Sunderalingam, Daisy; (2023) “We are shattered. We are separated”. Experiences of clinically vulnerable, racially minoritized women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Aims: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated social and political inequalities nationally and globally (Chen & McNamara, 2020; Hankivsky, 2021; Milner & Jumbe, 2020; Raine et al., 2020). The pandemic has had a vast and devastating effect on individuals' health, well-being and quality of life (White & Van Der Boor, 2020). Little is currently known about the experiences of and impact on those existing at the intersection of multiple marginalised identities, and psychological research in general has been criticised for relying on “Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and democratic” (WEIRD) samples (Henrich et al., 2010), with most samples being comprised of individuals from White ethnic groups (Smullin, 2023). Therefore, the current research aims to understand the experiences of clinically vulnerable (CV), racially minoritized women throughout the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, while considering intersectionality. Method: The sample consisted of seven participants who identified as being women, racially minoritized and CV to COVID-19, resulting in a sample with homogeneity in relation to these characteristics. Seven individual semi-structured interviews were conducted over Microsoft Teams. Interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Four superordinate themes were identified from the data. Participants spoke of the multifaceted accounts of loss they experienced in various aspects of their life during the pandemic. They discussed devastations and consequences to health. Participants were aware of systemic threat through intersectional inequalities and discussed the ways in which threat manifested and how they coped. Participants expressed experiences whereby they felt excluded and unprotected. 73 Conclusions: The research supports the need for psychological research to explore the experiences of individuals with multiple marginalised identities (Buchanan & Wiklund, 2021), thus contributing to more inclusive research (Roberts et al., 2020). Furthermore, for research to recognise the social inequalities and inequities individuals experience (Roberts et al., 2020). It also adds to the growing body of research exploring diverse experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was intended that the study would enrich psychology services’ understanding of insight into the experiences of disadvantaged groups throughout the pandemic. It is hoped that the findings might help services ensure that interventions are equitable, accessible and acceptable.

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