scholarly journals Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Mehrete Girmay ◽  
Gopal K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
International Student ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background: Loneliness and social isolation have the ability to affect an individual's mental and physical health. With research linking both to morbidity and premature mortality, their effects must be viewed as important public health problems. Loneliness and social isolation can be especially pronounced in the international student community, particularly at the university level, as this population encounters challenges assimilating to their host university, surrounding community, and host country. This study explores the risks and sociocultural factors associated with loneliness, social isolation, and psychological distress with regards to the overall adjustment of international students. Methods: In this qualitative, narrative case study, 10 international graduate students at a university in the United States participated in two focus group sessions followed by individual interviews. Thematic areas and topics were identified using Barrer's three models of social support. Study was completed between December 2016 and September 2017. Results: All of the participants shared that they had experienced loneliness and social isolation at some point during their acculturative process resulting in perceived xenophobia and a sense of insincerity on behalf of domestic students when attempting to forge connections. For some, these experiences elicited feelings of depression, a disinterest in building connections with domestic students, and in attending social events held on campus and within the community, further exacerbating feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Results shed light on the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student's mental and physical health and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly, sustained. There is a critical need for more effort to be focused on attending to both the mental and physical health needs of migrant students during their stay at the host university. Key words: • Acculturation • Social Isolation • Loneliness • Mental Health • International •  Student   Copyright © 2019 Girmay and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com- mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review of the Examination of Sandwiched Caregivers’ Psychological Well-being and Physical Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 814-814
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Patricia S Pittman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As numbers of sandwiched caregivers in the United States grow, it is essential to document the literature on the impact of dual care responsibilities on aspects of psychological well-being and physical health. This scoping review examined the literature on sandwiched caregivers’ psychological well-being and physical health, identified gaps in the literature, and provided suggestions for future studies to advance the literature on sandwiched caregivers in the United States. Guided by the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework, this scoping review comprised of 15 peer-reviewed articles between 1980 and 2019, that examined aspects of the psychological well-being (e.g., depression, affect) and physical health (e.g., health behaviors, chronic conditions) of sandwiched caregivers in the United States. Findings showed that there was ambiguity surrounding the conceptualization of sandwiched caregivers, specifically how older and younger care recipients were defined. Also, most studies examined psychological well-being while physical health was understudied. The findings of this review also showed that, compared to non-sandwiched caregivers (e.g., spousal, filial caregivers) and non-caregivers, sandwiched caregivers exhibited greater depressive symptoms and psychological distress as well as poorer health behaviors. Furthermore, sandwiched caregivers who were female and employed were more susceptible to greater depressive symptoms than their employed male counterparts or employed non-caregivers. In considering future directions, more work is needed that examines physical health. Additionally, sandwiched caregivers of minority status merit attention as multigenerational care occurs at greater rates in these populations. Finally, caregiving during the pandemic may have a detrimental impact on sandwiched caregivers’ lives which should be investigated.

The Costs and Benefits of Parenthood for Mental and Physical Health in the United States: The Importance of Parenting Stage

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin W. Simon ◽  
Jennifer Caputo
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parental Role ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Midlife Development ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
The U.S

Although research finds that parents report greater depression than nonparents, we do not know whether the costs and benefits of parenthood for mental and physical health vary across parenting stages. Using the first wave of data from National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS; N = 2,730), we examine disparities in eight measures of mental and physical health between nonparents and parents whose youngest child is: (1) under 13, (2) 13 to 17, (3) 18 to 29, and (4) 30 years and older. Drawing on insights about stress, the life course, and the changing nature of the parental role, we hypothesize that the associations between parenthood and well-being are contingent on the parenting stage. Our analyses reveal some advantages associated with parenthood; we also find that parents whose children are 30 years and older report better mental and physical health than parents at all other stages. These results suggest that the costs and benefits of parenthood in the U.S. depend on the parenting stage.

scholarly journals Understanding the Mental and Physical Health Needs and Acculturation Processes of International Graduate Students in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (Fall) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
Mehrete Girmay
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Host Institution ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

