A cross-country examination on the fear of COVID-19 and the sense of loneliness during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreakLo Coco, Gianluca (Avtor) Gentile, Ambra (Avtor) Bosnar, Ksenja (Avtor) Milovanović, Ivana (Avtor) Bianco, Antonino (Avtor) Drid, Patrik (Avtor) Pišot, Saša (Avtor) coronavirusCOVID-19pandemicpublic healthrestrictionsisolationlonelinessfearpsychosocial distressThe aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on %Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time% in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries, females and the elderly reported more symptoms than males and the young; in Spanish and Italian samples, the pattern of differences is considerably more complex. Future research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues may help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.20212021-03-15 10:13:44Neznano13747sl © 2021 by the authors