scholarly journals Mental Health, Sense of Coherence, and Interpersonal Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3708
Author(s):  
Stefanie Jung ◽  
Jonas Kneer ◽  
Tillmann H. C. Krüger

Preliminary data indicates that the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have a substantial impact on mental health and well-being. We assessed mental health in response to the lockdown in Germany between 1 April 2020 and 15 April 2020 using a cross-sectional online survey (n = 3545) with a mixed-methods approach. We found increased levels of psychosocial distress (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) stress module), anxiety, depressive symptoms (PHQ-4), irritability, and a decrease in overall well-being (WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)), sense of coherence (Short Form of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-L9)), sexual contentment, and sleep quality. The four-week-prevalence of interpersonal violence was yet at 5% and included verbal, physical, and sexual violence. Participants reported finding comfort in family, friends, conversation, exercise, and activity. Findings are also in line with research showing that women seem to have more trouble coping with the pandemic and lockdown measures. Our observations demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures lead to a mental health burden even in a highly developed Western country and should, therefore, be taken seriously. The findings for interpersonal violence are alarming. Thus, we should sharpen our focus on the matter and activate and enhance supporting systems to help protect those affected.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1577
Author(s):  
Alona Emodi-Perlman ◽  
Ilana Eli ◽  
Nir Uziel ◽  
Joanna Smardz ◽  
Anahat Khehra ◽  
...  

(1) Background: this study aimed to evaluate the worries, anxiety, and depression in the public during the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in three culturally different groups of internet survey respondents: Middle Eastern (Israel), European (Poland), and North American (Canada). (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the mentioned countries during the lockdown periods. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on personal concerns, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). A total of 2207 people successfully completed the survey. (3) Results: Polish respondents were the most concerned about being infected. Canadian respondents worried the most about their finances, relations with relatives and friends, and both physical and mental health. Polish respondents worried the least about their physical health, and Israeli respondents worried the least about their mental health and relations with relatives and friends. Canadian respondents obtained the highest score in the PHQ-4, while the scores of Israeli respondents were the lowest. (4) Conclusions: various factors should be considered while formulating appropriate solutions in emergency circumstances such as a pandemic. Understanding these factors will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stress, social isolation, and uncertainty on the well-being and mental health of culturally different societies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika McGivern ◽  
Stephen Shannon ◽  
Gavin Breslin

Purpose This paper aims to conduct the first cross-sectional survey on depression, Resilience, well-being, depression symptoms and concussion levels in equestrian athletes and to assess whether past concussion rates were associated with depression, resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach In total, 511 participants from Canada, Republic of Ireland, UK, Australia and USA took part in an international cross-sectional, online survey evaluating concussion history, depression symptoms, resilience and well-being. Findings In total, 27.1% of athletes met clinically relevant symptoms of major depressive disorder. Significant differences were shown in the well-being and resilience scores between countries. Significant relationships were observed between reported history of concussion and both high depression scores and low well-being scores. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for mental health promotion and support in equestrian sport. Social implications Results support previous research suggesting a need for enhanced mental health support for equestrians. There is reason to believe that mental illness could still be present in riders with normal levels of resilience and well-being. Originality/value This study examined an understudied athlete group: equestrian athletes and presents important findings with implications for the physical and mental health of this population.


Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Keqiao Liu ◽  
Siqi Li ◽  
Man Shu

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the general population’s life worldwide. People may spend more time on social media because of policies like “work at home”. Using a cross-sectional dataset collected through an online survey in February 2020, in China, we examined (1) the relationships between social media activities and people’s mental health status and (2) the moderation effect of emotional-regulation strategies. The sample included people aged ≥18 years from 32 provinces and regions in China (N = 3159). The inferential analyses included a set of multiple linear regressions with interactions. Our results showed that sharing timely, accurate, and positive COVID-19 information, reducing excessive discussions on COVID-19, and promoting caring online interactions rather than being judgmental, might positively associate with the general public’s psychological well-being. Additionally, the relationships between social media activities and psychological well-being varied at different emotion-regulation strategy levels. Adopting the cognitive reappraisal strategy might allay the adverse relationships between certain social media activities and mental health indicators. Our findings expanded the theory of how social media activities can be associated with a human being’s mental health and how it can interact with emotion-regulation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 320-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mila Nu Nu Htay ◽  
Swe Swe Latt ◽  
Khine Sandar Maung ◽  
Wai Wai Myint ◽  
Soe Moe

