Pandemic Stress Research Articles

Intensifying Substance Use Trends among Youth: A Narrative Review of Recent Trends and Implications.

Substance use among adolescents and young adults remains a critical public health concern, with patterns shifting dramatically in recent years. This narrative review examines trends in substance use behaviors during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Epidemiologic evidence shows declines in the proportion of youth who are using most substances but intensified consumption patterns with rising levels of disorder among adolescents who use substances. This picture may reflect the greater potency, availability and accessibility of substances, vulnerabilities related to poor mental health, minoritization, as well as social factors including pandemic stressors, commercial and regulatory forces - in short, features of the agent (substance), host (person), and environment (context), consistent with a public health formulation. Understanding trends in youth substance use and related problems, especially in the context of contributing factors, is critical for informing clinical care strategies and public health interventions to improve outcomes for youth across diverse populations.

Examining the Impact of Pandemic Stressors on Parental Stress in Sub‐Saharan Africa: A Double ABC‐X and Moderated Mediation Model Analysis of Family Mechanisms

ABSTRACTThis study investigated family mechanisms through which pandemic stressors affect parental stress using the Double ABC‐X model of family stress and adaptation. Specifically, this study examines the moderated mediation effects to test the conditional indirect influence of a moderating variable (i.e., family resilience beliefs) on the relationship between a predictor (i.e., stressor pile‐up) and an outcome variable (i.e., stress) through potential mediators (i.e., family satisfaction and relationship satisfaction). The analytic sample included 9269 participants from 10 sub‐Saharan countries. The findings do not support the hypothesis predicting a second‐stage moderating mediation model where family resiliency beliefs would moderate the second‐stage indirect paths of family satisfaction and relationship satisfaction, creating conditional indirect effects. The findings suggest that interventions should involve community‐based programmes that emphasize family support and access to resources while recognizing the complex interplay between family resilience beliefs, cultural values and beliefs of African families.

Hierarchy, class, race and PPE in an American hospital in the early days of COVID-19: What the pandemic stress test can teach us about building equitable health systems

Because hospitals are spaces where life and death are routinely at stake, social hierarchies, pressures, and cultural norms are heightened. This was particularly true in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the dynamics in that era can provide insight into the nature of race and hierarchy in hospital structures.In the large literature on the experiences of hospital staff in the COVID-19 era, class and racial dynamics in hospitals are often sidestepped. In addition, the experiences of service staff such as environmental service workers and food service workers are severely under-represented.Here, we explore hierarchy, class, race and risk in two hospitals in the city of Baltimore in the first months of the pandemic in 2020, through the lens of availability of PPE. We draw on a survey of 403 staff in two Baltimore hospitals, and semi-structured interviews with 57 of those staff. Respondents worked in a variety of roles, from administration to clinical to service staff.A large majority of non-clinical service staff identified as Black, in contrast to a small minority of clinical staff with advanced degrees. The experience of access to PPE in the early pandemic differed across cadres of workers. Everyone in the hospital had to ration PPE, but many service staff felt that they were not prioritized in the same ways as clinical staff. PPE availability took on powerful symbolic resonance as a demonstration of how different cadres of workers were valued.The COVID-19 pandemic threw social and class dynamics within the hospital into relief, shedding light on what so often ran below the surface. Thus, it could also potentially be an impetus to examine these fault lines, and to push hospital structures a bit more in the direction of justice.

Decoding Pandemic Stress: Analysing Mental Health of Tea Workers in India

This research article aims to investigate the factors that affected the mental health of tea workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study provides essential insights into the psychological factors affecting tea workers during this critical time. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires from 532 tea workers in the north-eastern region of India. The collected data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling approaches. The study found that all the factors investigated significantly impacted employee stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, safety perception and contagion risk were found to have the strongest influence on stress, followed by unknown and information overload, social exclusion and humiliation, monetary loss and job uncertainty, and quarantine and restraint. Additionally, the study confirms that stress at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to depression among tea workers, which is also related to insomnia and relationship troubles. Investigating the various dimensions of COVID-19 stressors among tea workers is crucial for the government and management to understand the root causes of the problem. By understanding the contributing factors to mental health issues, we can develop appropriate interventions to support the well-being of tea workers, providing a blueprint for mitigating the potential adverse effects of future pandemics.

