Impacts of COVID-19 and partial lockdown on family functioning, intergenerational communication and associated psychosocial factors among young adults in Singapore

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily lives. Most of the working adults adopted the work-from-home arrangement while students shifted to home-based learning. Being confined together allows families to foster stronger bonds. On the other hand, the on-going pandemic could have negative impacts on family relationships. The COVID-19 outbreak is still on-going worldwide, understanding more about the changes in family functioning and its associated psychological impacts in a pandemic would allow the authorities to provide more targeted support to families. Objectives This study aimed to examine the factors associated with family functioning among young adults in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family functioning refers to the quality of interactions among family members, and consists of cohesion, flexibility and communication. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted (N = 390). The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale Short Form (FACES-IV-SF) and Global Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication Scale (GPIC) were used to examine family functioning and intergeneration communication during the partial lockdown. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Social Support Questionnaire–Brief (SSQ-B), Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) examined the psychosocial impact. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and regression model were employed in the analysis. Results The FACES-IV-SF score for total circumplex ratio has a mean of 1.57(SD = 0.58), suggesting that participants generally perceived their families as functioning relatively well. The mean scores for CESD, PSS, Loneliness and BRCS were 12.4(6.2), 8.0(2.6), 5.7(1.9) and 12.6(3.1) respectively. The mean scores of the 4 domains of GPIC were 21.5(4.0) for Accommodation, 25.0(6.7) for Non-Accommodation, 17.2(3.3) for Respect-Obligation, and 18.9(4.8) for Avoidant. Conclusion The results suggested that family functioning is significantly associated with intergenerational communication and satisfaction with social support in a pandemic. Participants with balanced levels of cohesion and flexibility in their families are more likely to be able to cope with the psychological impacts of the pandemic. The findings serve to inform intervention and preventive efforts to improve family functioning and reduce the risk of psychological distress in a pandemic.

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Together or apart? Labour migration and early maladaptive schemas of young adults

Educational Psychology ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.9043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (61) ◽

pp. 57-74

Author(s):

Adrianna Kaczuba

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Family Functioning ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

Short Form ◽

Labour Migration ◽

Faces Iv ◽

Polish Adaptation ◽

Work Abroad ◽

Maladaptive Beliefs ◽

The Relationship

The aim of the present study was to analyze if parents’ labour migration experienced during childhood has long-lasting influence on people’s psychological functioning. It was verified whether family functioning defined as flexibility, cohesion, communication, and maladaptive beliefs was differentiated by the occurrenceof parents’ labuor migration. It was also tested if parents’ labour migration moderated the relationship between family functioning and maladaptive beliefs. The sample comprised 170 young adults (Mage = 21,81; SD = 2,99) including 94 people whose parents had migrated to work abroad, and 76 people whose parents had never left to work abroad. The study used the Polish adaptation of The Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form (YSQ-S3-PL) by Oettingen, Chodkiewicz, Mącik, and Gruszczyńska (2017), and an adaptation of the FACES-IV by Margasiński (2013). The results indicated that in eight of the tested models, the parents’ labour migration moderated the relationship between family functioning and maladaptive beliefs. The greatest susceptibility to the moderating effects of the indicated set of variables was observed in relation to the maladaptive schema of Defectiveness.

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Depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a Canadian population-based cohort

Annals of General Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12991-021-00362-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kia Watkins-Martin ◽

Massimiliano Orri ◽

Marie-Hélène Pennestri ◽

Natalie Castellanos-Ryan ◽

Simon Larose ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Population Based ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Living Alone ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Regression To The Mean ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background Concerns have been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic could increase risk for adverse mental health outcomes, especially in young adults, a vulnerable age group. We investigated changes in depression and anxiety symptoms (overall and severe) from before to during the pandemic, as well as whether these changes are linked to COVID-19-related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities in young adults followed in the context of a population-based cohort. Method Participants (n = 1039) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development reported on their depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, short form) and anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale) symptoms and completed a COVID-19 questionnaire during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 (age 22 years). Assessments at age 20 (2018) were used to estimate pre-pandemic depression and anxiety symptom severity. Results While mean levels of depression and anxiety symptoms did not change from before to during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., the mean of depressive symptoms was 9.30 in 2018 and 9.59 in 2020), we observed a slight increase in rates of severe depression (scores ≥ 21) from before (6.1%) to during (8.2%) the pandemic. Most COVID-19-related variables (e.g., loss of education/occupation, frequent news-seeking) – except living alone – and most pre-existing vulnerabilities (e.g., low SES, low social support) were not associated with changes in depression or anxiety symptoms. However, results varied as a function of pre-pandemic levels of depression and anxiety: depression and anxiety symptoms increased among adults with the lowest levels of symptoms before the pandemic, while they decreased among those with the highest levels of symptoms, possibly reflecting a regression to the mean. Conclusions Depression and anxiety symptoms in young adults from Québec in Summer 2020 were mostly comparable to symptoms reported in 2018. Most COVID-19-related stressors and pre-existing vulnerabilities were not associated with changes in symptoms, except living alone and pre-existing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the increased rate of severe depression warrants further investigation.

