Feb 22, 2021 By: yunews
Dr. Kathryn Krase, associate professor of social work at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, has co-authored “Coping With and Adapting to COVID-19 in Rural United States and Canada” in Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services (2021, Vol. 102(1) 78–90). Her co-authors are Dr. Donna Wang (Springfield College), Dr. Jill M. Chonody (Boise State University) and Leina Luzuriaga, a doctoral student at Wurzweiler.
A cross-sectional online survey, completed by 1,405 adults in Canada and the United States in June 2020, found respondents from rural areas/small towns reported better coping and adjustment (i.e., less use of substances for support), less personal impact, less life disruption, and fewer challenges with transportation and health care, than urban and suburban respondents. Those in rural areas were less likely to use the newspaper but more likely to use social media for information. Finally, rural respondents reported higher levels of support for their national leadership’s response to the pandemic. The needs and strengths of rural areas as well as approaches to serve rural areas are discussed.