Emotion Network Analysis During COVID-19 Quarantine - A Longitudinal Study

Ramón Martín-Brufau; Carlos Suso-Ribera; Javier Corbalán

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559572

Emotion Network Analysis During COVID-19 Quarantine - A Longitudinal Study

Front Psychol. 2020 Nov 10:11:559572. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559572. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ramón Martín-Brufau^{1

2}, Carlos Suso-Ribera³, Javier Corbalán²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Acute Psychiatry Service, Román Alberca's Hospital, Servicio Murciano de Salud, Murcia, Spain.
² Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
³ Departamento Psicologia Bàsica, Clínica i Psicobiologia, Faculty of Psychology, Jaume I University, Castellón de la Plana, Spain.

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency has imposed important challenges in the lives of individuals, particularly since the restriction of free movement. In Spain, this mandatory home confinement started on March 14, 2020. In this scenario, some calls have been made to better understand the exact impact of the quarantine on the emotional status of individuals across time. Materials and Methods: On the first day that the Spanish government imposed the quarantine, our team launched an online longitudinal study to monitor emotional responses to the COVID-19 emergency over time. For 2 weeks, 187 people have responded to a daily diary on emotion functioning. An emotion network analysis was performed to study the network structure of 30 mood states and its changes during the first 2 weeks of the quarantine. Results: The emotional network showed critical changes in the interactions of emotions over time. An analysis of mean emotional levels did not show statistically significant changes in mood over time. Interestingly, two different network patterns were found when the sample was divided between those with favorable responses and those with unfavorable responses. Discussion: This new approach to the study of longitudinal changes of the mood state network of the population reveals different adaptation strategies reflected on the sample's emotional network. This network approach can help identify most fragile individuals (more vulnerable to external stressors) before they develop clear and identifiable psychopathology and also help identify anti-fragile individuals (those who improve their functioning in the face of external stressors). This is one of the first studies to apply an emotional network approach to study the psychological effects of pandemics and might offer some clues to psychologists and health administrators to help people cope with and adjust to this critical situation.

Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019; mood/emotion; network analysis; pandemic impact assessment; psychopathology.