Key Points

Adoption of protective measures and behaviors

• Decreased adherence to physical distancing recommendations and an increase in risky social behaviors from the lifting of the first lockdown (mid-May) through mid-September 2020.

• A relaxation of precautionary behaviors likely contributed to the resurgence of viral circulation during the summer of 2020, its acceleration in September with the resumption of school and work activities, and led to the onset of the second wave of the pandemic beginning in October 2020.

• Lower adherence to preventive measures (hygiene and physical distancing) was observed among men, people under 35, those not at risk of developing severe COVID-19, and those with low health literacy.

Mental Health

• Since September, an overall decline in mental health indicators among participants in the CoviPrev surveys in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

• An increase in depressive symptoms (+13 points) reported by participants in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur between September and November 2020.

• Regional prevalence rates close to the national average for sleep problems and depressive disorders reported by participants in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

• Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems are statistically associated with being in a difficult financial situation, being female, being under 35 years of age, and having a history of psychological disorders.