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

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.

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Age differences in trajectories of depressive, anxiety, and burnout symptoms in a population with a high likelihood of persistent occupational distress

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610220001751 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Celia F. Hybels ◽

Dan G. Blazer ◽

David E. Eagle ◽

Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Well Being ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

Working Adults ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Patient Health ◽

Over Time

Abstract Objectives: Work in occupations with higher levels of occupational stress can bring mental health costs. Many older adults worldwide are continuing to work past traditional retirement age, raising the question whether older adults experience depression, anxiety, or burnout at the same or greater levels as younger workers, and whether there are differences by age in these levels over time. Design/setting/participants: Longitudinal survey of 1161 currently employed US clergy followed every 6–12 months for up to 66 months. Measurements: Depression was measured with the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). Anxiety was measured using the anxiety component of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Burnout symptoms were assessed using the three components of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and sense of personal accomplishment (PA). Results: Older participants had lower scores of depression, anxiety, EE, and DP and higher levels of PA over time compared to younger adults. Levels of EE decreased for older working adults, while not significantly changing over time for those younger. DP symptoms decreased over time among those 55 years or older but increased among those 25–54 years. Conclusions: Older working adults may have higher levels of resilience and be able to balance personal life with their occupation as well as may engage in certain behaviors that increase social support and, for clergy, spiritual well-being that may decrease stress in a way that allows these older adults to appear to tolerate working longer without poorer mental health outcomes.

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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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Burnout among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

10.1101/2020.06.12.20129650 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mohammad Jalili ◽

Mahtab Niroomand ◽

Fahimeh Hadavand ◽

Kataun Zeinali ◽

Akbar Fotouhi

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Well Being ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

Capital City ◽

Average Score ◽

Control Group ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Job Category

AbstractBackgroundThe unpredictable nature of the new COVID-19 pandemic and the already alarming incidence of healthcare workers being affected can have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of the staff.ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence of burnout among healthcare professionals and the associated factors.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingEight university affiliated hospitals in the capital city of Tehran, Iran.ParticipantsAll healthcare workers at the study sites who had been taking care of COVID-19 patients.MeasurementsAge, gender, marital status, having children, hospital, job category, experience, and work load, as well as the level of burnout in each subscale.Results326 persons (53.0%) experienced high levels of burnout. The average score in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment was 26.6, 10.2, and 27.3, respectively. The level of burnout in the three subscales varied based on the personal as well as work related factors and gender was the only variable that was associated with high levels of all three domains.LimitationsThere was no control group and thus we cannot claim a causal relationship between COVID-19 and the observed level of burnout. Not all confounding factors might have been accounted for.ConclusionsBurnout is prevalent among healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. Age, gender, job category, and site of practice contribute to the level of burnout that the staff experience.Funding sourceNone

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Spiritual Perspectives, Spiritual Care, and Knowledge of Recovery Among Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association ◽

10.1177/1078390319846548 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 364-372

Author(s):

Melissa Neathery ◽

Zhaomin He ◽

Elizabeth Johnston Taylor ◽

Belinda Deal

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Spiritual Care ◽

Recovery Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Moderate Degree ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

Spiritual Perspectives

BACKGROUND: Promoting spiritual well-being aids the mental health recovery process. Furthermore, nursing governance bodies and national mental health care regulators support spiritual care as a mental health–promoting approach. Although spiritual well-being is integral to quality of life in people with mental illness, little is known about the psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses’ provision of spiritual care. AIMS: Spiritual perspectives, frequency of spiritual care, and knowledge of recovery-oriented practice were measured. Variables were explored to identify a model of spiritual care. METHOD: A descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was employed. Analyses of data using descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted with a convenience sample of 171 PMH nurses. RESULTS: Participants scored high on measurement of spiritual perspectives, moderate on measurement of knowledge about recovery-oriented practice, and indicated a moderate degree of frequency of provision of spiritual care. Nurses who viewed themselves as “spiritual and religious” provided more frequent spiritual care and had higher levels of spiritual perspectives than those who viewed themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Significant contributors to spiritual care were spiritual perspectives and years of experience as a PMH nurse. Knowledge of recovery-oriented practice, however, did not contribute to a model of spiritual care. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses’ spiritual perspectives, religiosity, and years of experience are factors that may explain nurse-provided spiritual care. Findings imply that spiritual and/or religious development may support PMH nurses to provide spiritual care.

