scholarly journals Differential predictors of well-being versus mental health among parents of pre-schoolers with autism

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132098431
Author(s):  
Cherie C Green ◽  
Jodie Smith ◽  
Catherine A Bent ◽  
Lacey Chetcuti ◽  
Rhylee Sulek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Child ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health And Well Being

Extensive research has shown elevated mental health difficulties among parents of children with autism compared to other parents. Although several studies have explored factors related to mental health among parents of children with autism, the factors that influence and promote well-being remain poorly characterised. Parents of young, newly diagnosed autistic children may also be particularly vulnerable to stressors that impact mental health and well-being. We examined child-, parent-, and family/socioeconomic factors associated with concurrent mental health and well-being among 136 parents of young children with autism, aged 13–48 months. Parental mental health was predicted by both trait negative emotionality and reported child autism symptoms, while well-being was predicted by parent factors alone, including trait extraversion and mindfulness. Broader child characteristics and family/socioeconomic contextual factors made no significant contribution in regression models. While the mental health and well-being of parents with young autistic children are associated with one another, unique predictors seem to exist. That well-being was uniquely predicted by a modifiable parent characteristic – mindfulness – suggests the potential for early supports to bring direct benefits for parents, in the context of raising a young child with autism. Lay abstract Raising a child with autism has been linked to mental health difficulties. Poor parental mental health is likely influenced by various factors – including child-, parent-, and family/socioeconomic characteristics. However, little is known about what influences and promotes well-being (as opposed to mental health) among parents of young, newly diagnosed autistic children who may be particularly vulnerable. We examined child-, parent-, and family/socioeconomic factors associated with each of mental health and well-being in a sample of 136 parents of pre-school-aged children. Parental mental health was linked to both child- (i.e. autism symptom severity) and parent-related factors (i.e. personality traits reflecting a tendency to experience negative emotions). By contrast, in additional to mental health difficulties, which were linked to well-being, only other parent-related characteristics (and not child characteristics) were related to well-being. These included personality traits reflecting a tendency to be more extraverted/sociable, and also mindfulness. Other child-related and family/socioeconomic context factors (including household income, parental education level) were not linked to parental mental health or well-being in this sample. These results support the idea that poorer mental health and well-being are not simply the opposite of one another. That is, while these two factors were related, they were linked to different personal characteristics. Perhaps most importantly, the link between well-being and mindfulness – a personal characteristic that parents can improve – suggests mindfulness-based interventions may be helpful in directly supporting parental well-being in the context of raising a young child with autism.

‘Good for Kids’: Children Who have been Homeless Talk about School

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Moore ◽  
Morag McArthur
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Family Breakdown ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health And Well Being

Children who experience homelessness are at risk of poor health and well-being, and negative social outcomes. They are often exposed to stressful life events, such as domestic violence, parental mental health difficulties and family breakdown. Although many experience difficulties in remaining engaged in school, children report that schools can provide them with a sense of belonging and can help them and their families to link with supports to assist them through their homeless experience. This article reports on a study with children who had experienced homelessness with their families and discusses their thoughts on homelessness and school. It highlights some of their difficulties and worries, but identifies some opportunities for support.

scholarly journals Migration and Mental Health in the Aftermath of Disaster: Evidence from Mt. Merapi, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Muir ◽  
Michael R. Cope ◽  
Leslie R. Angeningsih ◽  
Jorden Jackson ◽  
Ralph B. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Return Migration ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Poor Mental Health Status ◽  
Health And Well Being

Migration is a standard survival strategy in the context of disasters. While prior studies have examined factors associated with return migration following disasters, an area that remains relatively under explored is whether moving home to one's original community results in improved health and well-being compared to other options such as deciding to move on. In the present study, we seek to address this gap in the literature through examining whether return migration, compared to other migration options, results in superior improvements to mental health. We draw upon data from a pilot study conducted 16 months after a series of volcanic eruptions in Merapi, Indonesia. Using ordinal logistic regression, we find that compared to respondents who were still displaced, respondents who had ``moved home'' were less likely to report poor mental health status (OR = 0.50 [95\% CI = 0.26, 0.95]). Likewise, respondents who had ``moved on'' were less likely to report poor mental health status (OR = 0.38 [95\% CI = 0.13, 1.04]). The results suggest that while moving home was an improvement from being displaced, it may have been better to move on, as this yielded superior associations with self-reported mental health.

scholarly journals Trialogue Meetings: Engaging Citizens and Fostering Communities of Wellbeing Through Collective Dialogue

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Mac Gabhann ◽  
Simon Dunne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Discursive Practice ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Mental Health Service Provision ◽  
Health And Well Being

Community-based participatory approaches are widely recognized as valuable methods for improving mental health and well-being by enabling a greater sense of liberty among participants, through the development of equitable policies and practices, which accommodate a range of diverse perspectives. One such approach, “Trialogue Meetings,” has been found to encourage disclosure and dialogue surrounding mental health, facilitate the growth and development of communities in relation to people’s experience of mental health difficulties, service provider and community response. Emerging in the 1990s because of perceived and felt inequitable relations between people with lived experience of mental health difficulties, family members of people with mental health difficulties and professionals providing mental health service provision. This approach has been shown to successfully reduce stigma and discrimination and improve relations between stakeholders in community and mental health care settings. Trialogue Meetings incorporate Open Dialogue methods to allow multiple stakeholder groups to participate in conversations around a given topic and enable the creation of a common language and mutual understanding. Trialogue Meetings have added benefits of allowing individuals to express themselves better, gain a sense of relationality and community with others and address predetermined power hierarchies with prescribed responses to people’s experiences. In this perspective, we present an outline for Trialogue Meetings as a medium for enhancing wellbeing, providing a transformative empowering process for deliberate discursive practice and engaging citizens through sustained collective dialogue.

