ABSTRACT
Social isolation has been a growing concern since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, disproportionately impacting older adults. Social isolation can impact the physical, mental, and emotional health of older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine coping strategies of older adults living in senior living communities, as well as the supportive efforts of the team members working in such communities, to determine best practices for combating social isolation for older adults. This qualitative study was guided by the research question: How do older adults perceive loneliness, social isolation, and social connectedness living in senior living communities? Guided by the theoretical frameworks of socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) and strength and vulnerability integration model (SAVI), this study explored how diminished time horizons impact the prioritization of social connections. This qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews from older adults living in senior living communities in the United States. Several themes emerged from the data including Parameters of Social Connection, Dining Room as a Hub of Socialization, Time Horizon Awareness and Compensation, Strategies of Connection, and Loss of Spouse. Several implications for best practices are also discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic led to many policy changes across the U.S. justice system that aimed to reduce the spread of the deadly virus. The present dissertation provides novel insights into community sentiment toward justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies such as the early release of prisoners, the pretrial release of defendants, the suspension of fines and fees, and the prioritization of prisoner vaccination. Using a student sample (study 1) and a demographically-representative U.S. community sample (study 2), this dissertation found that political conservatism was negatively associated with support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies across both samples. Prison reform attitudes and COVID-19 anxiety were also positively associated with support for justice system mitigation policies in the community sample. In addition to exploring direct relationships, this research examined mechanisms between political conservatism and support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies. The results provide evidence that people high in political conservatism show low support for justice system COVID-19 mitigation policies because of authoritarian attitudes and their moral disengagement from those in the justice system. The results of this research contribute to the growing literature on how individual differences can affect COVID-19 pandemic-related attitudes. They also provide policymakers with an idea of how to tailor a more effective public health strategy to promote the welfare of one of the most vulnerable populations to public health crises - those involved in the justice system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a preventive and widely mandatory use of face masks was a dominant segment of the infection prevention and control of the epidemic. Covering about 60-70% of the facial surface, face masks dramatically affect social interactions-especially emotion recognition, expression and mentalization. Difficulties in communication in the doctor-patient relationship become of paramount importance to the effectiveness of the healing work. This becomes even more critical when the patient suffers from a disorder characterized by a mentalization deficit. In our study, we use the theory of social representations to examine the contents with which mask wearing has become part of our everyday knowledge. Objectives: We aimed to explore the social representations of mask wearing considering its impact on interpersonal communication, in groups where the effectiveness of mutual understanding is critical. Methods: In our study, carried out during the second and third waves of the coronavirus epidemic in Hungary, we gave a free association task to the target word mask-wearing" in a group of medical doctors, and hospitalized somatic and psychiatric patients and healthy controls (total of 81 subjects, mean age 43.1 [13.83] years), then used the obtained associations to form semantic categories and to map the structure of social representations within the groups using a rank-frequency method. Results: The positive experience of safety and the negative experience of physiological discomfort caused by the facemasks were consistently central to the social representations of mask-wearing in all study groups. Differences were found between groups in terms of more mature elaborative categories, as well as anxiety, aggression, helplessness, damaged dependency needs, and forced conformity. Conclusions: The analysis of the social representations revealed ambivalent meanings of the mask wearing. Although there were significant differences in the structure of mask-related social representations, the mask was recognized as an "inconvenient but necessary" health protection measure in most of the groups studied. Based on the results, each group may be at risk in a different way or deal differently with the pandemic based on their specific representations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Hungarian) Elmeleti hatter: A COVID-19-pandemia idejen a jarvanyugyi intezkedesek meghatarozo reszeve valt az arcmaszkok viselesenek preventiv es szeles koru alkalmazasa. Az arcmaszkok az arcfelulet mintegy 60-70%-at lefedve jelentosen befolyasoljak a szocialis interakciokat - kulonosen az erzelemfelismerest, erzelemkifejezest es mentalizalast. A kommunikacioban fellepo nehezsegek a gyogyito munka hatekonysaga szempontjabol kiemelt jelentoseguve valnak az orvos-beteg kapcsolatban. Ennek meg kritikusabb esetei azok a helyzetek, amikor a paciens mentalizacios deficittel