COVID-19 and mental health: Anxiety disorders among immigrants due to COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various facets of health. While mental health became a major concern during the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact on the migrants’ mental health has still been neglected. The purpose of this study was to examine the COVID-19 outbreak's impact on the mental health of immigrants in South Korea. Methods A total number of 386 immigrants in South Korea participated in this quantitative cross-sectional study. The standardized e-questionnaire, including the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, was used to measure the anxiety level. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find out the determinants of anxiety disorders among immigrants. Results The prevalence of severe anxiety among immigrants was found to be 47.2%. Female immigrants (28.6%) had a lower anxiety disorder than males (71.4%). Immigrants who were married, living alone, had a low income, had a history of health problems were suffered from moderate to severe anxiety. Immigrants who were unemployed (OR 2.302, 95% CI = 1.353–3.917) and lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak (OR 2.197, 95% CI = 1.312–3.678) have a higher anxiety disorder. Immigrants aged over 30 years were found to suffer from a high level of anxiety (OR 2.285, 95% CI = 1.184–4.410). Relief support from the government was significantly associated with anxiety disorder among immigrants (p < 0.01, OR = 3.151, 95% CI = 1.962–5.061). Conclusion With very limited studies on immigrants’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper provides scientific research evidence of the COVID-19 outbreak's impact on the mental health of migrants. Our study has consequences for implementing integrated psychological interventions and health promotion strategies for the well-being of immigrants’ mental health.

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Investigating the business performance on the financial well-being of the Government retirees

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/202112403006 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 124 ◽

pp. 03006

Author(s):

Abdul Mutalib Embong ◽

Norzamziah Afzainizam ◽

Mariati Norhashim ◽

Amirsaman Ahmadi

Keyword(s):

Business Performance ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Population Ageing ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

Population ageing; where there is growth in the percentage of older persons in the population; is becoming a worldwide phenomenon due to better healthcare and lower birth rates. The phenomenon of population ageing brings with it both challenges and opportunities. The challenges of an ageing population include social, health and economic support of the elderly. Malaysia is recognizing the need to address this issue of financially supporting an ageing population. The purpose of the paper was to investigate the impact of business on the financial well-being (FWB) of the ageing, specifically the government retirees. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among retirees who were in business throughout Malaysia that employed a cross sectional design. Forty-one respondents were successfully interviewed. Statistical procedures for the analyses included descriptive analysis and a profile analysis using scatterplot on the perceived business performance vs financial well-being. The survey revealed that the majority of the respondents operated business in the services, trade or retail industries which were set up and fully owned by themselves. Resource wise, the majority had very low financial capital, human capital and social capital. The study provides some empirical evidence that the retirees in business may be categorized into opportunity driven and necessity driven groups. The paper concludes that there is a need to find alternative income generation methods for the necessity driven group. Making paid work accessible to the elderly must be urgently put on the national agenda.

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Influence of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Nurses dealing with COVID-19 Patients (A Study on Nurses within Karachi)

10.53350/pjmhs211551200 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 1200-1204

Author(s):

U. Amen ◽

Z. Rajwani ◽

U. Sumayya ◽

R. Haroon ◽

N. Mushtaq ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Preventive Intervention ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Moderate Depression ◽

Study Results ◽

The Impact ◽

Severe Anxiety

Background: Globally Corona virus (COVID-19) has become a huge challenge for all of the population. In South Asia, country Pakistan city Karachi the 1st case of this breakdown was identified on 26th February 2020 (Waris et al., 2020). This disease has developed psychological distress among all the population. COVID virus is one of the leading threats to all the healthcare organizations and due to increase rate of patients day by day, it has given enormous burden to all healthcare workers especially nurses the front line fighters who are always ready to give care towards the patient whom they encountered so it’s very crucial part to assess the impact of COVID -19 on the mental health of the nurses. Objective: The objective of the study is to identify the frequency level of stress, anxiety and depression among nurses while dealing with those patients who were admitted in various hospitals in Karachi for treatment of COVID-19. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 20th November to 31st December 2020 from different hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Those Registered nurses who were assigned in isolation ward of Covid-19 were the part of the study. For data collection survey form was designed based on Depression Anxiety Stress scale (DASS-21) scale (Lovibond & Lovibond 1995). Results: The total mean score of depression among nurses was 50 (68%), Anxiety was 32 (43%) and stress was 34 (46%). 50 nurses suffered from moderate depression, 24 nurses reported from extremely severe anxiety and 50 nurses suffered from moderate stress level. From 74 participants 41(55.4%) were females and 33 (44.6%) were males. Furthermore, it shows that 25 (76%) males and 25 (61%) females suffered from moderate depression, 32 nurses 14 (42%) male and 18(43.90%) females reported from extremely severe anxiety. Conclusion: This pandemic is highly complex, contagious and vulnerable. The study results portrait that nurses working with COVID-19 patients have affected a lot of various psychological distress such as anxiety, stress, and depression. It is very vital for higher management to take major steps and take preventive intervention which would be beneficial towards their mental health in decreasing negative psychological outcomes, because they all are working under pressure environment. Key Words: Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Pandemic, Registered Nurse

