Improving Social Support and Recovery for Young People Affected by Long Covid: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND Understanding how young people learn to live with COVID-19 is critically important. The illness of 'ÄòLong Covid'Äô presents particular challenges. This is because Long Covid can alter young people'Äôs lives at a time when they are making various important 'Äòlife transitions'Äô in relation to education and employment as well as in social and family life. A key issue is how to provide social support to young people affected by Long Covid. In common with other areas of health care, Long Covid services may be inaccessible to many young people, especially those who are most socially disadvantaged. Important questions are how to strengthen the informal care and social support that young people receive within their own social networks, and also how to build patient-led and peer-based responses. By learning directly from young people, qualitative research can help. RATIONALE We have developed the first robust qualitative study of how young people and their social networks adapt to, and recover from, Long Covid. This project is delivered in partnership with Long Covid Kids and Long Covid Support, two leading patient-led organisations. The research leads to practical materials for use in patient-led, peer-based, and social support interventions as well as for use in training and advocacy. APPROACH We interview 80 young people (15-25 years), of whom 40 we also follow-up (6-9 months). Of these, the nominated social networks of 20 young people are interviewed (40-60 network interviews). Our study concentrates on young people who are affected by social and economic inequalities, and we focus primarily on recruiting young people in London, Birmingham and Manchester. We combine interviews with other methods. We take a participatory approach which involves peer researchers. We also undertake consultations with multiple stakeholders to transform our findings into actions locally. We involve young people throughout 'Äì from design to output 'Äì and we collaborate with a creative partner to coproduce interventions materials. We believe this project, and its approach, will help strengthen and better provide social support for young people affected by Long Covid.