jellemezheto zavarban szenved. Tanulmanyunkban a szocialis reprezentaciok elmeletet hasznaljuk annak vizsgalatara, hogy a maszkviseles milyen tartalmakkal valt a kozos tudas reszeve. Celkituzes: Vizsgalatunkban a maszkviseles szocialis reprezentaciojanak felterkepezeset tuztuk ki celul, figyelembe veve annak interperszonalis kommunikaciora gyakorolt hatasat, olyan csoportokban, ahol a kolcsonos megertes hatekonysaga kiemelt jelentoseggel bir. Modszerek: Kutatasunkban a koronavirus-jarvany masodik es harmadik magyarorszagi hullama idejen, orvos, szomatikus es pszichiatriai beteg csoportban, valamint kontrollcsoportban (osszesen 81 fo, atlageletkor 43,1 [SD = 13,83] ev) szabad asszociacios feladatot adtunk a maszkviseles" hivoszora. A nyert adatokbol szemantikus kategoriakat kepeztunk, majd ranggyakorisag-eljarassal felterkepeztuk a szocialis reprezentaciok szerkezetet az egyes csoportokon belul. Eredmenyek: A vizsgalati csoportok maszkhasznalathoz kapcsolodo szocialis reprezentaciojaban egysegesen kozponti elemkent jelent meg a maszkviseles altal nyujtott biztonsagelmeny, valamint a maszk zavaro testerzetet kelto hatasa. Kulonbseget talaltunk az egyes csoportok kozott elaborativ kategoriak megjelenese, illetve szorongas, agresszio, tehetetlenseg, serult dependenciaszukseglet, valamint a kenyszeru alkalmazkodas tekinteteben. Kovetkeztetesek: A maszkviseles szocialis reprezentaciojanak elemzese alapjan a maszkviseles ambivalens jelentestartalmakat hordoz. Bar a maszkviseleshez kapcsolodo szocialis reprezentaciok strukturajaban szamottevo kulonbsegek is mutatkoztak, ugyanakkor a legtobb vizsgalt csoportban a maszk a virusvedelem szempontjabol kenyelmetlen, de szukseges" eszkozkent kerult felismeresre. Az eredmenyek alapjan az egyes csoportok sajatos reprezentacioik alapjan eltero modokon lehetnek veszelyeztetettek, illetve kuzdhetnek meg a pandemia idejen kialakult helyzettel. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study examined how Asian and Asian American grandparent-grandchild relationships related to ethnic identity in the context of COVID-19-related racial discrimination. Asian and Asian American grandchildren (N = 102) answered questions about discrimination, ethnic identification, grandparent-grandchild relationships, and ethnic behaviors. There was no significant relationship between exposure to discrimination and strength of ethnic identity, but strength of ethnic identity was a significant predictor of frequency of synchronous contact with grandparents and ethnic behaviors. Findings suggest that stronger ethnic identities in Asian and Asian American undergraduate students could be related to better relationships with their grandparents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Individual differences in sociodemographic characteristics and trait-like perceptions of opportunities and constraints may shape how people respond to adversities such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about how these factors combine to form multifaceted profiles of developmental opportunity and constraint or the implications of such profiles for longitudinal well-being following major life stressors. Using 1-year data from a national sample of U.S. adults (n = 293), we identified profiles based on relevant sociodemographic characteristics (age, socioeconomic status, chronic conditions, functional status) and trait-like perceptions of opportunity and constraints (perceived mastery, perceived constraints). Results of latent profile analyses showed that three common profiles emerged at pandemic onset (veridical opportunity, perceived constraints, perceived opportunity). Subsequent latent growth models showed that, despite reporting more sociodemographic constraints, the perceived opportunity profile exhibited better 1-year emotional well-being (positive and negative affect) during the pandemic than the perceived constraints profile. Findings advance the literature by identifying multifaceted individual differences in profiles of developmental opportunity and constraint and by showing these profiles have consequences for longitudinal well-being following the pandemic onset. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Managing collective action issues such as pandemics and climate change requires major social and behavioral change. Dominant approaches to addressing these issues center around information provision and financial incentives to shift behavior, yet, these approaches are rarely effective without integrating insights from psychological research on motivation. By accurately characterizing human motives, social scientists can identify when and why individuals engage, and facilitate behavior change and public engagement. Here, we use the core social motives model to sort social psychological theories into five fundamental social motives: to Belong, Understand, Control, self-Enhance, and Trust. We explain how each motive can improve or worsen collective action issues, and how this framework can be further developed towards a comprehensive social psychological perspective to collective action issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 on youth's social emotional competencies. Specifically, this study examined whether there was a significant difference in social emotional competency proficiency levels of self-management, social awareness, and emotion regulation as measured by the Panorama SEL Survey from October 2019 to October 2021 in fifth through twelfth grade students who attended a large, diverse suburban school district in Illinois. This study showed statistically significant differences in students' proficiency levels, which increased for self-management and decreased for social awareness and emotion regulation. Based on these results, school district leaders should consider investing funds to increase interventions and strategies for students regarding social awareness and emotion regulation. Future research