Social Distancing Research Articles

Modeling and testing strategic interdependence and tipping in public policy implementation

We develop a game-theoretic model of strategic interdependence and tipping in public policy choices and show that the model can be estimated by probit and logit estimators. We test its validity and applicability by using daily data on state-level COVID-19 responses in the United States. Social distancing via shelter-in-place (SIP) strategies and wearing masks emerged as the most effective nonpharmaceutical ways of combatting COVID-19. In the United States, choices about these policies are made by individual states. We develop a game-theoretic model of such choices and test it econometrically, confirming strong interdependence in the implementation of these policies. If enough states engage in social distancing or mask wearing, others will be tipped to follow suit. Policy choices are influenced mainly by the choices of other states, especially those of similar political orientation and to a lesser degree by the number of new COVID-19 cases. The choice of mask-wearing policies is more sensitive to peer choices than the choice of SIP policies, and Republican states are much less likely than Democratic to introduce mask-wearing policies. The choices of policies are influenced more by political than public health considerations. These findings emphasize strategic interdependence in policy choice and offer an analytical framework for these complex dynamics.

A systematic review of mental health stigma reduction trainings for law enforcement officers.

The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the outcome of law enforcement officer (LEO) trainings on mental health (MH) stigma and other outcomes. A systematic search of Pubmed, APA PsycInfo, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted to identify studies examining MH stigma trainings implemented within the LEO profession. Both randomized and nonrandomized studies were considered. Risk of bias was assessed via the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Study of Intervention (Version 2). The present review identified 18 studies comprised of 2,399 participants (Mage = 37.37, SD = 4.76). Samples were predominantly composed of police officers (k = 16), followed by correctional officers (k = 2) and both (k = 1). Although the review aimed to investigate trainings targeting institutional, public, and self-stigma, all studies implemented trainings intended to decrease public stigma. Outcomes evaluated across studies included attitudes toward MH, knowledge about MH, self-efficacy/confidence, behavioral responses/de-escalation skills, social distance, and awareness, support, and utilization of MH resources. Although the outcomes evaluated were somewhat consistent across studies, there was variability in how variables were defined and measured. Due to this, data could not be compared across studies, and thus, conclusions could not be drawn regarding which trainings demonstrated the most effectiveness in reducing MH. Despite the increased research investigating the outcomes of trainings on stigma within the LEO population, the variability in methodology and the high rate of bias exhibited across studies suggest that more rigorous and better quality evaluations are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

How Right Now/Qué Hacer Ahora: Findings from an evaluation of a national mental health and coping campaign amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond its physical health impact, the COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in grief from loss of loved ones, isolation due to social distancing, stress, fear, and economic distress-all of which impacted mental health. How Right Now/Qué Hacer Ahora (HRN) is an award-winning, national campaign that provides emotional support to people disproportionately affected by COVID-19. We conducted a theory-based, culturally responsive evaluation to assess the campaign's effect on coping behaviors and resiliency between summer 2020 and spring 2021. We surveyed HRN's priority audiences (older adults/caregivers and those with preexisting health conditions, experiencing violence, or economic distress) in English and Spanish using NORC's national probability panel, AmeriSpeak, over three waves. We also analyzed social media data and monitored HRN website traffic and triangulated these data to understand the campaign's full impact. Campaign exposure was associated with people who were experiencing higher levels of stress and were more likely to seek information to support their emotional well-being. Campaign exposure was also positively associated with increased feelings of resilience and confidence in using coping strategies, especially for people experiencing violence or economic distress and people from racial and ethnic groups. Findings demonstrate the campaign's success in reaching its intended audiences with the mental health support they needed. Additionally, the HRN evaluation's design illustrates how the use of multiple data sources can elucidate a deeper understanding of campaign impact. Findings underscore that culturally responsive health communication interventions-like HRN-can provide needed mental health support and resources to disproportionately affected communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Public acceptance of coercive measures in Nigerian mental health care.

