Lockdowns led to lower life satisfaction

Stricter lockdowns in response to COVID-19 led to higher loss in life satisfaction and worse mental health and wellbeing outcomes, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) shows. Led by the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods and using Oxford University's COVID-19 Stringency Index , the study is the first in Australia to examine the direct links between lockdowns and life satisfaction for the entire COVID-19 period. The study also found that higher case numbers and deaths caused by COVID-19 had a negative impact on people's wellbeing, but to a lesser extent than lockdowns. "Our study, which analysed the experiences of more than 6,500 adults from across Australia and over a period of two and a half years, shows the stricter the lockdown the higher the loss in life satisfaction," co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle said.  "We kind of knew this intuitively. However, it is only by carefully quantifying the level of lockdown restrictions and linking these to a high-quality long-term survey that we are able to accurately capture the impacts and to think about the trade-offs society needed to make during the COVID-19 period, and may need to make again in the future. "There is no doubt lockdowns were essential to helping stop the spread of COVID-19 and limit case numbers and potential deaths.