scholarly journals Correction: Work-Related and Personal Factors Associated With Mental Well-Being During the COVID-19 Response: Survey of Health Care and Other Workers (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley A Evanoff ◽  
Jaime R Strickland ◽  
Ann Marie Dale ◽  
Lisa Hayibor ◽  
Emily Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Clinical Exposure ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Health And Well Being

BACKGROUND The response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an unprecedented disruption in work conditions. This study describes the mental health and well-being of workers both with and without clinical exposure to patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being among faculty and staff at a university and academic medical center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and describe work-related and personal factors associated with their mental health and well-being. Methods: All faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows of a university, including its medical school, were invited in April 2020 to complete an online questionnaire measuring stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being. We examined associations between these outcomes and factors including work in high-risk clinical settings and family/home stressors. Results: There were 5550 respondents (overall response rate of 34.3%). Overall, 38% of faculty and 14% of staff (n=915) were providing clinical care, while 57% of faculty and 77% of staff were working from home. Among all workers, anxiety (prevalence ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.73), depression (prevalence ratio 1.28, 95% CI 1.03-1.59), and high work exhaustion (prevalence ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.36) were independently associated with community or clinical exposure to COVID-19. Poor family-supportive behaviors by supervisors were also associated with these outcomes (prevalence ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.62; prevalence ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.48-1.92; and prevalence ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.44-1.64, respectively). Age <40 years and a greater number of family/home stressors were also associated with these poorer outcomes. Among the subset of clinicians, caring for patients with COVID-19 and working in high-risk clinical settings were additional risk factors. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the pandemic has had negative effects on the mental health and well-being of both clinical and nonclinical employees. Mitigating exposure to COVID-19 and increasing supervisor support are modifiable risk factors that may protect mental health and well-being for all workers.

scholarly journals Work-related and Personal Factors Associated with Mental Well-being during COVID-19 Response: A Survey of Health Care and Other Workers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley A. Evanoff ◽  
Jaime R. Strickland ◽  
Ann Marie Dale ◽  
Lisa Hayibor ◽  
Emily Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Family Home ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Health And Well Being

ABSTRACTObjectiveMeasure the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, work-exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being among faculty and staff at a university and academic medical center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and describe work-related and personal factors associated with mental health and well-being.DesignObservational cohort study conducted between April 17 and May 1, 2020 using a web-based questionnaire.SettingMedical and main campuses of a university.ParticipantsAll faculty, staff, and post-doctoral fellows.ExposuresWork factors including supervisor support and exposure to high-risk clinical settings; personal factors including demographics and family/home stressors.Main Outcomes and MeasuresStress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being.ResultsThere were 5550 respondents (overall response rate of 34.3%). 38% of faculty and 14% of staff (n=915) were providing clinical care, while 57% of faculty and 77% of staff were working from home. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and work exhaustion were somewhat higher among clinicians than non-clinicians. Among all workers, anxiety, depression, and high work exhaustion were independently associated with community or clinical exposure to COVID-19 [Prevalence Ratios and 95% confidence intervals 1.37(1.09- 1.73), 1.28(1.03 - 1.59), and 1.24(1.13 - 1.36) respectively]. Poor family supportive behaviors by supervisors were also associated with these outcomes [1.40 (1.21 - 1.62), 1.69 (1.48 - 1.92), 1.54 (1.44 - 1.64)]. Age below 40 and a greater number of family/home stressors were also associated with poorer outcomes. Among the subset of clinicians, caring for patients with COVID-19 and work in high-risk clinical settings were additional risk factors.Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings suggest that the pandemic has had negative effects on mental health and well-being among both clinical and non-clinical employees. Prevention of exposure to COVID-19 and increased supervisor support are modifiable risk factors that may protect mental health and well-being.

scholarly journals Work-Related and Personal Factors Associated With Mental Well-Being During the COVID-19 Response: Survey of Health Care and Other Workers

10.2196/21366 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e21366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley A Evanoff ◽  
Jaime R Strickland ◽  
Ann Marie Dale ◽  
Lisa Hayibor ◽  
Emily Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Clinical Exposure ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Health And Well Being

Background The response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an unprecedented disruption in work conditions. This study describes the mental health and well-being of workers both with and without clinical exposure to patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Objective The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being among faculty and staff at a university and academic medical center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and describe work-related and personal factors associated with their mental health and well-being. Methods All faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows of a university, including its medical school, were invited in April 2020 to complete an online questionnaire measuring stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being. We examined associations between these outcomes and factors including work in high-risk clinical settings and family/home stressors. Results There were 5550 respondents (overall response rate of 34.3%). Overall, 34% of faculty and 14% of staff (n=915) were providing clinical care, while 61% of faculty and 77% of staff were working from home. Among all workers, anxiety (prevalence ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.73), depression (prevalence ratio 1.28, 95% CI 1.03-1.59), and high work exhaustion (prevalence ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.36) were independently associated with community or clinical exposure to COVID-19. Poor family-supportive behaviors by supervisors were also associated with these outcomes (prevalence ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.62; prevalence ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.48-1.92; and prevalence ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.44-1.64, respectively). Age <40 years and a greater number of family/home stressors were also associated with these poorer outcomes. Among the subset of clinicians, caring for patients with COVID-19 and working in high-risk clinical settings were additional risk factors. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the pandemic has had negative effects on the mental health and well-being of both clinical and nonclinical employees. Mitigating exposure to COVID-19 and increasing supervisor support are modifiable risk factors that may protect mental health and well-being for all workers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document