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Association between postpartum depression level, social support level and breastfeeding attitude and breastfeeding self-efficacy in early postpartum women

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0249538 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0249538

Author(s):

Yeliz Mercan ◽

Kevser Tari Selcuk

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Postpartum Period ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Personal Information ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Early Postpartum ◽

The Mean ◽

Breastfeeding Attitudes

Objective The study was aimed at investigating the association between postpartum women’s breastfeeding self-efficacy levels and their depression levels, social support levels, and breastfeeding attitudes in early postpartum period. Methods The cross-sectional study was carried out in Kirklareli in Turkey. The population of the study consisted of 398 women aged 15–49 in the first 42 days of the postpartum period who presented to eight family health centers. The study data were collected face-to-face using the Personal Information Form, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and Breastfeeding Attitudes of the Evaluation Scale (BAES). Results The mean age of the participants was 28.61±5.72 (Min:18, Max: 44), and the mean score they obtained from the BSES-SF was 55.13±8.39. Statistically significant differences were detected between the participants’ BSES-SF scores and age groups, employment status, perceived income level, and the number of living children (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were detected between marital status, educational status and BSES-SF scores (p > 0.05). In the multivariate regression analysis adjusted according to the sociodemographic characteristics, BAES, EPDS and MSPSS accounted for 48.3% of the BSES-SF. A negative association was found between BSES-SF scores and EPDS scores (β = −0.178, 95% CI:−0.349, −0.006), and a positive relation between the BAES scores (β = 0.194, 95% CI: 0.163, 0.226) and the MSPSS scores (β = 0.114, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.191). Conclusion As the level of depression of women increases in the postpartum period, the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy decreases. The breastfeeding self-efficacy increases as the level of social support increases and as the attitudes that drive breastfeeding behavior change positively.

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Psychometric evaluation of the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in young adults with chronic health conditions

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2019.54 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

F. Nearchou ◽

A. Davies ◽

E. Hennessy

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Young Adults ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Further Education ◽

Chronic Health Conditions ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Chronic Health

Introduction. The Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is one of the most widely employed tools for measuring perceived social support from three sources: family, friends and a significant other. This study aimed to establish the factor structure of the MSPSS in young adults living with chronic health conditions (CHCs). It also aimed to examine the reliability and convergent validity of the tool. Methods. A cross-sectional quantitative design was applied. Participants (n = 123, 90 females) were students aged 18–25 years recruited from Colleges of Further Education in Ireland (mean age of 20.1 years, s.d. = 2.43). Participants completed the MSPSS and two subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey that assessed social functioning and emotional well-being. Results. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution of the MSPSS in young adults living with CHCs. The three factors together explained 83% of the variance in MSPSS scores. All the items had high loadings on the factors (0.72–0.94). The MSPSS showed satisfactory reliability and convergent validity. Conclusions. These findings suggest that the MSPSS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring perceived social support from three sources in young adults living with CHCs. Social support has been associated with positive outcomes in young adults living with CHCs, thus it is imperative for researchers and clinicians to have access to psychometrically sound instruments to evaluate the construct.

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Social support, functional outcome and quality of life among stroke survivors in an urban area

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology ◽

10.1017/prp.2019.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Nipaporn Butsing ◽

Mathuros Tipayamongkholgul ◽

Disya Ratanakorn ◽

Nawarat Suwannapong ◽

Kanitta Bundhamcharoen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Support ◽

Functional Outcome ◽

Short Form ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Linear Regression Method ◽

Stroke Survivors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean

AbstractSophisticated medical technologies can prolong a stroke patient’s life but not always their quality of life (QoL) due to poor functional outcomes. Social support can theoretically assist a patient’s adaptation to life after stroke and improve their QoL, but existing findings are inconclusive. This inconclusiveness is especially found in large cities where family and social bonding can be scarce. We conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional study among 358 stroke patients to identify the effects of social support and functional outcome on QoL and its domains. The study took place in Bangkok, Thailand between July and December 2016. Data were collected by personal interview using a structured questionnaire that included the Short-Form WHO Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) and by review of medical records. A hierarchical linear regression method was used to analyze data. The mean age of stroke respondents was 66.0 years (SD 13.5 years), and half were male. The mean total QoL score for patients was 68.6 (SD 15.2). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis found emotional support significantly impacted QoL in every domain (ps < .05) when all included variables were controlled for. To improve the quality of life among stroke survivors, health personnel and family members should provide not only physical assistance but also psychological support.

