Genuine Smiles by Patients During Marital Interactions are Associated with Better Caregiver Mental Health

Abstract Objective Providing care for a spouse with dementia is associated with an increased risk for poor mental health. To determine whether this vulnerability in caregivers is related to the expression of positive emotion, we examined 57 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and their spouses as they discussed a marital conflict. Method Facial behavior during the discussion was objectively coded to identify Duchenne (i.e., genuine) smiles and non-Duchenne (i.e., polite) smiles. Caregiver mental health was measured using the Medical Outcomes Survey. Results Greater expression of Duchenne smiles by patients was associated with better caregiver mental health, even when accounting for covariates (i.e., diagnosis, patient cognitive functioning, and caregiver marital satisfaction). Greater expression of non-Duchenne smiles by patients was associated with worse caregiver health, but only when covariates were entered in the model. Expression of Duchenne and non-Duchenne smiles by caregivers was not associated with caregiver mental health. Discussion Patients’ expression of Duchenne and non-Duchenne smiles may reveal important aspects of the emotional quality of the patient–caregiver relationship that influence caregiver burden and mental health.

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Association of source country gender inequality with experiencing assault and poor mental health among young female immigrants to Ontario, Canada

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10720-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael Lebenbaum ◽

Therese A. Stukel ◽

Natasha Ruth Saunders ◽

Hong Lu ◽

Marcelo Urquia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Violence Against Women ◽

Gender Inequality ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Source Country ◽

Community Based Research ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Female Immigrants ◽

Self Harm

Abstract Background Gender inequality varies across countries and is associated with poor outcomes including violence against women and depression. Little is known about the relationship of source county gender inequality and poor health outcomes in female immigrants. Methods We used administrative databases to conduct a cohort study of 299,228 female immigrants ages 6–29 years becoming permanent residence in Ontario, Canada between 2003 and 2017 and followed up to March 31, 2020 for severe presentations of suffering assault, and selected mental health disorders (mood or anxiety, self-harm) as measured by hospital visits or death. Poisson regression examined the influence of source-country Gender Inequality Index (GII) quartile (Q) accounting for individual and country level characteristics. Results Immigrants from countries with the highest gender inequality (GII Q4) accounted for 40% of the sample, of whom 83% were from South Asia (SA) or Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The overall rate of assault was 10.9/10,000 person years (PY) while the rate of the poor mental health outcome was 77.5/10,000 PY. Both GII Q2 (Incident Rate Ratio (IRR): 1.48, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.08, 2.01) and GII Q4 (IRR: 1.58, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.31) were significantly associated with experiencing assault but not with poor mental health. For females from countries with the highest gender inequality, there were significant regional differences in rates of assault, with SSA migrants experiencing high rates compared with those from SA. Relative to economic immigrants, refugees were at increased risk of sustaining assaults (IRR: 2.96, 95%CI: 2.32, 3.76) and poor mental health (IRR: 1.73, 95%CI: 1.50, 2.01). Higher educational attainment (bachelor’s degree or higher) at immigration was protective (assaults IRR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.51, 0.80; poor mental health IRR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.80). Conclusion Source country gender inequality is not consistently associated with post-migration violence against women or severe depression, anxiety and self-harm in Ontario, Canada. Community-based research and intervention to address the documented socio-demographic disparities in outcomes of female immigrants is needed.

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Young Parents’ Experiences of Pregnancy and Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in the United Kingdom

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1028241/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bettina Moltrecht ◽

Louise J. Dalton ◽

Jeffrey R. Hanna ◽

Clare Law ◽

Elizabeth Rapa

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Good Practice ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Young Parents ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Parents Experiences

Abstract Young parents (aged 16-24 years) in the perinatal period are at an increased risk of poor mental health especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to multiple risk factors including social and economic instability. COVID-19 related restrictions had profound implications for the delivery of perinatal care services and other support structures for young parents. Investigating young parents’ experiences during the pandemic, including their perceived challenges and needs, is important to inform good practice and provide appropriate support for young parents. Qualitative interviews were conducted with young parents (n=21) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom from February – May 2021. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three key themes were identified to describe parents’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents reported specific COVID-19 related anxieties and stressors, including worries around contracting the virus and increased feelings of distress due to uncertainty created by the implications of the pandemic. Parents described feeling alone both at home and during antenatal appointments and highlighted the absence of social support as a major area of concern. Also, parents felt their perinatal care had been disrupted by the pandemic and experienced difficulties accessing care online or over the phone. This study highlights the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young parents, including their mental wellbeing and the perinatal support they were able to access. Insights from this study can inform the support and services offered to families going forward. Specifically, the findings emphasise the importance of (a) supporting both parents during perinatal appointments, (b) providing parents with mental health support early on and (c) finding ways to facilitate communication pathways between professionals and parents.

