1. Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID‐19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice
- Author
-
Asimakopoulou, Koula, Hoorens, Vera, Speed, Ewen, Coulson, Neil S, Antoniszczak, Dominika, Collyer, Fran, Deschrijver, Eliane, Dubbin, Leslie, Faulks, Denise, Forsyth, Rowena, Goltsi, Vicky, Harsløf, Ivan, Larsen, Kristian, Manaras, Irene, Olczak‐Kowalczyk, Dorota, Willis, Karen, Xenou, Tatiana, and Scambler, Sasha
- Subjects
Health Services and Systems ,Health Sciences ,Good Health and Well Being ,Adult ,Aged ,Aged ,80 and over ,COVID-19 ,Communicable Disease Control ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Female ,Humans ,Male ,Middle Aged ,Optimism ,Quarantine ,Risk Assessment ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,United Kingdom ,Young Adult ,comparative optimism ,lockdown ,risk perceptions ,unrealistic optimism ,Nursing ,Public Health and Health Services ,Psychology ,Public Health ,Health services and systems ,Public health - Abstract
BackgroundComparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectivesData were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself.MethodsUsing online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile.FindingsRespondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P
- Published
- 2020