Adapting to change during the pandemic: The impact of COVID-19 on people living with HIV, and their coping strategies
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 lockdowns led to people living with HIV experiencing lack of social connectedness, social isolation, difficulties with using technology and accessing health care and support services easily. The presented study sought to understand the challenges caused by COVID-19 and coping strategies. Methods: The study was conducted using focus groups with nineteen participants. Participants lost social connectedness, struggled to learn technology, and felt isolated in the absence of face to face peer support activities provided by HIV community support services. Participants employed a range of positive coping strategies including appreciation of the outdoors and volunteering. Conclusion: People living with value social contact and face-face support offered through HIV voluntary sector organisations. The absence of this led to compromised social and emotional wellbeing. This focus group-based research with provision of communal lunch however, played a part in addressing isolation, appreciation of social contact and limiting the psychological impact caused by COVID-19 lockdowns.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
- Brown B, Taylor J and Fisher CB. Mitigating Isolation of People Aging With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Public Health Reports, 2021, 136(4): 394-396. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211015661
- McGinnis KA, Skanderson M, Justice AC, et al. HIV care using differentiated service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cohort study in the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Journal of International AIDS Society, 2021, 24: e25810. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25810
- Martin V, Shah A, Mackay N, et al. HIV testing, new HIV diagnoses, outcomes and quality of care for people accessing HIV services. The annual official statistics data release (data to end of December 2020). UK Health Security Agency, London, 2021.
- Martins Van Jaarsveld G. The effects of COVID-19 among the elderly population: a case for closing the digital divide. Frontiers in psychiatry, 2020, 11: 1211. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.577427
- O'Brien KK, Bayoumi AM, Chan Carusone S, et al. Disability and self-care living strategies among adults living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic. AIDS Research and Therapy, 2021, 18(1): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12981-021-00413-4
- Jia R, Ayling K, Chalder T, et al. Mental health in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analyses from a community cohort study. BMJ open, 2020, 10(9): e040620. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040620
- Sun Y, Zhan Y, Li H, et al. Stakeholder efforts to mitigate antiretroviral therapy interruption among people living with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A qualitative study. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2021, 24(9): e25781. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25781
- Matambanadzo P, Busza J, Mafaune H, et al. "It went through the roof": an observation study exploring the rise in PrEP uptake among Zimbabwean female sex workers in response to adaptations during Covid-19. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2021, 24: e25813. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25813
- Mpofu M, Moyo T, Gilbert M, et al. Distribution of antiretroviral therapy through private pharmacies and postal courier services during COVID-19 in Botswana: acceptability and reach of two out-of-facility individual differentiated service delivery models. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 2021, 24: e25814. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25814
- Shiau S, Krause K D, Valera P, et al. The burden of COVID-19 in people living with HIV: a syndemic perspective. AIDS and Behavior, 2020, 24: 2244-2249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02871-9
- Pantelic M, Martin K, Fitzpatrick C, et al. ``I have the strength to get through this using my past experiences with HIV'': findings from a mixed-method survey of health outcomes, service accessibility, and psychosocial wellbeing among people living with HIV during the Covid-19 pandemic. AIDS care, 2022, 34(7): 821-827. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2021.1975628
- Marziali ME, Armstrong HL, Closson K, et al. Loneliness and self-rated physical health among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Vancouver, Canada. Journal of Epidemiol Community Health, 2020, 74(7): 553-559. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213566
- Marziali ME, Armstrong HL, Closson K, et al. Loneliness and self-rated physical health among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Vancouver, Canada. Journal of Epidemiol Community Health, 2020, 74(7): 553-559. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213566
- Nguyen AL, Christensen C, Taylor J, et al. Leaning on community-based participatory research to respond during COVID-19. AIDS and Behavior, 2020, 24: 2773-2775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02922-1
- Rogers RW. Cognitive and physiological processes in fear appeals and attitude change: A revised theory of protection motivation. Social psychology: A source book, 1983: 153-176.
- Ezati Rad R, Mohseni S, Kamalzadeh Takhti H, et al. Application of the protection motivation theory for predicting COVID-19 preventive behaviors in Hormozgan, Iran: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 2021, 21(1): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10500-w
- Pilch I, Wardawy P and Probierz E. The predictors of adaptive and maladaptive coping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Protection Motivation Theory and the Big Five personality traits. PLoS One, 2021, 16(10): e0258606. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258606
- Braun V and Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2006, 3(2): 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
- Pereira H, Pedro J, Mendes C, et al. Psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on lesbian, gay, and bisexual people living in Portugal and Brazil—a qualitative study. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 2021, 3(2): 146-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318211017466
- Parisi CE, Varma DS, Wang Y, et al. Changes in mental health among people with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative and quantitative perspectives. AIDS and Behavior, 2022: 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-021-03547-8
- Okabe-Miyamoto K and Lyubomirsky S. Social Connection and Wellbeing during COVID, 2021. https://worldhappiness.report
- Bavel JJV, Baicker K, Boggio PS, et al. Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nature Human Behaviour, 2020, 4(5): 460-471. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0884-z
- Vieira JB, Pierzchajlo S, Jangard S, et al. Perceived threat and acute anxiety predict increased everyday altruism during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/n3t5c
- Grimalda G, Buchan NR, Ozturk OD, et al. Exposure to COVID-19 is associated with increased altruism, particularly at the local level. Scientific reports, 2021, 11(1): 18950. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97234-2
- Ashbullby KJ, Pahl S, Webley P, et al. The beach as a setting for families' health promotion: A qualitative study with parents and children living in coastal regions in Southwest England. Health and place, 2013, 23: 138-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.06.005