scholarly journals P125 The effect of wellbeing mobile-applications on the Mental and Physical Health of Healthcare workers: A Systematic Review

BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Alford ◽  
Michael Okocha ◽  
Conor Jones ◽  
Natasha Alford

Abstract Introduction The growing pressure on Healthcare workers (HCWs) can lead to worsening physical and mental wellbeing. Use of traditional support systems is limited and whilst there are a significant number of mental health platforms, few are targeted towards HCWs. Objective This review aimed to assess the available literature and platforms focused on supporting HCWs mental health and wellbeing. Methods A systematic search, following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Abstracts were included if they targeted HCWs and used smartphone apps to support wellbeing. A further comprehensive application search of IOS and Android stores was performed to identify HCW wellbeing applications. Results In total 725 abstracts were identified. 10 publications, with a total of 683 participants, relating to wellbeing applications in HCWs met the inclusion criteria. 87% of the HCWs included in the studies were female. The majority (9/10) of the studies reported improved wellbeing of HCWs following the use of app-based interventions. A total of 1656 mobile applications were identified and met the inclusion criteria if they focused on HCWs wellbeing. The majority of the studies and apps focused on increasing mindfulness practices and yielded statistically significant results compared to traditional interventions. Conclusion Wellbeing programmes delivered through an app provide convenience and can improve the mental and physical wellbeing HCW’s. This is particularly key during challenging times. Given the limited number of published studies on smartphone apps and the limited number of apps for HCWs, it is clear that there is a deficit that requires urgent addressing despite two promising candidates.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Urvashi Sharma ◽  
Dr. Ravindra Kumar

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Mental health refers to our overall psychological well-being. It includes the way we feel about our self, the quality of our relationships, and our ability to manage our feelings and deal with difficulties. Good mental health isn’t just the absence of mental health problems. People who are emotionally or mentally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s challenges, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. Positive mental health is a state of well-being in which we realize our abilities, can cope with life’s normal stresses, and can work regularly and productively. Physical health means a good body health, which is healthy because of regular physical activity, good nutrition, and adequate rest. Physical health can be determined by considering someone’s height/weight ratio, their Body Mass Index. Another term for physical health is physical wellbeing. Physical wellbeing is defined as something a person can achieve by developing all health-related components of his/her lifestyle. It can be concluded that mental and physical health is fundamentally linked. There are multiple associations between mental health and chronic physical conditions that significantly impact people’s quality of life. Just as physical fitness helps our bodies to stay strong, mental fitness helps us to achieve and sustain a state of good mental health. When we are mentally healthy, we enjoy our life and environment, and the people in it.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hridaya Raj Devkota ◽  
Bishnu Bhandari ◽  
Pratik Adhikary

AbstractBackgroundPoor mental health and illness among the working population have serious socio-economic and public health consequences for both the individual and society/country. With a dramatic increase in work migration over the past decades, there is recent concern about the health and wellbeing of migrant workers and their accessibility to healthcare services in destination countries. This study aimed to explore the mental health and wellbeing experiences of Nepali returnee-migrants and non-migrant workers, and identify their perception on the risk factors for poor health and health service accessibility for them.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted among Nepali migrant and non-migrant workers in February 2020. Four focus group discussions (n=25) and 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with male non-migrant and returnee migrant workers from Gulf countries and Malaysia. The discussions and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English and analysed thematically.ResultMigrant workers reported a higher risk of developing adverse mental health conditions than non-migrant workers. In addition, fever, upper respiratory infection, abdominal pain, ulcer, and occupational injuries were common health problems among both migrant and non-migrant workers. Other major illnesses reported by the migrant workers were heat burns and rashes, snake-bites, dengue, malaria, gallstone, kidney failure, and sexually transmitted diseases, while non-migrants reported hypertension, diabetes, and heart diseases. Adverse living and working conditions including exploitation and abuse by employers, lack of privacy and congested accommodation, language barriers, long hours’ hard physical work without breaks, and unhealthy lifestyles were the contributing factors to migrant workers’ poor mental and physical health. Both migrant and non-migrants reported poor compliance of job conditions and labor protection by their employers such as application of safety measures at work, provision of insurance and healthcare facilities that affected for their wellbeing negatively. Family problems compounded by constant financial burdens and unmet expectations were the most important factors linked with migrant workers’ poor mental health condition.ConclusionBoth migrant and non-migrant workers experienced poor mental and physical health condition largely affected by their adverse living and working conditions, unmet familial and financial needs and adherence to unhealthy life styles. It is needed to ensure the compliance of work agreement by employers and promotion of labor rights in relation to worker’s health and safety. In addition, policy interventions on raising awareness on occupational health risk and effective safety training to all migrant and non-migrant workers are recommended.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Milicev ◽  
Stephany Biello ◽  
Maria Gardani

