scholarly journals The experience of distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-country examination on the fear of COVID-19 and the sense of loneliness

Author(s):  
Gianluca Lo Coco ◽  
Ambra Gentile ◽  
Ksenija Bosnar ◽  
Ivana Milovanovic ◽  
Antonino Bianco ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesTo examine gender, age and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (i.e. Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (i.e. Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).MethodsA total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness.ResultsMales and females of all age groups in countries suffering from a strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries females and elder stated more symptoms than males and younger; in Spanish and Italian sample the pattern of differences is considerably more complex.ConclusionFuture research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues can help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Author(s):  
Gianluca Lo Coco ◽  
Ambra Gentile ◽  
Ksenija Bosnar ◽  
Ivana Milovanović ◽  
Antonino Bianco ◽  
...  

The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries, females and the elderly reported more symptoms than males and the young; in Spanish and Italian samples, the pattern of differences is considerably more complex. Future research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues may help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.


2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
A V Sabaev

Aim. Analysis of hospitalized morbidity of the population of Omsk as a result of acute poisoning of chemical etiology in age and gender groups depending on the toxicant in 2015. Methods. The rate of admissions of patients who suffered acute poisoning of chemical etiology in 2015 was analyzed according to gender in age groups 15-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60 years and older. According to the etiology all acute poisonings were divided into the following groups: ethanol and its surrogates, medications, drugs, psychoactive substances other than plant-based, caustic and other poisons. Results. During the analyzed period the majority of patients admitted to the center for the treatment of acute poisoning in Omsk were males in whom the incidence of hospitalization was 4.1 times higher than in females. The highest hospitalization rate due to acute chemical poisoning was observed in the age group of 20-29 years among males and 15-19 years among females. Acute alcohol intoxication was observed more frequently among males aged 40-49 years and among females aged 30-39 years that is indicative of the peak rate of severe chronic alcohol abuse in these age groups. Conclusion. The high rate of consumption of modern psychoactive synthetic substances, «designer» drugs, which replaced plant-based drugs, defines the nature of toxicological situation in the region.


Author(s):  
Brian TaeHyuk Keum ◽  
Matthew J. Miller

The Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS) is the first measure specifically developed to assess online racist interpersonal interactions and exposure to online racist content. To advance and strengthen the psychometric foundation of the PORS, the current study evaluated the measurement invariance of PORS across gender and age, two major demographic categories that can differentially affect how racism is perceived. Based on the framework of intersectionality, the salience and significance of social identities, such as gender and age, influence how racism is perceived with different meanings and interpretations. The current study examined data collected through an online survey from 946 racial/ethnic minority participants (59% women, mean age = 27.42) in the United States. Measurement invariance across gender (men and women) and age groups (ages 18 to 24, 25 to 39, and 40 to 64) was tested via comparison of a series of models with increasing constraints. Measurement invariance across configural, metric, and scalar models for age and gender was supported. Latent means were compared across gender and age groups. The results advance the psychometric property of the PORS as a general measure of online racism. Differences in the PORS scores reflect true differences among gender and age groups rather than response bias. Implications for future research are discussed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Vittorio Caprara ◽  
Mariagiovanna Caprara ◽  
Patrizia Steca

Three cross-sectional studies examined stability and change in personality over the course of life by measuring the relations linking age to personality traits, self-efficacy beliefs, values, and well-being in large samples of Italian male and female participants. In each study, relations between personality and age were examined across several age groups ranging from young adulthood to old age. In each study, personality constructs were first examined in terms of mean group differences accrued by age and gender and then in terms of their correlations with age across gender and age groups. Furthermore, personality-age correlations were also calculated, controlling for the demographic effects accrued by marital status, education, and health. Findings strongly indicated that personality functioning does not necessarily decline in the later years of life, and that decline is more pronounced in males than it is in females across several personality dimensions ranging from personality traits, such as emotional stability, to self-efficacy beliefs, such as efficacy in dealing with negative affect. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for personality theory and social policy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Asgari ◽  
A.A. Parach ◽  
F. Bouzarjomehri ◽  
F. Shirani-Takabi ◽  
A.H. Mehrparvar ◽  
...  

Introduction: Computer Tomography (CT) scans can deliver a relatively high radiation dose to the patient, therefore radiation protection for this modality is paramount. The present study determined the frequency of no abnormality detected (NAD) brain CT scans and probability of cancer induction in different age groups and genders. Methods: In this study, brain CT reports were used to identify any findings as abnormality detected (AD) and others as NAD. Then probability of future leukemia and brain cancer was estimated for different age and gender groups. Results: On average, in 65% of the cases the results were NAD (56% and 76% among males and females, respectively). Among children, 79% of the reports were NAD. The total number of projected brain cancers was 1.8 and 1.3 for males and females, respectively. The number of projected leukemia cases was 0.75 and 0.7 for males and females, respectively. For pediatric patients, brain CT scans can lead to leukemia cases about 4.5 times more often than adults. Conclusion: Brain CT scans can lead to additional cases of brain cancer and leukemia. A significant fraction of brain CTs were NAD (non-pathologic) and could practically be replaced by other radiation-free imaging modalities, especially in pediatric and young patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bollwerk ◽  
Bernd Schlipphak ◽  
Joscha Stecker ◽  
Jens Hellmann ◽  
Gerald Echterhoff ◽  
...  

