Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Wellness Review 2020, Part 1, Jacob Shreffler, Brian A. Ferguson, Martin Huecker

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Welcome to Part 1 of the bi-annual Journal of Wellness review of 2020 wellness literature (January – June). In this review, JWellness editors continue the goal of bringing a cohesive awareness of recent publications within the wellness domain, encompassing wellness leaders from all disciplines in healthcare. We provide insight into unique perspectives and new science published outside of JWellness, dealing with burnout prevention and wellness initiative implementation.

Methods: PubMed was searched for empirical research studies, review articles, and editorials using keywords such as “wellness,” “well-being,” “burnout” and “healthcare professionals.” We have included 26 articles in this review.

Literature in …

Flattening The Curve Of Distress: A Public-Facing Webinar For Psychoeducation During Covid-19, Grant Smith, Stephanie Harman, Keri Brenner

Patient Experience Journal

This case report describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a public-facing webinar that provided psychoeducation addressing the emotional distress that has accompanied the coronavirus pandemic. Using a webinar was an effective strategy for reaching a large, public audience and making content from expert clinicians accessible. Participants were likely to recommend the webinar to friends or family. Participants appreciated that the webinar acknowledged the presence of distressing emotions and provided practical advice for reducing the negative psychological sequelae of the coronavirus pandemic. Areas for improvement included addressing technical issues and incorporating additional information into the webinar.

Experience Framework

This article …

Insights From Individuals With Chronic Conditions In The Context Of Covid-19, B. Stephen Burton, Jonathan Patterson, Mackenzie Robinson, Dhiren Patel, Matt Allison, Kelly J. Brassil

Patient Experience Journal

The objective of this prospective survey series was to evaluate knowledge and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with one or more chronic conditions, including cardiometabolic, autoimmune, respiratory and cancer diagnoses. Two surveys were distributed consisting of up to 55 items (March; n=1069) and up to 71 items (April, n=1126), with 24 items repeated from the first survey. Questions focused on healthcare access, barriers and concerns related to the COVID-19 virus. Descriptive analysis evaluated central tendencies, spread, and frequencies of the demographic data, disease states, and survey results within and between the two survey timepoints. Results from 416 …

Who Will Care For The Early Care And Education Workforce? Covid-19 And The Need To Support Early Childhood Educators’ Emotional Well-Being, Mark Nagasawa, Kate Tarrant

Straus Center for Young Children & Families

This brief report describes issues and opportunities related to early childhood educators' emotional well-being that emerged from a survey exploring how the COVID-19 was affecting early educators across New York City and New York State (n=3355). Among our key findings were: (1) that mental health support was the most frequently identified need (n=910); (2) professional mental health was the least reported approach to coping (n=216); and (3) how those teaching and caring remotely were approximately one-and-a- half times more likely to rate their emotional well-being as lower than those whose sites were closed (CI 95% 1.157, 1.896). We argue, given …

Stop Fighting The Coronavirus, Pranay Sinha

Journal of Wellness

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the refrain of war has echoed across the world. It has tainted the way we speak about the pandemic and shaped the way we think about it. Metaphors can direct thought and action. This essay reflects on the ways in which the metaphor of war is disrupting the way we relate to the pandemic, to our society, and to each other and concludes with an alternative metaphor.

Perspective: Responding To The Well-Being Of Health Care Workers And Learners In Academic Medicine During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cherie C. Hill, Paula G. Gomes, Alayna H. Feng, Cricket C. Gullickson, Carla I. Haack, Sheryl L. Heron

Journal of Wellness

No abstract provided.

Workshop #6: Psychological Adjustment For The 2020 Hurricane Season During Covid-19 Pandemic: After-Action Report (Aar), Converge Nsf Working Group, Joshua G. Behr, Wie Yusuf, Jennifer Marshall, Elizabeth Dunn

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

Participants in the CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group’s Workshop #6 on Psychological Adjustment breakout sessions discussed the critical threats to psychological health and well-being facing shelter staff, volunteers, and clients in the 2020 hurricane season.

It is widely recognized that people are approaching the 2020 hurricane season under unusual levels of stress. The COVID-19 pandemic has created chronic stressors that individuals are already managing in addition to addressing new acute fears like –will I get sick if I go to a shelter? These new and exacerbated stressors are a risk for higher levels of burnout, compassion fatigue, and ill-being. …

Covid-19, Anxiety, And Depression: Evidence From The U.S. Household Pulse Survey, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

A large share of U.S. adults report feelings of anxiety and depression during COVID-19. The interactive figure allows you to explore demographic differences in reports of depression and anxiety among U.S. adults during COVID-19.

Breaking Isolation: Self Care For When Coronavirus Quarantine Ends, Dessa Bergen-Cico

Population Health Research Brief Series

This brief describes how prolonged periods of solitude affect our mental health and provides some strategies for how we can protect our mental and emotional health as we reengage with society.

