ABSTRACT
Despite an increasing interest in how adoptive parents deal with situations appraised as stressful, there is a lack of research regarding adoptive parents' adjustment to the challenges posed by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. The current study explores similarities and differences between adoptive and non-adoptive mothers in terms of risks (i.e., COVID-19-related stress) and individual (i.e., sense of coherence [SOC]), couple (i.e., partner's support), parent–child (i.e., parent–child relationship satisfaction), and social (i.e., friends' support) resources in the face of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the present study was aimed at predicting which variables discriminate more effectively between the two groups. Participants were 445 Italian mothers (40.9% adoptive mothers), who were asked to fill in an anonymous online survey between May 2021 and October 2021. Results showed that adoptive and non-adoptive mothers reported different resilience resources to face the stressors posed by the health emergency. Specifically, COVID-19 traumatic stress symptoms, parent–child relationship satisfaction, and SOC were found to contribute most in discriminating between the two groups. Findings are discussed in relation to future research developments and practical implications. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Family Journal is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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Using the setting of the National Basketball Association's "bubble” during early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic, we use fixed‐effects regressions with game‐level player data to test for the impact of "psychic” costs of migration on worker productivity. We construct a unique dataset on player families to test for differential impacts of worker isolation from friends and family on players in committed relationships or those with children. Our results indicate that relative to other players, the "psychic” costs of the migration of playing in the "bubble” had a differential negative impact on the performance of players in relationships and/or with children.
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This seminal study examines how Taiwanese immigrants make friends and their convivial experiences interacting with social others in the host society in Belgium. In this study, the author successfully recruited 24 Taiwanese immigrant restaurateurs and housewives to participate in semi-structured interviews during the author's three years of fieldwork as the Chinese language and cultural courses teacher at the Ecole Sun Yat Sen Brussels. The study finds that sharing foods with others is one of the important friendshipmaking strategies in migrants' everyday life. In so doing, food does not only provide its material and nutrition functions, but it also makes many social meanings and functions for people who participate in activities and assist them to obtain sense of belonging, group identity and emotional support. In addition to food sharing, social media use is another vital tool for Taiwanese immigrants to make friends and cultivate their social networks living in a foreign country. However, a significant difference in using social media in making friends exists between different genders and age generations. With regard to convivial experiences, most of the research participants had positive experiences interacting with locals and social others before the COVID-19 pandemic. As they successfully accumulated such convivial experiences, these experiences, in turn, helped them construct a cosmopolitan identity and improve their personal inter-cultural competences. However, after the pandemic has worsened, Taiwanese immigrants have faced discriminations due to their race and migrant backgrounds more frequently. On the contrary, the frequencies of convivial interactions between Taiwanese immigrants with locals and social others have obviously decreased because of the pandemic. Notably, although Taiwanese immigrant restaurateurs and housewives may have different experiences and practices in making friends, they have similar social network characteristics as they have more intra-ethnic than interethnic friends and social ties. In addition, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for further research will also be discussed in the article. © 2022, City University of Hong Kong Press. All rights reserved.
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In a recent editorial, the Lancet reported that one of the consequences of pandemics is the detrimental impact "on the mental health of affected populations," and the current COVID-19 one is no different. Since its out-break at the end of 2019, "depressed mood, anxiety, impaired memory, and insomnia" are constant companions of people around the world. Many even experience "stress, burnout, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder." Amongst its concerns, the Lancet notes the rising "misuse of substances" as a consequence of these mental health problems.1 One of the reasons for this global mental health crisis is the way the pandemic affects peoples' practices of community building and rituals of belonging. Having to wear masks, being required to keep at least 1.5 meters apart, not being able to meet (vulnerable) friends and family members, and even more drastic measures like weeklong lockdowns fundamentally disrupted everyday lives and reduced opportunities to socialize. What is normally taken for granted is being challenged. Around the world, these measures have been met by increasing demonstrations, often based on conspiracy theories and against commonsense precautions for preventing a potentially lethal disease. This conflict between reasonable precaution and emotional stress and pressure suggests disruptions of common narratives of belonging.
