Transgender Youth and Social Support: A Survey Study on the Effects of Good Relationships on Well-being and Mental Health

Young ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-216
Author(s):  
Katarina Alanko ◽  
Heidi Lund
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Gender Conflict ◽  
Transgender Youth ◽  
Mental Well Being

Positive gender-supportive relationships have been found to promote well-being of transgender youth. The present study investigates how the quality of relationships to parents, friends and partners affects the mental well-being of transgender youth. An online survey was used for data collection. The sample consisted of 1,613 Finnish youth between 15 and 25 years of age. Youths who were identified as a transgender ( n = 370) were compared to cisgender (= no gender conflict, n = 1,243, mostly sexual minority youth) on measures of relationship quality and positive well-being. Transgender youth reported poorer well-being and relationships to parents than the control group did. Relationship quality predicted well-being of all participants, and there were no significant interactions between gender identity and relationship quality. Social support is important for transgender youth and has an impact on the well-being of youth regardless of gender identification.

scholarly journals Impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities on capability well-being, mental health and social support: an Austrian survey study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judit Simon ◽  
Timea M. Helter ◽  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina van der Boor ◽  
Agata Łaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities on capability well-being, mental health and social support in Austria. Methods Adult Austrian residents (n = 560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression. Results 31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of − 6.54 (95%CI, − 9.26, − 3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (− 1.77) and anxiety (− 1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+ 3.75) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between − 9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and + 5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale. Conclusions Our study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities alongside their impacts on mental health and social support. The negative capability well-being, mental health and social support impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. Future public health policies concerning lockdowns should pay special attention to improve social support levels in order to increase public resilience.

scholarly journals Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judit Simon ◽  
Timea M. Helter ◽  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina van der Boor ◽  
Agata Łaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mental Well Being

AbstractBackgroundImpacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored these capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with people’s mental well-being, social support and existing vulnerabilities in Austria.MethodsAdult Austrian residents (n=560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression.Results31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of -6.54 (95%CI: -9.26,-3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (−1.79) and anxiety (−1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+3.77) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between -9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and +5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale.ConclusionsOur study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of a lockdown in association with specific vulnerabilities. The negative impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. In future public health policies, special attention should be also paid to improving social support levels to increase public resilience.

scholarly journals Effects of Fear of COVID-19 on Mental Well-Being and Quality of Life: A path analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Alyami ◽  
Julia Vajda De Albuquerque ◽  
Christian U. Krägeloh ◽  
Hussain Alyami ◽  
Marcus A Henning
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has been very disruptive and thus likely to result in substantial challenges to mental health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of fear of COVID-19 on mental well-being and quality of life among Saudi adult population, and to evaluate the impact of perceived social support. A total of 1029 Saudi adults with a mean age of 33.7 years (SD 11.5) took part in an anonymous online survey. Path analysis indicated that fear of COVID-19 was directly associated with mental well-being, which in turn was associated with lower quality of life. Perceived social support had more influence on quality of life than mental well-being. No direct link between fear of COVID-19 and quality of life was found. These findings emphasize the importance of having effective systems, in addition to social support, in place in order to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental well-being and quality of life.

scholarly journals Associations between Relationship Quality and Mental Health during COVID-19 in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2869
Author(s):  
Christoph Pieh ◽  
Thomas Probst ◽  
Sanja Budimir ◽  
Elke Humer
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Good Relationship ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Poor Relationship

This study investigated the association of relationship quality with several well-being measures during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. An online survey was conducted on a study sample (n = 682) measuring relationship quality with the Quality of Marriage Index, and well-being measures including quality of life (WHO-QoL BREF), well-being (WHO-5), perceived stress (PSS-10), depressive (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms. Good relationship quality goes along with higher scores in well-being (WHO-5), quality of life (WHO-QoL BREF), psychological domain, physical health, social relationships, environment, and reduced scores in stress (PSS-10), depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms compared with poor relationship quality (p < 0.001). Moreover, 21% of participants living in relationships with poor quality stated that they drink significantly more alcohol since the initial COVID-19 restrictions, compared to 10% of participants with good quality (p = 0.002). Living in a good relationship seems to be an advantage, whereas those with poor relationship quality are particularly more burdened and drink significantly more alcohol during the COVID-19 lockdown.

scholarly journals Impact of Vaccination on the Sense of Security, the Anxiety of COVID-19 and Quality of Life among Polish. A Nationwide Online Survey in Poland

