ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have provided an unprecedented opportunity to better understand the processes by which media are used to improve coping and impaired well-being. Despite the important health issues at stake, the overall dynamic of media-based coping strategies (MBCS), their evolution over time according to their perceived efficacy, and their link with social well-being are poorly understood. The present longitudinal qualitative study, conducted in seven phases of interviews over a period of 36 weeks among a diverse population experiencing lockdown, lifting of lockdown, and then a second lockdown (N = 31;total duration 192 hours), shows how individuals implemented eight families of MBCS on two interdependent levels. On the first level, two families of MBCS developed "micro" and "macro" social processes, contributing to social well-being. Social media satisfied social needs usually satisfied offline. Two other families also improved psychological and hedonic well-being. Among these MBCS, the hedonic strategies in particular were perceived as being ineffective after about a month of confinement. Four families of second-level MBCS were then implemented and were perceived as effective in both the short and long term. Limitations and new perspectives opened by the results are discussed. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Media Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)
ABSTRACT
Small businesses have suffered disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic. We use near-real-time weekly data from the Small Business Pulse Survey (April 26, 2020 - June 17, 2021) to examine the constantly changing impact of COVID-19 on small businesses across the United States. A set of multilevel models for change are adopted to model the trajectories of the various kinds of impact as perceived by business owners (subjective) and those recorded for business operations (objective), providing insights into regional resilience from a small business perspective. The findings reveal spatially uneven and varied trajectories in both the subjectively and the objectively assessed impact of COVID-19 across the U.S., and the different responses to the pandemic shock can be explained by evolving health situations and public policies, as well as by the economic structure and degree of socioeconomic vulnerability in different areas. This study contributes to scholarship on small businesses and regional resilience, as well as identifying policies and practices that build economic resilience and regional development under conditions of global pandemic disruption. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Regional Science Review 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.)
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between visual outcomes of ocular injury patients in a tertiary hospital unit with clinical and demographic variables and to evaluate the psychosocial impact of the injury on the patients. An 18-month prospective study of 30 eye-injured adult patients was conducted in the General University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, a tertiary referral hospital. All severe eye injury case information was prospectively collected between February 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was labelled not poor (>0.5/10 or >20/400 on the Snellen scale, <1.3 in LogMAR scale) and poor (≤0.5/10 or ≤20/400 on the Snellen scale, ≥1.3 on the LogMAR equivalent). Data regarding participants' perceived stress levels, by using Perceived Stress Scale 14 (PSS-14), were collected prospectively, one year after study end. Out of 30 ocular injury patients selected, 76.7% were men and most of them were self-employed and private or public sector workers (36.7%). Not poor final BCVA was related to not poor initial BCVA [odds ratio (OR) 1.714;P=0.006]. No statistical associations were found between visual outcome and demographic or clinical factors, but not poor final BCVA was associated with improved self-reported psychological condition of the sufferers, as examined by a questionnaire sheet developed to collect information for study purpose (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10;P=0.011). No patient reported job loss or changed work status following the injury. Not poor initial BCVA was a significant predictor for not poor final visual outcomes (OR 1.714;P=0.006). Patients with not poor final BCVA expressed higher levels of positive psychology (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10;P=0.011) and less fear of eye injury repetition (64.0 vs. 100.0%;P=0.286). Not poor final BCVA was associated with low PSS-14 scores one year after study end (77.3 vs. 0.0%, P=0.003). Collaboration between ophthalmologists, mental health professionals and primary care team may be important in order to help patients to cope with the psychosocial burden sequel to eye trauma. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Experimental & Therapeutic Medicine is the property of Spandidos Publications UK Ltd 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.)
