Victimization Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes Among Grades 7 to 12 Students in Manitoba, Canada

AbstractVictimization experiences, including traditional forms of bullying, discriminatory harassment, and cyber victimization, are associated with numerous detrimental consequences in adolescence and over the life course. The objective of the current study was to understand the relationships between nine experiences of victimization and mental health outcomes among students in grades 7 to 12 in Manitoba, Canada. Data were drawn from the 2012–2013 Manitoba Youth Health Survey (N = 64,174; response rate = 67%). Mental health outcomes included mental health functioning and emotional well-being, and feelings of sadness and hopelessness. The prevalence of moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being ranged from 35.2% (boys in grades 7 to 9) to 51.0% (girls in grades 10 to 12). The prevalence of feeling sad and hopeless ranged from 31.4% (boys in grades 7 to 9) to 57.7% (girls in grades 10 to 12). All nine victimization types were associated with increased odds of having moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being and feeling sad and hopeless for both boys and girls in grades 7 to 9 and 10 to 12, although some gender and grade differences were noted. A dose-response trend was found with increased odds of moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being corresponding with increased frequency of being victimized. A similar trend was noted for girls only for feeling sad and hopeless. Effective prevention and intervention strategies targeting boys and girls and across grades 7 to 12 are needed to improve mental health functioning and emotional well-being, and reduce feelings of sadness and hopelessness among adolescents with victimization experiences.

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Mental Health Outcomes for Youth Living in Refugee Camps: A Review

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838016673602 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 528-542 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Nadia Vossoughi ◽

Yo Jackson ◽

Stephanie Gusler ◽

Katie Stone

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Present Review ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Consistent Finding ◽

Mental Health Functioning ◽

Health Functioning ◽

Wide Range

Currently, there are approximately 10.8 million child refugees worldwide. Youth living in refugee camps face a wide range of difficulties placing them at risk for trauma exposure and negative mental health outcomes. However, little is known about the mental health functioning of these youth. The present review provides a systematic review of mental health outcomes for refugee/displaced youth residing in refugee camps. Twenty studies were included in the present review. Among these studies, the prevalence of mental health disorders varied greatly with some studies reporting null effects for disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder and others reporting prevalence as high as 87%. Levels of anxiety, somatic symptoms, depression, and aggression also varied across studies. The results point to the significant need for more research on the mental health of youth residing in refugee camps. Despite the wide range of measurement approaches, the evidence points to a fairly consistent finding of a range of maladjustment problems for youth living in refugee camps. Implications for improving the methodology for investigating mental health are discussed.

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Relationship between tobacco cessation and mental health outcomes in a tobacco cessation trial

Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1177/1359105316644974 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (8) ◽

pp. 1119-1128 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Paul Krebs ◽

Erin Rogers ◽

David Smelson ◽

Steven Fu ◽

Binhuan Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Tobacco Cessation ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Functioning ◽

Health Functioning ◽

Tobacco Treatment ◽

History Of

Persons with mental health diagnoses use tobacco at alarming rates, yet misperceptions remain about the effect of quitting on mental health outcomes. This article examines the relationship between tobacco cessation and changes in severity of mental illness. Participants were N = 577 veterans with a history of mental health treatment enrolled in a tobacco cessation study. The effects of abstinence and time on Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale–24 summary scores and subscales were examined. Abstinence at both 2 and 6 months post-baseline was related ( p < .0001) to lower Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale–24 summary scores and improvement on three Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale–24 subscales. Providers should recommend and provide tobacco treatment to all mental health patients to improve their physical and mental health functioning.

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Individual- and Relationship-Level Factors Related to Better Mental Health Outcomes following Child Abuse: Results from a Nationally Representative Canadian Sample

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743716651832 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 61 (12) ◽

pp. 776-788 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Tracie O. Afifi ◽

Harriet L. MacMillan ◽

Tamara Taillieu ◽

Sarah Turner ◽

Kristene Cheung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Well Being ◽

Canadian Community Health Survey ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Abuse History ◽

Good Mental Health ◽

Nationally Representative

Objective: Child abuse can have devastating mental health consequences. Fortunately, not all individuals exposed to child abuse will suffer from poor mental health. Understanding what factors are related to good mental health following child abuse can provide evidence to inform prevention of impairment. Our objectives were to 1) describe the prevalence of good, moderate, and poor mental health among respondents with and without a child abuse history; 2) examine the relationships between child abuse and good, moderate, and poor mental health outcomes; 3) examine the relationships between individual- and relationship-level factors and better mental health outcomes; and 4) determine if individual- and relationship-level factors moderate the relationship between child abuse and mental health. Method: Data were from the nationally representative 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health ( n = 23,395; household response rate = 79.8%; 18 years and older). Good, moderate, and poor mental health was assessed using current functioning and well-being, past-year mental disorders, and past-year suicidal ideation. Results: Only 56.3% of respondents with a child abuse history report good mental health compared to 72.4% of those without a child abuse history. Individual- and relationship-level factors associated with better mental health included higher education and income, physical activity, good coping skills to handle problems and daily demands, and supportive relationships that foster attachment, guidance, reliable alliance, social integration, and reassurance of worth. Conclusions: This study identifies several individual- and relationship-level factors that could be targeted for intervention strategies aimed at improving mental health outcomes following child abuse.

