Although the mental health and well-being of teachers have been examined extensively, fewer studies have focused on teachers in basic education, particularly at the primary and secondary levels in Latin America. This study examines stressors that affected the mental health and well-being of Colombian teachers during the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the coping mechanisms they used to address the problems they faced. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups with 36 Colombian teachers working in primary and secondary schools. The results underscore the substantial impact of pre-existing structural and social inequalities on Colombian teachers’ mental health and well-being, particularly in contexts of heightened vulnerability. Furthermore, the presence of complex relationships, idealised perceptions of their role, and personal factors contributed to a decline in their well-being. The results also indicate that teachers navigated the multifaceted challenges of the pandemic through coping mechanisms spanning familial, institutional, and intrapersonal domains that were often deeply personal. The findings underscore the necessity of implementing sustainable and ongoing policies that prioritize primary and secondary teachers' mental health and well-being.

Liquidity shock mitigation and mental health: Evidence from pension withdrawals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile.

A cross-sectional survey of climate and COVID-19 crises in young people (16-24 years) in Indian slums: psychological impact, resilience and wellbeing

COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted global economic growth. Assessing the economic impacts of various policies is crucial to better public health management (PHM). To incorporate specific PHM policies into a unified framework, prevention and control intensity (PCI) is introduced to quantify the intensity of PHM. Under different PCI, we construct a statistical framework to estimate each economy's counterfactual output, thereby providing two indicators to assess the effectiveness of PHM adopted by certain economies. Empirical analysis measures the effectiveness of PHM in each of the 137 economies during COVID-19 in 2020. Further analysis is conducted through robustness tests and regression discontinuity design. Aggregated results from 137 economies indicate that COVID-19 may have caused global economic losses far exceeding 5.47 trillion US dollars in 2020. Statistical indicators reveal that 39 economies reduced economic loss through PHM, while 25 economies achieved relatively ideal economic output targets. These findings suggest that moderate prevention and control measures can significantly reduce economic losses and highlight the necessity for most countries to strengthen their PHM strategies to enhance economic resilience and recovery.

BackgroundAt a time marked by ongoing global instability and health emergencies, the ethical and operational burdens on healthcare systems derived from the COVID-19 crisis, remain urgently relevant. Positioned between frontline staff and senior management, nurse middle managers (NMMs) were tasked during the pandemic with implementing institutional policies while simultaneously supporting teams facing rapid clinical and emotional challenges. Despite the pivotal role of NMMs, there exists a significant gap in understanding the ethical challenges and the strategies they employed during time of crisis.Research design and populationThis qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach to examine the lived ethical experiences and coping strategies of 16 Israeli NMMs from diverse healthcare sectors during COVID-19, and their implications for future crises.Ethical considerationsThe study received ethical approval from the University Research Ethics Committee. All participants gave informed verbal consent after a detailed briefing.FindingsMoral distress emerged as an ongoing, cumulative condition shaped by structural exclusion, constrained moral agency, and institutional inequities Three main themes emerged (1) the dual role of NMMs and its ethical ramifications, (2) ethical tensions and frustration in the relationship with senior leadership, and (3) confronting ethical dilemmas emerging from the unique challenges of the pandemic. Participants reported distress when required to implement policies conflicting with professional values, while being excluded from decision-making yet expected to justify top-down directives. Many served as emotional anchors for their teams without reciprocal support.ConclusionsThe study illuminates the distinctive moral position of NMMs in time of crisis, revealing sustained ethical conflicts rooted in systemic constraints. By reframing moral distress as structurally embedded, it underscores the need for organizational reforms to strengthen ethical preparedness, support NMMs, and enhance healthcare system resilience in future crises.

