scholarly journals Psychosocial singing interventions for the mental health and well-being of family carers of patients with cancer: results from a longitudinal controlled study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e026995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Fancourt ◽  
Katey Warran ◽  
Saoirse Finn ◽  
Theresa Wiseman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

ObjectiveThe mental health challenges facing people who care for somebody with cancer are well documented. While many support interventions focus on provision of information or cognitive behavioural therapy, the literature suggests that psychosocial interventions could also be of value, especially given the low social support frequently reported by carers. Singing is a psychosocial activity shown to improve social support, increase positive emotions, and reduce fatigue and stress. This study explored whether weekly group singing can reduce anxiety, depression and well-being in cancer carers over a 6-month period.DesignA multisite non-randomised longitudinal controlled study.SettingThe Royal Marsden National Health Service Trust in Greater London.Participants62 adults who currently care for a spouse, relative or close friend with cancer who had not recently started any psychological therapy or medication.InterventionsOn enrolment, participants selected to join a weekly community choir for 12 weeks (n=33) or continue with life as usual (n=29).Outcome measuresThe primary outcome was mental health using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The secondary outcome was well-being using the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Using linear mixed effects models, we compared the change in mental health and well-being over time between the two groups while adjusting for confounding variables including demographics, health-related variables, musical engagement and length of time caring.ResultsParticipants in the choir group showed a significantly greater decrease in anxiety over time than participants in the control group (B=−0.94, SE=0.38, p=0.013) and a significantly greater increase in well-being (B=1.25, SE=0.49, p=0.011). No changes were found for depression. Sub-group analyses showed carers with anxiety or below-average well-being were most likely to benefit.ConclusionsThis study builds on previous research showing the mental health benefits of singing for people with cancer by showing that weekly singing can also support anxiety and well-being in cancer carers.

scholarly journals Could listening to music during pregnancy be protective against postnatal depression and poor wellbeing post birth? Longitudinal associations from a preliminary prospective cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e021251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Fancourt ◽  
Rosie Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Prospective Cohort Study ◽  
Postnatal Depression ◽  
Prospective Cohort ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Mental Well Being

ObjectivesThis study explored whether listening to music during pregnancy is longitudinally associated with lower symptoms of postnatal depression and higher well-being in mothers post birth.DesignProspective cohort study.ParticipantsWe analysed data from 395 new mothers aged over 18 who provided data in the third trimester of pregnancy and 3 and 6 months later (0–3 and 4–6 months post birth).Primary and secondary outcome measuresPostnatal depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and well-being was measured using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Our exposure was listening to music and was categorised as ‘rarely; a couple of times a week; every day <1 hour; every day 1–2 hours; every day 3–5 hours; every day 5+hrs’. Multivariable linear regression analyses were carried out to explore the effects of listening to music during pregnancy on depression and well-being post birth, adjusted for baseline mental health and potential confounding variables.ResultsListening during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of well-being (β=0.40, SE=0.15, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.70) and reduced symptoms of postnatal depression (β=−0.39, SE=0.19, 95% CI −0.76 to −0.03) in the first 3 months post birth. However, effects disappear by 4–6 months post birth. These results appear to be particularly found among women with lower levels of well-being and high levels of depression at baseline.ConclusionsListening to music could be recommended as a way of supporting mental health and well-being in pregnant women, in particular those who demonstrate low well-being or symptoms of postnatal depression.

Usefulness of the SF-36 Health Survey in Measuring Health Outcomes in the Depressed Elderly

1996 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Beusterien ◽  
Bruce Steinwald ◽  
John E. Ware
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Longitudinal data from a clinical trial were analyzed to evaluate the usefulness of the SF-36 Health Survey in estimating the impact of depression and changes in severity over time on the functional health and well-being of 532 patients, 60 to 86 years of age, who met DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Clinician's Global Impression of Severity and Improvement, and the Geriatric Depression Scale were used to define clinical severity and changes in severity over a 6-week period. Answers to SF-36 questions tended to be complete and to satisfy assumptions underlying methods of scale construction and scoring. As hypothesized, the SF-36 Mental Health Scale and Mental Component Summary measure, shown in previous studies to be most valid in measuring differences in mental health, exhibited the strongest associations with severity of depression in cross-sectional analyses and were most responsive to changes in severity in longitudinal comparisons. We conclude that the SF-36 Health Survey is useful for estimating the burden of depression and in monitoring changes in functional health and well-being over time among the depressed elderly.

