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Fernandes-Jesus, Maria, Mao, Guanlan, Ntontis, Evangelos, Cocking, Chris, McTague, Michael, Schwarz, Anna, Semlyen, Joanna 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5372-1344 and Drury, John
(2021)
More than a COVID-19 response: Sustaining mutual aid groups during and beyond the pandemic.
Frontiers in Public Health, 12.
ISSN 2296-2565
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Abstract
Mutual aid groups have been an indispensable part of the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided many forms of support, in particular grocery shopping which has enabled people to self-isolate if required. While community solidarity during emergencies and disasters is common, previous studies have shown that such solidarity behaviors tend to decline over time, even when needs remain high. In this study, we address how mutual aid groups can be sustained over time in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 32 interviews with organizers of COVID-19 mutual aid and community support groups in the United Kingdom between September 2020 and January 2021. Based on a reflexive thematic analysis, we identified several community and group level experiences and strategies that were related to sustained participation in COVID-19 mutual aid groups. Meeting community needs over time with localized action and resources and building trust and community-based alliances were foundational elements in the COVID-19 mutual aid groups. Group processes strategies, such as a culture of care and support and regular group meetings, were used to help to sustain involvement. Some experiences resulting from participation in COVID-19 mutual aid groups were also related to sustained participation, including positive emotions (e.g., joy, pride), well-being and sense of efficacy, and an increasing sense of local community belonging and cohesion. Based on these findings, we propose four practical recommendations for sustaining mutual aid groups to assist public engagement with protective behaviors in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We recommend providing practical and financial support to COVID-19 mutual aid groups; to mobilize the knowledge and the experiences acquired by COVID-19 mutual aid groups for developing programs and interventions for addressing the medium and long-term impacts of COVID-19; to prioritize community-level interventions; and to recognize the role of group processes as these have the potential to lead to long-term community responses. These approaches will be key for ensuring that communities effectively recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Funding Information: The authors would like to thank all participants for sharing their time, experiences and time. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of UK Research and Innovation/Economic and Social Research Council. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Fernandes-Jesus, Mao, Ntontis, Cocking, McTague, Schwarz, Semlyen and Drury. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | covid-19,sars-cov-2,community solidarity,community support,mutual aid,pandemic,social identity,volunteering,psychology(all) ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3200 |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Oct 2021 00:40 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Oct 2023 02:58 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/81868 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.716202 |
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