scholarly journals Boston College daily sleep and well-being survey data during early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony J. Cunningham ◽  
Eric C. Fields ◽  
Elizabeth A. Kensinger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Early Start ◽  
Boston College ◽  
Initial Wave ◽  
The World ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Initial Focus

AbstractWhile there was a necessary initial focus on physical health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming increasingly clear that many have experienced significant social and mental health repercussions as well. It is important to understand the effects of the pandemic on well-being, both as the world continues to recover from the lasting impact of COVID-19 and in the eventual case of future pandemics. On March 20, 2020, we launched an online daily survey study tracking participants’ sleep and mental well-being. Repeated reports of sleep and mental health metrics were collected from participants ages 18–90 during the initial wave of the pandemic (March 20 – June 23, 2020). Given both the comprehensive nature and early start of this assessment, open access to this dataset will allow researchers to answer a range of questions regarding the psychiatric impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout left in its wake.

scholarly journals Impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities on capability well-being, mental health and social support: an Austrian survey study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judit Simon ◽  
Timea M. Helter ◽  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina van der Boor ◽  
Agata Łaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities on capability well-being, mental health and social support in Austria. Methods Adult Austrian residents (n = 560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression. Results 31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of − 6.54 (95%CI, − 9.26, − 3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (− 1.77) and anxiety (− 1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+ 3.75) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between − 9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and + 5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale. Conclusions Our study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of lockdown and relevant vulnerabilities alongside their impacts on mental health and social support. The negative capability well-being, mental health and social support impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. Future public health policies concerning lockdowns should pay special attention to improve social support levels in order to increase public resilience.

scholarly journals Capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with mental well-being, social connections and existing vulnerabilities: an Austrian survey study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judit Simon ◽  
Timea M. Helter ◽  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina van der Boor ◽  
Agata Łaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mental Well Being

AbstractBackgroundImpacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its public health measures go beyond physical and mental health and incorporate wider well-being impacts in terms of what people are free to do or be. We explored these capability impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown in association with people’s mental well-being, social support and existing vulnerabilities in Austria.MethodsAdult Austrian residents (n=560) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about their experiences during Covid-19 lockdown (15 March-15 April 2020). Instruments measuring capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), social support (MSPSS) and mental well-being (WHO-5) were used in association with six pre-defined vulnerabilities using multivariable linear regression.Results31% of the participants reported low mental well-being and only 30% of those with a history of mental health treatment received treatment during lockdown. Past mental health treatment had a significant negative effect across all outcome measures with an associated capability well-being score reduction of -6.54 (95%CI: -9.26,-3.82). Direct Covid-19 experience and being ‘at risk’ due to age and/or physical health conditions were also associated with significant capability deprivations. When adjusted for vulnerabilities, significant capability reductions were observed in association with increased levels of depression (−1.79) and anxiety (−1.50), and significantly higher capability levels (+3.77) were associated with higher levels of social support. Compared to the cohort average, individual capability impacts varied between -9% for those reporting past mental health treatment and +5% for those reporting one score higher on the social support scale.ConclusionsOur study is the first to assess the capability limiting aspects of a lockdown in association with specific vulnerabilities. The negative impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were strongest for people with a history of mental health treatment. In future public health policies, special attention should be also paid to improving social support levels to increase public resilience.

scholarly journals Chatbot for Mental Well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 03019
Author(s):  
Vivek More ◽  
Viren Koli ◽  
Vignesh Vijaykumar ◽  
Vimla Jethani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
School Children ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The World ◽  
Mental Health Facilities ◽  
Mental Well Being

With the world becoming more and more competitive every passing day, the number of people suffering from stress and other mental health issues is exponentially increasing. Even school children and senior citizens are becoming victims of stress and pressure in today's world. The mental health of an individual is as important as physical health is. But unfortunately, there is a lack of awareness and proper mental health facilities in today's society, which demands the individuals to fight against their odds without any support. Therefore, we propose a solution in the form of a chatbot that will act as a medium for the users to communicate with, let out their feelings and thus get relieved of the stress that is clogged up. A chatbot application will be available at all times at the user's expense and will also keep track of the user's mood over a span of time.

scholarly journals Furloughs, Teleworking and Other Work Situations during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on Mental Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2898
Author(s):  
Israel Escudero-Castillo ◽  
Fco. Javier Mato-Díaz ◽  
Ana Rodriguez-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Exogenous Shock ◽  
Work Location ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Market Status ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Labour Market Status

