Poverty during COVID-19: Exploring positive outcomes and levels of family cohesion

ABSTRACT

Poverty can negatively impact an individual's life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been just one more potential stressor to families in already vulnerable positions. However, given the research supporting family cohesion serving as a protective factor against adversity, the current study explored the positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported by families in need within Southwest Ohio and receiving services from the Success Program (SP). Additionally, the study examined whether there were differences between reported positivity based on families with low family cohesion and families with high family cohesion. Results from the study indicated that the majority of participants reported a sense of togetherness and or closeness as the main positive outcome of the pandemic. Whether participants had low or high family cohesion did not appear to factor into the frequency of togetherness and closeness being recognized as positive for these families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)