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Social services Interventions and the Mental Health and Mortality of care leavers: a population based data linkage study in Northern Ireland and Finland

International Journal for Population Data Science ◽

10.23889/ijpds.v4i3.1252 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Aideen Maguire ◽

Anne Kouvonen ◽

Dermot O'Reilly ◽

Hanna Remes ◽

Joonas Pitkänen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Northern Ireland ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Social Services ◽

Psychiatric Hospital ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Care Intervention ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Self Harm

BackgroundResearch has highlighted the poor mental health of looked after children compared to those never in care. However, little is known on what becomes of these children and their mental health trajectories after they leave the care of social services. In addition, previous studies are limited in their ability to differentiate between type of social care intervention received; kinship care, foster care or residential care. AimTo utilise nationwide social services data from two countries (Northern Ireland (NI) and Finland), with similar populations but different intervention policies, linked to a range of demographic and health datasets to examine the mental health outcomes of young adults in the years following leaving care. MethodsData from both countries on children born 1991-2000 were linked to social services data, hospital admissions, prescribed medication data and death records. Mental health outcomes were defined after the age of 18years (when statutory care provision ends) examined by care intervention and included admissions to psychiatric hospital, for self-harm and death by suicide. ResultsThe gender split in care in Finland is reflective of the population but more males are in care in NI. Initial results from Finnish data suggest those exposed to care in childhood have an increased risk of self-harm, psychiatric hospital admission and suicide after the age of 18years compared to those never in care. After adjusting for gender, age of entry to care and deprivation at birth those exposed to any care intervention had 3 times the risk of suicide (HR=3.06, 95% CI 1.18,7.98). Risk increased with duration in care but was equivalent across care intervention types. Analysis on the NI data is underway. ConclusionFull results will be available December 2019 and will explore which care pathways are most associated with poor mental health outcomes informing discussion around intervention opportunities and policy.

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Influence of Prolonged Visual Display Terminal Use and Exercise on Physical and Mental Conditions of Internet Staff in Hangzhou, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16101829 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. 1829

Author(s):

Xiao Cheng ◽

Mengna Song ◽

Jingxia Kong ◽

Xinglin Fang ◽

Yuqing Ji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Operation Time ◽

Visual Display ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Job Burnout ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Exercise Frequency ◽

Visual Display Terminal ◽

Increased Risk

To examine the effects of prolonged visual display terminal (VDT) working hours and exercise frequency on VDT-related symptoms, we recruited 944 Chinese internet staff for the study. A self-administered questionnaire survey was used to obtain the hours of daily VDT work, exercise frequency, and the physical and mental health of the participants. The daily VDT working time of participants was 8.7 hours. Musculoskeletal pain and eye complaints were prevalent, and the participants had poor mental health status. When daily VDT operation time was more than 11 hours, VDT-related symptoms, including backache (odds ratios (OR) = 3.59), wrist pain (OR = 1.88), hip pain (OR = 2.42), dry eyes (OR = 2.22), and ocular soreness (OR = 2.16) were more likely to occur, and an increased risk of serious occupational stress (OR = 6.75) and job burnout (OR = 2.66) was found in internet workers. Compared with those who never exercised, appropriate exercise frequency (three times per week) was helpful to relieve pain in the shoulders (OR = 0.28), neck (OR = 0.45), back (OR = 0.30), lower back (OR = 0.25), and wrists (OR = 0.38), as well as to prevent vision loss (OR = 0.33) and job burnout (OR = 0.42). Therefore, avoiding excessive VDT exposure and performing moderate exercise could protect the physical and mental health of internet staff from the adverse effects of VDT.

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Mental Disorder Symptoms Among Nurses in Canada

Canadian Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/0844562120961894 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 084456212096189

Author(s):

Andrea M. Stelnicki ◽

R. Nicholas Carleton

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Online Survey ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Demographic Groups ◽

Cumulative Stress ◽

Canadian Population ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Healthcare Administrators ◽

Clinically Significant

Background Nurses face regular exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events as part of their occupational responsibilities. Cumulative stress due to repeated exposure to such events is associated with poor mental health and an increased risk of developing clinically significant symptoms consistent with some mental disorders. Purpose The current study was designed to estimate rates of mental disorder symptoms among nurses in Canada and identify demographic characteristics that are associated with increased risk for mental disorder symptoms. Method An online survey was conducted with Canadian nurses in both English and French. Participants were recruited largely through the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) member unions, non-CFNU member unions, and social media. The survey assessed current mental disorder symptoms using well-validated screening measures. Results A total of 4267 participants (93.8% women) completed the survey. Almost half of participants screened positive for a mental disorder (i.e., 47.9%). No gender differences emerged. Significant differences in proportions of positive screens based on each measure were found across demographic groups (e.g., age, province of residence, type of nurse). Conclusions The rate of positive screens appears much higher than mental disorder prevalence rates in the general Canadian population, but there were important methodological differences. The current results provide potentially important information to support researchers and healthcare administrators to investigate possible ways to mitigate and manage mental health in nursing workplaces.