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Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka pengetahuan mahasiswa tentang risiko jangkitan HIV/AIDS, faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina. Masih kurang kajian yang memberi tumpuan kepada amalan hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina serta kesedaran mahasiswa tentang HIV/AIDS impak daripada tingkah laku seks berisiko ini. Banyak kajian terdahulu lebih menumpu kepada faktor keterlibatan dalam hubungan romantik dan ketertarikan seks sesama jantina tanpa mengaitkannya dengan kesedaran mahasiswa gay terhadap jangkitan HIV. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kajian kes dan direkabentuk bersesuaian kaedah kajian kualitatif. Seramai empat informan dalam kalangan mahasiswa Institusi Pengajian Tinggi di Malaysia yang membuat pengakuan identiti gay telah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Pemilihan informan adalah menggunakan teknik Persampelan Snow Ball. Pengumpulan data telah dijalankan secara atas talian dengan menggunakan medium Google Meet. Semua informan ditemubual dalam talian secara konferen video. Data temu bual dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat empat faktor risiko keterlibatan mahasiswa dalam hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina iaitu (i) pengalaman menjadi mangsa gangguan seksual semasa kecil, (ii) faktor naluri semulajadi, (iii) pengaruh rakan/komuniti berisiko gay dan (iv) pengaruh negatif daripada media sosial dan internet. Informan juga mempunyai pengetahuan asas tentang risiko jangkitan HIV. Walau bagaimanapun, kesemua informan percaya tingkah laku mereka mempunyai risiko rendah dan tidak mudah untuk dijangkiti HIV. Salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV bagi seks tidak selamat dan seks luar tabi' dipercayai mendorong amalan hubungan seks sesama jantina dilakukan tanpa rasa takut dan menurunnya keprihatinan kepada seks selamat dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay. Kajian mencadangkan salah faham tentang risiko jangkitan HIV sebagai faktor baharu penyebab amalan seks sesama jantina yang berterusan dalam kalangan informan yang dikaji. Intervensi perlu dibentuk bersesuaian faktor risiko hubungan romantik dan tingkah laku seksual sesama jantina agar ia dapat dibendung daripada menular dalam kalangan mahasiswa gay.Alternate :This study aims to explore the knowledge of HIV/AIDS infection risk and the factors that contribute to same-sex romantic relationship involvement and same-sex sexual attractions among university students. Less studies have been done focusing on same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual attraction among self-identified gay university students and their awareness of the HIV/AIDS impact due to risky sexual behaviour. Many previous studies were found to focus only on gay students' romantic relationships and samesex sexual attraction involvement factors without relating these factors with their awareness of HIV infection. This study uses a case study approach and is designed following qualitative research methods. Four students who self-identified as gay were selected as informants. Snow Ball Sampling is used as the informants' selection technique. Data collection was conducted online using the Google Meet platform. All informants were interviewed online via video conference. The thematic analysis has been used to analyse the interview data. The study analysis demonstrated four risk factors conduce to a same-sex romantic relationship and samesex sexual behaviours among gay students: (i) sexual abuse experienced during childhood;(ii) same-sex sexual attraction as an instinct factor;(iii) gay friends/community influenced and (iv) internet and social media negative influence. All informants are identified to have basic HIV risk infection knowledge. However, those in a same-sex relationship believe same-sex romantic relationships and same-sex sexual practices have a low risk of HIV infection. The misunderstanding of HIV infection in same-sex sexual practices and unsafe sex is believed to contribute to a consistent no fear of same-sex sexual practices and less concern towards safe sex among ay students. This study suggests a misunderstanding of HIV infection as the new factor contributing to continuous same-sex sexual practices among studied informants. Intervention needs to be developed tailored to the same-sex romantic relationship and same-sex sexual attraction risk factors to curb the spread among gay students.
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Aim. The aim of this review is to find out what levels of anxiety and fear have been shown by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background. Health security crises affect not only physical health but also the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals due to a higher level of exposure. Evaluation. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) electronic databases based on the keywords that the research question yielded following the PECOT strategy. For the selection of articles, original articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, short communication articles, and case reports were included. Then, a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, screening the results to obtain a total of 18 articles, which were used to elaborate the study. Key Issues. Fear and anxiety levels were described in a total of 18 selected studies. The main fear-related concerns of the nurses were associated with the fear of infecting their family or friends and the fear of the death of a family member or friend. Conclusions. The main psychological impact on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to fear, anxiety, stress, and depression. Fear of infecting family members or of being infected were the main impacts perceived by nurses. Implications for Nursing Management. In general, high scores were found for levels of fear and anxiety, although the figures varied by country and time of data collection. Resilience was considered the main tool for coping with the loss and trauma experienced by nurses.