should consider analyzing mindfulness interventions implemented as well as the different demographic subgroups with pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data. An extension study with additional years from the same cohort may also provide meaningful insights to school district leaders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Despite recognition that cyberbullying can have negative consequences in youth's lives, including decreased academic achievement, adverse physical outcomes, and increased suicidal ideation, there has been little empirical evidence about effective school interventions or understanding educators' knowledge and comfort to address cyberbullying with their students. The present study examined educators' perspectives on cyberbullying to inform effective intervention techniques in a middle school setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 San Francisco Bay Area middle school educators. Results yielded the following themes: a) cyberbullying is conceptualized as harassment or mistreatment via electronic devices and media, b) some schools are not adequately prepared to guide and support teachers in navigating cyberbullying, c) school personnel report feeling willing to address cyberbullying but lack the training to do so, and d) cyberbullying seemed to increase after schools reopened from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, despite educators' indications that they have significant concerns about the impact of cyberbullying on their students, they are feeling overwhelmed with the demands of the system to provide specific interventions for their students. Therefore, it would be imperative for future research to continue exploring effective intervention programs to utilize with middle school students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed extreme divisions in the social and political structure of the United States. When health organizations recommended strategies such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, sanitation of surfaces, and isolating when sick to slow the spread of the disease, Americans appeared to divide into two factions;those who followed the public health guidance and those who persistently ignored it, often voicing perceptions of loss of freedom due to the guidance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which political affiliation moderated the relationship between conspiracy mindset, trust in science, and reactance responses to COVID-19 public health protocols. The social identity approach, a blend of social identity and self-categorization theories explains the polarization in the United States to public health guidance designed to slow the spread of disease. Online surveys were administered via Survey Monkey to 220 American citizens who were active politically. Results indicated that political conservatives were significantly more likely to endorse conspiracy theories and to resist compliance with COVID-19 public health protocols. Additionally, those who distrusted science were significantly more likely to resist compliance with COVID-19 mitigation practices. Findings from this study have the potential to promote positive social change through a better understanding of the reasons for resistance to public health protocols designed to thwart the spread of COVID-19. Importantly, these results can be used to develop messaging that targets those susceptible to conspiracy beliefs and instead direct their attention to the science that informs public safety protocols in the interest of us all. . (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped life for all in countless ways. For young people, the pandemic accelerated the digitalization of school education and upended relations with peers, parents, and society as a whole. In this paper, we look beyond these immediate effects to explore how pandemic experiences, feelings, and thoughts suggest profound shifts in young people's perspectives on and orientations towards the future. Our research comprises parallel qualitative research with young people aged 15-19 in Denmark and Australia. Drawing on a posthumanist account of the world as entanglements of multiple human and non-human agencies and inspired by Donna Haraway's admonition to stay with the trouble of the world, we discuss how species meet as the coronavirus makes kin with the young people and how the young people's perspectives on the future become with the pandemic. That is, what intimations of worldings and reworldings can be glimpsed as young people shared their changed perspectives on priorities related to the meaning of life and the sustainability of the (more-than-) human condition from the midst of the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to better understand how video calling technology can provide face-to-face experiences that support meaningful social connections among older results living in a naturally organized retirement community. This study aimed to understand the experiences of older adults who used video calling technology to engage in social activities and communicate with friends and family. The researcher used a purposeful sampling of 12 participants (members) from the Villages NW, an organization that provides supportive services for older adults who want to age in their homes. The interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that face-to-face online communications through video calling technology supported social connections and mitigated loneliness while social distancing. The study findings highlighted the need for innovative resources that support older adults' well-being and safety. More specifically, a close examination of how technology, such as video calling devices or apps, can help older adults actively engage in activities essential for their well-being and experience meaningful connections with friends and family. Lastly, further research should be conducted