Background: Elderly people are vulnerable and belong to the high-risk groups of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. Because of this, they also become more vulnerable in society due to COVID-19 restrictions. The government has used social distancing as a restriction to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People in general, and more specifically elderly people, were asked to stay at home to minimize the risk of becoming seriously ill for their own sake, and as not to overload the healthcare system. Social distancing had a negative impact on their health and well-being. Aim: To explore elderly's experience of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The method used was a literature review, using qualitative and quantitative research.Results: Two overarching themes emerged: Psychological strain and facing a new reality, with four sub-themes: Increased loneliness, Negative emotions, New challenges and Coping strategies. Conclusions: The social distancing, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, has had a negative impact on the health of older people. Elderly people have suffered from loneliness, lack of well-being and have become isolated from society during the pandemic. They were encouraged not to burden the healthcare system and all their health promotion activities had been suspended due to the pandemic. Many elderly people have multiple illnesses and have previously experienced loneliness, which also worsened during the pandemic. The results showed an increased experience of loneliness and psychological burden. To cope with their new reality and challenges within, some older people found digital ways of socializing with each other and their relatives. It is important that society targets these high-risk groups to minimize their loneliness, depression, and subsequent increased morbidity. Keywords: COVID-19, elderly, loneliness, mental health, social distancing.

Sharp rises in overdose deaths nationally coincided with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural Appalachia, known for high rates of substance use and barriers to health care in general, was suspected to be disproportionately impacted in terms of recovery supports such as 12-step recovery meetings. This study investigated the availability of recovery meetings in South Central Appalachia before and after COVID-19 lockdowns. The number of confirmed recovery meetings was compared before and after COVID-19 lockdowns by geographic location (i.e., rural/nonrural and medium metro/small metro/micropolitan/noncore). Recovery meeting data were systematically collected through interviews with community contacts, reviewing social media and websites, making phone calls, and sending emails and surveys and updated longitudinally. There was no significant change in the number of meetings from pre- (n = 189) to post-COVID-19 (n = 178). There was no significant shift in meeting location when dichotomizing by rural/nonrural classification, χ²(1) = 2.76, p = .097, π = −0.087. Chi-square test of independence did reveal a significant change in number of recovery meetings by location when using four location classifications, χ²(3) = 7.97, p = .047, Cramer’s V = 0.147. There was a noteworthy rise in the meetings in small metro (36.5%–51.1%), with all other locations declining. The establishment and reestablishment of recovery meetings in rural communities should be prioritized to address the longstanding scarcity of recovery resources in rural locations, recent decline in such support, and the rise in overdose deaths.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a public health crisis affects the pregnancy decisions and experiences of Canadians, how pregnancy history impacts these experiences, and whether the delivery of pregnancy care has been impacted or changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis surveyed women from across the country about their experiences during pregnancy with prenatal care and social support, as well as their birth experiences and perceptions of new motherhood during the pandemic. Interviews were conducted with perinatal care providers from Ontario about their personal experiences providing perinatal healthcare services, as well as their perceptions of their patients’ experiences. This thesis aims to identify prenatal, birth and postpartum experiences described by Canadians, and quality of perinatal health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

School selection options place parents at the center of the school choice sector and create market forces that shape schools and impact students. High school selection in a school choice environment has ramifications for parents, students, school leaders, school marketers and policy makers. An understanding of the factors that parents use to make their high school decisions is important for all stakeholders in a high school choice environment as selection factors may shape the educational landscape of communities. Using a mixed-methods case study approach, this study sought to determine the primary marketable factors that parents in a mid-sized urban public school system use to make high school selections, the sources of information they rely on to make their decisions, how their perceptions of public schools may influence their selection, the types of choice perspectives they employ in selecting schools, and whether COVID-19 responses by the schools impacted their decisions. Parents in this study most often used the primary selection factors of social and specialized programs and athletics and academics and college and career readiness, followed by school safety, respectively. Parents most often used the perspectives of rational choice and social capital in their decision-making. Parents also focused greatly on their child’s needs and desires in making their selections, tried to ensure the success of their child by selecting schools with preferred peer influences, and sought a school that “best fit” their child. Further research should be considered to determine the connections between student needs and desires and parent selection and the outcomes of their selections. Further research may also include expansion to private school and cyber and virtual schooling parents. / Educational Leadership

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way of life for people and businesses around the world. Institutions of higher education and their constituents are no exception. As the pandemic began, colleges and universities moved their operations and teaching modalities online. The emergency shift to remote learning and operating has put a strain on higher education students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The influence of the pandemic has highlighted some vulnerabilities and areas of needed support within specific categories of faculty, which should continue to be explored and better addressed. This quantitative study uses a faculty survey to examine the move to remote teaching from a faculty perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study relies on secondary data analysis of data collected by the Office of Institutional Research at a large, public four-year institution in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States to answer the following research questions: 1. How has COVID-19 changed the usage of technology, various teaching methods, and adjustments to course expectations? 2. Are there age, faculty status, and/or discipline differences in usage of technology, various teaching methods, and adjustments to course assignments? 3. Post-COVID-19, how do faculty status/rank and gender influence maintaining work-life balance? / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