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Mapping the PHQ-8 to EQ-5D, HUI3 and SF6D in Patients with Depression

10.21203/rs.3.rs-46785/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Edimansyah Abdin ◽

Siow Ann Chong ◽

Esmond Seow ◽

Kelvin Bryan Tan ◽

Mythily Subramaniam

Keyword(s):

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Cost Utility ◽

Least Square ◽

Tobit Regression ◽

Mixture Regression ◽

Patient Health ◽

The Mean ◽

And Gender ◽

Utility Scores

Abstract There is limited evidence of mapping the clinical instrument to a generic preference-based instrument in an Asian patient population. The current study aims to map the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ) onto the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D), the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) and the Short Form-6D SF-36 to inform future in cost-utility analyses for treatment in depression sample. A total of 249 participants who have completed PHQ-8, EQ5D, SF6D and HUI-3 questionnaires were included in the analyses. A beta regression mixture model was used to map the utility scores. The results were compared against two common regression methods including Ordinary Least Square (OLS) and Tobit regression models. The mean age of the sample was 36.2 years (SD=11.1). The mean EQ-5D-3L, EQ-5D-5L, HUI3 and SF-6D utility scores were 0.615, 0.709, 0.461 and 0.607, respectively. The EQ-5D-3L, EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D utility scores were best predicted by the beta mixture regression model consisting of PHQ total sores, PHQ-squared, and covariates including age and gender. The HUI3 was best predicted by the OLS model. The current study provides important evidence to clinicians and researchers about the mapping algorithms that can be used in economics evaluation among patients with depression.

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Persistently Reduced Pulmonary Function and Quality of Life in Patients With Mild COVID-19 One Year After Discharge: a Cohort Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-837394/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Han Zhang ◽

Yi Peng ◽

Pengwei Hou ◽

Zhu Chen ◽

Guoqiang Xing ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Exercise Capacity ◽

Short Form ◽

Normal Population ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Post Discharge ◽

The Mean ◽

One Year

Abstract Purpose The epidemiological and clinical features, pathogenesis, and complications of patients with COVID-19 in the acute phase have been well described, but the long-term prognosis and rehabilitation of the patients remain largely unknown.Methods 39 COVID-19 patients were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge. The mental health, pulmonary function, exercise capacity, and quality of life were assessed by Self-Depression Scale and the Self Anxiety Scale, pulmonary function test, 6MWT, 36-Item Short-Form, respectively. Results Total 33 survivors completed the assessment, 40.8 ± 0.8 years, body mass index= 22.7 ±1.3 kg/m2. The length of hospital stays was 19.6 ± 6.6 d. One year after discharge, the mean scores of SDS and SAS showed decreasing trends from 3-months to 12-months post-discharge. 6 patients (18.2%) had FVC <80% of the predicted value, 12 patients (36.4%) had FEV1 <80% of the predicted value. And 9 (27.3%), 3 (9.1%), and 2 (6.1%) of the patients showed reduced FEF25, FEF50, and FEF75 (<70% expected values), respectively. The mean 6MWD values increased significantly from 397±25.4 m at 3-months to 514±40.8 m at 12-months.Conclusions the impaired pulmonary function in mild COVID-19 survivors was noted after 12 months discharging from hospital. The exercise capacity, mental status, and health status were lower than those of the normal population.

