Coastal exposure and residents’ mental health in the affected areas by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

AbstractNo previous study has ever explored the association between coastal exposure and the mental health of residents in a post-disaster context. Therefore, we aimed to confirm whether there was an association between sea visibility and coastal proximity and the mental health of coastal residents a devastating tsunami. We targeted 15 coastal municipalities located in the Miyagi Prefecture, and obtained data from a community-based cohort study. The baseline survey was initiated 2 years after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the secondary survey was initiated 6 years after the disaster. We applied multilevel mixed-effects models to the longitudinal data. Our outcome measure was the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) score. We assessed the data collected from 2,327 respondents on both surveys as of April 2018 for this ongoing cohort study. We found that neither sea visibility nor coastal proximity was significantly associated with the recovery of mental health after the disaster. However, we found a distinctive trend of mental health recovery in people who lived alone with a sea view, indicating that visibility of the sea had a negative effect on their mental health immediately after the GEJET, but that the negative effect was subsequently eliminated.

Download Full-text

The mental health of Australian medical practitioners during Covid-19

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/10398562211010807 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103985622110108

Author(s):

Michelle Anne Adams ◽

Matthew Brazel ◽

Richard Thomson ◽

Hannah Lake

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Junior Doctor ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Mental Health Diagnosis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Practitioners ◽

Psychological Distress Scale ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Health Diagnosis

Objectives: To ascertain whether doctors were experiencing higher rates of distress during Covid-19 and whether this was impacted by demographic factors. Our hypotheses were that being a junior doctor, having a previous mental health diagnosis and treating Covid-19 positive patients would predict higher rates of distress. Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted via Survey Monkey. Voluntary participants were recruited from the mailing list of a national-based referral service for doctors to psychiatrists. Distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Demographic factors were analysed for predictive value of a higher rating on the K10. Areas of concern in relation to Covid-19 and preference for support services were measured on a Likert scale and compared to levels of distress. Results: The rate of very high distress was 15%. Being a junior doctor and having a previous mental health diagnosis were predictive factors of a higher K10 score. K10 was not affected by likelihood of contact with Covid-19-positive patients. Social isolation had a larger impact on mental health in the context of a previous psychiatric diagnosis. Face-to-face assessments were preferred. Conclusions: Rates of distress in doctors have been higher than baseline during Covid-19. Some groups have been particularly vulnerable.

Download Full-text

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

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136700 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Suicide Rate Trends in the Tsunami-Disaster-Affected Area Following the Great East Japan Earthquake

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000832 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Masatsugu Orui ◽

Suzuka Saeki ◽

Yuki Kozakai ◽

Shuichiro Harada ◽

Mizuho Hayashi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicide Rate ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Short Time Scale ◽

Psychological Burden ◽

Affected Area ◽

Tsunami Disaster ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Miyagi Prefecture ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Background: People who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) were expected to have additional levels of psychological burden resulting from the stressful conditions imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; consequently, suicide rates may increase. Aim: We aimed to carry out continuous monitoring of suicide rates in the affected area following the GEJE under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Method: This descriptive study monitored the suicide rates of the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture, where disaster-related mental health activities have been continuing following severe damage caused by the tsunami disaster. An exponential smoothing time-series analysis that converted suicide rates into a smooth trend was conducted. Results: Although the suicide rate in the affected area was higher than the national average in February 2020, it showed a declining trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, while showing an increase trend in the national and non-affected areas. Limitations: Uncertainty about the direct reasons for suicide and the short time-scale observation are the limitations of this study. Conclusion: Although the national suicide rate increased, this was not the case for the affected area. Our findings may provide important lessons for suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs careful regional monitoring of the state of suicide and of high-risk approaches such as disaster-related mental health activities.