ABSTRACT
Transitions from education into work, or as part of career change and development, are increasingly central to policy debate and academic inquiry. However, the role that employers play in shaping transition is often overlooked. In this paper, we examine this issue through the experiences of a graduating cohort of 'degree apprentices'. We present original analysis of new empirical data from what we believe to be the first substantive qualitative longitudinal research conducted with those experiencing this new vocational pathway in the English Apprenticeships system. Through analysis of repeat semi‐structured interviews with 22 degree apprenticeship graduates (44 interviews in total), we provide early empirical insights into experiences of this new pathway and add to existing theoretical conceptualisations of transition within the educational literature and the employer's role within it. We show that the degree apprentice to graduate transition can be broken down into three key stages: 'getting in', 'getting on' and 'going further', and that employers—at both strategic and relational levels—shape experiences at each stage. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
This study tested the Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA) in a sample of Afghanistan's working adults amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures of adaptation were applied at three time points, that is, positive orientation toward future (adaptive readiness) at Time 1, career adaptability (adaptability resources) and competence need satisfaction at work (adapting responses) at Time 2, and meaningful work (adaptation result) at Time 3. Testing the model through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that the indirect effect of positive orientation toward future at Time 1 on meaningful work at Time 3 via the combination of career adaptability and competence need satisfaction at work at Time 2 was significant and positive. Results support Afghan employees' career construction over time. Theoretical contribution of the results and strategies for assisting Afghan employees in crafting their careers in the current political situation are discussed. Study limitations and prospects for future research are also discussed. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
Due to the impact of COVID-19, children and their parents are spending more time at home, which increases parent–child interactions. The goals of the present study were to examine the mediating effects of children's learning engagement on the relationships of parental involvement in Chinese, English, and math performance and to investigate whether parent-perceived parental involvement and child-perceived parental involvement consistently affected children's academic performance. Data were collected from 253 Chinese primary school students (117 boys, Mage = 10.53) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We included parental involvement perceived by the parents and by the children to comprehensively describe parental involvement (in wave 2);we collected children's learning engagement (wave 2);and we compared children's Chinese, English and math academic performances before (wave 1) and after (wave 3) China's first wave of COVID-19 in 2020. The results showed that after controlling for gender, age, and SES, the parental involvement perceived by parents could be directly and positively related to children's learning engagement, and it also indirectly influenced children's learning engagement through the children's perceived parental involvement. Learning engagement was a mediator of the relationship between parental involvement and children's academic performance. Parental involvement significantly predicted children's Chinese and English performances through their learning engagement, while parental involvement failed to predict children's mathematics performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current research provides insights into the underlying mechanisms of how parental involvement affects children's academic performances during school closures and hopes to guide parents and schools to consider how to cooperate and continue to use rapidly developing digital education resources amid the long-term impact of COVID-19 to provide children using more effective and suitable guidance in the future. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a great health challenge around the world. Immunization appears best preventive strategy where monitoring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is immensely important as limited safety data available on them. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to perform safety surveillance and causality assessment of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) with COVID-19 vaccine. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on healthcare workers who received their first dose of COVISHIELD during first phase of COVID-19 vaccination in January-February 2021 at F.H. Medical College and Hospital, Tundla, Firozabad. Approval for the study was taken from institutional ethical committee. The details of AEFIs were collected and duly noted in standard AEFI case reporting form of Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare, Immunization Division, Govt. of India and reported to District Immunization Officer. Causality assessment was done in accordance with protocol of the World Health Organization. Results: Out of 419 vaccinees, 210 had developed AEFIs, and 527 AEFIs were reported considering the fact that one recipient could have experienced multiple AEFIs. Majority AEFIs were related to general disorders and administration site conditions (67.35%), where fever (28.46%), chills (16.69%),and pain at injection site (15.75%) were more common, followed by musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (19.55%) where myalgia (18.03%) was more commonly reported. Out of 527 AEFIs reported, majority (524, 99.43%) showed consistent causal association to immunization and 3 (0.57%) AEFIs showed inconsistent association. AEFIs classified as consistent causal association (524) mostly were vaccine product related reactions (520, 99.23%) and rest (4, 0.76%) were immunization anxiety related reactions. Severity assessment of AEFIs was done using Modified Hartwig and Siegel Severity Scale, out of total 527 AEFIs reported 60.9% were of mild severity and rest 39.1% were categorized as moderate severity. Conclusion: As adverse events post-vaccination with COVISHIELD were mild to moderate in severity and lasted for a short duration, the inconvenience caused by these AEFIs outweigh the protection offered by the vaccination against COVID-19. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Asian Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Manipal Colleges of Medical Sciences 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.)
ABSTRACT
Emotions and the emotional labour of researchers have been increasingly recognised in social science disciplines, with many researchers providing personal and reflexive accounts. Such debates are less well recognised in health-related disciplines, particularly public health, who remain at earlier stages of valuing and understanding qualitative research. Drawing on personal experiences and methodological reflections gathered from a qualitative study, undertaken with young people over the course of 16 months during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, UK, the aim of this article is to offer further insight into the impact of researcher emotion, by specifically focussing on longitudinal, diary-based methods. My reflections are framed as three overlapping and intersecting themes. First, that qualitative longitudinal methods (and diary studies in particular) have enormous potential to curate rich emotional narratives. Second, that despite these positives, there are tensions or conflicting dynamics in using a method which helps to explore young people's emotions but also involves emotional labour for the researcher. Third, that greater attention should be paid to ensuring ethical care for researchers, particularly those engaging with qualitative longitudinal and/or creative methods. Such strategies should not solely rely on self-care and must be considered at institutional or funding body level. To this end, my personal experiences and reflections, as well as those from previous offerings, are used here to underpin a framework for researchers or research teams embarking upon novel qualitative longitudinal methods: 1. Do not underestimate emotional burden. 2. Ensure meaningful debriefing is available. 3. Establish boundaries. 4. Make space for emotion throughout fieldwork as well as during analysis and writing ('entering and exiting the field'). [ FROM AUTHOR];Copyright of International Journal of Qualitative Methods 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.)