ABSTRACT Extensive research has examined municipal resilience to external shocks; however, quantitative assessments of financial resilience based on performance remain limited. This paper addresses this gap by analysing financial sustainability in Victorian local governments across three phases: pre-crisis (2017/18–2018/19), the COVID-19 pandemic (2019/20–2020/21), and recovery (2021/22–2022/23). Using bias-corrected Data Envelopment Analysis, we find that councils’ financial resilience declined during the pandemic. Although recovery was relatively rapid, performance did not return to full efficiency. Both urban and rural councils experienced reduced resilience, with rural councils closely mirroring the overall sectoral decline. Strengthening rural councils’ financial capacity may generate system-wide benefits, particularly during shocks. Second-stage fractional regression results show that factors such as council size, taxable income, and local unemployment significantly influence financial sustainability, especially during crisis periods. Overall, the findings highlight important policy implications, emphasising improved shock-response mechanisms and stronger governance, particularly for rural municipalities.

Purpose Our study examines the association between pessimistic tones in earnings announcements and firm value, as well as the role of chief executive officers' (CEOs) financial experience during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Chow Test was employed to analyze 2,127 firm-year observations from Indonesia Stock Exchange-listed non-financial enterprises during the pandemic and before the pandemic. Findings Employing a Chow test to examine structural changes, we find that the negative relationship between pessimistic disclosure tone and firm value strengthens significantly during the COVID-19 period, indicating heightened investor sensitivity to negative linguistic cues under conditions of elevated uncertainty. Furthermore, our results show that CEO financial expertise mitigates the adverse valuation effect of pessimistic disclosure tone, and this mitigating role becomes significantly stronger during the COVID-19 period. These findings suggest that while investors penalize pessimistic disclosures more severely during crises, they simultaneously place greater weight on credibility-related cues, such as CEOs' financial expertise, when evaluating firm value. Originality/value Our study contributes to the disclosure and capital market literature by providing formal evidence of a structural change in investors’ sensitivity to pessimistic disclosure tone using a Chow test framework. Unlike prior studies that rely on subsample comparisons, we formally examine whether the valuation effect of pessimistic tone differs structurally between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Moreover, we show that CEO financial expertise mitigates the negative valuation impact of pessimistic disclosure tone and that this credibility-enhancing role becomes more pronounced during periods of heightened uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 crisis.

This paper estimates a Behavioural New Keynesian (BNK) model incorporating belief heterogeneity through a switching mechanism. Agents form expectations using either a forward-looking (rational) or backward-looking (extrapolative) rule, and their weights evolve endogenously based on past forecast performance. To identify the latent structural shocks and the time-varying composition of beliefs over the business cycle, we apply a simulation-based nonlinear filtering and backward smoothing routine, which recovers full-sample paths of unobserved states consistent with both equilibrium restrictions and observed macroeconomic data. Our results show that belief heterogeneity has moderate quantitative effects during normal times but significantly amplifies macroeconomic dynamics during periods of large shocks, such as the COVID-19 crisis. This highlights some limitations of rational expectations models and points to the relevance of endogenous expectation formation for business cycle analysis.

ABSTRACT A year after the pandemic, we surveyed 1268 French FAP consumers in April 2021 to evaluate if the crisis had led to more sustainable consumption patterns by giving priority to fresh seafood from local circuits. We also match those results with a study prior to the Covid-19 to estimate the impact of the crisis on the perception of FAP. For more than 50% of consumers, the Covid-19 crisis did not lead to change in their FAP consumption and we found a very small proportion of consumers who increased their purchases of fresh FAP and favoured short channels during and after the Covid-19 crisis. We demonstrate that pre-Covid-19 characteristics and attitudes are important explanatory factors for behaviour during the crisis. Big consumers of fresh FAP and consumers with a positive image of the health benefits of seafood were more likely to have increased their consumption of fresh FAP. Similarly, people who were used to consuming FAP away from home instead consumed FAP at home during the crisis and after. The results also suggest that consumers tended to perceive FAP as more expensive after the Covid-19, a major obstacle to the emergence of more sustainable consumption behaviour in this sector.