Objectives: COVID-19 has introduced an unexpected level of uncertainty to every aspect of our lives, and loss of access to care has become a major problem. This study has two main objectives, one being to characterize the frequency of insurance approvals and denials for Medicaid patients seeking orthodontic treatment in Pennsylvania before and during COVID-19, and the second being to identify differences in appointment keeping behavior between Medicaid and non-Medicaid orthodontic patients during those timelines.Methods: 634 Medicaid and 304 non-Medicaid patients were screened at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics from July 2018 to March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and July 2020 to March 2021 (during COVID-19). Each patient’s Insurance Provider, Salzman Index Score (SEI), the insurance eligibility decision (approval/denial), and history of all attended and failed appointments for both Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients during pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 timelines were collected. Results: For the first objective, there were 270 approvals (96%) and 10 denials (4%) pre-COVID-19 and there were 270 approvals (76%) and 84 denials (24%) during COVID-19. There was a significant difference in the rate of insurance approvals and denials pre-and during COVID-19, with a p-value of <0.001. For the second objective, Medicaid patients attended 7221 (81%) and failed to attend 1746 (19%) of 8967 appointments and non-Medicaid patients attended 3419 (85%) and failed to attend 589 (19%) of 4008 appointments pre-COVID-19. During COVID-19, Medicaid patients attended 7115 (81%) and failed 1637 (19%) of 8752 appointments and non-Medicaid patients attended 3171 (87%) and failed 484 (13%) of 3655 appointments. The results showed a significant difference in the number of failed appointments between Medicaid and non-Medicaid groups (p <0.001). At a significance level of 0.01, there were no significant interactions between the number of failed and attended appointments for Medicaid nor non-Medicaid patients pre- and during COVID-19 (p =0.149, p =0.065). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the number of insurance approvals and denials during COVID-19 decreased and increased, respectively. Furthermore, these data show that Medicaid patients have a higher rate of appointment failures than non-Medicaid patients pre- and during COVID-19. / Oral Biology

The mental health field experiences high levels of stress, resulting in a greater risk of poor professional quality of life, likely exacerbated by the additional stress associated with COVID-19. The present study examined the effect COVID-19 stress had on the professional quality of life of the infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) workforce and whether coping strategies and self-compassion acted as protective factors. Results indicated that higher COVID-19 stress was associated with higher burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) and lower compassion satisfaction (CS). The results also showed that the pathway from COVID-19 stress to burnout was moderated by support-seeking and approach coping. Furthermore, the pathway from COVID-19 stress to CS was moderated by avoidant coping. The link between COVID-19 stress, coping, and professional quality of life suggests increasing adaptive coping is likely to improve the professional quality of life of the IECMH workforce during times of substantial stress.

Background: In the healthcare sector, many workers are believed to be “double duty carers” (DDCs) - individuals providing care both at work and home. DDCs often work in paid care work while providing unpaid care to family/friends outside of work. The COVID-19 pandemic places additional stressors on these vulnerable carers. Caring is an emerging global health issue involving the straining of roles due to the pandemic. Informal or unpaid caring is globally known to be a women's health issue given the gendered nature of caring, resulting in women shouldering greater physical, social, and emotional costs. Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on DDCs through the perspective of employers and DDCs. The knowledge generated illuminates how the paid and unpaid caring has been affected by the pandemic, what supports, or coping strategies are being utilized by DDCs. Methods: This mixed-methods study comprises two phases; a quantitative survey for employers and qualitative interview for DDCs. The survey investigates how workplace supports have been impacted by the pandemic, while the interview investigates DDCs’ experiences/coping strategies during the pandemic. Finally, triangulation of the data from the two phases will be used to create evidence-based policy recommendations to enhance DDC supports. Results: Healthcare employers were observed to be cognizant of DDCs’ diminishing wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet, less than half supported their carer-employees. DDCs had increased care demands both at work and at home and experienced a lack of access to their usual support system and support services. The data from both phases helped elucidate recommendations and areas of concern for DDC support that can serve as important implications for carer-friendly workplace policies (CFWP). Conclusion: By exploring the intersection of perspectives from employers and DDCs, this study will contribute to evidence-informed guidelines for CFWP during a pandemic. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The term ‘double duty carer’ (DDC) refers to individuals, often women, that are provide care both at home and at work. DDCs are an important workforce that are vulnerable to negative physical and mental health consequences which are exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the pandemic on DDCs’ caring responsibilities and supports from the perspectives of healthcare employers and DDCs. Findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic made paid and unpaid caring much more demanding, inflicted poor health consequences upon DDCs and made supports difficult to access. DDCs are experiencing increased role strain and having to invest more hours in paid and unpaid care. The findings of this study can be used to improve DDC support and strengthen the collaborative relationships among healthcare employers and DDCs.

