The role of extraversion in the Great Resignation: A burnout-quitting process during the pandemic

The Great Resignation is a global economic trend that began during the COVID-19 pandemic in which quitting rates increased to unusually high levels. Although this phenomenon has been attributed to burnout, scarce research exists to explain the role of individual differences in the increased quitting rate. To address this gap, we investigate the progression from burnout to voluntary turnover during the pandemic in US in two studies. Study 1 uses data from full-time employees (n = 360) in a multiphasic data collection spanning February 2021 to February 2022 (during the Great Resignation). The results demonstrate that people higher in extraversion report less burnout. This, in turn, leads to fewer voluntary turnover behaviors. Study 2 uses data from an additional sample (n = 137) of employees collected during the pandemic (June 2020). These results indicate that extraversion may buffer the effect of role overload encountered in the pandemic context. Because other pandemics and social withdrawal phenomenon (e.g., quiet quitting) are sure to emerge, it is necessary to continue studying employee characteristics and outcomes in these situations. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Adolescent and young adult cancer patient and survivor employment changes during COVID-19 are associated with financial toxicity

Purpose: Describe associations between changes in employment during the COVID-19 pandemic and financial toxicity among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and survivors. Methods: Eligible individuals were diagnosed between 15-39 years of age, currently age ≥18, and recruited through the Huntsman-Intermountain Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Program. We sent the survey to N=709. Survey questions included demographics, employment, and the 11-item COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) which captures financial toxicity in the last four weeks. COST is scored from 0 to 44 with lower scores indicating greater financial toxicity. Scores were dichotomized as high (0-21) or low (22-44). Changes in employment since March 2020 were categorized as no change, increase in hours, and decrease in hours/lost job. We calculated descriptive statistics and fit a multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between employment change and financial toxicity controlling for current age, gender, and treatment status. Results: Of 280 respondents (39.5% participation), 198 (70.7%) were employed prior to the pandemic and were thus included in analyses. Employed individuals were a mean of 29.4 years of age (range 18-58), 64.3% were female, and 50.5% had received cancer treatment since March 2020. Nearly a third (31.3%) had lost their job or reported reduced hours;50.3% reported high financial toxicity. Among those previously employed, participants who lost their job or had their hours reduced had nearly six times the odds of high financial toxicity than those who reported no change in hours (Odds Ratio [OR]=5.8, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.6-12.9). In the same model, the odds of reporting high financial toxicity was over twice as high among females than males (OR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.5). Treatment status and age were not significant. Conclusions: Employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased financial toxicity among a population already susceptible to high financial hardship. Societal gender inequity appears to be mirrored in participants' financial toxicity during the pandemic. Employment interventions for patients and survivors of AYA cancers who have experienced job loss or reduction in work hours during the pandemic are needed and may particularly benefit females.

Telehealth experiences of adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: To describe adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients' and survivors' experiences with telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Eligible participants were identified through the Huntsman Intermountain Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Program, which provides age-specific programming and patient navigation to AYA cancer patients and survivors in Utah and surrounding Mountain West states. Participants were emailed an online survey if they were currently age 18 or older and had been diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15-39 years. We applied descriptive statistics to summarize demographics, comfortability with technology, access to reliable internet connection, and perceived quality of care while using telehealth. Results: AYAs (N=280) were an average of 29.4 years old at survey (range 18-58);65.2% were female and 82.4% non-Hispanic white. Over half (54.2%) had received cancer treatment since March 2020. All participants reported owning a computer, tablet, and/or smart phone they could use for telehealth appointments. The majority (93.5%) reported almost always or always having a reliable internet connection. AYAs felt most comfortable having a telehealth appointment in their own home (96.4%);only 12.5% felt comfortable using telehealth at work. Since March 2020, (N=183) 65.4% had a health care visit moved to a telehealth platform due to COVID-19. Of those who recently moved to telehealth, 60.1% had an oncology visit, 33.9% had a primary care visit, and 31.1% had a mental health visit. Additionally over one-third (35.2%) reported the quality of their medical care had decreased since moving to telehealth. This was most commonly due to 1) troubles with audio, video, or connecting through telehealth platforms;2) telehealth visits feeling impersonal;and 3) feeling that providers more easily dismissed or did not fully address their symptoms. Conclusions: Although AYAs are digital natives, over one third of AYAs feel the quality of their medical care has decreased since moving to telehealth for COVID-19. Further research should explore medical provider training in using telehealth systems and encourage telehealth practices that help AYAs feel more supported and understood.

Pivoting During a Pandemic: Creating Presence for All Students

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted faculty across the country to pivot their in-person courses to ones that could be offered virtually. Some faculty learned quickly that our economically-challenged students had difficulty trying to access resources that suddenly became remote. In this reflective article, we will highlight the experiences of five social scientists’ efforts to transform courses from in-person to remote delivery, attending to each of the “presences” in the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2001), while also addressing the economic challenges of students on a regional mid-western campus. We end with several “lessons learned” and suggestions for remote delivery as we move forward.