The Impact of the Covid-19 Social Isolation Measures on the Resilience and Quality of Life of Working Mothers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused feelings of desperation, fear, terror, and anxiety, and has also brought radical changes to people's quality of life and psychological health worldwide. The lockdown and social isolation measures appear to have affected the resilience, health, and quality of life of working mothers. This study examined how working mothers responded during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the state-imposed quarantine influenced their wellbeing. A web-based survey was conducted in Cyprus with 208 working mothers. Two questionnaires were administered: the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF to assess quality of life, and the Self-evaluation Resilience Questionnaire (Resilience-Project EU) to assess resilience. Participants completed the questionnaires online via Enklikanketa from May 20 to May 30, 2020. Results showed that quarantine negatively impacted the psychological resilience and quality of life of younger mothers, single mothers, and those residing in rural areas. In contrast, older mothers, those who maintained hobbies during quarantine, and mothers with higher pre-existing quality of life were less affected. Key protective and supportive factors included family support, cooperation among family members, favorable working conditions, and job satisfaction.