scholarly journals Time-course of PTSD symptoms in the Australian Defence Force: a retrospective cohort study

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Waller ◽  
F. J. Charlson ◽  
R. E. E. Ireland ◽  
H. A. Whiteford ◽  
A. J. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
C 50 ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
The Impact

Aims.Understanding the time-course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the underlying events, may help to identify those most at risk, and anticipate the number of individuals likely to be diagnosed after exposure to traumatic events.Method.Data from two health surveys were combined to create a cohort of 1119 Australian military personnel who deployed to the Middle East between 2000 and 2009. Changes in PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C) scores and the reporting of stressful events between the two self-reported surveys were assessed. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the number of stressful events reported and PTSD symptoms, and assess whether those who reported new stressful events between the two surveys, were also more likely to report older events. We also assessed, using linear regression, whether higher scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale or the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were associated with subsequent increases in the PCL-C in those who had experienced a stressful event, but who initially had few PTSD symptoms.Results.Overall, the mean PCL-C scores in the two surveys were similar, and 78% of responders stayed in the same PCL-C category. Only a small percentage moved from having few symptoms of PTSD (PCL-C < 30) in Survey 1 to meeting the criteria for PTSD (PCL-C ≥ 50) at Survey 2 (1% of all responders, 16% of those with PCL-C ≥ 50 at Survey 2). Personnel who reported more stressful lifetime events were more likely to score higher on the PCL-C. Only 51% reported the same stressful event on both surveys. People who reported events occurring between the two surveys were more likely to record events from before the first survey which they had not previously mentioned (OR 1.48, 95% CI (1.17, 1.88),p< 0.001), than those who did not. In people who initially had few PTSD symptoms, a higher level of psychological distress, was significantly associated with higher PCL-C scores a few years later.Conclusions.The reporting of stressful events varied over time indicating that while the impact of some stressors endure, others may increase or decline in importance. When screening for PTSD, it is important to consider both traumatic experiences on deployment and other stressful life events, as well as other mental health problems among military personnel, even if individuals do not exhibit symptoms of PTSD on an initial assessment.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Symptomatology among Dental Healthcare Workers in Russia: Results of a Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Sarapultseva ◽  
Alena Zolotareva ◽  
Igor Kritsky ◽  
Natal’ya Nasretdinova ◽  
Alexey Sarapultsev
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection has increased the risk of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at greater risk than other occupational groups. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to explore the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD among dental HCWs in Russia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The survey was carried out among 128 dental HCWs from three dental clinics of Ekaterinburg, Russia. The mean age of the sample was 38.6 years. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21); PTSD was assessed using the PTSD Symptom Scale-Self-Report (PSS-SR); subjective distress was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). The results indicated that 20.3–24.2% HCWs had mild to extremely severe symptoms of psychological distress, and 7.1–29.7% had clinical symptoms of PTSD. No differences between females and males were revealed. HCWs working directly with patients had significantly higher levels of PTSD symptoms and the risk of PTSD development compared to those working indirectly, whereas older HCWs had significantly higher levels of both psychological distress and PTSD symptoms compared to younger HCWs. Thus, dental HCWs are at high risk for psychological distress and PTSD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals A Longitudinal Investigation of the Impact of Operational Deployment on the Psychological Wellbeing of New Zealand Defence Force Service Personnel

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kelsey Laura Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
The Impact

<p>The deleterious impact of combat on psychological wellbeing has been documented as early as 490 B.C. by Greek historians (Bentley, 2005), and researchers continue to delve into this phenomenon today. Published literature in this field largely emanates from the United States and United Kingdom, whilst research from New Zealand is largely absent. The current study seeks to fill this gap with an investigation of the impact of overseas deployment on the psychological wellbeing of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) military personnel. This study utilised data from 1410 NZDF military personnel who operationally deployed between 1 July 2015 and 31 October 2016 and completed two questionnaires: (1) immediately following deployment, and (2) six months after returning home. Regression, moderation, mediation, and path model analyses were used to analyse the data. Several key findings were obtained. Firstly, combat stressors, as expected, predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms but surprisingly not psychological distress. PTSD, as expected, predicted distress. Secondly, moderation analysis revealed that experiencing medium to high levels of non-combat stressors in addition to combat stressors was likely to result in exacerbated levels of PTSD symptoms. Thirdly, demographic characteristics such as being in the Navy, being female, and not being in a relationship were all identified risk factors for poorer psychological outcomes (PTSD symptoms and psychological distress), whereas neither ethnicity nor prior deployment experience functioned as risk factors. Lastly, mediation analysis revealed that PTSD partially explained the relationship between combat events and posttraumatic growth, suggesting that PTSD symptomology may prompt military personnel to appraise outcomes from their deployment, and subsequently experience personal growth. Implications of the current research lay in the potential for improvements to be made to the education, training, and support offered by the NZDF to their service personnel.</p>

