Authors

• Statistics Finland
• Prime Minister's Office

Keywords

COVID-19, bacterial and virus diseases, communications, dissemination of information, emotional states, health, income, international conflict, regulations, trust, war, well-being (health)

Abstract

The Citizens' Pulse surveys examine Finnish attitudes and opinions in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Main themes in the surveys include the activity and communication of authorities, compliance with regulations, future expectations, trust, and the respondents' own state of mind. This collection round also included questions about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and preparing for crisis situations.

The fourth collection round of 2022 surveyed the respondents' trust in various institutions, such as the Finnish Government, the health care system, and the Finnish Defence Forces. The respondents were asked to evaluate how fair or unfair they thought Finnish society was at present, and their state of mind was examined with questions on various matters relating to health, well-being, and their situation in life. The questions covered, for example, the respondents' own mental well-being, whether they were worried about the adequacy of their income, their confidence in their future, experiences of stress and togetherness, and whether they felt their lives were meaningful. Additionally, the respondents were asked to evaluate whether an atmosphere of crisis prevailed amongst Finns.

The next set of questions focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and crisis situations in general. In relation to the crisis in Ukraine, the respondents were, for example, asked about their sense of security, worries caused by the crisis and its possible impact on the Finnish economy and their own financial situation, and whether they were concerned that the war might expand beyond Ukraine. Opinions on the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU, how well authorities had been prepared for crises like the crisis in Ukraine, and whether the uncertainty caused by the Ukraine crisis had impacted the respondents' consumer behaviour were charted. The respondents were also asked whether they had noticed any cyber security issues or instances where purposefully misleading claims based on misinformation were spread on social media or online over the previous month, and how well they felt they had prepared for crisis situations (e.g. by stockpiling food and medicine). Those who indicated that they had not made preparations were asked to identify the reasons they had not prepared (e.g. lack of time, feeling that stockpiling was not necessary, lack of information, limited financial resources).

On the topics of communication and dissemination of information, the respondents' opinions on the availability, reliability and accuracy of the information provided by Finnish authorities on the coronavirus crisis were charted. Compliance with coronavirus restrictions was examined by asking the respondents whether they had followed the restrictions and recommendations set by authorities for preventing transmission of the virus, including maintaining safe distances, wearing a face mask, and minimising contacts with people outside immediate family and friends. The respondents were also asked how necessary they felt that it was to follow measures such as wearing a mask and maintaining safe distances after receiving two or three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age group, NUTS3 region of residence, highest level of education, household composition, and perceived financial situation of household.