BUAD 5107: Wicked Problem Verification
Current Wicked Problem
Instructions: Indicate the details of your current Wicked Problem. Depending on applicability, you may simply copy
in the details of your Wicked Problem from your previous course, make minor adjustments to any of your previous
Wicked Problems, or propose an entirely new one.
Wicked Problem Overview
Instructions: Identify your selected wicked problem in a few sentences.
My wicked problem is to increase intervention and prevention efforts, as well as increase accessibility to mental health
resources, for people of color and essential workers that have faced mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines mental health as our “emotional, psychological, and social
well-being” and it determines how we “handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices”. (Center for Disease Control,
Mental Health, 2021). Studies from the CDC suggest that COVID-19 has exacerbated mental health conditions across U.S.
adults due to stay at home orders, higher unemployment rates, and anxieties brought on by getting infected with COVID-19
(see next section for specific statistics from studies). Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of essential
workers and people of color is especially alarming. A 2019 study from the Economic Policy Institute estimated that “people of
color make up the majority of essential workers in food and agriculture (50%) and in industrial, commercial, residential
facilities, and services” (McNicholas, 2021). Essential workers include “those who operate buses and trains, serve as cashiers,
and work in restaurant kitchens” and generally “have low-wage jobs that generally cannot be carried out remotely, which
increases their potential exposure to the virus” (Bork & Gendelman, 4). It is important to note that a vast majority of jobs
carried out by essential workers do not provide benefits such as paid sick leave or health insurance, which severely inhibits
them from seeking the mental health care that they need from the pandemic. Therefore, much of the mental health care costs
from essential workers are high, making accessibility to affordable mental health resources difficult.
Why Is this a Problem?
Instructions: Provide thorough detail on why this is a problem.
Mental health has always been a major public health issue. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated
mental health conditions for U.S. adults. One main factor that contributes to this involves the “impact of physical distancing
and stay-at-home orders” (Center for Disease Control, Mental Health, 2021) . In 2019, estimates from the National Health
Interview Survey, showed that “8.1% of adults aged 18 and over had symptoms of anxiety disorder, 6.5% had symptoms of
depressive disorder, and 10.8% had symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder” (Center for Disease Control, Mental
Health Pulse Survey, 2021). However, in 2020, “40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral
health condition, including symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive order” (Center for Disease Control, Mental health,
substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020). In addition to anxiety and depression, “26.3 of
respondents reported symptoms of a trauma and stressor-related disorder related tCeo the pandemic” and “13.3% of
respondents have started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19” (Center for Disease
Control, Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020). It is also important to note
that the communities that experienced the most reported mental health challenges included “minority racial/ethnic groups, selfreported unpaid caregivers for adults, and essential workers” (Center for Disease Control, Mental health, substance use, and
suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020).
The coronavirus pandemic had a harsh impact on businesses and employment opportunities throughout the U.S. For instance,
the onset of the pandemic “raised the unemployment rate in the U.S. to a historical high of 14.7% in April 2020” (Fan & Nie,
1). The increase in unemployment rates and mental health challenges were in parallel with each other during the pandemic. It
was reported that “individuals who were involuntarily laid off have a higher frequency of feeling nervous, lonely, and
hopeless” (Fan & Nie, 5). This may be due to not only losing income but also deprive an employee of a work-related social
network, which results in further loneliness. This particularly impacts African American communities, as studies have found
that a greater amount of their social network comes from work compared to other communities. The complexity of this
BUAD 5107: Wicked Problem Verification
problem is further exacerbated by the fact that government financial assistance does not seem to mitigate the mental health
