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Living in opposition: How women in the United States cope in spite of mistrust of federal leadership during the pandemic of Covid‐19
Author(s) -
Hardy Lisa J.,
Mana Adi,
Mundell Leah,
Benheim Sharón,
Morales Kayla Torres,
Sagy Shifra
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.22544
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , coping (psychology) , anxiety , covid-19 , pandemic , political science , exploratory research , sociocultural evolution , psychology , qualitative research , mental health , public relations , social psychology , sociology , medicine , clinical psychology , politics , psychiatry , social science , law , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
International research collaborators conducted research investigating sociocultural responses to the Covid‐19 pandemic. Our mixed methods research design includes surveys and interviews conducted between March and September of 2020 including 249 of 506 survey responses and 18 of 50 in‐depth, exploratory, semi‐structured interviews with self‐defined politically left‐leaning women in the United States. We employ a sequential design to analyze statistical and qualitative data. Despite international data suggesting that trust in federal governments reduces anxiety, women who did not trust and actively opposed the Trump administration reported lower levels of anxiety than expected. Results indicate reliance on and development of new forms of connection that seem to mitigate symptomatic anxieties when living in opposition. Women living in opposition to the leadership of the federal government use and develop resources to help them cope. Research on coping strategies and mental health and anxiety during crisis can inform recommendations for ways to support and strengthen sense of coherence during tumultuous times.