COVID-19 in our lives: sense of community, sense of community responsibility, and reflexivity in present concerns and perception of the future

The pandemic has caused disruption in the daily routine of citizens with unpredictable psychosocial changes. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between citizens’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the institutional response, their connectedness to and responsibility for their community (Sense of Community-SoC; Sense of Community Responsibility-SoC-R), and their personal and social concerns about the current emergency and their perceptions of the future. Another variable considered was personal reflexivity about the pandemic. 3925 Italian adults completed an online questionnaire during the first COVID -19 lockdown. A structural equation model with mediation was tested. Institutional effectiveness was associated with SoC, SoC-R, current social concerns, and future perceptions. SoC and SoC-R were associated with current personal and social concerns and future perceptions. Reflexivity was negatively associated with SoC and positively associated with SoC-R, mediating the relationships between SoC, SoC-R, and current personal and social concerns and future perceptions. Results suggest that a perspective that considers individual and sociopolitical levels and their interaction must be adopted to better understand the impact of the pandemic during a national lockdown.