The role of personal identity as a resource for college students during COVID-19.

Objective: We examined the role of personal identity vis-à-vis COVID-related outcomes among college students from seven U.S. campuses during spring/summer 2021. Participants: The present sample consisted of 1,688 students (74.5% female, age range 18-29). The sample was ethnically diverse, and 57.3% were first-generation students. Procedures: Students completed an online survey assessing personal identity synthesis and confusion, COVID-related worries, general internalizing symptoms, positive adaptation, and general well-being. Results: Personal identity synthesis was negatively related to COVID-related worries and general internalizing symptoms, and positively related to positive adaptation, both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Personal identity confusion evidenced an opposing set of direct and indirect associations with outcome variables. Conclusions: Personal identity may potentially be protective against pandemic-related distress among college students, in part through its association with well-being. Reducing identity confusion and promoting identity synthesis are essential among college students during this and future pandemics.

How does social support relate to emotional availability for learning during COVID-19? A multi-group structural equation model of university students from the U.S. and Israel.

Given the social and emotional tolls of the COVID-19 pandemic on college and university students, many students have become academically disengaged during the pandemic. Although some colleges and universities have the capacity to promote social support for their students, research has yet to comprehensively demonstrate the relationship between social support and academic engagement. To fill this gap, we leverage survey results from four universities across the United States and Israel. Through multi-group structural equation modelling, we explore (a) how perceived social support relates to being emotionally unavailable for learning, (b) how this relationship is partially explained through coping and COVID-19 concerns, and (c) how these relationships can differ across countries. We find that students who perceived higher levels of social support had lower rates of being emotionally unavailable for learning. Part of this relationship occurred through greater rates of coping and, subsequently, fewer concerns about the pandemic. We also noticed significant differences in these relationships between countries. We conclude with a discussion of study implications for higher education policies and practices.

Association between Loneliness, Mental Health Symptoms, and Treatment Use among Emerging Adults.

Loneliness research has focused primarily on older adult populations. There is limited research on how loneliness and social support impact young people's mental health and mental health services use. This article reports an assessment of whether loneliness and social support are associated with mental health services use and mental health symptoms (psychological distress and suicidal ideation) among emerging adults. A subsample of emerging adults ages 18 to 29 (N = 307) was drawn from the 2017 Survey of Police-Public Encounters, a cross-sectional, general population survey administered to residents of New York City and Baltimore. Ordinary least squares and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to model associations between loneliness and mental health symptoms and services use outcomes. Emerging adults with higher levels of loneliness reported higher levels of distress and suicidal ideation. Having more social support, experiencing higher levels of distress, and suicidal ideation were associated with increased odds for using services. First-generation American emerging adults and Black emerging adults were less likely to use services than their U.S.-born and non-Black counterparts. The significant impact of loneliness on mental health symptoms and the effect of social support on service use highlight the importance of developing interventions to prevent and reduce loneliness over the life course.

Associations of self-isolation, social support and coping strategies with depression and suicidal ideation in U.S. young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been concerns about the psychological impact of COVID-19-related stressors on young adults. However, there remains limited information regarding how psychosocial factors and coping strategies correlate with suicidal ideation in young adults during the pandemic. We studied a cross-sectional, observational online survey using a probability-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults aged 18 to 29 (N = 1077). We performed weighted logistic regression to evaluate how self-isolation, social support and coping strategies (exposures) were associated with depression and suicidal ideation (outcomes), adjusting for age, gender, race, educational level and sexual orientation. The method of multiple imputations for addressing missing data was executed through chained equations. A total of 296 participants had depression, while 323 had suicidal ideation. Individuals who consistently self-isolated exhibited nearly threefold higher odds of depression compared to those without self-isolation. Social support was consistently protective against depression and suicidal ideation. Coping through positive reframing was protective against depression and suicidal ideation, whereas substance use, self-blame and behavioural disengagement had the opposite impact. Providing social support may help prevent suicidal ideation among young adults during the pandemic. Interventions that focus on developing young adults' coping strategies, such as through positive reframing, are recommended to develop positive and healthy relationships. Healthcare providers should advise against substance use, self-blame and behavioural disengagement.

Intersecting Race and Gender Across Hardships and Mental Health During COVID-19: A Moderated-Mediation Model of Graduate Students at Two Universities.