Changes in Sabbath-Keeping and Mental Health Over Time: Evaluation Findings From the Sabbath Living Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 009164712110462
Author(s):  
Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell ◽  
Beth Stringfield ◽  
Jia Yao ◽  
Jessica Choi ◽  
David Eagle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Sabbath Keeping

Work-related stress is experienced at a high level in the United States. Clergy are particularly likely to over-extend themselves to act on their sacred call. Sabbath-keeping may offer a practice that is beneficial for mental health, yet many Protestant clergy do not keep a regular Sabbath. We examined whether United Methodist clergy who attended informative Sabbath-keeping workshops reported changes in spiritual well-being and mental health post-workshop. Compared to baseline, at 3 and 9 months post-workshop, participants reported an increase in Sabbath-keeping. In adjusted random effects and Poisson models, compared to not changing Sabbath-keeping frequency, increasing Sabbath-keeping was related to only one outcome: greater feelings of personal accomplishment at work. Decreasing Sabbath-keeping was related to worse anxiety symptoms, lower spiritual well-being in ministry scores, and a higher probability of having less than flourishing mental health. For four outcomes, there were no significant associations with changes in Sabbath-keeping over time. Although lacking a control group, this study adds to cross-sectional Sabbath-keeping studies by correlating changes in Sabbath-keeping with changes in mental health outcomes over time.

Social Support Networks and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1386-1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra B. Balaji ◽  
Angelika H. Claussen ◽  
D. Camille Smith ◽  
Susanna N. Visser ◽  
Melody Johnson Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Networks ◽  
Social Support Networks ◽  
Health And Well Being

scholarly journals Staying Calm and Well in the Midst of the COVID-19 Storm: One University's Longitudinal Outcomes Evaluation of a Mental Health and Well-Being Webinar Series

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk ◽  
Megan Amaya ◽  
Andreanna Pavan Hsieh ◽  
Rebecca Momany ◽  
Josh Winn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Longitudinal Outcomes ◽  
Outcomes Evaluation ◽  
Faculty And Staff ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic began, wellness leadership at a large Mid-west public university anticipated an increase in mental health problems among faculty and staff. A two-part weekly webinar series entitled "Staying Calm and Well in the Midst of the COVID-19 Storm" was launched to assist faculty and staff in coping with stressful issues related to the pandemic and enhancing their well-being. This series provided the university community with evidence-based knowledge, skills, and resources to enhance their ability in taking good self-care.Aim: To assess participant mental health outcomes during the two-part mental health and well-being educational webinar series over time.Methods: A longitudinal outcomes evaluation was conducted. Evaluation data was obtained from the participants via an anonymous post-webinar survey, which included questions from the Patient-Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression. The first series was conducted over the course of 8 weeks and the second series took place over 7 weeks. Descriptive statistics were used to assess responses to the PHQ-4 over time to evaluate outcomes of the webinar series. An open-ended question also asked participants about the 2 to 3 biggest concerns and worries they had at that moment.   Results: The average amount of survey responses received were 1,470.25 (SD = ± 240.3) for Series One and 926.4 (SD = ± 164.3) for Series Two. Ninety-five percent of participants put the skills they learned during both series into practice. When participants reported experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms, they most frequently reported experiencing them several days a week. The number of participants reporting no depressive or anxiety symptoms increased as the webinar series progressed over time. The types of concerns and worries reported varied across time.Conclusion: The Staying Calm and Well During the COVID-19 Pandemic webinar participants had a reduction in symptoms associated with anxiety and depression after completing the series.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being of people living with a long-term physical health condition: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fisher ◽  
A. Roberts ◽  
A. R. McKinlay ◽  
D. Fancourt ◽  
A. Burton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Being There ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions caused major global disruption. Individuals with long-term physical health conditions (LTCs) are at higher risk of severe illness and often subject to the strictest pandemic guidance, so may be disproportionally affected. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore how living with a LTC during the COVID-19 pandemic affected people’s mental health and wellbeing. Methods Participants were people living with LTCs who participated in telephone/video call interviews based on a semi-structured topic guide. Key themes and subthemes were determined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Results The sample included 32 participants with LTCs (most commonly cancer, respiratory conditions or cardiovascular diseases), mean age 57 (SD 13) years, 66% female and 72% white British. There were four overarching themes specific to living with a LTC. These were 1) high levels of fear and anxiety related to perceived consequences of catching COVID-19, 2) impact of shielding/isolation on mental health and wellbeing, 3) experience of healthcare during the pandemic and 4) anxiety created by uncertainty about the future. Fourteen subthemes were identified, including concerns about accessing essential supplies and the importance of social support. Individuals who lived alone and were advised to shield could be profoundly negatively affected. Conclusions This study found that there were a number of aspects of living with a LTC during the pandemic that had a significant impact on mental health and well-being. There should be focus on how best to provide practical and social support to people with LTCs during a pandemic, particularly if they have to shield or isolate.

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