Unmasking the Pandemic's Dark Side: Exploring the Roles of Stress, Emotions, and Alcohol Use in Violent Behavior Across Six Countries.

We use international survey data recently collected among adults in six countries (Ukraine, Guatemala, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States) to examine the global variations in interpersonal violent behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that pandemic-related stress is significantly associated with violent behavior in most countries. Depression emerges as a significant predictor of violence across all countries and as a mediator between pandemic stress and violent behavior in multipls contexts. On the other hand, negative affect and alcohol use predict violent behavior only in non-Western contexts. We provide policy implications focused on prevention and reduction of violence cross-nationally during public health crises.

Latent Profiles of Seminary Students’ Perceptions of Sense of Community Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Existing research on sense of community in educational contexts shows positive associations with well-being and negative associations with mental health symptoms. However, exploration of students’ sense of community within the seminary context is minimal. Drawing on the relational spirituality model, which posits oscillating experiences of dwelling and seeking in a dialectical growth process, we framed sense of community as horizontal dwelling. We used mixture modeling to generate subgroups using items from a measure of sense of community and then explored associations between sense of community and various demographic predictors and personal formation outcomes, including well-being and symptoms, along with virtues and religiousness/spirituality. We did so within the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a sample of graduate students from 18 Christian seminaries across North America (N = 867; Mage = 31.95; 48.1% female; 60% White). Factor mixture results supported a 3-class solution, with one class reporting consistently greater ratings of sense of community, labeled the strongly connected, another class reporting consistent mid-level ratings, labeled the moderately connected, and a third class reporting consistently lower ratings, and labeled the disaffected. Results for the disaffected showed a pattern of associations with lower well-being and greater symptoms, and lower religiousness/spirituality, along with greater pandemic stress. The strongly connected showed greater levels of virtuousness, well-being and religiousness/spirituality, and lower symptoms, although they were also more likely to report greater illusory health. The pattern of associations for the moderately connected was a blend of similarities with the other two subgroups. The disaffected also showed a modest risk effect for lower well-being and greater symptoms over time. Findings pointed to providing greater horizontal dwelling among the disaffected and the need for greater seeking among the strongly connected.

College Women’s Establishing of Peer Social-relationships and Communicating about Pandemic-related Political Identities and Topics

This mixed-methods study examines two research areas concerning whether U.S. women college students, compared with men, enrolled in online classes during the pandemic suffered from stress regarding their ability to socialize and negotiate a community/national political issue(s) affecting them negatively academically in terms of their grade point average and course outcomes, as well as whether the women would experience a sense of belonging and camaraderie with classmates by discussing topics impacting their identities and circumstances in terms of their individual and communal, social-relational, health, and financial pandemic contexts, which might also influence them negatively academically as stressors linked to their course outcomes and progress. Conducted in a rural, geographically marginalized area, the study implements survey and short-answer question instruments and utilizes an exploratory case-study design and a convergent-parallel strategy assessing 188 women and 188 men participants, including racial/ethnic minority and low socio-economic status (SES) women, with women’s median age of 23. of women and men surveyed, the former reported statistically significantly higher stress levels than men connected to the women’s need to socialize and tackle pandemic-oriented community and national political issues affecting their lives and statuses, which subsequently influenced their academic progress. Overall, the pandemic damaged women, especially racial/ethnic minorities, more than men, with women having higher stress rates revolving around their need for socializing (59% versus 33%) and addressing political issues (54% versus 32%), stressors hampering the women’s academic outcomes and status, as well as some experiencing additional stress regarding health and financial concerns. In response to these settings, 21% of women (n = 40) desired to discuss controversial topics, such as their pandemic stressors and related experiences in the classroom, including the pandemic’s political consequences for themselves, to promote self-expression, forge bonds, and seek and provide assistance in addressing all classmates’ academic, personal, and community needs.

Predictors of Pandemic Impact in a Rural Community: Survey Results from a Community Partnership to Support Health and Well-Being.

