Evaluating the relationship of empathic concern to college students' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Empathic concern (EC) for others may be related to COVID-19 pandemic responses. Participants and methods: The purpose of this survey study was to examine differences in pandemic responses in 1,778 college students rated as low (LE) versus high (HE) on the EC subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results: HE participants reported greater concerns in numerous pandemic-related domains, including acquiring COVID-19; access to COVID-19 treatment; number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths reported; staying employed; and being isolated for long periods of time. Generalized anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress scores were significantly higher for individuals in the HE group compared to the LE group. The HE group reported being significantly more adherent to health and safety recommendations than the LE group. Conclusions: Empathic concern for others is important for promoting college student prosocial behavior but is associated with anxiety and depression symptomatology during times of traumatic stress.

Pathways between Adverse Change in Employment and Alcohol Use among U.S. Women during a Global Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Conformity to Masculine Norms.

BACKGROUND: This study examined changes in reported alcohol use among women during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relations to adverse changes in employment (e.g. job loss, furlough, reduced pay). Further, this study assessed how the relation between changes in alcohol use and experiencing an adverse change in employment was moderated by four theoretically relevant dimensions of conformity to masculine norms (CMNI, i.e. risk-taking, winning, self-reliance, and primacy of work). METHODS: The sample for the present study is a subset of a survey that was conducted in the spring of 2020 among U.S. adults and includes 509 participants who met the inclusion criteria. We assessed pandemic-related employment change status, changes in reported frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed, and four CMNI dimensions. Relations between these variables were assessed with a multinomial logistic regression path model. RESULTS: Experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was related to increased alcohol use when moderated by the CMNI dimension primacy of work. For people higher on primacy of work, an adverse change in employment was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting an increase in frequency, but not quantity, of drinking (rather than a decrease or no change). Not experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting an increase for quantity but not frequency. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of considering how work-oriented women may be at risk for increasing alcohol use when confronted with changes in work status.

Thinking about drinking: Acculturation and alcohol-related cognitions among college-bound Latinas.

Objective: This study examined acculturation with positive alcohol expectancies (PAE) and alcohol use intentions among college-bound Latinas using a bidimensional (ie U.S. acculturation/enculturation) and bidomain (ie behaviors/values) acculturation framework. Participants: A total of 298 Latina young adults between 18 and 20 years old were included in this analysis. Methods: Data were collected the summer before participants began college for the first time. We used an online survey to assess acculturation, PAE, and alcohol use expectancies. Results: Path analyses showed that U.S. acculturation values were related to more PAE and alcohol use intentions. U.S. acculturation behaviors were related to more alcohol use intentions, and the pathway was moderated by PAE. There was also an interaction between U.S. acculturation and enculturation behaviors predicting alcohol use intentions. Conclusion: This study sheds light on how acculturating Latina young women think about alcohol use prior to beginning college, which is an opportune window for targeted prevention programs.