scholarly journals A Longitudinal Investigation of the Impact of Operational Deployment on the Psychological Wellbeing of New Zealand Defence Force Service Personnel

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kelsey Laura Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
The Impact

<p>The deleterious impact of combat on psychological wellbeing has been documented as early as 490 B.C. by Greek historians (Bentley, 2005), and researchers continue to delve into this phenomenon today. Published literature in this field largely emanates from the United States and United Kingdom, whilst research from New Zealand is largely absent. The current study seeks to fill this gap with an investigation of the impact of overseas deployment on the psychological wellbeing of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) military personnel. This study utilised data from 1410 NZDF military personnel who operationally deployed between 1 July 2015 and 31 October 2016 and completed two questionnaires: (1) immediately following deployment, and (2) six months after returning home. Regression, moderation, mediation, and path model analyses were used to analyse the data. Several key findings were obtained. Firstly, combat stressors, as expected, predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms but surprisingly not psychological distress. PTSD, as expected, predicted distress. Secondly, moderation analysis revealed that experiencing medium to high levels of non-combat stressors in addition to combat stressors was likely to result in exacerbated levels of PTSD symptoms. Thirdly, demographic characteristics such as being in the Navy, being female, and not being in a relationship were all identified risk factors for poorer psychological outcomes (PTSD symptoms and psychological distress), whereas neither ethnicity nor prior deployment experience functioned as risk factors. Lastly, mediation analysis revealed that PTSD partially explained the relationship between combat events and posttraumatic growth, suggesting that PTSD symptomology may prompt military personnel to appraise outcomes from their deployment, and subsequently experience personal growth. Implications of the current research lay in the potential for improvements to be made to the education, training, and support offered by the NZDF to their service personnel.</p>

Psychological Distress in Iranian Military Personnel: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azizeh Alizadeh1 ◽  
Behnaz Dowran ◽  
maryam azizi ◽  
Seyed -Hossein Salimi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Military Organization ◽  
Military Members ◽  
Data Saturation ◽  
The Military

Abstract Background: Military personnel are likely to encounter mental health problems due to High-risk occupations associated with significant levels of psychological distress. The aim of the present study was to explore psychological distress experienced by Iranian military personnel. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted on 15 Iranian military personnel. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and continued until data saturation was reached. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then the qualitative data were analyzed through direct content analysis. Results: By analyzing show 395 primary codes, 2 main categories, including demands and resources were extracted from the experiences of military members. The categories included several sub-categories, which were classified according to their significant characteristics. Findings of this study ascertain that different factors affect the military member’s psychological distress.Conclusions: Military organization and leaders should consider the factors of psychological distress that raised by specialists, and assign policies to improve their mental health. According to the present results, it is recommended that the process of psychological distress in military members be investigated further.

