A cross-sectional, face-to-face, community survey of mental health and deprivation in post-recession Ireland: a rising tide lifts all boats?

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
G. M. Sorin ◽  
C. Darker ◽  
L. Whiston ◽  
A. O’Callaghan ◽  
J. M. Barry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face

Objective To assess community mental health in suburban Dublin in 2018, 5 years after Ireland’s economic recession ended. Methods A cross-sectional, face-to-face, household survey was conducted in a random cluster sample of 351 households in Tallaght, a deprived suburb of Dublin. Results A majority of respondents (61.3%) reported stress over the previous 12 months, with a higher rate in areas of high (66.9%) compared to lower deprivation (55.5%). Deprivation was not related to rates of loneliness (20.2%), feeling depressed (20.2%), loss of interest (19.7%) or anxiety (22.5%). Mean score for positive mental health (59.3/100, with a higher score indicating better mental health) was lower than that reported in a national sample in 2007 (68/100); positive mental health was associated with not living with a person with chronic illness, self-identifying as ‘non-Irish’ and greater age. Mean score for psychological distress (76.7/100, with a higher score indicating less distress) was also lower than that in 2007 (82/100); less psychological distress was associated with not living with a person with chronic illness or disability, greater age and identifying as non-Irish. The rate of ‘probable mental illness’ over the previous 4 weeks (13.1%) was higher than in 2007 (7%). Conclusions Our findings emphasise the high prevalence of stress, especially in deprived suburban areas; the centrality of carer burden in determining mental wellbeing; and associations between positive mental health on the one hand and greater age and identifying as non-Irish on the other.

scholarly journals GPs’ mental wellbeing and psychological resources: a cross-sectional survey

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (661) ◽  
pp. e547-e554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marylou Anna Murray ◽  
Chris Cardwell ◽  
Michael Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Psychological Resources ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional

BackgroundThe negative impact of work has been the traditional focus of GP surveys. We know little about GP positive mental health and psychological resources.AimTo profile and contextualise GP positive mental health and personal psychological resources.Design and settingCross-sectional survey of GPs working in Northern Ireland (NI).MethodA questionnaire comprising the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and measures of resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, and hope, and sociodemographic information was posted to 400 GPs randomly selected from a publicly available GP register.ResultsThe response rate was 55% (n = 221 out of 400). Mean value for GP wellbeing (WEMWBS) was 50.2 (standard deviation [SD] 8) compared to UK vets 48.8 (SD 9), UK teachers 47.2 (SD 9), and the population of NI 50.8 (SD 9). After adjustment for confounding, mean WEMWBS was 2.4 units (95% CI = 0.02 to 4.7) higher in female GPs than males (P = 0.05), and 4.0 units (95% CI = 0.8 to 7.3) higher in GPs ≥55 years than GPs ≤44 years (P = 0.02). Optimism was 1.1 units higher in female GPs than male GPs (95% CI = 0.1 to 2.0), and 1.56 units higher in GPs ≥55 years (95% CI = 0.2 to 2.9) than in those ≤44 years. Hope was 3 units higher in GPs ≥55 years (95% CI = 0.4 to 5.7) than in those aged 45–54 years. Correlation between WEMWBS and psychological resources was highest with hope (r = 0.65, P < 0.001).ConclusionGPs have levels of positive mental health that are comparable to the local population and better than other occupational groups, such as vets and teachers. Male and younger GPs may have most to gain from wellbeing interventions.

Suicide Attempters, Suicide Ideators, and Non-Ideators

Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Teismann ◽  
Laura Paashaus ◽  
Paula Siegmann ◽  
Peter Nyhuis ◽  
Marcus Wolter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reasons For Living ◽  
Suicide Attempters

Abstract. Background: Suicide ideation is a prerequisite for suicide attempts. However, the majority of ideators will never act on their thoughts. It is therefore crucial to understand factors that differentiate those who consider suicide from those who make suicide attempts. Aim: Our aim was to investigate the role of protective factors in differentiating non-ideators, suicide ideators, and suicide attempters. Method: Inpatients without suicide ideation ( n = 32) were compared with inpatients with current suicide ideation ( n = 37) and with inpatients with current suicide ideation and a lifetime history of suicide attempts ( n = 26) regarding positive mental health, self-esteem, trust in higher guidance, social support, and reasons for living. Results: Non-ideators reported more positive mental health, social support, reasons for living, and self-esteem than suicide ideators and suicide attempters did. No group differences were found regarding trust in higher guidance. Suicide ideators and suicide attempters did not differ regarding any of the study variables. Limitations: Results stem from a cross-sectional study of suicide attempts; thus, neither directionality nor generalizability to fatal suicide attempts can be determined. Conclusion: Various protective factors are best characterized to distinguish ideators from nonsuicidal inpatients. However, the same variables seem to offer no information about the difference between ideators and attempters.

