Academics in Lockdown: A Gendered Perspective on Self-Esteem in Academia during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

This qualitative research explores the experiences and sense-making of self-worth of 1857 South African women academics during the enforced pandemic lockdown between March and September 2020;the study was conducted through an inductive, content analysis process. Since worldwide lockdowns were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, women academics, in particular, have reported a unique set of challenges from working from home. Gender inequality within the scientific enterprise has been well documented;however, the cost to female academics' self-esteem, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, has yet to be fully realized. The findings of the study include negative emotional experiences related to self-worth, engagement in social comparisons, and the fear of judgement by colleagues, which were exacerbated by peer pressure. Finally, the sense-making of academic women's self-esteem as it relates to their academic identity was reported. Beyond being the first comprehensive national study on the topic, the study's insights are more broadly useful for determining what support, accommodation, and assistance is needed for academic women to sustain performance in their academic and research duties at universities worldwide. © 2023 by the authors.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Female Academics with Young Children in South Africa

Against the backdrop of an increase in research on the effects of COVID-19, this article uses the analysis of survey data of female academics from the 26 higher education institutions in South Africa to identify how female academics with young children coped with academic output during the pandemic-enforced lockdown. A growing body of research documents the influence of children and childcare on the careers of female academics. In this article, we see how female academics who stayed at home during the enforced lockdown period negotiated childcare and home-schooling, and how the lockdown influenced their academic output. An online survey questionnaire was administered, consisting of 12 Likert-scale questions followed by an open-ended section that solicited a narrative account of academic work and home life during the lockdown period. Data on female academics with children under the age of six years was extracted for this study. The quantitative and qualitative data that emerged from our study of 2, 018 women academics at 26 universities across South Africa describes how academic mothers felt, and how they struggled to complete the academic work required by their educational institutions. Such academic work directly influences future career prospects. This study highlights the influence that the presence of young children in the home, the pressures of home-schooling, traditional gender roles, and household responsibilities have on the academic careers of women. © 2022 University of Johannesburg. All Rights Reserved.

Mental Health Family Carer Experiences during COVID-19: A Rapid Scoping Review of the International Literature

Internationally, people experiencing mental health challenges and psychosocial distress faced service disruptions, increased uncertainties and isolation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health family carers in turn experienced high levels of demand to fill gaps in service responses within a context of fear and uncertainty. A scoping narrative review methodology was undertaken to account for the varying methodologies of studies and the recency of the COVID-19 pandemic. Six databases were searched: Proquest, Ovid, Psych Info, CINAHL, Scopus, WHO COVID-19 database in January 2022. A total of 147 articles were identified, with 19 included in the final review. Findings revealed few studies focused on the experiences of mental health family carers during the pandemic. Studies that elevated mental health family voices identified they were more likely to provide emotional support than other carers, and less likely to receive government income support. Higher distress was present in family carers who lived with people with low independence, supported more than one person and provided higher levels of care. Family carers experienced concerns about-family members becoming infected during hospitalisations, accessing services, inappropriate and early discharges, care provision if family carers became unwell and the need for targeted responses and quality for online services.

Vulnerable Group Members Coping With COVID-19 in Jamaica: A Qualitative Study

As COVID-19 pandemic continues, documentation about the experiences and coping strategies of members of vulnerable groups is needed to inform appropriate interventions. This study's aims were to describe the lived experiences of persons from these groups during the pandemic;to describe the strategies and interventions that authorities, family members, and caregivers used to support them;and to identify opportunities for collaboration and closing gaps in care. Data for this study were collected as part of a larger study on health risk communication for vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semistructured interviews focusing on three purposefully selected administrative areas were conducted remotely using Zoom, WhatsApp video, or telephone call for the majority of participants, and with appropriate safety protocols in place where necessary. A sign language interpreter assisted. Vulnerable persons (n(older persons) = 9, n(deaf persons) = 2, n(blind persons) = 3, n(persons with a physical disability) = 6, n(persons with a mental illness) = 5) and nine key informants from advocates and service providers shared perspectives about experiences, resources, unmet needs, and gaps for these target groups. Inductive thematic analysis indicated that members of vulnerable groups experienced stigma and societal insensitivity, fears of contracting COVID-19, social isolation, and emotional distress, exacerbated by diminished resources and increased barriers to accessing necessary services and support during the pandemic. Deductive thematic analysis (using the American Psychological Association recommendations for eliminating disparities in mental health status and care) highlighted the need for increased research and partnerships that incorporate the voices of the vulnerable for the development of evidence-informed, segmented strategies and interventions, and mechanisms for more equitable access to support.