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In one eastern Kentucky county, the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic downturn ushered in increases in federal and corporate aid. In response, families with school-aged children distributed excess food to friends and neighbors and donated food back to pantries they had previously utilized. In-depth, semi-structured interviews illuminate how public-private food aid amidst the COVID-19 pandemic was distributed to and within rural Kentucky communities and who was left out. I introduce the concept of networks of care, which comprise local systems of distribution among family, friends, and neighbors that challenge reliance on market labor for subsistence while demanding constant work to maintain. This paper argues that networks of care demonstrate the need and an extent infrastructure for large-scale distributive politics that compensate for this ongoing care work.
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Abstrak: Masyarakat terpaksa menghadapi perubahan norma kehidupan lebih-lebih lagi dari segi sosial sejak kerajaan melaksanakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) sepanjang tempoh pandemik bagi mengekang penularan wabak COVID-19. Oleh itu, objektif kajian ini dilakukan untuk mengenal pasti tekanan emosi dan sokongan sosial kesan daripada perubahan norma kehidupan masyarakat semasa pandemik COVID-19 lebihlebih lagi dalam kalangan ibu bapa. Dalam kajian ini, kaedah reka bentuk kuantitatif digunakan dengan menggunakan teknik keratan lintang. Seramai 89 orang responden dalam kalangan ibu bapa mahasiswa Program Kerja Sosial, Fakulti Sains Sosial Kemanusiaan (FSSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) telah menjawab soal selidik yang terbahagi kepada tiga bahagian iaitu demografi, tahap tekanan dan sokongan sosial. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa ibu bapa menghadapi tahap tekanan yang sederhana secara keseluruhannya. Ibu bapa juga menerima sokongan sosial dari pasangan, keluarga dan rakan-rakan. Hasil kajian turut mendapati, terdapatnya hubungan yang signifikan antara tahap tekanan emosi dan sokongan sosial. Oleh yang demikian, pengkaji menyimpulkan bahawa sokongan sosial yang tinggi dari keluarga membantu mengekalkan tahap tekanan pada tahap sederhana dalam kalangan ibu bapa semasa tempoh pandemik COVID-19.Alternate :The community has had to face a change in the norms of life especially from a social point of view since the government implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) throughout the pandemic period to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the emotional stress and social support of the impact of changes in the norms of community life during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among parents. In this study, a quantitative design method was used using a crosssectional technique. A total of 89 respondents among the parents of students of the Social Work Program, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) have answered the questionnaire which is divided into three parts, namely demographics, stress level and social support. The results of the study showed that parents face a moderate level of stress overall. Parents also received social support from partners, family, and friends. The results of the study also found that there was a significant relationship between emotional stress level with social support. Therefore, the researcher concluded that high social support from the family helps keep the stress level at a moderate level among parents during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Je propose une éthique intersectionnelle et islamique des soins reproductifs, mettant en lumiere les besoins non satisfaits en matiere de soins, et illustrant les blessures épistémiques, morales et ontologiques subies par les musulmanes enceintes, ayant accouché ou étant en post-partum dans un contexte de pandémie mondiale. Ma théorisation féministe s'inscrit dans les récits islamiques de la maternité. Je propose un « vocabulaire moral » qui défend le droit islamique des musulmans â bénéficier d'un soutien en matiere de soins, et qui s'efforce de lutter contre la violence de la séparation maternelle. L'un des themes centraux abordé est la création de liens de parenté, un certain type de soins, par lequel nous nous soutenons les uns les autres dans nos relations, et assumons la responsabilité de la prise de soins et de la satisfaction des besoins de chacun. Dans un sens islamique, la parenté est une sorte de travail, qui consiste â sentir comment nos corps s'adaptent et se déplacent ensemble dans les lieux que nous occupons ensemble. C'est une façon de créer de l'espace pour nos rassemblements, d'accueillir, de loger au sein de nos relations ceux qui ont été brisés par la violence coloniale, hétéro-patriarcale et discriminatoire â l'égard des personnes en situation de handicap. Je soutiens que les soins qui dépassent le cadre des établissements de santé et de la médicalisation offrent un cadre sÛr pour les musulmanes accouchant dans le cadre d'une pandémie. Ces réseaux de soins incluent Allah en tant que doula, des accoucheuses radicales, les (grand-)meres, les territoires et les eaux, les tantes et les amis, ainsi que les ancetres qui veillent sur nous au nom du Créateur lorsque nous portons la vie. Ce type de foyer est une