International migration has become a global phenomenon bringing with it complex and interrelated issues related to the physical and mental well-being of the people involved. This study investigated the mental well-being and factors associated with mental health among Myanmar migrant workers (MMW) in Malaysia. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Penang, Malaysia by using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index Scale (WHO-5) and the Mental Health subscale of 36 items in the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Among 192 migrant workers who were understudied, 79.2% had poor mental well-being according to the WHO-5 scale. The duration of stay in Malaysia and without receiving financial aid from their employers despite having a physical illness were significantly associated with poor mental well-being. Mental health support groups should target migrant workers for mental health education and find ways to provide assistance for them. Furthermore, premigration training should be delivered at the country of origin that also provides information on the availability of mental health support in the host country.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Berta Ausín ◽  
Clara González-Sanguino ◽  
Miguel Ángel Castellanos ◽  
Jesús Saiz ◽  
Carolina Ugidos ◽  
...  

The study aim was to assess the effects of the health emergency and the stay-at-home restrictions on loneliness variables in the Spanish population during the initial stage of COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey of 3480 people. From March 14, 2020, screening tests were used to evaluate sociodemographic and COVID-19-related data on loneliness, social support, the presence of mental health symptoms, discrimination, and spiritual well-being. Descriptive analyses were conducted and linear regression models were constructed. A negative association was found between loneliness and being older, being partnered, having children, being a university graduate, being retired or still working, having stronger religious beliefs, believing that information provided about the pandemic was adequate, having social support, and having self-compassion. Actions that promote social support and further studies on loneliness in groups of older people are needed to prevent the pandemic having a stronger impact on mental health and well-being.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kedar Manandhar ◽  
Ajay Risal ◽  
Oshin Shrestha ◽  
Nirmala Manandhar ◽  
Dipak Kunwar ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract Background: The increasing elderly population worldwide is likely to increase mental health problems such as geriatric depression, which has mostly been studied in high-income countries. Similar studies are scarce in low-and-middle-income-countries like Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based, door-to-door survey was conducted in randomly selected rural and urban population clusters of the Kavre district, Nepal. Trained nurses (field interviewers) administered structured questionnaires that included a validated Nepali version of the Geriatric Depression Scale short form (GDS-15) for identifying geriatric depression among the elderly (≥60 years) participants (N=460). Those scoring ≥6 on GDS-15 were considered depressed. Logistic regression analysis explored the associations of geriatric depression with regard to socio-demographic information, life style, family support and physical well-being. Results: Of the total 460 selected elderly participants, 439 (95.4%) took part in the study. More than half of them were females (54.2%). The mean age was 70.9 (± 8.6) years. Approximately half (50.6%) were rural inhabitants, the majority (86.1%) were illiterate, and about three-fifths (60.1%) were living with their spouses. The gender-and-age adjusted prevalence of geriatric depression was 53.1%. Geriatric depression was significantly associated with rural habitation (AOR 1.6), illiteracy (AOR 2.1), limited time provided by families (AOR 1.8), and exposure to verbal and/or physical abuse (AOR 2.6). Conclusion: Geriatric depression is highly prevalent in Kavre, Nepal. The findings call for urgent prioritization of delivery of elderly mental health care services in the country. Keywords: depression, elderly, lifestyle, mental health, prevalence


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 3516
Author(s):  
Silvana Miceli ◽  
Barbara Caci ◽  
Michele Roccella ◽  
Luigi Vetri ◽  
Giuseppe Quatrosi ◽  
...  