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Declining mental health among disadvantaged Americans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1722023115 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 115 (28) ◽

pp. 7290-7295 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Noreen Goldman ◽

Dana A. Glei ◽

Maxine Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Positive Emotions ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Opioid Epidemic ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Modest Improvement ◽

The Us ◽

The Impact

Although there is little dispute about the impact of the US opioid epidemic on recent mortality, there is less consensus about whether trends reflect increasing despair among American adults. The issue is complicated by the absence of established scales or definitions of despair as well as a paucity of studies examining changes in psychological health, especially well-being, since the 1990s. We contribute evidence using two cross-sectional waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study to assess changes in measures of psychological distress and well-being. These measures capture negative emotions such as sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness, and positive emotions such as happiness, fulfillment, and life satisfaction. Most of the measures reveal increasing distress and decreasing well-being across the age span for those of low relative socioeconomic position, in contrast to little decline or modest improvement for persons of high relative position.

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Prevalence and association of discrimination and bullying and the impact on mental health in an occupational setting

International Journal of Workplace Health Management ◽

10.1108/ijwhm-02-2020-0018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Stratton ◽

Michael J. Player ◽

Ariane Dahlheimer ◽

Isabella Choi ◽

Nicholas Glozier

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Occupational Setting ◽

Male Dominated ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Impact

PurposeDiscrimination and bullying contribute to mental ill-health in the workplace. At face value, they would seem linked but are often dealt with by different legislations. Workplace studies generally focus on bullying and population studies on discrimination. The authors aimed to evaluate the prevalence and relationship of discrimination and bullying in a male-dominated workforce, associated factors and relative impact on mental ill-health.Design/methodology/approachAn online cohort survey was conducted amongst employees of an Australian mining company, measuring discrimination, bullying, demographics and workplace and health factors over two months. Cross-sectional and prospective analyses assessed the prevalence of each, their association and their effects on depression and anxiety.FindingsA total of 580 employees (82% male) participated. There was no association between workplace bullying (n = 56, 9.7%) and discrimination (n = 160, 27.6%). Discrimination, but not bullying, was associated with higher depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation and lower well-being and resilience. After controlling for demographic, workplace and health and well-being factors, depression had the main effect on discrimination ß = 0.39, p = 0.003. Discrimination predicted an increase in depression scores at follow-up F (1, 129) = 4.88, p = 0.029.Originality/valueIn this male-dominated industry, discrimination was more prevalent than bullying. Discrimination, but not bullying, was associated with poorer mental health both cross sectionally and prospectively. Supporting the need to assess and manage discrimination and bullying in the workplace independently and the need for interventions to reduce a broader range of adverse interpersonal behaviours.

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Longitudinal access and exposure to green-blue spaces and individual-level mental health and well-being: protocol for a longitudinal, population-wide record-linked natural experiment

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027289 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e027289 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amy Mizen ◽

Jiao Song ◽

Richard Fry ◽

Ashley Akbari ◽

Damon Berridge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Natural Experiment ◽

Research Programme ◽

Well Being ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Academic Community ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Impact

IntroductionStudies suggest that access and exposure to green-blue spaces (GBS) have beneficial impacts on mental health. However, the evidence base is limited with respect to longitudinal studies. The main aim of this longitudinal, population-wide, record-linked natural experiment, is to model the daily lived experience by linking GBS accessibility indices, residential GBS exposure and health data; to enable quantification of the impact of GBS on well-being and common mental health disorders, for a national population.Methods and analysisThis research will estimate the impact of neighbourhood GBS access, GBS exposure and visits to GBS on the risk of common mental health conditions and the opportunity for promoting subjective well-being (SWB); both key priorities for public health. We will use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to create quarterly household GBS accessibility indices and GBS exposure using digital map and satellite data for 1.4 million homes in Wales, UK (2008–2018). We will link the GBS accessibility indices and GBS exposures to individual-level mental health outcomes for 1.7 million people with general practitioner (GP) data and data from the National Survey for Wales (n=~12 000) on well-being in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. We will examine if these associations are modified by multiple sociophysical variables, migration and socioeconomic disadvantage. Subgroup analyses will examine associations by different types of GBS. This longitudinal study will be augmented by cross-sectional research using survey data on self-reported visits to GBS and SWB.Ethics and disseminationAll data will be anonymised and linked within the privacy protecting SAIL Databank. We will be using anonymised data and therefore we are exempt from National Research Ethics Committee (NREC). An Information Governance Review Panel (IGRP) application (Project ID: 0562) to link these data has been approved.The research programme will be undertaken in close collaboration with public/patient involvement groups. A multistrategy programme of dissemination is planned with the academic community, policy-makers, practitioners and the public.

