A Look at the First Quarantined Community in the USA: Response of Religious Communal Organizations and Implications for Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The current study examined anxiety and distress among members of the first community to be quarantined in the USA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to being historically significant, the current sample was unusual in that those quarantined were all members of a Modern Orthodox Jewish community and were connected via religious institutions at which exposure may have occurred. We sought to explore the community and religious factors unique to this sample, as they relate to the psychological and public health impact of quarantine. Community organizations were trusted more than any other source of COVID-19-related information, including federal, state and other government agencies, including the CDC, WHO and media news sources. This was supported qualitatively with open-ended responses in which participants described the range of supports organized by community organizations. These included tangible needs (i.e., food delivery), social support, virtual religious services, and dissemination of COVID-19-related information. The overall levels of distress and anxiety were elevated and directly associated with what was reported to be largely inadequate and inconsistent health-related information received from local departments of health. In addition, the majority of participants felt that perception of or concern about future stigma related to a COVID-19 diagnosis or association of COVID-19 with the Jewish community was high and also significantly predicted distress and anxiety. The current study demonstrates the ways in which religious institutions can play a vital role in promoting the well-being of their constituents. During this unprecedented pandemic, public health authorities have an opportunity to form partnerships with religious institutions in the common interests of promoting health, relaying accurate information and supporting the psychosocial needs of community members, as well as protecting communities against stigma and discrimination.

Spirituality, religiosity and the mental health consequences of social isolation during Covid-19 pandemic

“…One of the few studies that investigated the influence of R/S on health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Weinberger-Litman et al, 2020 ) included 303 members of North American religious communities and found no association between religious commitment with distress or anxiety. According to the authors, the lack of association is because this population is very religious and composed of members of specific religious traditions which may lead to a low variability of responses and minimized the statistical power.…”

COVID-19 Communication Ecology: Visualizing Communication Resource Connections During a Public Health Emergency Using Network Analysis

“…And we observe this importance in our results, as both conservative and liberal communication resources were found to exert strong influence on the network and facilitate communication activity across the network. Additionally, during a public health emergency, local organizations may be important and trusted sources of information and resources ( Weinberger-Litman et al, 2020 ), which explains their importance in the COVID-19 communication ecology observed here.…”

“A Divine Infection”: A Systematic Review on the Roles of Religious Communities During the Early Stage of COVID-19

“…Twenty-six studies reported on the mitigating role of religion during the early stage of COVID-19 (Ahmed & Memish, 2020 ; Al-Rousan & Al-Najjar, 2020 ; Ali & Alharbi, 2020 ; Atique & Itumalla, 2020 ; Crubézy & Telmon, 2020 ; Ebrahim & Memish, 2020a , 2020b ; Escher, 2020 ; Frei-Landau, 2020 ; Gautret et al, 2020 ; Ha, 2020 ; Hong & Handal, 2020 ; Iqbal et al, 2020 ; Kim et al, 2020 ; McCloskey, et al, 2020a , 2020b ; Memish et al, 2020 ; Muurlink & Taylor-Robinson, 2020 ; Quadri, 2020 ; Tarimo & Wu, 2020 ; Waitzberg et al, 2020 ; Weinberger-Litman et al, 2020 ; Wildman et al, 2020 ; Wong et al, 2020 ; Yezli & Khan, 2020a , 2020b ) (Appendix 3 ).…”

“…During the early stage of COVID-19, various religious institutions have collaborated with science sector and government authorities to innovate new measures of continuing religious commitments and rituals through social networks, TV channels, or live streaming (Capponi, 2020 ; Frei-Landau, 2020 ). These new innovative measures following public health information have been effectively implemented by religious leaders as some religious believers tend to have more faith in religious leaders than science or public health guidelines (Kim et al, 2020 ; Quadri, 2020 ; Weinberger-Litman et al, 2020 ). This clearly demonstrates how powerful religious leaders can be in delivering public health messages and highlights the importance of collaborating with religious sectors when facing public health crises.…”