An Empirical Analysis of Emotions of Asian Indians During the First 100 Days of COVID-19

Abstract

India’s COVID-19 tally was almost 8 million on September 26, 2020, while the global cases marched towards 42 million. People globally have been living under some sort of COVID-19-driven lockdown, stay at home, shelter-in-place, or some similar government-mandated measures. Living in a lockdown is NOT a natural phenomenon for most humans. How are people trying to manage themselves during the restrictions imposed on them? What are the mechanisms people are resorting to, to cope with this stress? Is their heritage, cultural or national differences that are allowing one segment to react better than the other? To address the research questions presented here, we leverage the qualitative analysis technique of narrative research to understand emotions and actions of 25 people of Indian heritage (spread across India, USA & Canada) over the first 100 days of the COVID-19 pandemic and transpose the same with the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. In this research, we present the initial findings from the ongoing study of global Indians and demonstrate that people are using a system of appraisal, response, and adaptation strategies. Both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies are being leveraged, sometimes together. Reappraisal is driving a dynamic response to the evaluation and response process. Over 100 days, there is a shift from the physiological needs to the safety needs to love and belonging, and an overall shift from concern/panic to acceptance/co-existence. Practical, theoretical, and policy-related implications are discussed.