As a consequence of the Spring 2020 lockdown that occurred in Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their jobs or had to be furloughed. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the latter changes in labour market status on psychological well-being. For this purpose, an ad-hoc questionnaire featuring socio-demographic and mental health criteria was created. Granted that the pandemic can be viewed as an exogenous shock, the bias caused by the bidirectional problems between the work situation and mental well-being can be tackled. Results indicate that the lockdown exerted a greater negative effect on the self-perceived well-being of unemployed and furloughed persons than on those in employment. Moreover, among those in continuous employment, teleworkers experienced a lesser degree of self-perceived well-being post lockdown as compared to those people remaining in the same work location throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the lockdown provoked worse effects on the self-perceived well-being of women as compared to men, a result that appears to be related to gender differences in household production. In conclusion, these results could be especially relevant given that the evolution of the pandemic is having ongoing effects on employment and, therefore, on the mental health of workers.

scholarly journals COVID-19 is having a destructive impact on health-care workers’ mental well-being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris Vanhaecht ◽  
Deborah Seys ◽  
Luk Bruyneel ◽  
Bianca Cox ◽  
Gorik Kaesemans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may aggravate workplace conditions that impact health-care workers’ mental health. However, it can also place other stresses on workers outside of their work. This study determines the effect of COVID-19 on symptoms of negative and positive mental health and the workforce’s experience with various sources of support. Effect modification by demographic variables was also studied. Methods A cross-sectional survey study, conducted between 2 April and 4 May 2020 (two waves), led to a convenience sample of 4509 health-care workers in Flanders (Belgium), including paramedics (40.6%), nurses (33.4%), doctors (13.4%) and management staff (12.2%). About three in four were employed in university and acute hospitals (29.6%), primary care practices (25.7%), residential care centers (21.3%) or care sites for disabled and mental health care. In each of the two waves, participants were asked how frequently (on a scale of 0–10) they experienced positive and negative mental health symptoms during normal circumstances and during last week, referred to as before and during COVID-19, respectively. These symptoms were stress, hypervigilance, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, unable to relax, fear, irregular lifestyle, flashback, difficulty concentrating, feeling unhappy and dejected, failing to recognize their own emotional response, doubting knowledge and skills and feeling uncomfortable within the team. Associations between COVID-19 and mental health symptoms were estimated by cumulative logit models and reported as odds ratios. The needed support was our secondary outcome and was reported as the degree to which health-care workers relied on sources of support and how they experienced them. Results All symptoms were significantly more pronounced during versus before COVID-19. For hypervigilance, there was a 12-fold odds (odds ratio 12.24, 95% confidence interval 11.11–13.49) during versus before COVID-19. Positive professional symptoms such as the feeling that one can make a difference were less frequently experienced. The association between COVID-19 and mental health was generally strongest for the age group 30–49 years, females, nurses and residential care centers. Health-care workers reported to rely on support from relatives and peers. A considerable proportion, respectively, 18 and 27%, reported the need for professional guidance from psychologists and more support from their leadership. Conclusions The toll of the crisis has been heavy on health-care workers. Those who carry leadership positions at an organizational or system level should take this opportunity to develop targeted strategies to mitigate key stressors of health-care workers’ mental well-being.

scholarly journals Maudsley International: improving mental health and well-being around the world

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Bouras ◽  
Silvia Davey ◽  
Tracey Power ◽  
Jonathan Rolfe ◽  
Tom Craig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Building Capacity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The World ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
And Training

Maudsley International was set up to help improve people's mental health and well-being around the world. A variety of programmes have been developed by Maudsley International over the past 10 years, for planning and implementing services; building capacity; and training and evaluation to support organisations and individuals, professionals and managers to train and develop health and social care provisions. Maudsley International's model is based on collaboration, sharing expertise and cultural understanding with international partners.

Efficacy of ‘Foundations’, a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-Being, during COVID-19: A Proof-of-Principle Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Catuara-Solarz ◽  
Bartlomiej Skorulski ◽  
Inaki Estella ◽  
Claudia Avella-Garcia ◽  
Sarah Shepherd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
World Health ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Proof Of Principle