For the first time, Nigeria has enacted a new mental health law that regulates the use of coercive measures in mental health care. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which the Nigerian public accepts the use of coercive measures in the treatment of people with mental health conditions and to understand the impact of stigma and other sociodemographic characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 615 adult respondents from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. The study instrument included a case-specific vignette, a social distance scale, and a brief sociodemographic form. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted with SPSS v.25 software. More than half of the study respondents agreed that the vignette character should be forced to go to the hospital if he refuses to go (65%, n = 400), and he should be forced to take medications at the psychiatric hospital (55.1%, n = 339). The least accepted coercive measure was Isolation (28.8%, n = 177). There were significant associations between social distance and the acceptance of involuntary admissions, forced medication, mechanical restraints, and isolation (p < .05). Social distance score was highest among respondents who agreed that the vignette character should be isolated (24.023 ± 5.503; F = 24.672, p < .001). The study highlights variations in public attitudes toward coercive psychiatric measures, within the Nigerian context compared to other countries. The lower acceptance rates for isolation as a coercive measure underscore the cultural importance of social interaction in Nigeria. The relatively recent implementation of Nigeria's Mental Health Act also suggests a potential gap in public knowledge regarding the criteria for coercive measures. Future research should aim to include diverse populations and consider longitudinal approaches to assess changes in public attitudes as awareness of mental health legislation increases.

#stayathome?: Increased children’s emotion regulation in covid-19 pandemic

Emotion Regulation is an important resource over children development, especially when facing adversities. The arrival of Convid-19 pandemic has resulted in procedures as quarantine and social distancing, which may cause mental health status challenges for children. The aim of this study was to compare parents’ perception on their children’s emotional regulation before and during quarantine. The results showed positive correlation between Covid’s behavioral and cognitive variables, as risk perception, virus exposure, preventive care, social distancing and Covid-19 knowledge with emotion regulation. Unexpectedly there was an increment on children’s emotion regulation during quarantine period perceived by their parents. This data can provide clues regarding the emotion development, the route of how mental health preventive measures should go, prioritizing parents support and psychoeducation.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers

Objective: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers. Methods: Observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study conducted with parents/caregivers of children with ASD through an online questionnaire with 39 questions. Data were collected from October 2020 to January 2021, referring to the critical period of the pandemic in Ceará, from March to June 2020. Results: Of the 122 research participants (children/adolescents aged 2 to 18 years, average of 6.7 years), 87.7% interrupted multidisciplinary treatments during isolation. Most caregivers (86.8%) had more difficulties managing the children's free time. Behavioral problems became more intense for 61.5% and more frequent for 59.8% of participants. Difficulties in managing meals were reported by 39.3% of participants, and 97.1% stated that problems in managing autonomy were amplified. Behavioral regressions and worsening symptoms occurred in 81.1% of cases. Children and adolescents with pre-pandemic behavioral problems showed a significantly greater increase in the intensity (OR = 3.87, p = 0.05) and frequency (OR = 3.42, p = 0.05) of behavioral problems. In contrast, being an only child proved to be a protective factor against the negative impacts of isolation, with a significant reduction in the intensification (OR = 0.16, p &lt; 0.05) and frequency (OR = 0.08, p &lt; 0.01) of behavioral problems. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing negatively altered behavior, eating, and self-care patterns in children and adolescents with ASD, making this period more challenging for their caregivers.

Mental health literacy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional registry-based study

