Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID‐19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice

Asimakopoulou, Koula; Hoorens, Vera; Speed, Ewen; Coulson, Neil S.; Antoniszczak, Dominika; Collyer, Fran; Deschrijver, Eliane; Dubbin, Leslie; Faulks, Denise; Forsyth, Rowena; Goltsi, Vicky; Harsl�f, Ivan; Larsen, Kristian; Manaras, Irene; Olczak-Kowalczyk, Dorota; Willis, Karen; Xenou, Tatiana; Scambler, Sasha

Abstract

Background
Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people’s health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Objectives
Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people’s thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID‐19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID‐19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself.

Methods
Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5‐8 of the UK COVID‐19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile.

Findings
Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID‐19‐related risks in the short term (P [less than] .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID‐19‐related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year.

Discussion
This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults’ thinking about COVID‐19.

Citation

Asimakopoulou, K., Hoorens, V., Speed, E., Coulson, N. S., Antoniszczak, D., Collyer, F., Deschrijver, E., Dubbin, L., Faulks, D., Forsyth, R., Goltsi, V., Harsløf, I., Larsen, K., Manaras, I., Olczak-Kowalczyk, D., Willis, K., Xenou, T., & Scambler, S. (2020). Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID‐19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice. Health Expectations, 23(6), 1502-1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 27, 2020
• Publication Date: Dec 21, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 3, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2021
• Journal: Health Expectations
• Print ISSN: 1369-6513
• Electronic ISSN: 1369-7625
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1502-1511
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13134
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4938130
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.13134