ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant effects on people's well-being and also on their ordinary work activities. This study aims to investigate the emotions, relational experience and well-being of academic personnel who continued their activities in remote working, during the Italian lockdown period in the months of March and April 2020. For this purpose, 87 workers (55 % scholars and 45 % university clerks) filled out an online quali-quantitative questionnaire about their experiences of being in lockdown and doing their work remotely. Qualitative data were analyzed through Grounded Theory Methodology using the ATLAS.ti 8.4 software. From the coding process, the following macro-categories emerged: remote working, affects and interpersonal relationships in lockdown. Then cross-tabs intertwined the code groups emerged with work role and gender of participants. In the end, the frequencies in the cross-tabs were analyzed by Chi square test. Quantitative data were analyzed through Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using SPSS 22 software. The results showed that scholars consider remote working mainly as a critical issue, while clerks see it more as a resource. Moreover, clerks more frequently report negative feelings of anxiety, fear and anger, while scholars more frequently report loneliness. Regarding interpersonal relationships, no significant differences between scholars and clerks were observed. Neither affects nor interpersonal relationships were associated with gender differences. Moreover, clerks reported lower economic and overall well-being compared to scholars. Finally, results highlighted the importance of the mattering role of human relations in work activities;this core category gives some practical implications that will be discussed extensively. © 2022 Sapienza Universita Editrice. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic's effects through the lens of community psychology. Our study applied PRISMA methodology, and it was carried out using the PsycInfo, PubMed, Embase, and EBSCO databases utilizing the keywords "connectedness," "resilience," "shared action," "social action," "trust," "individual well-being," and "social well-being." We selected 12 of 216 eligible publications based on the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that the role of trust in institutions and others is a protective factor for communities that experience crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, developing social actions promoted connections and social support and that, in the absence of in-person communication, online communication promoted connections and reduced psychological distress and isolation. Finally, the study revealed that some psychosocial factors stem from declines in people's well-being due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Furthermore, our findings highlighted the role of technology as a positive communication tool for promoting connectedness and social support, as well as the social function of trust in institutions. Our results suggested that community interactions at the local and virtual levels should be viewed as positive actions to support institutions in detecting the most effective social intervention measures to stimulate individual and community well-being during the pandemic. These findings may serve as a guide for health policymakers in their efforts to face the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic supporting beneficial strategies for social planning and effective public policies. Finally, both the strengths and limitations of the research will be discussed in depth.