Evaluating the social outcomes of COVID-19 pandemic: empirical evidence from Pakistan

The study aims to assess and analyze the social outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses the discourse of comprehensive literature review to identify the outcomes, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) for developing a structural model and Matrices’ Impacts Cruise’s Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MICMAC) for analysis, classification of societal outcomes, and corroboration of results of ISM. Data from fifteen experts was collected through a survey questionnaire. As a result of the literature review, a list of sixteen outcomes was generated and verified by a panel of experts. Results of ISM revealed that the outcomes, namely, “emotional instability,” “mental health self-harm,” loneliness reduced recreational activities, obesity, and “increased screen time” come at the top of the model; therefore, they are less vital outcomes, whereas the most significant outcome which is at the bottom of the model is “employment instability”; hence it has a major impact on the society. The remaining outcomes fall in the middle of the model, so they have a moderate-severe impact. Results of MICMAC validate the findings of ISM. Overall findings of the study reveal that “employment instability” is the crucial social outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an original attempt based on real-time data, which is helpful for society at large, researchers, the international community, and policymakers because this study provides a lot of new information about the phenomenon. The study includes understanding society at large, policymakers, and researchers by illustrating the complex relations and simplifying the connections among a wide range of social outcomes of COVID-19.