Background The international outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led many countries to enforce drastic containment measures. It has been suggested that this abrupt lockdown of populations will foster addiction-related habits such as caloric/salty food intake, screen use, and substance use. Objective Our aim was to assess the global changes and factors of increase in addiction-related habits during the early COVID-19 containment phase in France. Methods A web-based survey was provided from day 8 to day 13 of the containment and was completed by 11,391 participants. The questions explored sociodemographic features, psychiatric/addiction history, material conditions of lockdown, general stress, mental well-being, and reported changes in several addiction-related behaviors. Global changes were described and factors of increase were explored using population-weighted and adjusted logistic regression models, providing adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals. Results Overall, the respondents reported more increases in addiction-related habits than decreases, specifically 28.4% (caloric/salty food intake), 64.6% (screen use), 35.6% (tobacco use), 24.8% (alcohol use), and 31.2% (cannabis use). Reduced well-being scores and increased stress scores were general factors of increase in addiction-related habits (P<.001 for all habits). Factors of increase in caloric/salty food intake (n=10,771) were female gender (aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.48-1.77), age less than 29 years (P<.001), having a partner (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.35), being locked down in a more confined space (per 1 square meter/person decrease: aOR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03), being locked down alone (aOR 1.29, 95% CI 1.11-1.49), and reporting current (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.62-2.31) or past (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.09-1.47) psychiatric treatment. Factors of increase in screen use (n=11,267) were female gender (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.21-1.43), age less than 29 years (P<.001), having no partner (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06-1.32), being employed (P<.001), intermediate/high education level (P<.001), being locked down with no access to an outdoor space (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), being locked down alone (aOR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.32), living in an urban environment (P<.01), and not working (P<.001). Factors of increase in tobacco use (n=2787) were female gender (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.55), having no partner (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06-1.59), intermediate/low education level (P<.01), and still working in the workplace (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.86). Factors of increase in alcohol use (n=7108) were age 30-49 years (P<.05), a high level of education (P<.001), and current psychiatric treatment (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.88). The only significant factor of increase in cannabis use (n=620) was intermediate/low level of education (P<.001). Conclusions The early phase of COVID-19 containment in France led to widespread increases in addiction-related habits in the general population. Reduced well-being and increased stress were universal factors of increase. More specific factors were associated with increases in each of the explored habits.

Lockdown measures can differentially affect mental wellbeing in populations depending on individual determinants. We aim to investigate the sociodemographic and environmental determinants of wellbeing on the French population during lockdown due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic with an online survey. Among 11,391 participants who completed the questionnaire, various factors negatively impacted wellbeing: being a female, a student, disabled, having no access to outdoor spaces, or living in a small home. Conversely, being employed and having more social contacts had a positive impact. During lockdowns, authorities should consider the vulnerability of specific populations, especially when they live in constrained housing conditions.

Background: Lockdown measures induce massive societal perturbations and can differentially affect mental wellbeing in populations depending on individual determinants. We aim at investigating the sociodemographic and environmental determinants of wellbeing during global lockdown due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: A nationwide survey was sent online to the French population during the second week of global lockdown during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, between March 25, 2020 and March 30, 2020. Volunteers were recruited on social networks, online newspapers, and mailing lists. We analyzed sociodemographic and environmental variables obtained from a co-built and evidence-based questionnaire. Mental wellbeing was measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Results: We analyzed data from 11,391 (56.6%) out of 20,235 participants who answered the questionnaire. After weighting data on age and gender distributions, 5415 of the respondents were male (47.5%), 5932 were female (52.1%), and 52 (0.5%) registered as other. Multivariate analyses indicated that various factors impacted mental wellbeing. Being female (p < .001), a student (p < .001), disabled (p = .001), or having no access to outdoor space (p = 0.02) was associated with lower WEMWBS scores. Conversely, being employed (p < .001) and having more social contacts (p < .01) were both associated with greater mental wellbeing. Interpretation: We revealed differences in mental wellbeing among the French population at the early stages of global lockdown. Authorities should consider the particular vulnerability of students, persons with disabilities, and those living in constrained housing conditions that could increase the negative impact of lockdown on mental health.