IntroductionThis study aimed to explore mental health literacy (MHL) and its related factors in a cross-sectional, registry-based sample of patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).MethodsAll survivors of AMI between 2017 and 2019 from the Myocardial Infarction Registry Augsburg (n=1.712) received a postal questionnaire on MHL (Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS-GER)) and single questions on experiences with and information on mental disorders in 2023. The response rate was 49.9%. Logistic and linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between these variables and sociodemographic factors.ResultsIn the sample of 855 patients (77.5% male, mean age 71.4 ± 10.9 years), 30.0% had experienced mental problems about 5 years after AMI. Among these, 17.4% received psychotherapy and 26.1% psychotropic drugs. Information about possible mental problems after their AMI was obtained from a physician by 30.8% of the patients and in a rehabilitation setting by 46.4%, respectively. Of the patients, 26.2% wished to receive more information on mental problems after AMI. MHLS-GER subscale scores ranged between and 54 (“Social distance”) and 76 (“Information seeking”) (best score 100). Age was the most important factor that was significantly associated with the report of mental health problems, a perceived lack of information, help seeking behavior and treatment, and MHL.DiscussionElderly and poorly educated patients were at risk of poor MHL. Further studies are required to specify the role of MHL in post-AMI life and health care.

The impact of covid-19 pandemic on syphilis notifications in northeast Brazil

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of syphilis notifications (acquired, during pregnancy and congenital) in northeastern Brazil. An ecological study was carried out using the database provided by the Ministry of Health through the Department of Informatics of the SUS (DATASUS). The monthly numbers of notifications of acquired, gestational and congenital syphilis were organized on the Google Sheets online platform and the data were statistically analyzed, using the Wilcoxon test, for the pandemic (Jan/2020-Jun/2021) and pre pandemic periods (Jan/2018-Dec/2019), with a statistical significance of 5%. There was a reduction in the number of notifications of total cases of syphilis in the Northeast in 2020 and in 2021 when compared to the pre-pandemic period (p &lt; 0.001 and p = 0.031, respectively). This reduction represents a drop of 32.38% in 2020 and 28.84% in 2021. Regarding the states, there was no statistical significance in the number of notifications for Sergipe in 2020 (p = 0.638), Ceará in 2021 (p = 0.156) and Rio Grande do Norte in 2021 (p = 0.219) compared to 2018 and 2019. In addition, it was observed that in Sergipe there was an increase of 53.96% in notifications in 2021 compared to the same period (p = 0.031). These variations may be a consequence of social distancing, the reallocation of resources during the pandemic and socioeconomic issues, or even all of these factors combined.

A generalized multinomial probabilistic model for SARS-COV-2 infection prediction and public health intervention assessment in an indoor environment.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and its sub-lineages have become the predominant variants globally since early 2022. As of January 2023, over 664 million confirmed cases and over 6.7 million deaths had been reported globally. Current infection models are limited by the need for large datasets or calibration to specific contexts, making them difficult to apply to different settings. This study aims to develop a generalized multinomial probabilistic model of airborne infection to assist public health decision-makers in evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions (PHIs) across a broad spectrum of scenarios. The proposed model systematically incorporates group characteristics, epidemiology, viral loads, social activities, environmental conditions, and PHIs. Assumptions about social distance and contact duration that estimate infectivity during short-term group gatherings have been made. The study is differentiated from earlier works on probabilistic infection modeling in the following ways: (1) predicting new cases arising from more than one infectious person in a gathering, (2) incorporating additional key infection factors, and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of multiple PHIs on SARS-CoV-2 infection simultaneously. Although the results show that limiting group size has an impact on infection, improving ventilation has a much greater positive health impact. The proposed model is versatile and can flexibly accommodate other scenarios or airborne diseases by modifying the parameters allowing new factors to be added.

