The differential impact of COVID-19 across health service psychology students of color: An embedded mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVES: Communities of color in the United States systematically experience inequities in physical and mental health care compared to individuals who identify as non-Hispanic White. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated these structural drivers of inequity to disproportionate and devastating effects for persons of color. In addition to managing the direct effects of COVID-19 risk, persons of color were also navigating increased racial prejudice and discrimination. For mental health professionals and trainees of color, the effects of COVID-19 racial health disparities and the increase in acts of racism may have been compounded by their work responsibilities. The current study used an embedded mixed-methods approach to examine the differential impact of COVID-19 on health service psychology (HSP) students of color as compared to their non-Hispanic White peers. METHOD: Using quantitative and qualitative data from the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory, measures of perceived support and of discrimination, and open-ended questions about students' experiences with racism and microaggressions, we examined the extent to which different racial/ethnic HSP student groups experienced COVID-19-related discrimination, the impacts of COVID-19 felt by students of color, and how these experiences differed from those of their non-Hispanic White peers. RESULTS: HSP students of color endorsed greater impacts of the pandemic on both self and others in the home, perceived themselves as less supported by others, and reported more experiences of racial discrimination than non-Hispanic White HSP students. CONCLUSION: Throughout the graduate experience, HSP students of color and their experiences of discrimination need to be addressed. We provided recommendations to HSP training program directors and students both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Characterizing changes in mental health-related outcomes for health service psychology graduate students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Health service psychology (HSP) graduate students experienced adverse mental health outcomes during COVID-19. However, little is known about how mental health outcomes changed in this population after the onset of COVID-19. METHODS: N = 496 HSP graduate students reported onset or worsening of mental health outcomes, inability to access mental health care, worry about COVID-19, and stress at two different timepoints during the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak (timepoint 1: May 1 to June 25, 2020; timepoint 2: September 2 to October 17, 2020). This study tested whether mental health outcomes improved, worsened, or stayed stable during this timeframe. The study also examined whether rising COVID-19 case rates in the state where a participant lived moderated changes in mental health outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, HSP graduate students endorsed adverse mental health outcomes at a higher rate during the first survey relative to the second survey. Even still, 62.68% of students reported worsened mental health symptoms, 49.84% reported worsened sleep, and 23.92% reported increased alcohol and substance use in the 2 months leading up to the second survey. CONCLUSION: HSP programs should monitor graduate students' evolving mental health, provide wellness resources, and adopt flexible approaches to support graduate students navigating training during periods of immense disruption.

The Mental Health Impact of Daily News Exposure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of distressing news media, which substantially increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, has demonstrable negative effects on mental health. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the proximal impact of daily exposure to news about COVID-19 on mental health in the first year of the pandemic. METHODS: A sample of 546 college students completed daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) for 8 weeks, measuring exposure to news about COVID-19, worry and optimism specifically related to COVID-19, hopelessness, and general worry. RESULTS: Participants completed >80,000 surveys. Multilevel mediation models indicated that greater daily exposure to news about COVID-19 is associated with higher same-day and next-day worry about the pandemic. Elevations in worry specifically about COVID-19 were in turn associated with greater next-day hopelessness and general worry. Optimism about COVID-19 mediated the relationship between daily exposure to COVID-19 news and next-day general worry but was not related to hopelessness. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the mental health impact of daily exposure to COVID-19 news and highlights how worry about the pandemic contributes over time to hopelessness and general worry.

Health service psychology doctoral training during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: May 1st to June 25th, 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began its rapid spread around the world in December 2019. By March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Stay-at-home orders and increases in U.S. infection rates had a profound impact on doctoral-level health service psychology (HSP) training beginning in the earliest stages of the pandemic. The present study examined the impact of COVID-19 on HSP students early in the pandemic using data from an online survey that was distributed to students from 179 doctoral programs affiliated with the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology and distributed by the Council for Chairs of Training Councils to doctoral-level HSP PsyD and PhD programs between May 1st and June 25th, 2020. This study identifies areas of education and training negatively impacted by the pandemic in its first few months, including training and instrumental support, specific training and support in telehealth, safety protections and considerations, and emotional support. Implications of, and recommendations for, addressing the concerns raised by students in these areas are discussed. By implementing these recommendations, training programs can help facilitate HSP students' ability to meet continued training and professional development goals in the later stages of the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement The present study provides information about the earliest impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health service psychology doctoral students. Recommendations are provided to help programs address the student needs identified through participants' survey responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The negative impact of COVID-19 on sexual minority young adults: Demographic differences and prospective associations with depression

Recent studies have demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increases in depression for sexual minority people. However, there has been limited attention to whether its negative impact differs across subgroups of sexual minority people or to whether its negative impact is prospectively associated with increases in depressive symptoms. To address these gaps, the present study examined demographic differences in the negative impact of COVID-19 on sexual minority people and whether the negative impact of COVID-19 was associated with increases in depressive symptoms one- and two-months later. A total of 695 sexual minority young adults completed surveys at three time points (baseline, one-month follow-up, and two-month follow-up). Results indicated that younger age, identifying as transgender/gender diverse or as a cisgender woman, and being a full-time student were associated with being more negatively impacted by the pandemic. Furthermore, the negative impact of COVID-19 was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms at the two-month follow-up. However, this became nonsignificant after adjusting for baseline levels of depressive symptoms, likely due to its strong association with subsequent levels. Findings provide preliminary support for within-group heterogeneity in the negative impact of COVID-19 on sexual minority people and for the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement <strong xmlns:lang="en">Public Significance Statement-Among sexual minority people, certain groups (e.g., transgender/gender diverse, cisgender women, full-time students) have experienced a greater negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic than others, and being negatively impacted by the pandemic is associated with worse mental health. Policies and interventions should prioritize minimizing the negative effects of the pandemic on the groups that are most negatively affected. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)