scholarly journals Stress gradation of medical practitioners during the pandemic (covid-19) along with ways to de-stress; a cross sectional study at tertiary care hospitals using Kessler’s 10 psychological distress scale.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (09) ◽  
pp. 1239-1244
Author(s):  
Umair Toqueer ◽  
Muhammad Usama Zardad ◽  
Mahwish Toqueer ◽  
Anila Riyaz ◽  
Sana Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospitals ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: To determine stress grades of doctors working in tertiary care  hospitals by using a standard measuring tool i.e. Kessler 10 psychological distress scale along with finding out different coping methods adopted by doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Tertiary Care Hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Period: 15 March 2020 to 20 June 2020. Material & Methods: A structured questionnaire was sent online to the junior and senior doctors working during the pandemic. The data was automatically collected with the help of Google docs and then analysed using SPSS 26. Results: Of the 219 doctors who completed the questionnaire 142 were males (64.8%) and 77 were females (35.2%). Interestingly, analysis of the score revealed that 38.8% of the doctors were found likely to be well, 16.4% of the doctors were likely to have mild disease and 20.5% were likely to have a moderate disorder while 24.2% were likely to have a severe disorder. Further analysis showed that the mean of  Kessler’s score was greater for junior doctors as  compared to Consultants which was found to be statistically significant (p=0.044). Conclusion: The impact of Corona virus disease (COVID-19) on the stress levels of health workers warrants considerable attention as it was declared a pandemic. Assessing the psychological impact and ways to tackle them will not only help the health care workers during this pandemic but will be beneficial in future pandemics as well.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress among Employed, Partially employed and Unemployed Youths Due to Pandemic: A Comparative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inchara Chamaiah Swamy
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Good Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Corona Virus ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
The Impact

Novel corona virus, COVID-19 has been declared as pandemic by the WHO (world health organization). The spread of corona virus has lead to wide spread fear which in turn has affected the daily life of every individual, more so the unemployed youths. The present study aimed to examine the level of psychological distress among employed, Partially employed and unemployed youths. The research was conducted on 101 youths in the age range of 18-35 years. The sample of the study consisted 60 unemployed and 41 employed Indian youths. Random sampling method was used in order to select the subject’s for the present study. Online survey method was adopted for the collection of data. Kessler Psychological distress Scale, (K10) was used to assess the level of psychological distress. In order to analyze the data mean, SD, “t” test and “f” test was used. The wide spread contagious outbreak has brought a halt to the fast moving modern world. Thus, this disease has affected every individual directly or indirectly. Such a change in one’s life has caused anxiety, stress and fear, though this is a natural reaction to an uncertain situation. The data reveals that there’s an alarming need to cope and manage the impact of the disease among unemployed youths to ensure good health and wellbeing.

scholarly journals Mental health of healthcare professionals during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yimenu Yitayih ◽  
Seblework Mekonen ◽  
Ahmed Zeynudin ◽  
Embialle Mengistie ◽  
Argaw Ambelu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Classification Tree ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact

Background The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causes healthcare professionals to suffer mental health problems such as psychological distress, anxiety, depression, denial and fear. However, studies are lacking related to Ethiopia and to Africa in general. Aims To study the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. Method A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Jimma University Medical Center among 249 healthcare professionals. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires between 22 and 28 March 2020. The psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) and symptoms of insomnia were measured using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Social support was evaluated using the three-item Oslo Social Support Scale. Data were analysed using logistic regression to examine mutually adjusted associations, expressed as adjusted odds ratios. The psychosocial status of the healthcare professionals was predicted using a classification tree model supported by the genetic search method. Results The prevalence of psychological distress among healthcare professionals was 78.3%. The mean IES-R score was 34.2 (s.d. = 19.4). The ISI score indicated that the prevalence of insomnia was 50.2%. Higher psychological distress was associated with younger age, having insomnia, not having a daily update on COVID-19, and feeling stigmatised and rejected in the neighbourhood because of hospital work. Conclusions This study indicates that, in Ethiopia, the prevalence of psychological distress among healthcare professionals is high and associated with specific sociodemographic risks.

scholarly journals A Study of Psychiatric Consequences following Road Traffic Accidents