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1444
Author(s):  
Mateusz Babicki ◽  
Wojciech Malchrzak ◽  
Anna Hans-Wytrychowska ◽  
Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Generalised Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Vaccination Regimen ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Destructive Effect ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Mental Well Being

The pandemic state has a destructive effect on the human psyche and induces fear for one’s own health. By reducing the risk of severe COVID-19, vaccination may indirectly improve the mental state. This study aims to assess the effects of vaccination on respondents’ mental well-being, their attitudes towards adherence to government recommendations limiting viral transmission, and to identify factors that may influence the decision to get vaccinated. The survey took the form of the authors’ own, fully voluntary, anonymous, online questionnaire. Standardised psychometric tools were used in the survey: Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) and Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA). The survey involved 1696 respondents, the vast majority of whom were women, and were aged 18–29. The vaccination status was declared by 1677 respondents (98.9%), 430 (25.4%) of whom were vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine, while 303 (17.9%) respondents were not only unvaccinated at all, and declared no intention to get vaccinated in the future. Fully vaccinated individuals were found to have lower levels of anxiety, higher MANSA scores and lower subjective anxiety about being infected with COVID-19 than those awaiting vaccination or those with an incomplete vaccination regimen (one dose). Those who are not willing to get vaccinated have the lowest sense of anxiety and fear of being infected and they have the lowest adherence to government recommendations limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination reduces the level of anxiety about being infected and anxiety due to COVID-19 disease in people from the immediate environment. Those who are not willing to get vaccinated have extreme attitudes that negate the pandemic as a whole, including the need for COVID-19 vaccination. Fully vaccinated individuals still adhere to the SARS-CoV-2 prevention policies in place.

scholarly journals Development and Effectiveness of a Psychoeducational Wellness Program for People with Multiple Sclerosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Beckwith McGuire ◽  
Jelena Stojanovic-Radic ◽  
Lauren Strober ◽  
Nancy D. Chiaravalloti ◽  
John DeLuca
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Biopsychosocial Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Wellness Program ◽  
Cognitive Complaints

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) mostly affects young and middle-aged adults and is known to be associated with a host of factors involved in overall quality of life and well-being. The biopsychosocial model of disease takes into account the multifaceted nature of chronic illness and is commonly applied to MS. The present investigation examined the effectiveness of a 10-week psychoeducational MS wellness program that was developed on the basis of the biopsychosocial model and a wellness approach to treatment. Methods: The program consisted of 90-minute, weekly psychoeducational wellness group sessions aimed at improving quality of life by increasing awareness of the various social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual factors that can affect the overall well-being of people living with MS. Fifty-four individuals with MS participated in the study (43 individuals who completed the wellness intervention and 11 individuals with MS who did not participate; “controls”). All participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires at baseline and at the 10-week follow-up, assessing depression, anxiety, perceived stress, cognitive complaints, pain, social support, and fatigue. Results: Repeated-measures analysis revealed improvements in depression, anxiety, overall mental health, perceived stress, and pain in the treatment group compared with the control group. No significant differences were observed between the groups on measures assessing social support, cognitive complaints, and fatigue. Conclusions: The findings suggest that a psychoeducational wellness program is effective in improving the overall quality of life and well-being of individuals with MS.

scholarly journals Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1268-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa M Carbonaro ◽  
Matthew P Bradstreet ◽  
Frederick S Barrett ◽  
Katherine A MacLean ◽  
Robert Jesse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Physical Comfort

Acute and enduring adverse effects of psilocybin have been reported anecdotally, but have not been well characterized. For this study, 1993 individuals (mean age 30 yrs; 78% male) completed an online survey about their single most psychologically difficult or challenging experience (worst “bad trip”) after consuming psilocybin mushrooms. Thirty-nine percent rated it among the top five most challenging experiences of his/her lifetime. Eleven percent put self or others at risk of physical harm; factors increasing the likelihood of risk included estimated dose, duration and difficulty of the experience, and absence of physical comfort and social support. Of the respondents, 2.6% behaved in a physically aggressive or violent manner and 2.7% received medical help. Of those whose experience occurred >1 year before, 7.6% sought treatment for enduring psychological symptoms. Three cases appeared associated with onset of enduring psychotic symptoms and three cases with attempted suicide. Multiple regression analysis showed degree of difficulty was positively associated, and duration was negatively associated, with enduring increases in well-being. Difficulty of experience was positively associated with dose. Despite difficulties, 84% endorsed benefiting from the experience. The incidence of risky behavior or enduring psychological distress is extremely low when psilocybin is given in laboratory studies to screened, prepared, and supported participants.

