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Governments around the world acted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through lockdowns and border closures that had specific impacts on temporary residents (migrants, asylum seekers and refugees). In Australia, there were differential responses across states and territories, and a critical distinction made at Federal government level between permanent residents and citizens as compared to temporary migrants. The result has been the continued Othering of certain groups of Australians of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds as well as migrants and refugees on the basis of racial characteristics and visa status. This paper will consider the period where arguably multicultural policies were 'on hold' by investigating the timeline leading up to major policy decisions and the immediate and longer-term after-effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arguably the way in which multicultural communities were treated has shown the superficial nature of multicultural policies in Australia and the lack of more solid foundations in support of what now demographically constitutes a majority of the country's population. Drawing on secondary data analysis, the paper will outline the distance these actions have put between political leaders and multicultural communities, and queries the implications for a sustained commitment to multicultural policies in an era of temporary migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with a series of COVID-19 related lockdowns in Australia across 2020 and 2021, and anxious about the safety of our research participants, we developed a novel approach to body mapping, an arts-based research method typically undertaken in-person. We produced a facilitated body mapping workshop hosted via an online videoconferencing platform. Workshops brought together 29 participants with disability, mental distress and/or refugee background who used body mapping to represent their embodied experiences of stigma and discrimination. These workshops generated rich data, and participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the process. In this paper we describe our novel approach to body mapping, and share practical tips for others who wish to undertake body mapping remotely. We outline strengths associated with this method: increased accessibility, enhanced connection between participants, the formation of a space to explore challenging subject matter, the production of rich data, and the creation of diverse body maps. We also discuss shortcomings and challenges which those considering the method should be aware of: increased logistical burden, demands related to space, IT difficulties, the danger of over-sharing, and diminished cohort sizes. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to report on body mapping facilitated via web-based workshops. Here, we seek to provide practical advice and useful insights for others hoping to utilise body mapping online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant educational disruption globally. When the pandemic forced schools to switch to emergency home-schooling, parental engagement in education became more critical. Some parents found home-schooling as an opportunity to form stronger relationships with their children. Others acquired an enhanced insight into their children's schoolwork. However, the emerging literature shows that, as not all parents were equally positioned to support their children's learning at home, emergency home-schooling has resulted in a significant learning loss. Guided by the concept of capital interaction, this article reports on a qualitative case study that investigated the experiences of 20 migrant parents in Victoria, Australia. A thematic analysis of the data reveals challenges associated with parental self-efficacy, financial hardship, language and technological barriers, time constraints, and disengagement and exhaustion. Remote learning may return in the future, and we must prepare for such disruption by improving equitable access to education delivered online and at home. To this end, the paper outlines some policy ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 brings increased risk to the mental health of asylum seekers and refugees in Australia on temporary visas. Rapid government changes due to the COVID‐19 pandemic are resulting in significant and sustained hardship on this already vulnerable group. This discursive paper is both an explainer and a resource for mental health nurses and health professionals with scope of practice in primary care and emergency departments responding to this population. The aim of this paper is to alert clinicians to the drivers of mental and suicide related distress and to provide recommendations as to how to therapeutically engage and support this group. Drivers include complex intersections between legal uncertainty, economic, social and mental health stress as drivers of entrapment, acute mental distress and suicidal ideation. Information about the COVID‐19 related factors as drivers contributing to worsening states of distress may help guide clinicians to consider protective factors designed to mitigate the onset or worsening of mental distress, plus aid in the development of health policy and service‐delivery arrangements of support and therapeutic engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Counter-urbanisation' has attracted international attention for decades, as an elusive concept that runs against the overwhelming trend of an urbanising world. In Australia, interest in counter-urbanisation waned after the peak interest from the 1970s until the early 2000s, however a recent resurgence of interest has grown due to anecdotal evidence of rising migration out of major cities. Advances in the ability to telecommute, the impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns in major cities, and the impact of climate change on migration movements are some contemporary changes prompting the need for a renewed critical and theoretical analysis of counter-urbanisation. This editorial introduces the special issue that offers renewed insights to counter-urbanisation in Australia. We present three arguments to ground the elusive concept of 'counter-urbanisation' that underpins this special issue. We argue (1) that the contemporary examples of counter-urbanisation we are witnessing presently in Australia involve migration from major cities to regional spaces; (2) counter-urbanisation is determined by geographical context, in this case Australia and places within, and (3) Australian counter-urban movements are strongly linked to amenity and lifestyle migration. This editorial then introduces the special issue papers which together define and challenge the concept of counter-urbanisation within the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness contributes to mortality risk, comparable to the risks associated with smoking and obesity, although the causal determinants of loneliness remain less clear. This paper leverages mandatory stay-at-home orders in Australia as a natural experiment and employs data from a panel study to investigate the causal link between physical isolation and loneliness. By analyzing variations in the number of lockdown days experienced by respondents up until their interview dates, and utilizing difference-in-differences analyses with individual, region, and year fixed-effects estimations, we find, contrary to expectations, that the number of days in lockdown does not significantly impact loneliness. Our study examines cumulative, concurrent, and non-linear effects, and assesses external validity through community morale and peer effects during lockdowns using spatial analysis. Additionally, we delve into heterogeneous effects across various factors, such as income, age, personality, living arrangements, and remoteness, finding statistically and empirically insignificant effects. However, for extroverts and young people, we observe weak statistical significance. We investigate exclusion restrictions by analyzing factors including social contacts, internet access, job industry, and household characteristics in relation to loneliness; as well as time use and relationship satisfaction to better understand the underlying mechanism. Our study challenges the notion that 'being alone' and 'being lonely' are interchangeable concepts, providing the first empirical causal evidence of no links between the two. Furthermore, our findings refine earlier understandings of social isolation, highlighting that it likely encompasses factors beyond physical isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people have emerged as one of the most impacted groups from the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions to daily activities, with disruptions to schooling, social interactions, and connections. Simultaneously, students' access to