advocating the accessibility to assistive technology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted cancer patients and survivors given increased vulnerabilities to COVID-19, feelings of medical abandonment due to overwhelmed healthcare systems, and greater struggles with socially isolative measures. Social isolation and loneliness are particularly burdensome for cancer patients and survivors, and social media has been historically utilized by cancer communities to meet social support needs. However, it is unclear how these online spaces may be differentially utilized to cope with the evolving needs and added stressors of the pandemic. Therefore, we examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer communities through analysis of tweets posted with '#cancer' (n = 8,359) during four equal-length phases: (T1) baseline, (T2) warning, (T3) isolation, and (T4) adaptation. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count was used to identify words indicating drives for affiliation, prosocial tendencies, and emotional expression. Latent Dirichlet Allocation provided topic model results. Findings revealed significantly greater affiliation word-use during the isolation phase compared to baseline and warning phases. Also, there was significantly greater prosocial word-use during isolation and adaptation phases compared to baseline and warning phases. Topic models indicated clear shifts in online discussions during the isolation phase. In addition, more expressions of positive and negative emotion elicited more social support from others (i.e., higher count of favorites) at baseline. However, expressions of negative emotion hindered social support processes during warning and isolation phases (i.e., resulted in lower count of favorites). Healthcare teams may inform cancer patients and survivors about online communities to address increased needs for social connection, promote prosocial behavior, and provide relevant information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings can also help guide how healthcare professionals may want to broach these topics with cancer patients and survivors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This work investigates Schadenfreude, the malicious joy for the misfortunes of others. This under-investigated emotion expresses a refusal to empathize with the misfortunes of others, to the point of enjoying them. Recent classification models identify three types of Schadenfreude: for Aversion, if the pleasure is due to pure antipathy towards the victim;for Injustice, if you think that the misfortune suffered by the Victims punishes them for wrongs caused in the past;and for Image, when the misfortune of others makes those who feel Schadenfreude have a better consideration of themselves or of someone or something in which they believe. The Covid-19 pandemic unleashed in 2020 is a misfortune that has aroused malicious joy in some people. The research presented here analyses 1940 expressions of Schadenfreude collected on Facebook and Twitter in 26 Italian newspapers, referred to two political leaders, an Italian and a British one, when they contracted Covid: Nicola Zingaretti, one of the leaders of the government coalition in Italy, and Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The research distinguishes cases of Schadenfreude for Aversion and Injustice towards them and singles out thirteen ways of expressing them: insults, derisions, irony, curses, negative wishes, expressions of pleasure, displeasure for a misfortune not serious enough, refusal to empathize, clarification of the wrong perpetrated or of the causes of aversion;and also, appeals to the divine, and direct references to justice and one's aversion. The distribution of the expressions in the two types makes it possible to distinguish different motivations and levels of intensity of the Schadenfreude felt towards the two victims, differentiating the functions both of the emotion itself and of its manifestation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Relationship distress with a spouse or intimate partner is common across civilian and military populations. An examination of the literature provides compelling evidence that such interpersonal conflict can profoundly affect an individual's physical and mental health, financial well-being, and overall functioning. Relationship distress increases the likelihood that one will experience various mental health disorders while also decreasing the efficacy of pharmacologic and therapeutic interventions to treat these disorders. Psychotherapeutic approaches to address couple dysfunction have been historically unreliable, and clinicians often struggle to improve couple functioning. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) was developed in the 1980s and is an empirically based treatment for the treatment of distressed couples. EFT is an attachment-based, experiential psychotherapy which seeks to promote improved couple functioning and greater relationship satisfaction through repairing a couple's attachment bond. A treatment manual is proposed for active-duty military and veteran couples using EFT. This manual will address the unique circumstances and issues associated with military life and its aftermath by combining EFT principles with effective practices from other theoretical orientations. Integrating best practices from different theoretical orientations may potentiate the efficacy of EFT when administered via telehealth, an important consideration in the era of COVID-19. This is the first treatment manual designed to integrate EFT with other theoretical orientations via telehealth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
