ArticleHealth psychology report2023
The hidden pandemic: a qualitative study on how middle-aged women make sense of managing their long COVID symptoms.
Article in Health psychology report, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exploring the influence of long COVID upon self-identity: a systematic literature review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026Pooled it
- Self-reported Health Service Utilization and Barriers to Care Among US Adults with a History of Post COVID-19 Condition.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- Health Resort Treatment Improves Functioning and Physical Performance in Long COVID Patients: A Retrospective Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA relapsing and remitting illness, long COVID can be challenging and debilitating. A person living with long COVID can feel like they are getting better and recovering only to relapse again. The aim of the research was to explore how non-hospitalized middle-aged women who contracted COVID in the first wave of the pandemic, from March 2020, are managing their long COVID symptoms. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: A qualitative research study with an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used to explore how the women made sense of managing their condition and health seeking behaviours. Participants were recruited from long COVID Facebook groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely by Teams audio; these were digitally recorded and transcribed by hand with prior informed consent. Nine women were interviewed and four themes and eight sub-themes emerged from the data.
resultsThe four emerging themes were: inequality and inconsistent medical treatment; uncertainty and ambiguity of managing long COVID symptoms; managing other people's expectations and perceptions of long COVID; and the changing identity. Overall, these results indicated a general mistrust in health care services to provide adequate support and individualized treatment plans leading women to self-advocacy and to seek alternative support and treatment.
conclusionsThis study raised questions about the possible unfair treatment of women seeking medical attention for their long COVID symptoms; how ambiguous symptoms are misattributed to anxiety and discrimination from health care professionals contributes towards stigma. The study concludes with recommendations for service improvement such as the compassionate validation of patients' pain and the use of evidence-based therapeutic practices such as mindfulness.
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