scholarly journals Holiday Hunger and Parental Stress: Evidence from North East England

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4141
Author(s):  
Paul B. Stretesky ◽  
Margaret Anne Defeyter ◽  
Michael A. Long ◽  
Liesel A. Ritchie ◽  
Duane A. Gill

Summer is a stressful time of year for many parents as they struggle to meet household expenses and feed children. The aim of the present study is to determine if there is an association between summertime food insecurity (i.e., holiday hunger) and parental stress among a sample of UK parents with school age children living in North East England. A cross-sectional sample of (n = 252) parents are analyzed using holiday hunger as the independent variable and a subjective measure of stress that treats summer as a ‘stressful event’ as the dependent variable. Of the parents in the sample, 64.8% reported at least some level of holiday hunger. We find parents facing any holiday hunger scored substantively higher on the overall 75-point Impact of Event Scale (mean difference = 30.4, 95% confidence interval ((CI) 24.2–36.6), the 35-point intrusion subscale (13.7, 95% CI 10.8–16.5), and the 40-point avoidance subscale (16.7, 95% CI 13.3–20.2). These findings are replicated in a regression analysis. In addition, we find that holiday hunger partially mediates the association between economic hardship (i.e., unemployment and poverty) and parental stress. We conclude by suggesting that government policies addressing economic hardship are not only likely to reduce holiday hunger, but also improve mental wellbeing.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wu ◽  
Lijun Zhuo ◽  
Hao Li ◽  
Ling Zheng ◽  
Guoqing Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading rapidly in China and other countries since December 2019, which has increased the risk of infection, and brought the unbearable huge psychological pressure on people. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted from 31 August 2020, to 14 September 2020 by convenience sampling on the back-to-Wuhan college students, which included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7), and the revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) scales and the basic demographic characteristics. Results The results from 1017 participants suggested that 44%, 47.5%, 37.7%, 57.7% were the prevalence rates of the anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress respectively. Moreover, quantile regression analysis was used to identify the factors related to the mental health variables of the back-to-Wuhan college students during the COVID-19 period. Conclusion The finding showed that the respondents who were near graduation, discriminated owing to the experience in Wuhan, and worried about the future trend of COVID-19 had a higher risk of becoming negative psychologic status, especially the bottom and median quantile, and might require more psycho-social interventions or support.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzaily Wahab ◽  
Li Ling Yong ◽  
Wei Keong Chieng ◽  
Myristica Yamil ◽  
Noor Azah Sawal ◽  
...  

Background: Natural disasters may physically and psychologically affect individuals and their surrounding community. This study determines the prevalence of post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and its association with maladaptive trauma-related cognition and resilience among adolescents post-earthquake.Materials and Methods: Data were collected, in this cross-sectional study, during an intervention program post-earthquake held in a state high school located at Lombok, Indonesia. The study sample engaged students 14–19 years of age using the purposive sampling method. The questionnaires used to measure PTS symptoms, maladaptive trauma-related cognition, and resilience were Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale-13 (CRIES-13), Child Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory (CPTCI), and Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R), respectively.Results: The prevalence of PTS symptoms was 69.9%. Among the respondents, 61.37% were female and 56.48% had mothers with lower educational levels. Using multiple linear regression, the final predictors of PTS symptoms were excessive reactions (e.g., wailing loudly, miserable shrieking) of proxy during earthquake (β = 3.283, p = 0.005), maladaptive trauma-related cognition (β = 0.224, p = 0.002), and resilience (β = 0.192, p < 0.001) with female gender (β = 7.350, p < 0.001) as a control variable. Through simple linear regression, victims who witnessed injury or death during the earthquake (p = 0.003), had a proxy died during the earthquake (p = 0.01), and trapped victims or those who had difficulty escaping (p = 0.01) were identified to potentially predict the occurrence of PTS symptoms, warranting further study.Conclusion: The presence of excessive proxy reactions during the earthquake, maladaptive trauma-related cognition, and resilience in adolescents exposed to a natural disaster are worth targeting and prioritizing in future post-disaster interventions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldebarán Toledo-Fernández ◽  
Diana Betancourt-Ocampo ◽  
Héctor Romo-Parra ◽  
Ernesto Reyes-Zamorano ◽  
Alejandro González-González

The objectives of this study were to describe severity of psychological distress (event-related stress, anxiety, and depression) during the second stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, and to explore associations between the indicators of psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics and specific concerns about COVID-19. This report serves as a baseline measure of a longitudinal project to evaluate progression of psychological distress across stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. An online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico from April 8th -18th, 2020, in a sample of men and women who are beneficiaries of a welfare institution in the region. Variables were measured with the Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disoder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19. A total of 5974 participants were analyzed. Moderate levels of psychological distress (with 23.6% of participants meeting significant event-related stress, but mild levels of depression and anxiety) were found, as well as high values in all concerns about COVID-19, especially regarding financial disruption, worsening of local security and concern of a family member becoming infected. These concerns associated mild-to-moderately with the indicators of psychological distress. Higher values of event-related distress were found in women, individuals with higher educational attainment and those with any current high-risk medical diagnosis, though the effect sizes were mild. Though psychological distress and concerns about COVID-19 have reached significant levels during the pandemic in Mexico, overall, they have not yet reached dysfunctional levels.


