The effects of perceived organizational support on employees' sense of job insecurity in times of external threats: an empirical investigation under lockdown conditions in China

This study examines how perceived organizational support (POS) can be leveraged to provide employees with guided responses to disruptive events. Specifically, this study addresses a previously overlooked yet practically relevant aspect of POS—its communicative role in managing employees' feelings of job insecurity. Drawing on the social identity perspective and research on individuals' psychological states of uncertainty, we argue that POS can have both direct and indirect influences on the sense of job insecurity in times of external threats. With this in mind, we used COVID-19 and resulting lockdowns in China as specific context examples of a disruptive event to administer a two-wave lagged survey measuring POS, perceived control, lockdown loneliness, and job insecurity. Theoretical arguments are put forward regarding organizational support for fostering individuals' social identity and emotional well-being under deeply disruptive work situations. Overall, this study offers insights into how managers may develop risk management and organizationally adaptive practices.

A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of a Well-Being Intervention for Healthcare Chaplains.

This mixed-methods pilot study explored the psychological and emotional experiences of chaplains and the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of workshops designed to support chaplain well-being. After the workshops, scores on a measure of self-compassion increased, while secondary traumatic stress and burnout scores decreased. Qualitative data reflected the range of experiences of chaplaincy as well as the benefits of the workshops. This pilot study supports further exploration of organizational interventions to promote chaplain well-being.

Lockdown Social Isolation and Lockdown Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: The Impact of Mindfulness.

This study is aimed to examine the impact of mindfulness in the relationship between social isolation, job and financial insecurity, and stress during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, Psychological Contract theory, Mindfulness theory, and Awareness notion, we propose that lockdown job insecurity partially mediates the link from lockdown social isolation to lockdown financial insecurity, and that the relationship between lockdown social isolation and lockdown stress is mediated as follows: first, simple partial mediation through both lockdown job and financial insecurity and second, sequential mediation through lockdown job and financial insecurity, respectively. Moreover, we assume that mindfulness moderates the relationship between lockdown financial insecurity and lockdown stress. The results from our SEM analyses, using a sample of 1,356 respondents in China, support all the research hypotheses. Based on this empirical work, this study concludes that mindfulness, which is considered by many people to play a role in reducing stress during the COVID-19 lockdown period, is de facto endangering their mental health (that is, they experience more stress) instead. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and proposals for future research are discussed.

Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

This study is aimed to examine the impact of WeChat use intensity on social isolation, loneliness, and well-being during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the regulatory loop model of loneliness, the notions of Internet Paradox, the Time Displacement hypothesis and previous literature on WeChat use intensity, we propose that lockdown loneliness (partially) mediates the relationship between lockdown WeChat use intensity and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction). Moreover, we assume that lockdown WeChat use intensity moderates the relationship between lockdown social isolation and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction) in both a direct and in an indirect way, that is through lockdown loneliness. The results from our Structural Equation Modeling analyses, using a sample of 1,805 Chinese respondents, indicate that all of our research hypotheses are confirmed. From this empirical work, it becomes clear that online social interactions, which are believed by many people to be able to compensate for the lack of offline social interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown period, in fact are endangering their mental health and life satisfaction instead. This article concludes with theoretical and practical implications of our study, followed by its limitations and recommendations for future research.

An Observational Study of COVID-19 from A Large Healthcare System in Northern New Jersey: Diagnosis, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes (preprint)

BackgroundNew Jersey was an early epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, yet information on hospitalized COVID-19 patients from this area is scarce. This study aimed to provide data on demographics and clinical features of a hospitalized patient population who were confirmed with infection by our in-house (CDI) real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. MethodsWe included consecutive patients who were admitted to Hackensack Meridian Health system hospitals with laboratory-confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 at Hackensack University Medical Center by the CDI virus test between March 12, 2020, and April 8, 2020. Clinical data and viral testing results were collected and analyzed for characteristics associated with outcomes, as well as the correlation with viral load. ResultsA total of 722 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 63 (interquartile range (IQR), 51-75) and 272 (37.7%) females. Mortality of this case series was 25.8%, with a statistically significant linear increase observed from age 40 to [≥]80 by 10-year intervals. Viral load, as indicated by the cycle of threshold (Ct) values from the RT-PCR test, was significantly higher in the oldest patient group ([≥]80), and inversely correlated with survival. ConclusionsThis is the first report to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes in a large hospitalized COVID-19 patient series from New Jersey. Findings from this study are valuable to the ongoing response of both nationwide healthcare networks and the medical research community. SummaryWe describe the diagnosis, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of a large hospitalized patient population in northern New Jersey during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.