Rural communities have struggled to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite slower spread at the start of the pandemic in these areas, by 2021, they experienced higher death and hospitalization rates compared with urban areas. Increased mental health issues including stress, depression, and anxiety were also reported in rural areas following the start of the pandemic. Young people in these communities were significantly impacted by COVID-19, reporting increased stress and mental health issues. To examine the effects of COVID-19 on these local rural communities, authors conducted a survey in coordination with their community partners. The survey was completed by 119 participants across three rural counties and included 69 questions from the Pandemic Stress Index and the World Health Organization COVID-19 Rapid Quantitative Assessment Tool. Authors' results indicated that age, depression, and anxiety were predictors of higher self-reported COVID-19 impact. The strongest predictor of high pandemic impact in the sample was the combination of depression and anxiety symptoms. Authors used these results to inform their partners about the need for increased mental health services that are tailored for young adults in their communities. More research is needed to determine which services will be most beneficial and how to best reach those in need. Social workers in both public health and mental health settings are poised to help.

“Pandemic stress made him do it!”: COVID-19-related threat predicts vicarious justification for assaulting Chinese men—especially those with strong ethnic identity

“Pandemic stress made him do it!”: COVID-19-related threat predicts vicarious justification for assaulting Chinese men—especially those with strong ethnic identity

Social Comparisons Under Pandemic Stress: Income Reference Groups, Comparison Patterns, and the Subjective Well-Being of German Students

People use social comparisons to reduce uncertainty when facing new or stressful situations. This study explores how a stressful experience, the COVID-19 pandemic, changed how people compare their income. It relates these changes to subjective well-being (SWB). We use a repeated cross-sectional dataset of students at two German universities from before and during the pandemic. A novel survey instrument is employed to identify individualized reference groups used for income comparison and to analyze whether the comparison pattern changed. Our results reveal that, while there was little change in the size of the reference groups, there was some difference in the group composition. During the pandemic, survey respondents were more likely to select two types of individuals into their reference groups: relatives and people they only knew from social media. Income comparisons were beginning to have a negative association with SWB, while the relation had been positive before the pandemic. Moreover, upward income comparisons increased.

Non-suicidal self-injury trajectories among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of parenting dimensions and stress reactions

BackgroundThe literature on the trajectories of NSSI behavior during the pandemic is scarce and mainly short-term. Furthermore, studies have not explored the buffering mechanisms that may have altered risk trajectories during this vulnerable period. This study aims to analyze the univariate change of NSSI during adolescence and to examine the alteration of the univariate growth due to the time-varying effect of COVID-19-related stress, parenting dimensions (i.e., positive and negative parenting), and their interaction. MethodsParticipants included 830 Italian adolescents (44.2 % females; Mage = 14.52; SD = 0.80), who participated in at least one time point of data collection, from a three-wave longitudinal study (T1: from December 2019 to January 2020; T2: December 2020; T3: December 2021). ResultsThe Latent Growth Curve Analyses show a linear increase in NSSI over time. In regards to time-varying, at T1, the results highlight that higher levels of negative parenting are associated with higher levels of NSSI at the same time point. Instead, at T2, results show that pandemic stress is associated with higher levels of NSSI at T2. Regarding the interaction effect, positive parenting significantly buffered the effect of COVID-19 stress on NSSI at both T2 and T3. LimitationsOnly some dimensions of parenting style (i.e., positive and negative parenting) are included. ConclusionsThis study attempts to deepen the trajectory of NSSI behavior during the two years of the pandemic and examine the changes caused by the time-varying effects, thus providing suggestions for designing programs to prevent engagement in NSSI.

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Young Women's Agency and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Low-Income Communities in Mumbai, India.

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face additional health inequities compared to their male peers, as gender norms constrain agency for prevention and self-care. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns deepened health inequities and often worsened mental health, but the impacts on agency are unclear. This exploratory sequential mixed methods paper examined mental health and COVID-19 elements that exacerbated or mitigated adverse consequences for AGYW in low-income communities in Mumbai. We conducted semi-structured interviews with AGYW (aged 15-25 years; N = 60) and adults (parents, healthcare providers, community-based organization representative; N = 30). We administered a structured survey to AGYW (N = 150) to assess health concerns, depression and anxiety symptoms (using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 scales), and experiences during COVID-19. We analyzed qualitative data using the constant comparative approach in Atlas.ti, and quantitative data using R and SPSS. Qualitative data revealed that AGYW faced stressors and had limited agency during lockdowns due to limited access to education, financial insecurity, and community violence. Quantitative data indicated that limited agency in the context of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Financial resources to address COVID-19 created new employment and leadership opportunities for AGYW to become COVID educators and preschool teachers; participation in these opportunities was associated with less anxiety. Pandemic stress was difficult for low-income AGYW in Mumbai. Mitigating programs for COVID-19 control helped address acute needs and enable capabilities. Exploring similar themes among a broader population of youth can help design strategies and opportunities for young people in low-income communities during health emergencies.

