Online Social Capital and Psychological Well-being among Chinese Women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused social and economic disruptions globally. Such globally spread outbreaks have been noted to result in considerable mental health issues. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied with containment measures such as social and physical distancing, isolation and restriction of movements. Physical social connections have been identified as major contributors to positive mental outcomes. COVID-19 containment measures have restricted such social connections and elicited various responses which have adversely affected emotional and psychological well-being of the global population. The extent of the impact of such containment to the psychological well-being is not fully known but it is already at a considerable level. Different interventions to alleviate the mental sufferings are being tested. China as the country to report the first coronavirus disease case has had considerable mental health issues due to various factors surrounding the pandemic. As social connections have been forced to adopt digital platforms, this cross-sectional study aims to examine the effect of online social capital on the psychological well-being from the perspective of Chinese women. Data were collected through a review of the literature. The results of the study pointed towards the dynamics of mental health due to global health crises in a digital era. It will help in rapidly developing innovative digital social services that tap into the online social capital and promote positive mental health outcomes for not only the Chinese women but also global psychological well-being now and in the future.

Keywords:  COVID-19 pandemic; social capital; psychological well-being; social distancing; social isolation