Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the physical and mental health of many and has necessitated widespread societal shifts, including changes to work and family activities. These changes have impacted individuals’ identity, including their sexual self-image and body image, yet research on perceptions of these changes is missing. This study reports on quantitative and qualitative data from an electronic survey with adults in the United States (N = 326) to examine these perceptions. Body appreciation did not significantly differ between demographic groups. Themes emerging from the qualitative results included changes in general self-image (becoming more restricted or disempowered), changes in sexual self-image (deepening, becoming more sexy/sexual, or less sexy/sexual), and changes in body image (positive, negative, and neutral). Our findings point to positive, negative, and neutral effects on sexual self-image and body image, implying that nuanced approaches are needed to understand how identity has transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
Clemon George and PaulCOVID-19 has direct effects on people [1] e.g., difficulty breathing, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, nausea, gastrointestinal distress; as well as indirect psychological, emotional, and relational effects
We argue that two core personal beliefs include our body image and concept of a sexual being, and that they have both been challenged as a result of the cultural trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic
We argue that COVID-19 is likely a transition that has influenced people’s sense of self, so our focus is on how the pandemic, conceptualized as a turning point, influences sexual identity and body image
Summary
Clemon George and PaulCOVID-19 has direct effects on people [1] e.g., difficulty breathing, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, nausea, gastrointestinal distress; as well as indirect psychological, emotional, and relational effects. Preliminary research indicates that COVID-19 may increase loneliness [2], stress [3], suicidality [4,5], and interpersonal violence [6,7]. One salient impact of COVID-19 is on people’s identity, or sense of self, given the isolation and disconnection that many have experienced. A few studies have explored the links between COVID-19 and identity. Jaspal and Nerlich [8], for instance examined the relevance of social representations theory and identity process theory to the COVID-19 context. Other scholars have investigated how COVID-19 impacts identity in particular contexts, including teaching communities about COVID-19 prevention [9], moral injury in healthcare professionals [10], and discrimination and mental health [11]
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