The Experiences and Views of Service Providers on the Mental Health and Well-Being Services for Syrian Refugees in Coventry and Warwickshire

Objectives: Previous literature demonstrated that, even when mental health and psychological support services are available for refugees, there may still be obstacles in accessing services. This is the first known study to explore the experiences of mental-health and well-being services for Syrian refugees in Coventry and Warwickshire, United Kingdom. The research investigates the views and perceptions of service providers on the current mental-health and well-being services provided for this population. Methods: Eight service providers participated in semistructured interviews and focus groups, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged from an analysis of the data: “positive aspects of service delivery,” “service challenges,” and “recommendations for service improvements and quality.” Conclusion: The findings bring to the fore specific gaps in current provision and interpreting services. Recommendations for proposed improvements in service provision and policy as well as clinical implications are included in this article.

Prenatal Exposure to Classical Music Improves Learning and Memory in Adult Rats

Background: Exposure to music during pregnancy enhances brain development and improves learning in neonatal rats. Methods: In these experiments, we examined the effects of exposure to silence, hard rock, classical, and rap music in utero plus 60 days postpartum on learning and memory in adult Wistar rats. Passive avoidance learning (PAL) was assessed at age 60 days, and a retention test was done 24 hours after training. Elevated plus maze (EPM) was also used as a standard behavioral task for assessing the effects of music therapy on anxiety. Furthermore, we measured serum corticosterone levels and adrenal weight at the end of experiments to show the possible effect of stress on the rats’ behavior. Results: Hard rock music impaired acquisition, increasing the number of trials to acquisition in PAL task. Hard rock music also impaired the retrieval process by decreasing step-through latency and increasing time spent in the dark compartment during the retention trial. Further, in the hard rock group, there were increases in serum corticosterone and adrenal weight of rats. Classical music, in turn, improved acquisition learning and retention memory and decreased serum corticosterone levels compared to the silence group. Rats’ exposure to rap music did not show any significant change in acquisition and retrieval processes compared to the silence group. In the EPM task, classical music exposure had anxiolytic-like effects revealed in an increase in the number of entries into open arms and time spent in the open arms. However, in this task, hard rock music induced an anxiogenic effect. Conclusions: Prenatal and postnatal exposure to music improves PAL and memory in adult rats. The effects of music therapy with classical music might be related to stress reduction by lowering corticosterone as a stress biomarker or anxiolytic effects; this deserves further examination.

Overall Job Performance, Remote Work Engagement, Living With Children, and Remote Work Productivity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant and rapid shift from work in presence to remote work (RW). This rapid change represented a challenge for employees, who had to deal with new work procedures in houses often crowded with their children. This study investigated whether the engagement toward this work arrangement mediates the relationship between perceived overall job performance and employees’ remote work productivity. Furthermore, it tested whether the relationships between perceived overall job performance and RW productivity as well as between RW engagement and RW productivity are moderated by living with children under 18. This quantitative, cross-sectional, study was conducted in an Italian municipality and involved a sample of employees who started to work remotely after the spread of the pandemic. A total of 171 public servants answered an online questionnaire. Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between perceived overall job performance and RW productivity and the mediation of this relationship by RW engagement. The moderation role of living with minor children was confirmed, although this modulation mechanism had two opposite effects on the tested relationships. On the whole, the results suggest that HR professionals and organizations need to develop support policies that take into account employees’ specific characteristics.

Voices of Undergraduate Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social distancing, lockdown, and other restrictive measures imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic led universities to transfer to remote online instruction. Several studies examined the impact of online instruction on students’ academic and socioemotional performance, whereas only limited research evidence exists concerning the performance of university students with disabilities (SWD) during online learning. This exploratory qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of nine undergraduate SWD during the COVID-19 pandemic. A thematic analysis revealed that SWD experienced multiple adversities related to academic (e.g., accommodations, communication with university instructors, academic advisor) and socioemotional (stress, routine disruption, lockdown effects) areas. We compared and contrasted our study findings with existing literature on creating equitable academic environments and reducing access barriers for all students.

