scholarly journals ‘We’re Meant to Be Crossing Over … but the Bridge Is broken’: 2020 University Graduates’ Experiences of the Pandemic in Ireland

Young ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 110330882110047
Author(s):  
Virpi Timonen ◽  
Jo Greene ◽  
Ayeshah Émon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Crossing Over ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Market Uncertainty ◽  
Postgraduate Study ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Care Practices

We interviewed university graduates of 2020 in Ireland to understand how the coronavirus pandemic had affected them. Demonstrating a keen awareness of their mental health, participants had adopted self-care practices such as mindfulness. They recounted positive experiences of life in their ‘lockdown homes’ with supportive families. Some were embarking on normative adult pathways sooner than anticipated while others opted for postgraduate study to bide time. Participants reported heightened worry/anxiety and had limited their media use in response. Their plans did not extend beyond the immediate future, reflecting a degree of resignation. The participants accepted the strict constraints associated with pandemic management in Ireland. They did not view themselves as members of a group that was likely to experience the long-term costs of the pandemic but rather were attempting to negotiate their own pathway through labour market uncertainty while also demonstrating high levels of solidarity towards vulnerable groups in society.

scholarly journals The importance of financial recession for mental health among students: short- and long-term analyses from an ecosocial perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hammarström ◽  
Pekka Virtanen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
High Response Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Short And Long Term

Background and aim: Referring to the ecosocial theory and utilising the ‘natural experiment’ setting provided by the global recession at the beginning of 1990s, the aim of our study was to analyse the short- and long-term associations between trade and mental health in young students followed until mid-adulthood. Method: The study was based on two prospective cohort studies, the older and the younger Northern Swedish Cohort which both consisted of all pupils in a middle-sized industrial town in Northern Sweden. At age 21, the younger cohort entered the labour market during the deep recession of the early 1990s, while the older cohort entered the labour market during the boom of the 1980s. Both cohorts were followed up with a high response rate in mid adulthood. For this study, all students were selected at age 21. Results: At age 21, those who studied during recession had more depressive and functional somatic symptoms than those who studied during boom. The cohort differences did not remain over age: by the follow-up in early middle age the differences between the cohorts were non-significant, most notably due to decreased depressive symptoms in the younger cohort and increase of functional somatic symptoms in the older cohort. Conclusions: The short-term mental health consequences of the business cycle seem to be more extensive than limited only to those who are unemployed, even though the possible long-term consequences seem to be more complex. Thus, the macrolevel had a great short-term impact on the individual level in relation to the microlevel setting of university/school. The chronosystem was also of major importance. Future research would benefit from taking the context into account.

scholarly journals Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Lockdown on Mental Health and Well-Being in the United Arab Emirates

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Cheikh Ismail ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Mo'ath F. Bataineh ◽  
Abir Ajab ◽  
Amina M. Al-Marzouqi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken unprecedented precautionary measures including complete lockdowns against COVID-19 to control its spread and ensure the well-being of individuals. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 and societal lockdown measures on the mental health of adults in the UAE. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an English and Arabic online questionnaire between May and June 2020. The psychological impact was assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the social and family support impact was evaluated using questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). A total of 4,426 participants (3,325 females and 1,101 males) completed the questionnaire. The mean IES-R score was 28.0 ± 14.6, reflecting a mild stressful impact with 27.3% reporting severe psychological impact. Over 36% reported increased stress from work, home and financial matters. Also, 43–63% of the participants felt horrified, apprehensive or helpless due to COVID-19. Females, younger participants, part-timers, and college or University graduates were more likely to have a high IES-R score (p < 0.05). The majority of participants reported receiving increased support from family members, paying more attention to their mental health, and spending more time to rest and relax. The results of this study demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among the UAE residents and highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for the general population and vulnerable groups, such as females and younger adults.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic differences in the adolescent mental health time trend: what do we refer to?

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kim ◽  
B E Evans ◽  
D Bergh ◽  
C Hagquist
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Economic Situation ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Subjective Measure ◽  
Term Trend ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Long Term Trend

Abstract Background The long-term increase in adolescent internalizing mental health problems in many countries has raised the question of potential socioeconomic status (SES) differences in this trend. Inconsistencies in how SES and mental health are operationalized hamper this question to be addressed. We examined variation in the adolescent mental health trend across different SES groups using different ways of operationalizing SES and mental health. Methods We used six waves (1993-2013) of Swedish data from the Health Behaviour of School-aged Children (HBSC) study, an international repeated cross-sectional study. We used three proxy indicators of SES: an objective measure and two subjective measures (adolescents’ perceptions of their own and their family’s economic situation). The mental health indicator was psychosomatic symptoms. For each SES indicator, we analyzed the mental health trend using two standards of dividing SES subgroups (absolute vs. relative standard) and mental health (mean vs. top 90% cut-off score). Results The long-term trend of adolescent mental health varied by the SES indicator used. The objective SES measure did not differentiate mental health across different SES groups and the subjective measure of adolescents’ own economic situation did so in terms of the level but not the trend. The subjective measure of the family’s economic situation revealed SES gaps in mental health in terms of both the level and the trend. Conclusions Adolescents’ perceptions of their family’s economic situation has a greater discriminant value than the other SES measures to identify SES gaps in mental health in Sweden. Thus, the trend in adolescent mental health across different SES groups varies depending on how SES and mental health are operationalized. We call for efforts in other countries to report trends with varying measures of SES and mental health. This will help identify vulnerable groups in each country and facilitate well-informed international comparisons. Key messages This study shows that the long-term trend in adolescent mental health according to one’s SES may meaningfully differ depending on how SES and mental health are operationalized. This study calls for future studies in other countries for a more precise identification of vulnerable groups and for a facilitation of well-informed international comparison.