Threat perceptions towards immigrants continue to gain importance in the context of growing international migration. To reduce associated intergroup conflicts, it is crucial to understand the personal and contextual determinants of perceived threat. In a large online survey study (N = 1,184), we investigated the effects of ideology (i.e., Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation), subjective societal status (SSS) and their interaction effects in predicting symbolic and realistic threat perceptions towards Middle Eastern immigrants. Results showed that ideology (higher RWA and SDO) and lower SSS significantly predicted both symbolic and realistic threat, even after controlling for income, education, age, and gender. Furthermore, ideology and SSS interacted significantly in predicting realistic threat, with higher levels of SDO and RWA enhancing the effect of SSS. In the discussion, we focus on the implications of our findings with respect to understanding societal conflicts, discuss methodological limitations, and provide directions for future research.


Author(s):  
Fabiana Silva Ribeiro ◽  
Flávia H. Santos ◽  
Luis Anunciação ◽  
Lucas Barrozo ◽  
Jesus Landeira-Fernandez ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern, and the main measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus causing COVID-19 were social distancing, quarantine, and self-isolation. Although these policies are effective in containing the spread of the virus, they might represent a challenge to psychological well-being, increasing levels of depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Aims: We explored the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19 restrictions and associations with sociodemographic factors in a Brazilian sample. Method: Data of a total of 936 Brazilian adults (68.2% women) aged 18 to 77 years old (M = 38.95, SD = 13.91) were collected through an online survey. Results: In general, we observed a frequency of 17.36% for severe anxiety and 66.13% for severe depression symptoms, in which younger participants (18–39 years old) and women showed higher scores in anxiety and depression scales compared to older age groups. Logistic regressions showed that women were more likely to present severe symptoms of anxiety (20.4%) compared to men (10.9%), as well as respondents in the educational sector (24.3%) compared to those in the health sector (10%). Conclusions: We highlight the importance of mental health professionals in developing strategies to help younger adults to mitigate the effects of social restriction.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Beate Muschalla ◽  
Clio Vollborn ◽  
Anke Sondhof

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Embitterment can occur as a reaction to perceived injustice. During the pandemic and restrictions in daily living due to infection risk management, a range of many smaller or severe injustices have occurred. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The aim of this study is to investigate what characterizes persons with high embitterment, mental illness, embitterment and mental illness, and those without embitterment or mental health problems. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted an online survey including persons from the general population in November 2020 and December 2020, the phase during which a second lockdown took place, with closed shops, restaurants, cultural and activity sites. 3,208 participants (mean age 47 years) gave self-ratings on their present well-being, burdens experienced during the pandemic, embitterment, wisdom, and resilience. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Embitterment occurred among 16% of the sample, which is a high rate in comparison with 4% during pre-pandemic times. Embitterment was weakly correlated with unspecific mental well-being. There were more persons with embitterment than those with embitterment and a mental health problem. Persons with embitterment reported less coronavirus-related anxiety than persons without embitterment. However, embittered persons reported more social and economic burdens and more frequent experiences of losses (job loss and canceling of medical treatments). Embittered persons perceive their own wisdom competencies on a similar level as persons with mental health problems or persons without mental health problems. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Embitterment is a specific potentially alone-standing affective state, which is distinguishable from general mental health and coping capacities (here: wisdom). The economic and social consequences of pandemic management should be carefully recognized and prevented by policy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael French

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of “push” marketing in the confectionery industry in Britain during the 1930s. It examines the interplay between a manufacturer and advertising agency in creating advertising for cocoa and chocolate. Design/methodology/approach A survey of the literature examines the uses of health and well-being in the design of advertising in Britain between the wars. The records of Rowntree and its main advertising agency, J Walter Thompson, are used to examine the themes and tactics used in advertising for cocoa and Aero chocolate bars during the 1930s. Findings The paper emphasises the different ways in which health and nutrition was used in advertising for the two products. The campaigns of the 1930s built on earlier use of these themes. J Walter Thompson looked for ways of presenting commodities as “new and improved” and their role extended into pressing for changes to production methods and the nature of products. Themes of modernity, sexuality and lifestyles all featured, confirming conclusions of earlier studies. However, targeting of mothers and of different age and gender groups indicated that market segmentation was used extensively via print media and tailored advertising messages. Originality/value Although Cadbury, Rowntree and confectionery have been studied in depth before, this paper emphasises their role in applying new advertising ideas to everyday items. It points to the influence of advertising on the mass of consumers compared to the middle- and upper-income groups targeted in the marketing of houses, motor-cars and new consumer durables.


Author(s):  
Dhruva Pathak ◽  
Vijayakumar Bharathi S. ◽  
Padma Mala E.

The study investigated the impact of mandatory work from home due COVID-19 on personal and professional lives of people with different demographics. Statistical analysis of an online survey data (N=237) reveals that the impact on personal life dimensions—healthy lifestyle, family bonding, and physical stress—does not differ across people within different demographics. However, impact on emotional well-being is sensitive to gender and industry groups. Family size is also an important demographic factor impacted upon personal life dimensions. Professional dimensions related to work productivity and adopting new ways of working does not differ across demographics except for occupational role. Dimensions related to new skill development and change in professional attitude does differ across occupational roles. The study concludes by stating future research directions for mandatory work from home situation, and prescription to post-COVID-19 strategies for organizations.


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