A Phenomenology Study Exploring Mental Health and Psychosocial Adaptation to Disability

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted all sectors of society and the world at

large. The World Health Organization (2022) found global confirmed cases of people with

coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome

coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), had reached over 536 million with over 6.3 million reported

deaths from this disease. As of April 2023, an estimated 104 million Americans had been

infected with COVID-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023b).

Most people who have been infected with COVID-19 recover within a few days or few

weeks after the initial infection with holistic support, treatment, rest, and gradual return to daily

activities (Greenhalgh et al., 2020). However, a significant number of people do not recover and

continue to experience enduring health problems and complications often for weeks, months, or

longer after the onset of the original virus (Ahmad et al., 2022; Blitshteyn & Whitelaw, 2021;

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022c; Chen et al., 2021; Hernandez-Romieu at al.,

2022; Sathish et al., 2021; Wong & Weitzer, 2021). According to a recent data analyzed by the

CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, about 7.5% of adults in the United States (1 in every

13 people) continue to suffer lingering symptoms of COVID-19, often referred to as "long

COVID" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). These individuals are known as

COVID long-haulers; the long-term symptoms are collectively referred to as 'long COVID' or

post-COVID conditions (PCC) (Soriano et al., 2022).

Many long COVID patients experience persistent and potentially debilitating post-COVID

symptoms, which puts them at an increased risk for chronic medical conditions or long-term

disability due to neurological or physical impairment (CDC, 2020b; Couzin-Frankel, 2020; Office

for National Statistics, 2021). Moreover, in addition to these physical detriments, a significant

proportion struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety disorders and depression (McCorkell

et al., 2020; Schou et al., 2021; Taquet et al., 2021). This is not surprising, considering that the

acquisition of a chronic illness or disability (CID) is life-changing and can have an enormous

impact on an individual's mental health and quality of life. Given the increasing number of individuals

and their families impacted by the effects of long COVID, it is evident that this condition

requires sustained attention and research.