challenges of individuals impacted by COVID-19. In fact, individuals who received government financial assistance as a result
of a layoff reported “feeling even more hopeless” (Fan & Nie, 17). Therefore, this suggests that financial assistance from the
government alone is not sufficient in addressing mental health challenges brought upon by COVID-19 for all user groups, as
the problem is much more complex than a financial one.
Essential workers are another form of community that has been impacted significantly from a mental health standpoint
according to the CDC. A 2019 study from the Economic Policy Institute estimated that “people of color make up the majority
of essential workers in food and agriculture (50%) and in industrial, commercial, residential facilities, and services”
(McNicholas, 2021). Essential workers include “those who operate buses and trains, serve as cashiers, and work in restaurant
kitchens” and generally “have low-wage jobs that generally cannot be carried out remotely, which increases their potential
exposure to the virus” (Bork & Gendelman, 4) It is important to note that a vast majority of jobs carried out by essential
workers do not provide benefits such as paid sick leave or health insurance, which severely inhibits them from seeking the
mental health care that they need from the pandemic. Additionally, many essential workers are being forced to work despite
their underlying physical and mental health challenges because the “pay is typically not high enough to facilitate adequate
savings” (Bork & Gendelman, 4)).
Rural communities are particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mental health and their accessibility to
health services. Research in China has found that “the prevalence of mental health problems has been generally higher in the
rural areas than their urban counterparts” (Liu et . al, 2021). These mental health problems included signs of anxiety,
depression, and insomnia that the participants encountered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another study in the US saw that
rural communities “frequently struggle with limited health care workforces and resources under ordinary daily conditions”
(Huang et. al, 2021). In addition, many rural areas have substantially less mental health services and available COVID-19
testing sites compared to urban communities. This leaves rural residents with a lot of anxiety during the pandemic because of
their limited ability to detect and control COVID-19 from the lack of resources in health care. These limitations and staff
shortages in mental health care impact rural communities and suggest that currently, rural areas are not a top priority.
Transportation is another major challenge for rural communities in gaining access to mental health care. Rural communities are
“more impacted by lack of transportation” than urban communities (Liu et. al, 2021). Studies have also suggested that “rural
patients with a driver’s license were more than two times likely to attend health appointments than those without one” (Liu et
al, 2021). This suggests that transportation complications play a major role for rural patients to see a doctor and is one area that
can be focused on to increase mental health accessibility.
Finally, people of color in rural communities are severely inhibited from receiving the mental health resources that they need.
For example, “undocumented workers in Latino communities working in rural industries such as farming, poultry, and meat
production often have no health insurance” (Liu et. al, 2021). Many of these industries occur in rural communities and due to
their undocumented status, some latino communities refuse to seek mental health care compared to residents of urban
populations.
Current solutions to mitigate mental health challenges from the coronavirus pandemic are still being monitored for
effectiveness and accessibility to all users (essential workers, people of color, etc). Due to fear of becoming infected with
COVID-19 given the recent Delta Variant, many people are still cautious of seeking mental health support in person. As such,
some individuals have looked into online mental health support through chatbots, health forums & discussions, telehealth
platforms for remote consultation, and more. However, the “effective deployment of digital mental health services is greatly
dependent on successful assimilation within existing health systems” (Chew et. Al, 2020). This would include the willingness
of the patient to use a digital mental health platform, insurance provider acceptance, and ensuring quality of digital platform at
least matches the same quality of an in-person visit.
BUAD 5107: Wicked Problem Verification
What Makes this Problem Wicked?
Instructions: Use the rubric below to assess how wicked your problem is on each of these criterion. In order to
qualify as sufficiently “wicked” for use, it should be at least “somewhat wicked” on a minimum of 4 criteria.

