Understanding the social impacts of coronavirus under different health restrictions: Longitudinal analysis using the ONS OPN Covid-19 survey
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Strathclyde
Department Name: Social Work and Social Policy
Abstract
Data from the 'Coronavirus and the Social Impacts on Great Britain' survey are used to assess social impacts as the COVID-19 crisis deepens. This project reports on the social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on people's health and subjective wellbeing (SWB) in Great Britain; reports on the public understanding of information about the coronavirus, along with people's behavioural responses and actions to prevent disease spread; reports on how individuals, families and communities are coping and managing risks, considering behavioural impacts and lifestyle changes and how people are building resilience during the pandemic and the social impacts under different conditions and governmental restrictions. The study adopts a longitudinal approach to social impacts by merging survey data covering the period March 2020 to September 2021. This provides a combined sample size of c.70,000 respondents, with sufficient statistical power to support a detailed subnational level analysis. This policy-orientated research is made possible thanks to the new Coronavirus and social impacts survey that has been in continual operation since March 2020. The data from this survey is made available to accredited researchers by the UK Office for National Statistics.
Organisations
Publications
Deeming C
(2024)
Health systems in the COVID -19 crises: Comparative patterns of NHS satisfaction and preferences for public health action in Scotland and England
in Social Policy & Administration
| Description | Data from major UK surveys fielded during the coronavirus pandemic is used to examine the social impact of the pandemic in Britain, including assessments of how pandemic policies and coronavirus restrictions - lockdowns, furlough, homeworking, homeschooling - affected health and wellbeing. The study employs data from a range of major national surveys: • Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) COVID-19 Social Impacts Great Britain, this survey was fielded 87 times during the pandemic from March 2020 to March 2022 covering the entire pandemic period in the UK. Approximately 272,000 people responded to the survey. • Understanding Society Covid-19 Study (part of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS)) comprising 9 survey waves fielded between April 2020 and September 2021 covering the entire pandemic period in the UK. Approximately 16,000 people responded to this survey. • British Social Attitudes (BSA) 2021, this survey was fielded between 16 September and 31 October in 2021. Approximately 6,000 people responded to the survey. The coronavirus pandemic represented an unprecedented shock. Measurements of happiness and anxiety in Britain exhibited their most severe movements since the UK government first started the systematic collection of wellbeing data from social surveys over a decade ago. Happiness levels in the population fell sharply by 15% during the first week of lockdown, from an average score of 7.5 before the pandemic to 6.4, while anxiety spiked by 83% with the first lockdown. The wellbeing of people with poor health and underlying health conditions were significantly impacted by COVID-19. People with a disability, unemployed people, single person households, and the wellbeing of women compared to men was significantly impacted in the pandemic. The findings show the UK's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) protected the health and wellbeing of those on furlough. In the absence of the government's furlough policy, it is likely employers would have made workers redundant. Mandatory homeworking due to Covid-19 is associated with a range of negative outcomes including increased anxiety and loneliness, as well as low overall subjective wellbeing. We find greater wellbeing penalties for homeworkers during the second lockdown compared to the first lockdown. Mandatory homeschooling due to Covid-19 is associated with a number of negative outcomes: low life satisfaction, life appears less worthwhile, significantly higher levels of stress and anxiety. In addition to the aggregate or overall effects, we find negative outcomes in certain sections of the population affected by the furlough and homeworking polices: in particular those people living alone, women and, minority ethnic groups. The overall cost of the UK's job retention scheme was £70 billion and while the success of this economic intervention is currently being considered by the UK Covid-19 inquiry, we conclude that without furlough there would have likely been a major mental health crisis in Britain. Additional analysis of public attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals more people in Scotland (51.7%) than in England (46.7%) said government definitely should have the right to shut down businesses and places of employment in a public health emergency. Similarly, more people in Scotland said government definitely should have the right to close schools - 49.2% said this in Scotland compared with 43.5% in England. Significantly more people in Scotland compared with England said their confidence in government had increased due to the handling of the pandemic: just under half (41.2%) of people living in Scotland reported their confidence in government increased either 'a lot' or 'a little' in contrast only one-in-five (20.0%) in England. Three-in-five (57.9%) people in England said their confidence in government had decreased compared to a third (35.3%) of people in Scotland. More people in Scotland believe government has the right to take action to protect public health. Given this, and given the fact that the Scottish Government implemented stricter lockdown restrictions, it is entirely consistent to find public confidence in government is significantly greater in Scotland due to the handling of the pandemic. |
| Exploitation Route | While study findings may be limited to the British context, they are relevant to other contexts and policymaking more generally in a crisis or public health emergency, given the widespread use of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread of the virus and ameliorate the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Estimates suggest 50 million jobs were furloughed in the OECD - about ten times as many as during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. While 557 million employees' worldwide worked from home during the crisis, accounting for 17% of the global workforce according to the International Labour Organisation. In high-income countries schools remained closed for 53 days on average, and 115 days in lower-middle-income countries. The research and findings help to demonstrate how individual wellbeing relates to events and social and economic phenomena, and how individual happiness and wellbeing scores are worthwhile goals and metrics for informing governments, policymakers and policymaking in a crisis or public health emergency. |
| Sectors | Education Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Public Attitudes Towards Social Inequality and Preferences for Redistribution in the Age of Inequality: Britain and Scotland in Comparative Perspective |
| Amount | £87,124 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/P000681/1 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | United Kingdom Research and Innovation, ES/P000681/1 - Changing Public Attitudes to Inequality, Poverty and Redistribution: Longitudinal Analysis Collaborative Project with the Scottish Government (£80,876.00; Sept 21 - Jun 25) |
| Amount | £80,876 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/P000681/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2021 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Title | Merged ONS OPN COVID-19 Survey Dataset 2021/042 |
| Description | Merged ONS OPN Survey Dataset Ref: 2021/042 Understanding the social impacts of COVID-19 under different health restrictions: Longitudinal analysis using the ONS OPN Covid-19 survey Christopher Deeming, University of Strathclyde ONS Accredited Researcher No 34168 SRS Project Reference No. 2001318 Digital Economy Act (2017) Office for National Statistics: Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain Office for National Statistics Secure Research Service https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/digitaleconomyact-research-statistics/better-useofdata-for-research-information-for-researchers/list-of-accredited-researchers-and-research-projects-under-the-research-strand-of-the-digital-economy-act/ |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Research publications, project outputs and KE events recorded and attributed to this award - Award Reference: ES/W001187/1 |
| URL | https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/secureresearchservice/access... |
| Description | 'COVID-19 Policy Responses & Subjective Wellbeing in Britain' (2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Health Studies User Workshop 2023, UCL, London, UK, 29 June 2023 https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/events/health-studies-user-conference-2023/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/app/uploads/deemingakanni2023-06-29.pdf |
| Description | 'Coronavirus Restrictions & Subjective Well-Being (SWB) New evidence from the OPN COVID-19 Survey' (2022) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Health Studies User Workshop 2022, UCL, London, 12 July 2022 https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/events/health-studies-user-conference-2022/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/app/uploads/deeming.pdf |
| Description | 'What is the relationship between the stringency of government COVID-19 policies and subjective wellbeing?' (2024) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Health Studies User Workshop 2024, UCL, London, UK, 1 July 2024 https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/events/health-studies-user-conference-2024/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/app/uploads/deeming2024-07-01.pdf |