Exposure to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Qualitative Study on Adult People's Experiences
Abstract
One of the global crises that people are dealing with today is the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of this disease as a social phenomenon has affected all aspects of life. This study aimed to identify adult people's experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. This qualitative research was performed with a conventional qualitative content analysis approach in Mashhad, Iran, from April to November 2020. twenty-five participants were selected through a purposeful sampling method with maximum diversity until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with open-end questions and analyzed with MAXQDA10 software. Two main categories were extracted (1) difficulties in multiple domains (psychological and informational problems, social challenges, spiritual and religious challenges, and economic problems), (2) adaptation to the epidemic (purposive self-care, ignoring the disease and health instructions, faith in God and optimism). The participants faced extensive challenges, which were made worse by the confusion and ambiguity about the information, quarantine, and social isolation. To continue living, the participants tried to adapt to situations. These results provide a guiding framework for policymaking and intervention.
1. Wu JT, Leung K, Leung GM. Nowcasting and forecasting the potential domestic and international spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak originating in Wuhan, China: a modelling study. Lancet 2020;395:689-97.
2. Lebow JL. Family in the Age of COVID‐19. Fam Process 2020;59:309-12.
3. Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC, Kurosawa M, Benedek DM. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020;74:281-2.
4. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, Iosifidis C, et al. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. Int J Surg 2020;78:185-93.
5. Hashimoto K, Gao J, Zheng P, Jia Y, Chen H, Mao Y, et al. Mental health problems and social media exposure during COVID-19 outbreak. Plos One 2020;15:e0231924.
6. Heitman J, Morens DM, Fauci AS. Emerging Infectious Diseases: Threats to Human Health and Global Stability. PLoS Pathog 2013;9:e1003467.
7. Kwok KO, Li KK, Hin Chan HH, Yi YY, Tang A, Wei WI, et al. Community Responses during Early Phase of COVID-19 Epidemic, Hong Kong. Emerg Infect Dis 2020;26:1575-9.
8. Mohammed A, Sheikh TL, Gidado S, Poggensee G, Nguku P, Olayinka A, et al. An evaluation of psychological distress and social support of survivors and contacts of Ebola virus disease infection and their relatives in Lagos, Nigeria: a cross sectional study − 2014. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:824.
9. Huang L, Lei W, Xu F, Liu H, Yu L. Emotional responses and coping strategies in nurses and nursing students during Covid-19 outbreak: A comparative study. PloS one 2020;15:e0237303.
10. Haftom M, Petrucka P, Gemechu K, Mamo H, Tsegay T, Amare E, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards covid-19 pandemic among quarantined adults in Tigrai region, Ethiopia. Infect Drug Resist 2020;13:3727-37.
11. Islam MS, Ferdous MZ, Potenza MN. Panic and generalized anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi people: An online pilot survey early in the outbreak. J Affect Disord 2020;276:30-7.
12. Tee ML, Tee CA, Anlacan JP, Aligam KJG, Reyes PWC, Kuruchittham V, et al. Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. J Affect Disord 2020;277:379-91.
13. Qian M, Wu Q, Wu P, Hou Z, Liang Y, Cowling BJ, et al. Psychological responses, behavioral changes and public perceptions during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China: a population based cross-sectional survey. MedRxiv 2020. (Preprint)
14. Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, Tan Y, Xu L, McIntyre RS, et al. A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain Behav Immun 2020;87:40-8.
15. 15. Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2020;277:55-64.
16. Zhang W, Zhao X, Wu W, Zhang J. Recommended psychological crisis intervention response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in China: a model of West China Hospital. Precis Clin Med 2020;3:3-8.
17. Bish A, Michie S. Demographic and attitudinal determinants of protective behaviours during a pandemic: A review. Br J Health Psychol 2010;15:797-824.
18. Yeung NC, Lau JT, Choi KC, Griffiths S. Population Responses during the Pandemic Phase of the Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Epidemic, Hong Kong, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2017;23:813-5.