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The Relationship of Mother's Spiritual Well-being and Forgiveness with Mother-to-infant Attachment in Women Referring to Maternity Hospital Affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

Current Women s Health Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573404816666200117092317 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 116-122

Author(s):

Hanieh Dehestani ◽

Zeinab Moshfeghy ◽

Fatemeh Ghodrati

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Great Influence ◽

Well Being ◽

Maternity Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Spiritual Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Spiritual Well Being ◽

High Level ◽

The Relationship

Background: The mental health of the mother has a great influence on the health of her fetus. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the mother's spiritual well-being and forgiveness with maternal-fetal attachment (MFA). Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. A sample of 200 female participants was selected by applying a simple sampling method among the mothers hospitalized in 3 clinics during the period of 2017-2018. The Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Health and Pollard & Anderson Forgiveness Questionnaires were used toassess the correlation between the spiritual health and forgiveness of the mother with MFA. Results: The relationship between attachment parameters including sentimental and emotional behaviors (r = 0.365, p = 0.0001), near-proximity-keeping behaviors (r = 0.261, p = 0.002), care behaviors (r = 0.339, p = 0.0001), mother’s attention to baby (r = 0.19, p = 0.026), versus all attachment behaviors (r = 0.349, p = 0.0001) and high level of spiritual well-being was significant, whereas the relationship between the mother’s forgiveness score and all the attachment components was not meaningful. However, the high level of forgiveness score was significant with all of the attachment components (p<0.0001). Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between the mother’s mental health and forgiveness and the attachment versus its components. It is recommended that in order to reduce the stress level and promotion of MFA, training courses for spiritual programs and mechanisms for the creation of forgiveness should be scheduled in the pregnancy plans.

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Workload, work satisfaction and burnout among Hungarian female residents. Results of representative, online survey

Orvosi Hetilap ◽

10.1556/oh.2014.30038 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 155 (46) ◽

pp. 1831-1840 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Zsuzsa Győrffy ◽

Edmond Girasek

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Critical Mass ◽

Work Satisfaction ◽

Well Being ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

Control Group ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Important Indicator ◽

Financial Status ◽

High Level

Introduction: Years of residency are the most challenging period of a medical carrier. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze female residents’ (n = 380) workload, work satisfaction and burnout. Method: Data in this representative, cross-sectional epidemiological study were obtained from online questionnaires completed by 380 female residents. For a wider interpretation of the data, male residents (n = 176) were included in the analysis as a control group. Results: The average weakly work hours of female residents were 66 hours and 70% of them felt overloaded. The medium and high level personal accomplishment was 75.9%, the emotional exhaustion was 58% and the medium and high level of depersonalization subscale was 53%. Female residents were mostly dissatisfied with working conditions, financial status, and prestige of her work. Dissatisfaction with the Hungarian health system was about 80% and nearly a quarter of respondents were considering working abroad. Conclusions: Female residents represent the “critical mass” of the young doctors. Residents’ well-being is an important indicator of the functioning and effectiveness of the health care system. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(46), 1831–1840.

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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 ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026995 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. e026995 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

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.

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A New Mental Health Mobile App for Well-Being and Stress Reduction in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/14269 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. e14269 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Cássia Canha Coelhoso ◽

Patricia Renovato Tobo ◽

Shirley Silva Lacerda ◽

Alex Heitor Lima ◽

Carla Regina Camara Barrichello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Working Women ◽

