Collective Coping and Resilience

Adapting the Provision of HIV Support Services During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID19438499
AuthorsTam Chipawe Cane, Heather Leake Date (0000-0003-2037-0685), Gary Pargeter, Jaime Vera
Year2026
Pages1-19
Publication date2026-05-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePractice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1742-4909 • E-ISSN: 0950-3153
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09503153.2026.2673840
OpenAlexW7162391858
LanguageEN
References cited24

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown led to HIV-specific Voluntary and Community Service Organisations (VCSOs) adapting the way they deliver their interventions to ensure the needs of people living with HIV. Our study, through focus groups and a survey, investigated the experiences of people living with HIV who accessed remote befriending and companion calls, telephone and distance advice, food collection and doorstep food delivery services from a small VCSO in Brighton and the impact of that organisation on its beneficiaries during the lockdowns. Findings identified that people living with HIV appreciated the work of this VCSO pre-lockdown. With the COVID-19 lockdowns in England resulting in social isolation and social disconnectedness, this VCSO in Brighton became a key engager in addressing isolation and food insecurity problems, promoting collective coping and resilience during the pandemic. Participants felt valued, reassured, saw a glimmer of light and appreciated the commitment from the VCSO in providing a welcoming and non-judgemental service where people living with HIV felt able to approach and seek help without reservation. This study offers some insight into the impact of a small VCSO in the area of Brighton and Hove, England, and adds to emerging research on the importance of VCSOs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Pandemic · Qualitative research · Social support · Disaster Management and Resilience · Resilience and Mental Health · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research

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