scholarly journals Exploring the developmental tasks of emerging adults after paediatric heart transplantation: a cross-sectional case control study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e022461
Author(s):  
Maria Sepke ◽  
Hannah Ferentzi ◽  
Vera Stephanie Umutoni Disselhoff ◽  
Wolfgang Albert
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Heart Transplantation ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Developmental Tasks ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Healthy Controls

ObjectivePaediatric heart transplantation (PHTX) comprises 12% of all cardiac transplants and many of the children now survive into adulthood. Only a few studies have investigated the long-term psychosocial well-being of young adult patients after PHTX; no studies have investigated developmental tasks of emerging adulthood in different domains (family, social environment, education and profession, partnership, social environment).SettingSpecialised heart centre in Germany.ParticipantsThirty-eight young adults aged 22.11 years (SD=4.7) who underwent PHTX and a control group of 46 participants with no known chronic diseases, aged 22.91 years (SD=1.8), participated in the study.Outcome measuresAll participants completed the following questionnaires: sociodemographic, the F-SozU, to measure perceived social support, the Gießener Beschwerde-Bogen to measure subjective complaints experienced by patients, the KIDSCREEN-27 to measure well-being and the SF-36 to measure health-related quality of life (QoL).Results‘Family’: the quality of the relationship with the parents was found to be equal in both groups, while PHTX patients stayed in closer spatial proximity to their parents. ‘Social environment’: PHTX patients reported lower social support by peers than the control group. ‘Education and profession’: PHTX patients most often worked full-time (23%), had no job and/or received a pension (21%). In comparison, most of the healthy controls did an apprenticeship (40%) and/or worked part time (32%). ‘Partnership’: fewer of the PHTX patients had a partner than the control group while relationship duration did not differ. In exploratory regression analyses, social support by peers predicted physical QoL, whereas physical complaints and the physical role predicted mental QoL in PHTX patients.ConclusionsOur exploratory findings highlight important similarities and differences in specific developmental tasks between PHTX patients and healthy controls. Future studies should focus on developmental tasks of PHTX patients in this age group more systematically, investigating their role in physical and mental well-being in a confirmatory manner.

Perceived Overprotection and Its Association With Quality of Life in Dementia

GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽  
Andreas Häusler ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Johanna Nordheim
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Patient Autonomy ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract. To date, few studies have focused on perceived overprotection from the perspective of people with dementia (PwD). In the present examination, the association of perceived overprotection in PwD is examined as an autonomy-restricting factor and thus negative for their mental well-being. Cross-sectional data from the prospective DYADEM study of 82 patient/partner dyads (mean age = 74.26) were used to investigate the association between overprotection, perceived stress, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The analyses show that an overprotective contact style with PwD has a significant positive association with stress and depression, and has a negative association with QoL. The results emphasize the importance of avoiding an overprotective care style and supporting patient autonomy.

scholarly journals Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Improves Overall Stuttering Experience among Adults Who Stutter: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Omrit Feldman ◽  
Eran Goldstien ◽  
Benjamin Rolnik ◽  
Ariel B. Ganz ◽  
Shahar Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Adults Who Stutter

Stuttering is a speech disorder that can cause disturbances in the timing and flow of speech. In addition to being a communication disorder, stuttering is often accompanied by a reduction in the quality of life and has impacts on social status, mental well-being, self-acceptance, and the chances of integration into the labor market. The Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) program, developed in the United States by Byron Katie in 1986, is the clinical application of “The Work” method (Thework.com) and represents an emerging mindfulness and cognitive-reframing method. IBSR has been demonstrated to improve mental health and well-being in adults and may alleviate psychological and psychosocial symptoms of stuttering. The purpose of this trial was to examine the effect of a 12-week IBSR intervention on the overall stuttering experience and indicators of anxiety, psychological flexibility, and well-being among adults who stutter (AWS). This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were randomized to IBSR (n = 28) and control (n = 28) groups. Validated questionnaires of overall stuttering experience (OASES-A), anxiety (STAI), psychological flexibility (PFQ), and satisfaction with life (SWLS) were completed before, after, and one month after the intervention. An intention-to-treat approach was implemented for analysis. Our results show that participants in the IBSR intervention group exhibited a greater improvement in their overall stuttering experience as compared to the control group, as well as in general information on stuttering awareness and perception, reactions to stuttering, communication in daily situations, and quality of life. In addition, we found a greater reduction in anxiety levels and an increase in satisfaction-with-life scores in the IBSR group. These results indicate that IBSR can improve the overall stuttering experience.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document