We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Publication - Research and analysis

Public attitudes to coronavirus: April summary

Published
8 May 2020
Directorate
Constitution Directorate
Topic
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Scotland
ISBN
9781839607288

High level findings from recent polling work on public attitudes to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Scotland.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Wellbeing

Worry and optimism

To understand worry and optimism in relation to Coronavirus, respondents were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the statements shown in
Figure 7.

The vast majority agreed or strongly agreed that they feel worried about the Coronavirus situation. There has, however, been a decline in the proportion feeling worried, compared with the end of March. This decline has been driven by a fall in those who strongly agreed with this statement (43% on March 24-25 compared with 25% on April 21-22). Similarly, the proportion who agreed with the statement that things will get better soon was higher in the most recent wave compared with the first wave.

Figure 7: Proportion of respondents who agreed/strongly agreed with each statement
Figure 7: Proportion of respondents who agreed/strongly agreed with each statement

Source: YouGov weekly Scotland survey. Base (n=912-1042)

Levels of anxiety and happiness

The YouGov survey included two of the Office of National Statistics' (ONS) wellbeing questions[2] to measure levels of anxiety and happiness. Respondents were asked how anxious and how happy they felt 'yesterday', on a scale of 0 to 10.

As shown in Figure 8 overleaf, anxiety levels were very high towards the start of the lockdown period, but appear to have decreased throughout April.

Figure 8: How anxious respondents felt yesterday on a scale of 0-10
Figure 8: How anxious respondents felt yesterday on a scale of 0-10

Source: YouGov weekly Scotland survey. Base (n=912-1042)

Similarly, respondents were most likely to be unhappy (rating of 0-4) and least likely to be happy (rating of 7-8) at the end of March. Unhappiness levels fell at the start of April and remained stable throughout the remainder of the month; happiness increased in early April and has also stayed stable since then.

Figure 9: How happy respondents felt yesterday on a scale of 0-10
Figure 9: How happy respondents felt yesterday on a scale of 0-10

Source: YouGov weekly Scotland survey. Base (n=912-1042)

General feelings

To gauge feelings about Coronavirus, respondents were shown a list of options and asked which best applied to them. Respondents were able to choose more than one option. As shown in Figure 10, the most common feeling, consistent over the three waves included, was 'concern for those who are vulnerable and weak'.

In the most recent wave, an increase is seen in the proportion who felt 'impatient to get back to normal life', as well as small increases in the proportions who felt 'worried about their job or financial security', 'happy to have time to spend with family', and 'lonely'.

Figure 10: Proportions who chose each option
Figure 10: Proportions who chose each option

Source: Ipsos MORI, Scotland data. Scottish base (n=652-665)

Contact

Email: covid-19.behaviours@gov.scot

Back to top