scholarly journals COVID-19 concerns, health services utilisation and social support among Western Australians with diabetes during the pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1035719X2110408
Author(s):  
Jenny L Olson ◽  
Enrique Mergelsberg ◽  
Jessica Jensen ◽  
Deborah Schofield ◽  
Natasha Watson
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Optimal Service ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Pragmatic Assessment ◽  
The Impact

People with diabetes face increased risk of serious COVID-19 complications, making self-care for optimal metabolic management crucial. However, the pandemic has reduced access to routine care among people with diabetes. The pandemic can also elicit distress, which can impact diabetes self-management and health. To understand the impact of COVID-19 on Western Australians with diabetes, we conducted an evaluation involving an online survey of consumers of diabetes health services and an analysis of routine program data (i.e. service utilisation/program attendance). Survey respondents were concerned about contracting COVID-19, many intended to change the way they utilised health services and many indicated they would continue to socially isolate. Utilisation of digital/telephone services peaked between April and June 2020. Despite the concerns indicated, a participation resurgence was observed upon resumption of face-to-face programs. Continued access to diabetes programs via multiple modes of delivery is critical to support optimal self-care and mitigate COVID-19 risks, distress and social isolation. This timely and pragmatic assessment of consumer beliefs synthesised with routinely collected evaluation data represents an agile approach to evaluation through an emerging public health crisis. The findings helped to ensure optimal service delivery to meet the needs of this priority population throughout the pandemic.

scholarly journals Investigating Community Pharmacy Take Home Naloxone Dispensing during COVID-19: The Impact of One Public Health Crisis on Another

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
George Daskalakis ◽  
Ashley Cid ◽  
Kelly Grindrod ◽  
Michael A. Beazely
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overdose Deaths

A recent report found that the number of opioid-related deaths in Ontario in the first 15 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was 38.2% higher than in the 15 weeks before the pandemic. Our study sought to determine if pharmacy professionals self-reported an increase or decrease in naloxone provision due to the pandemic and to identify adjustments made by pharmacy professionals to dispense naloxone during the pandemic. A total of 231 Ontario community pharmacy professionals completed an online survey. Pharmacy professionals’ barriers, facilitators, and comfort level with dispensing naloxone before and during the pandemic were identified. The sample consisted of mostly pharmacists (99.1%). Over half (51.1%) reported no change in naloxone dispensing, while 22.9% of respondents reported an increase and 24.7% a decrease. The most common adjustments made during the pandemic were training patients how to administer naloxone over video or phone, delivering naloxone kits, and pharmacy technicians offering naloxone at prescription intake. Over half (55%) of participants said the top barrier for dispensing was that patients did not request naloxone. Naloxone distribution through pharmacies could be further optimized to address the increased incidence of overdose deaths during the pandemic. Future research should investigate the reasons for changes in naloxone dispensing.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Barometer: Social Opinion – What Do the Portuguese Think in This Time of COVID-19?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ana Rita Pedro ◽  
Ana Gama ◽  
Patrícia Soares ◽  
Marta Moniz ◽  
Pedro A. Laires ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The People ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Continue Monitoring

The COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges to the global community, reinforcing the role of public health in society. The main measures to combat it had (and still have) a huge impact on the daily lives of citizens. This investigation aimed to identify and monitor the population’s perceptions about how it faced this period and the impact on health, well-being, and daily life. In this study, we describe the main trends observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of mental health status, confidence in the capacity of the health services to respond to the pandemic, and the use of health services by participants. The online survey collected responses from 171,947 individuals ≥16 years of age in Portugal, over a period of 15 weeks that started on 21 March 2020. Participants could fill the questionnaire once or weekly, which enabled us to analyse trends and variations in responses. Overall, 81% of the respondents reported having felt agitated, anxious, or sad during the COVID-19 pandemic; 19% did not experience these feelings. During the confinement period, the proportion of participants feeling agitated, anxious, or sad every day/almost every day ranged between 20 and 30%, but since the deconfinement this proportion decreased. Around 30% reported having more difficulty getting to sleep or to sleep all night; 28.4% felt more agitated; 25.5% felt sadder, discouraged, or cried more easily; and 24.7% felt unable to do everything they had to do, women more frequently than men. Overall, 65.8% of the participants reported feeling confident or very confident in the health services’ capacity to respond to the challenges associated with the pandemic, and this confidence increased over time. Concerning the people who needed a consultation, 35.6% had one in person and 20.8% had one remotely, but almost 44% did not have one due to cancellation by the service (27.2%) or their own decision not to go (16.3%). At this unusual time in which we find ourselves and based on our findings, it is essential to continue monitoring how the population is facing the different phases of the pandemic until it officially ends. Analysing the effects of the pandemic from the point of view of citizens allows for anticipating critical trends and can contribute to preventative action.

