COVID-19 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON TWO DISTINCT VULNERABLE GROUPS: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN AND CHRONICALLY ILL PEOPLE IN BULGARIA
Published 10/24/2023
Keywords
- COVID-19,
- psychological effects,
- vulnerable groups,
- crisis management
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2023 Psychological Research (in the Balkans)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This article outlines the major psychological effects and responses that the COVID-19 pandemic evoked in two important, vulnerable groups within the Bulgarian society: parents with young children up to 12 years of age and people struggling with chronic illness(es). The experiences of 30 study participants, were captured via interviews, conducted between March 2020 - January 2022. They uncoover the psychological implications COVID-19 had on subjects and confirmed consistency with studies conducted in other countries around the globe. The main negative effects for the group of parents included 1/ stress, 2/ anxiety, and 3/ mood swings. The positive, on the other hand, involved 1/ improved and/or strengthened relationships, and 2/ mobilization of psychological resources. Similarly, the negative psychological effects for those, suffering from a chronic illness, were: 1/ increased levels of stress, 2/ heightened anxiety, and 3/ an acute sense of vulnerability, among others. The positive entailed 1/ elevated focus on personal sense of meaning and 2/ feelings of closeness with family members. The findings from an exploratory, qualitative study, using semi-structured, calendar interviews are shared, together with recommendations on future crisis management.
References
- Aday, L. (2003). At risk in America: The health and health care needs of vulnerable populations in the United States (2nd ed.). Josey-Bass.
- Addis, S. G., Nega, A. D., & Miretu, D. G. (2021). Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic disease patients in Dessie town government and private hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 15(1), 129-135.
- Al-Maroof, R. S., Salloum, S. A., Hassanien, A. E., & Shaalan, K. (2020). Fear from COVID-19 and technology adoption: the impact of Google Meet during Coronavirus pandemic. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-16.
- Budu, M.O.; Rugel, E.J.; Nocos, R.; Teo, K.; Rangarajan, S.; Lear, S.A. Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on People with Pre-Existing Chronic Disease. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5972. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115972
- Banerjee, D., & Rai, M. (2020). Social isolation in COVID-19: The impact of loneliness. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 66(6), 525-527.
- BMJ 2022; Public health impact of COVID-19 vaccines in the US: observational study; 377 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069317 (Published 27 April 2022).
- Caggiano, G., Castelnuovo, E., & Kima, R. (2020). The global effects of COVID-19-induced uncertainty. Economics Letters, 194, 109392.
- Ceylan, R. F., Ozkan, B., & Mulazimogullari, E. (2020). Historical evidence for economic effects of COVID-19. The European Journal of Health Economics, 21, 817-823.
- Charles N., Strong S., Burns L., Bullerjahn M., Serafine K., (2021) Increased mood disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Research 296 113706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113706
- Chan, L., Chaudhary, K., Saha, A., Chauhan, K., Vaid, A., Zhao, S., ... & Nadkarni, G. N. (2021). AKI in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 32(1), 151-160.
- Chan A., Ho J., Li J., Tam H. and Tang P. (2021), Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychological Well-Being of Older Chronic Kidney Disease Patients. Front. Med. 8:666973.
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.666973
- Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. Sage.
- Delaunay, C. D., Augusto, A., & Santos, M. (2020). Invisible vulnerabilities: Ethical practical, and methodological dilemmas in conducting qualitative research on the interaction with IVF embryos. Societies, 10(1), Article 7, 1-15. https://doi. org/10.3390/soc10010007
- DHS Risk Lexicon, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, (2010) Edition. September 2010. Accessed: 07/04/2023: https://iadclexicon.org/psychological-consequence/
- Donthu, N., & Gustafsson, A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of business research, 117, 284-289.
- Gassman-Pines, A., Ananat, E. O., & Fitz-Henley, J. (2020). COVID-19 and parent-child psychological well-being. Pediatrics, 146(4), e2020007294. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-007294
- Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (2013). Psychological and Social Effects. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) (2013), Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_101368
- Douglas, M., Katikireddi, S.V., Taulbut, M., McKee, M. McCartney, G. (2020), Mitigating the wider health effects of COVID-19 pandemic response; BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1557 (Published 27 April 2020).
- Goyal, K., Chauhan, P., Chhikara, K., Gupta, P., & Singh, M. P. (2020). Fear of COVID 2019: First suicidal case in India! Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 101989.
- Gursoy, D., & Chi, C. G. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry: review of the current situations and a research agenda. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(5).
