Social representations of Covid-19 among hospitalized adults and older adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/reuerj.2025.87354Keywords:
Nursing, Psychology, Social, Inpatients, COVID-19, Social RepresentationAbstract
Objective: to analyze the social representations of Covid-19 among adults and older adults who had been hospitalized due to the disease. Method: this qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study applied Social Representations Theory with a procedural approach. Thirty-two individuals previously hospitalized for Covid-19 in a public hospital in Northern Brazil were interviewed via telephone between June and August 2021. The data were analyzed with the aid of the IRAMUTEQ software. The Institutional Review Board approved the study. Results: scientific knowledge influenced participants' practices and daily routines. Six categories emerged: protection, spirituality, adaptation, knowledge, images and attitudes, symptoms, and the health system. Final Considerations: social representations were anchored in the concept of a respiratory, contagious, and severe disease, and were objectified in preventive practices. This study highlights the need for health professionals and managers to consider the psychosocial profile of patients in future crises.
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