Evaluation of prostate cancer diagnosis during the COVID-19 crisis in the French Caribbean.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), including mask mandates. Although many studies have examined COVID-19 policies, there is a lack of research on the impact of mask mandate relaxation in South Korea. Retrospective analyses of this topic are essential to inform optimized policy responses in future pandemics. We used a discrete-time, age-structured Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Vaccinated-Recovered (SEIVR) compartmental model to simulate COVID-19 transmission in South Korea and conducted counterfactual analyses to assess the impact of five major mask policy adjustment points (PAPs). The model estimated changes in confirmed cases, severe cases, and deaths under counterfactual scenarios in which mask mandates were relaxed 2 weeks earlier or later than they were in reality. Analyses were stratified by age group to evaluate differential effects. Changes in Rt (effective reproduction number) following mask policy relaxations were modest across all five PAPs. While some policy shifts were followed by slight increases or decreases in Rt, none led to uncontrolled epidemic growth. Counterfactual simulations showed that advancing mask relaxation by 2 weeks could have led to significantly more confirmed cases, with increases of up to 29.5% in the 0-17 years group and 25.2% in the ≥ 60 years group, compared to the observed timeline. Conversely, delaying relaxation reduced case numbers across all age groups. The timing of relaxation, especially when Rt was low, appeared to play a more critical role than population immunity in determining transmission outcomes. A positive association was observed between higher Rt at the time of relaxation and increased case counts, whereas immunity levels did not show a consistent correlation. The timing of mask mandate relaxation substantially influenced short-term COVID-19 transmission dynamics. Real-time indicators such as Rt were more predictive of outcomes than estimated immunity levels, suggesting their utility for informing policy adjustments. Counterfactual evidence indicates that premature relaxation increased cases across all age groups, with age differences more evident at certain adjustment points. The public health implications remain greater for vulnerable populations because even similar percentage increases translate into higher absolute risks. Policymakers should incorporate transmission dynamics, age-specific vulnerability profiles, and timing considerations into future pandemic response strategies. Not applicable.

This paper examines whether sustainability-oriented equity investing in India is financially competitive and resilient compared to conventional benchmark investing. The study focuses on two major indices of the National Stock Exchange: the NIFTY 50, representing the broad large-cap market, and the NIFTY100 ESG Index, representing an environmental, social and governance (ESG) screened portfolio. Using monthly data from February 2018 to December 2024, the analysis evaluates return behaviour, volatility and risk-adjusted performance over the full sample and three sub-periods: the pre-COVID phase (2018–2019), the COVID-19 crisis year (2020) and the post-pandemic recovery period (2021–2024). Simple and logarithmic returns are computed from month-end index levels. The study employs descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, variance comparison, Sharpe-style ratios and a CAPM-type regression of ESG returns on NIFTY 50 returns. Over the full period, the NIFTY100 ESG Index exhibits a slightly higher average monthly return (around 1.14%) compared to NIFTY 50 (around 1.05%), with almost identical volatility (about 5% per month). Annualised geometric returns are estimated at approximately 12.78% for the ESG index and 11.66% for NIFTY 50, with similar annual volatility. However, the difference in mean monthly returns is not statistically significant at the conventional 5% level (p ≈ 0.41). During the COVID shock year, the ESG index records higher average monthly returns (about 2.08% versus 1.66%) and slightly lower volatility than NIFTY 50, with the return difference approaching significance at the 10% level (p ≈ 0.084). A regression of ESG log returns on NIFTY 50 log returns yields a beta close to one (β ≈ 0.98) and a small, statistically insignificant positive alpha (around 0.10% per month), indicating a high degree of co-movement with the benchmark index and suggesting that ESG screening does not materially alter systematic market exposure. Overall, the results indicate that ESG investing in India does not involve a performance penalty and may offer modest resilience benefits during periods of market stress. The findings also indicate that ESG-related information may not yet be fully incorporated into asset pricing in the Indian equity market. The findings have implications for investors, corporate decision makers and regulators seeking to foster sustainable and robust capital markets.