1970 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
N Rawal ◽  
P Thapa ◽  
Y Bista
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Road Traffic Accidents ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: Psychiatric consequences are very common following RTA. The study is sought to identify the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity (e.g. depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and symptoms related to PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) following injury sustained after road traffic accidents and to evaluate the relationshop between severity of injuries of  victims and psychiatric symptoms. Methods: The 102 (male=83,female=19) patients were interviewed using a questionnaire to collect the socio- demographic data, the Self Rating Questionnaire (SRQ) -Beck Depression Inventory(BDI),Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI) and the Impact of Event Scale -Revised (IES-R). Patients were prospectively followed up for 1 month. Patients were aged between 20-69 years. The impact of injury was assessed by ISS (Injury Severity Scale) and ABI (Abbreviated injury Scale). Results:The mean age was 33.93 years (range 20-69). Overall, the prevalence rate o of Anxiety symptoms-19.6%, depressive symptoms-21.6% and PTSD symptoms-35.3%. Females had a higher rate of PTSD symptoms 52.6% (n = 10), compared to the males 31.3% (n=26). The majority of those with PTSD (47.2%) were young, 20 - 29 years. The samples showed maximum symptoms of PTSD in first week 93.1% followed by depressive symptoms 51% and then anxiety symptoms30.4%. The symptoms gradually reduced in the fourth week to PTSD - 35.3%, depression- 21.6% and anxiety-19.6%. The study also showed higher scales of psychiatric symptoms in major injuries in comparison to minor injuries showing direct correlation of psychiatric morbidity with severity of injury. Conclusion: Psychiatric symptoms are frequent and severe after major injuries and less severe after minor RTA. Psychopathology following injury is a frequent and persistent occurrence. Early information and advice might reduce psychological distress and symptoms. Early information and advice might reduce psychological distress and symptoms. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/mjsbh.v9i2.5017 Medical Journal of Shree Birendra Hospital Vol.9(2) 2010: 1-7

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of School-Based Greenness on Mental Health Among Adolescent Students in Ontario, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Srugo ◽  
Margaret de Groh ◽  
Ying Jiang ◽  
Howard Morrison ◽  
Hayley Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Postal Code ◽  
Serious Psychological Distress ◽  
School Based ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
The Impact

Neighbourhood greenness has been frequently associated with improved mental health in adulthood, yet its impact among youth is less clear. Additionally, though youth spend large portions of time at school, no study has investigated associations between school-based measures of greenness and students’ mental health in Canada. We addressed this gap by linking participant responses from the 2016–2017 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey to school-based features of the built environment. Our analyses included 6313 students, ages 11–20. Measures of greenness were the mean and max of the annual mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within 500 m and 1000 m from the centroid of the school postal code. Measures of mental health included: serious psychological distress (Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale), self-rated mental health (using a five-point Likert scale), suicide ideation, and suicide attempt. In our study population, the prevalence of serious psychological distress and low self-rated mental health was 16.7% and 20.3%, respectively. Suicide ideation was reported by 13.5% of participants, while 3.7% reported a suicide attempt. Quantity of greenness was similar between schools in the lower and upper quartiles. In logistic regressions, we found no association between objective school-based greenness and mental health, as assessed by multiple measures, both before and after adjustment. Null findings held true after stratification by season, as well. Whether other characteristics of school greenness (such as type, quality, or access and use) are more impactful to students’ mental health should be a focus of future analyses.

scholarly journals The Association between Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Distress: A Within and Between Twin Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 312-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine R. Lam ◽  
Jessica Tyler ◽  
Katrina J. Scurrah ◽  
Nicola J. Reavley ◽  
Gillian S. Dite
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Lifestyle Questionnaire ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
Distress Scale

AbstractLow socioeconomic status (SES) has been established as a risk factor for poor mental health; however, the relationship between SES and mental health problems can be confounded by genetic and environmental factors in standard regression analyses and observational studies of unrelated individuals. In this study, we used a within-pair twin design to control for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounders in investigating the association between SES and psychological distress. We also employed within–between pair regression analysis to assess whether the association was consistent with causality. SES was measured using the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD), income and the Australian Socioeconomic Index 2006 (AUSEI06); psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 6 Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Data were obtained from Twins Research Australia’s Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire (2014–2017), providing a maximum sample size of 1395 pairs. Twins with higher AUSEI06 scores had significantly lower K6 scores than their co-twins after controlling for shared genetic and environmental traits (βW [within-pair regression coefficient] = −0.012 units, p = .006). Twins with higher income had significantly lower K6 scores than their co-twins after controlling for familial confounders (βW = −0.182 units, p = .002). There was no evidence of an association between the IRSD and K6 scores within pairs (βW, p = .6). Using a twin design to eliminate the effect of potential confounders, these findings further support the association between low SES and poor mental health, reinforcing the need to address social determinants of poor mental health, in addition to interventions targeted to individuals.

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