Experiences of people volunteering during the Covid-19 pandemic: An
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Abstract
A recent quantitative study showed volunteering to be an important
protective factor against the negative psychological impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to further explore this area of
research by analysing the experiences of those volunteering during the
pandemic using qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews of
six individuals volunteering in various roles throughout the pandemic
have been analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. There
emerged three superordinate themes; Staying Connected, Doing Something
Useful and Having a Choice. The results suggest that volunteering can
help individuals to overcome the negative effects of social isolation
and strengthen their sense of connectedness, to find meaning by engaging
in interesting and useful activities, and, finally, to experience
autonomy in the autonomy-frustrating lockdown context. The findings
broaden understanding of the protective impact of volunteering which
could be used to inform public health interventions following infectious
outbreaks.