OPEN ACCESS
PEER-REVIEWED
Original Study
| Published: December 31, 2020
Are we really all in the same boat? Emotional epidemiology of COVID-19 and psychological and social variables affecting well-being
Consultant Psychologist, Medico Surgical Clinic and Hospital, Lb CHS, LBS Road, Doshi Wadi, Ghatkopar west, Mumbai, India Google Scholar More about the auther
Consultant Psychologist, Medico Surgical Clinic and Hospital, India Google Scholar More about the auther
Consultant Psychologist, Medico Surgical Clinic and Hospital, India Google Scholar More about the auther
DIP: 18.01.149/20200804
DOI: 10.25215/0804.149
ABSTRACT
Background: The study examines whether demographics, minority status, impact from COVID-19, and psychological and personality variables affect subjective well-being and perceived isolation, and explores emotional and cognitive reactions to the pandemic to understand emotional epidemiology. Method: An online survey was used, with questions eliciting demographics, variables suggesting impact, reactions (emotions, coping strategies, construal, learnings and the first thing they would do once the pandemic ended), perceived threat, controllability and isolation, and standardized measures were used to assess subjective well-being, general self-efficacy and intolerance of uncertainty. Results: 364 respondents from 25 countries responded to the survey. Women and gender minorities, the 13 to 34 age-group, individuals with double minority status, those facing higher direct impact, and those previously diagnosed with mental health conditions, showed the lowest subjective well-being. Women and gender minorities and young individuals reported high isolation. Perceived threat, perceived controllability, perceived isolation, general self-efficacy and intolerance of uncertainty were found to predict subjective well-being. Results are explained using the protection motivation theory, social stress theory, and other constructs. Reactions to the pandemic were found to be varied. Conclusion: Individual characteristics as well as social group membership affect mental health response to COVID-19. Intervention and prevention programs for mental health and public campaigns need to be mindful of diversity, rather than promoting the idea that ‘we are all in the same boat.’
Keywords
This is an Open Access Research distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2020, Wandrekar J., Nigudkar A. & Natekar E.
Received: October 31, 2020; Revision Received: December 21, 2020; Accepted: December 31, 2020
Article Overview
ISSN 2348-5396
ISSN 2349-3429
18.01.149/20200804
10.25215/0804.149
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Published in Volume 08, Issue 4, October-December, 2020