Benefit finding and well-being over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Published in: PloS one 2023-07, Vol.18 (7), p.e0288332-e0288332
• Main Authors: Moore, Jessie B, Rubin, Katharine C R, Heaney, Catherine A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Care and treatment; Computer and Information Sciences; Control; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Data collection; Epidemics; Grocery stores; Infections; Medical supplies; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mental health; Pandemics; People and Places; Research and Analysis Methods; Social networks; Social organization; Social Sciences; Statistical analysis; Well being
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288332

This study focuses on understanding benefit finding, the process of deriving growth from adversity, and its relationship to well-being amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (n = 701) completed online surveys at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after a shelter-in-place mandate was announced in California, USA. Identifying as female or of Asian descent, having a supportive social network, and reporting more distress were associated with higher levels of general benefit finding at all data collection points, while other demographics were not. Benefit finding exhibited small but statistically significant associations with two measures of well-being. Understanding the extent to which various groups of people experience benefit finding during ongoing adversity and how such benefit finding is associated with well-being may help to promote mental health during a collective trauma like the COVID-19 pandemic.