scholarly journals Suicidal Ideation and Predictors of Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Eswatini: A Population-Based Household Telephone Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6700
Author(s):  
Mduduzi Colani Shongwe ◽  
Song-Lih Huang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
The Government ◽  
Distress Scale

The unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic can induce psychological distress in individuals. We investigated perceived stressors, prevalence of psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and predictors of psychological distress among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. This study was a cross-sectional, population-based household telephone survey of 993 conveniently sampled adults (18+ years) from all the four administrative regions of Eswatini. Data were collected between 9 June and 18 July 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was under a partial lockdown. COVID-19-related psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). We performed weighted modified Poisson regression analyses to identify significant predictors of moderate/severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥5). The weighted prevalences of moderate (K6 scores: 5–12) and severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥13) were 41.7% and 5.4%, respectively. Participants reported several perceived COVID-19-related stressors, including worries and fears of the contagion-specific death, serious need for food and money, and concerns about loss of income or business. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.5%. Statistically significant predictors of increased risk for moderate/severe psychological distress included living in the Hhohho and Manzini regions; feeling not well informed about COVID-19; feeling lonely; having received COVID-19 food or financial relief from the government; feeling burdened by the lockdown; being married; and being youth (18–24 years). The results call for the government to urgently augment the provision of mental health services during the pandemic. Mental health practitioners and programs may use several stressors and risk factors identified in this study to inform interventions and government policies aimed at reducing psychological distress induced by the pandemic.

scholarly journals Telemedicine and mental health: coming of age?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Ohannessian ◽  
A Scardoni ◽  
L Bellini ◽  
S Salvati ◽  
A Amerio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Massachusetts General Hospital ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Remote Patient

Abstract Telemedicine is the practice of medicine from distance using information technology and include mainly teleconsultation via video and/or chat, teleexpertise to request the opinion of a specialist, and remote patient monitoring to improve the follow-up of patients. The use of telemedicine in mental health and most specially psychiatry has been one of the first use case described in the scientific literature, via video teleconsultation, due to the absence of physical patient examination. One of the oldest telepsychiatry case from the literature was published in 1973 for patients assessed from 1968 with the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA. Despite its medical and technical ease, telepsychiatry is still not widely spread and integrated into healthcare systems due to organisational and implementation challenges. More recently, telepsychology and other telemedicine interventions in mental health have been growing across the globe, including for mental wellbeing promotion and prevention of mental health conditions in specific environments. The rise of consumer digital healthcare directly through mobile app and dedicated websites is also to be considered in the wide opportunities of telemedicine opportunities to address mental health issues at a global scale. Various models needs thus to be considered between digital only care and blended approach mixing face-to-face and digital ways, as well as telemental health delivered only via the existing healthcare system or via new private digital players. The objective of the presentation is to describe the spectrum of existing telemedicine interventions in mental health, the digital features enabling its adoption and the assessment of its impact on clinical and public health outcomes.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Multimorbidity of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in Brazil: Population-Based Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Shi ◽  
Simone Maria da Silva Lima ◽  
Caroline Maria de Miranda Mota ◽  
Ying Lu ◽  
Randall S Stafford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Multiple Chronic Diseases

BACKGROUND Multimorbidity is the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE This study, based on self-reported medical diagnosis, aims to investigate the dynamic distribution of multimorbidity across sociodemographic levels and its impacts on health-related issues over 15 years in Brazil using national data. METHODS Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, hypothesis tests, and logistic regression. The study sample comprised 679,572 adults (18-59 years of age) and 115,699 elderly people (≥60 years of age) from the two latest cross-sectional, multiple-cohort, national-based studies: the National Sample Household Survey (PNAD) of 1998, 2003, and 2008, and the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS) of 2013. RESULTS Overall, the risk of multimorbidity in adults was 1.7 times higher in women (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% CI 1.67-1.79) and 1.3 times higher among people without education (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.28-1.41). Multiple chronic diseases considerably increased with age in Brazil, and people between 50 and 59 years old were about 12 times more likely to have multimorbidity than adults between 18 and 29 years of age (OR 11.89, 95% CI 11.27-12.55). Seniors with multimorbidity had more than twice the likelihood of receiving health assistance in community services or clinics (OR 2.16, 95% CI 2.02-2.31) and of being hospitalized (OR 2.37, 95% CI 2.21-2.56). The subjective well-being of adults with multimorbidity was often worse than people without multiple chronic diseases (OR=12.85, 95% CI: 12.07-13.68). These patterns were similar across all 4 cohorts analyzed and were relatively stable over 15 years. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows little variation in the prevalence of the multimorbidity of chronic diseases in Brazil over time, but there are differences in the prevalence of multimorbidity across different social groups. It is hoped that the analysis of multimorbidity from the two latest Brazil national surveys will support policy making on epidemic prevention and management.

