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Coronavirus in Argentina: two out of three independent people have money left for just one month and "resource stress" grows

2020-04-27T16:05:41.923Z


They are data from a UBA study. There is fear of a possible reduction in family income. And many believe that they should change their work project when normality returns.


Vanesa Lopez

04/27/2020 - 12:48

  • Clarín.com
  • Society

To what we heard in the news and in video calls with family or friends, a new study from the Faculty of Psychology of the UBA put numbers. Evidence that we are with a rather negative view and expectations regarding the coronavirus and its effects on different dimensions of our future life. Especially on the pocket.

The report entitled Life in quarantine: Feelings, health and economy  includes the opinion of some 3,500 Argentines from the main urban centers. He concludes that the Covid-19 pandemic and mandatory social isolation "have had a significant psychological impact , especially on the emotional-cognitive tripod made up of uncertainty, worry, and anxiety."

We are still indoors, the days go by, and that increases the intensity of our emotions. "People report having more concern, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, panic, depression and loss of the meaning of life than what indicated 10 days after compulsory social isolation," they detail when comparing this last measurement (April 21) with the previous one (April 2), both carried out by the Observatory of Applied Social Psychology (OPSA) of the UBA.

All these sensations are stronger in women than in men. And the report warns that levels of anxiety, depression and loss of the meaning of life find their highest point in young people from 18 to 29 years old.

What is it that keeps us so sleepy? In the first place, the effects of the pandemic on the general economy of the country , with a degree of concern that was rated 8.3 out of 10. They are followed, "head to head," by the effects that it may generate at a personal and family level , both in health and in the economy (both 6.9 out of 10).  

Social and economic crisis as a consequence of mandatory isolation by the coronavirus (EFE).

The health / pocket relationship changes for the different socioeconomic levels. In this sense, the lower class showed more concern for the personal / family economy (rated 8.1 out of 10) than for their health and that of their environment (7.3 out of 10).

Overall, 77% of respondents believe that the pandemic will have "very negative" effects on their personal finances . And 60% estimate that it will be so profound, that it will make it very difficult for them to continue with the personal and family development projects that they had until today.

Regarding future employment, Argentines are concerned that their income will be reduced (35%), that there will be little work for their profession or trade (35%) or even that they will lose their job (21%). They also think about the future of their children, about radical changes in the level of family life, and about the situation of retirement.

“The fear of not being able to continue with the work (profession, trade or commerce) that they carried out until before the crisis stands out. Which, in addition to constituting a dramatic loss in economic terms, also entails a profound and painful loss of work identity and, therefore, a very negative impact on the personality system, "the psychologists in charge of the report analyze.

As for what could be called " resource stress "; that is, how long can the personal or family economy be sustained until exhaustion is reached, the results collected are worrying: two out of three independent workers state that they have financial resources for only one month . 47% of workers in a dependency relationship indicate that their resources will last for one or two months.

Semi desert streets in the City, due to the coronavirus pandemic (Marcelo Carroll).

The main strategy chosen to face this crisis is the reduction of expenses (7.4 out of 10 indicate it). In descending order, they are followed: the use of savings, resorting to the help of family or friends and selling personal property. Only a small proportion (7%) would appeal, to alleviate the situation, to the request for bank loans or financial institutions.

Against this background, the million dollar question: How long will the pandemic last? A significant percentage of the population (44%) estimates that it will extend throughout 2020 and part of 2021. In detail, 21% believe that it will be with us from 7 months to 1 year, while 23% estimate that it will last more than one year.

For 49% of those surveyed, the evolution of the coronavirus will gradually worsen in the coming weeks or months, and 5% believe that "it will quickly become uncontrollable".

Regarding the fear of contagion, a large majority (81%) indicates that they are between “very scared” and “a little scared” for contracting the Covid-19. And since the pandemic started, 44% imagined "sometimes" that they could be infected, something that 8% "think all the time."

GS

Source: clarin

All life articles on 2020-04-27

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