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Published Online: 18 July 2023

Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination Among Behavioral Health Service Clients

Lexie R. Grove, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Kaleigh R. Emerson, M.P.H., M.S.S.W., Laura Stevens Merola, M.Ed., L.P.C., Spencer Andries, B.S., and Deborah Ann Cohen, Ph.D., M.S.W. [email protected]Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric Services
Volume 74, Number 12
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230019
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Abstract

Objective:

The authors examined attitudes toward and uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among individuals with serious mental illness or substance use disorder.

Methods:

Clients of a community mental health center in Texas (N=50) participated in semistructured, in-person interviews regarding their COVID-19 vaccination decision. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.

Results:

Most participants (68%) reported receipt of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Participants were motivated to get vaccinated mostly by a desire to protect themselves or others. Convenience of vaccination location and access to free vaccination facilitated vaccine uptake. However, concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine were common among both vaccinated and unvaccinated participants and could be reinforced or overcome by social network influences.

Conclusions:

Fear, uncertainty, and conflicting vaccine information were common themes in the COVID-19 vaccination decisions of behavioral health service clients. Improving access to information from trusted sources, including health care providers, could help to overcome vaccine concerns in this population.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services
Volume 74 • Number 12 • December 01, 2023
Pages: 1281 - 1284
PubMed: 37461817

History

Received: 13 January 2023
Revision received: 26 April 2023
Accepted: 4 May 2023
Published online: 18 July 2023
Published in print: December 01, 2023

Keywords

  1. Community mental health centers
  2. Mental illness
  3. COVID-19
  4. vaccination
  5. hesitancy
  6. fear

Authors

Details

Lexie R. Grove, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Department of Population Health (Grove) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Emerson, Merola, Andries, Cohen), Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin; Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin (Cohen).
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Kaleigh R. Emerson, M.P.H., M.S.S.W.
Department of Population Health (Grove) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Emerson, Merola, Andries, Cohen), Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin; Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin (Cohen).
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Laura Stevens Merola, M.Ed., L.P.C.
Department of Population Health (Grove) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Emerson, Merola, Andries, Cohen), Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin; Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin (Cohen).
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Spencer Andries, B.S.
Department of Population Health (Grove) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Emerson, Merola, Andries, Cohen), Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin; Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin (Cohen).
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Deborah Ann Cohen, Ph.D., M.S.W. [email protected]
Department of Population Health (Grove) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Emerson, Merola, Andries, Cohen), Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin; Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin (Cohen).
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Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Cohen ([email protected]).

Competing Interests

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Funding Information

This work was supported by Austin Public Health.

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