Why Monitoring Your Media Consumption During Covid-19 Is Important, Dessa Bergen-Cico

Population Health Research Brief Series

Are you spending more time consuming media (news, television, video games) than before COVID-19? Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have led to a surge in media consumption. This brief explains how too much media consumption (including the news) can affect your psychological and physiological wellbeing and provides strategies for monitoring your media consumption.

Addressing Covid 19 Among Vulnerable Populations, Tim Crawford, Sydney Silverstein, Craig Woolley, Laura M. Luehrmann

Population and Public Health Sciences Faculty Publications

This is the fifth installment in the Shelter in Place (SiP) Lecture series. This installment deals with the impact and implications of the Shelter in Place order on differing populations. It discusses how a variety of populations have differing experiences with social distancing, the virus, and other implications of the current pandemic.

Making Meaning During Coronavirus, Mary Kate Schutt

Population Health Research Brief Series

If you’ve asked yourself, “Why is this happening? What’s the meaning of this?” you’re not alone. This brief discusses why meaning matters and how we might reflect on what we learned about ourselves from the COVID-19 pandemic to make more intentional meaning in our lives.

Law Library Blog (May 2020): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

Mobilization Of The Substance Use Disorder Recovery Community In The Time Of Coronavirus, Austin Mcneill Brown

Population Health Research Brief Series

This issue brief explains the recovery community's resilient response to the social distancing mandates from COVID-19 and notes recommendations for policymakers. This brief also includes a broad list of recovery resources.

Covid-19: Playing The Long Game For Your Mental Health, Mary Kate Schutt

Population Health Research Brief Series

This issue brief provides a new lens to view the pandemic of COVID-19 and offers simple, practical, and action-oriented ways to mange your mental health for the long term during this time of uncertainty.

As Schools Close Due To The Coronavirus, Mental Health Care For Children Must Be Protected, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

This data slice highlights the expansive nation-wide school closings due to COVID-19 and encourages providers and government bodies to support the mental health needs of students across the country.

Evaluation Of Remote-Based Learning Of A Nutrition Program For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Covid-19 Pilot Study, Riley H. Shurack

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate poor health-related behaviors, such as nutrition, compared to their typically developed (TD) counterparts. With the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandatory stay-at-home orders, such health-related behaviors may be complicated and there is a need to focus on feasibility and acceptability of in-person and remote-based nutrition programs.

Methods: Eleven high school students with ASD were recruited to participate in a modified nutrition program utilizing Zoom software during COVID-19. The duration was once a week for four weeks, and concepts reviewed included shopping for healthy food on a budget, introducing non-perishable …

Allocation Of Resources And Health Professionals’ Burden During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Reflections On Advanced Directives, Informed Consent And Social Perception In Mexico, Karen Herrera-Ferrá, Leonardo Souza-García, Antonio Muñoz-Torres

Journal of Health Ethics

One of the main problems in the COVID-19 pandemic is the insufficient availability of resources. This deficiency has resulted in emotional and moral burdens of health professionals. Decisions are having to be made as to who will live and who will die. Moreover, given the global impact of this pandemic, negative impacts are heightened in low and middle-income countries such as Mexico.

Authors focus on two issues related to, but not exclusive, to the Mexican healthcare system in an attempt to partially address scarce resources and health professionals’ burden. First, is the empowerment of patients’ autonomy through the incorporation of …

Covid-19 In Indigenous Communities: Five Protective Factors Of “Exercising” Sovereignty, Kelsey Leonard, Natalie Welch, Alisse Ali-Joseph

Faculty Publications

Indigenous Peoples have an inherent responsibility and right to “exercising” sovereignty - the practice of sport and physical activity in performance of our cultural, political, and spiritual citizenship (Ali-Joseph 2018). During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to and equity (inequity) in sport and physical activity has been felt (physically, spiritually, politically) within Indigenous communities. We implement an abundance-based Indigenous approach to understanding Indigenous Peoples’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic through sport and its far-reaching ramifications in Indian Country. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen Indigenous Peoples utilize social media such as Facebook and TikTok to reimagine Indigenous sport …

Covid-19, Telehealth, And Substance Use Disorders, Stacey A. Tovino

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Pennsylvania’S Covid-19 Response Vs. Homeland Security Frameworks And Research: Masking The Whole Community, Alexander Siedschlag

Publications

This essay offers an intermediate discussion of select policy, strategic, operational, and tactical issues that demonstrate where and how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s novel coronavirus response on the one hand, and homeland security frameworks and research on the other, converge or—more often so—diverge, and how to narrow this gap. Although typically framed as a pandemic owned by the public health sector, the COVID-19 response falls directly within the homeland security mission space, whose core missions include “Ensuring Resilience to Disasters.” In some respects, Pennsylvania’s response exemplifies best practices suggested by research. In other dimensions, it is neither in line with …