Impacts on our society and communities Ngā pānga ki tō tātau porihanga me ngā hapori

One of the most frequently raised topics was the negative impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health. People commented that lockdowns were particularly hard, specifically in relation to stress, anxiety, depression and social isolation.

People also felt that COVID-19 restrictions sometimes exacerbated people’s existing mental health issues and prevented them from getting the support they needed.

“I spent the pandemic living alone as I have for the past 40 years and, although I have a large extended family, the period of the pandemic was like being in solitary confinement and had a profound effect on me which I don't think I will ever recover from. Everything I did outside my home ceased for a significant period of time and I found that many of the people I knew retreated to the nucleus of their immediate families. Loneliness was intense and black. The only direct human contact I had much of the time was with the local supermarket staff through a plastic screen.”

65–74-year-old Pākehā male, Canterbury

People told us that pandemic rules could have been more flexible to reduce the mental health impact on New Zealanders and allow them to receive the necessary help and support from friends, family and professionals.

“Even though everyone else was going back, my university spent more time online. The rest of Auckland had already come back and started socialising. I struggled establishing friendships as it’s hard to make uni friends already. There was no sense of connection and unity in my specific cohort as it is a relatively new degree.”

University student, Auckland

In particular, people referenced youth mental health, sharing that they felt young people’s mental health suffered because of disruptions to their education, a lack of social interaction, and the stresses and fears associated with living through a pandemic see Education during the pandemic for more information.

People considered mental health should be prioritised more when decisions are being made on how to manage a pandemic situation, and called for more mental health support services to help people cope whenever they are struggling with their mental health.

“Then we weren’t allowed to have a funeral for him. None of the family could gather to support each other. We ended up breaking lockdown rules and followed common sense at the gravesite and social distanced. 16 of us said our goodbyes as we laid him in the ground. He had no service. He deserved a funeral. He fought in the Second World War. He survived the polio epidemic but his life wasn’t able to be celebrated properly in his last moments.”

35–44-year-old, Southland

Some people who lost a loved one during the pandemic acknowledged how difficult this was for them, but also offered support for the pandemic response overall. These people felt that even though restrictions made it difficult to visit unwell or elderly loved ones, they were necessary and helped to save lives, or prolong the lives of vulnerable people.

Many more people, however, felt that being stopped from visiting sick or dying loved ones was too strict, and unnecessary. Similarly, people felt that limiting the number of people who could attend funerals or tangi would not have made a big difference to safety, but did make a big difference to how people were able to grieve and cope through the loss of a loved one. People told us the inability to hold proper funerals or memorials significantly impacted their grieving process and could be very painful.

Limiting visitation in retirement homes and hospitals was also seen as too strict and unneeded, leading to stress for everyone involved.

“The pandemic had a major impact on the elderly. My mother-in-law is in a rest/care home, and her kids and grandchildren would visit her on a regular basis, which was one of her small joys.

I understand the elderly are in a very vulnerable position with COVID-19, but it was so very isolating for those in care.”

45–54-year-old essential worker, Auckland

“Mum was very ill, and I got one hour to spend with her. One hour to sing and pray and tell her we loved her. Then I had to leave and I knew I would never see her again. My family was robbed of our goodbye with her, we would have been there 24/7 with her. She died alone. We would have never let that happen.

I will never get past the guilt of leaving her, of having that time with her that my brothers, and their wives and children did not get. I have found it very difficult to mourn and reconcile her loss.”

65–74-year-old female, Nelson-Tasman

“Our local Blind Citizens NZ group also liaised with Meals on Wheels to allow members to access their service.”

35–44-year-old, Bay of Plenty, living with a visual disability

Some people felt more should be done to support vulnerable groups during a pandemic. Specific groups that people classed as vulnerable were those with disabilities, high health needs or mental health issues, Māori and Pacific people, low socio-economic communities, and older people.

People talked about the important role of community groups and volunteers that mobilised during the pandemic and were able to offer support at the grassroots level.

“Some amazing things happened on marae. I am very aware of the services that, in the area where I live, provided creative and comprehensive health and social services.”

65–74-year-old Pākehā male, Lower Hutt

“Local organisations were very good at checking in and ensuring everything was well with me, as I lived on my own.”

75–84-year-old Pākehā female, Canterbury

“I am very grateful that my mum and babies group, SPACE, continued online. I would have been so lost without that support network.”

35–44-year-old Pākehā female, Auckland

A small number of people mentioned how grateful they were that emergency services continued to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some people criticised the Police for things that happened during the pandemic, but weren’t related specifically to COVID-19. This included concerns that crime rates were increasing, including family violence and theft. People often attributed the increase to police being too focused on COVID-19 policies rather than enforcing the law.

Others disagreed with the way police enforced COVID-19 rules, or felt the Government had too much influence over the Police during this time.

