Faced with the threat of COVID-19, the government of Quebec declared a health state
of emergency in March 2020 and swiftly implemented a series of measures to limit the
spread of the virus, including the confinement of older adults due to their increased risk
of serious consequences in the event of infection. While critical to mitigate the spread
of COVID-19, confinement and social distancing measures have had significant impacts
on the mental health of the population including on older adults.
To better understand the experience and needs of older adults during the COVID-19
pandemic, we deployed "Confinés, Ensemble!", an action-research project using
photovoice methods. Photovoice consists in inviting individuals to take and narrate
photographs to share their perspectives and experiences. "Confinés, Ensemble!"
brought together twenty-six older adults who collected over two hundred photographs
to share the impacts of COVID-19 on their daily life and their coping strategies. Using
communication technologies, the pictures were shared during virtual meetings that
became places for meeting, exchange and debate for older adults.
Co-investigators Réjean Hébert, Grégory Moullec, Kate Frohlich, Geneviève Gariepy et Valérie Lemieux
Research assistants Julie Karmann et Sonia Lu
Confinés, ensemble ! was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Quebec Population Health Research Network and the Center for Public Health Research