CARED Perspectives: Impact of COVID-19 and Vaccines on Underserved Communities and Graduate Students

This post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CARED). This series discusses current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Terrill Taylor, Chair of APAGS-CARED.

By Asia Perkins, Georgina Rosenbrock, and Sonia Rehman

We are swiftly approaching the anniversary marking two years of sheltering at home. At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, it appeared that we were all in this together, that the virus was an equal opportunity offender, and that in a relatively short period of time, things would go back to normal. However, one thing that has been made clear since then is that our communities of color and other marginalized populations are disproportionately affected by this public health crisis. Specifically, members in our Black and African American, Latine, Indigenous Peoples, and Criminal and Juvenile Justice communities have been placed at higher risk for exposure to coronavirus due to lower rates of educational attainment, income, healthcare coverage, and the ability to consistently maintain social distance. For our students from underserved communities, we also witnessed a disproportionate impact on the quality of their virtual education compared to students from more privileged backgrounds (e.g., White, higher socioeconomic status, heterosexual, cisgender). Overall, pre-existing disparities across multiple domains have been, at best, highlighted, and, at worst, exacerbated by this pandemic. 

It is no secret that there is a long history of medical mistreatment, abuse, and torture against marginalized communities, especially against Black, Indigenous, and Latine populations (e.g., Tuskegee Syphilis Study, forced sterilization, lack of anesthesia during surgeries and experimentation). As a result of this pattern of cruelty, infrahumanization, and dehumanization, many individuals who identify as racially or ethnically minoritized have been understandably hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, since the death rate for COVID-19 is highest among communities of color due to numerous systemic factors, this vaccine hesitancy has been particularly concerning. Individuals who did choose to seek out the vaccine faced their own series of challenges. Across the country, the COVID-19 vaccine has been disproportionately distributed to White communities. Additionally, we have observed a disturbing trend of wealthy, White individuals using their money and power to secure vaccine doses that were originally meant for poor communities and communities of color. These trends placed additional pressure and stress on graduate students of color as we watched our communities fight for health equity and struggle to place trust in a system that has consistently mistreated us.

The issues surrounding students are further intensified when it comes to international students in the U.S. For example, the impact of the U.S. government’s executive orders restricting travel from several countries in 2017 was widespread. A recent study showed that international students had to change their travel plans for conferences and visiting families. It also perpetuated fears about their ability to secure jobs after graduation to legally remain in the U.S. (Todoran et al., 2020). International students were experiencing similar fears during COVID-19 pandemic, including worries about maintaining visa status during virtual learning, graduating on time, and finding opportunities to secure optional practical training (OPT) after graduation. In addition, increased loneliness has also impacted these students. Research shows that loneliness affects individuals’ feelings of happiness, cognitive functioning, and physical health (Yeh, 2017). From early 2020, international students experienced isolation from family and friends with decreased opportunities to work on campus and increased expenses due to longer stays in the U.S. While many campuses have reopened for the fall semester of 2021, it is imperative to continue providing guidelines to individuals about the ways to enhance social connections to prevent loneliness.

Much like the communities we serve and reside in, graduate students from marginalized backgrounds have also been disproportionately impacted during the pandemic. The unexpected nature of this pandemic has brought additional costs for technology, housing, and training. Combined with increasingly limited opportunities for university funding and lost wages from off-campus employment sources, our low-income students have perhaps suffered the most when acclimating to this “new normal.” Many of us also lost access to systems of support that promoted our overall well-being, resulting in heightened depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and trauma. Taken altogether, these experiences have called for institutions to better support marginalized students’ emotional, health, and financial needs so they can continue to meet the challenges of pursuing graduate degrees while maintaining their health and well-being.

Overall, these past two years have been incredibly tough and stressful for many of us. While it is unlikely that 2022 will provide all of the solutions for our struggles, we hope that it will offer some moments of peace and healing through self-care, connecting with your community, and structural change.

References

Anderson, G. (2020, September 16). Low-income and students of color in greatest need of pandemic relief. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/09/16/low-income-and-students-color-greatest-need-pandemic-relief

Baggaley, K. (2020, September 18). America has a long history of forced sterilization. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.popsci.com/story/health/forced-sterilization-american-history/

Bhavan, K. (2021, February 4). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: How to overcome the culture of mistrust. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://utswmed.org/medblog/covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-mistrust/

Ellis, N., & McPhillips, T. (2021, January 26). White people are getting vaccinated at higher rates than Black and Latino Americans. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/26/us/vaccination-disparities-rollout/index.html

Goodnough, A., & Hoffman, J. (2021, March 4). The wealthy are getting more vaccinations, even in poorer neighborhoods. Retrieved March 8, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/health/white-people-covid-vaccines-minorities.html

Impact of covid-19 on minoritized and marginalized communities. (2020, October 7). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/impact-covid-19-minoritized-and-marginalized-communities

Jane Addams College of social work. (2020, April 29). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://socialwork.uic.edu/news-stories/covid-19-disproportionate-impact-marginalized-populations/

Laidler, J. (2020, October 30). COVID carries triple risks for college students of color. Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/10/covid-carries-triple-risks-for-college-students-of-color/

Nuriddin, A., Mooney, G., & White, A. I. (2020). Reckoning with histories of medical racism and violence in the USA. The Lancet, 396(10256), 949-951.

Todoran, C., & Peterson, C. (2020). Should They Stay or Should They Go? How the 2017 U.S. Travel Ban Affects International Doctoral Students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 24(4), 440–455. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319861344

Yeh, C. S. (2017, January 13). The power and prevalence of loneliness – harvard health blog – harvard health publishing. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-power-and-prevalence-of-loneliness-2017011310977

Submit Your Convention Proposal to APAGS!