scholarly journals Dual Effects of Hearing Loss and Dementia on Functional Limitations in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-214
Author(s):  
Michael McKee ◽  
Yunshu Zhou ◽  
Joshua Ehrlich ◽  
Elham Mahmoudi ◽  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Household Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Lower Mobility ◽  
Independent Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Age-related hearing loss (HL) is both common and associated with elevated risk for cognitive decline and poorer health. To care for an aging population, it is critical to understand the effect of coexisting HL and dementia on functional activities. The effect of co-existing dementia and self-reported HL on daily functioning were assessed. A cross-sectional analysis was performed using nationally-representative data from the 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study consisting of U.S. adults 65+. The sample included 1,829 adults with HL (22.8%) and 5,338 adults without HL. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to model the independent effects and interaction of self-reported HL and dementia status on three validated functional activity scales (self-care, mobility, and household). All analyses adjusted for sociodemographic and medical factors. HL participants were more likely to be white, older, male, less educated (p <0.01). 8.4% had possible dementia and 6.5% had probable dementia. Respondents with HL or possible or probable dementia had significantly lower mobility, self-care, and household activity scores (p<.001 for all comparisons) compared to their peers. A small yet significant interaction was present in all models, suggesting that HL respondents with co-occurring dementia had lower mobility, self-care, and household activity scores than predicted by the independent effects of dementia and self-reported HL (p<.001 for all comparisons). Older adults with co-occurring dementia and HL are at increased risk for poor functioning and should be screened by healthcare providers. Future work should consider the impact of intervention in this vulnerable/at-risk population.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Patient’s Decision about Bariatric Surgery: Results of a National Survey

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Maciej Walędziak ◽  
Anna Różańska-Walędziak ◽  
Paweł Bartnik ◽  
Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik ◽  
Andrzej Kwiatkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Weight Loss Surgery ◽  
General Information ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Bariatric Patients ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

Background: the COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented restrictions have changed the functioning of healthcare systems worldwide. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of the present epidemiological situation on patients’ decisions about undergoing weight loss surgery. Methods: data were collected from 906 bariatric patients by the means of a national online survey, the majority of whom were women (87.9%). The survey started on 9 April 2020 and was open until 28 April 2020. The questionnaire included multiple choice and open questions, divided into three chapters: general information about the patient, life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bariatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: despite the pandemic and the associated risk of COVID-19 infection, 443 responders (48.9%) would have decided to undergo bariatric surgery. Awareness of the negative impact of obesity on the course of COVID-19 illness had only marginable impact on patients’ decision-making (76.6% vs. 75.3%; p < 0.80). Contact with COVID-19 prior to the survey had a negative impact on the willingness to undergo bariatric surgery (3.0% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.55). There was a positive correlation between the BMI and preference for bariatric surgery in the time of the pandemic (37.4 ± 9.0 vs. 34.9 ± 8.7; p < 0.001). Conclusions: the level of awareness about the advantages of operative treatment of obesity is high among bariatric patients. The majority of patients awaiting bariatric surgery at the moment of the survey were positive about undergoing bariatric surgery despite the increased risk of a serious course of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, a large proportion of patients was determined to have bariatric treatment even during the pandemic, being aware of the increased risk of worse pace of COVID-19 disease in case of obesity and related diseases.

Prevalence and family factors associated with loneliness during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study from South India

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (02) ◽  
pp. 61-67
Author(s):  
G. Sanjana ◽  
Vijaya Raghavan
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
South India ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Family Discord ◽  
The Impact

Background: Loneliness can affect anyone at any point in their life. It can be detrimental to the wellbeing and quality of life of individuals and communities. In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness is considered as a public health crisis. Hence, the objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of loneliness and family related factors associated with loneliness among general population in south India. Materials and Methods: The study employed a crosssectional online survey design. The data was collected in the first phase of the lockdown in 2020 from adults in Southern India. Socio-demographic profile and family related variables were collected using a semistructured proforma. Loneliness was assessed by UCLA loneliness scale. Results: Of 573 total respondents to the survey, aged between 18-65 years, 43% were male and 57% were female. The overall prevalence of loneliness was 63% (358/573). No significant gender differences were observed in the prevalence of loneliness. Family discord was associated with higher rates of loneliness (p less than 0.01). Other factors associated were younger age and being single. Conclusion: Rates of loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown were high in Southern India. Findings suggest that interventions should prioritize younger people. Increasing social support and improving interpersonal skills, which in turn would help reduce family discord and may reduce the impact of COVID-19 on loneliness.

scholarly journals MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DURING THE PANDEMIC: THE EXPERIENCES OF LITHUANIAN PSYCHOLOGISTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 217-229
Author(s):  
Rita Vaičekauskaitė ◽  
Jurgita Babarskienė ◽  
Jūratė Grubliauskienė
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis

