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Happiness in Czechia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • František Petrovič

    (Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia)

  • František Murgaš

    (Department of Geography, Technical University in Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic)

  • Roman Králik

    (Department of Russian Language, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 117198 Moscow, Russia)

Abstract

The unprecedented growth of prosperity in developed countries, including the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, interrupted by the economic crisis in 2008–2009, came to a halt at the beginning of 2020. This was due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 respiratory disease pandemic, for which no cure was known in June 2020. The response of governments in the form of declaring a state of emergency and closing national and regional borders for several months had serious economic and, above all, psychological consequences. Anxiety, depression, and possibly suicides were expected to increase. In this paper, we focused on the experience of happiness, understood as positive emotion, expressing the highest degree of well-being. The conceptualization of happiness is based on the analysis of six indicators. The aim of the paper was to explore the experience of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Czechia. Two hypotheses were formulated in terms of the expected effects of this pandemic on the experience of happiness. Measuring happiness in one region of the Czechia on a scale of 0–10 using both face-to-face methods and social networks yielded different results from those expected.

Suggested Citation

  • František Petrovič & František Murgaš & Roman Králik, 2021. "Happiness in Czechia during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:10826-:d:646386
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    References listed on IDEAS

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