The study investigates the relationship between digital transformation (Dt) and breakthrough innovation (Bi) in Chinese A-share listed companies. Specifically, the subject of the study is the influence of Dt on Bi, focusing on comparing its effects during normal periods and the global health crisis, with an emphasis on the differing impacts across state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs). The purpose of the research is to explore how digitalization can enhance innovation under both stable conditions and during external disruptions, while examining the variations in its effects on different types of firms. The relevance lies in the increasing role of Dt in driving innovation in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, especially in light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. This study provides important insights into how firms can adapt their digital strategies to maintain or accelerate innovation during periods of disruption. The scientific novelty lies in the analysis of the heterogeneous impact of Dt on innovation across firm types and external contexts, particularly the comparison between normal and crisis periods. The authors used the methods of machine learning-based text-mining techniques to construct indicators for Dt and fixed-effects regression models to estimate its impact on Bi. As part of the study, the author used panel data from Chinese listed companies spanning from 2014 to 2024, applying these advanced methods to uncover the effects of Dt on Bi under different periods and firm conditions. Based on the results , it was found that Dt significantly boosts Bi under normal circumstances but that this positive relationship is disrupted during crisis periods, especially in SOEs. Non-SOEs showed no significant impact from Dt in either normal or crisis periods. The author concluded that while digital transformation is a key driver of innovation, its effectiveness is contingent upon firm type and the external context, with global disruptions potentially limiting its full potential, particularly for SOEs.

Purpose This study investigates how business school academics experienced and navigated disruptions to their sense of belonging during the COVID-19 crisis. Responding to limited research on academic belonging in times of institutional upheaval, the study develops the concept of belonging dissonance to explain the tensions created when academics' expectations of collegiality, identity affirmation and institutional support diverge from crisis-driven organisational practices. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on 153 qualitative survey responses and 12 in-depth interviews with business academics across multiple countries. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identify the mechanisms that triggered cognitive dissonance during the pandemic and analyse how academics enacted “belonging work” to manage, repair or reorient their sense of belonging. Findings Three contributions emerge. Firstly, the study demonstrates that cognitive dissonance is central to understanding how academics evaluate and respond to belonging disruptions during crisis. Secondly, we introduce belonging dissonance, a relational and identity-based form of cognitive dissonance that arises when institutional actions undermine expectations of collegiality, recognition and shared governance. Thirdly, we show that academics employed varied forms of belonging work at classroom, organisational, relational and external community levels to sustain or reframe belonging, while others disengaged due to workload pressures and emotional strain. These processes produced divergent belonging trajectories, ranging from significant belonging loss to heightened forms of academic belonging. Practical implications Findings highlight belonging as a form of relational infrastructure that requires intentional institutional investment. Universities should prioritise relational connection, reduce crisis-driven workload intensification, strengthen recognition practices and design participatory decision-making processes. Supporting staff capacity for belonging work can enhance resilience, well-being and continuity in academic communities. Originality/value This study advances theory by conceptualising belonging dissonance as a crisis-specific manifestation of cognitive dissonance and by identifying belonging work as a key mechanism for dissonance resolution. It offers a nuanced, processual understanding of academic belonging and provides actionable insights for sustaining belonging in volatile higher education environments.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the obstacles, problems, and facilitating factors in receiving healthcare services for patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Methods A total of 18 patients with diabetes, 3 family members of the patients, and 10 healthcare staff members, using purposive sampling, with maximum diversity in demographic variables, were interviewed. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method with Graneheim and Lundman's approach. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were used to measure the quality and validity of the data. Results We extracted one theme, two sub-themes, four secondary categories, and 13 primary categories (443 codes). The theme of the ups and downs of receiving services was divided into two sub-themes obstacles and challenges of receiving services, and facilitators for receiving services; four secondary categories: obstacles and challenges of seeking service from the patients, and the patient's family, obstacles and challenges of receiving services by the system, solutions made by patients to solve psychological problems caused by the epidemic and facilitators to receive healthcare services from the system. Discussion Given the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and similar epidemics, it is crucial to develop strategies for improving healthcare access for people with diabetes. Identifying barriers and facilitators to service access is essential for policymakers to formulate more effective plans.

This study argues that Decision Support Systems (DSS) are necessary for Covid-19 Crisis Management in turbulent economic environments. The study was conducted in Iraqi public hospitals. Data was collected through questionnaires from 140 top managers in these hospitals during Covid-19 crises and analyzed using descriptive and analytical methods. The study found strong evidence that DSS significantly impacts Covid-19 Crisis Management as a total and also in each dimension. The results provide Iraqi public hospitals manager’s insights on how DSS enables Covid-19 Crisis Management processes. The study’s primary value lies in its ability to provide evidence that DSS plays a significant role in Covid-19 Crisis Management in Iraqi public hospitals particularly. Since there was a lack of such study in the Iraqi context, this study can provide a theoretical basis for future researchers as well as practical implications for managers.