scholarly journals Poverty and health: thirty years of progress?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Prior ◽  
David Manley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
Mental State ◽  
General Health ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Poverty And Health ◽  
The Unemployed

This chapter presents an overview of the relationships of poverty and social exclusion to health. Inequalities in health are investigated across poverty definitions and different health measures, including general health, limiting long term illness, mental state and longstanding mental conditions. Relationships of dimensions of social exclusion to health are also exposed. Health is worse for the unemployed compared to those who are working, reflecting a complex pattern of associations where health is both a cause and consequence of labour market exclusion. The housing environment demonstrates further inequalities in general and mental health, as does exclusion in the form of low social activity and support, which significantly relate to worse mental health. Overall, this chapter reveals the persistent nature of health inequality. More than 30 years on from the first Breadline Britain survey, individuals in poverty are still suffering worse health compared to their more advantaged counterparts.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors 1 Year After the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Chinese Residents

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Shen ◽  
Shijiao Yan ◽  
Heng Jiang ◽  
Hui Cao ◽  
Rowan Dowling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Background: By investigating the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among residents during a period of low transmission, this study reflects the long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and identify which categories of residents are more likely to develop PTSD due to an acute infectious disease crisis, facilitating the development of targeted strategies to protect mental health after outbreaks of similar acute infectious diseases in the future.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from 4 to 26 February 2021. A convenience sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participants. Participants were asked to complete the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). A multivariable linear stepwise regression analysis model was used to identify which factors were associated with PTSD in residents of China.Results: A total of 2,361 Chinese residents completed the questionnaire. The mean PCL-5 score for the respondents was 13.65 (SD = 8.66), with 219 (9.28%) patients having probable PTSD symptoms. Respondents who were female (β = 0.038), had a relative or friend who had contracted COVID-19 (β = 0.041), and had poor health (β = 0.184) had higher PCL-5 scores, while the population aged over 60 years (β = −0.063), who agreed that COVID-19 information was released in a timely manner (β = −0.347), who had experienced a relatively limited impact of COVID-19 on their life (β = −0.069), and who agreed that the local prevention initiatives were sophisticated (β = −0.165) had lower PTSD scores.Conclusions: Outbreaks of acute infectious diseases can have long-term psychological health effects in the general population. In addition, health policy makers need to be concerned about and implement measures to support the mental health of vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals Health conditions, disability and economic inactivity in Northern Ireland. An administrative data study.

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Corina Miller ◽  
Dermot O’Reilly ◽  
David Wright ◽  
Foteini Tseliou ◽  
Michael Rosato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Active Population ◽  
Working Age ◽  
The Uk

Background Northern Ireland consistently experiences a higher rate of economic inactivity compared to other regions of the UK, currently 27% of the working age population compared to 22% in the UK. Historically, the major variance in explaining higher NI economic inactivity rates has been larger proportions of long-term sick/disabled. Only 34.7% of the NI population with a disability are employed compared to 77.9% of the non-disabled population. Aim The aims were to explore the relationship between chronic health status and the labour-market in NI, and how receipt of DLA is associated with economic inactivity. Methods This study links the 2011-NI-Census records, DLA-dataset, death registrations for the Census population, settlement-band data, the Land and Property Service capital-valuation of property, and the NI-Multiple-Deprivation Measure. The economically active population was defined as all individuals that were either employed or unemployed but looking for a job at the time of the 2011-Census. Results Men with mental-health conditions reporting a lot of limitation in day-to-day activities are almost 51 times more likely to be economically inactive compared to men with no health condition (ORadj=50.99, 95%CI:46.8,55.6). Learning/mental-health conditions are more likely to be associated with economic inactivity in both women and men compared to physical health conditions, such as long-term pain, mobility or breathing difficulties. Individuals in receipt of DLA are more than twice as likely to be economically inactive as their peers who are not in receipt of DLA. Conclusion Individuals with mental-health conditions reporting a lot of limitation in day-to-day activities have the lowest rates of participation in the labour-market. A lot of limitation in the day-to-day activities appears to be strongly associated with economic inactivity regardless of the health condition. DLA uptake is associated with considerably reduced likelihood of being economically active overall while the health conditions underlying DLA uptake are strong barriers to access the labour-market in NI.

Therapy and prevention for mental health: What if mental diseases are mostly not brain disorders?

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. A. Ioannidis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Labor Education ◽  
Mental Diseases ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Political Decisions

AbstractNeurobiology-based interventions for mental diseases and searches for useful biomarkers of treatment response have largely failed. Clinical trials should assess interventions related to environmental and social stressors, with long-term follow-up; social rather than biological endpoints; personalized outcomes; and suitable cluster, adaptive, and n-of-1 designs. Labor, education, financial, and other social/political decisions should be evaluated for their impacts on mental disease.

Physical and Psychological Benefits of Written Emotional Expression

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Éva Kállay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Expressive Writing ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Cost Effective Treatment ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract. The last several decades have witnessed a substantial increase in the number of individuals suffering from both diagnosable and subsyndromal mental health problems. Consequently, the development of cost-effective treatment methods, accessible to large populations suffering from different forms of mental health problems, became imperative. A very promising intervention is the method of expressive writing (EW), which may be used in both clinically diagnosable cases and subthreshold symptomatology. This method, in which people express their feelings and thoughts related to stressful situations in writing, has been found to improve participants’ long-term psychological, physiological, behavioral, and social functioning. Based on a thorough analysis and synthesis of the published literature (also including most recent meta-analyses), the present paper presents the expressive writing method, its short- and long-term, intra-and interpersonal effects, different situations and conditions in which it has been proven to be effective, the most important mechanisms implied in the process of recovery, advantages, disadvantages, and possible pitfalls of the method, as well as variants of the original technique and future research directions.

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