ABSTRACT
Children ages 6-12 with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often demonstrate similar challenges in in social skills and externalizing behavior (e.g., Leitner, 2014;May et al., 2018). Although distinct evidence-based intervention strategies for improving social skills and externalizing behavior have been shown to have positive effects for children with ASD (e.g., Wong et al., 2015) as well as children with ADHD (e.g., Fabiano et al., 2014), less is known about how a single evidence-based intervention might differentially affect children with ASD, ADHD, or both (Davis & Kollins, 2012).This study examined behavioral trajectories of children with ASD (n = 39), ADHD (n = 50), or both (n = 28) who participated in Apex Summer Camp prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apex is an intensive behavioral intervention modeled after the Summer Treatment Program (Pelham et al., 2012). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to model growth in prosocial and externalizing behaviors during camp, and to test whether diagnosis and pre-camp parent-reported child behavior ratings (i.e., Social Responsiveness Scale and Child Behavior Checklist) predicted growth. Results showed that all children, on average, had significant increases in most prosocial behaviors, but no overall changes in most externalizing behaviors. More importantly, campers with ASD and comorbid ASD and ADHD were rarely different from their counterparts with ADHD alone, though comorbid diagnosis was more often associated with less desirable outcomes. Last, parent pre-intervention behavior ratings were largely not predictive of positive behavior growth but predicted the intercept of some externalizing behaviors. Implications for clinical and school-based practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Despite the knowledge that death is inevitable, people struggle to cope with death. The way in which a person thinks about death has important implications for his or her quality of life. Fear or avoidance of preparing for death has been associated with lower quality of life, increased medical interventions at the end of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. Exposure to death, however, has been shown to improve comfort with death and reduce feelings of anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased people's exposure to death tremendously. By utilizing data collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and collecting Mid-Pandemic data from the original participants and a new cohort, I examined the relationship between this prolonged and intense exposure to death and participants' death acceptance and avoidance. Results were mixed as longitudinal results indicated exposure was associated with a decrease in acceptance of death, whereas cross-sectional and cohort comparison data indicate no significant relationship. Positive functioning did moderate the relationship between exposure and death acceptance: those with higher positive functioning reported a positive relationship between exposure to the pandemic and greater death acceptance during the pandemic in the cross-sectional design. Longitudinal and cohort comparison data indicate those with low positive functioning were able to increase their death acceptance during the pandemic. Participants expressed more comfort with their own death during the COVID-19 pandemic, though they expressed less comfort with the death of others. This study highlights the challenges in measuring changes in death attitudes as well as the ways in which emerging adults have come to view death during the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in February of 2020 made online learning in higher education a necessity. Because faculty are key to the success of online instruction, their attitudes, experiences, and motivation need to be understood and respected (Hoffman, 2018). Some faculty more readily adapt to online learning instruction than others. Little is yet known about the impact the required "pivot" to solely online instruction, also termed emergency remote transition (ERT), had on faculty experience and motivation to teach online including those who may or may not have had previous experience with online instruction, particularly in dietetic education. Using transcendental phenomenology (Moustakas, 1994) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) frameworks, this case study of a private research/teaching university in upstate NY examined the phenomenon of faculty members' abrupt transition to online teaching during a global crisis encountered in the spring semester of 2020. Data describing the participant experience/narrative was collected via semi-structured interviews with faculty participants and researcher field notes, contemporary and scholarly literature, and university documents/artifacts. Qualitative coding methods were used to identify themes and assertions. The COVID-19 pandemic required academia to swiftly transition to online learning while maintaining the rigor of academic programs. This "forced shift", while painful, may provide an opportunity to reimagine course instruction and delivery as pedagogy in higher education continues to evolve and encompass increased use of digital modalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Maintaining a stable and engaged workforce is essential in providing quality treatment