Psychological distress with and without a history of depression: Results from the World Mental Health Japan 2nd Survey (WMHJ2)

The effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been found to surpass generations as maternal history of CSA is associated with increased difficulties in sexually abused children. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying this association. The present study aimed to test maternal mental health symptoms including psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and dissociation as mediators of the relationship between maternal CSA and children’s internalizing, externalizing, and dissociation symptoms in a large sample of sexually abused children. A total of 997 sexually abused children aged 3-14 years old and their mothers were recruited at five specialized intervention centers offering services to sexually abused children and their families. The children were divided into two groups depending on their mothers’ self-reported history of CSA. Mothers completed a series of questionnaires assessing their mental health and children’s functioning. Maternal history of CSA was associated with increased maternal psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, and dissociation following children’s disclosure of CSA. In turn, maternal psychological distress and maternal dissociation were associated with increased child internalizing, externalizing, and dissociation symptoms. Maternal PTSD symptoms were associated with child internalizing symptoms. Maternal mental health difficulties mediated the association between maternal CSA and sexually abused children’s maladaptive outcomes. Clinicians should assess for possible history of CSA in mothers of sexually abused children and determine how best to support them to cope with the aftermaths of their child’s disclosure and with their own traumatic past.

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Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Support in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Perceived Needs for Mental Health Care

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211006368 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110063

Author(s):

Tingting Gao ◽

Songli Mei ◽

Muzi Li ◽

Carl D’ Arcy ◽

Xiangfei Meng

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Care ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Perceived Needs ◽

Perceived Need ◽

History Of ◽

The Relationship

Childhood maltreatment is a major public health issue worldwide. It increases a range of health-risk behaviors, psychological and physical problems, which are associated with an increased need for mental health services in adulthood. Identification of mediating factors in the relationship between maltreatment and seeking mental health care may help attenuate the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment and promote more appropriate treatment. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care is mediated by psychological distress and/or moderated by social support. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012 are analyzed. A total of 8,993 participants, who had complete information on childhood maltreatment and diagnoses of mental disorders or psychological distress, are included in this study. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were used to identify relationships among childhood maltreatment, perceived needs for mental health care, and psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to verify the moderated mediation model. We found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on perceived needs for mental health care in adulthood. Social support played an important role in terms of moderating the relationship between maltreatment and perceived needs for care. For those with a history of childhood maltreatment, those who perceived a low level of social support were more likely to have higher levels of psychological distress and perceived need for mental health care. This is the first study to identify the separate and combined roles of psychological distress and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care. Selective prevention strategies should focus on social support to improve mental health services among people with a history of childhood maltreatment.

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Understanding the interplay of individual and social–developmental factors in the progression of substance use and mental health from childhood to adulthood

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579416000274 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 721-741 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Tiffany M. Jones ◽

Karl G. Hill ◽

Marina Epstein ◽

Jungeun Olivia Lee ◽

J. David Hawkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Social Environments ◽

Developmental Factors ◽

Substance Use Problems ◽

History Of ◽

Individual Functioning ◽

Family History Of Depression ◽

History Of Depression

AbstractThis study examines the interplay between individual and social–developmental factors in the development of positive functioning, substance use problems, and mental health problems. This interplay is nested within positive and negative developmental cascades that span childhood, adolescence, the transition to adulthood, and adulthood. Data are drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project, a gender-balanced, ethnically diverse community sample of 808 participants interviewed 12 times from ages 10 to 33. Path modeling showed short- and long-term cascading effects of positive social environments, family history of depression, and substance-using social environments throughout development. Positive family social environments set a template for future partner social environment interaction and had positive influences on proximal individual functioning, both in the next developmental period and long term. Family history of depression adversely affected mental health functioning throughout adulthood. Family substance use began a cascade of substance-specific social environments across development, which was the pathway through which increasing severity of substance use problems flowed. The model also indicated that adolescent, but not adult, individual functioning influenced selection into positive social environments, and significant cross-domain effects were found in which substance-using social environments affected subsequent mental health.

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Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers in different regions of the world

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (S1) ◽

pp. S258-S258

Author(s):

Mahfuja Islam ◽

Philip George ◽

Sindhu Sankaran ◽

Janet Leu Su Hui ◽

Tzun Kit

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Assessment ◽

Survey Tool ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

The World ◽

The Impact

AimsThe global health system is facing a serious challenge after the recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus infection which was first identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. There is a wide consensus that this pandemic has negative psychosocial consequences as well as unforeseeable provision of mental health care services and just not on physical health alone. The aim of this research study is to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify the sociodemographic variables with the main attributable factors associated with the psychological distress among healthcare workers and suggestions on how to reduce the impact on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study from September-November 2020. We used a self-administered survey tool which was distributed electronically to healthcare workers across the globe. The data were stored on an online database with password protected devices where survey responses were restricted to investigators exclusively.Data collected were: 1) Socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, role in the healthcare, region of practice); 2) Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire which contains 22 standardized items. This is a subjective assessment to score the degree of psychological well-being by focusing on 6 domains: depression; anxiety; positive-well-being; self-control; vitality and general health; 3) Subjective assessment from respondents of the main attributable factors causing psychological distress and suggested methods to help reduce the impact on mental health on health care workers.ResultMajority out of the 217 respondents were from a younger age group; females and married/domestic partnership, mainly from Western Pacific Region, South East Asian and the African Region. More than half the respondents were moderate-severely psychologically distressed and the three main attributable factors causing psychological distress were: fear of family/friends contracting COVID-19 followed by lack of PPE and discomfort caused by wearing PPE for long hours. Respondents suggested that the distress would be reduced if: more resources were provided in hospital; protocols and guidelines were implemented and counselling facilities with recreational activities were available to frontline workers.ConclusionThis study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers and more support or strategies need to come in place to protect frontline workers at the time of crises.

