College students' experiences early in the COVID-19 pandemic: Applications for ongoing support.

OBJECTIVE: To explore U.S. college students' experiences during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Students at a Northeastern public university. METHODS: Participants were interviewed via videoconference between April 1 and May 31, 2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed; analyzed using deductive and inductive approaches to thematic analysis. RESULTS: 34 students (68% female; 56% racial/ethnic minority) participated. Deductively derived themes included: (1) trust/mistrust; (2) desire for change; (3) precarity; and (4) silver linings. Subthemes included variation in vaccine confidence, concern regarding inequalities, and anxiety about education. Building on deductively derived themes, we hypothesized that participation in change-oriented activities could benefit well-being and novel approaches to information dissemination may be needed to overcome institutional distrust. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers insights into potential short and long-term pandemic impacts as well as mitigation strategies college and university faculty and administrations may consider.

A Qualitative Study of Health Workers' Experiences During Early Surges in the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S.: Implications for Ongoing Occupational Health Challenges.

Background: Health workers (HWs) have faced significant threats to physical and psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent surges associated with the spread of the delta variant in the U.S., coupled with political resistance to effective public health mitigation strategies, indicate that the risks experienced early in the pandemic are not likely to abate soon. This study sought to better understand the experiences, thoughts, concerns, and recommendations of HWs during one of the first major surges in the U.S. and to explore how these experiences might inform efforts to mitigate potential ongoing COVID-related negative health and psychological impacts on HWs. Methods: HWs were recruited using a multi-faceted approach tailored to public health mitigation guidelines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via video conference with front line HWs, support staff, and opioid use disorder service organization providers between April 1 and July 9, 2020 using the Social-Ecological Model as a framework. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed; transcripts were analyzed inductively and deductively using thematic analytic methods, generating major themes and subthemes. Results: A total of 22 HWs participated in the study; 14 were female; 3 identified as a member of a racial or ethnic minority population. Major themes identified included: (1) Institutions, Infrastructure, and the Pandemic; (2) Working Under Fire; (3) The Political Becomes Personal and (4) Hope. Themes and subthemes explicated the ways in which phenomena at personal, interpersonal, community, organizational, and societal levels affected HWs experiences and suggested potential mechanisms through which negative effects on HW mental health and health may be mitigated. Conclusions: Previous global infectious disease epidemics have had profound negative effects on HWs' health and mental health. This study suggests the potential for similar negative impacts that may be exacerbated by the U.S.'s current sociopolitical milieu. Efforts to systematically describe and quantify these effects and to intervene to mitigate them are warranted.