ORCID
- Cheralyn May: 0009-0002-5860-3739
Abstract
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health have been considerably researched since its start in 2019, by researchers from a range of disciplines around the world. This sociological study (using insights from social and positive psychology) contributes to our knowledge of the pandemic by using qualitative methods – fourteen semi-structured interviews and researcher auto/biography to investigate the mental health experiences of middle-aged, single adults living in Cornwall in the UK during the pandemic. In the pandemic literature, this is an under-researched, and therefore potentially less understood, group and location. The data was analysed using a combination of the Voice-Centred Relational Method and Reflexive Thematic Analysis, used alongside the researcher’s auto/biography in a ‘bricolage’ approach. As a member of the researched group, with strong memories of the pandemic, the use of the researcher’s own story allowed me to explore the emotions associated with certain aspects of the experience in a way that might not have been possible using interviews alone. Despite sharing age, romantic relationship and location characteristics, pandemic experiences were diverse. Six themes were identified relevant to the research question: 1) Work as threat or opportunity; 2) Not supporting each other; 3) Choosing to shrink our worlds; 4) Changing our connections; 5) Pandemic threatened identities; and 6) Space for growth and healing. This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of the links between space, relationships, identity and mental health, and shows how experiences of the pandemic were heavily influenced by our financial resources, social capital and sense of security. While peer and professional support was important in recovering from the pandemic, not everyone had access to these resources. Furthermore, the pandemic influenced our relationships and our identity in unique ways through the biographical disruption it caused. I recommend that, due to the time it has taken for participants to process their experiences, more funding is put into professional mental health and peer support interventions, in order that stories can be shared, heard and validated. Both positive and negative experiences need to be heard and used to influence our planning for future pandemics.
Awarding Institution(s)
University of Plymouth
Supervisor
Alison Anderson, Julie Parsons, Lyvinia Elleschild
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Date
2025
Embargo Period
2025-10-14
Deposit Date
October 2025
Additional Links
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
May, C. (2025) ‘At Least I wasn't in an Inner-City Flat with a Partner I Hated’: An Auto/Biographical Study of Reflections on Well-Being by 35-65 Year Olds in Cornwall Following the Covid-19 Pandemic. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24382/dxae-zg43