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Depressive symptoms among Peruvian adult residents amidst a National Lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03107-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Daniel A. Antiporta ◽

Yuri L. Cutipé ◽

Maria Mendoza ◽

David D. Celentano ◽

Elizabeth A. Stuart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Low Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Impact ◽

Control Measures ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Mental Health Diagnosis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Diagnosis

Abstract Background Population health and well-being in Latin America, the current epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been severely affected during the past semester. Despite the growing evidence about the link between the pandemic, its control measures, and mental health worldwide, there is still no regional evidence of the potential mental health impact. We describe the prevalence and distribution of depressive symptoms across demographic and socioeconomic risk factors in the Peruvian population amidst a national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Cross-sectional study conducted during the community transmission phase and national lockdown in Peru (May 4th–16th, 2020). We recorded 64,493 responses from adult Peruvian residents through an opt-in online questionnaire. All analyses were weighted using raking based on proportions of sociodemographic variables from the last Peruvian census in 2017. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was calculated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score of 10 or more. We identified associated demographic and socioeconomic factors by prior mental health diagnosis. Sensitivity analysis considered an alternative cut-off point for depressive symptoms of PHQ-9 ≥ 14. Results A total of 57,446 participants were included in the analytical sample. A third of the participants (n = 23,526, unweighted) showed depressive symptoms in the 2 weeks prior to the study. Participants who reported a previous mental health diagnosis doubled the sample prevalence of depressive symptoms (59, 95%CI 56.7, 61.4%) of those without a prior diagnosis. Psychosocial and functioning reactions were largely more prevalent among females and young adults. A dose-response relationship was found between household income and depressive symptoms across previous mental health diagnosis strata, being as low as 32% less in the wealthiest than the most impoverished group (PR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.58,0.79). Other critical factors associated with a higher burden of depressive symptoms were lower education level, single, unemployed, and chronic comorbidity. Conclusions An increased burden of depressive symptoms and psychosocial reactions has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru compared to previous years. The mental health burden disproportionately affects women, the younger population, and those with low income and education. As the country eases the social distancing measures, it is crucial to use local evidence to adjust public health policies and mental health services to the renewed population needs.

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COVID-19 lockdown and its impact on mental health in various population groups in Greece: A cross-sectional study

Integrative Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.15342/ijms.2021.447 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Konstantinos Argyropoulos ◽

Konstantinos Krikonis ◽

Eleni Jelastopulu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Sector ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Protection Measures ◽

Tourism Sector ◽

On Line ◽

Socioeconomic Data ◽

The Impact

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has brought a serious impact on physical and mental health.Objective: The purpose of the present study was to estimate the impact of the first lockdown in Greece, on both quality of life and anxiety levels in different occupational groups.Methods: A cross-sectional on- line survey was conducted from 20th of April to 4th of May 2020. A 24-item anonymous questionnaire was administered to collect basic demographic and socioeconomic data. The 5-item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5, 0-100%, cut-off 52%) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) tools were used to assess well-being and anxiety, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS for Windows v.24.0 Statistical Package.Results: A total of 575 participated in the study, 62.8% females, 48.5% aged between 40 to 59 years. 32.5% were employed in education sector, 32.5% in health sector and 20.3% as season workers in tourism sector. Males showed slightly higher levels of wellbeing (52.1 vs. 47.3, p=0.023) and lower levels of anxiety (7.1 vs. 8.2, p=0.023) compared to females. Factors associated with higher wellbeing and lower anxiety were higher education and income level, optimism, taking less protection measures, and being seasonal worker. Furthermore, participants with comorbidities and symptoms like headache, musculoskeletal pain, as well as feeling depressed or stressed revealed lower wellbeing and higher anxiety scores.Conclusion: Our study revealed an overall poor wellbeing and mild to moderate levels of anxiety during the lockdown. Actions should be taken to address and to prevent its serious impact on mental health.

