Influences on the physical and mental health of people with serious mental ill-health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being
; 17(1): 2122135, 2022 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2008459
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
People with severe mental ill-health (SMI) experience profound health inequalities. The Optimizing Wellbeing in Self-isolation study (OWLS) explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on people with SMI, including how and why their physical and mental health may have changed during the pandemic.METHODS:
The OLWS study comprised two surveys and two nested qualitative studies. Of 367 people recruited to the study, 235 expressed interest in taking part in a qualitative interview. In the first qualitative study eighteen interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of participants.RESULTS:
We identified six factors which influenced peoples' health, positively and negatively Staying Physically Active; Maintaining a Balanced and Healthy Diet; Work or Not Working; Daily Routine and Good Sleep; Staying Connected to Family, Friends and the Local Community; and Habits, Addictions and Coping with Anxiety Created by the Pandemic.CONCLUSIONS:
Different aspects of lifestyle are highly interconnected. For people with SMI, loss of routine and good sleep, poor diet and lack of exercise can compound each other, leading to a decline in physical and mental health. If people are supported to understand what helps them stay well, they can establish their own frameworks to draw on during difficult times.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
/
Mental Disorders
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
17482631.2022.2122135
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