Key Points

Adoption of protective measures and behaviors

• A slight decline in adherence to hygiene measures over time, with the exception of mask-wearing, which has steadily increased, particularly due to availability and regulatory factors.

• Physical distancing measures declined in parallel with an increase in risky social behaviors from the lifting of the first lockdown (mid-May) through mid-September 2020. The relaxation of distancing measures may have contributed to the resurgence of viral circulation after the summer of 2020 and the onset of the second wave of the pandemic starting in October 2020.

• Physical distancing was less commonly adopted by younger populations (<35 years old), the economically inactive, and people with low health literacy, but was better adhered to by those at risk of severe illness. Among men, lower adherence to preventive measures (hygiene and physical distancing) and low health literacy were observed, which negatively impacted the implementation of all these measures.

Mental Health

• Since the end of summer, an increase in depressive disorders has been observed among participants in the CoviPrev surveys in Occitanie

• Women’s mental health is more affected than men’s, as well as that of people in difficult financial situations or those who are not working. People who had previously experienced psychological disorders during their lifetime were at greater risk of experiencing anxiety or depression and of having sleep disorders than others.

• Data from Occitanie are comparable to the national average regarding sleep problems (stable at a high level) and depressive disorders.