S. Salarvand - Hepatitis Research Center, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
M.S. Mousavi - Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
M. Almasian - Department of the English Language, Medical Faculty, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

Aims: Major traumatic events such as the COVID-۱۹ pandemic and the related lockdown can affect the family as the fundamental unit of all societies. This study aimed to explain family members’ psychological experiences of the COVID-۱۹ lockdown. Participants & Methods: This qualitative study was conducted from October ۲۰۲۰ to February ۲۰۲۱ on Public population living in Khorramabad, Iran. The sample size that achieved data saturation was ۲۹ by purposive sampling. Unstructured in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. The inductive content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim & Lundman was used to analyze the data. Findings: Both positive (movement toward the expansion of the worldview and a sense of pleasure and happiness) and negative (anxiety, a sense of isolation, intensification of loneliness, mood and energy changes, hardship and fatigue from lockdown, boredom, anger, depression, disruption of the sleep-wake patterns, being fed up with limitations, feelings of helplessness, more frequent family disputes and arguments and Internet abuse) psychological aspects were recognized, each of which had some subcategories. Conclusion: The COVID-۱۹ pandemic lockdown created negative and disruptive experiences and positive and constructive experiences for different individuals.

Psychological Experiences, Family, COVID-۱۹, Quarantine, Qualitative Research