Designing platforms for digital object-based learning

Over the last decade, object-based learning programs have become a staple of museum collections. These programs encourage and allow patrons to engage with a series of curated objects, offering educational experiences through tactile exploration. Naturally, they are focused on having their audience engage with the physical objects themselves (Chatterjee &amp; Hannan 2016). Applying museological practice and object-based learning in the digital context requires not just presenting digital replica of physical objects, but scaffolding their presentation and platform with purpose, intent, and understanding of the strengths and pitfalls of digital delivery (Beetham &amp; Sharpe 2013; De Kluis, Romp, &amp; Land-Zandstra 2024). As such, digital object-based learning platforms and programs purposefully designed for remote learning and online delivery fill a unique niche in the higher education space and are beginning to come into their own. At Macquarie University, objectbasedlearning.com (an initiative of the Faculty of Arts and stewarded by its Learning Design and Production team) was relaunched in late 2023 following an extensive redesign, with learning designers, academics, and students now working together to provide new remote learning opportunities and experiences for the classroom. This presentation introduces the audience to the refurbished website, explains the ethos behind its redesign with an eye to evolving learning spaces and remote learning, and explores the site’s current and future applications and projects as a case study for designing digital object-based learning. The site was designed with future utility and outreach at its core, offering flexibility in how it presents and categorizes digital objects, and a site layout which reflects the needs of its target audience – schoolteachers. The NSW Stages 5 and 6 Curriculum informs the website’s design, determining how objects are grouped, how users navigate the site, and what information and metadata is prioritized, developed, and displayed. Since its relaunch, the website has been utilized in schools and faculties in NSW to deliver object-based learning experiences and classes. While it is too early to publish on outcomes of the project, early feedback has been positive, and new teaching initiatives have developed around the platform. In 2024, student interns at Macquarie were challenged to develop educational materials, lessons, and workshops which took advantage of the potential of technology-enabled object-based learning. These artefacts were designed to give students a unique object-based learning experience, removing the boundaries of physical distance, financial constraints, and fragility of objects. Moreover, student interns involved in the photogrammetric scanning of objects for the website were themselves enjoying an object-based learning experience, engaging with their materiality and learning how best to present the object in a digital environment.

MSMGE-CNN: A multi-scale multi-graph embedding convolutional neural network for motor related EEG decoding

Abstract Deep learning (DL) technique has been widely used for decoding motor related electroencephalography (EEG) signals, which has considerably driven the development of motor related brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) cannot fully represent spatial topology information and dynamic temporal characteristics of multi-channel EEG signals, resulting in limited decoding accuracy. To address such challenges, a novel multi-scale multi-graph embedding convolutional neural network (MSMGE-CNN) is proposed in this study. The proposed MSMGE-CNN contains two crucial components: multi-scale time convolution and multi-graph embedding. Specifically, we design a multi-branch CNN architecture with mixed-scale time convolutions based on EEGNet to sufficiently extract robust time domain features. Afterward, we embed multi-graph information obtained based on physical distance proximity and functional connectivity of multi-channel EEG signals into the time-domain features to capture rich spatial topological dependencies via multi-graph convolution operation. We extensively evaluated the proposed method on three benchmark EEG datasets commonly used for motor imagery/execution (MI/ME) classification and obtained accuracies of 79.59 % (BCICIV-2a Dataset), 69.77 % (OpenBMI Dataset) and 96.34 % (High Gamma Dataset), respectively. These results powerfully demonstrate that MSMGE-CNN outperforms several state-of-the-art algorithms. In addition, we further conducted a series of ablation experiments to validate the rationality of our network architecture. Overall, the proposed MSMGE-CNN method dramatically improves the accuracy and robustness of MI/ME-EEG decoding, which can effectively enhance the performance of motor related BCI system.&amp;#xD;

Dynamics of star associations in an SMBH-IMBH system: The case of IRS13 in the Galactic centre

The existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) still poses challenges to theoretical and observational astronomers. Several candidates have been proposed, including the one in the IRS13 cluster in the Galactic centre, where the evidence is based on the velocity dispersion of its members; however, none have been confirmed to date. We aim to gain insights into the presence of an IMBH in the Galactic centre through a numerical study of the dynamical interplay between an IMBH and star clusters (SCs) in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). We used high-precision $N$-body models of IRS13-like SCs in the Galactic centre, and of more massive SCs that fall into the centre of the Galaxy from larger distances. We find that at IRS13's physical distance of $0.4\ an IRS13-sized SC cannot remain gravitationally bound even if it contains an IMBH of thousands of Msun . Thus, IRS13 appears to be an incidental present-day clumping of stars. Furthermore, we show that the velocity dispersion of tidally disrupted SCs (the likely origin of IRS13) can be fully accounted for by the tidal forces of the central SMBH; the IMBH's influence is not essential.