to individuals with behavioral health disorders. Soliciting and accepting input and feedback from workforce members is vital in ensuring that competent staff is available to this vulnerable population. Behavioral health leaders can facilitate this goal by cultivating environments that support employee involvement in organizational decision-making. This case study focused on identifying strategies for obtaining employee involvement by examining organizational culture and perceptions, with specific attention to existing opportunities for engaging the workforce in corporate decisions. Using the Baldridge Excellence Framework conceptually, data collection comprised five leadership interviews, organizational policies, quality reports, strategic planning documents, and external licensing and accreditation reports from a behavioral health organization operating in an urban city in the northeastern United States. Findings indicated that employee involvement was present and valued in the organization. However, health and safety measures implemented to reduce risks of COVID-19 exposure contributed to a perception of reduced employee involvement. Other findings suggested the presence of paternalistic leadership and a family orientation in the agency. Recommendations included implementing processes that support the organizational culture and employees' need for affiliation while protecting employee health and safety. Study findings contribute to positive social change by providing behavioral health leaders with strategies for maintaining a stable workforce that can provide quality treatment and care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Tobacco use in individuals is influenced by numerous factors. In an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is more focus on maintaining good respiratory health. In such a scenario, introduction of novel tobacco products such as IQOS with claims of reduced exposure may influence perceptions and uptake. IQOS is a prototype of Heated tobacco products (HTPs) which is recently approved to be sold in US markets. This study evaluates if tobacco product sales differed after emergence of the pandemic and if risk perceptions for COVID-19 and IQOS reduced exposure claims influenced harm perceptions and likelihood to try IQOS. Additionally, COVID-19 risk perceptions and association with switching to less harmful alternatives in current cigarette smokers was assessed. In study 1, Nielsen sales data was analyzed from 2017-2021 for cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes in New York State (NYS) and remainder of North-east states. STATA was used to generate interrupted time series models for evaluating difference in sales before and after emergence of pandemic. Results indicated that cigarette sales did not significantly change in NYS or north-east states. Cigar sales significantly decreased in NYS whereas no significant change observed in north-east states. Smokeless tobacco did not show any significant changes in sales in NYS or north-east. E-cigarette sales reduced significantly in NYS but did not show significant differences in north-east states. The products which showed significant changes might also have been influenced by simultaneous policy changes such as increased cigar taxes and e-cigarette flavor ban in NYS in year 2020. In study 2, we recruited 600 users and non-users of tobacco for an online survey. Participants were randomly assigned to see one of the six IQOS ads. They were then asked about their risk perceptions for COVID-19, perceptions of IQOS and intentions to use and purchase IQOS. No significant differences in product appeal or intentions to try and purchase IQOS were observed between different ad groups. Higher product appeal for IQOS was associated with greater intentions to try and purchase IQOS. Those who were less worried about contracting COVID-19, also expressed a higher likelihood of purchasing IQOS.Study 3 recruited 200 current smokers for an online survey. Participants reported their cigarette use per day. They were assigned to read and/or listen to one of the four randomly assigned narrative conditions, where test narratives had COVID-19 and IQOS advocacy component. Participants further performed hypothetical purchases in an online Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (ETM) where cigarette prices increased in 5 ETM sessions. Results showed that cigarette demand reduced significantly as cigarette prices increased in ETM. There were no significant differences between purchases made by different narrative condition groups. No significant substitution of cigarettes with IQOS was observed in ETM sessions.To summarize, COVID-19 does not seem to have influenced tobacco use behaviors significantly. Effect of pandemic on tobacco sales is difficult to separate from simultaneously occurring policy changes and evolving risk perceptions. IQOS may have a greater appeal with reduced exposure claims and may influence interest in its uptake in never or former users of tobacco increasing its abuse liability. However, a limited potential of IQOS to replace cigarette use in current smokers indicates its low appeal and ability to be used in harm reduction. These findings may have implication for regulation of IQOS products and permission to be marketed in US with reduced exposure claims in future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)