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Influence of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Physical and Psychosocial Well-being and Work Productivity of Remote Workers: Cross-sectional Correlational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30708 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yessica Abigail Tronco Hernández ◽

Fabio Parente ◽

Mark A Faghy ◽

Clare M P Roscoe ◽

Frances A Maratos

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Work Productivity ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Remote Workers ◽

Distress Scale ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the living and working habits of millions of people, with potentially important implications for their physical, mental, and social well-being. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote workers who were not directly affected by COVID-19. METHODS This was a correlational cross-sectional study (with an additional qualitative component) of 184 remote workers surveyed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. Standard measures of mental health (Kessler-6 Distress Scale), productivity (Brief Instrument to Assess Workers’ Productivity During a Working Day), and physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) were used, and respondents were further surveyed on changes to their dietary, exercise, smoking, drinking, and socialization habits to produce a well-being change index. RESULTS The results revealed associations between sedentary behavior and poorer mental health (τb=0.14) and between poorer mental health and low work productivity (τb=–0.39). However, both positive and negative lifestyle changes were reported; a self-reported increase in well-being (with respect to diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, and socialization) since the start of the pandemic was associated with both better mental health (τb=–0.14) and better work productivity (τb=0.14). Of note, among respondents without a mental health diagnosis (137/184, 74.4%), we observed rates of moderate (76/137, 55.5%) and severe (17/137, 12.4%) psychological distress, which were markedly higher than those reported in large prepandemic studies; moreover, 70.1% (129/184) of our respondents reported more sedentary behavior, 41% (69/168) increased their alcohol consumption, and 38.6% (71/184) increased their overall food intake. However, 46% (75/163), 44.8% (39/87) and 51.8% (57/110) of respondents reported spending more time walking and engaging in more moderate and vigorous exercise, respectively. Qualitative analysis revealed many positive adaptations to lockdowns (eg, decreased commuting expenses, flexibility) but also a number of structural obstacles to remote working (eg, lack of support and high expectations from employers, childcare duties). CONCLUSIONS These findings may be of practical importance for policy makers and employers in a world in which work involves long-term remote or hybrid employment arrangements; strategies to promote more sustainable remote working are discussed.

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COVID-19 Pandemic: A Challenge for Healthcare Professionals and Assessment of Anxiety Symptoms

Journal of Health Sciences ◽

10.17532/jhsci.2020.1073 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Maestro ◽

Sabina Šegalo ◽

Dinko Remić ◽

Arzija Pašalić ◽

Anes Jogunčić

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Centre ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Public Institution ◽

World Health ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The World ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Worldwide, COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of infected people and thousands of deaths. Due to enormous pressure on health-care systems and its inadequate preparedness, utter collapse is expected. In the current epidemic response, healthcare workers’ (HCWs) knowledge and practice are crucial, while the impact on their mental health is still unknown.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs redeployed to COVID points in the Public Institution Health Centre of Sarajevo Canton. According to guidelines and information provided by the World Health Organization and Ministries of Health, a questionnaire was developed. In addition, General Anxiety Disorder-7 as a screening tool for anxiety disorders was used.Results: Of 180 respondents, 26 (14.4%) were in direct contact with the sick patient. In total, 79 (43.9%) respondents consider their personal protective equipment is in accordance with the guidelines of the world health authorities. A total of 72 (39.7%) of respondents used the same mask for several days. In general, the danger from new coronavirus was considered minimal by 59 (32,6%) HCWs. Based on the achieved score for assessing the anxiety disorder, in 63 (35%) subjects, the presence of severe symptoms was detected.Conclusion: This study found that most HCWs do not have enough knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified that there are differences in the sources of information and gap in perceptions of the native origin of the virus. Considering the frequency of anxiety symptoms among HCWs, interventions are necessary in order to preserve their mental health.

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The psychological impact of coronavirus on university students and its socio-economic determinants in Malaysia

10.1101/2020.10.27.20220723 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Irfan ◽

Faizah Shahudin ◽

Vincent James Hooper ◽

Waqar Akram ◽

Rosmaiza Binti Abdul Ghani

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

University Students ◽

Family Income ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Economic Determinants ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis article examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon university students’ anxiety level and finds the factors associated with the anxiety disorder in Malaysia. We collected data from 958 students from 16 different universities using an originally designed questionnaire. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7) was used to estimate the anxiety. We find that 12.3% students were normal, whereas 30.5% were experiencing mild, 31.1% moderate, and 26.1% severe anxiety. Surprisingly, only 37.2% of students were aware of mental health support which was provided by their universities. Moreover, it was found that gender as male (Odds Ratio (OR= 0.798, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)= 0.61 - 1.04)) and having internet access (OR = 0.44, 95% CI= 0.24 - 0.80) were alleviating factors for the anxiety. Whereas, age above than 20 years (OR= 1.30, 95% CI= 0.96 - 1.75), ethnicity Chinese (OR=1.72, 95% CI= 0.95 - 3.1), any other disease (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.44 - 2.79), decreased family income (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.34 - 2.17), more time spent on watching COVID-19 related news (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.17 - 1.97), and infected relative or friends (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.06 - 2.50) were risk factors for anxiety among students. We suggest that the government of Malaysia should monitor the mental health of the universities’ students more closely and universities should open online mental health support clinics to avoid the adverse impacts of the anxiety disorder.

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