scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 restriction measures on loneliness among older adults in Austria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Stolz ◽  
Hannes Mayerl ◽  
Wolfgang Freidl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opening Phase

Abstract Background To halt the spread of COVID-19, Austria implemented a 7-week ’lockdown’ in March/April 2020. We assess whether the ensuing reduction in social contacts led to increased loneliness among older adults (60+). Methods Three analyses were conducted: (1) A comparison between pre-pandemic (SHARE: 2013-2017) and pandemic (May 2020) levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 scale), (2) an assessment of the cross-sectional correlation between being affected by COVID-19 restriction measures and loneliness (May 2020), and (3) a longitudinal analysis of weekly changes (March-June 2020) in loneliness (Corona panel). Results We found (1) increased loneliness in 2020 compared with previous years, (2) a moderate positive association between the number of restriction measures older adults were affected from and their loneliness, and (3) that loneliness was higher during ’lockdown’ compared to the subsequent re-opening phase, particularly among those who live alone. Conclusion We provide evidence that COVID-19 restriction measures in Austria have indeed resulted in increased levels of loneliness among older adults. However, these effects seem to be short-lived, and thus no strong negative consequences for older adults’ mental health are expected. Nonetheless, the effects on loneliness, and subsequent mental health issues, might be both more long-lasting and severe if future restriction measures are enacted repeatedly and/or over longer time periods.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 restriction measures on loneliness among older adults in Austria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Stolz ◽  
Hannes Mayerl ◽  
Wolfgang Freidl
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opening Phase

Background: To halt the spread of COVID-19, Austria implemented a 7-week shut-down of public life in March/April 2020 which was followed by a gradual withdrawal of these restriction measures in May/June 2020. We expect that the ensuing reduction in social contacts led to increased loneliness among older adults (60+). Methods: We conducted three analyses to assess the association between COVID-19 public health restriction measures and loneliness: (1) A comparison between pre-pandemic (SHARE: 2013-2017) and pandemic (May 2020) levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 scale), (2) an analysis of the correlation between being affected by COVID-19 restriction measures and loneliness based on cross-sectional survey data from early May 2020, and (3) a longitudinal analysis of weekly changes in loneliness (Corona panel data) from late March to early June 2020. Results: We found (1) loneliness levels to have increased in 2020 in comparison with previous years, (2) an association between the number of restriction measures older adults reported to be affected from and loneliness, and (3) that loneliness was higher during shut-down compared to the subsequent re-opening phase, particularly among those who live alone. Discussion: Our results provide evidence that COVID-19 restriction measures in Austria have indeed resulted in increased levels of loneliness among older adults. However, these effects seem to be short-lived, and thus we do not expect strong negative consequences for older adults mental health downstream. Nonetheless, effects of longer and/or repeated future restriction measures aiming at social distancing should be closely monitored.

scholarly journals Cross sectional analysis of depression and stress in medical students

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler S. Jones ◽  
Deborah Rupert
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Medical student wellbeing is a topic of growing concern. Medical students experience high levels of stress and burnout and are at increased risk for depression and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Even more concerning, medical students are disproportionately less likely to seek help for their mental health issues. Identifying and preventing these problems early can have lasting positive consequences over the course of a physician’s lifetime. We implemented a wellness program at our medical school in the spring of 2016 with the goals of decreasing burnout and depression, heightening awareness of mental health issues, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors. To analyze the impact of our program, we have implemented a quality assurance survey. Here we report lifestyle factors associated with positive screens for depression from that data and propose institutional initiatives that can be spearheaded by medical students for medical students to impact positive change.

scholarly journals Recognising autism in healthcare

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mary Doherty ◽  
Clair Haydon ◽  
Ian A Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Patient Experience ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
The Impact

Recognition of autism and the associated co-occurring physical and mental health issues has increased over recent years. However, undergraduate and postgraduate curricula take time to adapt and to impact on what is delivered in training so healthcare professionals, including doctors, report little training on these topics. Doctors need to know when someone might be autistic in order to respond to them appropriately. This article sets out the reasons why recognition of autism is important and the positive impacts of recognising and understanding autism on health outcomes, service delivery and patient experience. The negative consequences of not recognising autism or understanding the impact of autistic traits on the person are also explored. A companion article then covers how practice can be made more appropriate for autistic people to improve outcomes.

scholarly journals Attitude toward Aging Mediates the Relationship between Personality and Mental Health in Older Adults

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 594
Author(s):  
Teshome Sirak Bedaso ◽  
Buxin Han
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Potential Mediator ◽  
The Relationship

This study aimed to examine attitude toward aging as a potential mediator of the relationship between personality factors and mental health in terms of depression and life satisfaction among older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 438 Ethiopian elderly individuals aged 60 to 69. The results of the regression-based path analysis showed that after adjusting for demographic data, the relationship between agreeableness and depression in older adults was partially mediated by attitude toward aging. Likewise, attitude toward physical change due to aging and psychological growth subscales jointly mediated the correlation between neuroticism and depression. However, a significant direct path between neuroticism and depression persisted. On the contrary, openness had no significant direct association with depression apart from an indirect through psychosocial loss. The link between life satisfaction and agreeableness as well as openness to experience were partially mediated by psychosocial loss. Therefore, a person’s attitude toward aging and personality characteristics should be taken into consideration while designing interventions for managing mental health issues among older adults.

scholarly journals Contact With Nature as a Mental Health Buffer for Lower Income Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber L. Pearson ◽  
Teresa Horton ◽  
Karin A. Pfeiffer ◽  
Rachel Buxton ◽  
Joseph Gardiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Perceived Access

