The Danish population's mental well-being during the corona crisis (barometer)

Updated 16 August 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in Denmark in March 2020, our research group at the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen created a barometer to document the well-being of people living in Denmark during the ‘corona crisis’. This barometer is being continuously updated as additional data are collected.

In collaboration with the consumer-research company Epinion, we have been asking people across Denmark to complete a questionnaire about their mental health; specifically, their feelings of social isolation and loneliness as well as their quality of life and worries about the ‘corona crisis’.

Between March and June 2020, our study targeted three groups: 1) people over the age of 65; 2) families with children; and 3) a sample of the general population between the ages of 18 and 85. One hundred different people from each of these groups answered the questionnaire every third day from 20 March until 16 April, and then once a week until 25 June 2020. Starting again on 10 September 2020, we have been asking 250 different people from the general population (aged 18 and above) to answer the questionnaire every other week.

When interpreting the barometer, it is important to note that these data are continuously being updated and that trends can change over time. In addition, these results are subject to statistical uncertainty, and small fluctuations may be due to random variation. We must also emphasize that these results are based on an online questionnaire, which means that certain groups (e.g., frail older people living in nursing homes) may not be adequately represented in the data.

Concerns

On a scale from 1 to 10, how worried are you about the corona crisis? (10 is most worried)

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Quality of life

On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate your quality of life right now? (10 is best quality of life) 

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Social isolation

On a scale from 1 to 10, how socially isolated do you feel right now? (10 is most socially isolated)

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Loneliness

A 3-item scale measuring loneliness ranging from 3 to 9 (9 is loneliest)

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Development of severe loneliness

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Mental health

Mental-health development measured on a scale from 5 to 20 (20 is worst mental health)

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Anxiety

Anxiety development measured on a scale from 4 to 20 (20 is most anxious)

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Vaccination

Percentage of people who want to be vaccinated

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