In this thesis, I consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses, as they are acutely at risk due to the lack of implicit government insurance that would be available to larger corporations. I will discuss insurance's characteristics using the basic theory of insurance, analyze pandemic insurance's viability in the private market, and critique alternative solutions. While the theory suggests that pandemics are not insurable in the private market, I will perform specific analysis to determine if this is the case or not. Using a simulation of the economic landscape firms face, business owners with varying levels of risk aversion evaluate whether or not to buy pandemic insurance. Specifically, I use the CRRA utility function to model risk aversion and calculate the demand for insurance and the insurance company's viability. I find that while the demand exists for a pandemic insurance product, being the counterparty is a losing proposition in the wholly private insurance market. Future research evaluating alternative solutions, including catastrophe bonds and potential public-private partnerships, is needed to determine the most effective financing for small businesses for future pandemic events.

Bullying is a widespread public health issue that disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ youth and is linked to a host of adverse outcomes. Although LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to be bullied and experience poorer mental health outcomes than heterosexual youth, few studies have examined these associations using population-based samples. Moreover, no published study has included an investigation of these associations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this knowledge gap, the links between bullying victimization and mental health among LGBTQ+ and heterosexual youth were examined in a population-based sample of 2231 Canadian students (50.2% boys, 45.2% girls, 4.6% gender diverse) in Grades 7 to 12 (ages 12-19). Results indicated that bullying victimization prevalence rates were higher among LGBTQ+ middle (Grades 7-8) and high school students (Grades 9-12) than among heterosexual students during the pandemic. LGBTQ+ high school students were at particular risk for being bullied during the pandemic compared to their heterosexual classmates. Bullied LGBTQ+ high school students also reported more mental health problems during the pandemic compared to heterosexual students who were bullied. These associations also varied by gender. Gender diverse students in both middle and high school experienced the highest rates of bullying victimization and reported more mental health problems because they were bullied compared to cisgender girls and boys. Girls also reported more mental health problems because they were bullied than boys. These findings are consistent with existing evidence which indicates that LGBTQ+ and gender diverse students are at elevated risk for being bullied at school and are more likely to experience mental health problems in relation to being bullied. Findings from my thesis highlight the urgent need for schools to invest in LGBTQ+ and gender diverse-specific anti-bullying intervention and prevention initiatives to buffer against adverse mental health outcomes. Implementing anti-bullying programs in schools will help mitigate risk and promote a safe and inclusive social learning environment for gender and sexual minority youth during and following the pandemic.

Performance anxiety affects individuals across many fields, from sports to medicine to music. Research in the area of Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) has been of particular importance to instrumental and vocal soloists and ensemble members for several decades. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many musicians have been required to change the format and location of their performances. These adjustments, as well as musicians' existing unique characteristics and life experiences, may have impacted their experience of MPA. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors on MPA. Participants (N = 251) were recruited online via the Prolific platform, and completed an online survey containing demographic questions, a COVID impacts survey, and measures of individual characteristics (TIPI, NCS-18), mentorship experience (MFQ-9), retrospective state MPA in both 2020 and 2022 (CSAI-2R), and trait MPA (K-MPAI-R). A hierarchical regression was performed to explore if gender, age, musical experience (i.e., number of genres and instruments performed), extraversion, COVID impacts (general and musical), mentorship experience, and cognitive style predicted severity of trait MPA. Age, number of musical instruments performed, and extraversion were found to be significant predictors of trait MPA. Ultimately, this research has aimed to contextualize MPA within a national landscape significantly transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bakgrund: Stillasittande under längre perioder associeras med smärta i bland annat ländrygg. Med covid-19 pandemin blev hemarbete ett faktum och all kommunikation var tvungen att ske via en dator. Detta bidrog till att stillasittandet ökade drastiskt och forskning har visat på att detta var en bidragande faktor till uppkomsten av muskuloskeletala smärtor. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att kartlägga muskuloskeletal smärta vid hemarbete under covid-19 pandemin avseende kön, ålder och antal suttna timmar. Metod: En enkät utformades i Google Forms som därefter publicerades på författarnas facebookprofiler samt skickades ut till ett företag. Respondenterna var 46 stycken fördelat på 31 kvinnor, 14 män och 1 “annat”. Enkäten var öppen i 4 veckor. Efter avslutad svarstid sammanställdes och analyserades datan i ett valt analysprogram. Resultat: Kvinnor och mäns medelvärde på Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) skilde sig ytterst lite. Det framkom att det inte var någon skillnad mellan antalet suttna timmar på en arbetsdag hos män och kvinnor. 14 deltagare hade tidigare skador som påverkade dem. Personer mellan 18-40 år hade högre medelvärde på NRS än personerna i åldersgruppen 41-64 år. Konklusion: Resultatet gav en indikation på att personer upplevt smärta vid hemarbetet på grund av covid-19. Dock finns ett behov av att utföra fler studier kring korrelationen mellan kön och smärta samt hur hemarbete påverkar de olika åldersgrupperna. Dessa studier bör ha ett större deltagarantal.

