The psychological effects of staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The most significant individual safety measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic include physical distancing, quarantine, and isolation. Although such steps are taken to control the spread of the pandemic, they may also cause various psychological problems. This study attempts to identify individual perceptions of staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic through metaphors, and examines the relationship between these perceptions and stress, depression, and anxiety. This research utilizes a mixed method design called the embedded design. The analyses were performed on data collected from 96 women and 80 men aged 18–57. Qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis technique, while quantitative data were analyzed through the Kruskal-Wallis test. The findings showed that most of the participants viewed staying home as confinement, experienced boredom/depression because of staying home, and felt helpless. On the other hand, some participants concentrated on the positive sides of staying home and considered it a responsible behavior, an opportunity, and a requirement for feeling safe. The individuals who viewed staying home as confinement and a cause for boredom/depression experienced more psychological problems, whereas those who perceived it as a responsibility or opportunity experienced fewer psychological problems. Considering the literature on the contribution of positive thinking to the well-being of individuals, as well as the lower levels of psychological problems in individuals who maintain their positive perspectives despite the negativities of staying home due to the pandemic, we recommend that mental health professionals focus on the development of positive feelings and thoughts in their interventions.