ABSTRACT
In the spring of 2020 young people were living in an exceptional period of isolation, messiness and emotional turmoil. The pandemic situation in Finland serves as the background of this study, which focuses on participation and the voice of adolescents in times of crisis. My inquiry is based on 75 diaries collected by diverse museums and archives and originally created by 11- to 18-year-olds during remote schooling, and my aim is to ascertain how they were invited in and responded to making the stuff of history. Combining oral history and media ethnographic methods, I provide an analysis of the diaries focusing on the emotional resilience attached to hobbies, the echo that the narrators' information habits generate, and the media ecologies that resulted from the crafting and writing of diaries. My main argument is that although the diaries capture the narrators' reactions to the crisis, the strong presence of their ordinary lives exposes shared generational traits that are worth preserving beyond this strange time. The students were writing in and about the immediate environment in which they lived their lives, which resulted in an uncommon and rich form of oral history that raised new questions about young people's experiences during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. © by Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien.
ABSTRACT
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that significant lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, sleep, stress, job status, recreation, and use of modern technologies may lead to various COVID-19 related health problems in the general population, as well as among healthcare workers [3-8]. The first part contained 21 questions gathering information about dentists' demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, marital status), work environmental conditions (e.g., average working hours per day, dental equipment, auxiliary staff, self-assessed income, etc.), dentists' lifestyle patterns (hobbies/ spare time activities, insomnia, and use of antidepressants and sleeping pills), perceptions and attitudes towards the coronavirus pandemic (e.g., sources of stress, vaccination intentions, etc.) and retirement plans. In this group, a very high level of burnout was observed regarding EE (43.13±4.80) and DP (15.13±5.04) dimensions. [...]the high dimension of performance loss was significantly related to the regular use of these medicines (p<0.001) - Table 3. Various studies have shown that the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has profound psychological and social effects, identifying significant lifestyle changes and mental health problems [2,4,11].
ABSTRACT
Despite the benefits of leisure activities for mental health, very little is known about the link between leisure activities and mental health of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. To fill this knowledge gap, this study sought to examine the relationship between leisure activities and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. A cross-sectional online survey of 30 Chinese provinces was conducted from March 9 to 25. The Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale were conducted to measure mental health, while the duration of leisure activities was used to evaluate leisure. Results of logistic regression showed the impact of leisure activities on self-rated mental health depends on types of leisure activities. Reading and calligraphy are beneficial to self-rated mental health while online activities are not. Self-rated mental health is associated with leisure activities. More college students with self-reported anxiety symptoms like to participate in hobbies and outdoor physical activities, while college students who reported depression are reluctant to participate in most leisure activities. Females, postgraduates incline to participate in more types of leisure activities, and students living in urban areas are reluctant to join outdoor physical activities. Besides, these groups are more likely to have self-reported mental illness symptoms.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many New Yorkers quarantined in the state of "New York Pause." In this period, many had increased time for leisure. This study looked at New Yorkers from three neighboring counties and compared how people of different genders and ages (split into four groups) picked up new hobbies and furthered upon their old ones. The survey asked participants both if they picked up or expanded upon a prior hobby, and if so, to identify the hobby. Males and females showed no difference in how they picked up or continued hobbies during New York Pause, but younger participants both picked up and furthered hobbies more often than older participants. Along with that, the study categorized the hobbies picked up or furthered by type (Physical, Creative, Non-Physical Recreation, and Academic), and creative or creation-based hobbies saw the most participation, especially with people learning instruments, drawing, or cooking. All these results suggest that during their free time, most New Yorkers preferred to participate in hobbies under the creative or creation hobby umbrella.
ABSTRACT
Background: The Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life questionnaire (PEmb-QoL) assesses quality of life (QoL) in patients with previous pulmonary embolism (PE). Objective: Our aim was to assess the agreement between the PEmb-QoL and interviews and to explore other QoL concerns in patients diagnosed with PE. Methods: This mixed-method study included interviews with 21 patients about QoL after PE, followed by the PEmb-QoL questionnaire. In interviews, patients were asked about their lived experiences and impact of PE. Our analysis identified the frequency and severity of decreased QoL in qualitative interviews and compared with the PEmb-QoL score. Excerpts that described the effect of PE on QoL in interview transcripts were transcoded to match the answers corresponding to the 1 to 6 numeric values for each question from the PEmb-QoL using a predetermined matrix (eg, "constant" and "daily" = all of the time = value 1) and directly compared with responses on the PEmb-QoL in the areas of emotional complaints and activities of daily living/social limitations. Results: Interviews showed more functional impairment than predicted by PEmb-QoL. For fear of recurrence, 86% of participants had disagreements between PEmb-QoL scores and transcoded interview scores. We found 42% disagreement between reported descriptions of the inability to do or enjoy hobbies in interviews and the PEmb-QoL score. Conclusion: Patient interviews showed discordances compared with a validated psychometric tool. To capture a more detailed and accurate picture of the effect of PE on QoL, providers and researchers should consider the addition of qualitative methods to assess outcomes.
ABSTRACT
Social distancing policies have been implemented around the world to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These measures have included temporary restrictions on mass gatherings and the closure of public facilities, limiting the pursuit of leisure activities such as travel while allowing more time for at-home pursuits, including creative activities such as gardening and painting. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of physical activity for psychological well-being during COVID-19, but less attention has been given to the potential benefits of creative pursuits, such as arts and music. The present study investigated changes in the pursuit of creative, non-creative, and physical leisure activities and the relationship between engaging in leisure, the motivations for and barriers to pursuing these activities, and psychological well-being during COVID-19. A total of 3,827 participants from 74 countries completed an online leisure activities questionnaire and the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index. Logistic regression indicated that gender, age, social distancing adherence, and employment status significantly predicted leisure engagement during COVID-19. Compared to sports and outdoor pursuits, participation in creative activities was generally more likely to increase during this period, while participation in non-creative activities was less likely to increase. Multiple linear regression indicated that maintaining or increasing time on leisure activities significantly predicted well-being during COVID-19, with increased time spent on home crafts and artisanship, fine arts, musical and performing arts engagement, sports and outdoor pursuits, niche and IT interests, and language activities each predicting higher well-being outcomes. Motivations such as seeking creative expression and mental stimulation, keeping fit, and maintaining social connections also predicted higher well-being. These findings suggest that participation in both physical and creative leisure activities may offer protective benefits for well-being during COVID-19, and that strategies to promote engagement in creative activities should also be considered in future guidance for mental health during periods of lockdown or isolation.