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Patients in General Practice in Denmark Referred to Physiotherapists: A Description of Patient Characteristics Based on General Health Status, Diagnoses, and Sociodemographic Characteristics

Physical Therapy ◽

10.1093/ptj/81.3.915 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

pp. 915-923 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Carsten Krogh Jørgensen ◽

Per Fink ◽

Frede Olesen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

General Practice ◽

Physical Health ◽

General Practitioners ◽

Short Form ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Medical Outcomes ◽

Summary Scale

Abstract Background and Purpose. Both musculoskeletal illness and mental illness characterized by somatic symptoms are common in primary care, and it is hypothesized that many patients with musculoskeletal illness have relatively poor mental health. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients in general practice in Denmark who are referred to physiotherapists with signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal illness. Subjects and Methods. One hundred ninety-four general practitioners, representing 124 practices, participated in a survey of 2,042 consecutive patients with musculoskeletal illness. Results. The diagnoses were generally poorly defined. Compared with the general population, patients with musculoskeletal illness had markedly poorer physical health and poorer mental health. Patients with poorly defined diagnoses did not differ from patients with well-defined diagnoses in terms of physical health, but they scored lower on the mental health component summary scale of the Danish version of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Conclusion and Discussion. Of the patients referred to physiotherapists by general practitioners in Denmark, the subgroup with poorly defined diagnoses had lower mental health scores than those with well-defined diagnoses, suggesting that a biopsychosocial approach to care may be appropriate for this group of patients.

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Association of Occupational Distress and Low Sleep Quality with Syncope, Presyncope, and Falls in Workers

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182312283 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (23) ◽

pp. 12283

Author(s):

Nicola Magnavita ◽

Reparata Rosa Di Prinzio ◽

Gabriele Arnesano ◽

Anna Cerrina ◽

Maddalena Gabriele ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Unknown Origin ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Occupational Performance ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Few Data ◽

Health Promotion Interventions

Syncope and presyncope episodes that occur during work could affect one’s safety and impair occupational performance. Few data are available regarding the prevalence of these events among workers. The possible role of sleep quality, mental stress, and metabolic disorders in promoting syncope, presyncope, and falls in workers is unknown. In the present study, 741 workers (male 35.4%; mean age 47 ± 11 years), employed at different companies, underwent clinical evaluation and blood tests, and completed questionnaires to assess sleep quality, occupational distress, and mental disorders. The occurrence of syncope, presyncope, and unexplained falls during working life was assessed via an ad hoc interview. The prevalence of syncope, presyncope, and falls of unknown origin was 13.9%, 27.0%, and 10.3%, respectively. The occurrence of syncope was associated with an increased risk of occupational distress (adjusted odds ratio aOR: 1.62, confidence intervals at 95%: 1.05–2.52), low sleep quality (aOR: 1.79 CI 95%: 1.16–2.77), and poor mental health (aOR: 2.43 CI 95%: 1.52–3.87). Presyncope was strongly associated with occupational distress (aOR: 1.77 CI 95%: 1.25–2.49), low sleep quality (aOR: 2.95 CI 95%: 2.08–4.18), and poor mental health (aOR: 2.61 CI 95%: 1.78–3.84), while no significant relationship was found between syncope or presyncope and metabolic syndrome. These results suggest that occupational health promotion interventions aimed at improving sleep quality, reducing stressors, and increasing worker resilience might reduce syncope and presyncope events in the working population.