school mental health professionals were restricted or modified. The aim of this paper was to identify how school mental health professionals supported and addressed the mental health needs of young people during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia. School mental health professionals were surveyed during the 2020 lockdowns using a questionnaire designed by researchers in the United States of America. The innovations school mental health staff adopted to support students during lockdowns and remote learning were presented, including telehealth services, digital resources, and the online training and support they received/provided. The barriers and facilitators to providing counselling and assessment services during lockdowns were identified, including issues with providing psychometric assessments during remote learning, and ethical concerns when delivering remote counselling to students. Recommendations have been included, which address how school mental health professionals could be supported to assess and treat young people during future pandemics and school restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the quantity and cost of in-person and telehealth exercise physiology (EP) reimbursed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) in Australia before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This study uses publicly available MBS data to describe EP services (in-person and telehealth) reimbursed by Medicare between January 2020 and December 2021. Data were extracted at state and national levels. Results: Despite a reduction in quantity and cost in quartile (Q) 2 2020 (41% reduction), MBS-reimbursed EP services have remained relatively constant at a national level through the 2-year observation period. Service claims averaged 88 555 per quarter in 2020 and 95 015 in 2021. The proportion of telehealth consultations relative to total quarterly claims for EP was <1% in Q1 2020, 6.0% in Q2 2020, 2.4% in Q3 2020 and 1.7% in Q4 2020. This dropped to an average of 1.4% across 2021 (Q1–Q4). States undergoing lockdown periods reported decreased service rates relative to February 2020 (i.e. pre-lockdown). EP services were associated with a Medicare expenditure of AUD17.9M in 2020 (telehealth = 2.4% of total) and AUD19.7M (telehealth = 1.5% of total) in 2021. Conclusions: Quantity and cost of MBS-reimbursed EP services remained relatively constant throughout the height of service disruption due to COVID-19 (2020/21). Telehealth uptake during this time has been minimal for EP. What is known about the topic? Telehealth item numbers were introduced to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS – part of Australia's health scheme) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate continued access to health services, including exercise physiology (EP). What does this paper add? The uptake of telehealth service modalities has been minimal for EP through 2020–21. What are the implications for practitioners? The minimal uptake telehealth suggests that further research, advocacy and promotion is needed to ensure that telehealth can be a viable option for patients to consider when accessing EP services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is accountable for various long-term and short-term respiratory diseases and even deaths. Air pollution is normally associated with a decreasing life expectancy. Governments have been implementing strategies to improve air quality. However, natural events have always played an important role in the concentration of air pollutants. In Australia, the lockdown period followed the Black Summer of 2019–2020 and coincided with the season of prescribed burns. This paper investigates the changes in the concentration of criteria pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulphur dioxide. The air quality data for the lockdown period in 2020 was compared with the pre-lockdown period in 2020 and with corresponding periods of previous years from 2016 to 2019. The results were also compared with the post-lockdown scenario of 2020 and 2021 to understand how the concentration levels changed due to behavioural changes and a lack of background events. The results revealed that the COVID-19 restrictions had some impact on the concentration of pollutants; however, the location of monitoring stations played an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the reflections of a cohort of Australian children who lived through the 2020–21 COVID‐19 pandemic and experienced being in 'lockdown'; a state of largely being confined to the home for long periods daily. We report how children reflect on their experiences and illustrate how reflections draw on similar topics focused on localised child concerns regarding health, education, family, digital engagement, mealtimes and food. Further, we argue for the importance of including children's own voices of lived experience in reports regarding life during the pandemic since these perspectives may differ from those reported by adults on children's behalf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, severity, coping strategies and precipitating factors of food insecurity in university students in a large multi‐campus Australian university during the COVID‐19 lockdown in 2020, in context of providing information to inform institutional support. This was a cross‐sectional analysis which was part of a larger university‐led research project, the Thrive@Home study conducted at Monash University during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The main outcome measures included: Sociodemographic characteristics, PROMIS anxiety, PROMIS depression and the six‐item US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. All variables were reported according to the four levels of food security status (high (H), marginal (M), low (L) and very low (VL)). Chi‐squared tests were used to compare all categorical variables including demographic, mental health and food security status. A multivariable regression was conducted between food security status and mental health variables. Overall, n = 1315 students were included in the analysis. Of which, 5% were classified as having VL food security, 13% L, 14% M and 68% H. As food security worsened the likelihood of being unemployed looking for work, living alone and deteriorating physical health, diet quality and mental health increased. As food security status deteriorated the prevalence of needing to ask family or friends for food, shopping at multiple outlets for discounts, accessing emergency food relief, subsidised meals and financial assistance from organisations increased (p < 0.002). In regression models adjusting for covariates, depression (b (95%CI): VL = 7.2(4.1–10.3), L = 3.7(1.7–5.7), M = 2.0(0.1–3.8)) and anxiety (VL = 7.4(4.5–10.4), L = 3.5(1.5–5.4) and M = 2.0(0.3–3.8)) were positively associated with worsening food security. Food insecurity during COVID‐19 was associated with worsening mental health. This paper provides targets for future university‐led initiatives to promote student food security and supporting better access to physical and mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies shifted to telework, with few insights into its implementation, organisational conditions or the role of workplace health promotion and management. This study focused on a multifactorial investigation of conditions in companies which implemented and evaluated telework during the first lockdown in 2020 as well as on their future intentions to facilitate teleworking under health-promoting working conditions. Subject and methods: The research hypotheses relate to an extended technology acceptance model. In a mixed-methods design, expert interviews were fed into the development of an online questionnaire. Out of 1858 contacted companies representing a broad range of Austrian businesses, 192 responses (general management, workplace health managers, etc.) were analysed using descriptive and multivariate statistics. Results: The degree of implementation and claim to teleworking increased significantly during the first lockdown and did not return to pre-pandemic levels afterwards. Changes depended on preparation and experience: evaluation of teleworking and willingness to continue offering teleworking were conditional on preparation and the degree of implementation. Prerequisites for future intentions to implement health-promoting teleworking included readiness, general willingness and existing workplace health promotion/management structures. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates the potential of health-promoting organisational cultures for development processes – particularly in times of crisis. Anchoring health-focused structures in companies helps to create health-promoting frameworks. Health-promoting teleworking can be developed from workplace health promotion/management using established approaches. It is essential to build on in-house capacities and competencies to develop awareness for a holistic culture for health-promoting (tele)work and to encourage deliberations about potential measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As a result of COVID‐19 and associated lockdown restrictions, children may have been exposed to more home‐based alcohol consumption and parents' drinking practices. This paper explores Australian parents' perceptions of their children's awareness of drinking and their reflections on the impact of COVID‐19 on children's exposure and acquisition of alcohol‐related knowledge. Methods: In‐depth interviews were undertaken with 30 parents and carers of children aged four to 12 years from across Australia. Participants described their family lives, the role of alcohol, any changes in alcohol and family dynamics experienced because of COVID‐19 and their children's exposure and knowledge of alcohol before and during their experience of COVID‐19. Using social learning theory as a guiding framework, transcripts were analysed to identify relevant themes. Results: Pre‐COVID‐19 children were commonly thought to be aware of behavioural changes owing to alcohol consumption, made associations between people, beverages and activities and recognised boundaries around consumption. COVID‐19 was suggested to have impacted the environments in which children were exposed and the types of modelling and practices they were exposed to. It was more common for participants to describe COVID‐19 affecting other children's learning and knowledge of alcohol, rather than their own. Discussion and Conclusions: Participants were mindful of children's knowledge and the role they played in modelling consumption practices prior to and during the COVID‐19 lockdowns. There may be scope to use the insights provided here to support parents in modelling approaches and engaging with children about alcohol in ways that challenge or disrupt its prominence or acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during the lockdown. The results from Study 1 suggest that lockdown restrictions on respondents' relational strength have significant negative impacts on anxiety, life satisfaction and post-pandemic outlook. Study 2 finds that casino patrons substituted gambling with alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with increased alcohol consumption negatively related to life satisfaction. Paradoxically, Australian gambling venue owners may not be adversely affected as many also run liquor retail operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australians were subject to a series of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions throughout 2020. Although accessing medical care was allowable, concerns were raised that people were avoiding healthcare services. We explored young Australians' reasons for delaying seeking sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care during the pandemic, using data from two cross-sectional surveys. The surveys included a question asking whether respondents had delayed accessing care during the pandemic. Free-text responses from young Australians (aged 18–29 years) were analysed using conventional content analysis. In all, 1058 under-30s completed a survey, with 262 (24.8%) reporting they had delayed seeking SRH care. Of these, 228 (87.0%) respondents provided a free-text comment. Participants who commented were predominantly female (86.4%) and had a median age of 23 years (interquartile range 20–26 years). Most commonly, respondents delayed testing for sexually transmissible infections, cervical cancer screening, and contraceptive care. Some delayed accessing care despite experiencing symptoms. Participants avoided seeking care due to concerns about contracting COVID-19, uncertainty about accessing care during restrictions and anxiety relating to accessing SRH care. Although some reported a reduced need for SRH care, others required but did not access care. Young people should be reassured that SRH issues are a valid reason to access services, especially when experiencing symptoms. Concerns about people delaying accessing healthcare services were raised early in the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores young people's perspectives on decisions to delay accessing care for their sexual and reproductive health, finding that although decreased sexual activity resulted in reduced need for care for some, others avoided seeking care despite experiencing symptoms or concerns about their health. Young people should be assured that their sexual and reproductive health remains a priority, even during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the research examining children visiting a parent in prison indicates that visits have a positive impact on children's well‐being, their connection to the imprisoned parent and the parent themselves. However, the COVID‐19 pandemic brought about a significant change to prison visits worldwide, with limits or bans on face‐to‐face contact. Understanding the experiences and needs of children during this period remains limited. This paper presents the findings of a survey of 84 carers of 184 children across Australia, investigating children's experiences of contact with their imprisoned parent both before and during COVID‐19 restrictions. Although most carers reported maintaining contact during restrictions, a range of difficulties were noted: reduced availability; the effect of prison‐based issues, including lockdowns; and the suitability of video/telephone visits for young children. Some described the benefits of videoconferencing, including reduced travel time and cost, and not needing to take children into a prison environment. Despite this, respondents typically described the negative impact of restrictions, and lack of physical contact, on children's emotional well‐being. Our findings suggest that, for video visiting to be successful, it should be complementary to in‐person visits, tailored to the needs of children, with support offered to families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia suffered two waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in 2020: the first lasting from February to July 2020 was mainly caused by transmission from international arrivals, the second lasting from July to November was caused by breaches of hotel quarantine which allowed spreading into the community. From a second wave peak in early August of over 700 new cases a day, by November 2020 Australia had effectively eliminated community transmission. Effective elimination was largely maintained in the first half of 2021 using snap lockdowns, while a slow vaccination programme left Australia lagging behind comparable countries. This paper describes the interventions which led to Australia's relative success up to July 2021, and also some of the failures along the way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, domestic and family violence (DFV) had been recognised globally as an epidemic in its own right. Further, research has established that during times of crisis and/or after disasters, rates of DFV can escalate. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception, with emerging research from around the world confirming that the public health measures and social effects associated with COVID-19 have increased the frequency and severity of DFV in various countries. In contributing to this evolving body of literature, this paper reports on the findings of a national research project that examined the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on DFV in Australia. This nationwide survey of service providers indicates the public health responses to COVID-19 such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, while necessary to stem the pandemic, have had profound effects on increasing women's risk and vulnerability to domestic violence, while at the same time making it more difficult for women to leave violent relationships and access support. However, this vulnerability is not evenly distributed. The pandemic pushed marginalised voices further underground, with many unable to seek help, locked down with their abuser. Our survey sought to amplify the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities; Indigenous communities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, + (LGBTIQ+) communities; women locked down with school-age children; those already in violent relationships; and those whose first experience of domestic violence coincided with the onset of the pandemic. For logistical and ethical reasons, we could only access their voices through the responses from the domestic violence sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of COVID-19 has prompted Governments around the world to impose draconian restrictions on business activity, public transport, and public freedom of movement. The effect of these restrictions appears to vary from country to country and, in some cases, from one area to another within a country. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed in New South Wales (NSW) by the State Government. We examine week-to-week changes in 13 categories of crime (and four aggregated categories) from 2 January 2017 to 28 June 2020. Rather than using the pre-intervention data to make a forecast and then comparing that with what is actually observed, we use a Box–Jenkins (ARIMA) approach to model the entire time series. Our results are broadly in accord with those of other studies, but we find no effect of the lockdown (upward or downward) on domestic assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the sociology of relationships by exploring the moral imperatives that shaped perceptions and negotiations of family life during lockdowns in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified dominant discourses from an online qualitative story completion task and situate these in relation to emerging literature on the impact of pandemic-related restrictions on domestic relationships, gender relations, and labour division. We argue that discourses of family connection, clean and tidy homes, and the commodity of time operated as moral imperatives. These imperatives simultaneously offered opportunities for enrichment and agency, as well as operating as unobtainable benchmarks that constrained people's sense of wellbeing. In this analysis we explore how COVID-19 lockdown stories offer new ways of understanding the interplay between displaying and doing 'family life' where gender and labour relations are performed, reinforced and challenged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the ways in which the Coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) pandemic has affected Australians who live and travel in cross‐border regions in the course of their daily lives. Design: Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with participants by telephone. The analysis utilised qualitative exploratory methods and provided rich data through immersive and reflexive analysis. Setting: Interviews of people across Australia. Participants: Of 90 people interviewed in relation to their experiences of the COVID‐19 pandemic, 13 described challenges related to border crossing that impacted their usual work and personal life. Main outcome Measure: Description of challenges faced by Australians living close to state borders due to internal border closures in the early period of COVID‐19 (2020). Results: Policy changes surrounding border closures negatively impacted people's wellbeing in Australia with three key interconnected themes identified for Australians living in cross‐border regions. First, border closures presented participants of these communities with physical barriers which reduced access to healthcare and employment. Second, participants reported how restrictions on travel to neighboring states and territories impacted their mental wellbeing. Finally, many Australians in cross‐border regions faced financial struggles exacerbated by border closures. Conclusion: Normally, interstate borders are largely invisible with formalities relevant to few circumstances. Since the emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic, Australians who used to regularly cross these borders in the course of their daily activities were no longer able or willing to do so due to the uncertain circumstances surrounding border policy. This study elaborates on the impact of these closures on people's physical, financial, and emotional state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentina and Australia endured among the most severe COVID-19 lockdowns globally. This study examined which artistic creative activities (ACAs) Argentinians in the Buenos Aries region used to support their mental health and wellbeing and compared these findings with existing data for Australians (primarily from Victoria) across a similar period. Adult Argentinians (N = 86) responded to an online survey regarding 27 listed ACAs, as well as ratings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. While "watching films and television" was the most commonly reported ACA, it was not rated as effective in supporting mental health and wellbeing. Conversely, musical ACAs were ranked highest. We consider evidence from Australia, North America, and South America that musical ACAs (especially music listening) have been most effective at supporting mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic by way of avoidance-based emotion regulation. We also conclude from the data that Argentinians tended to place greater importance on music-based ACAs than Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on older migrants' digital media use has primarily focused on understanding issues related to the 'digital divide', 'transnational capital', and '(im)mobility'. Few studies have investigated how these issues interplay and how they affect older migrants' construction of selfhood, which informs their modalities of digital engagement. This article will address this gap, by drawing on the concept of 'geographical scale', to examine older Chinese migrants' digital media use and their sense of self and belonging during COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne Australia. To achieve this, I analysed 31 interviews, which were collected from two sequential studies conducted in 2020 and 2021. The interview data revealed that older Chinese migrants' diverse media practices and imaginaries are embedded in and informed by multiple sets of scales of the physical body, the family and domestic realm, the community sphere, and transnational network. It is found that digital media allow participants to navigate, negotiate with and even reconfigure these scales to cope with the challenges of ageing, migration and a global pandemic. However, digital media also produce new scales that differentiate older migrants from the rest of the population to sustain the structural inequality and social unevenness in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home educators are one of the fastest growing educational movements in Australia, and one of the most misunderstood. In this paper, we examine policies affecting the school and home education populations to see if Covid health policy mandating the closure of public life during the 2020 outbreak was borne by both groups equitably. We find, rather than equitably affecting all young people, restrictions disproportionally fell onto the home educated who experienced between 100 and 200 longer days of restrictions than their schooled peers. We argue that, for educational equity to be experienced by all students in Australia, consideration needs to be given to the home educated who are a growing cohort and may experience more vulnerabilities due to their complex needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To quantify the introduction of new, temporary telehealth Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items delivered by allied mental health professionals (AMHPs) through the Better Access initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Methods. MBS-item service data for clinical psychologists, registered psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists were extracted for existing face-to-face, remote videoconferencing and new, temporary telehealth items for the study period April-December 2020. The total number of services in Australia were compared with the baseline period of 2019. Given the second wave of increased COVID-19 infections and prolonged lockdowns in the state of Victoria, we compared the per capita rate of services for Victoria versus other states and territories. Results. During the study period, there was an overall 11% increase in all allied mental health consultations. Telehealth use was substantial with 37% of all sessions conducted by videoconferencing or telephone consultations. The peak month was April 2020, during the first wave of increasing COVID-19 cases, when 53% of consultations were via telehealth. In terms of Victoria, there was an overall 15% increase in all consultations compared with the same period in 2019. Conclusions. Allied mental health services via MBS-subsidised telehealth items greatly increased during 2020. Telehealth is an effective, flexible option for receiving psychological care which should be made available beyond the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An informed understanding of older adults' perceptions of the impact (positive or negative) of recurrent COVID-19 long lockdowns is important for the development of targeted interventions and resources for future restrictions. This study aimed to understand self-reported impacts of COVID-19 recurrent restrictions on older adults and how technology has been used to mitigate these. Methods: A cross-sectional national study of 257 community-dwelling older Australians based in Victoria (mean age = 67.6 years [SD = 7.2]; 20.6% male) completed an online or postal survey as part of a larger study examining the physical and mental health impacts of a second extended COVID-19 lockdown period. This secondary analysis reports on the findings from free-text responses to two open-ended questions included in that survey that asked participants to comment on the greatest impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns (positive or negative) and the role of technology in supporting their wellbeing during this time. Responses were collected between July and September 2020. Data were analysed using content (COVID-19 impacts) and thematic (role of technology) analysis. Results: Respondents gave more negative responses (75.5%) than mixed (15.2%) and positive responses (6.2%) in reporting on the biggest impact of COVID-19 lockdowns. Inductive content analysis revealed two first-order main categories (Positive impacts and Negative impacts). Axial coding of main categories showed five second-order categories (Environmental, Physical Health, Social, Mental Health, and Personal) for both negative and positive main categories (totalling 10 second-order categories). Overall, respondents highlighted social loss as the key negative experience (70%), with acute feelings of social isolation contributing to negative impacts on mental wellbeing. The most commonly reported positive impact reported (11%) was having more time for relationships, relaxation, and new hobbies. Technology was primarily used to sustain socialisation and provide access to essential resources, services, and goods, which respondents perceived to contribute to maintaining their wellbeing. Conclusions: Findings suggest a critical need for interventions that address the social loss experienced by older adults during COVID-19 recurrent lockdowns, particularly to alleviate the associated negative impact on mental wellbeing. Recognising the positive aspect of increased time for relationships and leisure activities indicates potential areas for resilience-building strategies. The pivotal role of technology in mitigating adverse effects highlights its significance in building social connections and supporting overall wellbeing during challenging times. These implications can guide future efforts to enhance older adults' resilience, mental health, and holistic wellbeing in future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockdowns were the major policy response to COVID-19 containment in many countries, and subsequently many people spent abnormal amounts of time at home. Research has found that housing conditions affected more peoples' mental health during the COVID-19 crisis than prior to it, and vulnerable groups were especially affected. One group that may be particularly vulnerable is private renters in shared housing. Using a socio-economic lens, our research examined to what extent mental well-being outcomes were associated with housing conditions in shared housing under COVID-19 restrictions in Australia. Data about private renters were obtained from the Australian Rental Housing Conditions Dataset (n = 1908), collected in mid-2020 during the easing of the first lockdown restrictions. Respondents living in shared arrangements reported higher levels of worry and anxiety (8.5–13.2%) and loneliness and isolation (3.7–18.3%) compared to other household types. Binary logistic regressions showed that COVID-19-related mental and financial well-being variables were the main contributors in COVID-19-related worry/anxiety and loneliness/isolation models. Accumulated housing problems were the only housing condition measure that was significant in the worry/anxiety model. Participants who had more than two people living in a household felt 1.4 times lonelier/isolated compared to those who lived with four or more people. Males and participants who reported good mental health were less likely to feel COVID-19-related worry/anxiety and loneliness/isolation. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of measures for mental health and income during a pandemic and concludes with recommendations of support for shared housing renters during and beyond crisis events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As COVID-19 and its variants spread across Australia at differing paces and intensity, the country's response to the risk of infection and contagion revealed an intensification of bordering practices as a form of risk mitigation with disparate impacts on different segments of the Australian community. Australia's international border was closed for both inbound and outbound travel, with few exceptions, while states and territories, Indigenous communities, and local government areas were subject to a patchwork of varying restrictions. By focusing on borders at various levels, our research traces how the logics of medico-legal bordering have filtered down from the international to the intra-national, and indeed, into hyper-local spaces. This is not just apparent in the COVID-19 moment but in previous pandemics of 1918 to 1919 influenza and smallpox, in which practices of quarantine and lockdowns were both unevenly distributed and implemented on multiple scales of social organization. An interdisciplinary approach between history and law reveals that human movement during pandemic times in Australia has been regulated in a manner that sees mobility as a risk to public health capable of mitigation through the strict enforcement of borders as a technology of both confinement and exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the changes in social security measures introduced by the Australian government during the first wave of Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. These measures were basic income-like in that they became both more unconditional and adequate for a reasonable standard of living. This was achieved through a significant supplementary payment, suspension of mutual obligation requirements, and the relaxation of eligibility criteria on a range of unemployment-related payments. Through drawing on the results of an online survey, we examine the impacts of these measures and find that they significantly helped to alleviate poverty and improve wellbeing. These gains were not insignificant for the individuals involved, and offer empirical insights into studies of basic income. While seeing the Australian government embrace more generous and basic income-like measures, we also note that during Covid-19 gendered and class inequalities increased. This reminds us that basic income is never a silver bullet and, alongside implementing basic income payments, there also needs to be a concerted effort to restructure economic relations more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore how nurses and nursing knowledge contributed to the success of an Australian nurse‐led medical hotel quarantine facility during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The facility was established to accommodate returning travellers who were COVID‐19 positive or at risk of becoming positive, to travellers requiring complex care and expanded to community members who could not quarantine at home. Design: This descriptive qualitative study explored how nurses and nursing knowledge in the quarantine facility contributed to the low transmission incidence of COVID‐19 infection. Method: Twelve semi‐structured interviews were conducted via ZOOM from February to May 2022 with all levels of nursing staff (nurse managers to assistants in nursing) who had worked in the facility for 3 months or more. The nurses were asked to describe their experiences, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. The data were rich and were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six‐step thematic analysis. Results: Four broad themes were generated demonstrating how nurses played a pivotal role in the success of the facility. First: nursing knowledge was evident through the development of policies, which minimized risks to nurses and patients. Second: a community of learning was developed as nurses supported upskilling and capacity building of staff, particularly new graduates with the facility. Third: a supportive management structure promoted teamwork and a positive workplace culture. And finally: the nurses were encouraged to develop techniques that promoted self‐care which enabled them to develop resilience. Conclusion: This was a nurse‐led service that developed strategies to manage care delivery and overcame unanticipated difficulties in a unique clinical setting. Reporting Method: The quality of the research design was ensured by using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) checklist. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus resulted in various stay-at-home orders and school closures around the globe, causing unprecedented disruption to the lives of children and generating grave concern for their well-being. This study draws on phone interviews with 12 teachers and 6 school leaders from 13 government schools in New South Wales, Australia, to provide insight into how students fared on their return to school after the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020. The interviews highlighted negative consequences for many students including increased stress and anxiety and decreased engagement. This evidence suggests that even a comparatively short period of school closure can drive troubling changes in students' well-being and behaviour following their return to school. Given far more challenging conditions arising from the pandemic, both elsewhere in Australia and globally, we argue that attending to student well-being is as important as ensuring academic achievement and must be a key focus of policy makers and education systems moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This mixed methods study sought to explore the lived experience of stress for parents of young dependent children during COVID‐19 lockdowns in Australia. Background: Public health restrictions implemented during the COVID‐19 pandemic disproportionately burdened parents as they balanced novel and competing role demands. Despite growing research on impacts to parent mental health, much less is known about parenting at the experiential level during this period. Method: Data were derived from free‐text survey responses collected during 2020 in an Australian population cohort study and analyzed in a mixed methods approach focusing on descriptive phenomenology. Twenty‐eight parent accounts of either 'extreme' or 'minimal' stress experiences were subject to phenomenological analysis of the individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors associated with each stress category. Results: Three themes defined 'extreme' stress experiences: inadequacy of resources to cope, perceived lack of control, and compounding stressors. Two themes characterized 'minimal' stress experiences: feeling well resourced to cope and the absence of significant disruption to everyday life. Conclusion: Findings highlight three targets in particular: compounding stressors, family relationships, and gendered differences in parental stress. Implications: Intervention efforts should focus on better resourcing parents experiencing accumulating stressors through provision of individual and relational support and by addressing the higher burden experienced by mothers compared with fathers across pandemic related lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on perceived health and wellbeing of young Australian sport and physical activity participants. A survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia (May–June 2020). Health measures were tabulated against five respondent characteristics, including settings and modes of sport and physical activity, and comparisons made with chi-square tests. Findings indicate that male youth were significantly more likely to report better physical (p =.001), general (p =.014), and mental (p ≤.001) health compared to female youth. Individuals involved in both team and individual sport reported significantly better general (p =.022) and physical health (p =.003) compared to those involved in individual only sports or physical activity. While it is unclear if this is dose-related, team-based sport may encourage increased time in physical activity (i.e., dose) or social interactions, or a combination of both factors, which potentially buffers against declining health outcomes due to pandemic restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous economic and social disruption devastating people's livelihoods and wellbeing. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended people engage in enjoyable activities such as videogames, helping them relax during difficult life situations. Using Self-Determination Theory as a lens, this interview study (N = 11) examined how people's videogame behaviours were influenced by life context, and their impact on wellbeing during COVID-19. Findings established that videogames were a compensatory response to the stressors of the pandemic. Playing videogames satisfied participants' needs for social connection, serving as a coping mechanism to distract them for a short time; following an initial prioritisation of gaming and spike in gaming hours, many returned to their regular gaming behaviours. This study contributes to the games for health literature, identifying the effects of videogames on wellbeing, and provides much needed knowledge for health practitioners and families on how videogames are used and their impact on players' wellbeing during the pandemic as a societal stressful life event. The findings have clinical and policy implications both to identify a positive tool, and to dispel negative stigmas surrounding videogames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore nurses' and family members' perspectives of family care at the end of life, during restricted visitation associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: To minimise the transmission of COVID‐19, stringent infection prevention and control measures resulted in restricted hospital access for non‐essential workers and visitors, creating challenges for the provision of family‐centred care at the end of life. Design: Qualitative descriptive approach based on naturalistic inquiry. Methods: At a large public hospital in Melbourne, Australia, individual semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 15 registered nurses who cared for patients who died during restricted visitation associated with the COVID‐19 pandemic, and 21 bereaved family members. COREQ guidelines informed analysis and reporting. Results: Five themes developed from the data: (i) impact of visitor restrictions, which describes uncertain, ambiguous and arbitrary rules, onerous and inconsistent requirements; (ii) nurse‐family communication; (iii) family‐centred care and interrupted connections; (iv) well‐being and negative emotions; and (v) suggestions for a better way, such as moving away from the black and whiteness of the rules, prioritising communication, compassion and advocacy. Conclusions: Negative consequences for communication and the patient‐family connection at the end of life were felt deeply. The evolving COVID‐19 rules that were frequently revised and applied at short notice, and the subsequent consequences for clinical practices and care were felt deeply. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Technology‐facilitated communication, innovation and increased resources must be prioritised to overcome the challenges described in this study. A family‐centred approach to care and emphasising the patient‐family connection at the end of life is fundamental to minimising trauma and distress associated with future public health emergencies. Patient or Public Contribution: Bereaved family members contributed their first‐hand experience. Members of the health service's patient experience team ensured the research was conducted in accordance with health service guidelines for patient and public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, Australian Catholic churches closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there has been little qualitative data published on the lived experience of churchgoing Catholics in this period. Data from 175 Australian churchgoing Catholic survey participants who left responses describing their COVID-19 worship experiences as part of a larger project revealed five major themes: 'Church and State', 'Blessings in disguise', 'Polarisation', 'Future proofing', and 'Loss'. Respondents expressed a diverse range of views about the church leadership, lockdowns, conspiracy theories, the merits and deficits of online worship, and their own thriving or suffering during church closures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In both Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia, COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced through public scrutiny of the movements of supposedly 'irresponsible' individuals. Denouncing their impact on public health created an affective cartography of collective blame uniting State and society in shared moral indignation. Produced through assemblages of mainstream and social media and government statements, such mediated spectacles engendered a sense of collective unity and shared purpose at a time when both collective cohesion and narratives of individual responsibility were of particular interest to the State. Spatio-temporal maps and diagrams of culpable contagion helped materialise the invisible movement of the virus but also enabled identification of the sick. Some bodies more than others were made to carry the morality of the collective enterprise of stopping the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV2 pandemic led to drastic social restrictions globally. Early data suggest that women in science have been