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Levels and Prevalence of Mental Health Functioning in Canadian University Student-Athletes

Canadian Journal of Higher Education ◽

10.47678/cjhe.v48i2.188105 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 149-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Krista J. Van Slingerland ◽

Natalie Durand-Bush ◽

Scott Rathwell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Student Athletes ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Situation ◽

Mental Health Functioning ◽

Health Functioning ◽

The Impact

We examined the level and prevalence of mental health functioning (MHF) in intercollegiate student-athletes from 30 Canadian universities, and the impact of time of year, gender, alcohol use, living situation, year of study, and type of sport on MHF. An online survey completed in November 2015 (N = 388) and March 2016 (n = 110) revealed that overall, MHF levels were moderate to high, and more student-athletes were flourishing than languishing. MHF levels did not significantly differ across time based on gender, alcohol use, living situation, year of study, and type of sport. Eighteen percent reported a previous mental illness diagnosis and yet maintained moderate MHF across time. These findings support Keyes’ (2002) dual-continua model, suggesting that the presence of mental illness does not automatically imply low levels of well-being and languishing. Nonetheless, those without a previous diagnosis were 3.18 times more likely to be flourishing at Time 1 (November 2015).

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Mental Health Literacy, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Outcomes in Women Rugby Players

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal ◽

10.1123/wspaj.2020-0066 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Shakiba Oftadeh-Moghadam ◽

Paul Gorczynski

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Literacy ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

And Bisexual ◽

Rugby Players

Within rugby, a plethora of research has focused on male rugby players, with some recent attention being directed to examining their mental health. Such attention has not been evident for their female rugby counterparts. The aims of this study were to ascertain levels of mental health literacy (MHL) and explore demographic differences in United Kingdom semielite rugby players who identified as women, and examine whether MHL is associated with better mental health outcomes and general help-seeking intentions. In total, 208 semielite women rugby players completed an online multisection questionnaire measuring MHL, general help-seeking intentions, distress, and well-being. Overall, most players scored a low rating of well-being; however, those who indicated a previous mental health problem exhibited significantly higher levels of MHL. Players were more likely to display general help-seeking intentions toward an intimate partner or a friend than a health care professional. High levels of distress were reported in 64.4% of players, particularly those who had been previously medically diagnosed with a mental disorder and bisexual rugby players. MHL was significantly, positively correlated with general help-seeking intentions, but not significantly correlated with distress or well-being. This study is the first to examine MHL in women rugby players and suggests that strategies devised by multidisciplinary teams of experts to help promote, engage, and offer tailored mental health support to women rugby players would be beneficial. Further investigations exploring the determinants of, and barriers to, MHL among women rugby players would be worthwhile to better understand and support players throughout their sporting career.

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Intimate Partner Violence Exposure and Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Housing Insecurity

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211043588 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110435

Author(s):

Katherine E. Marçal

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Adolescent Depression ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Depression And Anxiety

The present study investigated pathways from childhood exposure to mothers’ intimate partner violence (IPV) to adolescent depression and anxiety. Further, the study examined whether housing insecurity mediated the link from IPV exposure to mental health outcomes. Data came from the Years 5, 9 and 15 interviews of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study; the analytic sample was limited to mothers with at least partial custody of children ( N = 2,425). Structural equation modeling with latent variables investigated research questions. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identified observed indicators for latent constructs, and a path analysis tested direct and indirect pathways from IPV exposure to adolescent depression and anxiety. IPV exposure at age five was associated with increased housing insecurity at age nine, which was associated with increased adolescent depression and anxiety at age 15. Although IPV exposure was not directly associated with either mental health outcome, housing insecurity mediated the link from IPV exposure to adolescent depression. Findings point to the long-term consequences of exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood, highlighting pathways to mental disorder in adolescence. The present study emphasizes the need for policies that protect survivors of IPV from eviction and homelessness, empower them to leave abusers without fear of losing their housing, and promote healthy child development in the wake of family violence.

