A Qualitative Look at the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on American College Students Studying Abroad

COVID-19 has impacted higher education greatly, with many colleges and universities being forced to quickly implement procedures for operation as closures and restrictions shifted many programs online. These abrupt changes amounted to uncertainty and challenges for students worldwide. Students who were studying abroad during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic faced unique challenges as programs shut down and many returned home from overseas. The current study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. study abroad students through a qualitative lens. Students reported unique stressors related to being abroad during the onset of the pandemic, such as missed experiences, financial loss, travel difficulties, and stressors related to academic programs. Additionally, many reported considerable and lasting impacts on emotional and behavioral health. This study provides preliminary evidence for the effects of COVID-19 on study abroad students, and highlights the importance of addressing the needs of this population during and after the pandemic.

The Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health’s Position Statement on Solitary Confinement

This document, from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health (DEBH), provides clear and compelling support for the abolishment of solitary confinement with incarcerated youth and young adults in juvenile and adult correctional facilities. This is the first position statement from DEBH on the topic, and the information includes (a) a definition of solitary confinement, (b) discussion of its use, (c) an explanation of the impacts of solitary confinement on youth, (d) identification of systemic issues that perpetuate the use of solitary confinement, (e) an examination of U.S. laws concerning the use of solitary confinement, (f) a declaration of principles, and (g) recommendations for policy and practice.

Recommendations for Assessment of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health for the National Children's Study

The Social Emotional Behavioral (SEB) Team of the National Children's Study (NCS) was tasked with making recommendations for assessment of important aspects of social-emotional health and function in children. This paper describes the constructs recommended for assessment along with the rationale for their assessment. These constructs, representing aspects of Social Relationships, Social Capital, Temperament, Negative Affect, Externalizing Behavior, Social Competence, Self-efficacy, Self-image, Psychological well-being, Ethnic/racial Socialization, Perceived Discrimination, Sexual Orientation, Religiosity, and Perceived Stress and Resilience were identified as being critical to the understanding of children's health and development from birth to age 21.

Using Universal Screening to Monitor Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health

As many youths will display symptoms of social-emotional or behavioral (SEB) health concerns during their childhood or adolescence, schools are called upon to provide supports to students who have demonstrated barriers to learning. Universal screening has been identified as one strategy to enhance the accurate identification of students struggling with SEB concerns. Universal screening measures take on a variety of formats but often include some type of brief behavior rating completed by a teacher, parent, or student to assess individual student functioning. The current chapter provides an overview of universal screening for SEB concerns. Available screening measures are reviewed, along with the psychometric evidence supporting each measure (e.g., validity, reliability, diagnostic accuracy). Procedural considerations are examined, including administration frequency and duration, screening informant selection, and parental consent protocols. Finally, a procedural framework is provided that outlines how to link screening results to evidence-based interventions.

Association of Overall Screen Time and Outdoor Activity with Emotional and Behavioral Health Problems

BackgroundPsychological problems among children and adolescents have become a public health issue. This study aimed to investigate associations between screen time (ST), outdoor activity (OA), and emotional and behavioral health problems (EBHPs) among South Chinese children and adolescents.MethodsA total of 30,188 boys and girls from 14 elementary and junior high schools on six streets in Shenzhen were included in this study. EBHPs were measured with the strengths and difficulties questionnaire; OA and ST data were obtained through self-reporting. Descriptive analyses, chi-square tests, and logistic regressions were performed using SPSS 23.0.ResultsIn our study, 42.4% students had insufficient OA, 24.2% students had excessive ST, the abnormal prevalence of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, hyperactivity problems, prosocial behavior, and total difficulties scales were 18.5%, 6.9%, 6.4%, 13.1%, 10.7% and 8.8%. There were significant associations between ST/OA, independent and addictive interaction, and EBHPs among children and adolescents. Participants with high exposure to ST were more likely to have EBHPs than those with low exposure; participants with low exposure to OA were also more likely to have EBHPs than those with high exposure. The interactive associations of ST and OA on EBHPs were stronger than those of ST or OA individually.ConclusionsOur results show positive associations between ST, OA, and EBHPs. They indicate that interventions should be considered for decreasing ST and increasing OA in children and adolescents.