Leary, Rowena and Asbury, Kathryn orcid.org/0000-0003-0011-457X (2022) Alone in the COVID-19 lockdown:An exploratory study. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. ISSN 1530-2415
Abstract
Feelings of isolation have been prevalent worldwide since March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. This has prompted increased concerns about loneliness and related mental health problems. During the first UK COVID-19 lockdown, 71 participants were asked to share their high and low point stories from lockdown. These were analyzed using thematic analysis to explore how “aloneness” was experienced at this time. A deductive analyses supported three key facets of aloneness reported in the literature: emotional loneliness, social loneliness, and existential loneliness, as well as a more positive form of aloneness, solitude. An inductive analysis identified risk and protective factors for loneliness, comprising worry, lockdown changes, and poor mental health; and social contact, emotional contact, stability and simple life. The study highlights the importance of understanding how facets of aloneness interrelate, and how understanding risk and protective factors can help us to develop social and policy interventions to alleviate loneliness. In particular, solitude is proposed as a potential mechanism for alleviating loneliness, particularly existential loneliness, alongside more common social methods.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Authors |
Keywords: | loneliness,Covid-19,qualitative,narrative identity,thematic analysis,solitude,aloneness |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Education (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 22 Jun 2022 08:20 |
Last Modified: | 21 Jan 2025 18:03 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12317 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/asap.12317 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:188319 |
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Filename: Anal_Soc_Iss_Public_Policy_2022_Leary_Alone_in_the_COVID_19_lockdown_An_exploratory_study.pdf
Description: Alone in the COVID-19 lockdown: Anexploratory study
Licence: CC-BY 2.5