Experiences of Loneliness and Belonging among U.S.-Born Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

Existing literature indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased levels of loneliness, particularly among individuals with transnational ties. Travel and entry bans, along with social distancing, led to separation from family abroad and from people and communities in the countries of new residence. In this qualitative phenomenological study, experiences of loneliness and belonging among U.S.-born women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany were explored. The transaction theory of stress guided the scientific enquiry, and the evolutionary theory of loneliness served as a conceptual framework for examining loneliness in the given context. Six adult female participants, born in the United States and residing in Germany, were recruited via social media and participated in in-depth, semistructured interviews. The data were analyzed using IPA methodology to capture participants’ experiences within their unique sociocultural contexts. Analysis revealed six group experiential themes: (a) belonging as fundamental to identity; (b) belonging as a relationship; (c) belonging as an interaction; (d) loneliness as a painful experience of disconnection and nonbelonging; (e) coping with loneliness through belonging and engagement; and (f) emotional appraisal of the pandemic as change, uncertainty, fear, disconnection, loss and grieving. Findings demonstrated that loneliness and belonging are multifaceted and incorporating emotional, relational, and collective dimensions. By highlighting the psychological impacts of migratory disconnection and nonbelonging experienced by women with transnational ties, the findings contribute to positive social change by informing context-sensitive interventions that foster belonging and social connectedness and prevent loneliness.