A new nationwide study being conducted jointly by EPFL, the Idiap Research Institute and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) aims to understand the emotional effects of the lockdown on Swiss residents and what steps they are taking to cope with it. The findings will be used to develop better support strategies for the future.
The research team leading this cross-disciplinary initiative includes dhCenter members Daniel Gatica-Perez, an adjunct professor at Idiap and at EPFL’s Digital Humanities Institute, and Vincent Kaufmann, associate professor and head of EPFL’s Urban Sociology Laboratory (LASUR).
In order to better understand how Swiss residents are coping with the lockdown, the researchers have created an online survey available in English, French, Italian and German. The results will be used to identify the inequalities that are arising in the face of the pandemic and to develop coordinated and collaborative strategies to avoid them in the future.
The survey takes around 15 minutes and is designed to get a better idea of what types of housing and living conditions make people more mentally resilient – or susceptible – to the lockdown. In addition to asking a series of questions, the survey displays emergency phone numbers, options for online chats and links to useful websites and videos in order to provide support resources to people who are distressed, bored or suffering from domestic violence.