AbstractIntroduction: Recent research has revealed high rates of mental health issues in postgraduate researchers (PGRs). Mental ill-health is a barrier to life satisfaction and academic success. More knowledge is necessary to understand the extent and origins of mental health problems of PGRs in the UK. Aims: To assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, sleep problems, subjective mental wellbeing, and suicide behaviours of PGRs in the UK, as well as to explore the factors that underpin these outcomes.Methods: An online survey (N=479) was used to measure the mental health outcomes, and assess the influence of demographic, trait and academic variables, and social support. Results: In this sample the prevalence of mental ill-health was high, while wellbeing was lower than in the general population. Female, non-binary and non-heterosexual PGRs had poorer mental health than their male and/or heterosexual counterparts. Researchers in the field of Arts had higher levels of wellbeing, while those in the 5th year of study or above were at a higher risk of suicidal behaviours. Resilience, adaptive perfectionism, social support and positive evaluations of progress and preparation, departmental climate, and supervisory relationship were associated with positive outcomes, while maladaptive perfectionism and workaholism were linked to the negative ones. Resilience and workaholism were the only variables that played a role in all mental health outcomes.Conclusions: The current paper contributes new knowledge about the PGR wellbeing, the prevalence of mental health symptoms, and some of the factors that shape them. Our findings imply that institutional efforts to improve PGR mental health and wellbeing should include a variety of strategies to promote equality, diversity, resilience, integration and work-life balance of PGRs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Chuan SOH ◽  

Introduction: COVID-19 has undeniably and profoundly impacted everyday lives of the general public. One particular emphasis is the mental wellbeing of populations. This review serves to examine the mental health impact of the current pandemic. Methods: A review of the literature on PubMed was conducted, drawing from systematic reviews and large population studies about mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The content was synthesized with the writer’s experience of daily life across different perspectives. Certain demographic sub-groups were examined, such as those under home quarantine or isolation, those who had contracted COVID-19, those with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, as well as healthcare workers and medical students. Results: Psychological well-being was adversely affected by the pandemic, although there is some controversy about the magnitude of this impact which is likely in relation to the timeline of the pandemic’s progression. Behavioural patterns such as spending habits during lockdowns might provide an early indication of mental health problems. Those who had contracted COVID-19 were found to have heightened levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive symptoms. Healthcare workers and medical students have faced comparable levels of anxiety, depressed mood and insomnia. The final results of some of the systematic reviews are still pending. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted everyday life. If not already thecase, there is likely to be an anticipated tsunami of mental health concerns. This wouldmake a strong case for the anticipatory need of increased resource allocation to allowmental health services to meet this demand.


Author(s):  
Ranjit Kumar Dehury ◽  
Rajeev Kumar

Mental wellbeing was the centerpiece of the Indian system of medicine. Many healthcare issues are resolved by the peace of mind and brain stimulating processes. Of late, Government of India adopted many systems of medicines that are complementary to the modern allopathic medicines and named it AYUSH system of medicine. In this Ayurveda, Yoga, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Swa-rigppa, and additional healing systems are represented. There is also a great need for psychological wellbeing due to the rapid increase in stressful life situations. The current modern medical care is not adequate to provide mental health services in the society. At the same time, many indigenous and AYUSH system have come into action and solve the problem the best way it possible. The chapter focuses on the role of AYUSH system in catering to mental wellbeing in India. The policies of the government of India are to promote mental health and wellbeing in society. The specialties of various systems of medicine in curing the mental health conditions have been elaborated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle O’Reilly ◽  
Nisha Dogra ◽  
Natasha Whiteman ◽  
Jason Hughes ◽  
Seyda Eruyar ◽  
...  

Despite growing evidence of the effects of social media on the mental health of adolescents, there is still a dearth of empirical research into how adolescents themselves perceive social media, especially as knowledge resource, or how they draw upon the wider social and media discourses to express a viewpoint. Accordingly, this article contributes to this scarce literature. Six focus groups took place over 3 months with 54 adolescents aged 11–18 years, recruited from schools in Leicester and London (UK). Thematic analysis suggested that adolescents perceived social media as a threat to mental wellbeing and three themes were identified: (1) it was believed to cause mood and anxiety disorders for some adolescents, (2) it was viewed as a platform for cyberbullying and (3) the use of social media itself was often framed as a kind of ‘addiction’. Future research should focus on targeting and utilising social media for promoting mental wellbeing among adolescents and educating youth to manage the possible deleterious effects.


