Positive change during COVID-19: a mixed method approach to sharing understandings of the initiation of cross-domain positive change

Objectives: A mixed method co-production study was designed to share psychosocial insights into the adoption of positive changes made during the COVID-19 national lockdown with community partners. We examined: i) the psychosocial patterning of positive changes, ii) the psychosocial processes by which positive change was realised, and iii) worked with partner organisations to share our insights.
Design: Sequential mixed methods.
Methods: An online survey (n=2445) assessed positive change, socio-demographics, mood, social support, coping, and resilience, with multivariate logistic regression analysis. We also employed interviews with a purposive diverse sub-sample of people self-reporting high levels of positive change (n=48) with inductive thematic analysis employed. Finally partnership work translated insights into positive change sharing targeted resources.
Results: The survey identified cross-domain positive change was significantly patterned by age, gender and vulnerability to COVID-19. Higher positive reframing and higher active coping were associated with higher levels of cross-domain positive change. Higher symptoms of depression, planning, and self-distraction were associated with less cross-domain positive change. Thematic analysis showed the centrality of perceptions of time, opportunities to self-reflect and engage with the natural world, access support in diverse ways, actively build routine and purposefully build self-efficacy, and a sense of control were key to initiating positive change. Our partner organizations focused on the rapid co-production of a series of online resources that shared study insights. Conclusions: Our study based around a salutogenic ethos and the constraints of COVID-19 sought to identify and share insights into achieving positive changes at a time of national crisis.