While the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of college students can vary across race and gender, few studies have explored the role of hardships and university assistance in these disparities, as well as how these disparities can manifest themselves differently across intersections of race and gender. We address this gap by using unique survey data (n = 417) from two large graduate schools of social work, public health, and social policy in the United States. Using multi-group structural equation modeling, we explore how material hardships, academic hardships, and university assistance needed mediates the relationship between race and mental health, including depression and anxiety. We also explore how gender moderates these relationships. We find that Black students are directly related to material hardships and-through these hardships-indirectly related to increased depression, indicating mediation. However, material hardships did not mediate the relationship between race and anxiety. Furthermore, while academic hardships mediated the relationships between race and depression, as well as race and anxiety, these relationships were only significant for females, indicating moderated-mediation. Moreover, although university assistance needed mediated the relationship between race and depression for females only, university assistance needed mediated the relationship between race and anxiety for both males and females. We close with implications for policy and practice.

How did we get here and where do we go from here?: Supporting undocumented students through a pandemic.

Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, exposing the influence of decades of policies that have under-resourced and marginalized these communities. The history of segregation and inadequate funding in education has been exacerbated by the pandemic, compounding the educational inequities already present in the United States. The intersection of this inequity alongside immigration policies over the past years have led the undocumented student population to be adversely impacted. The lack of access to health care and social safety net programs, fear of deportation, and an over reliance on technology for schooling leaves a large segment of students vulnerable for adverse academic, emotional, and social outcomes. This paper will trace the historical path of educational segregation, immigration policies, and how these led to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on undocumented students. It will discuss interventions for undocumented students within an antioppressive ecological framework and the ethical responsibilities that school-based mental health professionals have to support undocumented students to fulfill their highest potential, manage the emotional toll of the pandemic, and advocate for change in immigration and educational policies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A scoping review of youth and young adults' roles in natural disaster mitigation and response: considerations for youth wellbeing during a global ecological crisis.

BACKGROUND: Youth and young adults, ages 15-29, have been identified as assets in mitigation and management for natural disasters around the world. This study reviews the literature on disaster mitigation, response, and recovery following natural disasters with a focus on the engagement of youth and young adults. METHODS: The Arksey and O'Malley (2005) scoping review model was used to broadly summarize existing literature. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted using several databases. Keywords and index terms were searched using four concepts: (a) age (e.g., youth, young adult), (b) participation type (e.g., engagement, participation), (c) natural disaster type (e.g., hurricane, tsunami), and (d) disaster response type (e.g., planning, mitigation). RESULTS: The search yielded 214 articles published between 1990 and 2021. Of these articles, 19 met inclusion criteria. Identified literature focused on youth and young adults' mitigation and recovery efforts responding to natural disasters in several different countries. Themes of young people's participation or youth-led efforts focused on community mobilization and resilience (n = 5), youth empowerment and policy advocacy (n = 2), communication technology (n = 2), education-community partnerships (n = 9), and postdisaster rescue efforts (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: With a changing climate and increased weather-related natural disasters, as well as in the context of a global health pandemic, community-based groups would benefit from learning from international efforts to engage young people in disaster mitigation and recovery efforts especially as it relates to promoting mental health and well-being.

Correction to: Intersecting Race and Gender Across Hardships and Mental Health During COVID 19: A Moderated Mediation Model of Graduate Students at Two Universities.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12552-022-09379-y.].

College student perceptions of institutional responses to sexual assault reporting and general help-seeking intentions.

OBJECTIVE: College students are a high-risk population for sexual assault exposure. This study examines 1) sociodemographic differences in student perceptions of institutions of higher education (IHEs) responses to sexual assault reporting and 2) the relationship between student perceptions, knowledge of campus sexual assault (CSA) services, and general help-seeking intentions. Participants: A sample of 1,648 college students completing an online survey during the 2016-2017 academic year. Methods: A secondary analysis of data from the Healthy Minds Study. Results: Transgender/nonconforming, sexual minority, and domestic students held more negative perceptions of IHEs. Positive perceptions were significantly associated with increased odds for both formal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09, p < .05) and informal help-seeking intentions (OR = 1.05, p < .05). Knowledge of CSA services did not significantly moderate the relationship between perceptions of IHEs' responses and help-seeking intentions. Conclusions: Student perceptions of their IHEs vary based on aspects of identity and may contribute to general help-seeking.

Moderating Effects of Perceived Neighborhood Factors on Intimate Partner Violence, Psychological Distress, and Suicide Risk.