maniere de mobiliser le savoir islamique pour protéger la sécurité ontologique des musulmans et leur droit â posséder leur musulmanité, â penser, critiquer et juger leurs expériences de soins reproductifs de maniere islamique.Alternate abstract:I offer an intersectional and Islamic ethic of reproductive care that makes visible the unmet care needs of and attends to the epistemic, moral and ontological injuries experienced by Muslim pregnant, birthing and postpartum people in a global pandemic. My feminist-theorizing is enveloped within Islamic stories of maternity. I offer a moral vocabulary of care which advocates for the Islamic right of Muslims to supported caregiving and labours against the violence of maternal separation. A central theme is kin-making, a type of caring labour, by which we house one another in our relations and accept responsibility for one another's care and access needs. In an Islamic sense, kin-making is a kind of access-work, of sensing how our bodies fit and move together in the spaces we hold together. It is a way of making space in our gatherings, of homing, of housing within our relations those who have been dislocated by settler-colonial, heteropatriarchal and ableist violence. I argue that what paves safe passage for Muslims birthing in a pandemic are constellations of care that go beyond the scope of health-care settings and medicalized care. Such webs of care include Allah as doula, radical birthworkers, (grand)mothers, lands and waters, aunties and friends and the ancestors that watch over us in Creator's name as we bear life. Such home-making is a way of mobilizing Islamic knowledge to protect the ontological security of Muslims and their right to possess their Muslimness, to think, critique and judge their experiences of reproductive care islamically.
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Introduction: Between March–May 2020, the Italian Government applied restrictive measures to reduce the risk of contagion, fostering a potential condition of occupational deprivation. Methods: A digital survey was administered in June 2020 including closed and open questions. The goal was to report how the first Italian lockdown affected daily routine. Results: 648 surveys were valid. Most respondents were workers and spent lockdown at home. Before quarantine, the most representative occupations were working and housekeeping;the significant ones were working and meeting friends/relatives. Wellbeing meant meeting friends/relatives and hobbies/interests. During lockdown, respondents dedicated themselves to housekeeping and working;meaningful occupations were working and cooking. All data was stratified according to age and perceived wellbeing;open questions were categorized by the researchers. Discussion: A daily routine in compliance with lockdown restrictions required a change in habits. Time was used for occupations not strictly contentful;finance and work gained significance. It is to hypothesize that the idea of wellbeing was deeply altered. Conclusions: The study focuses on a slice of everyday life in times of emergency, it highlights people adaptability and their experiences according to age and future plans. Occupational justice emerges as a strong topic: the environment influences wellbeing, habits, and self-perception. AD -, Mendrisio, Canton Ticino, Switzerland;, Milano, Italy;DEASS, Manno, Switzerland ;, Milano, Italy;, Milan, Italy ;, Magenta - Milan, Italy ;, Milano, Italy;, Rome, Italy ;, Mendrisio, Canton Ticino, Switzerland;, Milano, Italy;DEASS, Manno, Switzerland
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COVID-19 and the resulting stay-at-home orders issued to reduce the spread of the virus created a novel social situation in which people could not spend in-person time with their family and friends. Thus, emerging technologies like video calling and other forms of mediated communication like voice calling and text messaging became important resources for people to stay in touch. The purpose of this study was threefold. First, we wanted to test whether people would use more mediated communication (video calls, voice calls, text messaging) to stay in touch during the stay-at-home order. Second, we wanted to see if increased mediated communication would be positively associated with well-being. Finally, we explored whether mediated communication was related to age. To answer these questions, we surveyed 2092 participants who answered questions online about how their use of video calls, voice calls, and text messaging and their well-being had changed since the stay-at-home order. Our results show that people increased their use of mediated communication, particularly video calling;and increases in mediated communication with close others, particularly friends, was related to higher levels of well-being. Finally, we found that age was related only to the use of video calling;younger people tended to use more video calling. These findings support the compensatory theory of technology use, that people use technologically mediated communication to maintain contact with their close friends and family when in-person contact is not possible, and that this form of contact, when in-person interaction is unavailable, is associated with positive outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background/Purpose: Relational turbulence theory suggests that