more adversely affected by these lockdowns than men, with relatively fewer scientific articles authored by women. However, these observations test broad populations with many potential causes of disparity. Australia presents a natural experimental condition where several states of similar demographics and disease impact had differing approaches in their social isolation strategies. The state of Victoria experienced 280 days of lockdowns from 2020 to 2021, whereas the comparable state of New South Wales experienced 107 days, most of these in 2021, and other states even fewer restrictions. To assess how the gender balance changed in Australian biomedical publishing with the lockdowns, we created a custom workflow to analyse PubMed data from more than 120,000 published articles submitted in 2019–2021 from Australian authors. Broadly, Australian women have been incredibly resilient to the challenges faced by the lockdowns. There was an increase in the number of published articles submitted in 2020 that was equally due to women as men, including from Victoria. On the other hand, articles specifically addressing COVID-19 were significantly less likely to be authored by women than those on other topics, a finding not likely due to particular gender imbalance in virology or viral epidemiology, since publications on HIV followed similar patterns to previous years. By 2021, this imbalance had reversed, with more COVID-19-related papers authored by women than men. These data suggest women from Victoria were less able to rapidly transition to new research early in the pandemic but had accommodated to the new conditions by 2021. This work indicates we need strategies to support women in science as the pandemic continues and to continue to monitor the situation for its impact on vulnerable groups. • We analyzed PubMed data from >120,000 articles from Australian authors. • COVID-19 pandemic lockdown severity had no gender-specific effect. • Women authored fewer COVID-19 articles than expected in 2020. • Women's publishing of COVID-19 work normalized in 2021. • Women were less able to rapidly transition to new research in the COVID pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known of subjective experiences of birthing during the first-phase SARS- CoV-2 (COVID-19) lockdown. Semi-structured interviews explored birthing experiences, returning home, and perceived mother-infant bonds overlaid by COVID-19 restrictions. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed two superordinate themes from the data: 1) COVID lockdown and childbirth, and 2) Growth and connection. Rich data sets highlighted a deep sense of fear, loss, isolation, and hypervigilance associated with life threats, disrupted medical care, and banned familial support for participants. Conversely, the lockdown provided recovery and bonding opportunities within the immediate family unit, uninterrupted by visitors. Additionally, vulnerable birthing populations, including first nation peoples, need prioritizing during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Australia in 2020, lockdown restrictions meant that the lives of tertiary students and mothers underwent substantial adjustment. Universities quickly adapted to full online learning with implications for accessibility and efficacy of online technologies, and home environments suitable for learning. Mothers who were studying at university had to readjust their study, work, care and home responsibilities to home-school their children around others in the home, further complicating the boundaries of work/family life. This study aimed to understand how Covid-19 affected mothers as pre-service teaching students within a university education faculty, exploring mothers' perceptions of university supports and their effectiveness. Eight mothers participated in the study using narrative inquiry and feminist methodology. The data shows effects of the pandemic were both negative (heightened stress, financial strain, less sleep) and positive (stronger family bonds, partners more involved in childcare). Recommendations for improved supports do not only apply within a pandemic context, and include opportunities for affordable childcare, more flexible study options and more financial incentives. Overall, universities need to acknowledge mothers as an important demographic who have caring responsibilities, and work to ensure a more equitable experience for this marginalised group of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the individual labour market transitions of Australians during and after the National COVID-19 Lockdown, controlling for demographic characteristics and person fixed effects across different subgroups of the population using the Longitudinal Labour Force Survey. The National COVID-19 Lockdown (which began on 21 March 2020 with the introduction of social distancing rules and the closure of non-essential services across individual states and territories and lasted until the end of June 2020) decreased the overall labour force participation by 3% and increased unemployment by 1.8%. However, the economy recovered to a certain extent after the lockdown, with labour force participation increasing by 0.051% and unemployment declining by 0.049% for each additional week after the end of the lockdown. Our conditional estimates show that the national lockdown did not affect the genders differently in terms of unemployment, while females recovered faster during the post-lockdown period. People working in transport, postal, administrative, and arts and recreation services decreased their working hours significantly during the lockdown relative to those employed in other industries, but we do not observe any significant difference in their post-lockdown recovery patterns. Our results could help policy makers better target the labour market outcomes of the most at-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young people may have elevated risk for poorer mental health during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet longitudinal studies documenting this impact are lacking. This study assessed changes in mental health and help-seeking since COVID-19 restrictions in young Australians, including gender differences. Methods: Data were drawn from a recent subsample (n = 443; 60% female; M age = 22.0) of a prospective cohort originally recruited in secondary school to complete annual surveys. The subsample completed an additional COVID-19 survey during COVID-19 restrictions (May–June 2020), which was compared to responses from their latest annual survey (August 2019–March 2020). Mixed effect models with time and gender as the primary predictors were conducted for: (i) scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression 9-item (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) modules assessed before and during COVID-19 restrictions, and (ii) self-reported help-seeking from a health professional in February 2020, and the month preceding May–June 2020. Results: Mean symptom scores increased from before to during COVID-19 restrictions on the PHQ-9 (coefficient: 1.29; 95% CI 0.72–1.86) and GAD-7 (0.78; 95% CI 0.26–1.31), but there was no increase in help-seeking over time (odds ratio 0.50; 95% CI 0.19–1.32). There was no evidence of differential changes by gender. Conclusions: This study found increases in depression and anxiety symptoms but not greater help-seeking among young Australian adults during the first wave of the pandemic. Increasing availability and awareness of accessible treatment options and psychoeducation is critical, as well as further research into risk and protective factors to help target treatment to this vulnerable age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate parental burnout (PB) within an Australian context during COVID‐19. Background: Little is known about how the increase in the parental burden created by COVID‐19 restrictions has affected parents and whether this has resulted in increased PB. Method: A mixed‐methods approach examined PB in a sample of Australian parents (N = 403) during COVID‐19. Regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of PB, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to compare PB scores to scores collected prior to COVID‐19. Thematic analysis was used to understand the qualitative experience of parenting during lockdowns. Results: PB scores obtained during COVID‐19 were significantly higher than pre–COVID‐19, and prevalence of PB almost doubled. Age of the parent was the most significant predictor of PB, although gender of the parent, average age of children, and number of children were also predictors on the PB subscales. Qualitatively, parents reported increased stress and a loss of coping mechanisms during lockdown, and this commonly led to negative outcomes. Conclusion: Results suggest that parents struggled to cope with the additional responsibilities and the reductions to resources created by COVID‐19 restrictions. Implications: These findings support researchers globally who call for interventions that support parents during periods of COVID‐19 restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses published dementia research from Australia and worldwide. Researchers from the University of New South Wales have investigated the question of what happens when a person with dementia changes general practitioner upon entry to a residential aged care facility specifically in terms of the medicines they are prescribed, in particular psychotropic medicines. It also discusses increasing continuity of GP care to improve treatment and quality of life for dementia patients.

