ABSTRACT
Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects one in eight women in the U.S., with rates increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unique circumstances of COVID-19, virtual therapy might be a unique way to overcome barriers to mental health services. The study sought to explore the acceptability of virtual therapy among women in the postpartum period. Methods: Using an online recruitment mixed methods approach, we collected data from a U.S. national cross-sectional sample of women (N = 479) who gave birth in the last 12 months. Findings: Results show that 66% of women endorsed items consistent with possible depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 27% accessed therapy services during the postpartum period. While 88% were open to engaging in virtual therapy services, 12% identified several major concerns with virtual therapy, namely: (1) preference for in-person therapy (2) no perceived need for therapy (3) uncomfortable with virtual therapy, and (4) lack of privacy. Of note, 36% more Latinas reported dissatisfaction with quality of care received during virtual therapy compared to non-Latina participants. Despite a major shift to virtual care with COVID-19, future work is needed to make virtual mental health services more accessible for women with PPD.
ABSTRACT
As schools physically closed across the country to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear early on that the burden on students will not be equally shared. Structural racism patterns the lives of people of color that, in turn, increases their exposure to the effects of the pandemic further impacting the quality of education the students of color have access to. It is critical to examine the ways in which racial disparities in social emotional and educational outcomes have the potential to increase as a result of the pandemic. To that end, using a content analysis of an open-ended survey, this study examines (a) how teachers and school staff experienced the pandemic, (b) their perception of student experiences during the transition to remote learning, and (c) school staff's perceptions of how racial inequities may be increased as a result of the pandemic. Our findings highlight the deep, but unequal impact of the pandemic on school staff, students, and their families. Teachers are overwhelmed and overworked, struggling to manage multiple roles while working at home. They also have tremendous empathy for the weight of the losses that students have experienced, and concern for the well-being of students in difficult living or family situations. However, most school staff maintained a colorblind analysis of the way the pandemic is affecting their students and did not recognize the role of systemic racism or potential for racial disparities to be increased. Implications and limitations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