BACKGROUND Against a long-term trend of increasing demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global rise in common mental disorders. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based interventions to support mental well-being. OBJECTIVE The aim of this proof-of-principle study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile-based app in adults with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and stress in a randomised control trial that took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. METHODS Adults with mild to severe anxiety and moderate to high levels of perceived stress were randomised to either the intervention or control arm. Participants in the intervention arm were given access to the app, Foundations, for the duration of the 4-week study. All participants were required to self-report a range of validated measures of mental well-being (10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience scale [CD-RISC-10]; 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Office of National Statistics Four Subjective Well-being Questions [ONS-4]; World Health Organisation-5 Well-Being Index [WHO-5]) and sleep (Minimal Insomnia Scale [MISS]) at baseline and weeks 2 and 4; and, in addition, on perceived stress weekly (10-item Perceived Stress Score [PSS]). RESULTS 136 participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The intervention group (n=62) showed significant improvements compared to the control group (n=74) on measures of anxiety (GAD-7 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.35 [SD 4.43]; control group: -0.23 [SD 3.24]; t134= 1.71 , P=.04), resilience (CD-RISC score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.79 [± SD 4.08]; control group: -0.31 [± SD 3.16]; t134 -3.37, P<.001), sleep (MISS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.16 [± SD 2.67]; control group: -0.26 [± SD 2.29]; t134= 2.13, P=.01), and mental well-being (WHO-5 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.53 [5.30]; control group: -0.23 [± SD 4.20]; t134= -2.16, P=.02) within 2 weeks of using Foundations, with further improvements emerging at week 4. Perceived stress was also reduced within the intervention group, although the results did not reach statistical significance relative to the control group (PSS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -2.94 [± SD 6.84]; control group: -2.05 [± SD 5.34]; t134= 0.84, P=.20). CONCLUSIONS This study provides proof-of-principle that the digital mental health app, Foundations, can improve measures of mental well-being, anxiety, resilience, and sleep within 2 weeks of use, with greater effects after 4 weeks. It therefore offers potential as a scalable, cost-effective, and accessible solution to enhance mental well-being, even during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Identifying key targets for interventions to improve psychological wellbeing: replicable results from four UK cohorts

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (14) ◽  
pp. 2389-2396 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Stochl ◽  
E. Soneson ◽  
A.P. Wagner ◽  
G.M. Khandaker ◽  
I. Goodyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Signal Improvement

AbstractBackgroundAn increasing importance is being placed on mental health and wellbeing at individual and population levels. While there are several interventions that have been proposed to improve wellbeing, more evidence is needed to understand which aspects of wellbeing are most influential. This study aimed to identify key items that signal improvement of mental health and wellbeing.MethodsUsing network analysis, we identified the most central items in the graph network estimated from the well-established Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Results were compared across four major UK cohorts comprising a total of 47,578 individuals: the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey, the Northern Ireland Health Survey, and the National Child Development Study.ResultsRegardless of gender, the three items most central in the network were related to positive self-perception and mood: ‘I have been feeling good about myself’; ‘I have been feeling confident’; and ‘I have been feeling cheerful’. Results were consistent across all four cohorts.ConclusionsPositive self-perception and positive mood are central to psychological wellbeing. Psychotherapeutic and public mental health interventions might best promote psychological wellbeing by prioritising the improvement of self-esteem, self-confidence and cheerfulness. However, empirical testing of interventions using these key targets is needed.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Education in Psychiatry in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16
Author(s):  
Roy Abraham Kallivayalil ◽  
Arun Enara
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Treatment Gap ◽  
The World ◽  
Education In India

AbstractMedical education curricula, from around the world, have often neglected psychiatry as a subject of importance in undergraduate medical training.In India, the scenario has not been different from the rest of the world. The National Mental Health Survey done in India, recently, estimates a treatment gap of around 80–85% for various mental illnesses. This provides a strong case to strengthen the undergraduate psychiatry curricula since it would help tackle the treatment gap of common mental disorders in the community.Further, a strong educational foundation with meaningful inclusion of mental health and well-being, will also make the trainee aware of their own mental well-being and better help seeking behaviour in the medical student. In this article, we look to review the evolution of undergraduate medical education in India.

scholarly journals Microdosing Psychedelics: Personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Anderson ◽  
Rotem Petranker ◽  
Daniel Rosenbaum ◽  
Cory Weissman ◽  
Le-Anh Dinh-Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Full Dose ◽  
Regular Consumption ◽  
Exciting Potential ◽  
Clinical Benefits ◽  
Mental Well Being

Microdosing psychedelics - the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin - is a growing trend in popular culture. Recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. While full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing may provide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses. No experimental study has evaluated psychedelic microdosing, however; this pre-registered study is the first to investigate microdosing psychedelics and mental health. Recruited from online forums, current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes and negative emotionality and higher on wisdom, open-mindedness, and creativity when compared to non-microdosing controls. These findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. As microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.

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