Despite a growing number of research outputs on the importance of nature contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, we know of no longitudinal research conducted prior to and during the pandemic among low-income and minority ethnicity populations, i.e., those that might be most affected. Furthermore, we have scant information about how and to what degree contact with nature might protect mental health or mitigate worsening of mental health during the pandemic. We filled these gaps using a subset of a longitudinal study of n = 86 individuals in low-income, predominantly African American, neighborhoods in Detroit, MI, USA. The study addressed the following research questions: (1) did self-reported use and perceived value of nature change during, vs. prior to, the pandemic; (2) did perceived access to outdoor spaces buffer people against mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression symptoms; or (3) did objectively measured quality of nature views from home buffer people against mental health issues, taking into account relevant covariates and pandemic experiences (e.g., loss of employment, death of a friend/relative)? While attitudes to nature improved slightly from pre- to during the pandemic, we also observed significant decreases in most types of outdoor physical activity and passive enjoyment of nature (e.g., smelling plants/rain). We found a positive association between visibility of greenspace and perceived stress and anxiety, which not only contradicts previous research findings, but was especially surprising given that overall there was a decrease in perceived stress from 2019–2020. We did not detect associations between perceived access/use of nature and mental health. However, higher depressive symptoms were associated with exposure to more COVID-19-related stressors (lost employment, death of friends from COVID-19, etc.). Taken together, our results indicate that COVID-19 may serve to prolong or exacerbate mental health issues, rather than create them, in this population and that low quality greenspace may perhaps limit the ability for nature view to buffer mental health during the pandemic.

The Continuing Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Well-Being and Mental Health of ICU Healthcare Workers in Turkey: A Single-Centre Cross-Sectional Later-Phase Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662110707
Author(s):  
Huseyin Duru
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Heavy Workload ◽  
Median Change

Background This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on physical well-being and mental health of ICU healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods A total of 51 ICU HCWs working at a tertiary care hospital were included in this cross-sectional study conducted before (January 2019-January 2020) and during (January 2021-April 2021) COVID-19 pandemic. Data on sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, COVID 19 history and current mental health issues via Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale (HADS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were recorded. Results Overall, 62.7% of participants were nurses, heavy workload (working ≥200 h/month) was reported by 76.5% of participants and previous history of COVID-19 was confirmed by 62.7%. Current mental health issues involved poor sleep quality in majority (96.1%) of participants, anxiety (51.0%), depression (51.0%) in at least half of them and a moderate degree of emotional exhaustion Heavy workload was associated with more remarkable decrease in sleep duration (median change: −0.5 vs. −1.0 h/day, P = .020), Vit B12 (median change: 60[−48-293] vs. −65[−371-262] pg/mL, P < .001) and Vit D (median change: −1.6[−13.1-20] vs. −9.7[−39.7-21.8] ng/mL, P = .004) during pandemic, while working hours per month were also significantly higher in those with versus without anxiety (264[150-390] vs. 240[150-264] h, P = .003) and with versus without depression (264[150-390] vs. 240[150-264] h, P = .037). Conclusion Our findings indicate high prevalence of mental health issues including anxiety and depression as well as poor sleep quality and emotional burnout among ICU HCWs, particularly those with heavy workload.

Parenting Styles and Mental Health of Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Vijeta Singh ◽  
Taruna Gera ◽  
Rakesh Kumar Behmani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Parenting Styles ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Developmental Phase ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Adolescence is a developmental phase marked with a heightened risk of inception of mental health disorders. The neglect in addressing mental health issues during childhood and adolescence could lead to the development of mental health problems in later life. The perspective with which children perceive their parent's parenting influences the children's mental health. Furthermore, the gender of the parent has its impacts on the shaping of a child's personality under the patriarchal society. The present research attempted to investigate the impact of different parenting styles (paternal) on adolescents' mental health. The study sample comprised 150 adolescents of 14-17 years in age from different schools located in the state of Haryana, India. Parenting Authority Questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used to assess parenting styles and mental health. The present study's findings suggest that adolescents with a permissive parenting style have poor mental health compared with authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. The study recommends incorporating healthy practices in parenting styles to prevent mental health issues among adolescents.

Best Practices for Distance Learning in Elementary Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Penelope Debs Keough ◽  
Jacqueline Simeon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

The impact on elementary education, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has far reaching effects and can only be ameliorated by educators following best practices in distance learning. The purpose of this chapter is to bring to teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, students, and parents innovative, effective ways to bring quality lessons at appropriate developmental levels to all students regardless of cultural backgrounds (i.e., second language learners, students qualified for special education, or those pupils hampered by trauma, homelessness, and/or mental health issues). This chapter will further describe through illustrations and step-by-step guides creating meaningful, interactive, and purposeful lessons to meet student needs based on assessment.

Older Adults’ Narratives of Seeking Mental Health Treatment: Making Sense of Mental Health Challenges and “Muddling Through” to Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1517-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Reynolds ◽  
Maria Medved ◽  
Corey S. Mackenzie ◽  
Laura Megan Funk ◽  
Lesley Koven
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
System Level ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Older adults who experience challenges related to mental health are unlikely to seek professional help. The voices of older adults who have navigated through mental health issues and systems of care to arrive at psychological treatment are less well understood. We conducted individual interviews with 15 adults aged 61 to 86 who sought psychological treatment. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using narrative methods. We identified several main storylines that describe the meaning-making and treatment-seeking journeys of older adults: resistance to being labeled with mental health problems (telling stories of resistance, defining mental health issues in mysterious and uncontrollable terms, and experiencing internal role conflict); muddling through the help-seeking process (manifestations of chaos and system-level barriers); and emotional reactions to psychological treatment (hope, fear, and mistrust). Findings add to the literature base in the area of narrative gerontology, and highlight the complex experiences that older adults face when seeking psychological treatment.

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