Several studies evidenced increased elevated symptomatology levels in anxiety, general stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress related to COVID-19. Real difficulties in the effective control of time that could be responsible for mental health issues and loss of vitality were also reported. Prior literature highlighted how perceived control over time significantly modulates anxiety disorders and promotes psychological well-being. To verify the hypothesis that perceived control over time predicts fear of COVID-19 and mental health and vitality mediate this relationship, we performed an online survey on a sample of 301 subjects (female = 68%; Mage = 22.12, SD = 6.29; age range = 18–57 years), testing a parallel mediation model using PROCESS macro (model 4). All participants responded to self-report measures of perceived control over time, COVID-19 fear, mental health, and vitality subscales of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. Results corroborate the hypotheses of direct relationships between all the study variables and partially validate the mediation’s indirect effect. Indeed, mental health (a1b1 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.11; UL = −0.01; p < 0.001) rather than vitality (a2b2 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.09; UL = 0.03; n.s.) emerges as a significant mediator between perceived control over time and fear of COVID-19. Practical implications of the study about treatment programs based on perceived control over time and emotional coping to prevent fear and anxiety toward the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Georgieva ◽  
M Vatansever ◽  
A Velkova ◽  
N Hristov ◽  
P Pesheva ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Medical education is often related to serious distress for students, that affects negatively their mental well-being. Depression, poor academic performance, increased alcohol consumption, suicidal thoughts, are some of the detrimental effects of diminished mental health. Studies on depression in medical students reveal a higher prevalence (1.4-73.5%) than in the general population. This study aimed to assess and compare depression prevalence and severity in three cohorts of medical students in Bulgaria and Turkey. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 257 Bulgarian and 288 foreign medical students from Medical University-Sofia, Bulgaria, and with 270 Turkish medical students from Ankara in the winter semester of 2019-2020 academic year. We used the Beck depression inventory (BDI) as valid and reliable instrument to assess depression. The students were categorised according to BDI scores in three groups: with mild depression (10- 18 points); moderate depression (19-29); severe depression (30- 63). Data were analysed with program product Python 3 (v3.6.9) with Pandas v0.25.3 and Scipy v1.4.1. Results Depressive symptoms reported 71.5% of Turkish students, 47.1% of Bulgarian and 48.7% of foreign medical students. The depression frequency among Turkish and Bulgarian medical students was significantly different (chi2 = 35.31; p = 0,001). Mean BDI scores were similar for Bulgarian medical students (11.0) and foreign medical students, studying in Bulgaria (11.6). Turkish medical students scored highest on BDI (15.3). Severe depression was detected in 5.6% of foreign, 4.3% of Bulgarian and 6.3% of Turkish students. Conclusions Depression prevalence was high in all studied medical students cohorts, with Turkish cohort affected most, probably because of cultural and curriculum differences. Key messages Support of student’s mental health should be an integral part of the educational policies of all Medical Universities worldwide. Depression among medical students has to be prevented by comprehensive approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teris Cheung ◽  
Simon Ching Lam ◽  
Paul Hong Lee ◽  
Yu Tao Xiang ◽  
Paul Siu Fai Yip ◽  
...  

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a detrimental impact on individuals' psychological well-being; however, a multi-country comparison on the prevalence of suicidal ideation due to the virus is still lacking.Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among the general population across 10 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study which used convenience sampling and collected data by conducting an online survey. Participants were sourced from 10 Eastern and Western countries. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure the outcome variable of suicidal ideation. Ordinal regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors associated with suicidal ideation.Results: A total of 25,053 participants (22.7% male) were recruited. Results from the analysis showed that the UK and Brazil had the lowest odds of suicidal ideation compared to Macau (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, younger age, male, married, and differences in health beliefs were significantly associated with suicidal ideation (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for joint international collaboration to formulate effective suicide prevention strategies in a timely manner and the need to implement online mental health promotion platforms. In doing so, the potential global rising death rates by suicide during the pandemic can be reduced.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Diaz Hernandez ◽  
Stéphanie Giezendanner ◽  
Roland Fischer ◽  
Andreas Zeller

Abstract Background In addition to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic to physical health, mental health is challenged by the emotional response to the situation and the official measures taken to stop the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of impaired mental well-being due to COVID-19 and explore associated factors. Methods The study was an observational, population-based, nationwide, cross-sectional online survey of a representative sample of the general Swiss population performed between March and April 2020. Participants reported on mental well-being, self-isolation/quarantine, their risk for developing severe COVID-19, and their work situation. Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed risk factors for impaired mental well-being due to the pandemic. Results Data from 1022 individuals were analysed. The median age was 44 years (range 18 to 78) and 49% were women. A third of respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic impaired their mental well-being and almost half reported specific mental health concerns. Impaired mental well-being was associated with having health problems (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.29–2.74, vs no problems), being or living with someone at risk for severe COVID-19 (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1–1.9,), smoking (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.24–2.61), living in urban residential environments (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.13–2.32, vs rural), not being able to work due to closed workplace (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.04–2.67), aged between 18 and 29 years old (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.32–3.01, vs 45 to 59 years old), and living in a single household (living with someone, OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44–0.97,vs single household). Overall, the most significant covariates of impaired mental well-being were specific mental health concerns: feeling depressed (OR = 7.21, 95% CI: 4.5–11.55), feeling less pleasure in doing things than before (OR = 6.28, 95% CI: 4.1–9.62), feeling anxious (OR = 6.13, 95% CI: 3.91–9.59) and feeling lonely (OR = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.53–6.58). Conclusion Impaired mental well-being can carry long-term consequences. We encourage policymakers to implement strategies to promote mental health during this pandemic situation. Special attention should be addressed to the youngest, those at risk for severe COVID-19 and those with government-imposed work restrictions.


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