HAGIS COVID Impact & Recovery Executive Summary Report

Citation

Douglas E, Bell D, Dawson A, Brown T, Pemble C, Houston J, Comerford D, Olivarius O, Duggan A, McCabe L, Douglas C, McGregor L & Coutts-Murray K (2022) HAGIS COVID Impact & Recovery Executive Summary Report. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/reports

Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 has affected everyone’s lives in some way or another, and to a greater or lesser extent. This study will produce insight into the influence that COVID-19 fear plays in the behavioural response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent which COVID-19 fear would influence decisions such as visiting family and friends, attending GP/hospital appointments, returning to the workplace and employment/consumption patterns was unknown. This study was set up to addresses the impact of COVID-19 by: (1) constructing a robust and evidence-based survey instrument for COVID-19 Fear (2) using the instrument to measure prevalence among older people in Scotland, and (3) relating this to willingness to re-engage across social, health, and economic domains as society adjusts to what may be termed the ‘new normal’. This will help researchers and policymakers to understand and respond to the social, health, and economic impacts of COVID-19 fear. This is a mixed methods study. Quantitative research will highlight social gradients in COVID-19 fear and will be complemented by qualitative research to address the effects of COVID-19 fear on the use of internet and mobile communication technology (ICT) during lockdown and its impact on social connectedness, engagement with health services, return to the workplace, and consumption and spending patterns.

Keywords
AGEING; COVID-19; PANDEMIC; HEALTH WORK; SOCIAL CONNECTIONS