Caregiver-reported emotional-behavioral symptoms in Spanish youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study.

COVID-19 pandemic stressors affected youth's mental health. This longitudinal study aims to explore these effects while considering predictive factors such as age and sex. An initial sample of 1502 caregivers answered a longitudinal survey evaluating their youths' (4-17 years of age) emotional/behavioral symptoms using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) screening tool. First assessment in May-July 2020 included the prior year's retrospective (TR) and since-lockdown-start (T0) PSC, followed by monthly evaluations until February 2021. A positive screening PSC (PSC+) was reported in 13.09% of cases at TR and 35.01% at T0, but the likelihood of PSC+ quickly decreased over time. At T0, a more pronounced impact was found on children (39.7%) compared to adolescents (25.4%); male children exhibited higher risk for a PSC+ at T0 and longitudinally than females. Adolescents presented a weaker effect of time-improvement. PSC+ at TR, experienced stressors, and caregiver's stress/depressive symptoms positively predicted PSC+ at T0 and longitudinally; adolescents' unproductive coping style predicted PSC+ at T0. CONCLUSION: The study shows a caregiver-reported increase in emotional/behavioral symptoms in youths during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting predominantly younger children in the early stages and showing gradual improvement over time, albeit possibly slower in adolescents. The results show the anticipated surge in emotional and behavioral symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown in youth reported by caregivers, followed by subsequent amelioration. Of greater significance, the study reveals a heightened impact on young children initially, yet it suggests a slower improvement trajectory in adolescents. The study also identifies risk factors linked to emotional and behavioral symptoms within each age group. Alongside the longitudinal approach, the authors underscore the remarkable inclusion of a significant representation of young children, an unusual feature in such surveys.

The double pandemic: Examining cultural stress among Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate patterns of cultural stress (racial discrimination and COVID stress) and their impact on ethnic identity and civic engagement among Asian American college students. 491 undergraduate students who self-identify as Asian American (female = 63.50%; Mage = 20.40, SD = 3.64) were recruited from seven college campuses. We identified four distinct cultural stress profiles: COVID-related stress, discrimination stress, double pandemic stress (high in both), and low combined COVID-discrimination stress. Double pandemic profile members were more likely to be immigrants and reported higher ethnic identity, civic behaviors, and belief in civic participation, whereas low combined COVID-discrimination stress participants reported significantly lower beliefs in civic participation compared to those in the double pandemic profile. Findings reaffirm the need to focus on Asian Americans' experiences and expand current conceptualizations of cultural stress to include macrolevel structural processes (COVID stress and racial discrimination) and its implications for identity and civic engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

College Student, Veteran Writers’ Interest in Discussing COVID-19 Pandemic Stressors and Related Political Topics

This exploratory case study investigated college student veterans’ pre-pandemic versus pandemic types and levels of stress linked to their individual/family and communal, health and social-relational contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this orientation impacted their potential interest in communicating about the pandemic and related political, controversial topics in classrooms with a substantial discussion- and writing-assignment course design. The study focused on student veterans, who were compared with their nonveteran peers. From a U.S. university with a socioeconomically depressed, rural population, 78 college students, 39 veterans and 39 nonveterans, participated. The authors applied a mixed-methods design approach and convergent-parallel strategy reliant on data collection and analysis by utilizing Likert scale and short-answer survey questions, NVivo coding, and SPSS statistical software. As findings, during the pandemic, both the veterans and nonveterans reported high and often similar stress levels of up to 41% for five factors connected to their individual/family and communal, health and social-relational contexts, which negatively impacted their college educational paths. During the pandemic, veterans showed the highest stress rates for three factors: anxiety about 1) a community/national political issue(s) connected to their communal, health and social-relational contexts and, tied for second place, 2) an injury/illness of a family member(s) affecting veterans’ individual/family health and 3) a community/national issue(s) related to the COVID-19 pandemic as again linked to veterans’ communal, health and social-relational statuses. Meanwhile, the nonveterans’ top stressor concerned a personal socializing issue associated with their individual/family, social-relational background.

