From Poor to Worse: Health Policy and Politics Scholars’ Assessment of the U.S. COVID‐19 Response and Its Implications

Abstract

By any standard, the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic has been abysmal, with countless unnecessary deaths and suffering. Although the human impact is most important, the pandemic has also had enormous consequences on the U.S. political system. Health policy and politics scholars, particularly from political science orientations, are ideally equipped to evaluate the pandemic response from a political perspective. In this study, we report on the results of a two-wave survey of academic health policy researchers in April/May (N = 239) and September (N = 158) 2020. Respondents noted an outsized influence of public health, medicine, and economics, while noting limited public engagement of social scientists like sociologists and political scientists. The perceived expert influence declined over the two waves, while assessment of electoral consequences to favor Democrats grew. Respondents also offered a sober perspective on federal and state responses to the pandemic, forecasting lasting implications for health policy and political dynamics for years to come. Given their expertise, health policy and politics scholars appear uniquely qualified to enter the public and policy discourse going forward.

Health Literacy, Digital Health Literacy, and COVID-19 Pandemic Attitudes and Behaviors in U.S. College Students: Implications for Interventions

“…Respondents were asked about gender (female, gender variant or non-conforming, male, transgender female, transgender male); race (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, two or more races, White); ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic); disability status (yes, no); first-generation college student status (yes, no); and political party affiliation (Democrat, Independent, Republican). This inquiry was included based on the politicization of the pandemic response in the U.S. [ 34 ]. Finally, race and ethnicity were combined into one variable (non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic other, Hispanic).…”

COVID-19 Related Shifts in Social Interaction, Connection, and Cohesion Impact Psychosocial Health: Longitudinal Qualitative Findings from COVID-19 Treatment Trial Engaged Participants

“…Amid the pandemic, the United States (US) has observed an estimated 29.2% to 35.0% increase in the prevalence of major depressive disorder, and an estimated 25.6% to 28.8% increase in the prevalence of anxiety disorders [ 1 ]. The pandemic’s burden on mental health is associated with multiple intersecting factors, including economic decline resulting in increased job insecurity [ 3 , 4 ]; housing precarity [ 5 , 6 ]; childcare disruptions and school closures [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]; increased risk of interpersonal violence [ 10 , 11 ]; and general disruption to daily routines [ 12 ]. Furthermore, the burden of COVID-19 disease, and its psychosocial sequelae, has disproportionately impacted certain populations, such as children and youth [ 12 , 13 ], cisgender women [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], minoritized communities [ 17 , 18 ], people who use drugs [ 19 ], older adults [ 20 , 21 ], people with disabilities [ 22 , 23 ], and LGBTQIA+ individuals [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”

When a school is more than just a school: Improving school‐based health in the wake of COVID‐19

“…Undeniably, the ongoing pandemic has created additional challenges and further polarized health policymaking (Haeder & Gollust, 2020 ; Haeder, 2020 ). Yet policymakers including the U.S. Congress have increasingly become aware of the potential that SBHCs hold to improve student health and academic outcomes, especially during the ongoing pandemic.…”