Autobiographical memory (AM) is closely linked to the self-concept, and fulfills directive, identity, social, and adaptive functions. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are now known to have atypical AM, which may be closely associated with social communication difficulties. This may result in qualitatively different autobiographical narratives, notably regarding social identity. In the present study, we sought to investigate this concept and develop a cognitive intervention targeting individuals with ASD. First, 13 adolescents with ASD and 13 typically developing adolescents underwent an AM interview featuring an original coding system designed to analyze the social self. We observed that the narratives produced by the ASD group focused more on the family than on extended social spheres, compared with those of the comparison group. Moreover, participants with ASD did not include themselves in the social groups they mentioned, and produced more references to others, compared with typically developing participants. Second, we designed a cognitive intervention program consisting of individual and group sessions that targeted AM. We conducted a pilot study among three adolescents with ASD aged 12, 16, and 17 years. Preliminary results showed that the program increased extra-family narrative references by the two youngest adolescents, who produced more social integration markers. Our study of autobiographical narratives yielded interesting findings about social positioning in ASD and showed how AM can be targeted in rehabilitation programs as a vector of social interaction.

BACKGROUND The international outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led many countries to enforce drastic containment measures. It has been suggested that this abrupt lockdown of populations would foster addiction-related habits, such as caloric food intake, screen use, and substance use. However, no data has supported this assumption until now. OBJECTIVE To assess the global changes and factors of increase in addiction-related habits during the early COVID-19 containment phase in France METHODS Online survey among 11,391 participants, opened from day-8 to day-13 of the containment (started 03/17/2020). Questions explored sociodemographic features, psychiatric/addiction history, material conditions of lockdown, general stress ([1-10] Visual Analog Scale), Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), and reported changes in several addiction-related behaviors. Global changes were described, and factors of increase were explored using population-weighted and adjusted logistic regression models, providing adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS Overall, increases in addiction-related habits were more frequent than decreases, as they were reported by 30.0% (caloric food), 64.5% (screens), 35.6% (tobacco), 24.8% (alcohol), and 31.2% (cannabis) of the concerned subjects, respectively. Reduced well-being score and increase stress score were general factors of increase in addiction-related habits (p<0.001 for all types of habits). The main specific factors of increase in caloric food intake (n=10,771) were female gender (aOR=1.62; 95%CI=1.48-1.77), being aged less than 49 years (p<0.001), having a partner (aOR=1.19; 95%CI=1.06-1.35, being locked down in a more confined space (per one m2/person decrease: aOR=1.02; 95%CI=1.01-1.03), being locked down alone (aOR=1.29; 95%CI=1.11-1.49), and reporting a current (aOR=1.94; 95%CI=1.62-2.31) or past (aOR=1.27; 95%CI=1.09-1.47) psychiatric treatment. The main specific factors of increase in screen use (n=11,267) were female gender (aOR=1.31; 95%CI=1.21-1.43), being aged less than 29 years (p<0.001), having no partner (aOR=1.18; 95%CI=1.06-1.32), being professionally active (p<0.001), an intermediate/high education level (p<0.001), being locked down with no access to an outdoor space (aOR=1.16; 95%CI=1.05-1.29), being locked down alone (aOR=1.15; 95%CI=1.01-1.32), in an urban environment (p<0.01), and not working (p<0.001). The main specific factors of increase in tobacco use (n=2,787) were female gender (aOR=1.31; 95%CI=1.11-1.55), having no partner (aOR=1.30; 95%CI=1.06-1.59), having and intermediate/low education level (p<0.01), and still working at workplace (aOR=1.47; 95%CI=1.17-1.86). The main specific factors of increase in alcohol use (n= 7,108) were being aged 30-49 years (p<0.05), a high level of education (p<0.001), or a current psychiatric treatment (aOR=1.44; 95%CI=1.10-1.88). The main specific factor of increase in cannabis use (n=620) was an intermediate/low level of education (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The early phase of the COVID-19 containment in France led to widespread increases in addiction-related habits in the general population. Reduced well-being and increased stress were universal factors of increase. More specific factors were associated with increases in each of the explored habits. CLINICALTRIAL NA