Neuropsychology trainee concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic: A 2021 follow-up survey. Clin Neuropsychol 2022 Jan;36(1):85-104
Date
09/15/2021Pubmed ID
34520321DOI
10.1080/13854046.2021.1975826Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85114865992 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 3 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the impact on neuropsychology trainees continues to evolve. This paper describes the results of a survey of neuropsychology trainee (graduate student through postdoctoral resident) perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic and compares them to a previous survey conducted in Spring 2020.
METHOD: The survey used several questions from the 2020 survey and added applicable new questions based on the results of the 2020 survey. The survey was distributed to listservs, training directors, and student organizations in neuropsychology with snowball sampling used.
RESULTS: Respondents were primarily female (82.4%) and white (63%). The majority of trainees (66%) reported loss of clinical hours. Interestingly, the average training time missed was approximately 3.36 weeks (SD = 9.27). Trainees continue to report that they have experienced increased anxiety, depression, and stress since the beginning of the pandemic; however, compared to a prior survey, rates of increased anxiety/stress remained stable, but more trainees reported increased depression. Approximately 31% of trainees reported that they were differentially impacted by the pandemic due to racial/ethnic background and female trainees were more likely to report increased personal stress, anxiety and depression than their male counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest continued wide-reaching pandemic related impacts on neuropsychology trainees. For example, trainees continue to be concerned about the impact of lost clinical hours on their professional futures. The most notable of the personal impacts included increased rates of mental health concerns and differential impacts on trainees from ethnoracial minority communities. Recommendations are provided to assist trainees in coping with pandemic-related disruptions.
Author List
Towns SJ, Breting LMG, Butts AM, Brett BL, Leaffer EB, Whiteside DMAuthors
Benjamin Brett PhD Assistant Professor in the Neurosurgery department at Medical College of WisconsinAlissa Butts PhD Associate Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
FemaleFollow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychology
Pandemics
Surveys and Questionnaires