Hello Graduate Students!

This year APA Convention will be IN PERSON, in Minneapolis, MN from August 4-6, 2022. The APA2022 Call for Proposals is now open! Submitting a proposal to APAGS as a graduate student is an excellent way to share your research and ideas with a national audience and looks great on your CV!

Any graduate student may submit a proposal to APAGS. APAGS only accepts proposals for programs (symposia, conversation hours, and workshops) and posters (empirical, literature review meta-analysis, theoretical, and case studies) –no paper proposals.

As an additional bonus, all APAGS member first authors receive a one-time registration waiver for APA2022 (you will not be eligible for this benefit if you have received the waiver at a previous APA Convention). When submitting through the online portal, please select “GS” to send your proposals to APAGS for review.

Benefits of submitting a proposal to APAGS:

  • First authors do not have to pay for registration!
  • APAGS does not require sponsorship from a full APA member to submit.
  • You will be presenting your work to a national audience.

Requirements:

  • At least one presenter must be an APAGS member, however, you do not have to be an APAGS member to chair a session.
  • Program proposals should be broad and student focused.
  • Abstracts should be 300 words or less.
  • Theoretical and methodological studies should include: Purpose, Description, Assessment, and Conclusions. Use citations, include a reference list (not included in the word limit).

For more information, check out the APAGS FAQ about submitting a proposal and the APA blog post: Tips for Writing an Effective Proposal.

She Went That Way? A Pathway to Graduate School

This blog post is a part of the series, “So Good,” developed by the APAGS Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to LGBTQ+ graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the “So Good” series, please contact Mallaigh McGinley (they/them).

If you are a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, ball culture, or queer nightlife, then you have probably heard gay men reclaim femmephobic or homonegative slurs, such as playing with pronouns or using the word “girl” as a term of endearment. And if you are wondering whether your invisible psychosocial disability bars you from graduate school, then girl, let me tell you something.

She—meaning me—took the path less traveled.

Of course, the reclamation of effeminacy from a heterosexist environment—spaces where there is one way to be masculine—comes from a place of privilege. Shifting between pronouns is relatively safe for a gay cisgender man. For my transgender or nonbinary peers, a change in pronouns is too often life-threatening. So, my intention is not to make light of pronouns, but to honor the gay male community that nourishes me.

Continue reading →

Tips for Gaining Competency in Suicide Prevention as a Graduate Student

Kristen H. Erps and Stephanie Miodus

Graduates from health service psychology programs are expected to gain competency in many different areas before becoming independent practitioners. Despite developing key clinical skills throughout graduate training, one area that is often under-emphasized is recognizing and responding to clients at risk for suicide. In fact, studies have shown that many psychology graduates lack training in suicide prevention and intervention procedures and leave training feeling ill-prepared to work with individuals who are experiencing suicidality (Allen et al., 2002; Erps et al., 2020). 

The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students’ Advocacy Coordinating Team (APAGS-ACT) advocates for graduate students across all psychology training programs. As noted above, explicit education in suicide prevention, suicide risk assessment, and working with individuals who are at risk for suicide is not always a component of graduate training. For graduate students who hope to gain more competency in this area, APAGS-ACT has created a resource list that provides various avenues to independently gain education and exposure to suicide prevention. 

The resources in this list are not meant to be exhaustive; they instead provide a starting point for students who seek to increase their knowledge in this area. This list includes websites, organizations with which to get involved, volunteer and work opportunities, and trainings that are offered online. It also includes a competency assessment that can be used on an individual level or integrated into a graduate training program. 

The opportunities described in the resource list span conferences, community programs, certifications, and strategies for supporting those at risk for suicide, as well as other tools focused on suicide assessment and prevention. Graduate students in psychology programs are encouraged to explore these resources in order to supplement gaps they identify in their clinical training. Graduate programs can also use this resource list to support students in building their skills in suicide prevention, assessment, and treatment. 

References 

Allen, M., Jerome, A., White, A., Marston, S., Lamb, S., Pope, D., & Rawlins, C. (2002). The preparation of school psychologists for crisis intervention. Psychology in the Schools, 39(4), 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10044

Erps, K. H., Ochs, S., & Myers, C. L. (2020). School psychologists and suicide risk assessment: Role perception and competency. Psychology in the Schools, 57(6), 884-900. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22367

Dear Graduate Student

Our COVID-19 anniversary has come and gone. What exactly did we all endure? I am sure there has been an array of thoughts and emotions. As students…

We navigated a new world.
We cradled our pets.
We watered our plants.
We sat in virtual meetings.
We started a new hobby.
We tended to our families.
And maybe we lost motivation along the way.

We received our diplomas through a screen.
We cheered while reviewing acceptance letters.
We had dived into our research.
We passed our competency exams.
We defended our dissertations.
We matched.
We got our dream post-doc job.
Or maybe we grieved because… we didn’t.

We welcomed new agendas on the horizon.
We felt a sense of self.
Maybe we lost our identity and faith in the world.

We shared disappointment as well as delight.
We divided.
We bound.
We were strong.
We were tired.

It has been a tough year, and I simply want to acknowledge what you have encountered as a graduate student. Your lives are dynamic and beautiful.

With that said,
I validate the feelings that you are having.
I honor your story and experiences.
I encourage you to find safe supports with whom to share your triumphs and pain.
I invite you to embrace the present moment and breathe.
I stand with you precisely as you are.

Finally, I would like to remind you that:
You are capable.
You are loved.
You are enough.
…That is all.