Compliance with Health Recommendations and Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID Pandemic in Nine Countries

Introduction to the Special Issue: International Responses to Prevention Intervention Research During Human Ecosystem Disruptions

For decades, human ecosystem disruptions (HEDs), including pandemics, natural disasters, and socio-economic crises, have shaped national and international responses affecting everyday life. These disruptions present challenges and opportunities for prevention science to address emerging behavioral and mental health research questions, intervention strategies, methodologies, analyses, and research collaboration. This paper introduces a special issue that aims to document examples of how prevention science research teams had (1) globally improved health and well-being through swift, scientifically based responses during HED events and (2) advanced our understanding of the conduct and outcomes of prevention intervention research during crises such as pandemics, natural disasters, and socio-economic crises. The issue presents six research studies conducted in over ten different countries (e.g., Australia, Mexico, China). This issue includes original empirical and descriptive work that addressed HED implications for preventive interventions at within-country and cross-national levels. The findings hold potential applications for responses during current and future pandemics and natural disasters. Participants reflected on methodological and contextual considerations during HEDs, such as navigating travel restrictions, adapting ongoing research efforts to accommodate scientific learning during disruptions, and assessing the impact of policies redistributing preventive resources during and after a HED.

International Responses to Prevention Intervention Research During Human Ecosystem Disruptions: A Commentary on the Special Issue of Prevention Science

The purpose of this commentary on the special issue of Prevention Science, "International Responses to Prevention Intervention Research During Human Ecosystem Disruptions," is to review the six target articles included in this issue, evaluate their results, and highlight the myriad ways in which diverse teams of prevention scientists mobilized to conduct rigorous scientific research during major human ecosystem disruptions (HEDs). The articles included in this issue consider both the etiology of mental and behavioral health challenges (i.e., substance use, mental health, behavioral problems) during HEDs and preventive intervention efforts aimed at addressing these challenges (i.e., adaptation and implementation of evidence-based interventions in novel contexts). This commentary discusses each article with emphasis on the respective contributions that prevention science teams have made to public health during major HEDs. Even in the most challenging contexts, prevention scientists have been at the forefront of public health efforts and have evidenced the vital role of prevention science for public health during HED events. The commentary concludes by highlighting the critical roles that prevention scientists can play in addressing critical public health issues during large-scale HEDs.