LEVELS OF HOPELESSNESS DURING COVID19 IMPOSED LOCKDOWN
covid-19, Pandemic, lockdown, Hopelessness
Pandemics have been experienced since the existence of the known world. Their nature of operation has robbed many people the eye to see the bright future ahead. This study focused on how the recently experienced world epidemic namely covid-19 which started in China’s Wuhan province in 2019, affected the levels of hopelessness in the general population in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a quantitative approach using the quasi-experimental design. 103 participants, above 18 years, both males and females were selected using an online Beck Hopelessness scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square and ANOVA were computed, and analysis was aided using Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Results revealed that the sample had a moderate level of hopelessness, with no significant differences in different age groups as well as no significant difference in levels of hopelessness between males and females. The study concluded that pandemics are associated with some levels of hopelessness and recommended that as the nations are disseminating Covid-19 facts, statistics and prognosis, it must be accompanied by hopeful messages to kindle hope in the general population.
Business, Management. Industrial management