Nurtured and sorrowful: Positive and negative emotional appeals in early COVID-19 themed brand communications

This study examines the prevalence of emotional appeals in COVID-19-themed brand advertisements from around the world in the months immediately following the World Health Organization's declaration of the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. The study analyses the frequencies of use of positive and negative emotional appeals in the content of the ads, and concurrent combinations of such appeals. A content analysis was conducted on a sample of 376 ads from the "Ads of The World" digital archive. The results reveal a preference for positive emotions, with nurturance and affiliation being the most frequent. Sorrow was the third most preferred emotional appeal, and the most used negative emotion. Some brands have compared the virus to a hurricane (Brazil), an assassin with a chainsaw (US) or the death personified (Peru). Advertisers should be careful when using negative emotional appeal content during COVID-19. According to the law of apparent reality, during times of stress the recommendation is to be cautious with negative emotions, as they may be felt more intensely by consumers. Advertising has a social responsibility, which can be directed at promoting consumer behaviours that leave a positive or negative impact on their communities. In a situation such as the pandemic, brand communication professionals must use emotions rigorously, employing this resource to contribute to society, avoiding giving rise to harmful attitudes or behaviours. The research findings are consistent with the literature and lead to future examination of emotional appeals in advertising in stressful and uncertain circumstances.

COVID-19 and stress: An evaluation using Beck's depression and anxiety inventory among college students and faculty members of Jouf University.

BACKGROUND: Individuals might suffer emotional, psychological, and even bodily challenges as a result of any pandemic. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Saudi Arabian University students and faculty members has received little attention. OBJECTIVE: To assess stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among university college students and faculty members of Jouf University, KSA and evaluate the impact of socio- demographic factors on anxiety and depression levels. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen participants from Jouf University completed an anonymous web-based survey that includes questionnaires about anxiety and depression symptoms. Beck's anxiety inventory (BAI) was used to assess the anxiety levels, and Beck's depression inventory (BDI) was used to determine the depression levels due to COVID 19 pandemic. The research was carried out between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020. An ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to explain the odds of observing anxiety and depression. RESULTS: For "moderate anxiety" (22-35), the most frequently observed category of age, nationality, gender, duration spent in lockdown and profession was 20-30 years (n = 15, 65%), Saudis (n = 14, 61%), female (n = 15, 65%),>3 months (n = 17, 74%), and students (n = 15, 65%) respectively. For "moderate depression" (21-30), the most frequently observed category of age, nationality, gender, duration spent in lockdown and profession was 20-30 years (n = 10, 50%), Saudi (n = 15, 65%), female (n = 26, 65%).>3 months (n = 13, 65%), and both students and faculty members, each with an observed frequency of 10 (50%) respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analysis suggested that the observed effects of nationality, gender, and duration spent in lockdown period influenced the anxiety levels among participants. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of the lockdown duration was more significant in students than in faculty members and females than in males. Authors recommend the critical need for intervention and prevention strategies to address college students' mental health.

Healing from Childhood Loss.

Childhood loss creates environmental challenges that disrupt the integrity of body-mind-spirit, having profound lifelong effects on both health outcomes and life satisfaction. The author in this report describes a middle-range theory of healing childhood loss, which can be used to guide practice and research. Theoretical influences are Levine's conservation model of nursing, the theory of chronic sorrow, and the adverse childhood experiences pyramid. Strategies to support healing of childhood loss are particularly needed and timely during this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, with prolonged disruption of normal childhood activities and concern about a possible increased incidence of adverse childhood experiences.