The Development of a Brief but Comprehensive Therapeutic Assessment Protocol for the Screening and Support of Youth in the Community to Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the acceptability and feasibility of a therapeutic assessment protocol for the Screening and Support of Youth (SASY). SASY provides brief but comprehensive community-based screening and support for diverse youth in the community. Methods: SASY screening evaluates symptoms, functioning and clinical risk. The Kiddie Computerized Adaptive Test was used to evaluate seven different diagnoses and symptom severity. The Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Self was used to measure functional impairment. Measures were scored according to nationally developed norms. An algorithm was developed to aggregate symptom and function ratings into an overall score for clinical risk. The results are discussed with participants in a motivational interview designed to promote insight, followed by the opportunity for the participant to engage in an online intervention. Protocol changes necessitated by social distancing during the pandemic led to innovative methods including the use of a QR code for recruitment, integration of both online and offline participation, and expansion from in-person recruitment within the schools to virtual engagement with youth throughout the community. The final sample included disproportionately more Black or African American and Hispanic youth as compared to school and community statistics, suggesting that optimization of online and offline methods in research may facilitate the recruitment of diverse populations. Qualitative interviews indicated that the screening and feedback raised youth awareness of their wellbeing and/or distress, its impact on their functioning, and engagement with options for improved wellbeing. Conclusions: The emergence of innovative methods optimizing the advantages of both online and offline methods, developed as a necessity during the pandemic, proved advantageous to the feasibility and acceptability of community-based recruitment of at-risk, minoritized youth.

A cross-sectional study of stigma towards opioid users among rural law enforcement and community members in tennessee

BackgroundThe U.S. opioid crisis, resulting in nearly 500,000 deaths from 1999 to 2019, has been exacerbated by persistent stigma, which hinders treatment and recovery efforts. This stigma, whether structural, social, or self-imposed, challenges overdose prevention and recovery. Our study aimed to assess and compare levels of stigma towards opioid users among rural law enforcement officers (LEOs) and community members in Tennessee, highlighting rural community-level attitudes.MethodsMethods involved surveying two groups: LEOs (N=48) and community members (N=393). Utilizing a Likert Scale based on prior research, the survey probed attitudes toward drug use across four stigma domains: dangerousness, blame, social distancing, and fatalism. Analysis employed standardized scoring and ANOVA for evaluating stigma differences by participant characteristics.ResultsLEOs (75%) and community members (51.7%) predominantly identify drug users as white, with varied perceptions regarding socioeconomic status and employment. Despite similar perceptions, normalized stigma scores revealed statistical differences between groups across stigma domains. ANOVA found no significant impact of participant type or gender on stigma levels, though race/ethnicity and its interaction with gender suggested potential influences on overall stigma score.ConclusionsBoth LEOs and community members in rural Tennessee hold measurable stigma against opioid users, spanning dangerousness, blame, social distancing, and fatalism domains. These insights highlight the need for further research into both professional and public attitudes toward individuals with opioid or other substance use disorders within shared communities. This research should aim to develop specific stigma-reducing interventions that target both providers and community members.

Perinatal Loneliness and Isolation Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: A Qualitative Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, birthing parents were identified as a high-risk group with greater vulnerability to the harms associated with SARS-CoV-2. This led to necessary changes in perinatal health policies but also to experiences of maternal isolation and loneliness, both in hospital settings, due to infection mitigation procedures, and once home, due to social distancing. In this study, we qualitatively explored birthing and postpartum experiences in New York City during the early days of the pandemic when lockdowns were in effect and policies and practices were rapidly changing. Using thematic analysis, our focus was on experiences of isolation, navigating these experiences, and the potential impacts of isolation and loneliness on maternal health for 55 birthing people. Participants described numerous stressors related to isolation during the birthing process, including reconciling their hopes for their birth with the realities of the unknown and separation from partners, family, and friends in the hospital. During the postpartum period, loneliness manifested as having limited or no contact with family and friends, which led to feelings of a need for strengthened social support systems. The impact of these negative experiences shaped mental health. Overall, we found that solitary experiences during birthing and postpartum isolation were major sources of stress for participants in this study. To support impacted families and prepare for future crisis events, clinicians and researchers must prioritize the development of strong clinical and social support structures for perinatal people to ensure both maternal and child health.