Neighborhood factors such as instability and weakened social ties have been linked to both intimate partner violence (IPV) and poor mental health outcomes; however, research has not yet investigated the relationship between IPV and gentrification-specific change, including whether gentrification-related neighborhood factors affect mental health symptoms commonly associated with IPV. This study aims to determine if (a) perceptions of neighborhood connectedness and recent compositional changes (e.g., residential mobility, crime, and infrastructure) are associated with IPV exposure and (b) perceived neighborhood connectedness and compositional change moderates the relationship between IPV and mental health symptoms (i.e., psychological distress, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts). Data from the 2017 Survey of Police-Public Encounters were used, which is an online, cross-sectional, general population survey administered to male and female adults residing in New York City and Baltimore (N = 1,000). Findings suggest that higher levels of neighborhood disconnectedness were associated with higher levels of IPV, whereas higher levels of neighborhood compositional change were associated with lower levels of IPV. Neighborhood disconnectedness and compositional change worsened psychological distress symptoms and suicide risk most strongly among individuals exposed to IPV. Violence prevention and intervention approaches should consider the extent to which neighborhood instability, related to community connectedness and recent compositional change, impacts the safety and mental health of victims of IPV.

The Association Between Social Isolation and Health: An Analysis of Parent-Adolescent Dyads from the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study.

We examined the relationship between social isolation and health among parents and their adolescent children. Data came from the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study (FLASHE), a cross-sectional internet study from the National Cancer Institute. Parents and their adolescent children (ages 12-17) completed surveys about demographics, physical activity, and diet; analyses include all dyads in which at least one member provided information for any of the analyzed variables (N = 1851). Actor Partner Interdependence Models in Mplus with demographic covariates tested whether parent and adolescent perceived social isolation (2 items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale) were associated with each person's self-reported health. Most dyads included a mother (38% mother-daughter, 36% mother-son). Most parents were non-Hispanic White (69%), married/partnered (77%), and reported household income below $100,000 (79%). Both social isolation and self-reported health were significantly correlated between parents and their adolescent children (Pearson correlation = .38 for isolation, .32 for health). There were negative associations between parent isolation and parent health, adolescent isolation and adolescent health, and parent isolation and adolescent health (all ps < .05), but no association between adolescent isolation and parent health. The finding that parents' social isolation was linked to lower self-reported health not only for themselves but also for their adolescent children highlights the importance of addressing social isolation in clinical social work practice. Family interventions, or interventions to reduce adults' negative social cognitions or promote social connections, may improve health for both adults and their adolescent children.

Exploring the acceptability of Option B plus among HIV-positive Nigerian women engaged and not engaged in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV cascade: a qualitative study.

The acceptability of lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive women in high-burden Nigeria, is not well-known. We explored readiness of users and providers of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services to accept lifelong ART -before Option B plus was implemented in Nigeria. We conducted 142 key informant interviews among 100 PMTCT users (25 pregnant-newly-diagnosed, 26 pregnant-in-care, 28 lost-to-follow-up (LTFU) and 21 postpartum women living with HIV) and 42 PMTCT providers in rural North-Central Nigeria. Qualitative data were manually analyzed via Grounded Theory. PMTCT users had mixed views about lifelong ART, strongly influenced by motivation to prevent infant HIV and by presence or absence of maternal illness. Newly-diagnosed women were most enthusiastic about lifelong ART, however postpartum and LTFU women expressed conditionalities for acceptance and adherence, including minimal ART side effects and potentially serious maternal illness. Providers corroborated user findings, identifying the postpartum period as problematic for lifelong ART acceptability/adherence. Option B plus scale-up in Nigeria will require proactively addressing PMTCT user fears about ART side effects, and continuous education on long-term maternal and infant benefits. Structural barriers such as the availability of trained providers, long clinic wait times and patient access to ART should also be addressed.

Predictors of Hospital Length and Cost of Stay in a National Sample of Adult Patients with Psychotic Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined effects of patient-level and hospital-level characteristics on length and cost of hospital stays among adult patients with psychotic disorders. METHODS: A subsample of 677,684 adult patients with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder was drawn from the 2003-2011 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. A nationally representative survey design and census data were used to calculate hospitalization rates. Multilevel models examined variation in length and cost of stay in relation to individual (age, sex, race-ethnicity, household income, payer source, and illness severity) and hospital (region, urban or rural location, ownership, teaching status, and size) characteristics. RESULTS: Admission rates differed dramatically by region, with higher rates in the Northeast. Compared with white patients, African Americans had higher admission rates but shorter stays and lower costs, and Asians/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans had longer stays. Longer stays were also associated with higher versus lower illness severity and use of Medicaid and Medicare versus private insurance. Length and cost of stays were greater in Northeast hospitals and in public hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Strong differences were noted in use of hospitalization to treat psychotic disorders. Higher admission rates and longer stays in the Northeast were striking, as were differences in admission rates and length of stay for African-American patients compared with white patients. Future research should investigate the appropriateness of acute care use from an overuse (Northeast) and underuse (West) perspective. Findings raise questions about the effects of health reform on adult acute care use and have implications for mental health and hospital policy.