GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SLEEP AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS IN RESPONSE TO LOCKDOWN DUE TO CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC

Sherwin Carvalho; Srabani Bhattacharya; Sundaram Kartikeyan

Volume : IX, Issue : VI, June - 2020

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SLEEP AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS IN RESPONSE TO LOCKDOWN DUE TO CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC

Sherwin Carvalho, Srabani Bhattacharya, Sundaram Kartikeyan

Abstract :

This cross–sectional descriptive study was conducted in April–May 2020 during the lockdown due to the corona virus epidemic to determine the gender differences in psychological responses and sleep amongst 774 adult respondents (397 females: 51.29% and 377 males; 48.71%). A pre–tested and pre–validated questionnaire was administered via Google forms using the chain sampling technique. The mean age of female respondents was 24.38 +/– 6.68 years while that for males was 25.32 +/– 8.14 years. A significantly higher (Z=4.441; p<0.0001) number of female respondents reported having indoor hobbies that would potentially act as coping mechanism during the lockdown. More female respondents reported significant increase in annoyance and irritability (Z=1.987; p=0.046), fear of getting infected with corona virus (Z=1.967; p=0.048), sleeping late at night (Z=5.165; p<0.0001) and sleeping in afternoons (Z=5.264; p<0.001). On the ighter side, more female respondents felt that the lockdown had significantly improved (Z=2.939; p=0.003) emotional bonding with friends and family.