Well Being ◽

Mobile App ◽

World Health ◽

Control Group ◽

Work Related

Background Although the availability and use of mobile mental health apps has grown exponentially in recent years, little data are available regarding their efficacy. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an app developed to promote stress management and well-being among working women compared with a control app. Methods Female employees at a private hospital were invited to participate in the study via mailing lists and intranet ads. A total of 653 individuals self-enrolled through the website. Eligible participants were randomized between control (n=240) and intervention (n=250) groups. The well-being mobile app provides an 8-week program with 4 classes per week (including a brief theoretical portion and a 15-min guided practice). The active control app also provided 4 assessments per week that encouraged participants to self-observe how they were feeling for 20 min. We also used the app to conduct Web-based questionnaires (10-item Perceived Stress Scale and 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index) and ask specific questions to assess subjective levels of stress and well-being at baseline (t1), midintervention (t4=4 weeks after t1) and postintervention (t8=8 weeks after t1). Both apps were fully automated without any human involvement. Outcomes from the control and intervention conditions at the 3 time points were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Among the randomized participants (n=490), 185 participants were excluded at the 4-week follow-up and another 79 at the 8-week follow-up because of noncompliance with the experimental protocol. Participants who did not complete t4 and t8 assessments were equally distributed between groups (t4: control group=34.6% [83/240] and intervention group=40.8% [102/250]; P=.16; t8: control group=29.9% [47/157] and intervention group=21.6% [32/148]; P=.10). Both groups showed a significant increase in general well-being as a function of time (F2,426=5.27; P=.006), but only the intervention group presented a significant increase in work-related well-being (F2,426=8.92; P<.001), as well as a significant reduction in work-related and overall stress (F2,426=5.50; P=.004 and F2,426=8.59; P<.001, respectively). Conclusions The well-being mobile app was effective in reducing employee stress and improving well-being. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02637414; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02637414.

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Examining associations between smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and mental health outcomes: A cross-sectional study of college students

Health Promotion Perspectives ◽

10.34172/hpp.2021.06 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 36-44

Author(s):

Namyun Kil ◽

Junhyoung Kim ◽

Justin T. McDaniel ◽

Jun Kim ◽

Kari Kensinger

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Smartphone Use

Background: Prior studies have indicated the complex relationships of smartphone use and smartphone addiction with mental health and life satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural relationships among smartphone use, smartphone addiction, mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress [DAS] and satisfaction with life [SWL]). Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected by convenience sampling via an online survey of undergraduate students at a Midwestern university in the United States. The sample size of601 collected from undergraduate students that owned a smartphone and completed responses to the variables was utilized in this study. We assessed the hypothesized variables, including smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and mental health outcomes variables on a Likert-type scale. Structural analysis was used to examine the relationships. Results: Results suggested that smartphone use had a significant negative association with DAS symptoms (β = -.31, t = -3.81, P < .001) and was positively associated with SWL (β =.25, t = 3.41, P < .001). However, smartphone use had a significant positive relationship with smartphone addiction (β = .48, t = 5.51, P < .001). Smartphone addiction was positively related to DAS (β = .44, t = 6.33, P < .001), but it was not related to SWL (β = -.08, t = -1.26, P > .05). Conclusion: This study enhances our understanding of the associations between smartphone use and the health and well-being of undergraduate students. Implications for supporting their psychological health are discussed.

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Impact of COVID-19 on Medicine Lecturers’ Mental Health and Emergency Remote Teaching Challenges

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136792 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6792

Author(s):

Carla Miguel ◽

Luísa Castro ◽

José Paulo Marques dos Santos ◽

Carla Serrão ◽

Ivone Duarte

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pedagogical Innovation ◽

Online Study ◽

Work Related ◽

Resilience Scale ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Collaboration And Communication

COVID-19 has presented a novel pedagogical challenge in dealing with the sudden shift from classic instruction to emergency remote teaching (ERT). It had an impact on the well-being and mental health of lecturers, increasing burnout risk. A cross-sectional, quantitative, qualitative and analytical online study was conducted to collect participants’ sociodemographic data, responses to ERT open-ended questions and mental health assessments using relevant instruments (CBI for burnout, Resilience Scale, DASS for depression, anxiety and stress, SWLS for satisfaction with life). High personal burnout levels were found in 41.2% of participants, high work-related burnout in 37.3% and high student-related burnout in 15.7%. Satisfaction with life, sleep routine changes and stress were determinants for personal burnout; stress and resilience for work-related burnout; satisfaction of life and sleep routine changes for students-related burnout. Opportunities for pedagogical innovation were pointed out as the main advantages to ERT, while the main negative impacts were on practical lessons and social interaction. Students and lecturers’ safety and adequate institutional support might be insured, considering their expectations and needs, promoting mental health. Combining the advantages of online and traditional methods in a so-called “blended learning” approach, with close collaboration and communication between all those involved, appears to achieve better results.

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