Download Full-text

NHS CHECK: protocol for a cohort study investigating the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers

10.1101/2021.06.08.21258551 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Danielle Lamb ◽

Neil Greenberg ◽

Matthew Hotopf ◽

Rosalind Raine ◽

Reza Razavi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Academic Publications

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the working lives of healthcare workers (HCWs), but the extent to which their well-being and mental health have been affected remains unclear. This longitudinal cohort study aims to recruit a cohort of NHS healthcare workers, conducting surveys at regular intervals to provide evidence about the prevalence of symptoms of mental disorders, investigate associated factors such as occupational contexts and support interventions available. Methods and Analysis All staff, students, and volunteers working in each of the 18 participating NHS Trusts in England will be sent emails inviting them to complete a survey at baseline, with email invitations for the follow up surveys being sent 6 and 12 months later. Opening in late April 2020, the baseline survey collects data on demographics, occupational and organisational factors, experiences of COVID-19, a number of validated measures of symptoms of poor mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD), and measures of constructs such as resilience and moral injury. These regular surveys will be complemented by in-depth psychiatric interviews with a select sample of healthcare workers. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted, to gain deeper understanding of the support programmes used or desired by staff, and facilitators and barriers to accessing such programmes. Ethics and Dissemination Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Health Research Authority (reference: 20/HRA/210, IRAS: 282686) and local Trust Research and Development approval. Cohort data are being collected via Qualtrics online survey software, are pseudonymised and held on secure University servers. Participants are aware that they can withdraw from the study at any time, and there is signposting to support services for any participant who feels they need it. Only those consenting to be contacted about further research will be invited to participate in the psychiatric and qualitative interview components of the study. Findings will be rapidly shared with NHS Trusts to enable better support of staff during the pandemic, and via academic publications in due course.

Download Full-text

Evaluating How Mental Health Changed in Australia through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the ‘Taking the Pulse of the Nation’ (TTPN) Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010558 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 558

Author(s):

Ferdi Botha ◽

Peter Butterworth ◽

Roger Wilkins

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Single Item ◽

Unadjusted Odds Ratio ◽

Psychological Distress Scale ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Highly Correlated ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health at the level of the population. The current study adds to the evidence base by examining how the prevalence of psychological distress changed in Australia during the pandemic. The study also assesses the psychometric properties of a new single-item measure of mental distress included in a survey program conducted regularly throughout the pandemic. Data are from 1158 respondents in wave 13 (early July 2020) of the nationally representative Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) Survey. The questionnaire included the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and a new single-item measure of distress. Results show a significant increase in the prevalence of psychological distress in Australia, from 6.3% pre-pandemic to 17.7% in early July 2020 (unadjusted odds ratio = 3.19; 95% CI (confidence interval) = 2.51 to 4.05). The new single-item measure of distress is highly correlated with the K6. This study provides a snapshot at one point in time about how mental health worsened in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, by demonstrating the accuracy of the new single-item measure of distress, this analysis also provides a basis for further research examining the trajectories and correlates of distress in Australia across the pandemic.

Download Full-text

Prefabricated Temporary Housing and Eczema or Respiratory Symptoms in Schoolchildren after the Great East Japan Earthquake: The ToMMo Child Health Study

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2019.8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (5-6) ◽

pp. 905-911

Author(s):

Yasutaka Kuniyoshi ◽

Masahiro Kikuya ◽

Masako Miyashita ◽

Chizuru Yamanaka ◽

Mami Ishikuro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Health ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Random Effect ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Health Study ◽

Temporary Housing ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Health Symptoms ◽

Miyagi Prefecture

ABSTRACTObjective:We aimed to investigate the association between types of housing and allergic symptoms at 3–4 years following the Great East Japan Earthquake.Methods:Our study was based on the ToMMo Child Health Study conducted in 2014 and 2015, a cross-sectional survey of public school children in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Of the 46 648 invited schoolchildren in the 2nd to 8th grades, 9884 were included. Presence of eczema, wheezing, and mental health symptoms was defined with questionnaires. To calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for the associations between types of housing and eczema or respiratory symptoms, we fitted generalized linear mixed models, included a random effect for municipality of residence, and adjusted for sex, school grade, survey year, and mental health symptoms.Results:Prefabricated temporary housing was significantly associated with eczema symptoms (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06–2.02). Even after adjusting for the presence of mental health symptoms, our analysis produced similar results (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03–1.96). Conversely, it was not significantly associated with respiratory symptoms (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.61–1.54).Conclusions:Children living in prefabricated temporary housing had a higher prevalence of eczema symptoms; however, prevalence of respiratory symptoms was not significantly higher.