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Childhood adversities and mental disorders in first-year college students: results from the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291721004980 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Mathilde M. Husky ◽

Ekaterina Sadikova ◽

Sue Lee ◽

Jordi Alonso ◽

Randy P. Auerbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

College Student ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Type Number ◽

Childhood Adversities ◽

World Mental Health ◽

The World ◽

International College ◽

Role Impairment

Abstract Background This study investigates associations of several dimensions of childhood adversities (CAs) with lifetime mental disorders, 12-month disorder persistence, and impairment among incoming college students. Methods Data come from the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative (WMH-ICS). Web-based surveys conducted in nine countries (n = 20 427) assessed lifetime and 12-month mental disorders, 12-month role impairment, and seven types of CAs occurring before the age of 18: parental psychopathology, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, bullying victimization, and dating violence. Poisson regressions estimated associations using three dimensions of CA exposure: type, number, and frequency. Results Overall, 75.8% of students reported exposure to at least one CA. In multivariate regression models, lifetime onset and 12-month mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders were all associated with either the type, number, or frequency of CAs. In contrast, none of these associations was significant when predicting disorder persistence. Of the three CA dimensions examined, only frequency was associated with severe role impairment among students with 12-month disorders. Population-attributable risk simulations suggest that 18.7–57.5% of 12-month disorders and 16.3% of severe role impairment among those with disorders were associated with these CAs. Conclusion CAs are associated with an elevated risk of onset and impairment among 12-month cases of diverse mental disorders but are not involved in disorder persistence. Future research on the associations of CAs with psychopathology should include fine-grained assessments of CA exposure and attempt to trace out modifiable intervention targets linked to mechanisms of associations with lifetime psychopathology and burden of 12-month mental disorders.

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Stanford’s Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health Innovation

Convergence Mental Health ◽

10.1093/med/9780197506271.003.0026 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 389-410

Author(s):

Anjali Albuquerque ◽

Neha P Chaudhary ◽

Gowri G Aragam ◽

Nina Vasan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

World Views ◽

Health Innovation ◽

Sustainable Solutions ◽

The World ◽

History Of ◽

One To One ◽

The Way

Stanford Brainstorm, the world’s first lab for mental health innovation, taps into the combined potential of academia and industry—bridging medicine, technology, and entrepreneurship—to redesign the way the world views, diagnoses, and treats mental illness. Convergence science has facilitated Brainstorm’s emergence as a pivotal protagonist in the history of the mental health innovation field. In turn, Brainstorm has catalyzed innovation within mental health by applying convergent approaches to tackle the scope, immediacy, and impact of mental illness. Stanford Brainstorm’s thinking about mental health represents a shift in the discipline of psychiatry from a focus on one-to-one delivery to collaborative and sustainable solutions for millions.

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Epidemiology of chronic pain in Ukraine: Findings from the World Mental Health Survey

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0224084 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (10) ◽

pp. e0224084 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anna Xu ◽

Elizabeth Hilton ◽

Riley Arkema ◽

Nathan L. Tintle ◽

Luralyn M. Helming

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Health Survey ◽

World Mental Health ◽

World Mental Health Survey ◽

The World ◽

Mental Health Survey

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Childhood adversities and adult-onset chronic pain: Results from the World Mental Health Survey, Japan

European Journal of Pain ◽

10.1002/ejp.672 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 1418-1427 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

A. Stickley ◽

A. Koyanagi ◽

N. Kawakami ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Health Survey ◽

Adult Onset ◽

Childhood Adversities ◽

World Mental Health ◽

World Mental Health Survey ◽

The World ◽

Mental Health Survey

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Mental Health in the Cree Peoples of Northern Quebec: Relationships Among Trauma, Familial Psychological Distress, and Mood or Anxiety Disorders

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743718784938 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 180-189

Author(s):

Laura M. Heath ◽

Jill Torrie ◽

Kathryn J. Gill

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Abuse ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mood Disorder ◽

Mood Disorders ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

Substance Dependence ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Parental History ◽

History Of

Objective: This study examined the physical and mental health of Cree adults, as well as the personal, clinical, and environmental factors associated with the presence of lifetime anxiety and mood disorders. Methods: Mental health was assessed using the computerised version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (CDIS-IV), and standardised instruments were used to assess physical health, addiction severity, and psychological distress in 506 randomly selected participants from 4 Northern Cree communities in Quebec. Results: Overall, 46.1% of participants reported chronic medical problems, 42.1% were current smokers and 34.5% met the DSM-IV criteria for an anxiety or mood disorder. Individuals with an anxiety or mood disorder were younger, predominantly female, and with higher educational levels, and a large proportion (47.7%) met the lifetime criteria for substance dependence. Hierarchical regression determined that anxiety or mood disorders were associated with serious problems getting along with parents, a history of physical and sexual abuse, and a lifetime diagnosis of substance dependence. Overall, 29.7% of Cree adults reported sexual abuse, 47.1% physical abuse, and 52.9% emotional abuse. Conclusions: This study highlights the high rates of physical and mental health problems in Cree communities and the association among parental history of psychological problems, history of abuse, and psychological distress. Participants expressed a desire for additional medical and psychological treatments to address the patterns of abuse, trauma, and mental disorders that are burdening the Cree communities in Northern Quebec.

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