2021 ◽  
pp. 38-59
Author(s):  
Sena Partal ◽  
Sasha Smirnova

There has been a huge increase in the use of digital technology throughout healthcare in recent years, with everything from apps to wearable tech. The mental health and wellbeing sector has been no exception. There are a wide variety of digital mental health apps available directly from app stores, making therapeutic techniques accessible for every smartphone user. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing quarantines and lockdowns, followed by the current economic recession, have redefined the tech world's agenda. There has been an increased emphasis on mental wellbeing. Many of the well-known tech companies, whose core business is not even related to healthcare (such as Facebook, Telefonica, or Google) have invested in mental wellbeing, either through “moonshots” or by introducing new product segments. For their critics, this is a “do-good” gesture intended to detract attention from their data extraction processes. This leads us to question, what is it that these companies want to recommend to people through the use of mental wellbeing tech? What is the new set of values that they are promoting? In this article we critically analyse digital mental health products. We discuss how they might become a political tool, speculate on their side effects, and investigate outcomes of their increasing popularity. We want to move beyond the personal data privacy debate and tackle other potential issues – what does this data sharing mean in terms of a shift in collective psychology and ideologies? What is the potential for them to become political tools? Is this a step towards human and non-human convergence?


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayaskant Sahoo ◽  
Swikruti Behera

Introduction: Healthcare workers across the globe are working tirelessly to keep the severity under control. The long working hours wearing PPE, the self-quarantine periods, staying away from family, and various other factors does influence the mental wellbeing of an individual. In a country like India mental health is still a poorly recognised issue even among healthcare professionals. Objectives: To assess the stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare professionals at the time of Coronavirus pandemic and estimating the same in Anaesthesiology Cohort.Material & Methods: The study was conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire. The questionnaire was made using Google forms and the link for participation was sent using various digital mediums e.g., email, WhatsApp, Facebook. The questionnaire was sent to a total of 886 doctors and there was a total of 256 responses were received. The questionnaire was submitted anonymously and no personal data was collected. The respondents were allowed to submit only once to prevent duplicity of response. We used the DASS 21 scale as the assessment tool. Data was collected using google forms and the collected data was transferred to a Microsoft Excel sheet for analysis.Results: Our study on 256 doctors 40.75% doctors were found to be suffering from Depression, 38.29% from anxiety & 32.4% from stress in the current pandemic situation. Anaesthesiologists were found to have 30.29% depression; Anxiety was found among 42.56% and stress was found among 37.24%.Conclusion: Stressors, like gruelling shifts, risk of infections, non-availability of protective kits, health risk to family and friends etc, are many and respite seems to be far. We need to address and acknowledge the mental health of healthcare workers and people working in critical care into consideration and find solutions to the underlying causes so that the current and future of the healthcare can be saved from mental health crisis.


Author(s):  
Ranjit Kumar Dehury ◽  
Rajeev Kumar

Mental wellbeing was the centerpiece of the Indian system of medicine. Many healthcare issues are resolved by the peace of mind and brain stimulating processes. Of late, Government of India adopted many systems of medicines that are complementary to the modern allopathic medicines and named it AYUSH system of medicine. In this Ayurveda, Yoga, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Swa-rigppa, and additional healing systems are represented. There is also a great need for psychological wellbeing due to the rapid increase in stressful life situations. The current modern medical care is not adequate to provide mental health services in the society. At the same time, many indigenous and AYUSH system have come into action and solve the problem the best way it possible. The chapter focuses on the role of AYUSH system in catering to mental wellbeing in India. The policies of the government of India are to promote mental health and wellbeing in society. The specialties of various systems of medicine in curing the mental health conditions have been elaborated.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110478
Author(s):  
Agaah Ashrafi ◽  
Murtaza Kadhum ◽  
Andrew Molodynski ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra

Background: The psychological wellbeing and stresses on medical students are currently under a global spotlight. Under a wider initiative supported by the British Medical Association (BMA), international surveys have been conducted to understand and begin to tackle these issues. Method: This study aimed at describing the mental wellbeing and levels of burnout of Iranian medical students. A total of 179 medical students from 19 different cities participated voluntarily in the survey by answering an online questionnaire between April and August 2020. We detected a trend toward higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders (namely depressive disorders) and substance misuse when compared to previous national studies. Results: About 6% of students screened positive for alcohol problems with the CAGE questionnaire. About 77% of medical students screened positive for mental health problems with the GHQ12 questionnaire. Very high rates of burnout were also reported. These findings emphasize the urgent need to define methods to screen at risk medical students and implement local and national initiatives to curtain their potential detrimental effects.


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