Some people told us they were pleased the justice system was able to keep working to some extent during the pandemic, but most people who talked about the legal or justice systems raised concerns. For example, we heard from prisoners and their families that visiting correctional facilities during the pandemic was difficult, and about problems with the way prisons around Aotearoa New Zealand dealt with COVID-19 cases among prisoners and staff.

“I made sure to get the shots and my son, who is compromised and was advised not to get the vaccine due to his health, got the vaccine so he can visit me, only for the prison to turn around and say they cannot do visits as they don’t have the staff.

It has now been 3.5 years with no contact with my family. I’ve lost my relationship with my partner, and I am not the only inmate whose relationship has been affected because of COVID-19. Many inmates have lost their partners because of COVID-19 as we would be arguing about having no contact. My children ask me why I don’t want to see them, but it’s because of the rules – I didn’t have a choice.

We were not allowed video calls either. Inmates in the prison were constantly told there was not enough staff because of getting COVID-19 or not wanting to get vaccinated – but we’re the ones who suffer from not getting visits.”

45–54-year-old male prisoner, Auckland

“It was the first and only time in my life that I felt like I lived in a genuine, caring community. I felt safe.”

45–54-year-old Māori/Pākehā female, Manawatū-Whanganui

Some people felt that social cohesion in Aotearoa New Zealand improved during the pandemic. They talked about the sense of unity and togetherness they felt, when New Zealanders came together and worked towards a common goal – to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“The sense of ‘pulling together’ as a nation felt incredibly powerful from a cultural perspective.”

35–44-year-old Māori/Pākehā female, Auckland

People talked about communities and neighbours helping each other out or recalled physically distanced catchups, families out waving to each other on walks, and teddy bears in windows. This helped to ease people’s initial anxieties about COVID-19, and fostered a sense of belonging.

However, many more people told us about negative social outcomes they saw during the pandemic. These people talked about the pandemic creating division, especially through the introduction of vaccine and facemask mandates, and the protest at Parliament in early 2022.

“The number of jobs lost and the financial struggles that many endured due to these mandates was heartbreaking, especially for those that had justified reasons for not wanting to be vaccinated due to health concerns, hesitancy and especially those that had a reaction to their first dose.

It was for these reasons that many attended the protests outside Parliament, and the treatment that they received from politicians and the public was saddening. They just wanted to be heard and have their genuine concerns addressed.”

45–45-year-old Pākehā female, Otago

People who talked about the Parliament protest either supported the protest and felt that vaccine mandates or other parts of the pandemic response turned people against each other, or criticised the protest itself, often stating that people should not have complained about pandemic restrictions and mandates. Many people, whether they supported it or not, felt the protest was poorly handled by the Government and the Police.

“I no longer trust the Government, or the Police, or any other institutions now, including the medical profession.”

55–64-year-old person who attended the parliamentary protest

Some unvaccinated people wrote about how they found friendship and understanding among other unvaccinated people – often being brought together by the opposition or rejection they felt from vaccinated people or society in general.

“Our rights to protest, both cultural and basic, were breached: whether you believe in or supported what our people were marching for, we should have backed their right to do so, not put people into muddy paddocks with no food, ablutions, or shelter!!! Shame. Shame on our government and each other, this was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. We should all be saddened and ashamed.”

35–44-year-old Māori/Pākehā male, Northland

Some people worried that Aotearoa New Zealand was more divided than it had been previously, and that this might continue to worsen or be used by groups or individuals with bad intentions.

Some people discussed how this division might affect the future: some who supported COVID-19 restrictions worried people may be unwilling to follow restrictions in a future pandemic, while others who disagreed with how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled told us that they would refuse to comply with restrictions again in the future.

People were frustrated at what they viewed as the selfish behaviour of others during the pandemic, such as breaking lockdown rules or refusing to wear a mask or be vaccinated to help protect the community.

Some people also felt New Zealanders were being encouraged to report neighbours or others in the community, which also damaged social cohesion. Some people also told us that the harassment and abuse faced by those who didn’t comply with pandemic measures was unnecessary.

“One of the biggest challenges of the pandemic was people who had fallen for misinformation or were actively engaged with spreading it around. There was a lot of damage done to our social fabric by people who are truly irrational, like conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, and dedicated anti-authoritarians.

The occupation of Parliament was especially upsetting. I had several staff members who worked nearby who were threatened, harassed, or made to feel unsafe by members of the occupation. One staff member had someone pull off their mask and cough in their face, which is disgusting behaviour, and hit them at a particularly vulnerable time just after they had experienced a personal loss. Figures in politics, media, and the rest of society who endorsed or tolerated the occupation displayed a lack of morals or shame. The lack of action to prevent the occupation planting roots or to disperse it was extremely disappointing. I felt like the city had been invaded by people who wanted to actively hurt us, and leadership was letting it happen.”

35–44-year-old Pākehā male, Wellington