Portrait of Resilience Among Tunisians Locked Down in Times of COVID-19

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Tunisian decision-makers were dependent on the data provided by the scientific committee and the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Although official figures only announced 60 diagnosed cases, the Tunisian government has decided as a precautionary measure to declare widespread lockdown on March 20, 2020, to contain the spread of the disease. In this context of uncertainty about the evolution of the health situation, this study aims to reveal Tunisians' psychological resilience level during lockdown period and its relation with selected factors such as age, gender, marital and family status, as well as the number of confirmed infections in the region of residence. Data were collected using a questionnaire constructed to assess 2 personal characteristics reflecting the level of resilience, generally thought of as a "positive adaptation" within the context of significant adversity and "the ability to bounce back" despite it. The "all-comers" participants (N = 554) aged between 18 and 82 answered the online questionnaire. The results by age group show that the level of resilience increases with age. Statistical analysis revealed that there were significant gender differences in resilience. Regarding the marital and familial situation, it was observed that couples with children had a lower level of resilience than couples without children. Single people living alone have the highest level of resilience. Finally, an important difference was noted when comparing the resilience scores of participants living in the regions most affected to scores of those living in the least affected ones.