Looking back at Covid-19 government restrictions: were local lockdown regions with tighter restrictions less adherent before the restrictions and more adherent after?

It is assumed that increases in Covid-19 cases are caused by people not adhering to advised individual transmission-reducing behaviours. Upon the implementation of restrictions, the hypothesis is that those individuals will change their behaviour. We aimed to retrospectively explore adherence to physical distancing before and after restrictions (e.g., lockdowns) were implemented in a region of Scotland. We assessed adherence, intention, and self-efficacy to physical distancing in a series of cross-sectional telephone surveys of a representative sample of adults in Scotland. We included data from before regional restrictions and after restrictions and examined whether regions with and without restrictions differed in adherence. A total of 1724 Scottish adults (675 men, M age = 52.79 years, SD = 17.92) participated (879 (51.0%) pre-restriction, 466 (27.0%) from a restricted region). ANOVA showed that none of the main effects (for region or time) nor the interaction effect were significant. There was a main effect of time on self-efficacy, such that self-efficacy was lower post-restriction measures (M = 4.13, SD = 0.81) compared to pre-restriction time (M = 4.22, SD = 0.79). There was no evidence that adherence was weaker before restrictions were implemented in regions with higher case rates. Nor was there evidence that imposing restrictions increased adherence. In a future pandemic, it is advisable to assess behaviour and beliefs about Covid-19, risk, and behaviours on an ongoing basis and to use that as indicators of the need for intervention even before cases rates start to go up.

Physical education teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: conceptualizing outdoors as a job demand and resource for school wellbeing

ABSTRACT Education systems across the world were significantly impacted by the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accommodate physical distancing requirements mandated by public health authorities, many school gymnasiums were co-opted to become classrooms, consequently displacing many physical and health educators to teach in outdoor contexts. Through semi-structured interview methods, this research unpacked the perspectives of 10 Canadian physical and health educators’ experiences teaching outdoors during the pandemic. Findings indicated that: (a) physical educators struggled to navigate COVID-19 school protocols; (b) outdoor learning environments mitigated the strain of these regulations; (c) outdoor contexts benefited the wellbeing of staff and students; and (d) there were challenges associated with teaching outdoors. Utilizing the job demands-resource theoretical framework, this study illuminated a novel concepetualization of how teaching in outdoor spaces served as both a challenging job demand, but also a valuable job resource to support school wellbeing.

Family Social Capital and Sustainable Well-Being: Navigating Chinese Adolescents’ Well-Being During COVID-19 Lockdown

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption as governments took actions to limit the spread of the virus. Measures such as physical distancing and lockdowns changed living conditions, leading to challenges such as social isolation and reduced connectedness. This study explores COVID-19’s impact on adolescents’ well-being, emphasising family social capital, which refers to supportive adult-child relationships that foster well-being and enhance remote learning. Quantitative data was collected through an online survey from August 2022 to August 2023, involving 4008 students and 3511 parents. Semi-structured interviews with six students and their parents (either the mother or the father) provided in-depth insights into the perceived role of family social capital in shaping adolescents’ well-being during quarantine. Quantitative data revealed that parental education level significantly influenced adolescents’ self-reported well-being and resilience, and family income influenced parents’ perceptions of their children’s well-being. Qualitative data highlighted the importance of strong family bonds, effective parent-child relationships, and robust family support in mitigating the adverse effects of prolonged home quarantine. The research also discovered the role of adolescents’ agency in building social capital through web-based communities. The study contributes to understanding Chinese adolescents’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing implications for supporting their well-being in the post-pandemic era.