- Haleem A, Javaid M, Vaishya R. (2020), Effects of COVID-19 pandemic in daily life. Curr Med Res Pract. Mar-Apr;10(2):78-79. doi: 10.1016/j.cmrp.2020.03.011. Epub 2020 Apr 3. PMID: 32292804; PMCID: PMC7147210. 527-529.
- Hammen, C. (2005). Stress and depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 293-319.
- Hristova, A., Karastoyanov, G. (2021). Stress and coping strategies with it during the first wave of COVID-19 in Bulgaria. Psychological Research, Volume 24, Number 1, 5-22. ISSN 1311-4700 (PrintI); ISSN 2367-9174 (Online), (in Bulgarian).
- Hodder, A. (2020). New Technology, Work and Employment in the era of COVID‐19: reflecting on legacies of research. New technology, work and employment, 35(3), 262-275.
- Hossain, M. M., Tasnim, S., Sultana, A., Faizah, F., Mazumder, H., Zou, L., ... & Ma, P. (2020). Epidemiology of mental health problems in COVID-19: a review. F1000Research, 9.
- Hughes, D. J., Kratsiotis, I. K., Niven, K., & Holman, D. (2020). Personality traits and emotion regulation: A targeted review and recommendations. Emotion, 20(1), 63.
- Iadecola, C., Anrather, J., & Kamel, H. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on the nervous system. Cell, 183(1), 16-27.
- Jackson, J. K. (2021). Global economic effects of COVID-19. Congressional Research Service.
- Joëls, M., Pu, Z., Wiegert, O., Oitzl, M. S., & Krugers, H. J. (2006). Learning under stress: how does it work? Trends in cognitive sciences, 10(4), 152-158.
- Kang T., Kruttschnitt C., Goodman P. (2017). Multi-Method Synergy: Using the Life History Calendar and Life as a Film for Retrospective Narratives. The Howard Journal, ISSN 2059-1098, pp. 1–22.
- Kanu, I. A. (2020). COVID-19 and the economy: an African perspective. Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, 3(2).
- Kaya, Z. T. (2022). The Psychological and Behavioral Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Ways to Cope With Them. In Handbook of Research on Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Threats and Impacts of Pandemics (pp. 385-410). IGI Global.
- Kubo T., Sugawara D., Masuyama A. (2021) The effect of ego-resiliency and COVID-19-related stress on mental healthamong the Japanese population. Personality and Individual Differences 175 110702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110702
- Kuy, S., Tsai, R., Bhatt, J., Chu, Q. D., Gandhi, P., Gupta, R., ... & Correa, R. (2020). Focusing on vulnerable populations during COVID-19. Academic Medicine, 95(11), e2-e3.
- Lee, S. M., Kang, W. S., Cho, A. R., & Kim, T. (2018). Psychological impact of the 2015 MERS outbreak on hospital workers and quarantined hemodialysis patients. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 87, 123-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2018.10.003
- Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (2013). The constructivist credo. Left Coast Press.
- Louvardi, M., Pelekasis, P., Chrousos, G., & Darviri, C. (2020). Mental health in chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 quarantine in Greece. Palliative & Supportive Care, 18(4), 394-399. doi:10.1017/S1478951520000528
- Luou, Elaine, K. (2019), What is a chronic illness, Healthline article, reviewed by Holland K. Accessed at: https://www.healthline.com/health/chronically-ill
- Macedo, T., Wilheim, L., Gonçalves, R., Coutinho, E. S. F., Vilete, L., Figueira, I., & Ventura, P. (2014). Building resilience for future adversity: a systematic review of interventions in non-clinical samples of adults. BMC psychiatry, 14, 1-8.
- Mazza, M. G., De Lorenzo, R., Conte, C., Poletti, S., Vai, B., Bollettini, I., ... & Benedetti, F. (2020). Anxiety and depression in COVID-19 survivors: Role of inflammatory and clinical predictors. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 89, 594-600.
- McLaughlin, K. A., Green, J. G., Gruber, M. J., Sampson, N. A., Zaslavsky, A. M., & Kessler, R. C. (2012). Childhood adversities and adult psychiatric disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication II: Associations with persistence of DSM-IV disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69(12), 1143-1153.
- National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), Article “About Chronic Diseases”, Accessed at: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm#:~:text=Chronic%20diseases%20are%20defined%20broadly,disability%20in%20the%20United%20States.
- Nacheva, I., Panchelieva, T., Bakalova, D. (2023). Emotional Experiences of Vulnerable Groups during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study among Parents, Jobless and Chronically Ill People, European Journal of Psychology Open (in press /accepted for publication: 14.06.2023)
- NEUENHOFF, MICHAEL, MARINE CORPS LANCE CPL. (2020), Nurses Work Tirelessly on the Front Lines of COVID-19, US Department of Defense, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Accessed on 10/04/2023 at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2344699/nurses-work-tirelessly-on-the-front-lines-of-COVID-19/
- Ogueji, I.A., Okoloba, M.M. & Demoko Ceccaldi, B.M. Coping strategies of individuals in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol 41, 7493–7499 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01318-7.