19. Whitehead BR, Torossian E, Meeks S. Older Adults' Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Stresses and Joys. Gerontologist 2021;61:36-47.
20. Elo S, Kyngäs H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs 2008;62:107-15.
21. Polit D, Beck C. Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012.
22. Sim J, Saunders B, Waterfield J, Kingstone T. Can sample size in qualitative research be determined a priori? Int J Soc Res Methodol 2018;21:619-34.
23. Cypress BS. Rigor or Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. Dimens Crit Care Nurs 2017;36:253-63.
24. Rolland JS. COVID‐19 Pandemic: Applying a Multisystemic Lens. Fam Proc 2020;59:922-36.
25. Shorey S, Ang E, Yamina A, Tam C. Perceptions of public on the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore: a qualitative content analysis. J Public Health (Oxf) 2020;42:665-71.
26. Ahmadi K, Ramezani MA. Iranian Emotional Experience and Expression During the COVID-19 Crisis. Asia Pac J Public Health 2020;32:285-6.
27. Serafini G, Parmigiani B, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Sher L, Amore M. The psychological impact of COVID-19 on the mental health in the general population. QJM 2020;113:531-7.
28. Abel T, McQueen D. Critical health literacy and the COVID-19 crisis. Health Promot Int 2020;35:1612-3.
29. Caleo G, Duncombe J, Jephcott F, Lokuge K, Mills C, Looijen E, et al. The factors affecting household transmission dynamics and community compliance with Ebola control measures: a mixed-methods study in a rural village in Sierra Leone. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:248.
30. Freedman DO, Wilder-Smith A. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Journal of Travel Medicine. 2020;27:taaa020.
31. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 2020;395:912-20.
32. Chew QH, Wei KC, Vasoo S, Chua HC, Sim K. Narrative synthesis of psychological and coping responses towards emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the general population: practical considerations for the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore Med J 2020;61:350-6.
33. Lucchetti G, Goes LG, Amaral SG, Ganadjian GT, Andrade I, Almeida POA, et al. Spirituality, religiosity and the mental health consequences of social isolation during Covid-19 pandemic. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2021;67:672-9.
34. Pirutinsky S, Cherniak AD, Rosmarin DH. COVID-19, Mental Health, and Religious Coping Among American Orthodox Jews. J Relig Health 2020;59:2288-301.
2. Lebow JL. Family in the Age of COVID‐19. Fam Process 2020;59:309-12.
3. Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC, Kurosawa M, Benedek DM. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020;74:281-2.
4. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, Iosifidis C, et al. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. Int J Surg 2020;78:185-93.
5. Hashimoto K, Gao J, Zheng P, Jia Y, Chen H, Mao Y, et al. Mental health problems and social media exposure during COVID-19 outbreak. Plos One 2020;15:e0231924.
6. Heitman J, Morens DM, Fauci AS. Emerging Infectious Diseases: Threats to Human Health and Global Stability. PLoS Pathog 2013;9:e1003467.
7. Kwok KO, Li KK, Hin Chan HH, Yi YY, Tang A, Wei WI, et al. Community Responses during Early Phase of COVID-19 Epidemic, Hong Kong. Emerg Infect Dis 2020;26:1575-9.
8. Mohammed A, Sheikh TL, Gidado S, Poggensee G, Nguku P, Olayinka A, et al. An evaluation of psychological distress and social support of survivors and contacts of Ebola virus disease infection and their relatives in Lagos, Nigeria: a cross sectional study − 2014. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:824.
9. Huang L, Lei W, Xu F, Liu H, Yu L. Emotional responses and coping strategies in nurses and nursing students during Covid-19 outbreak: A comparative study. PloS one 2020;15:e0237303.
10. Haftom M, Petrucka P, Gemechu K, Mamo H, Tsegay T, Amare E, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards covid-19 pandemic among quarantined adults in Tigrai region, Ethiopia. Infect Drug Resist 2020;13:3727-37.
11. Islam MS, Ferdous MZ, Potenza MN. Panic and generalized anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic among Bangladeshi people: An online pilot survey early in the outbreak. J Affect Disord 2020;276:30-7.
