Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec;17(1):2062820.
doi: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2062820.

Living with cystic fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: a social connectedness perspective

Maggie Harrigan  1   2 , Kellie Bennett  1 , Siobhain Mulrennan  1   2   3 , Melanie Jessup  4
Affiliations

Living with cystic fibrosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: a social connectedness perspective

Maggie Harrigan et al. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the concept of social connectedness for adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), generally and during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help inform contemporary CF healthcare. Social connectedness is an essential component of belonging and refers to an individual's sense of closeness with the social world. Unique disease factors make exploration of social connectedness pertinent, added to by COVID-19, with the CF population potentially facing increased risk for severe illness.

Methods: Seventeen adults with CF in Western Australia undertook interviews, with findings categorized as overarching themes.

Results: In a general sense, participants described social connectedness challenges caused by CF, despite which they reported meaningful connections that benefits their mental and physical health. Within a COVID-19 specific context, participants demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, highlighted the importance of empathy in relation to the pandemic, and described how social support is both an outcome and enhancer of social connectedness.

Conclusions: This study contributes to limited social connectedness literature within CF and chronic illness in general, highlighting the importance of social connectedness awareness raising, assessments and interventions in CF healthcare inside and outside the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cystic Fibrosis (CF); Western Australia; belonging; chronic illness; mental health; qualitative; resilience; social connectedness; social support.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323211014858

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Overview of prominent themes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. ABC News . (2021). Online. WA has a ‘go hard, go early’ approach to COVID-19 lockdowns, but what is the pathway out? Retrieved March 04, 2022, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-18/wa-hard-lockdown-approach-pathway...
    1. American Psychology Association . (2021). Online. road to resilience. Retrieved August 15, 2021, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
    1. Amja, K., Vigouroux, M., Pagé, M. G., & Hovey, R. B. (2021). The experiences of people living with chronic pain during a pandemic: “Crumbling dreams with uncertain futures”. Qualitative Health Research, 10.1177/10497323211014858. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ang, S. H., Cavanagh, J., Sothcombe, A., Bartram, T., Marjoribanks, T., & McNeil, N. (2015). Human resource management, social connectedness and health and well-being of older and retired men: The role of Men’s Sheds. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28(14), 1986–14. 10.1080/09585192.2015.1088886 - DOI
    1. Armitage, R. A., & Nellums, L. B. (2020). COVID-19 and the consequences of isolating the elderly. The Lancet Public Health, 5(5), E256. 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30061-X - DOI - PMC - PubMed