- Özsungur, Fahri, (2022), Handbook of Research on Digital Violence and Discrimination Studies, Mersin University, Turkey. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-9187-1
- Panchelieva, T., Bakalova, D., Nacheva, I., Dolmova, V. (2023). THE COVID-19 CRISIS: SPECIFICITY OF EXPERIENCES AMONG PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. Conference Proceedings: INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE "TRENDS AND STRATEGIES FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SYSTEM AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC" (in press)
- Panchelieva, T., Nacheva, I., Bakalova, D. (2023). Socio-economic Aspects of the Crisis Caused by COVID-19: Effects of the Change in the Work Regime. Economic Alternatives, 2023(3), University of National and World Economy (in press)
- Patrick, S. W., Henkhaus, L. E., Zickafoose, J. S., Lovell, K., Halvorson, A., Loch, S., Letterie, M., & Davis, M. M. (2020). Well-being of parents and children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey. Pediatrics, 146(4), e2020016824. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-016824
- Paunova-Markova, E. (2020). Perceived threats and difficulties of mothers of young children during a state of emergency in a COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Research, Volume 23, Number 3, 2020, 330-354. ISSN 1311-4700 (Print); ISSN 2367-4563.
- Pietromonaco, P. R., & Overall, N. C. (2022). Implications of social isolation, separation, and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic for couples' relationships. Current opinion in psychology, 43, 189-194.
- Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000660
- Rajkumar, R. P. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health: A review of the existing literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 52, 102066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102066
- Rodgers, B. (2009). Qualitative research for nursing practice. In M. A. Mateo & K. T. Kirchoff (Eds.), Research for advanced practice nurses: From evidence to practice (pp.129-154). Springer.
- Russell, B. S., Hutchison, M., Tambling, R., Tomkunas, A. J., & Horton, A. L. (2020). Initial challenges of caregiving during COVID-19: Caregiver burden, mental health, and the parent–child relationship. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 51, 671-682.
- Saquib Mulla, D., Shaju, S., Bathija, S., & Poothulil, N. (2020). Prevalence of anxiety and fear in living with COVID-19 virus from the perspective of practicing dentists: A short study. Int J Appl Dent Sci, 6(3), 19-22.
- Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' stress and children's psychological problems in families facing the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713
- Shenoy, V., Mahendra, S., & Vijay, N. (2020). COVID 19 lockdown technology adaption, teaching, learning, students engagement and faculty experience. Mukt Shabd Journal, 9(4), 698-702.
- Shields, G. S., & Moons, W. G. (2019). Slowing down under stress: Impaired cognitive and emotional control under stress and implications for coping. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(2), 152-158.
- Stark, A. M., White, A. E., Rotter, N. S., & Basu, A. (2020). Shifting from survival to supporting resilience in children and families in the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for informing US mental health priorities. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000781
- Stellar, J. E., Anderson, C. L., & Gatchpazian, A. (2020). Profiles in empathy: Different empathic responses to emotional and physical suffering. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149(7), 1398.
- Takes, I. (2020). Mitigating the COVID economic crisis: act fast and do whatever.
- Taylor, S. (2021). COVID stress syndrome: Clinical and nosological considerations. Current psychiatry reports, 23, 1-7.
- Taylor, M. R., Agho, K. E., Stevens, G. J. & Raphael, B. (2008). Factors influencing psychological distress during a disease epidemic: Data from Australia’s first outbreak of equine influenza. BMC Public Health, 8(1), 347. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-347
- Vishnevetsky, A., & Levy, M. (2020). Rethinking high-risk groups in COVID-19. Multiple sclerosis and related disorders, 42.
- Vindegaard, N., & Benros, M. E. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: Systematic review of the current evidence. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 89, 531-542. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.048
- Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1729.
- Webber-Ritchey, K. J., Simonovich, S. D., & Spurlark, R. S. (2021). COVID-19: Qualitative research with vulnerable populations. Nursing Science Quarterly, 34(1), 13-19.
- WHO (2020), Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation” Accessed on 07/04/2023 from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-COVID-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10
- WHO. (2020). Disability considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/who-documents-detail/disability-considerations-during-the-COVID-19-outbreak
- Young, K. T., Davis, K., Schoen, C., & Parker, S. (1998). Listening to parents: a national survey of parents with young children. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 152(3), 255-262.