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The Impact of Distal Influences and Proximal Resources on the Mental Health of African American Older Adults: Findings From the Georgia Centenarian Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa046 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Meneka C Johnson Nicholson ◽

Peter Martin ◽

Megan Gilligan ◽

Carolyn E Cutrona ◽

Daniel W Russell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Early Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Financial Resources ◽

The Impact ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract Background and Objectives Over the years, a large amount of research has been devoted to the investigation of factors that led to mental health outcomes in older adults. For African American older adults, their lived experiences place them at high risk for mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of early life influences (i.e., education, childhood life events, and childhood financial well-being) and present psychosocial resources (i.e., individual, financial, and social) on current mental health outcomes in a sample of African American older adults in their 60s, 80s, and 100s. Research Design and Methods Using data from the Georgia Centenarian Study, 125 participants were interviewed about their mental health, resources, and early life influences. Results A structural equation model was tested and resulted in a good fit. Results indicated that the more social resources African American older adults had available, the lower the number of depressive symptoms they reported. African Americans with higher levels of financial well-being during childhood reported higher self-rated mental health. Older adults had higher levels of financial resources. Level of education showed a positive relationship with financial resources. Indirect effects of distal influences on health outcomes via current resources were not found. Discussion and Implications The findings are of direct practical relevance and can be used to more readily identify older African Americans who may be susceptible to poorer mental health outcomes based upon the impact of their unique distal and proximal psychosocial resources.

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A faith-based mind–body intervention to improve psychosocial well-being among rural adults

Translational Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1093/tbm/ibz136 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 546-554

Author(s):

Scherezade K Mama ◽

Nishat Bhuiyan ◽

Melissa J Bopp ◽

Lorna H McNeill ◽

Eugene J Lengerich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Faith Based ◽

Rural Adults

Abstract Churches are well positioned to promote better mental health outcomes in underserved populations, including rural adults. Mind–body (MB) practices improve psychological well-being yet are not widely adopted among faith-based groups due to conflicting religious or practice beliefs. Thus, “Harmony & Health” (HH) was developed as a culturally adapted MB intervention to improve psychosocial health in urban churchgoers and was adapted and implemented in a rural church. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of HH to reduce psychosocial distress in rural churchgoers. HH capitalized on an existing church partnership to recruit overweight or obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25.0 kg/m2) and insufficiently active adults (≥18 years old). Eligible adults participated in an 8 week MB intervention and completed self-reported measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and positive and negative affect at baseline and postintervention. Participants (mean [M] age = 49.1 ± 14.0 years) were mostly women (84.8%), non-Hispanic white (47.8%) or African American (45.7%), high socioeconomic status (65.2% completed ≥bachelor degree and 37.2% reported an annual household income ≥$80,000), and obese (M BMI = 32.6 ± 5.8 kg/m2). Participants reported lower perceived stress (t = −2.399, p = .022), fewer depressive symptoms (t = −3.547, p = .001), and lower negative affect (t = −2.440, p = .020) at postintervention. Findings suggest that HH was feasible, acceptable, and effective at reducing psychosocial distress in rural churchgoers in the short-term. HH reflects an innovative approach to intertwining spirituality and MB practices to improve physical and psychological health in rural adults, and findings lend to our understanding of community-based approaches to improve mental health outcomes in underserved populations.

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Child and Family Outcomes Following Pandemics: A Systematic Review and Recommendations on COVID-19 Policies

Journal of Pediatric Psychology ◽

10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa092 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (10) ◽

pp. 1124-1143 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vanessa C. Fong ◽

Grace Iarocci

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Financial Burden ◽

High Stress ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Children And Families ◽

Family Outcomes

Abstract Objective A systematic review of mental health outcomes and needs of children and families during past pandemics was conducted based on the PRISMA protocol. The objectives were to evaluate the quality of existing studies on this topic, determine what is known about mental health outcomes and needs of children and families, and provide recommendations for how COVID-19 policies can best support children and families. Methods Seventeen studies were identified through a search of PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Results Studies examining child outcomes indicate that social isolation and quarantining practices exert a substantial negative impact on child anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fear symptoms. Potential risk factors such as living in rural areas, being female, and increasing grade level may exacerbate negative mental health outcomes for children. Studies examining parental and family outcomes indicate that parents experience high stress, anxiety, and financial burden during pandemics. The age of the parent and family socioeconomic status (SES) appeared to mitigate negative outcomes, where older parents and higher SES families had lower rates of mental health problems. Parents’ fear over the physical and mental health of their children, concerns over potential job loss and arranging childcare contributes to elevated stress and poorer well-being. Conclusions Findings from this review suggest current gaps in COVID-19 policies and provide recommendations such implementing “family-friendly” policies that are inclusive and have flexible eligibility criteria. Examples include universal paid sick leave for parents and financial supports for parents who are also frontline workers and are at an elevated risk for contracting the disease.

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