Impact of Consumer Emotional Intelligence on Satisfaction With Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigates the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in consumers’ satisfaction with life (SWL), particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. It looks into the relationship between consumer EI, impulsive buying (IB), and SWL, particularly during the dreadful COVID-19 pandemic. It also reflects on the mediating role of IB in the indirect association between consumer EI and SWL. The data were collected from 483 public-sector university graduates in Islamabad, Pakistan. Findings reveal a significant association between consumer EI and IB as well as between consumer EI and SWL. In addition, consumer IB behavior played a significant mediating role in the indirect relationship between consumer EI and SWL: When consumers have a high level of EI, their involvement in IB is low, and they are more satisfied with their lives. This study helps consumers to understand how to effectively manage emotions ensuing during shopping experiences to control their buying behavior. The study also broadens our understanding of how EI can help consumers to remain satisfied during the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study (C-19 ISWS)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on the mental health and well-being of different populations including young adults. This study replicates and extends previous research by evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of college students in Cyprus, a Mediterranean island with unique sociocultural and genetic characteristics, and to identify risk factors related to the poor mental health of university students. Behavioral changes in the students before and during the quarantine period were also examined. A total of 387 university students completed an online survey coordinated by the Young Universities of Europe (YUFE) network. Results indicated that most of the sample (89.3%) reported depressive symptoms. Academic stress and academic satisfaction were associated with depressive symptoms and loneliness. Specifically, students with greater academic stress and lower academic satisfaction reported more symptoms of depression and felt lonelier. Younger students with poorer economic capital were more likely to feel depressed, and younger college students with higher academic stress were more likely to feel lonely. The results of t-test analyses indicated that quarantine affected students’ time and type of study turning to online studies and to moderate physical activities. The present study’s findings add to the existing literature and support the development of new measures to support students, both financially as well as psychologically.

The Interplay Between Individual and Dyadic/Common Coping in Female Patients With Cancer

Both individual and dyadic coping behaviors are important for adaptation to a severe illness. However, there is a theoretical controversy regarding the interplay between these two forms of coping. In this cross-sectional study, we examined (a) whether recently diagnosed cancer patients engage mostly with one form of coping or whether they use both in parallel; (b) the relationship of individual and supportive dyadic/common coping to emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction. Participants were 92 women recently diagnosed with cancer (mostly breast cancer) and receiving medical treatment ( Mage = 49.37 years; SD = 10.52). All had been living with their partner for at least 2 years. The parallel use of individual and supportive dyadic/common coping behaviors was frequently reported. Individual and dyadic/common coping proved to be related to each other ( p < .01), and both were related to emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction ( p < .05). The combination of high individual and high supportive dyadic/common coping was associated with greater satisfaction with the relationship ( p < .01). Patients probably use individual and dyadic coping behaviors in concert to better deal with the different aspects of their illness experience. Both types of coping should be considered in the context of personalized intervention programs to facilitate adaptation to cancer.

Trust in Authorities and Demographic Factors Affect Vaccine Acceptance During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cyprus

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on all aspects of human life. Accurately measuring vaccine acceptance and understanding the factors that influence vaccine attitudes and behaviors is crucial to designing public-health interventions to reduce the impact of COVID-19 through vaccinations. The current study adapted the vaccine acceptance scale ( Sarathchandra et al., 2018 ) to the Greek language and assessed the relationship between key components of vaccine acceptance to COVID-19 vaccine beliefs and attitudes, personal and family vaccination history and attitudes, and demographic variables (age, sex, education, and having children). The adapted vaccine acceptance instrument was found to have high internal consistency reliability. Further analyses indicated that younger and less-educated individuals are more vaccine-hesitant, and that vaccine acceptance is influenced by trust in authorities. These findings may have implications for understanding vaccine hesitancy and for the design and implementation of vaccine-related public health policies.

Mental Health Status of Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a massive health crisis that has exerted enormous physical and psychological pressure. Mental healthcare for healthcare workers (HCWs) should receive serious consideration. This study served to determine the mental-health outcomes of 1,556 HCWs from 45 countries who participated in the COVID-19 IMPACT project, and to examine the predictors of the outcomes during the first pandemic wave. Methods: Outcomes assessed were self-reported perceived stress, depression symptom, and sleep changes. The predictors examined included sociodemographic factors and perceived social support. Results: The results demonstrated that half of the HCWs had moderate levels of perceived stress and symptoms of depression. Half of the HCWs ( n = 800, 51.4%) had similar sleeping patterns since the pandemic started, and one in four slept more or slept less. HCWs reported less perceived stress and depression symptoms and higher levels of perceived social support than the general population who participated in the same project. Predictors associated with higher perceived stress and symptoms of depression among HCWs included female sex, not having children, living with parents, lower educational level, and lower social support. Discussion: The need for establishing ways to mitigate mental-health risks and adjusting psychological interventions and support for HCWs seems to be significant as the pandemic continues.

Determinants of Proactive Work Behavior of Employees During the COVID-19 Crisis

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations have been forced to use social media and digital applications to carry out routine tasks. This posed several complications and challenges that hindered harmonic interaction between managers and their subordinates. This study investigates the indirect association between toxic leadership and proactive work behavior via psychological safety (PYS). We also investigate the role of perceived insider status (PIS) as a moderator in the association between toxic leadership and PYS as well as the indirect connection between toxic leadership and proactive work behavior. The work is based on the timelag results of 282 supervisor-employee dyads from different small and mid-sized information technology (IT) firms. The results show that toxic leadership has a significant impact on employee PSY and proactive work behavior as well as revealing that PIS substantially mitigated the negative effects of toxic leadership on employee PYS. Similarly, PIS influences the mediating role of PYS in the association between toxic leadership and proactive work behavior of employees. This research is helpful for academics and practitioners involved in human-resource practices in the IT industry.