“Now We Are All in the Same Boat. At the Same Time, We Are Not.” Meaning-Making and Coping Under COVID-19 Lockdown in Norway

Abstract

On March 12, 2020, Norway went on lockdown to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. Near overnight, people faced a new and unfamiliar situation, with restrictive measures in place, extensive uncertainty and the closing down of much of society. The present study explores the meaning-making and coping in everyday life of 16 participants interviewed early in the pandemic. Norway, compared to many other settings in the world, is a privileged context. Nonetheless, participants struggled with this breach with their normal lives. The participants spoke of adapting to the new normal, how the concept of time had changed, how they handled socialisation, dealing with restricted freedom, and imagining the future. Actively drawing on communal coping, as well as problem-focused and emotion-focused individual coping strategies, participants’ accounts illustrate the on-going process of making meaning of their new lives under lockdown. In our discussion, we synthesise various coping processes that the participants made use of in their handling of the new situation. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is a shared stressor, it influences people differently, and our research contributes with valuable insights into this variation. The recognition of different meaning-making and coping strategies is crucial, as it can constructively inform the development of political and social responses to the pandemic that actively encompasses the variation in individual experiences and ramifications.

You can’t do anything about it, but you can make the best of it: a qualitative analysis of pandemic-related experiences in six European countries

“…working groups) and society in general was also reported. This finding is in line with an interview study noting an increased sense of community during the pandemic (Sandbakken & Moss, 2021 ), but in opposition with a representative study concluding that social cohesion declined in comparison to the pre-pandemic period (Borkowska & Laurence, 2021 ). It is likely that the perception of cohesion varies depending on the way it is operationalized, on the pandemic phase, the sample composition, or the interplay of sociopolitical factors at the time of data assessment.…”

“…Although all identified themes were present in all of the countries, their frequency distributions varied. The variety of participants’ accounts and observed cross-country differences support studies which highlight the role of context in perceiving pandemic-related events and coping with them (Sandbakken & Moss, 2021 ). Thus, country-specific factors and individual particularities seem to be essential for understanding how people adjust to the pandemic.…”

“…Changes in daily life caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have impacted people differently (Sandbakken & Moss, 2021 ). Whereas a considerable number of studies have reported a detrimental impact of COVID-19 on mental health (Krishnamoorthy, Nagarajan, Saya, & Menon, 2020 ), much less is known about individual mechanisms of coping and adapting to this new environment.…”

“…The existing qualitative studies were mainly interested in experiences of selected target groups, such as healthcare workers, adolescents, and pregnant women (Arnetz, Goetz, Arnetz, & Arble, 2020 ; Javaid et al, 2021 ; Waselewski, Waselewski, & Chang, 2020 ). Only a few qualitative studies have investigated the general population, providing insights into positive consequences of the pandemic (Günther-Bel, Vilaregut, Carratala, Torras-Garat, & Pérez-Testor, 2020 ), emotional reasons for stockpiling (Lehberger, Kleih, & Sparke, 2021 ), and meaning-making processes during the pandemic (Marinaci et al, 2021 ; Sandbakken & Moss, 2021 ). In the UK, a focus group study found that loss, unclear governmental communication, social distancing, and uncertainty were prevailing themes among participants (Williams et al, 2020 ).…”

‘This bloody rona!’: using the digital story completion method and thematic analysis to explore the mental health impacts of COVID-19 in Australia

“…Socially oriented coping strategies, as well as mindfulness or positive thinking, emerge across this literature as productive and healthy approaches to cope with COVID-19-related distress. 54–56 While we identified these coping strategies across stories, respondents also suggested additional practical approaches including strategies to limit the risk of contracting COVID-19, reading reputable material to learn facts or combat myths about the virus, or engaging in practical actions to alleviate anxiety (such as Ali shopping for their parent). The characters sought out or offered a combination of cognitive, emotional and practical support or coping strategies to address distress.…”