis France for Upfeel.io, 64% of the people interviewed are happy to return to work in a company. Indeed, it allows them to change their workspace and to be able to separate professional and personal lifewell again.

Teleworking has had a relatively negative impact on the morale of the French.

However, teleworking forced by the health crisis has created a real collective awareness. Indeed, 69% of those surveyed were able to see theimportance of social ties in their well-being. Thus, the company plays a crucial role in the well-being on a daily basis. This has therefore allowed employees to accept a new work organization in hybrid,both in telework and face-to-face. Thus, they are much happier to go to their place of work every morning. Well-being in companies thus has favourable consequences for working capacity, productivity and the collective atmosphere.

Well-being on the rise thanks to the almost normal resumption of life

During the health crisis, the minds of the French were not good. Indeed, the lockdowns, the closure of places of leisure and culture as well as the implementation of teleworking have had a considerable impact on the well-being of all. Not being prepared for such a situation and such a duration, 63% of the people surveyed by the study said they had been affected by the health crisis mentally and/or physically. However, there is an increase in the degree of well-being of the French in comparison with last April. Indeed, 65% of the respondents perceived a degree of well-being between 2 and 7 in April against 72% having a degree of well-being between 7 and 10 in June 2021.

Despite this health crisis, the French finally came out stronger. Resilience and awareness of the freedoms missed during 1 year and a half make realize the importance of profit. The end of restrictions has something to do with it, especially since the end of the curfew on Sunday, June 20, 2021 and the reopening of all restaurants and bars.

However, some concerns remain in people’s minds such as the resumption of the epidemic at the beginning of the 2021 school year. Indeed, more than 61% of those interviewed fear the return of the epidemic after the summer. Thus, this will lead to the resumption of mask wearing, restrictions on freedoms and also a negative impact on social relations. Enough to ask the question about the course of the end of the year…

Sources:

Barometer “Impact of the health crisis on the mental health of The French”,Upfeel.io, press release of June 23, 2021

Note from the Observatory of Well-being n°2021-04 : The Well-being of the French – March 2021, CEPREMAP, March 2021

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