COVID-19 Related Shifts in Social Interaction, Connection, and Cohesion Impact Psychosocial Health: Longitudinal Qualitative Findings from COVID-19 Treatment Trial Engaged Participants

Amaya Perez-Brumer (), Rebecca Balasa, Aarti Doshi, Jessica Brogdon, Thuy Doan and Catherine E. Oldenburg
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Amaya Perez-Brumer: Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
Rebecca Balasa: Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
Aarti Doshi: Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
Jessica Brogdon: Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Thuy Doan: Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
Catherine E. Oldenburg: Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-12

Abstract: While effective for slowing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, public health measures, such as physical distancing and stay-at-home orders, have significantly shifted the way people interact and maintain social connections. To better understand how people sought social and psychological support amid the pandemic, we conducted a longitudinal qualitative evaluation of participants enrolled in a COVID-19 treatment trial ( N = 30). All participants from the parent trial who consented to being contacted for future research studies were recruited electronically via email, and first-round virtual interviews were conducted between December 2020 and March 2021. Participants who participated in first-round interviews were contacted again, and follow-up interviews were conducted in January–February 2022. The results reported significant shifts in how participants connected to social support, including changes from physical to virtual modalities, and using different social networks for distinct purposes (i.e., Reddit/Facebook for information, WhatsApp for community connection). While having COVID-19, profound loneliness during isolation was described; yet, to mitigate effects, virtual support (i.e., emotional, knowledge-seeking) as well as in-person material support (e.g., groceries, snow-shoveling), were key. Public health efforts are needed to develop interventions that will improve the narratives about mental health challenges related to COVID-19 isolation, and to provide opportunities to share challenges in a supportive manner among social networks. Supporting social cohesion, despite the everchanging nature of COVID-19, will necessitate innovative multimodal strategies that learn from lived experiences across various stages of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; social connection; social support; psychosocial health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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