COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the mental health of individuals. The aim of the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study was to identify trajectories of anxiety, depression and COVID-19-related traumatic stress (CV19TS) symptomology during the first UK national lockdown. We also sought to explore risk and protective factors. The study was a longitudinal, three-wave survey of UK adults conducted online. Analysis used growth mixture modelling and logistic regressions. Data was collected from 1958 adults. A robust 4-class model for anxiety, depression, and CV19TS symptomology distinguished participants in relation to the severity and stability of symptomology. Classes described low and stable and high and stable symptomology, and symptomology that improved or declined across the study period. Several risk and protection factors were identified as predicting membership of classes (e.g., mental health factors, sociodemographic factors and COVID-19 worries). This study reports trajectories describing a differential impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of UK adults. Some adults experienced psychological distress throughout, some were more vulnerable in the early weeks, and for others vulnerability was delayed. These findings emphasise the need for appropriate mental health support interventions to promote improved outcomes in the COVID-19 recovery phase and future pandemics.

Purpose: This study investigates the differing perceptions of fear of expatriates operating in terror-exposed Nairobi and the high-crime environment of Johannesburg and its impact on stress and wellbeing. It illustrates how expatriates cope with the challenges associated with these two regions.Design, methodology, approach: Following an interpretative and inductive research approach, qualitative content analyses were conducted using evidence from in-depth interviews with twelve expatriates in senior management or officer positions within a large global organisation, with respondents based in South Africa and Kenya.Findings: Data suggest that expatriates in the more terrorism exposed context perceive fear less strongly than expatriates in environments categorised by high degrees of conventional crime.Fear seems to relate to physical wellbeing via restricted freedom of movement, but there is little evidence that fear affects mental wellbeing. The study finds that respondents in terror-exposed Nairobi tend to engage more in avoidance-oriented coping strategies, whereas their counterparts in the high-crime environment of Johannesburg predominantly rely on problemfocused coping.Originality, value: This study develops a distinction between terror and conventional crime and contributes with practical insights for assignments into dangerous work environments. The geographic lens of the study provides an in-depth look at expatriation challenges in an arguably neglected regional context. Practical implications: The qualitative design allows practitioners to better understand expatriates' perceptions of fear, its consequences for stress and wellbeing and potential coping strategies expatriates employ. It discusses a set of practical recommendations focussing on the deployment of expatriates assigned to dangerous locations.

PurposeThe successful management of business expatriates and their families in hostile environments (HE) is a current concern for academics and human resources (HR) practitioners alike. Terrorism and other forms of violent crime have become salient topics on the public agenda, and international organizations are increasingly affected. Hence, scholarly interest in the HR implications for organizations sending staff to HEs has recently grown, and a nascent research area has emerged. This paper is the first systematic review synthesizing emerging literature in the field of expatriate management in HEs and its theoretical foundations, applying a multi-stakeholder perspective.Design/methodology/approachFollowing accepted review procedures, systematic searches were conducted across three major databases. Manual search in target journals provided additional scrutiny.FindingsAfter analysing 28 articles, four main stakeholders were identified as follows: environments, expatriates, assigning organizations and the expatriates' social networks. Findings reveal the ways of how all stakeholders can affect expatiation success or be affected so that the success of the assignment is jeopardised.Originality/valueOur paper illustrates how these diverse articles can be linked within a comprehensive multi-stakeholder framework and provides avenues for future research. We also shift attention to neglected theoretical perspectives that might further improve the understanding of expatriates in HEs while offering actionable guidance for managerial and organizational practices.

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