The CI plus model: a qualitative study of innovative community isolation and enhanced resilience in urban Thailand during the COVID-19 crisis.

Strategies in communicating COVID-19 crisis in Kenya: the role of an effective health campaign framework among populations in urban informal settlements

Purpose This study aims to identify the context-dependent optimal machine learning (ML) model for forecasting Tunisia’s bank stock price index during the Revolution and COVID-19 crises, and uses SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis to uncover distinct, crisis-specific price drivers. Design/methodology/approach The author evaluates eight ML models, including regularization techniques (Lasso, Ridge, Elastic Net), tree-based methods (Random Forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting), Support Vector Regression and deep learning architectures (Long Short-Term Memory, Gated Recurrent Unit [GRU]), using five standard metrics. Model robustness is validated through statistical, economic and temporal stability tests. Finally, the author apply mean SHAP analysis to top performers to identify key predictors and supplemented by a feature stability analysis. Findings The analysis reveals a clear performance hierarchy contingent on crisis typology. Specifically, the GRU model achieved superior predictive accuracy during the high-volatility COVID-19 period, whereas Ridge regression demonstrated greater robustness during the prolonged political instability of the Revolution. SHAP interpretability confirmed that short-term moving averages dominated predictions during the pandemic, reflecting a market driven by momentum, while the Revolution period involved a more balanced reassessment of persistent risks, which Ridge’s regularization effectively revealed. Practical implications The findings provide market participants with a decisive, crisis-contingent forecasting rule. Specifically, a GRU model driven by technical indicators is recommended for fast-moving global crises like a pandemic, while a shift to a Ridge regression model is warranted during periods of protracted political instability to leverage its stability. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first comparative ML analysis of the Tunisian banking sector across two fundamentally different crises, the Revolution that sparked the Arab Spring and the COVID-19 pandemic, using SHAP analysis to uncover crisis-specific financial drivers complemented by several robustness checks.

Purpose This article thoroughly explores the approaches, challenges and disputed sustainable tourism concepts in Southeast Asia. It explores sustainable activities constructed by the hobbies of tourists, as well as the factors that impede the awareness of sustainable tourism. Design/methodology/approach Upon the results obtained by purposive analysis on literature, the sustainability studies lens traces its roots back to ideas like political ecology and governance theory. The sustainability studies lens describes the process of contestation and the mechanism of sustainability discourse. Findings Despite strong coverage commitments, tourism within the destination continues to privilege economic development over environmental protection and equity. The environment is degraded through greenwashing and a lack of consideration for voices. At the identical time, the COVID-19 crisis provided a danger to dominant development paradigms with new sorts of tourism. Research limitations/implications In a multi-site study across Southeast Asia, a longitudinal study analyzing the outcomes of changes in the scope and implementation of certification schemes and environmental, social and governance principles, future research should expand on these conclusions. While empirical research on the proposed Industry-Academy Hub model is expected to test its viability as a framework for collaborative efforts, comparative studies across other regions around the world could place Southeast Asian findings within broader international debates. Practical implications To ensure sustainability commitments transcend mere gesture politics, they highlight the importance of enhanced governance frameworks, strong enforcement and an anti-greenwashing law. Taking into account transactional ecological limits and cultural sovereignty, it is crucial to note the significance of mainstreaming sustainability in operations, as opposed to focusing on branding sustainability operations for business operators. Social implications In relation to the ethical issues of inclusivity, justice and fairness in the development of sustainable tourism, the present study has significant social implications, especially in relation to the Southeast Asian tourism community. Originality/value Indeed, as a new paradigm of the interdependencies between Southeast Asian tourism practices and sustainability discourses, the present article provides a space for industry-academic collaboration, which is a necessity in a proper understanding of governance and power relations and the development of more efficient policy instruments.