changes in and around relationships create the potential for relational turbulence when everyday routines and scripts are upended and communication becomes polarized. In turn, perceptions of a romantic relationship as chaotic or tumultuous can influence a person's engagement with their social network. Alternately, previous research also suggests that engagement with friends and family has the potential to influence married partner's relationship quality. Research Design: This study examined these propositions among a sample of married couples (N = 64, 128 individuals) whose daily experiences and relationship dynamics changed during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Results/Conclusions: Based on a 10-week, weekly diary repeated measures design, results suggest that relational turbulence and the valence of social network engagement may be mutually influential, such that (a) relational turbulence may influence the way in which married partners interpret communication with social network members and (b) the valence of communication with social network members may influence experiences of relational turbulence.
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The repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's daily lives are immeasurable. effects on healthcare, business, the economy, and society;medical practitioners face difficulties in identifying and treating possible cases;patients with other health issues are often ignored;the healthcare system as a whole is strained. Having supportive relationships is crucial to a healthy mind. There are numerous threats to societal health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elderly people have a lot of issues because they haven't had any of the pleasures of life since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many lost their eyesight during the pandemic, making even intimate human contact impossible. This left the elderly feeling entirely alone. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic on the social well-being of the elderly by analyzing factors such as social contacts, neighborhood and neighborhood cohesion, material deprivation, main occupation, social isolation, societal institutions, and participation.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
People often develop expectations prior to meeting someone for the first time. These pre-interaction expectations, which include how much they will like the other and how much they will enjoy the interaction, have likely increased because of information easily obtained about others through social media. What is not well understood is whether these expectations prior to a first meeting are associated with interpersonal evaluations formed during the get-acquainted interaction. In this study, pre-interaction expectations were collected from both members of 71 dyads. Then, after the dyads interacted through a structured self-disclosure task conducted over Skype, their reactions were assessed again. Several findings of the study have implications for people meeting for the first time, including over visual forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC). Findings included that pre-interaction expectations were associated with reactions after the interaction, a visual greeting with another before learning information about the other did not moderate the effect of that information on liking and other affiliative outcomes, and participants underestimated how much they were liked after the interaction. The implications of the findings are important because people are increasingly becoming acquainted through visual forms of CMC, which has been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01466-4.
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Research shows that the various waves of COVID-19 have generated increased fears, loneliness, and negative feelings in many adolescents. In this context, social media use may fulfill the pivotal function of connection, thereby supporting a sense of relational and emotional closeness to others via online interactions. However, there is no agreement as to the risks or buffering effects of social media usage among adolescents during the pandemic. The current study aims to explore the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19-related fears on adolescents' perceived stress and depression, evaluating the mediating effect of their sense of loneliness and the moderating effect of relational closeness to online friends. A sample of 544 Italian adolescents participated in an online survey during the third wave of COVID-19 (71.9% females;mean age = 16.22 years). The survey comprised the Multidimensional Assessment of COVID-19-Related Fears, the Italian Loneliness Scale, the Depression and Stress subscales of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21, and the Relational Closeness. The findings show a mediating effect of loneliness in the predictive relationship between COVID-19-related fears and both depression and stress, and they also indicate that relational closeness to online friends has a moderating effect, buffering the effect of loneliness on adolescents' stress and depression. The positive role of relational closeness to online friends suggests the need to consider the quality of the specific use of social media among adolescents, which may serve precise functions and needs.