With the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions, many countries face an unprecedented mental health crisis, which is being addressed in various ways, including the use of remote mental health services. Lithuania faced two quarantines: in March-June of 2020 and starting November 2020 up to Spring of 2021.  The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Lithuanian psychologists providing mental health services during the pandemic.  Using the qualitative content analysis method, the following categories were made: from shock to discovery of new opportunities (differences in two lockdowns, better accessibility of services, help-seeking during the pandemic, and the importance of self-care) and contextual challenges (confidentiality, computer literacy, and blurred home/work boundaries). Implications for addressing psychological service issues are discussed, with an emphasis on self-care, setting boundaries, and finding new ways to enhance mental health via mediated communication as well as to reach out to vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals Relationship between self-care activities, stress and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-cultural mediation model

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e048469
Author(s):  
Elkin Luis ◽  
Elena Bermejo-Martins ◽  
Martín Martinez ◽  
Ainize Sarrionandia ◽  
Cristian Cortes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Sociodemographic Variables ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo examine the mediation role of self-care between stress and psychological well-being in the general population of four countries and to assess the impact of sociodemographic variables on this relationship.DesignCross-sectional, online survey.ParticipantsA stratified sample of confined general population (N=1082) from four Ibero-American countries—Chile (n=261), Colombia (n=268), Ecuador (n=282) and Spain (n=271)—balanced by age and gender.Primary outcomes measuresSociodemographic information (age, gender, country, education and income level), information related to COVID-19 lockdown (number of days in quarantine, number of people with whom the individuals live, absence/presence of adults and minors in charge and attitude towards the search of information related to COVID-19), Perceived Stress Scale-10, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale-29 and Self-Care Activities Screening Scale-14.ResultsSelf-care partially mediates the relationship between stress and well-being during COVID-19 confinement in the general population in the total sample (F (3,1078)=370.01, p<0.001, R2=0.507) and in each country. On the other hand, among the evaluated sociodemographic variables, only age affects this relationship.ConclusionThe results have broad implications for public health, highlighting the importance of promoting people’s active role in their own care and health behaviour to improve psychological well-being if stress management and social determinants of health are jointly addressed first. The present study provides the first transnational evidence from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, showing that the higher perception of stress, the less self-care activities are adopted, and in turn the lower the beneficial effects on well-being.

scholarly journals Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Perceived Stress Scale Measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Nuha Alwaqdani ◽  
Hala A. Amer ◽  
Reem Alwaqdani ◽  
Fahad AlMansour ◽  
Hind A. Alzoman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Perceived Stress Scale ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Stress Levels

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and of considerable concern among health care workers (HCWs). Being particularly at increased risk for exposure, HCWs worry about becoming infected as well as infecting co-workers, patients and family members. Such distress and panic may have destructive effects on individuals and may last long after the pandemic situation leading to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to measure and investigate the prevalence of the factors affecting psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs. Methods A self-administered online survey—including perceived stress scale (PSS) questions—was disseminated among HCWs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (SA) between1st June and 30th July 2020. Results A total of 469 HCWs responded to the survey for a high response rate (93.8%). The PSS revealed that 15.8% of the respondents were suffering from high stress levels, 77.2% were suffering from moderate stress levels and 7% with low stress levels. Females and junior frontline staff reported more severe stress levels. Participation on the pandemic team shows significant impact on stress levels. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress levels among HCWs and affects their psychological wellbeing. Designing programs promoting HCWs mental health are crucial and emotional and psychological support strategies should be part of every public health crisis management plan.

scholarly journals Why Do Approved Mental Health Professionals Think Detentions under the Mental Health Act Are Rising and What Do They Think Should Be Done about It?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.

Relationship Satisfaction, Conflict and Psychological Distress: The Impact of Combat Deployment to Afghanistan on the Romantic Partners of Australian Army Personnel

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Turner ◽  
Danuta Chessor
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Combat Deployment ◽  
The Impact

Coping with psychological suffering after combat deployment has been identified across a diverse range of wars and countries as having the potential to negatively influence the long-term wellbeing of female partners of veterans. The aim of the study was to explore whether romantic partners of veterans (N = 97) suffered higher levels of psychological distress and destructive relationship conflict, lower relationship satisfaction and perceived social support when compared to female Australians in the civilian population (N = 87). Australian participants completed an anonymous online survey, and overall means were calculated for each group and compared using independent samples t tests. Results from the study indicated strong support for all research hypotheses in the expected directions. Research findings suggest that Australian females romantically involved with Afghanistan War veterans are more vulnerable to experiencing relationship dysfunction and are at an increased risk of impaired psychological health in the Australian population.

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