Finding Community: A Thematic Analysis of Resilience During the Pandemic.

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic impacted those within rural Appalachian communities, particularly people with marginalized identities. Purpose: Through interviewing 44 participants from New River Valley, an Appalachian community in Virginia, this study sought to understand how resilience impacted individuals' experiences during the pandemic. Methods: Participants belonged to one of the following groups: African American, Hispanic, older adults, or people who use drugs. Participants were required to reside in the New River Valley and be older than 18. Each participant was interviewed either in person, by phone, or over video call. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, then thematically analyzed for themes of resilience. Taguette was used to create tags in the interview transcripts. Results: Seven themes were identified: pastimes, friends and neighbors, family, employers and employment, faith, community support, and hope. The primary purpose of this analysis was to understand where participants found resilience despite barriers created or perpetuated by the pandemic. The secondary purpose was to apply the themes to address future recommendations and interventions. Implications: Results of this study inform helpful interventions for these populations including allocation of funding for social supports, development of continued community building, and policy development that supports education and the reduction of health inequities for people of marginalized identities.