Physical and Mental Health Challenges Found in the LGBTQI+ Population

Women account for over eighty percent of recent North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea, yet there is dearth of gender-based research. Given the speed with which the dialogue on denuclearization with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) has progressed since 2017, there is a surprising gap in research on possible health threats. If sanctions are eased, interactions with these previously isolated people will increase leading to potential health problems. This article reviews studies published since 2000 to understand physical and mental health faced in DPRK, among North Korean defectors to South Korea, and to provide policy recommendations. A content analysis of ninety studies found that mental health challenges are severe for North Korean defectors, and that women suffer differently than men during defection and its aftermath. We recommend a more nuanced and gendered approach for future research in order to devise tangible solutions to improve the health of North Koreans in general, and defector women and children in particular.

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The Physical and Mental Health Challenges Experienced by 9/11 First Responders and Recovery Workers: A Review of the Literature

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x19004989 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 625-631 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Erin C. Smith ◽

Lisa Holmes ◽

Frederick M. Burkle

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

First Responders ◽

September 11 ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Health Condition ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Challenges

AbstractIntroduction:In the years following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York (USA), otherwise known as 9/11, first responders and recovery workers began experiencing a range of physical and mental health challenges. Publications documenting these provide an important evidence-base identifying exposure-related health challenges associated with environmental exposures from the World Trade Center (WTC) site and describe the key lessons learned regarding both physical and mental health challenges (including symptoms and defined conditions) from the 9/11 disaster response.Methods:A systematic literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo databases (September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2018) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. Publications were limited to journal articles that documented the physical or mental health challenges of 9/11 on first responders or recovery workers.Results:A total of 156 publications were retrieved by the search strategy. The majority (55%) reported a quantitative methodology, while only seven percent reported the use of a qualitative research methodology. Firefighters were the group of responders most frequently reported in the literature (35%), while 37% of publications reported on research that included a mix of first responders and recovery workers. Physical health was the focus of the majority of publications (57%). Among the challenges, respiratory issues were the physical health condition most frequently reported in publications, while posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most frequent mental health condition reported on. Publications were published in a broad range of multi-disciplinary journals (n = 75).Discussion:These findings will go some way to filling the current gap in the 9/11 evidence-base regarding the understanding of the long-term health challenges for first responders and recovery workers.

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Mental Health Challenges of Young Labor Migrants from the Healthcare Professionals Perspective: Lessons Learned from a Multi-Country Meeting

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131810482 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (18) ◽

pp. 10482

Author(s):

Daisy Michelle Princeton ◽

Ida Marie Bregård ◽

Marianne Annion ◽

Gine Shooghi ◽

Gitte Rom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Host Country ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Labor Migrants ◽

Baltic Countries ◽

Health Related ◽

Mental Health Challenges ◽

Working And Living Conditions

The mental health of young labor immigrants (YLI’s) is a public health issue that has become notably more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is well established in the literature that most YLI’s are young and healthy when they arrive in the host country. However, due to the poor living and working conditions, as well as linguistic and socioeconomic barriers to health care in the host country, their physical and mental health often deteriorates. Between 1 March 2021 and 5 March 2021, a virtual meeting was organized by Oslo Metropolitan University in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers mobility and network program for education in the Nordic and Baltic countries (Nordplus). It consisted of a multidisciplinary team of 26 participants from Nordic and Baltic countries. Topics included working and living conditions of YLI’s, prejudices towards immigrants, and mental health-related interventions for YLI’s in the participating countries. This paper draws attention to some of the mental health challenges and needs of YLI’s and to the suggestions gathered from the Nordplus meeting to combat these challenges from a healthcare professional’s perspective.

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Exploring the Physical and Mental Health Challenges Associated with Emergency Service Call-Taking and Dispatching: A Review of the Literature

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x19004990 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 619-624 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Erin C. Smith ◽

Lisa Holmes ◽

Frederick M. Burkle

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Emergency Service ◽

Working Environment ◽

Future Research ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Mental Health Challenges ◽

Service Call

AbstractIntroduction:Emergency service (ambulance, police, fire) call-takers and dispatchers are often exposed to duty-related trauma, placing them at increased risk for developing mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their unique working environment also puts them at-risk for physical health issues like obesity, headache, backache, and insomnia. Along with the stress associated with being on the receiving end of difficult calls, call-takers and dispatchers also deal with the pressure and demand of following protocol despite dealing with the variability of complex and stressful situations.Methods:A systematic literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo databases.Results:A total of 25 publications were retrieved by the search strategy. The majority of studies (n = 13; 52%) reported a quantitative methodology, while nine (36%) reported the use of a qualitative research methodology. One study reported a mixed-methods methodology, one reported an evaluability assessment with semi-structured interviews, one reported on a case study, and one was a systematic review with a narrative synthesis.Discussion:Challenges to physical health included: shift-work leading to lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and obesity; outdated and ergonomically ill-fitted equipment, and physically confining and isolating work spaces leading to physical injuries; inadequate breaks leading to fatigue; and high noise levels and poor lighting being correlated with higher cortisol levels. Challenges to mental health included: being exposed to traumatic calls; working in high-pressure environments with little downtime in between stressful calls; inadequate debriefing after stressful calls; inappropriate training for mental-health-related calls; and being exposed to verbally aggressive callers. Lack of support from leadership was an additional source of stress.Conclusion:Emergency service call-takers and dispatchers experience both physical and mental health challenges as a result of their work, which appears to be related to a range of both operational and support-based issues. Future research should explore the long-term effects of these physical and mental health challenges.

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