Designing and Validating a Survey for National-Level Data During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka: Cross-Sectional Mobile Phone Surveys.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a demand for timely data, resulting in a surge of mobile phone surveys for tracking the impacts of and responses to the pandemic. Mobile phone surveys have become a preferred mode of data collection across low- and middle-income countries. This study piloted 2 population-based, cross-sectional mobile phone surveys among Sri Lankan residents in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The surveys aimed to gather data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, vaccine acceptability, availability, and barriers to COVID-19 testing, and use of a medicine distribution service. The study used Surveda, an open-source survey tool developed by the NCD (noncommunicable disease) Mobile Phone Survey Data 4 Health Initiative, for data collection and management. The surveys were conducted through interactive voice response using automated, prerecorded messages in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. The sample design involved random sampling of mobile phone numbers, stratified by sex, proportional to the general population. Eligibility criteria varied between surveys, targeting adults aged 35 years and older with any noncommunicable disease for the first survey and all adults for the second survey. The data were adjusted to population estimates, and statistical analysis was conducted using SAS (SAS Institute) and R software (R Core Team). Descriptive statistics, Rao-Scott chi-square tests, and z tests were used to analyze the data. Response rates, cooperation rates, and productivity of the sampling approach were calculated. In the first survey, n=5001, the overall response rate was 7.5%, with a completion rate of 85.6%. In the second survey, n=1250, the overall response rate was 10.9%, with a completion rate of 61.9%. Approximately 3 out of 4 adults reported that they avoided public places (888/1175, 75.6%), more than two-thirds avoided public transportation (808/1173, 68.9%), and 9 out of 10 practiced physical distancing (1046/1167, 89.7%). Approximately 1 out of 10 Sri Lankan persons reported being tested for COVID-19, and the majority of those received a polymerase chain reaction test (112/161, 70%). Significantly more males than females reported being tested for COVID-19 (98/554, 17.8% vs 61/578, 10.6%, respectively; P<.001). Finally, the majority of adult Sri Lankan people reported that they definitely or probably would get the COVID-19 vaccination (781/1190, 65.7%). The surveys revealed that, overall, the adult Sri Lankan population adhered to COVID-19 mitigation strategies. These findings underscore the use of mobile phone surveys in swiftly and easily providing essential data to inform a country's response during the COVID-19 pandemic, obviating the need for face-to-face data collection.

An Empirical Study on Social Anxiety in a Virtual Environment through Mediating Variables and Multiple Sensor Data

Social anxiety disorder is a psychological condition characterized by excessive nervousness in social situations, such as interpersonal interactions. Exposure therapy has shown benefits in its treatment, and virtual reality (VR) technology has gained much attention for reducing physical and psychological distance and providing additional quantitative evidence from the data generated by standard VR devices (e.g., head-mounted display). Clinical psychology studies have highlighted the importance of mediating variables of social anxiety; however, existing VR-based social anxiety studies have neglected such variables with respect to user experience and data analysis in the context of VR, although these variables could provide insights into the design and use of VR for the treatment of social anxiety. In this study, we focused on two representative mediating variables of social anxiety: (1) the gap between self-presentation motivation and expectancy , and (2) self-focused attention . We used sensor data (e.g., head movement, eye movement, eye gaze, and psychological signals) to investigate the impact of these variables on users' anxiety responses in VR. We developed &lt;u&gt;VR&lt;/u&gt;-based &lt;u&gt;S&lt;/u&gt;ocial Anxiety Support &lt;u&gt;T&lt;/u&gt;ool (VRST) that reflects the theoretical design elements of effective anxiety provocation. Based on the results of a user study with 30 participants, we confirmed that the mediating variables were associated with social anxiety in the VR environment. We also found that the mediating variables were associated with eye gaze, eye pupil, head movement, and body temperature. Our study results provide researchers, designers, and practitioners with empirical evidence and implications for the use of VR technology and sensor data in the mental health context.