Cocking, C, Vestergren, SK, Ntontis, E and Katarzyna, L (2023) ‘All together now’: Facilitators and barriers to engagement in mutual aid during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown. PLoS One. ISSN 1932-6203 (In Press)

[thumbnail of Accepted manuscript PLOS ONE.docx] Text
Accepted manuscript PLOS ONE.docx - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only until 2 March 2024.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.

Download (124kB)

Abstract

Despite undeniable hardship, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic also saw an outpour of community solidarity and mutual aid towards those in need. This study explored why people participated in mutual aid during the pandemic as well as the factors that contributed to continued involvement and/or its decline. We conducted remote interviews with 17 people in South-east England who had been involved in volunteering and local community mutual aid support groups during the first UK lockdown from March to May 2020. Using thematic analysis, we identified two themes: 1) The emergence of social groups and their psychosocial effects, and 2) Enduring connections and barriers to continued participation. Participants often reported an emergent shared identity, preferring the localised nature of these groups and the associated mutual nature of support. They also reported intentions to continue providing such support, should the need arise again, and any barriers to continued involvement in mutual aid were better explained by structural and systemic issues, rather than individual motivational factors.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: The final version of this article and all relevant information related to it, including copyrights, can be found on the publisher website upon publication.
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Faculty of Natural Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 16 Mar 2023 09:32
Last Modified: 16 Mar 2023 09:32
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/12014

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item