The Effect of COVID-19 on Emotional Wellbeing in Adults in India, 2020

THE EFFECT OF COVID- 19 ON
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING IN ADULTS
IN INDIA, 2020
Dissertation submitted to the faculty of sports and health science, in Partial fulfilment of
the requirement for the degree of

DECLARATION
I hereby declared that this dissertation entitle “The effect of covid-19 on
emotional wellbeing in adults in India” is genuine research work carried out by
me
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my great thanks to goddess Sarswati for constantly showering blessing
grace during the entire course of study, and make the study successful.

I am heartly thankful to, for her opinion and help throughout the entire study. She
gave me valuable suggestion, help, opinion and support so I am able to move on
every step of my dissertation successfully.
I am greatly thank-full to the Respondents for extending their co-operation and
participation in the study without which is would not have been possible to
complete the study.
I express my sincere gratitude to my parents for their support and encouragement
for my study. They were the source of inspiration for me.
I express my heartly thanks to all my classmates who have given their co-operation
throughout the course at study.
I thank to all whom I have not mentioned by name but nevertheless have been
instrumental in the successful completion of this dissertation.
Lastly, I am great-full to all of them who have directly or indirectly helped me in
completion of this study.

ABSTRACT
The pandemic affects entire system of country and individuals into negative manner such
that government has to take an action of sudden lock down and this in turn affect the results as
well. On the other side, this pandemic also affects the emotional well-being of an individual too.
By conducting secondary research, it is analysed that COVID- 19 creates negative impact upon
the people and with the help of range of activities, individuals tried to overcome from lockdown
period. Moreover, the aim of this study is to determine the impact of COVID- 19 upon people’s
well-being. Therefore, the research uses a mixed methods survey to provide in-depth data
regarding to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals’ emotional well-being.
Secondary study has been used in the research in which scholar uses already published articles
and journals in order to support the primary data in discussion section. For that latest article are
selected that in turn help to meet the define aim.
Results: 147 respondents were included and presented their views and practices pertaining to
selected topic. Results indicated that most participants had engaged themselves in different
activities, such as yoga, meditation and hobbies such as cooking which helped them to reduce the
level of anxiety. Further the analysis s also showed that during pandemic, the level of emotional
difficulty increased with key themes expressed including “not have any work” and “feeling
trapped”. Different inferential statistical tools indicated such that to develop categorical
relationship, chi-square test is used with emotional well-being of the individual. Discussion and
conclusion: Apart from this, the study reveals that lock down period did not provide any sense of
positivity among most of the respondents and to overcome from such, Yoga, meditation and
cooking is perform that leads to divert the mind from any negative thoughts.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................10
Results............................................................................................................................................14
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................42
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.............................................................................50
Recommendations.....................................................................................................................50
Conclusion................................................................................................................................51
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................53
Appendix........................................................................................................................................57
Questionnaire............................................................................................................................57
Appendix -2...................................................................................................................................63

Title: “The effect of covid-19 on emotional wellbeing in adults in India, 2020”
INTRODUCTION
Global pandemics
Pandemics have affected several people across the world since time immemorial. The
most recent pandemics include the SARS outbreak (2002-2004), H1N1 Swine Flu (2009-2010)
and the West African Ebola epidemic (2014-2016). Recently, in December 2019 a virus referred
to as the coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, in the People’s Republic
of China. The virus is thought to have originated in a food market where it spontaneously spread
with over 66 percent of people working in the market diagnosed with the disease within a month
(Serafini et al, 2020). The market was subsequently closed. Nonetheless, the virus had spread to
other cities in China and indeed across the world. The disease was officially re-named Covid-19
by the World Health Organization on the 11th of February, 2020.
Effects of COVID-19 restrictions
In an attempt to stop the sporadic spread of the COVID-19 disease, various countries -
imposed restrictions and national lockdowns with a profound effect on emotional well-being on
the general public (Serafini et al, 2020). A significant fraction of the global population is
quarantined at home and public health institutions to reduce disease transmission (Pulla, 2020;
Rubin, 2020; Dubey et al, 2020). Nonetheless, according to Rubin (2020), a decision by
policymakers to control people as a measure to protect them has a tendency to worsen
psychosocial impacts of a pandemic. As a result, quarantine of people affected by the disease
often instigates anxiety, distress and a feeling of being trapped moreover if members of the same
family are separated (Rubin, 2020). Separation of families is occurring widely especially among
families with frontline healthcare workers. Nurses and doctors have had to separate themselves
from close family members to minimize the transmission of the virus. In addition to physical
restrictions the imposition of national lockdowns and social restrictions have adverse effects on
mental and emotional well-being as people feel cornered and without control of their lives.
Globally, individuals are used to unlimited travel, meet-up and enjoy conversations with
all and sundry. Adults generally prefer to go out and this has become a social norm for many
over the last couple of decades. The ongoing social isolation measures have been reported to
induce frustration and feelings of uncertainty (Serafini et al, 2020). Research indicates that there
is a high prevalence of psychological effects when adults are quarantined during a pandemic.