scholarly journals App-Based Delivery of Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques: Cross-Sectional Study of App User Self-Ratings (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawson Church ◽  
Peta Stapleton ◽  
Debbie Sabot
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Emotional Freedom Techniques ◽  
Distress Scale

BACKGROUND The burgeoning area of mobile health (mHealth) has experienced rapid growth in mobile apps designed to address mental health issues. Although abundant apps offer strategies for managing symptoms of anxiety and stress, information regarding their efficacy is scarce. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of an mHealth app on user self-ratings of psychological distress in a sample of 270,461 app users. The Tapping Solution App guides users through the therapeutic protocols of Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), an evidence-based psychophysiological intervention that combines acupressure with elements of cognitive and exposure therapies. METHODS App users provided self-ratings of emotional intensity before and after app sessions (termed “tapping meditations”) using an 11-point Subjective Units of Distress scale. App user data for 23 tapping meditations, which addressed psychological symptoms of anxiety and stress, were gathered between October 2018 and October 2019, totaling 380,034 completed app sessions. RESULTS Across 12 anxiety-tapping meditations, the difference in emotional intensity ratings from presession (mean 6.66, SD 0.25) to postsession (mean 3.75, SD 0.30) was statistically significant (<i>P</i>&lt;.001; 95% CI −2.92 to −2.91). Across 11 stress-tapping meditations, a statistically significant difference was also found from presession (mean 6.91, SD 0.48) to postsession (mean 3.83, SD 0.54; <i>P</i>&lt;.001; 95% CI −3.08 to −3.07). The results are consistent with the literature on the efficacy of Clinical EFT for anxiety and stress when offered in conventional therapeutic formats. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of the mHealth app in the immediate reduction of self-rated psychological distress. As an adjunct to professional mental health care, the app promises accessible and convenient therapeutic benefits.

scholarly journals Dose response association of objective physical activity with mental health in a representative national sample of adults: a cross-sectional study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paquito Bernard ◽  
Isabelle Doré ◽  
Romain Ahmed Jérôme ◽  
Gabriel Hains-Monfette ◽  
Kingsbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Generalized Additive Models ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Representative National Sample

Although higher physical activity (PA) levels are associated with better mental health, previous findings about the shape of the dose–response relationship between PA and mental health are inconsistent. Furthermore, this association may differ according to sedentary levels. We investigated the cross-sectional dose-response associations between objectively measured PA and mental health in a representative national sample of adults. We also examined whether sedentary time modified the PA - mental health associations. Based on 2007-2013 Canadian Health Measures Survey data, PA and sedentary time were measured using accelerometry among 8150 participants, aged 20 to 79 years. Generalized additive models with a smooth function were fitted to examine associations between minutes per day of moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), daily steps (combined or not with sedentary time) and self-rated mental health. A significant curvilinear relationship between average daily minutes of MVPA and mental health was observed, with increasing benefits up to 50 minutes/day. For LPA, a more complex shape (monotonic and curvilinear) was found. For daily steps, inverted U-shaped curve suggested increasing benefits until a plateau between 5000 and 16000 steps. The MVPA-LPA combination was significantly associated with mental health but with a complex pattern. The tested PA-sedentary time combinations showed that increasing sedentary time decreased the positive PA-mental health associations. Non-linear dose-response patterns between the PA modalities and self-reported mental health were observed. Optimal doses of daily minutes of MVPA, LPA, MVPA combined with LPA and daily steps are independently associated with better mental health in adults. The results also suggest that PA-mental health associations could be hampered by daily sedentary time.

scholarly journals Mental health of undergraduate distance learners: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayani P. Gamage ◽  
H.M.Chulani J. Herath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Distance Learners ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeMental health is as important as physical health and new university entrants report high prevalence of depression. In open and distance learning (ODL), students must manage both work and studies. Those who are unable to effectively balance these aspects may experience negative outcomes such as dropping out, distress and physical health problems. Therefore, the study aims to investigate psychological distress amongst distance-learning undergraduate students to gather evidence for recommending necessary interventions.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted using depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). Participants were undergraduate students from the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL). The students' socio-demographic details, history of physical and mental illnesses were also recorded.FindingsAccording to scoring, 51% of the sample was categorised as “psychologically distressed” relating to the anxiety levels they reported whilst depression (35%) and stress remained (20%) at low levels. The three-factor structure of DASS-21 was also confirmed with reliability scores of 0.8 obtained for all three sub-scales.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations were low-response rate (less than 50%) and inability to provide causal explanations for psychological distress. Further research could address these.Practical implicationsThe current research identified anxiety as a psychologically distressing factor for ODL students with the use of a reliable screening tool. Therefore, exploring reasons and interventions to help reduce anxiety could be developed.Social implicationsMajority of distance learners are contributing to a country's economy whilst learning to improve their current socio-economic status. Therefore, addressing these negative impacts is important.Originality/valueThe study explored ODL students' psychological distress and highlighted the need to identify causes and development of support systems to enhance mental well-being.

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