Browsing by Author "Udisha Merwal"

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Impact of COVID-19 and Social Distancing Measures on Married Women: A Qualitative Enquiry
(Taylor and Francis, 2025) Shalini Mittal; Tushar Singh; Harleen Kaur; Rahul Varma; Sreeja Das; Yogesh Kumar Arya; Sunil K. Verma; Shivantika Sharad; Divya Bhanot; Udisha Merwal; Aishwarya Jaiswal; Benkat Krishna Bharti; Bhawna Tushir
Considering the World Health Organization’s declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, governments worldwide implemented lockdowns and social distancing measures to contain the spread. Despite these critical measures, the pandemic exacerbated gender inequality, particularly impacting women. With schools and workplaces closed and heightened concerns for family members’ health, women shouldered increased family responsibilities, leading to numerous physical and psychological health challenges. Married women, in particular, faced amplified burdens. This study aims to delve into the experiences of married women during the pandemic. Twenty married women within the age range of 22–45 years residing in the northern part of India were telephonically interviewed about their experiences during the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The interviews recordings were transcribed manually and analysed using thematic content analysis. The emerging themes -emotional and psychological impact, social impact, workload impact, and coping mechanisms -shed light on both the positive and negative outcomes of the pandemic. The results revealed that both working and non-working married women encountered emotional, psychological, and social challenges such as anxiety, social isolation, increased intimacy, and work–family conflict due to heightened domestic responsibilities resulting from the confinement of each family member at home. However, women reported that habituation and forced adjustments became their primary coping mechanisms. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Shalini Mittal, Tushar Singh, Harleen Kaur, Rahul Varma, Sreeja Das, Yogesh Kumar Arya, Sunil K. Verma, Shivantika Sharad, Divya Bhanot, Udisha Merwal, Aishwarya Jaiswal, Benkat Krishna Bharti, and Bhawna Tushir.
The silver lining behind the dark cloud: Exploring the psycho-social factors impacting successful adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic
(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2022) Tushar Singh; Shalini Mittal; Shivantika Sharad; Divya Bhanot; Sreeja Das; Rahul Varma; Harleen Kaur; Udisha Merwal; Yogesh K Arya; Sunil K Verma; Aishwarya Jaiswal; Benkat Krishna Bharti
While most studies have been reporting the psychological issues being faced by the public due to the global spread of coronavirus and sudden restrictions and changes accompanying it, the present study attempted to explore dynamic human experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown, so as to understand the psycho-social factors that acted as adaptive resources or as buffers to maintain a stable mental state amidst this crisis. In-depth telephonic interviews with 30 participants were conducted to explore their experiences in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. Thematic analysis performed to identify the positive and protective factors that helped people adapt in a healthy way revealed that although the initial response of the participants to the pandemic was “optimistic bias” followed by downplaying the seriousness of the issue, later they demonstrated increased realization and acceptance to the seriousness of the situation. Upon realizing the situation, their positive psychological resources acted as a buffer against the ill effects of the pandemic, and they used both cognitive and behavioral coping. The study clearly demonstrates that crisis in life is not just a source of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty but also an opportunity to test one’s psychological resources to learn and grow. © The Author(s) 2022.