The international graduate student population is a unique one that has specific needs that differ from that of domestic students and other acculturating groups. International graduate students face social, financial, and other stressors rooted in language proficiency while dealing with academic performance demands that accompany being a graduate student (Sullivan & Kashubeck-West, 2015). Furthermore, many international students studying at American universities tend to experience severe adjustment challenges dealing with the unfamiliarity of American customs and traditions in addition to the lack of emotional and social support on behalf of the host university. The goals of this qualitative, narrative case study were to explore the needs of international graduate students in regards to their adjustment and whether the needs of this population are being met by the host institution, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). The results of this study indicated that there is a concrete need for University staff to be trained on cultural competency, health literacy, and xenophobia as they seek to meet the potential needs of their visiting international students. Additionally, health and wellness resources offered through the University should be improved in order to be more comprehensively advertised and promoted on campus and within the surrounding community. The study yields results that crystallizes the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student’s mental and physical health, and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly sustained, thus resulting in a more inclusive environment.

The link between coronavirus, anxiety, and religious beliefs in the United States and United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Rigoli
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
The Impact

Research has shown that stress impacts on people’s religious beliefs. However, several aspects of this effect remain poorly understood, for example regarding the role of prior religiosity and stress-induced anxiety. This paper explores these aspects in the context of the recent coronavirus emergency. The latter has impacted dramatically on many people’s well-being; hence it can be considered a highly stressful event. Through online questionnaires administered to UK and USA citizens professing either Christian faith or no religion, this paper examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon common people’s religious beliefs. We found that, following the coronavirus emergency, strong believers reported higher confidence in their religious beliefs while non-believers reported increased scepticism towards religion. Moreover, for strong believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus threat was associated with increased strengthening of religious beliefs. Conversely, for non-believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus thereat was associated with increased scepticism towards religious beliefs. These observations are consistent with the notion that stress-induced anxiety enhances support for the ideology already embraced before a stressful event occurs. This study sheds light on the psychological and cultural implications of the coronavirus crisis, which represents one of the most serious health emergencies in recent times.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States and Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 100848
Author(s):  
Ganesh M. Babulal ◽  
Valeria L. Torres ◽  
Daisy Acosta ◽  
Cinthya Agüero ◽  
Sara Aguilar-Navarro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Food Insecurity in the United States: Identification, Treatment, and Implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 772-773
Author(s):  
Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili ◽  
Connie Bales ◽  
Julie Locher
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Geriatric Syndrome ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Food insecurity is an under-recognized geriatric syndrome that has extensive implications in the overall health and well-being of older adults. Understanding the impact of food insecurity in older adults is a first step in identifying at-risk populations and provides a framework for potential interventions in both hospital and community-based settings. This symposium will provide an overview of current prevalence rates of food insecurity using large population-based datasets. We will present a summary indicator that expands measurement to include the functional and social support limitations (e.g., community disability, social isolation, frailty, and being homebound), which disproportionately impact older adults, and in turn their rate and experience of food insecurity and inadequate food access. We will illustrate using an example of at-risk seniors the association between sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, with rates of food security in the United States. The translational aspect of the symposium will then focus on identification of psychosocial and environmental risk factors including food insecurity in older veterans preparing for surgery within the Veterans Affairs Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health clinic. Gaining insights into the importance of food insecurity will lay the foundation for an intervention for food insecurity in the deep south. Our discussant will provide an overview of the implications of these results from a public health standpoint. By highlighting the importance of food insecurity, such data can potentially become a framework to allow policy makers to expand nutritional programs as a line of defense against hunger in this high-risk population.

The Impact of Regional Differences in Prices and Wages on Economic Growth: The United States in 1890

1979 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip R. P. Coelho ◽  
James F. Shepherd
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
City Size ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
Real Wages ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Wage Earners ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Differences in regional prices and wages are examined for the United States in 1890, together with the relationship between the cost of living and city size, and the determinants of regional industrial growth. Results indicate that regional cost-of-liying differences were sufficiently large so that money wages cannot be used for purposes of comparing the economic well-being of wage earners across regions. Except for the South, money wages and the cost of living were positively correlated. The relative differences in money wages, however, were greater; consequently real wages in high wage-price areas were generally higher.

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