PSY COVID-19 News

Principal Investigator Jennifer C. Britton

Project Aim:  To understand the relationship between behavioral and neural indices of emotional flexibility, emotional response during social distancing and internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) in a developmental sample (ages 9-20 years old).

Principal Investigator Sannisha K. Dale

Project Aim:  To better understand the concerns and worries, disruptions in care, issues related to medication access and adherence, food insecurity, housing instability, financial resources/income, and coping strategies (e.g., social support, spirituality) of BWLWH. The research team will also assess information, practices (e.g., telehealth), support and coping strategies that BWLWH desire of find beneficial in sustaining their health in the context of COV-19.

Principal Investigator Jill Ehrenreich-May

Project Aim:  To enhance our understanding of how brief-, parent-directed telehealth interventions using elements of a transdiagnostic CBT approach (motivational, opposite action and mindfulness strategies) can be deployed during crisis situations to mitigate risk for parents exhibiting mental health concerns. As parental stress during disasters or quarantine may be associated with child traumatic stress and/or subsequent incidents of abuse or neglect, it is particularly important to mitigate such risks during our current COVID-19 pandemic by providing "just-in-time" interventions to parents in need.

Principal Investigators: Ekaterina Ninova (Denkova), Amishi Jha & Scott Rogers

Prior research has found that mindfulness training (MT) can protect against cognitive decline and deterioration in psychological health over high-stress intervals. Given that older adults are particularly vulnerable to health challenges and loneliness during the current pandemic, this study aims to offer adults over 65 an accessible MT program and to assess MT’s potential to cognitively and psychologically protect older adults.

Principal Investigators: Maria Llabre, Patrice Saab & Kiara Timpano

Project Aim:  To identify predictors of adherence and risk factors for nonadherence to COVID-19 guidelines from existing literature, and to test the model of predictors of adherence to guidelines and psychological sequelae in a South Florida sample of participants with diverse sociodemographic characteristics

Some people's brains respond more positively to getting off the beaten track.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202005/the-science-behind-our-need-variety-in-activities

New research finds a link between visiting new places and enhanced happiness.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonisweet/2020/05/22/travel-increases-happiness-study-finds/#6901f2ad6793

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2020/04/19/why-attention-management-is-the-secret-sauce-to-success-during-the-pandemic-and-after/#4daafd061db9

Family outreach programs are adapting to the new norm by creating virtual resources and tools to stay connected

https://news.miami.edu/as/stories/2020/04/maintaining-vital-connectivity.html

Jill Ehrenreich-May is a Professor of Child Psychology and the Director of the Child and Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment Program at the University of Miami. She spoke to WLRN about how to talk to kids about coronavirus.

https://www.wlrn.org/post/how-do-you-help-anxious-kid-right-now-tips-talking-about-coronavirus#stream/0

While the infection rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rises exponentially around the globe, individuals with autism spectrum disorder are being identified as part of a group at higher risk for complications from COVID-19.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30197-8/fulltext

http://www.7-dippity.com/other/covid-19.html

This interactive guide helps children and families cope with the psychological effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Co-authored by Dr. Annette La Greca, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Miami, and Scott Sevin, President of 7-Dippity, the material is designed for adults to work on together with children.

University of Miami psychologists offer their insights on behaviors that can be beneficial during periods of physical distancing and isolation.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/06/which-personality-traits-will-help-you-during-the-pandemic.html

Child experts at the University of Miami offer ways that parents can help ease children’s anxiety and frustration at the inability to see friends during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/05/psychologists-offer-guidance-on-how-to-support-children-during-social-distancing.html

Faculty members with experience in distance learning, education, and child psychology weigh in on some methods to capture kids’ attention while they learn on their computers.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/05/professionals-offer-pointers-for-teaching-online.html

University of Miami mental health professionals are ramping up to help the health care workforce cope with the toll of treating COVID-19 patients.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/04/psychology-experts-help-our-caregivers-cope-during-the-pandemic.html

April marks Autism Awareness Month, which recognizes autism spectrum disorder, a neurological disorder which affects the way the brain develops and processes information. We reached out to professor Michael Alessandri, executive director of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD), to share tips and resources to help parents of children with autism during this stay-at-home period. He responded to our following questions.

https://news.miami.edu/life/stories/2020/04/autism-tips-during-covid-19.html

The emotion, an ancient mechanism meant to keep us healthy, isn’t doing much to protect us against coronavirus—because COVID-19 does not offer the usual visible cues that protect us from sick people—shared Debra Lieberman, evolutionary psychologist and University of Miami associate professor.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/04/psychologist-explains-purpose-and-pitfalls-of-disgust.html

Twenty-four University of Miami research teams have received rapid response grants to undertake innovative projects that will provide critical information about the novel coronavirus.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2020/04/fast-tracked-research-projects-aim-to-respond-quickly-to-mitigate-effects-of-covid-19.html