For this special issue, eight manuscripts were accepted. The contributions showcase a range of indigenous psychological concepts and practices in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. These include the Filipino values of "kapwa" (shared identity) and Indonesian values of "Mangan ora mangan sing penting kumpul" and "Dalihan Na Tolu" (both referring to the importance of kinship) in relation to one's preferred sources of social supports, Filipino coping strategies of "diskarte" (resourcefulness) and "bayanihan" (mutual, collective support) in managing mental health challenges, the "Sikolohiyang Pilipino" (Filipino Psychology) movement in the Philippines, the "kiasu" mindset (fear of losing out), and traditional Chinese healing practices of "dang-ki" (consultations with a divine deity) in Singapore. The contributions all address sustainable development goals in SEA communities, such as mental health challenges and practices in Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore;the marginalization of ethnic minority groups;effects of postcolonialism in the Philippines and Malaysia;and issues of urbanization, deforestation, and climate change in Malaysia. Some assessed specifically the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SEA populations' well-being, including comparisons of COVID-19 stigma and quality of life in Indonesia and the Philippines, the associated factors of self-harm and suicide ideation among Chinese Indonesians, and the mental health challenges faced and coping strategies utilized by doctors working in rural areas in the Philippines. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Border regions between different countries are of special interest in studying international relationships, which is a current topic in today's globalized and interconnected world. To strengthen their disaster resilience, it is important for local decision-makers to understand the spontaneous willingness of the population to help affected people in their region. This article presents a novel framework based on Social Capital and Weiners' Motivational Theory of Mutual Help to quantify peoples' willingness to help (WTH) surveyed for the hypothetical case of a natural disaster. We compared the potential helping behavior between neighbored regions and neighbored countries in France and Germany, and also in the border area between the two countries. We found a significant correlation between trust and WTH in a neighboring region and identified determinants of WTH in a neighboring country. Implications for today's world in terms of globalization and disaster response as the Covid-19 pandemic are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Limited accounts of family members' experiences with loved ones who have been physically restrained in ICU settings (Ones, 2020;Singer et al., 2020) have left a gap in providing respectful, responsive patient care. One study estimated that physical restraint was being used at the rate of 50 per 1,000 patient days. Currently, it is estimated that approximately 27,000 people are placed in physical restraints each day in U.S. hospitals. ICUs are responsible for 56% of all restraint days, despite accounting for only 16% of all patient days (Mion, 2008). According to Abdeljawad and Mrayyan (2016), patients may experience trauma with the use of these devices. In order to better comprehend the effects following physical restraint use, this dissertation explored the perceptions of family members with loved ones who have been physically restrained, with a focus on their application in critical care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.While no scientific evidence of physical restraint efficacy is available, there is much evidence of its risk. Another study reported that in hospitals in the United States, the prevalence of using physical restraints is approximately with 53% of all patients. Further, the prevalence of using restraints on patients in critical care units is 75%. With the increased use of physical restraint, the mortality and morbidity rates are expected to increase, due to serious consequences of physical restraint that can result in confusion, deconditioning, pressure injuries, strangulation, death, and adverse psychological effects (Rakhmatullina et al., 2013). In the extant literature, limited studies have explored family members' experiences of loved ones being physically restrained (Ones, 2020). The findings from this study included the following themes: Theme 1: Having to Deal with Complications and Difficulties Encountered Preceding, During, and Post Hospitalization;Theme 2: Experiences That Are Identified as Negative;Theme 3: Understanding of Hospital Staff Intentions;Theme 4: The Need for Physical Restraint Intervention (PRI) May Be Justifiable but Stirs up Negative Emotions;and Theme 5: Feelings of Ambivalence Associated with PRI. The study provides an understanding of family members' perception of these experiences. These insights may help health care clinicians improve the experience of patient care, safety, and quality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The nature and existence of free will and its relationship with moral reasoning and behavior have been debated by philosophers, theologians, and scientists for centuries, with no resolution in sight. More recently, proponents of "Experimental Philosophy" (Nichols, 2011) have sought to bypass the challenges of ontology by applying the tools and methods of the behavioral and mental sciences to the study of issues such as the structure and role of free will beliefs (FWBs) in prosocial and moral reasoning and behavior. One of these approaches involves the use of experimental manipulation of FWBs via text passages, statements, articles, and videos endorsing or refuting free will, to measure its effects on moral attitudes and behaviors such as conformity, punishment, and cheating behaviors (e.g. Alquist et al., 2013;Shariff et al., 2014;Vohs & Schooler, 2008). The present study, a videoconference-based online study developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeks to shed further insight into the role of FWBs