THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIA PROCESS ON THE FAMILY

Abstract

The coronavirus infection epidemic, declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, emerged in China in late 2019. In addition to the measures announced by the World Health Organization in order to prevent the epidemic and protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic process we are in, travel restrictions planned and implemented by the country's governments, social distance rule, curfew, social isolation, quarantine, flexibility in working hours, distance education and The practice of working from home has changed people's lives. Various measures have been taken to protect the individual and the society, with calls such as "Stay at Home" and "Life Comes Home". In general, all these measures, restrictions and curfews have affected the society, but have also caused changes in the functioning of the family institution, the smallest structure of the society, and the roles of family members. During the COVID-19 pandemic process, family members had to spend most of their time at home and family members of all ages were affected by this obligation. Families have had to cope with difficulties such as the use of masks, social distance, isolation and quarantine in daily life and get used to this life order. In order to prevent contamination of family members with COVID-19 infection to other family members, the death of the family member with COVID-19 infection, the sickness of other family members, along with difficulties such as ensuring the effectiveness and continuity of domestic hygiene, maintaining physical distance, using a mask at home, many mental difficulties were also experienced due to reasons such as not adapting to the lifestyle. It was necessary to reveal how the process, which affects life to a great extent and requires such measures, which is difficult and with a high stress burden, affects the family institution, the smallest unit of the society. In this context, in this study, in line with the literature, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic process on family life and family members in the home environment will be discussed.