Dynamic Complexity: Somewhat wicked
o There are a wide range of solutions that can be implemented in terms of intervention and
prevention efforts for communities undergoing mental health challenges during COVID-19.
However, some solutions have unknown repercussions, as they are relatively new to the
vast majority of users

Information Availability: Somewhat wicked
o There is a lot of data available on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. However, there
is still not enough data available to suggest a clear path forward for targeted demographics
(minorities)

Problem Clarity: Somewhat wicked
o There are many different factors contributing to the problem of mental health challenges
faced by individuals during COVID-19. However, the problem affects different users in a
variety ways, so it is difficult to define the problem that hits all targeted users

Solution Clarity: Somewhat wicked
o There are different ways of addressing the problem but there is no one-size fits all solution.
An example of a current solution involves digital mental health care services that have
individuals chat with mental health professionals through chatbots, health forums,
discussions, and video. However, a lot of these services assume that the patient has an
acceptable insurance provider which is not always the case. With digital mental health care
being a relatively new concept, there is also not enough data to ensure the quality of digital
consultations matches the same quality of an in-person visit.

Solution Sufficiency: Somewhat wicked
o The sufficiency or effectiveness of the solution is not widely understood, as some solutions
were developed in response to the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
o Some solutions are a fit for only some users but does not addresses the needs of all users
(Essential workers, people of color, etc)

Solution Set Size: Somewhat wicked
BUAD 5107: Wicked Problem Verification
o Solution set size has not been quantified but with more time, there may be more useful data
and research to figure out suitable solutions

Solution Reversibility: Somewhat wicked
o The solution taken can have a profound impact that can contribute to either the
improvement or deterioration of mental health in individuals
References
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Fan, H. & Nie, X. (2020) Impacts of Layoffs and Government Assistance on Mental Health during COVID-19:
An Evidence-Based Study of the United States. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7763
Bork, Rachel H., & Gendelman, M. Supporting a Nation in Crisis: Solutions for Local Leaders to Improve
Mental Health and Well-Being During and Post-COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.debeaumont.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/08/mental-health-action-guide.pdf.
Chew. A et. al, Digital Health Solutions for Mental Health Disorders During COVID-19. Retrieved from
Frontiers | Digital Health Solutions for Mental Health Disorders During COVID-19 | Psychiatry
(frontiersin.org)
Liu et. al (2021), Urban-riural disparities in mental health problems related to COVID-19 in China. Retrieved
from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395944/
Huang et. al (2021), Urban-rural differences in COVID-19 exposures and outcomes in the South: A
preliminary analysis of South Carolina. Retrieved from
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246548
McNicholas, Celine (2020), Who are essential workers? Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/blog/who-areessential-workers-a-comprehensive-look-at-their-wages-demographics-and-unionization-rates/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 20). Mental health. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 20). Mental health - household pulse survey covid-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, August 13). Mental health, substance use, and suicidal
ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24–30, 2020. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Retrieved November 28, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm.
BUAD 5107: Wicked Problem Verification
Wicked Problem Selection Rubric
Extremely Wicked
Somewhat
Wicked
Not Wicked
Dynamic Complexity
Possible solutions to the
problem have unknown and
unknowable downstream
repercussions
Possible solutions to the
problem have unknown
downstream repercussions,
but the risks can be
managed
Possible solutions to the
problem have predictable,
and completely understood
downstream repercussions
Information
Availability
There is no way of knowing
what information is needed
to reach a good solution
You know what information
is required, but you don't
know how to get it
You have the information
needed to solve the
problem and know how to
get it
Problem Clarity
The problem has no
definitive, "correct"
formulation: reasonable
stakeholders would define
the problem differently
The problem may have a
correct formulation, but it is
not yet known or agreed
upon
The problem is completely
understood and agreed
upon by stakeholders
Solution Clarity
There is no way of knowing
that a given course of
action is best, even after
taking action
There is no way of knowing
that a given course of
action is best until after the
action is taken
The best course of action
can be ascertained before
the action is taken
Solution Sufficiency
There is no way of gauging
whether a sufficient solution
has been reached
The sufficiency of the
solution is not clear, but will
reveal itself quickly
The solution is sufficient
Solution Set Size
The range of possible
solutions to the problem
cannot be enumerated
The range of possible
solutions has not been
enumerated, but can be
ascertained
All possible solutions to the
problem are known
Solution Reversibility
Once a decision has been
made, it is completely
irreversible
Once a decision has been
made, changing course will
have a very high cost
The decision is reversible.
Any damage can be
undone at no cost