Assyrians/Syrians have for over two millenniums been part of the congregation of people that used to live in the Middle East in countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey. Various circumstances in the form of persecution, war, and, starvation in recent decades resulted in Assyrians/Syrians fleeing their homeland and emigrating to countries around the world. Sweden is today one of the countries with the largest Assyrian/Syrian communities over the globe. What interested many Assyrians/Syrians in residing in one of the world’s most secularized countries, Sweden, is because of various factors. One of them is that it is known for its great religious freedom, which attracted many crowds to locate themselves here. This study focuses on the Syriac-Orthodox church’s approach to the global COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden and how the consequences of this crisis affected two Syriac-Orthodox churches. Little is known about the impact that this pandemic has had on the Syriac-Orthodox Church in Sweden, which raised both a need and an interest to explore. Qualitative methods were applied in this study to explore this alluring topic, and it also allowed me to look into the experiences that were brought up in the interviews told by the active representatives of these two churches. Among the myriad challenges that the pandemic has posed to our world, one that deeply worried religious leaders was whether and how to worship, which is the lifeblood of faith, could be practiced without a community gathered around in a common worship space. Mandatory quarantine and only the assembly of a very small number of the faithful being permitted, with strict social distancing and masks wearing guidelines, obviously diminished the regular liturgical celebration but was not made impossible. The results of this study show that even in our darkest times, the 2,000-year-old tradition has been changed, reshaped, and derived, but remains today, stronger than ever.

Background: Short-term medical missions (STMMs) involve the temporary provision of medical services by foreign healthcare providers or students to a recipient community. This thesis seeks to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on these projects. Methods: A scoping review was conducted identifying articles published from 2015-2022 relevant to medical missions and COVID-19. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants to describe experiences and explore perspectives from STMM stakeholders. Results: The scoping review resulted in 37 included articles. These findings were supported by semi-structured interviews with six stakeholders. Both the review and interview results described cancellation of in-person activities by STMM organizations during the shutdown and subsequent consequences experienced by the organizations and partners. Alternative initiatives were implemented supporting pandemic response and incorporating virtual platforms for patient care. Remote educational programs for patients and healthcare providers were also developed and employed. Safety protocols were developed and implemented when lockdown measures were lifted. Changes in mission models and a shift towards sustainability and long-term initiatives were also discussed. Conclusions: STMMs have received significant criticism in recent years. Travel restrictions forced an inevitable pause on these projects, creating an opportune time to explore these changes and identify implications for the future. The impact of COVID-19 resulted in countless adaptations within STMM organizations. Further research is needed to identify which changes have been sustained. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / This thesis seeks to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on short-term medical missions (STMMs). International travel restrictions and safety concerns brought STMMs to a forced pause. Through a scoping review and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, this thesis aims to describe experiences, responses, and adaptations of STMM organizations consequent to the pandemic. The review and interviews confirmed the substantial number of STMM cancellations during the lockdown. The forced withdrawal of care compounded on existing demands for overwhelmed healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries. STMM organizations pivoted to assisting with pandemic response and disaster relief. Virtual initiatives were also developed to provide support remotely. Safety protocols were developed and implemented. At the time of the review and interviews, several STMM organizations had resumed in-person care. The review and stakeholders revealed a shift from the classic STMM model to prioritizing long-term, sustainable initiatives with local community involvement.

To mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, unthinkable restrictions and measures were enforced. In a few weeks’ time, the greatest part of the global population went under strict lockdown policies. In this new reality, Italians took advantage of their balconies and started engaging in collective actions of communal and national solidarity. Unable to be outdoors in any other way they reinvented the balcony as the focal point of their everyday interactions in times that called for social distancing and became ‘viral’. Balconies are a common feature in dense urban settings of South Europe, and transformed into an outdoor territory, which demonstrates architectural innovation, bridging dipoles, of interior and exterior, of individual and collective, but mostly of private and public. Given the circumstances, one can provocatively suggest that balconies are public spaces, especially under the scope of pandemic urbanism. Recognizing public spaces as open, publicly accessible places that facilitate popular activities necessary for community building, we introduce balconies as hybrid and heterotopic spaces mediating the private and public realm. Defined by clear and strict borders, yet accessible in terms of sight and sound, balconies potentially create a wider social network within the city, which should be enhanced. In terms of methodology, besides the literature review, ‘on a balconé’ (sic). ‘Balconer’, in French translates to watch closely from a balcony, without taking part in what is happening and such methodological practice complemented the research, by recording direct and indirect personal observations. As a result, an online international survey was conducted in April 2020, open to subjects both having and not having balconies. Firstly, the perception of balconies in general was investigated, along with an effort to map out regular activities and objects that synthesize such places. Moreover, it was explored whether the viral scenes from all over the world were more than a momentum and an ‘Instagrammable’ trend or whether new synergies underlain beyond, especially in the scope of social interactions and solidarity. The research advocates reconsidering balconies as an important element of building structures, especially in cities. Comparing how previous pandemics and diseases shifted urban planning and design principles, it is high time to discuss the proliferation of balconies as a feature of pro-equal societies. Nevertheless, balconies should be understood as spatial manifestations rather than merely architectural typological elements. In that sense, porches, patios, terraces and rooftops bear the same opportunities. Placemaking and urban policies calling for dense public life should start taking into account places that exceed the street level perspective. Finally, in some languages, balcony is a slang word for female breasts. Reversing this metaphor, as breasts are life-giving, balconies also are life-supporting elements of the buildings and of cities and should be regarded as such.

