"I couldn't see my friends; the internet was bad, and I hardly went out" -- insights into children's and adolescents' experiences of COVID-19 in Germany.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Berner-Rodoreda, Astrid; Baum, Nina; Zangerl, Kathrin; Wachinger, Jonas; Hoegl, Henriette; Yao Li, Lydia; Bärnighausen, Till
- Source
- International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being. Dec2023, Vol. 18 Issue 1, p1-22. 22p.
- Subject
- *MEDICAL masks
*HOME environment
*RESEARCH
*COVID-19
*RESEARCH methodology
*PRACTICAL politics
*INTERVIEWING
*RETROSPECTIVE studies
*RULES
*EXPERIENCE
*QUALITATIVE research
*DRAWING
*ATTITUDES toward illness
*INTERPERSONAL relations
*LONELINESS
*SOUND recordings
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*RESEARCH funding
*PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation
*THEMATIC analysis
*SOCIAL distancing
*ATTITUDES toward death
*SCIENCE
- Language
- ISSN
- 1748-2623
Purpose: We explored children's experiences of COVID-19 in terms of proximity and distance to significant others. Methods: Our qualitative study with children in Germany (6--15 years of age) explored their views and experiences of COVID-19 times via drawings and face-to-face semi-structured interviews (n = 13). We analysed data thematically and used the socio-ecological model as the theoretical underpinning. Case studies contextualized how children dealt with the COVID- 19 precautions. Results: Salient motives in children's drawings were school scenarios showing distancekeeping and mask-wearing as an expression of interpersonal distance; in the homeschooling context, loneliness was highlighted. Drawings also illustrated the impact of COVID-19 in terms of separation, illness and death. A dynamic perception of proximity and distance emerged from drawings and interviews. COVID-19 barred children from spending "real" time together with close friends. Bridging physical distance virtually was easier for adolescents than for children. Conclusion: To bolster children's mental and social resilience in future epidemics, participants' plea for maintaining social and physical interactions with significant others and for keeping schools open should be heeded by policy-makers. Our study also highlights the benefits of conducting direct research with children and using non-verbal methods of data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]