in moral behavior by combining experimental manipulations of FWBs and descriptive moral norms (moral behaviors we observe in the world around us). We manipulated FWBs by randomly assigning participants to read and contemplate 15 pro- or anti-free will statements, and manipulated moral norms by pairing participants with a research confederate pretending to be a second participant but randomly assigned to behave either honestly or dishonestly in a tracing task involving unsolvable shapes, which participants were led to believe they could earn a prize for solving. Participants were also asked to complete a number of psychometric scales and single item questions for purposes of manipulation checking and exploratory analyses. Results showed that participants paired with dishonest confederates cheated more frequently than participants paired with honest confederates, and that participants in the pro-free will condition reported stronger FWBs than participants in the anti-free will condition. No main effect of FWB manipulation was observed on cheating behaviors, nor was any interaction effect observed between FWB manipulation and confederate honesty condition on cheating behaviors. These findings contribute to our understanding of the influences and limitations of FWBs, moral norms, and experimental manipulations thereof for cheating behaviors and moral behaviors in general, suggesting potential directions for future research approaches and paradigms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Coronovirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the disease resulting from infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the United States was to combat the spread of the virus through multiple methods, including stay-at-home orders, requirements to work from home, and children being unable to attend schools in person. Many families endured losses in income due to the stay-at-home orders. As children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often thrive on routines and predictability, this abrupt disruption in their everyday routine may have been especially stressful (Mostafavi, 2020), possibly exacerbating the distress of their caregivers during this time. Parents of children with ASD were faced with managing the stress of the pandemic without the usual support and structure previously provided by the child's school, for example. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of families of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents of children with ASD completed an online survey, which comprises the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (FQoL) (Hoffman et al., 2003), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9;Spitzer, 1999), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7;Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Lowe, 2006), as well as questions pertaining to changes in the child's behavioral and academic functioning following the transition from in-person learning. It was hypothesized that families would not report high QoL, that there would be a positive correlation between support from the school and FQoL, a positive correlation between support from the school and changes in the child's functioning, and inverse correlations between FQoL and parental anxiety and depression. Data from 249 caregivers of children with ASD were analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics, bi-variate Pearson's r correlations, or one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) along with frequencies and percentages for categorical demographic variables. Results indicated that most parents reported satisfactory FQoL, neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction with the support from the child's school, and no changes in the child's functioning. However, greater reports of anxiety and depression were associated with reports of lower FQoL. Further research in this area could offer more insight into factors contributing to satisfactory FQoL in families of children with ASD during a pandemic or other major life-disrupting event. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Mitigating societal threats--such as climate change and pandemics--requires widespread attitudinal and behavioral changes. Yet, even in the face of imminent societal threats, people often fail to change their attitudes and behaviors enough to mitigate such risks. I suggest that failure to respond sufficiently to societal threats stems partially from inattention to some consequences of these threats. People attend primarily to proximal and vivid outcomes when making decisions;as a result, they may often not attend to consequences of societal threats that are in the future, that primarily impact others, or that accumulate across sets of events. Because attending to outcomes is key to heavily weighting and accurately judging those outcomes, such patterns of inattention may constrain people's responses to societal threats--even when they hold values and beliefs that imply a preference for aggressive risk-mitigating actions. Across three essays, I present nine studies which support hypotheses derived from this theoretical framework. In the first essay I examine the causal role of attention in temporal discounting of environmental rewards. In the second essay, I examine whether a decision analysis procedure that draws attention to unattended outcomes and values can increase intentions to mitigate risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the third essay, I examine people's judgments of the disjunctive risk that at least one (i.e., one or more) of multiple negative events in a set will take place in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic--and whether segregating events into subsets (which should increase attention to each subset) can improve risk judgments and reduces intentions to engage in risky-behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)