Therapeutic targets for pharmaco- and psychotherapy in persons with mental disorders who have undergone Covid-19 and have been exposed to Sars-Cov-2 pandemic stressors

Therapeutic targets for pharmaco- and psychotherapy in persons with mental disorders who have undergone Covid-19 and have been exposed to Sars-Cov-2 pandemic stressors

COVID-19 Stress and Cognitive Disparities in Black, MENA, and White Older Adults.

Population aging has led to an increased interest in cognitive health and, in particular, the role that stress plays in cognitive disparities. This paper extends previous work by characterizing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stress type prevalence and its association with cognitive health in metro-Detroit among Black, Middle Eastern/Arab (MENA), and White older adults. Data come from a regionally representative sample of adults aged 65+ in metro-Detroit (N = 600; MENA n = 199; Black n = 205; White n = 196). We used generalized linear models to compare groups on sociodemographic, objective stress, and social stress indicators. Multiple group structural equation models evaluated whether COVID-19 stress predicted cognitive health and whether that association varied across racial/ethnic groups. MENA and Black older adults reported higher levels of objective stress than Whites. There were no racial/ethnic group differences in social stress. More objective stress was associated with better cognitive health, and more social stress was associated with worse cognitive health. The positive effect of objective stress was especially apparent for White older adults. Though it appears that minority stress was not exacerbated in the context of pandemic stress, links between greater objective stress and better cognitive health apparent among White older adults were not evident among MENA or Black older adults. Broadening health disparities research by including underrepresented populations allows us to elevate scientific knowledge by clarifying what is universal and what is unique about the stress process.

Prepandemic to early COVID-19: Changes in couple functioning and links with harsh parenting.

Research has revealed a rise in family relationship problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among couples with young children. However, longitudinal studies spanning the prepandemic and pandemic periods are rare. In this study, we examined changes in couple functioning during these periods. Moreover, we investigated the mediation and moderation effects of couple functioning on the association between COVID-19 stressors and harsh parenting. A total of 545 mothers (mean age 38 years, range 23-48 years) completed questionnaires on couple functioning during the prepandemic (2016-2020) and early pandemic (May-June 2020) periods. During the early pandemic, they also reported exposure to COVID-19 stressors and engaging in harsh parenting (e.g., conflicts and maltreatment). We found no overall deterioration in couple functioning during the early pandemic. Furthermore, COVID-19 stressors did not explain variance in couple functioning changes or correlate with harsh parenting. However, as hypothesized, couple functioning moderated the effect of COVID-19 stressors on harsh parenting. Only for couples with low prepandemic functioning was exposure to COVID-19 stressors associated with harsh parenting. In conclusion, our findings provided no evidence of COVID-19's detrimental effects on couples during the early pandemic. Instead, well-functioning couple relationships appear to mitigate the impact of pandemic stressors on parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

What did we learn about elite student-athlete mental health systems from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Elite student-athletes (SAs) in higher education (HE) have distinct mental health (MH) risks. The COVID-19 pandemic put pressure on systems and increased elite SA vulnerability to adverse MH outcomes.The aim...

Unpleasant emotions and associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in a university

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted Mexico, leading to the closure of educational institutions nationwide. Two years into the pandemic, schools, including the Technological University of Querétaro, were officially reopened. We surveyed the university community to evaluate the prevalence of unpleasant emotions. We gather data on demographics, social connections, psychological factors, and significant lifestyle changes attributed to the pandemic. Our analysis, based on a multivariable logistic regression, included responses from 2,616 participants. We identified an 8-24% prevalence rate for unpleasant emotions within our sample. Exhaustion, boredom, and frustration were the most intensely experienced emotions. The analysis revealed several risk factors for heightened unpleasant emotions: being a student (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85), younger age (OR = 2.91-3.00), poly-drug use (OR = 1.21-6.23), and increased substance consumption attributable to pandemic stress (OR = 3.32). Additionally, gender differences were observed, with female participants reporting higher levels of unpleasant emotions (OR = 1.18). Other significant factors included being single (OR = 1.61), experiencing social isolation (OR = 12.07), psychophysiological changes (OR = 6.59-174), and suicidal ideation (OR = 33.25). Our findings indicate a broad variation in the prevalence of unpleasant emotions among the university community, influenced by a range of demographic and psychosocial factors.