The COVID-19 Experience in Armenia: The Response and the Social-Psychological Consequences

The collective monograph “The COVID-19 Experience in Armenia: The Response and the Social-Psychological Consequences” has been prepared within the framework of the “Personality and Social behavior: The Short-Term and Long- Term Psychological Effects in Armenia” research project (20TSSH_070) funded by the Higher Education and Science Committee of the MESCS of the RA. The project was implemented in 2020-2023. The purpose of the multi-method research project was to study the responses to the COVID-19-driven situations both at personality and social behavior levels, looking into the short- and long-term psychological effects of public health threat and ensuing constraints. The book addresses the problem of psychological well-being under COVID-19 and demonstrates the predictive role of health beliefs and preventive and helping behaviors in maintaining it. As a separate line of analysis, the role of health beliefs, conspiracy beliefs, emotions, as well as several social and demographic factors underlying the vaccine-related behaviors were examined. Another important analysis is the role of trust – both interpersonal and institutional - in fight against the pandemic, revealing their crucial role in the effective management of public behavior in times of crisis. Based on the interpretation of qualitative data drawn from in-depth interviews, the last section of the book discusses the nuances of the subjective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, delineating the socialpsychological consequences and takeaways from it. The work can be of interest to psychologists, social researchers, as well as to public health professionals and policy makers. The results of the study promise a broad spectrum of application – from psychological support services all the way to content development for public awareness campaigns.