This include depression, stress, mood instability and irritation, anger as well as insomnia and
exhaustion (Serafini et al, 2020; Mihashi et al, 2009; Hawryluck et al, 2004; Marjanovic et al,
2007).
COVID-19 is likely to affect the well-being of adults through uncontrollable fear of
infection, pervasive anxiety and loneliness due to social distancing measures (Serafini et al,
2020; Wang et al, 2020; Khan et al, 2020). In addition, Wang et al (2020) argued that individuals
are likely to suffer from frustration and severe boredom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, there is a fear of financial stability if the current pandemic persists. Literature
suggests that a specific and uncontrollable fears is one of the most widespread psychological
reaction to infection in adults (Torales et al, 2020, Serafini et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020; Khan et
al, 2020). When adults are exposed to the risk of contracting COVID-19 many will be worried its
impact on their health and the possibility of infecting peers and family (Serafini et al, 2020). As a
result, adults end up developing pervasive fears. Adults are more likely to develop uncontrollable
fears if they have developed symptoms associated with the infection (Jeong et al, 2016; Serafini
et al, 2020). The fears are aggravated by the realization that the individual may develop the
disease at a later time after exposure thus putting several people at risk of contracting the
infection.
Individuals are also likely to develop pervasive anxiety with a significant effect on their
emotional well-being. COVID-19 social isolation measures which are part of a greater lockdown
restrictions generate anxiety and uncertainty about the future. Indeed at the onset of the
coronavirus pandemic in China, numerous people were gripping with a fear that the world as we
know it was apparently coming to an end. In addition, individuals are worried about the potential
for new infections likened to COVID-19 (Serafini et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020).
According to Torales et al (2020), pervasive anxiety develops as a result of sensorial
deprivation. It begins as insomnia and later develops into severe depression (Serafini et al, 2020;
Torales et al, 2020). An individual may later endure post-traumatic stress thus severely
impacting on his emotional well-being. Adults working in public healthcare institutions are most
affected due to fatigue, boredom and loneliness (Serafini et al, 2020; Torales et al, 2020; Wang
et al, 2020). Furthermore, the emotional well-being of adults will be affected due to perceived
limited social support services that culminates in pervasive anxiety. Moreover, COVID-19

restrictions induced separation and loss of freedom augments pervasive anxiety (Serafini et al,
2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic is also likely to induce frustration and boredom in adults.
Measures taken by several governments to control the spread of the pandemic reduces social
contact and restricts access to places of usual habitation (Serafini et al, 2020). Thus, individuals
suffer due to distress and boredom. Moreover, individuals are frustrated due to disruption of
activities of daily life and inhibition of social necessities (Serafini et al, 2020). Disruption of
social networks and related social activities instigates hopelessness and distortion of sensory
behavior. This has a profound effect on the emotional well-being of adults. Serafini et al (2020)
further argues that these changes are comparable to perversion of individual characteristics that
results from child mistreatment. Affected adults tend to develop unbearable anger and suicidal
tendencies.
Emotional well-being of an individual may also be affected by disabling loneliness. It is
irrefutable that social isolation and lockdown restrictions associated with the COVID-19
pandemic induces pervasive loneliness. A state of loneliness is enhanced by hysteria and anxiety
(Torales et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020; Khan et al, 2020). Loneliness affects an individual’s
mental well-being and induces depression (Serafini et al, 2020). In addition, adult people who
are lonely have increased suicidal behavior. Although the cognitive process is impaired by
hyperarousal, Serafini et al (2020) noted that loneliness disrupts cognitive functions. Loneliness
also affects decision making and is associated with substance abuse (Wang et al, 2020; Khan et
al, 2020; Serafini et al, 2020). To improve the emotional well-being of individual, it is necessary
for them to perform yoga so that it will assist to increase their stamina. For example, performing
exercise will help an individual to perform the best so that they will easily live their life.
Therefore, during this pandemic, it is for sure to use some self-care approaches such that proper
sanitizing, regular hand washing, maintain social distancing which in turn protect an individual
from the spread of virus. So, these self-carte approaches are also create positive impact upon the
individual’s mental status. Moreover, during public places, individual should wear mask that also
protect from being affected. Therefore, this in turn leads to improve the emotional well-being
and live good life.
The preceding discussion clearly indicates that pandemics affect emotional well-being of
adults. Evidence from literature suggest that COVID-19 induces significant effects that affects