2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Maercker ◽  
Marija Povilonyte ◽  
Raichat Lianova ◽  
Karin Pöhlmann

We assessed victims’ status and its relation to self-perceived “social acknowledgment as a victim or survivor” ( Maercker & Müller, 2004 ) in a sample of Chechen refugees living in camps in Ingushetia. A total of 61 Chechen refugees were surveyed using a war-related trauma checklist, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire. Rates of potentially traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appeared to be very high in this sample: 100% reported one or more potentially traumatic events and over 75% were estimated to have PTSD. As expected, social acknowledgment as a victim or survivor was negatively related to PTSD symptoms. We discuss the possible causal direction of this finding. Our cross-sectional study provides further evidence that social acknowledgment should be regarded as a protective or resource factor in the aftermath of trauma.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia-Muñiz ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 in the university community during the first weeks of confinement. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was employed to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional impact of the situation was analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. An online survey was fulfilled by 2530 members of the University of Valladolid, in Spain. Moderate to extremely severe scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were reported by 21.34%, 34.19% and 28.14% of the respondents, respectively. A total of 50.43% of respondents presented moderate to severe impact of the outbreak. Students from Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences & Law showed higher scores related to anxiety, depression, stress and impact of event with respect to students from Engineering & Architecture. University staff presented lower scores in all measures compared to students, who seem to have suffered an important psychological impact during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to provide timely crisis-oriented psychological services and to take preventive measures in future pandemic situations, mental health in university students should be carefully monitored.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S479-S479
Author(s):  
H.H. Liao ◽  
S.L. Cheng ◽  
C.C. Chang ◽  
C.H. Lin ◽  
F.C. Liu ◽  
...  

BackgroundDespite mounting evidence that non-injury-related factors have an important role in recovery from injury; specific variables associated with surgery outcomes are poorly understood. This lack of knowledge complicates efforts to improve the care of work-related hand injury (WRHI) patients. However, substantial research and investigation have still not clarified these underlying relationships, which merit further attention.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) outcome for WRHI patients after the impact of event and to investigate the moderated mediation analysis associated with their decision trust and regret.MethodsA cross sectional study design was used to investigate the impact of event and the associated HRQL in 53 WRHI patients following severe and major hand injury. All consenting patients completed the Impact of Event Scale Revised, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Decisional Trust scale, Decisional Regret scale and Short Form-36.Anticipated achievementIn the result of mediation analysis, patients affected HRQL via decisional trust and decisional regret, respectively. In addition, our data suggest that certain decisional trust and decisional regret (partial) characteristics significantly moderate this association. These findings may aid in the development of clinical interventions to enhance HRQL for WRHI patients. Overall, it is important for clinicians to consider the notion that more decisional trust or less decisional regret may sometimes, but not always, be better.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


Author(s):  
Hana Sonbol ◽  
Hadil M. Alahdal ◽  
Rasis A. Alanazi ◽  
Khawla Alsamhary ◽  
Fuad Ameen

COVID-19 disease was announced as a global pandemic in March 2020 by the World health organization (WHO). Saudi Arabia was among the first countries to enforce restriction measures such as closing schools, remote working, and a travel ban. We aim to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s depression in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey of 1109 participants was conducted during the curfew between 18th of May and 11th of June 2020. An online questionnaire included questions about the commitment to follow the precautionary measures, knowledge on COVID-19, and depression. Depression was assessed with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised method. Females, unmarried individuals, elderly persons, parents of young children, unemployed, and small families were more likely to be depressed. Education level did not explain the differences in depression. However, the more knowledge the participants had about COVID-19 the better they followed the restrictions. A regression analysis revealed that the commitment of a person to follow the restrictions increased his/her depression symptoms. Attention should be paid to different groups of people in future psychiatric planning.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532096708
Author(s):  
Paula Odriozola-González ◽  
Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽  
María Jesús Irurtia ◽  
Rodrigo de Luis-García

We studied the short-term psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine on 3550 adults from the Spanish population in a cross-sectional survey. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress were analyzed using the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were observed in 20% to 30% of respondents. Symptomatic scores indicating psychological stress were found in 47.5% of respondents. Similar to the findings of other multiple studies, confinement has been found to have significant emotional impact in the Spanish population.


Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Peixin Lu ◽  
Lianting Hu ◽  
Tianhui Huang ◽  
Long Lu

The outbreak and worldwide spread of COVID-19 has resulted in a high prevalence of mental health problems in China and other countries. This was a cross-sectional study conducted using an online survey and face-to-face interviews to assess mental health problems and the associated factors among Chinese citizens with income losses exposed to COVID-19. The degrees of the depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress symptoms of our participants were assessed using the Chinese versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7), and the revised 7-item Impact of Event Scale (IES-7) scales, respectively, which found that the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress caused by COVID-19 were 45.5%, 49.5%, 30.9%, and 68.1%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes among workers with income losses during COVID-19. Participants working in Hubei province with heavy income losses, especially pregnant women, were found to have a high risk of developing unfavorable mental health symptoms and may need psychological support or interventions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Ionio ◽  
Eleonora Mascheroni ◽  
Paola Di Blasio

Adolescents could develop areas of vulnerability, especially if they have had to deal with highly stressful and traumatic life events. Stressful experiences can work as traumatic memories that become central to one’s life and core topics for one’s identity and for the attribution of meaning to life experience. The present work evaluates (a) the internal structures of the 20-item Centrality of Event Scale in the Italian context and (b) the impact of stressful and traumatic experience during adolescence. The present work includes a convenience sample of 872 Italian adolescents -528 males, 344 females- aged between 11 and 21 years (M = 15.85; SD = 2.09). We performed a confirmatory factor analysis that confirmed a three-factor solution. Moreover, the perception of stressful event as central in the participants’ lives was significantly correlated with the presence of PTSD symptomatology, as measured by the Impact of Event Scale Revised. We found that participants with PTSD symptoms had significantly higher CES scores. These data show the validity of the CES with adolescent samples, emphasizing the sensitivity of this instrument in detecting the impact of negative life experiences even in a sample of adolescents.


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