Harris, Josephine E;
(2022)
The COVID-19 Wellbeing Study: Psychological wellbeing and perceptions of coercion amongst individuals intermittently advised to shield during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Background: During the covid-19 pandemic many countries applied restrictive measures such as lockdowns to curb the spread of disease. High risk groups were advised to ‘shield’ intermittently. Research concerning previous epidemics indicates restrictive measures can impact psychological wellbeing. Practices that restrict freedom have been associated with perceptions of coercion and adverse psychological outcomes in psychiatric populations. The potential for perceived coercion to arise where safety structures are removed has not yet been explored. Aims: The present study forms a qualitative part of the wider COVID-19 Wellbeing Study (Ranieri et al, 2020) and aims to better understand the lived experiences of individuals considered high risk who have been intermittently advised to shield throughout the pandemic, and to explore how these experiences relate to perceptions of coercion and psychological wellbeing. Method: Twenty-four participants were recruited from a sample of those who previously completed the wider research study survey. Three online asynchronous virtual focus groups were each held over a period of three weeks between May-June 2021. Transcripts are analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes and describe patterns between responses with a commitment to a phenomenological approach to interpretation and coding. Results: Themes identified were organised into seven domains relating to commitment to health-related behaviours, reintegration, experiences and perceptions of shielding, managing challenges, the high risk status, behaviours of others, and government management. Conclusions: The findings contribute importantly to literature surrounding the pandemic and are discussed in the context of existing theoretical frameworks with regards to beliefs, behaviours, and perceived coercion.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Clin.Psy |
| Title: | The COVID-19 Wellbeing Study: Psychological wellbeing and perceptions of coercion amongst individuals intermittently advised to shield during the COVID 19 pandemic |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10156266 |
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