scholarly journals Association between parental divorce and mental health outcomes among Lebanese adolescents: results of a national study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Obeid ◽  
Gloria Al Karaki ◽  
Chadia Haddad ◽  
Hala Sacre ◽  
Michel Soufia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Lebanon, divorce rates have jumped from nearly 7000 in recent years to 8580 in 2017, an increase of 22.5%, with North Lebanon recording the highest number, followed by Beirut, likely resulting in increased behavioral problems in the offspring of divorced parents. Furthermore, one out of two Lebanese adolescents whose biological parents were divorced, separated, or deceased has a psychiatric disorder. More information regarding the impact of divorce on the mental health of Lebanese adolescents is still missing. The objective of this study was to explore the association between divorce and mental health outcomes, particularly depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Lebanese adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional study conducted between January and May 2019 enrolled 1810 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years, using a simple randomization method to choose schools. A proportionate number of schools was selected from each of the five Lebanese Mohafazat (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North, South, and Beqaa), based on the list of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. A total of 18 private schools were approached; two declined, and 16 accepted to participate. Results The mean age of participants was 15.42 ± 1.14 years, with 53.3% females. After adjustment for the covariates (age, sex, and house crowding index), the results showed that adolescents whose parents are separated compared to living together had more social fear (Standardized Beta (SB = 0.270) and avoidance (SB = 0.188), higher depression (SB = 0.045), and higher suicidal ideation (SB = 0.370). Conclusion Our findings reveal that teens with divorced parents had higher social fear and avoidance, depression, and suicidal ideation, highlighting the need for adequate prevention programs to support both children and parents during this emotionally difficult period.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248684
Author(s):  
Hridaya Raj Devkota ◽  
Tula Ram Sijali ◽  
Ramji Bogati ◽  
Meraj Ahmad ◽  
Karuna Laxmi Shakya ◽  
...  

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been creating a panic and distressing situations among the entire population globally including Nepal. No study has been conducted assessing the psychological impact of this pandemic on the general public in Nepal. The objective of this study is to assess the mental health status during COVID-19 outbreak and explore the potential influencing factors among the population attending the hospital fever clinics with COVID–19 symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May—June, 2020 with a sample of 645 participants aged 18 and above in 26 hospitals across Nepal. Telephone interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire along with a validated psychometric tool, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21) scale. The metrics and scores of symptoms and their severity were created and analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association of potential covariates with outcome variables. Results The prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress were 14%, 7% and 5% respectively. In reference to Karnali, participants from Bagmati province reported higher level of anxiety (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.31–9.06), while stress (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.09–18.32) and depressive symptoms (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.05–9.23) observed higher among the participants in Province 1. Women were more at risk of anxiety (OR 3.41, 95% CI 1.83–6.36) than men. Similarly, people currently living in rented houses reported more stress (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.05–8.43) and those living far from family reported higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.03–11.46). Conclusion The study identified increased prevalence of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms during the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Considering the findings, there is urgent need to develop and implement appropriate community-based mental health programs targeting individuals who have had COVID-19 symptoms and who are prone to develop adverse mental health outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (23-24) ◽  
pp. 5997-6016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Rinehart ◽  
Dorothy L. Espelage ◽  
Kristen L. Bub

Gendered harassment, including sexual harassment and homophobic name-calling, is prevalent in adolescents and is linked to negative outcomes including depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance abuse, and personal distress. However, much of the extant literature is cross-sectional and rarely are perpetrators of these behaviors included in studies of outcomes. Therefore, the current study examined the effects of longitudinal changes in gendered harassment perpetration and victimization on changes in mental health outcomes among a large sample of early adolescents. Given that these behaviors commonly occur in the context of a patriarchal society (males hold power), we also investigated the impact of gender on gendered harassment. Participants included 3,549 students from four Midwestern middle schools (50.4% female, 49% African American, 34% White) at two time points (13 and 17 years old). Results indicated that increases from age 13 to 17 years in sexual harassment perpetration and victimization and homophobic name-calling perpetration and victimization predicted increases in depression symptoms and substance use. Gender did not moderate these pathways. These findings highlight that negative outcomes are associated with changes in gendered harassment among adolescents and emphasize the importance of prevention efforts. Implications for school interventions are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 105658
Author(s):  
Abu Sayeed ◽  
Satyajit Kundu ◽  
Md. Hasan Al Banna ◽  
M. Tasdik Hasan ◽  
Musammet Rasheda Begum ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Groarke ◽  
Emma Berry ◽  
Lisa Graham-Wisener ◽  
Phoebe McKenna-Plumley ◽  
Emily McGlinchey ◽  
...  