Emotional Wellbeing: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women Academics in South Africa

After the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020, countries around the world responded with state-mandated lockdowns. Emerging data on the adverse psychological impact of the lockdown shows that women as a whole are among the most vulnerable groups. This study explores the specific stressors manifesting for women academics during lockdown and their toll on emotional wellbeing. A qualitative interpretive analysis of responses from 2,029 women academics showed participants experienced frustration, weariness, anxiety, and being overwhelmed as the result of emotional taxation from three sources: home responsibilities, social milieu, and work environment. The work-life merge that occurred during lockdown seemed to have a concertina effect on emotional wellbeing as participants were pressured to manage an inordinate number of responsibilities at once. The specific consequences of the concertina effect found in this study highlight opportunities for the academy to better support the wellbeing of women academics.

Oncology patients' perspectives on remote patient monitoring for COVID-19

Background: Oncology patients are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes from COVID-19 and require careful monitoring to identify early deterioration and render higher level care when indicated. Several institutions launched remote patient monitoring programs (RPMPs) to care for patients with COVID-19. We describe patients' perspectives on a COVID-19 RPMP at a National Comprehensive Cancer Center. Methods: Adult patients who had either tested positive for COVID-19 on an outpatient microbiology test or were discharged after hospitalization for the virus were eligible. Patients enrolled in the RPMP received a daily 10-question electronic patient-reported outcome assessment of COVID-19 symptoms and their responses generated alerts to a centralized monitoring team for new or worsening symptoms. A subset of high-risk patients also received a pulse oximeter which alerted when blood oxygen levels dropped below 93%. RPM was discontinued 14 days after a patient's positive test result and following 3 days without worsening symptoms or fever. Patients who exited the program and had completed at least one assessment were sent a patient engagement survey. The objective of the survey was to evaluate the patient's experience with digital monitoring and symptom management for COVID-19. The assessment was structured with objective response questions, including a net promoter score, and free text questions to elicit patient perspectives on RPM value. Free text responses were analyzed using grounded theory to identify primary themes regarding perceived value. Results: The survey was distributed to 452 patients;241 responded as of June 10, 2020 (53% completion rate). The net promoter score was 91%. The table provides responses to objective questions. Qualitative analysis of free text responses identified the primary themes regarding patient perceived value which included: 1) Security: patients appreciated that the RPMP provided a clinical safety net;2) Connection: patients appreciated the link to their clinical team during a period of isolation;3) Empowerment: patients appreciated that the RPMP provided education on the virus and symptom management. Conclusions: RPMPs are perceived to be of value to oncology patients with COVID-19. A key barrier to maintaining these programs is cost. Policymakers should consider how these programs can be reimbursed in the future so that they can continue to provide care to vulnerable patients and keep them at home out of the acute care setting.

Quantifying Worsened Glycemic Control During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

AIMS: We hypothesized that glycemic control in outpatients, measured by HbA1c, was worse during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic than in 2019. We sought to quantify how much worse and to determine if social determinants of health were associated with these differences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were extracted from the electronic medical records of 2 cohorts of patients seen in the family medicine clinic of a southeastern academic health center. Three hundred patients with baseline HbA1c results as well as HbA1c results in May 2019 or May 2020 were evaluated. RESULTS: The groups had similar mean baseline HbA1c (7.65, SD = 1.50 for 2019; 7.61, SD = 1.71 for 2020; P = .85). Mean May HbA1c decreased from baseline in 2019 (7.19, SD = 1.45) but rose in 2020 (7.63, SD = 1.73), a statistically significant difference (P < .01). Controlling for age, gender, race, and insurance status, HbA1c in May 2020 (meanadj = 7.73) was significantly higher than in May 2019 (meanadj = 7.16). CONCLUSIONS: During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, glycemic control in our patient population was significantly worse than during the same period in 2019 (mean HbA1c difference = 0.57). Contrary to our expectations, we did not find associations between patient demographic variables and glycemic control, including race.