Download Full-text

Social network factors as mediators of mental health and psychological distress

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764017695575 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 235-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Andrew Levula ◽

Michael Harré ◽

Andrew Wilson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Social Network ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Indirect Effect ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Short Form ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Psychological Distress Scale ◽

Distress Scale

Background: Although mental health (MH) is overall strongly associated with psychological distress (PD), this association is very weak for the sample with high PD. This relationship remains understudied. Aim: This study examines the association between MH and PD and whether this association is mediated by social network (SN) factors for individuals with high PD. Method: Data were taken from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study ( N = 756). MH was measured using the MH sub-scale of the general health survey (Short Form (SF)-36) and PD was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The SN measures were derived from the self-completion questionnaire. Using bootstrap mediation analysis, we tested whether the association between MH and PD is mediated by SN factors. Result: The correlation between MH and PD was r = −.410 ( p < .001). The mediational analysis results show that social isolation mediates the association between MH and PD with an indirect effect of β = −0.0070 (confidence interval (CI) = −0.0133 to −0.0023). Moreover, social connections also mediated the association between MH and PD with an indirect effect of β = −0.0073 (CI = −0.0141 to −0.0028). Conclusion: This study has practical implications for the design of social policies that attempt to reduce social isolation and enhance social connectedness to protect MH.

Download Full-text

Effects of Disaster Damage and Working Conditions on Mental Health Among Public Servants 16 Months After the Great East Japan Earthquake

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2017.127 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 622-630

Author(s):

Maiko Fukasawa ◽

Yuriko Suzuki ◽

Akiko Obara ◽

Yoshiharu Kim

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Disaster Response ◽

Health Surveys ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Public Servants ◽

Miyagi Prefecture ◽

Long Time

AbstractObjectiveTo explore whether stressors after a disaster have later effects on the mental health of public servants who engage in disaster response and to estimate the proportion of those experiencing persistent mental distress.MethodsWe analyzed the data of health surveys conducted in Miyagi Prefecture for all prefectural public servants at 2, 7, and 16 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (n=3174). We investigated relationships between mental distress (defined as K6≥10) at 16 months after the earthquake and earthquake damage and working conditions at 2 months. We also calculated the proportion of participants who scored K6≥10 on all 3 surveys.ResultsThe experience of living someplace other than one’s own home was significantly related with mental distress at 16 months after the earthquake. Few participants consistently scored K6≥10 throughout all 3 surveys.ConclusionsThe effects of stressors in the aftermath of a disaster could remain for a long time. Few public servants experienced persistent mental distress.Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:622–630

Download Full-text

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

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1017/thg.2019.91 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 312-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

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.

Download Full-text

NHS CHECK: protocol for a cohort study investigating the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e051687

Author(s):

Danielle Lamb ◽

Neil Greenberg ◽

Matthew Hotopf ◽

Rosalind Raine ◽

Reza Razavi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Academic Publications

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the working lives of healthcare workers (HCWs), but the extent to which their well-being and mental health have been affected remains unclear. This longitudinal cohort study aims to recruit a cohort of National Health Service (NHS) HCWs, conducting surveys at regular intervals to provide evidence about the prevalence of symptoms of mental disorders, and investigate associated factors such as occupational contexts and support interventions available.Methods and analysisAll staff, students and volunteers working in the 18 participating NHS Trusts in England will be sent emails inviting them to complete a survey at baseline, with email invitations for the follow-up surveys sent 6 months and 12 months later. Opening in late April 2020, the baseline survey collects data on demographics, occupational/organisational factors, experiences of COVID-19, validated measures of symptoms of poor mental health (eg, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder), and constructs such as resilience and moral injury. These surveys will be complemented by in-depth psychiatric interviews with a sample of HCWs. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted, to gain deeper understanding of the support programmes used or desired by staff, and facilitators and barriers to accessing such programmes.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for the study was granted by the Health Research Authority (reference: 20/HRA/210, IRAS: 282686) and local Trust Research and Development approval. Cohort data are collected via Qualtrics online survey software, pseudonymised and held on secure university servers. Participants are aware that they can withdraw from the study at any time, and there is signposting to support services if participants feel they need it. Only those consenting to be contacted about further research will be invited to participate in further components. Findings will be rapidly shared with NHS Trusts, and via academic publications in due course.

Download Full-text