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"Home Office: The Places Where We Worked” is a directive based photo project that asked participants to take photographs of their work places during the early months of the COVID pandemic of 2020.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing itself to be much more than a health crisis: it is becoming an economic and social one as well. Some segments of the population are more affected than others from the detrimental economic troubles brought about by COVID-19, which are likely going to become worse, and last longer, than the pandemic itself. Inequalities are going to rise, due to loss of wellbeing caused by the measures taken to contrast the spread of the virus. Such measures were directed towards everyone, despite the most vulnerable to the health consequences were also the ones with the smallest role on the economy. However, the economic consequences of the pandemic are especially affecting high-risk groups such as older adults. Making use of the SHARE Corona Survey, we examine the impact of COVID-19 among the older European population, focusing on their ability to make ends meet, loss of employment, and financial support received. Our results show that the ability to get through the month and the likelihood of job loss is positively correlated with increasing age, while aged individuals are less likely to receive financial support. Moreover, we show that such support mostly goes to those who really need it. We also reveal the existence of a social component of poverty. Finally, we highlight some interesting country group differences.
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What makes Filipino students resilient in times of crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic? Even as some students succumb to anxiety and despair and lose motivation to learn, others actively take charge of their learning and remain hopeful and strong amid severe trials. What keeps them going, and what can we learn from them? 25 professors of the Ateneo de Manila School of Science and Engineering selected 92 college undergraduate and graduate students whom they observed to display resilience in learning and prodded them to reflect on how they overcame challenges in and out of the classroom. Whatever their circumstances, our study reveals that these resilient students rely on three main sources of support: deep faith, solid family bonds, and close friends and mentors who hold them accountable. As contrasted to the more individualistic context that gives rise to resilience as posited by Western literature, Filipino resilience is instead truly a community affair. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
This seminal study examines how Taiwanese immigrants make friends and their convivial experiences interacting with social others in the host society in Belgium. In this study, the author successfully recruited 24 Taiwanese immigrant restaurateurs and housewives to participate in semi-structured interviews during the author’s three years of fieldwork as the Chinese language and cultural courses teacher at the Ecole Sun Yat Sen Brussels. The study finds that sharing foods with others is one of the important friendshipmaking strategies in migrants’ everyday life. In so doing, food does not only provide its material and nutrition functions, but it also makes many social meanings and functions for people who participate in activities and assist them to obtain sense of belonging, group identity and emotional support. In addition to food sharing, social media use is another vital tool for Taiwanese immigrants to make friends and cultivate their social networks living in a foreign country. However, a significant difference in using social media in making friends exists between different genders and age generations. With regard to convivial experiences, most of the research participants had positive experiences interacting with locals and social others before the COVID-19 pandemic. As they successfully accumulated such convivial experiences, these experiences, in turn, helped them construct a cosmopolitan identity and improve their personal inter-cultural competences. However, after the pandemic has worsened, Taiwanese immigrants have faced discriminations due to their race and migrant backgrounds more frequently. On the contrary, the frequencies of convivial interactions between Taiwanese immigrants with locals and social others have obviously decreased because of the pandemic. Notably, although Taiwanese immigrant restaurateurs and housewives may have different experiences and practices in making friends, they have similar social network characteristics as they have more intra-ethnic than interethnic friends and social ties. In addition, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for further research will also be discussed in the article. © 2022, City University of Hong Kong Press. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the moderating effect of perceived social support from friends in the associations between self-isolation practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and adolescents’ mental health (i.e., depression, subjective health complaints, self-harm), measured six months later (Time 2). Participants were 1,567 7th and 8th graders (51% female;51% white;M age = 13.67) from the United States. They completed questionnaires on perceived social support from friends, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm at Time 1, and self-isolation practices during COVID-19, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm at Time 2. The findings revealed that self-isolation practices during COVID-19 was related positively to Time 1 perceived social support from friends, and negatively to Time 2 depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm, while accounting for Time 1 mental health outcomes. Higher perceived social support from friends at Time 1 buffered against the negative impacts on adolescents’ mental health outcomes at Time 2 when they practiced greater self-isolation during COVID-19, while lower perceived social support at Time 1 had the opposite effects on Time 2 mental health outcomes. [ FROM AUTHOR]