TITLE:
Concerns, Positive Changes, and Suggestions for Psychological Support during COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis
AUTHORS:
Meta Lavrič, Vanja Gomboc, Nina Krohne, Tina Podlogar, Vita Poštuvan, Nuša Zadravec Šedivy, Diego de Leo
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19 Epidemic, Concerns, Positive Changes, Psychological Support, Well-Being
JOURNAL NAME:
Sociology Mind,
Vol.10 No.4,
September
30,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: On 12 March 2020, Slovenia formally declared the presence of a pandemic
of COVID-19 disease, followed by measures to stop the spread of the virus. Scope: The aim of this study was to explore how people experienced the progress of
events related to the COVID-19 epidemic. Method: We conducted a general
adult population survey by an online questionnaire that included—among others—three open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was applied for each question separately to identify key patterns in the data. Results: The first topic (questions about the epidemic) resulted in four core
themes: concerns about the disease, concerns about the future, concerns about
measures, and concerns about well-being and daily life. The second topic (positive
changes during the epidemic) resulted in three core themes: changes in oneself, changes in close
relationships, and changes in the environment and society. Lastly, the
third topic (requests for psychological support during the epidemic) resulted
in three core themes: direct help and support, information and awareness
raising, and media activity. Conclusion: Overall, the themes that
emerged from our study provide information that can help in understanding how
people perceive the influence on their mental health and well-being of the
negative and (some) positive effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. This may be
helpful in the general preparedness to a feared second wave of the pandemic.