Förändring är något som verksamheter måste förhålla sig till kontinuerligt och är under konstant tryck att utforma sig efter de förväntningar som ställs på dem från det externa samhället såväl som de interna intressenterna. I och med teknikens framfart så har organisationer allt mer börjat ställa om för att arbeta utifrån en mer digitaliserad kontext, detta har dock inte alltid varit fallet för den enskilde medarbetaren. I och med Covid-19 pandemin så har dock acceptansen av distansarbete accelererats markant. Detta i relation till organisationers ökade tro på medarbetaren och dennes förmåga att kunna leda sig själv har skapat en miljö inom vilken organisationer och chefer nu måste kunna jobba med medarbetarnas självledarskap. De olika områdena runtomkring dessa förändringar så som självledarskap, digitalisering, motivation och ledarskap har under en längre tid blivit studerade och har således legat till grund för att kunna utföra denna studie. Genom att sammanslå dessa större områden till ett fokuserat område har de gett förutsättningar för att kunna etablera en grund för hur arbetet i framtiden kan utformas och vilka faktorer som kan ligga till grund för att facilitera ett självledarskap. Syftet med studien var således att öka förståelsen för hur organisation och ledning hjälper individen att använda sig av ett självledarskap samtidigt som vi går mot en allt mer digitaliserad miljö. Totalt genomfördes tio stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med både chefer och medarbetare som ämnade att besvara hur organisationer samt ledning möjliggör självledarskap i och med distansarbete samt hur det påverkar individen. Det var även av intresse att undersöka vad individen bedömer som viktiga delar för att kunna ha ett självledarskap i samband med den digitala miljön. Den insamlade datan från intervjuerna jämfördes med tidigare forskning och har således syftat till att besvara följande frågeställning; Hur kan organisationer hjälpa individen till självledarskap i en allt mer digital miljö? Med utgångspunkt i studiens syfte och frågeställning har resultatet från denna studie visat att det finns många delar som kan förbättras när det kommer till självledarskap och distansarbete. Utifrån den empirin som inhämtats från de olika respondenterna så har studien funnit att faktorer såsom feedback, sammanhållning, kommunikation, intern och extern motivation som viktiga i arbetet för att kunna jobba med ett självledarskap i en kontext av digitalisering. Dessa utmaningar har ställts emot de litterära verken för att kunna utmynna olika teoretiska såväl som praktiska bidrag för att fylla det forskningsgap som vi identifierat, men även för att organisationer ska kunna ta beslut utifrån dessa faktorer.

This study aimed to explore and understand the University of Cape Town student perceptions and lived experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) during COVID-19. COVID-19 is a communicable disease instigated by a novel virus (SARS CoV-2 virus). After the inevitable subsequent national lockdown of South Africa, the university placed ERTL measures in place for the second quarter of the first semester to curb the impact of the virus on its students while also enabling learning and teaching activities to continue remotely. ERTL meant that learning and teaching activities were ‘rapidly' shifted from face-to-face learning to remote learning. This study reports on the 707 students who responded to an online survey while engaged in their online courses. The Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) and Andersons' Online Learning Model were used to engage with students on the use of technology that enabled their interaction with lecturers, each other, learning and teaching activities, and other remote learning resources. Understanding the student experiences was achieved through a mixed-method study approach that involved undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Google form online surveys, with both open and closed ended questions with some using the 5-point Likert scale ratings, were distributed using social media platforms and university email system to students in order to collect the data. MAXQDA and Excel software were later utilised to analyse and code the data. Findings for this study indicate that the ERTL experience of the participants during the COVID-19 pandemic presented both opportunities and barriers. Some of the perceived opportunities by students were flexibility and convenience, pedagogical improvements, time saving, self-directed learning (working anytime they want and creating and managing their working schedule), and spending time with family. Interestingly enough, some of these benefits turned out to be challenges for some of the students. Hence, some of the barriers students perceived were distractions, internet connectivity and technical issues, inequitable living and environment conditions, lack of hands-on experience and how this made their degree feel incomplete and difficult, mental health issues, and many other barriers. The disciplinary faculties that experienced most of the obstacles and difficulties associated with ERTL were those whose academic experience depended on practical work in labs and studios or needed software that can only be accessed through labs and would need a specific operating system. The carrying out of this research will help ensure the effectiveness, investment, and continual integration of technology in future programs that involve learning and teaching.