Después de la tormenta: Collective trauma following Hurricane Maria in a northeastern Puerto Rican community in the United States

Finding voice in a year of collective trauma: Case study of an online photovoice project with youth

In this article, we share findings from a qualitative case study of a virtual youth photovoice program implemented across three regions of the United States. The purpose of the program was to engage youth in research on a social issue relevant to them during an unprecedented year marked by two public health crises, COVID-19 and anti-Black racial violence. Results of an analysis of curriculum and archival program materials lend support for online strategies for youth engagement including individualized support and online audiovisual presentations with avatars. Racial justice and trauma-informed adaptations were designed to be responsive to youth needs for flexible programming and safe spaces. Themes captured in the first online gallery of youth photos include (1) tools for mental health, (2) meaningful connection, and (3) community advocacy, bringing attention to structural issues as well as family and community strengths. Findings suggest photovoice can be thoughtfully adapted for youth researchers and support individual and group storytelling in response to collective trauma.

Exploring posttraumatic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic

Although it is undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic presented new threats and traumas for human beings, posttraumatic growth that took place after the struggle with this highly challenging crisis cannot be ignored. Therefore, based on the posttraumatic growth theory, the present research focuses on aspects of tourists' positive changes after the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 1165 potential tourists from 197 cities in 31 provinces of China were analyzed using symmetrical and asymmetrical approaches. The results of the partial least squares test revealed the net effects of social support, psychological distress, and infection risk perception on the three dimensions of tourists' posttraumatic growth, namely, travel risk aversion, social identity, and altruistic behavior. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis provided causal recipes for realizing posttraumatic growth, and necessary condition analysis supplemented the necessary antecedents. The implications of the findings and the paths for future research are also presented.

Exploring posttraumatic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic

Although it is undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic presented new threats and traumas for human beings, posttraumatic growth that took place after the struggle with this highly challenging crisis cannot be ignored. Therefore, based on the posttraumatic growth theory, the present research focuses on aspects of tourists' positive changes after the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 1165 potential tourists from 197 cities in 31 provinces of China were analyzed using symmetrical and asymmetrical approaches. The results of the partial least squares test revealed the net effects of social support, psychological distress, and infection risk perception on the three dimensions of tourists' posttraumatic growth, namely, travel risk aversion, social identity, and altruistic behavior. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis provided causal recipes for realizing posttraumatic growth, and necessary condition analysis supplemented the necessary antecedents. The implications of the findings and the paths for future research are also presented.

Weathering the storm alone or together: Examining the impact of COVID-19 on sole and partnered working mothers

Sole employed mothers and their families face numerous challenges. Yet, the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic may be adding additional risk to the already precarious day-to-day reality of this population. Thus, we examine the implications of this crisis for the mental health and job-related well-being of both sole and partnered working mothers. Participants were 206 mothers who continued to work during the pandemic. A moderated mediation model was analyzed. Work-family conflict (WFC) during the pandemic differentially related to mothers' parenting stress, based on romantic partnership status; when mothers were sole parents, the relationship between WFC and parenting stress was exacerbated. Moreover, this stress mediated the relationship between WFC and both poor mental health and decreased work engagement for sole employed mothers. Findings broaden our understanding of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for sole and partnered employed mothers, and how this crisis may be increasing disparities between working sole-parent and dual-partner families.

Effect of Hurricane Maria on HPV, Tdap, and meningococcal conjugate vaccination rates in Puerto Rico, 2015-2019

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean region, among them the US territory of Puerto Rico (PR). Vaccination distribution and uptake suffered from the impact. This study evaluated the trends in monthly vaccination initiation rates for human papilloma virus (HPV), Tdap and meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) adolescent vaccines from 2015 to 2019, during which it was possible to observe and analyze the impact of Hurricane Maria on vaccine initiation. Monthly initiation rates were estimated. Age-standardized initiation rate ratio (SRR) and 95% CI were estimated. The analysis included 85,340 adolescents; 52.3% were male, and 47.7% were females. September 2017 showed HPV vaccine initiation had the lower rates of all the studied vaccines, with a rate of 75% after the disaster (from a rate of almost 90% in July 2017). Tdap and MenACWY vaccines rates remained above 90% in the same period. The SRR of HPV vaccine for September and October 2017 showed an estimated reduction of 5% and 8% in vaccine initiation rates, respectively for each month, when 2016 was the reference year (p > .05). The SRR of Tdap and MenACWY vaccines for November 2017 showed significant reductions when 2015 and 2016 were reference years (p < .05). HPV vaccine initiation rate was the most severely affected by the Hurricane Maria. Post-natural disaster protocols should strengthen existing programs for facilitate immunization access.