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The Relationship Between Social Supports With Depression Among Elderly in the Eastern Cities of Guilan

The Journal of Tolooebehdasht ◽

10.18502/tbj.v19i2.3398 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kamele moghadam ◽

Roya Mansour-Ghanaei ◽

Mohammad Esmaeilpour-Bandboni ◽

Zahra Atrkar-Roshan

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Geriatric Depression Scale ◽

Depression Scale ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Total Score Range ◽

The Mean ◽

The Relationship ◽

Score Range ◽

Elderly Living

Introduction: Elderly are vulnerable individuals in society, and are mostly exposed to mental disorders especially depression. Using non-medical factors to manage the depression, like perceived social support, can reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in such a vulnerable population. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between social support with depression among elderly in the eastern cities of Guilan. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, descriptive -correlational study conducted by the elderly living in the eastern cities of Guilan, in which 168 people were selected from two-stage, cluster random and available sampling. Data was collected with using two standard tools include, Philips social support questionnaires (23 Items), and Geriatric Depression Scale (15 Items) Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 19, software, T-test, ANOVA and Pearson tests. Results: The mean of social support in elderly living in the eastern of Guilan was 73/25±9/18 (total score range of 23-92) and the mean of depression for them was 3/20±3/58 (total score range of 0-15). The analysis of the data indicated that there was a negative significant correlation between social support and depression (p<0/01, r=-0/47). Conclusion: This study confirmed the role of social support in the development of depression in the elderly, so it is important to provide the conditions for promoting social support to reduce depression and thus improve the quality of life of the elderly.

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Psychosocial barriers and enablers of exclusive breastfeeding: lived experiences of mothers in low-income townships, North West Province, South Africa

10.21203/rs.2.19148/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chantell Beverley Witten ◽

Nicole Claasen ◽

Herculina S Kruger ◽

Anna Coutsoudis ◽

Herman Grobler

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Mixed Feeding ◽

Home Setting ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background Despite national efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), South Africa’s EBF rate is only 32%. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of EBF discontinuation and the lived experiences of breastfeeding mothers at postnatal time points 3-14 days, 4-8 weeks, 10-14 weeks and 20-24 weeks. Methods This community-based mixed-methods study collected data within a prospective cohort study on socio-demographics, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) at 6-8 weeks with infant feeding data collected at 4-8, 10-14 and 20-24 weeks from 159 mothers living in low income areas. Six focus groups with 32 mothers with infants aged 6-24 weeks were conducted. Descriptive statistics was used for the quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Results The majority of mothers were unmarried (84.9%), living with family (69.2%) and unemployed (74.2%). EBF decreased from 34% at 4-8 weeks to 9.7% at 20-24 weeks. Mixed feeding with infant formula increased from 17.0% to 50.1% and food feeding from 3.1% to 54.2%. While there were no statistically significant associations between EBF and any of the quantitative socio-demographic variables, in the qualitative data, codes associated with barriers were more than enablers. The themes were Mothers’ attributes (wellbeing, experiences and relationships) with the code mother’s stress the strongest barrier, Mother’s knowledge, attitudes and practices of breastfeeding with the code conventional medicines the strongest barrier , Family environment with the code home setting the strongest barrier, Social environment with public spaces and places a barrier and in Baby cues the code baby stomach ailments the barrier. Within these same themes mother’s positive emotions , benefits of breastfeeding , support in the home , access to information and services from health professionals and baby’s health were strong enabling factors. Conclusions Low EBF, high mixed feeding and a high EPDS score were explained by the barriers identified in the qualitative data. The data suggests that mothers from low-income households would be better supported through interventions that address food insecurity; family relationships and those that build confidence in mothers and resilience in confronting difficult and hostile breastfeeding environments.

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Relationship between sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and depression among patients with obesity

10.21203/rs.3.rs-51854/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Edit Czeglédi

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Body Image ◽

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

Short Form ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Sociocultural Attitudes ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background: Obesity is a significant risk factor for mental health. Depression and obesity appear to have a bi-directional relationship in which a number of mediating factors may play a role, such as body dissatisfaction. Unrealistic messages related to image may contribute to depression in individuals with excess weight through body image dissatisfaction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of appearance-related sociocultural attitudes in the development of two common comorbid psychological characteristics of obesity, namely, body image dissatisfaction and depression. Methods: The sample of the cross-sectional survey consisted of participants in an inpatient weight loss treatment (n = 339, 19% men). The mean age was 50.2 (SD = 13.47) years, the mean BMI was 38.6 (SD = 7.58) kg/m2. Measures: self-reported anthropometric data, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3, Body Shape Questionnaire – Short form 14, CES-D Depression Scale. Results: Results of path analysis revealed many weak but significant indirect paths between appearance-related sociocultural attitudes and depression through body image dissatisfaction (χ2 = 688.23, df = 35, p < .001; CFI = .995; TLI = .973; RMSEA = .039, 90% CI: .00 – .08; SRMR = .013). The model explains 31.8% of the variance of body dissatisfaction and 23.3% of the variance of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Assessing the extent and causes of body image dissatisfaction and depression, and striving to reduce them can be a valuable addition of weight loss programs.

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