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Associations among Elder Abuse, Depression and PTSD in South Korean Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15091948 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (9) ◽

pp. 1948 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yun-Jung Choi ◽

Meaghan O’Donnell ◽

Hwa-Bok Choi ◽

Hae-Sun Jung ◽

Sean Cowlishaw

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Elder Abuse ◽

Empirical Support ◽

The Elderly ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Self Report ◽

Physical Contact ◽

Event Scale ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Relationship

Increasing attention is being placed on the prevalence of elder abuse and its impact on mental health. This study conducted a survey of 172 elderly people in South Korea to determine the prevalence of elder abuse and the relationships involving elder abuse, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, which included the Korean Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (KGDS) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version (IES-R-K). Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the frequency of specific forms of abuse. Logistic regression models were estimated to identify the factors that contributed to risk of abuse exposure and the relationship between exposure and PTSD or depression. The results indicated around 22% of the participants reported abuse exposure, which most commonly included being refused physical contact, verbal threats, and/or being excluded from decision-making about personal issues. Low education and being unmarried, separated or divorced was associated with an increased risk of abuse exposure. There were strong associations between elder abuse and PTSD symptoms, while comparable relationships with depression were weaker and were not robust to the inclusion of control variables. The findings provided empirical support for the relationship between abuse experiences of the elderly and poor mental health and raise important issues for the mental health care of the elderly.

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COVID-19 policies in practice and their direct and indirect impacts in Northern California jails

10.1101/2022.01.11.22269106 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Yiran E Liu ◽

Christopher LeBoa ◽

Marcela Rodriguez ◽

Beruk Sherif ◽

Chrisele Trinidad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Infection Control ◽

Well Being ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Northern California ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Direct And Indirect Impacts ◽

Indirect Impacts ◽

Survey Responses

Context: Although the increased risk of COVID-19 in carceral facilities is well documented, little is known about the practical barriers to infection control and indirect impacts of pandemic policies in these settings. Evidence in jails is especially scarce. Methods: Between July 8, 2020 and April 30, 2021 we performed SARS-CoV-2 serology testing and administered a questionnaire among residents and staff in four Northern California jails. We analyzed seroprevalence in conjunction with demographic factors and survey responses of self-perceived COVID-19 risk, recent illness, COVID-19 test results, and symptom reporting behaviors. We additionally assessed COVID-19 policies in practice and evaluated their impacts on court dates, mental health, and routine health care. We engaged stakeholder representatives, including incarcerated individuals and their advocates, to guide study design, conduct, and interpretation. Findings: We enrolled 788 incarcerated individuals and 380 staff across four county jails. Most seropositive individuals had not previously tested positive for COVID-19, despite many suspecting prior infection. Among incarcerated participants, we identified deficient access to face masks and prevalent symptom underreporting associated with fears of isolation and perceptions of medical neglect in jail. Incarcerated participants also reported substantial hindrances to court cases and reductions in routine health care due to COVID-19. Incarcerated individuals and staff both cited worsened mental health due to COVID-19, which for incarcerated individuals was largely attributable to further isolation from loved ones and other pandemic restrictions on recreation and programming. Conclusions: Perceptions of inadequate protection from COVID-19 were pervasive among incarcerated individuals. Simultaneously, restrictive measures compounded poor mental health and fostered fears of isolation that undermined effective infection control. Custody officials should work to systematically improve provision of masks, understand and mitigate fears and mistrust, and take proactive steps to minimize the detrimental impacts of restrictive policies on residents' mental health and well-being.

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COVID-19-Related Changes in Potential Risk Factors for Elder Mistreatment Reported by Caregivers of Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3443 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 940-940

Author(s):

Lena Makaroun ◽

Scott Beach ◽

Tony Rosen ◽

Ann-Marie Rosland

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Service Providers ◽

Community Sample ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Elder Mistreatment ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract In previous studies, caregiver (CG) stress, substance use, poor physical health, poor mental health, financial problems, and social isolation have been associated with increased risk of elder mistreatment (EM) for older care recipients (CR). This study aimed to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted these CG-related risk factors for EM in a community sample of CGs. A non-probability sample of 433 CGs caring for adult CRs age ≥60 years with physical (76%), cognitive (34%) and mental health (14%) conditions completed a survey on COVID-19 impacts in April-May 2020. CGs had mean age 61 (range 21 – 91), were 75% female and 92% non-Hispanic White. Over 40% of CGs reported doing worse financially since COVID-19. Compared to before COVID-19, 15% reported drinking more alcohol and 64% reported somewhat or greatly increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness. CGs reported that COVID-19 had made caregiving more physically (18.7%), emotionally (48.5%) and financially (14.5%) difficult, interfered with their own healthcare (19%), and led to family conflict over caring for CR (13.2%). Younger CGs (age <65) and those with annual income <$50,000 were more likely to report negative COVID-19 impacts. This study suggests CGs of older adults may be experiencing increased stress, alcohol use, social isolation and negative impacts on their own health and financial situation. Healthcare and social service providers should assess for these EM risk-factors in caregivers and connect them and their care recipients with resources and services to address these stressors to reduce risk of EM during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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