Group‐specific contact and sense of connectedness during the COVID‐19 pandemic and its associations with psychological well‐being, perceived stress, and work‐life balance

Abstract

Theories of social cure, sense of community, and social identity suggest that feelings of connectedness affect how we have coped with the COVID‐19 pandemic. Although people can feel connected to a variety of different groups, such as their family, friends, co‐workers, neighbours, nation, or all humanity, previous research has focused on connectedness to only a subset of these groups. To examine the relative importance of connectedness to and contact with specific groups for well‐being, stress, and work‐life balance during the pandemic, we conducted a longitudinal experience sampling study ( N = 578) during the first 8 weeks of the Spring 2020 COVID‐19 lockdown in Germany. Feeling connected to family members most strongly predicted psychological well‐being (positively) and perceived stress (negatively) during the lockdown, followed by a sense of connectedness with friends and neighbours. Sense of connectedness to other groups did not predict well‐being, stress, or work‐life balance when controlling for the respective other groups. Hence, it not only matters whether or not a person feels connected to a group but also to which specific group he or she feels connected.

Between division and connection: a qualitative study of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on social relationships in the United Kingdom

“…By documenting the plethora of lived experiences, as well as the important role of the quality of social connections in shaping lived experiences of the first UK national lockdown, our findings build on existing evidence that shows COVID-19 measures have given rise to multiple, anachronic and diverse lived realities within the same country (Osterrieder et al, 2021;Schneiders et al, 2021). These findings lead us to suggest expanding existing definitions of COVID-19 related vulnerability from a focus solely on biological factors to also include social factors, most notably considerations about social capital, cohesion, and connectedness (Lalot et al, 2021;Pitas & Ehmer, 2020;Wu, 2021). Our study thus highlights the need to better support those most vulnerable to the negative effects of isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns, and echoes other authors calling for increased support for socially vulnerable groups, including older people (Arpino et al, 2021;van Tilburg et al, 2021) and those living on their own (Kamin et al, 2021).…”

“…Similarly, trust in government was found to mediate the association between community resilience and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic (Zhang et al, 2021) and to be associated with greater compliance with COVID-19 measures (Dohle et al, 2020). Recent research on the role of social cohesion in the UK further suggests that investments in community integration programmes prior to the pandemic helped individuals and communities cope better with the impacts of COVID-19, and resulted in stronger and more connected communities, as measured by higher levels of reported social activism, closer personal relationships, and greater interpersonal and political trust (Lalot et al, 2021).…”

“…Importantly, those who were able to draw on positive household, family and community relationships as a source of practical and emotional support during lockdown, experienced their relationships as helpful for handling pandemic related stressors. Other studies have also shown that positive relationships and a sense of connectedness are important factors to support individual coping and resilience during times of stress and adversity ( Cohen, 2004 ), including during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Landmann & Rohmann, 2021 ). Similarly, research on the experience of living with COVID-19 infection highlights that caring relationships and social connections are key to feeling supported and able to cope with uncertainty and isolation ( Missel et al , 2021 ).…”

Well-Being and the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The second factor, participation (Churchman et al, 2017), emphasizes the role of community-based interactions and practices by highlighting the importance of social connectedness and shared actions to maintain individual and collective well-being in times of physical distancing, as detailed by Van Bavel et al (2020) and Velázquez et al (2017). In particular, a sense of connectedness possesses a strong effect on people’s well-being (Haslam et al, 2018), especially concerning first of all the family group to which one feels connected, recently specifically examined by Landmann and Rohmann (2021).…”

The societal relevance of communities in theCOVID‐19 era

“…Drawing on social identity and community approaches, Landmann and Rohmann (2022) focused on social connectedness as a means of coping with the COVID‐19 pandemic. The authors employed a longitudinal approach to explore the association of contact with specific groups with variables related to well‐being in a German adult sample.…”