Former research has shown a strong relationship between anxiety and various negative reactions to trauma, including widespread traumatic events such as natural disasters, war, and pandemics. COVID-19 has been an ongoing, potentially traumatic event for individuals all over the world. Even individuals who have not experienced serious traumatic consequences because of the pandemic have likely had some negative experiences regarding the mandated quarantine and social distancing. This study seeks to find possible personality predictors for negative reactions, whether they be behavioral or cognitive. Participants completed several questionnaires that test personality constructs, including trait anxiety, need for affiliation, extraversion, and autonomy. Following this, the participants completed a questionnaire divided into two subscales evaluating cognitive and behavioral reactions to quarantine, developed from the list of immediate and delayed reactions to trauma created by the Center for Abuse Treatment in the United States. The most significant finding from this study is the correlation between these negative reactions- both cognitive and behavioral- and trait anxiety. Along with this, extraversion was found to correlate with negative behavioral reactions, and a need for affiliation was found to correlate with negative cognitive reactions. Each item within the reactions scale was tested in correlation with these three constructs which showed significance. These items provide implications that could potentially allow us to prevent these negative thoughts and behaviors provided that the pandemic continues extensively or in the event that another widespread traumatic event occurs in the future.

COVID-19 was a pandemic that has impacted the world in various ways and forced everyone to quarantine within the confounds of their homes. As studies investigated the effects of the pandemic, it was found that undergraduate students faced severe emotional and psychological difficulties being “at-risk” for greater psychological distress (Mayorga et al., 2021). Undergraduate students are currently made up of Generation Z individuals who are born from 1995 to 2010 (Ang et al., 2021). The present study investigates the relationship between mental health and generational cultural attitudes to explore whether there is a correlation between the stressors from COVID and generation Z’s cultural attitudes. A hypothesis is that generation z college students with more mental health issues due to COVID stressors will be more collectivist and the other is that Generation Z college students are more likely to experience more distress from COVID stressors than previous generations. Participants were given an online survey with the Individualism and Collectivism Scale (Triandis & Gelfand, 1998), Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (Beck et al., 1996), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983), and the Covid Stress Scale (Taylor et al., 2020). Data collection includes 183 undergraduate students from the University of Central Florida. Pearson correlations were conducted between depression, anxiety, and COVID stress. Also, a Pearson correlation was also made between individualism, collectivism, and COVID stress. Lastly, a paired sample t-test was conducted to compare the means between individualism and collectivism. Overall, results did not show support for the first hypothesis because although there was a significant correlation between depression, anxiety, and COVID stress, it cannot be told how much COVID stress affected mental health. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between collectivism or individualism and COVID stress, indicating that cultural attitudes did not predict the level of COVID distress. However, results did find that students were statistically more collectivistic than individualistic, which supports a part of my hypothesis. Understanding cohort and generational differences in emotional response to the COVID-19 pandemic will help in recognizing and assisting these groups. This would demonstrate a difference in emotional response to the pandemic between generations that could help in mental health resources in any future emergency situations.

This study looked at First Time in College (FTIC) students’ overall college adjustment and whether modality of instruction during students’ senior year of high school relates to subsequent college adjustment. Those high school seniors who completed the entire year virtually experienced greater social isolation and restrictions that may have further limited navigation of developmental tasks and experiences that prepare students for college. Due to the novelty of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first cohort where such a marked split in high school experiences could impact future college adjustment. College students (N=294) attending a large public university completed the College Adjustment Test (Pennebaker, 1990), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and COVID-19 Fear Scale (Ahorsu et. al, 2020). The results of this study may increase awareness of how students from the high school graduating class of 2021 are adjusting to college during these unprecedented times, and help to identify if a particular type of high school senior year experience presents greater risk in relation to subsequent college adjustment. The results of this study may inform institutions of higher education on what can be done to facilitate the college adjustment of this unique cohort of FTIC students.