12. Tee ML, Tee CA, Anlacan JP, Aligam KJG, Reyes PWC, Kuruchittham V, et al. Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. J Affect Disord 2020;277:379-91.
13. Qian M, Wu Q, Wu P, Hou Z, Liang Y, Cowling BJ, et al. Psychological responses, behavioral changes and public perceptions during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in China: a population based cross-sectional survey. MedRxiv 2020. (Preprint)
14. Wang C, Pan R, Wan X, Tan Y, Xu L, McIntyre RS, et al. A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain Behav Immun 2020;87:40-8.
15. 15. Xiong J, Lipsitz O, Nasri F, Lui LMW, Gill H, Phan L, et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2020;277:55-64.
16. Zhang W, Zhao X, Wu W, Zhang J. Recommended psychological crisis intervention response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in China: a model of West China Hospital. Precis Clin Med 2020;3:3-8.
17. Bish A, Michie S. Demographic and attitudinal determinants of protective behaviours during a pandemic: A review. Br J Health Psychol 2010;15:797-824.
18. Yeung NC, Lau JT, Choi KC, Griffiths S. Population Responses during the Pandemic Phase of the Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Epidemic, Hong Kong, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2017;23:813-5.
19. Whitehead BR, Torossian E, Meeks S. Older Adults' Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Stresses and Joys. Gerontologist 2021;61:36-47.
20. Elo S, Kyngäs H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs 2008;62:107-15.
21. Polit D, Beck C. Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2012.
22. Sim J, Saunders B, Waterfield J, Kingstone T. Can sample size in qualitative research be determined a priori? Int J Soc Res Methodol 2018;21:619-34.
23. Cypress BS. Rigor or Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. Dimens Crit Care Nurs 2017;36:253-63.
24. Rolland JS. COVID‐19 Pandemic: Applying a Multisystemic Lens. Fam Proc 2020;59:922-36.
25. Shorey S, Ang E, Yamina A, Tam C. Perceptions of public on the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore: a qualitative content analysis. J Public Health (Oxf) 2020;42:665-71.
26. Ahmadi K, Ramezani MA. Iranian Emotional Experience and Expression During the COVID-19 Crisis. Asia Pac J Public Health 2020;32:285-6.
27. Serafini G, Parmigiani B, Amerio A, Aguglia A, Sher L, Amore M. The psychological impact of COVID-19 on the mental health in the general population. QJM 2020;113:531-7.
28. Abel T, McQueen D. Critical health literacy and the COVID-19 crisis. Health Promot Int 2020;35:1612-3.
29. Caleo G, Duncombe J, Jephcott F, Lokuge K, Mills C, Looijen E, et al. The factors affecting household transmission dynamics and community compliance with Ebola control measures: a mixed-methods study in a rural village in Sierra Leone. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:248.
30. Freedman DO, Wilder-Smith A. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Journal of Travel Medicine. 2020;27:taaa020.
31. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet 2020;395:912-20.
32. Chew QH, Wei KC, Vasoo S, Chua HC, Sim K. Narrative synthesis of psychological and coping responses towards emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the general population: practical considerations for the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore Med J 2020;61:350-6.
33. Lucchetti G, Goes LG, Amaral SG, Ganadjian GT, Andrade I, Almeida POA, et al. Spirituality, religiosity and the mental health consequences of social isolation during Covid-19 pandemic. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2021;67:672-9.
34. Pirutinsky S, Cherniak AD, Rosmarin DH. COVID-19, Mental Health, and Religious Coping Among American Orthodox Jews. J Relig Health 2020;59:2288-301.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 61 No 1 (2023) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/acta.v61i1.12125 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Outbreak Crises of the epidemic Adult Coronavirus Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Qualitative study Iran | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Mahdizadeh S-M, Afzalaghaei M, Mahdizadeh M. Exposure to COVID-19 Outbreak: A Qualitative Study on Adult People’s Experiences. Acta Med Iran. 2023;61(1):43-51.