Objectives: Loneliness is a significant public health issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lockdown measures limiting social contact. The UK public are worried about the impact of these measures on mental health outcomes. Understanding the prevalence and predictors of loneliness at this time is a priority issue for research. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional online survey design. Method: Baseline data collected between March 23rd and April 24th 2020 from UK adults in the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study were analysed (N = 1963, 18-87 years, M = 37.11, SD = 12.86, 70% female). Logistic regression analysis was used to look at the influence of sociodemographic, social, health and COVID-19 specific factors on loneliness. Results: The prevalence of loneliness was 27% (530/1963). Risk factors for loneliness were younger age group (OR: 4.67 – 5.31), being separated or divorced (OR: 2.29), meeting clinical criteria for major depression (OR: 1.74), greater emotion regulation difficulties (OR: 1.04), and poor quality sleep due to the COVID-19 crisis (OR: 1.30). Higher levels of social support (OR: 0.92), being married/co-habiting (OR: 0.35) and living with a great number of adults (OR: 0.87) were protective factors. Conclusions: Rates of loneliness during the initial phase of lockdown were high. Risk factors were not specific to the COVID-19 crisis. Findings suggest that supportive interventions to reduce loneliness should prioritise younger people and those with mental health symptoms. Improving emotion regulation and sleep quality may be optimal initial targets to reduce the impact of COVID-19 regulations on mental health outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muna Alshekaili ◽  
Walid Hassan ◽  
Nazik Al Said ◽  
Fatima Alsulaimani ◽  
Sathish Kumar Jayapal ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess and compare demographic and psychological factors and sleep status of frontline HCWs in relation to non-frontline HCWs DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from the 8th to the 17th of April 2020 across varied health care settings in Oman accruing 1139 HCWS. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Mental health status was assessed using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and insomnia was evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Samples were categorized into the frontline and non-frontline groups. Chi-square, odds ratio, and independent t-tests were used to compare groups by demographic and mental health outcomes. Results This study included 1139 HCWs working in Oman. There was a total of 368 (32.3%), 388 (34.1%), 271 (23.8%), and 211 (18.5%) respondents reported to have depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia, respectively while working during the pandemic period. HCWs in the frontline group were 1.4 times more likely to have anxiety (OR=1.401, p=0.007) and stress (OR=1.404, p=0.015) as compared to those working in the non-frontline group. On indices of sleep-wake cycles, HCWs in the frontline group were 1.37 times more likely to report insomnia (OR=1.377, p=0.037) when compared to those working in the non-frontline group. No significant differences in depression status between workers in the frontline and non-frontline groups were found (p=0.181). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different grades of HCWs. This study suggests that frontline HCWs are disproportionally affected compared to non-frontline HCWs. The problem with managing sleep-wake cycles and anxiety symptoms were highly endorsed among frontline HCWs. As psychosocial interventions are likely to be constrained owing to the pandemic, mental health care must first be directed to frontline HCWs.


Author(s):  
Zubair Ahmed Ratan ◽  
Anne-Maree Parrish ◽  
Sojib Bin Zaman ◽  
Mohammad Saud Alotaibi ◽  
Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Background: Smartphones play a critical role in increasing human–machine interactions, with many advantages. However, the growing popularity of smartphone use has led to smartphone overuse and addiction. This review aims to systematically investigate the impact of smartphone addiction on health outcomes. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review. Five electronic databases including Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies. Eligible studies were screened against predetermined inclusion criteria and data were extracted according to the review questions. This review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020181404). The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: A total of 27 of 2550 articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies were cross-sectional and focused on physical, mental, and neurological health outcomes. The majority of the studies focused on mental health outcomes and consistent associations were observed between smartphone addiction and several mental health outcomes. Anxiety and depression were commonly found to mediate mental health problems. A wide range of physical health sequelae was also associated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, there was an association between smartphone addiction and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are consistent associations between smartphone addiction and physical and mental health, especially mental health. Social awareness campaigns about smartphone addiction and its impact on physical and mental health are needed. Further studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are warranted to validate the impacts of smartphone addiction.


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