In the middle of 2020, with its borders tightly closed to the rest of the world, Australia almost achieved the local elimination of COVID-19 and subsequently maintained 'COVID-zero' in most parts of the country for the following year. Australia has since faced the relatively unique challenge of deliberately 'undoing' these achievements by progressively easing restrictions and reopening. Exploring the role of mathematical modelling in navigating a course through the pandemic through qualitative interviews with modellers and others working closely with modelling, we argue that each of these two significant phases of Australia's COVID-19 experience can be understood as distinct forms of 'model society'. This refers at once to the society enacted through the governance of risk, and to the visions of societal outcomes – whether to be sought or to be avoided – that are offered up by models. Each of the two model societies came about through a reflexive engagement with risk facilitated by models, and the iterative relationship between the representations of society enacted within models and the possibilities that these representations generate in the material world beyond them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has a substantial and unexpected impact on individuals' daily life around the world. Unprecedented public health restrictions such as lockdowns have the potential to affect multiple dimensions of individuals' well-being, while the severity of such restrictions varies across countries. However, a holistic perspective comparing differences in and drivers of the different dimensions of well-being across countries differentially affected by COVID-19 is missing to date. We address this gap in the literature by examining the mental, social, functional, and financial well-being of 2,100 individuals across Australia, France, Germany, and South Africa by means of a survey administered during May of 2021. Supporting our holistic approach, we find that the different dimensions of well-being are correlated, with survey respondents from France reporting the lowest and those from Australia reporting the highest overall level of well-being. Respondents' subjective and objective evaluations of their living conditions during lockdowns as well as positive health and financial behaviors are positively associated with their well-being during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report new data from a survey of loneliness in Australia during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020–21, in order to identify those age groups most at risk of increased loneliness. Counter-intuitively, proportionately fewer elderly Australians experienced increased loneliness as a result of lockdowns, as compared with 44% of those aged 19–29 and 31% of those aged 40–49. To explain this pattern, we investigated how lockdowns disturbed the complex connections between types of place affordance and the age-specific cultural scripts that normally give rise to a sense of belonging. For younger age groups, such scripts demand their identification with future orientations and a sense of belonging tied to the more distant and wide-ranging places of career advance, meeting, play, and pleasure that lockdown inhibited. By contrast, older retired cohorts were more inclined to frame their sense of belonging in the past through the maintenance of community connections and closer place-bonds of their locality, cultural places of memory and return that they were more happily confined to during lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence suggests COVID lockdowns have not only increased the social problem of loneliness but widened the 'loneliness gap' between the most and least lonely people. Qualitative investigation can reveal why this gap might have increased, for whom, and whether the loneliness gap will remain long term. Using multi‐wave qualitative survey data conducted during Australia's 2020 lockdown period and beyond, we examine personal experiences of interaction transitioning out of lockdown. We find substantial and uneven impacts of COVID lasting well beyond lockdown. Participants reported heightened loneliness attributable to: physical isolation, health anxieties, ceased activities, reduced connection quality, and poor motivation. COVID also created new interactive difficulties for singles, those with physical and mental disabilities, their carers, and those with low social capital. There was also reported 'pruning' of social networks (i.e. reduced bridging, increased bonding social capital), and evidence that increased digital interaction did not substitute for lost physical contact. Younger people also experienced isolating COVID‐induced life disruptions (e.g. travel, university attendance etc). Findings suggest COVID has increased potential long‐term inequalities in loneliness, highlight the post COVID risks faced by vulnerable groups, and suggest caution in advocating digital solutions as a panacea for diminished physical interaction in the post‐pandemic world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effect of person‐related factors on capacity to obtain needed healthcare for non‐COVID‐19 health conditions/disabilities under COVID‐19 restrictions. This was an anonymous online survey of Australian residents ≥18 years (3rd April to 2nd May 2020). We determined the ability to obtain care needed for non‐COVID‐19 health conditions/disabilities, experience of COVID‐19, COVID‐19 restrictions and sociodemographic characteristics using study‐specific questions; and clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms using Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 respectively. We calculated the population attributable fraction (PAF) to determine the proportion of worse access to non‐COVID‐19 health/disability care attributable to independent risk factors. 13,829 (91.5%) participants had complete data. 6,712 (46.4%) identified a need for healthcare/disability services (<45 years 42.1%, ≥45 years 50.3%). 31.6% aged <45 years and 24.3% aged ≥45 years reported worse access to health/disability care than experienced prior to the pandemic. In those aged <45 years the PAF was highest for depressive symptoms (21.4%; 95% CI 12.6%–29.3%) and anxiety (PAF 19.9%, 12.3%–26.9%). with a PAF of 49.6% (40.1%–57.6%) if any one of the following was being experienced: doing unpaid work; being a student; depressive symptoms; symptoms of anxiety; experiencing high adverse impact of COVID‐19 restrictions. In those ≥45 years, PAF was highest for having depressive symptoms (PAF 20.9%, 16.6–24.8) with a PAF of 44.1% (36.0%–51.2%) if any one of the following was being experienced: depressive symptoms; symptoms of anxiety; doing unpaid work; living alone; being in lowest socioeconomic quintile; main source of income from government benefits; any personal experience of COVID‐19. The identified risk factors, which include many that characterise those with worse health outcomes generally, explained 44%–50% of worse access to necessary health/disability care. These data have the potential to inform targeted strategies aimed at reducing a post‐pandemic escalation of poor health outcomes, especially in vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore how formal social support changed after implementation of the COVID-19 public health measures and how these restrictions affected people living with dementia and their informal carers in Australia. Sixteen informal carers and two people living with dementia were interviewed between August and November 2020. Participants were asked about their experiences of the pandemic and the impact that the restrictions had on their lives and care. Thematic analysis identified four overarching themes describing (a) prepandemic limitations of the aged care system, (b) the aged care system's response to the COVID-19 restrictions, (c) changes affecting informal carers, and (d) the challenges faced by people living with dementia. The findings highlighted the challenges faced by the Australian aged care system before the pandemic and the additional burden placed on informal carers who supported people living with dementia across residential and home settings during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]