Department of Sociology

David Russell, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Appalachian State University. He earned his PhD in sociology from Florida State University and completed a National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health Services and Systems at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University. His teaching and research interests include medical sociology, aging, stress and mental health. Some of the courses he has recently taught include Senior Capstone, Social Statistics & Data Analysis, and Medical Sociology. His current research explores the social organization and outcomes of health care services. Some of the projects he is currently involved with include (1) an exploration of the illness experiences of people with Long COVID and their use of online communities, (2) an examination of family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in rural Appalachia and factors which influence their use of home and community-based services, (3) a descriptive study of perspectives towards COVID-19 vaccination among home health aides, and (4) a quantitative study identifying associations between measures of state capacity and COVID-19 vaccination uptake across phases of the pandemic.

 Courses Taught

• Senior Capstone
• Social Statistics and Data Analysis
• Medical Sociology
• The Sociological Perspective

Research Interests

• Medical Sociology
• Aging & the Life Course
• Sociology of Stress and Mental Health 
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

Recent Publications

Spence, N. J., Russell, D., Bouldin, E. D., Tumminello, C. M., & Schwartz, T. (2023). Getting back to normal? Identity and role disruptions among adults with Long COVID. Sociology of Health & Illness, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13628

Russell, D., Burgdorf, J., Washington, K. T., Schmitz, J., & Bowles, K. H. (2023). “Second set of eyes:” Family caregivers and post-acute home health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient Education and Counseling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107627  

Russell, D., Spence, N. J., Chase, J. A. D., Schwartz, T., Tumminello, C. M., & Bouldin, E. (2022). Support amid uncertainty: Long COVID illness experiences and the role of online communities. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100177

Fong, M. C., Russell, D., Gao, O., & Franzosa, E. (2022). Contextual forces shaping home-based health care services between 2010 and 2020: insights from the social-ecological model and organizational theory. The Gerontologist. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac113