scholarly journals CovidLife: a resource to understand mental health, well-being and behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Chloe Fawns-Ritchie ◽  
Drew M. Altschul ◽  
Archie Campbell ◽  
Charlotte Huggins ◽  
Clifford Nangle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Psychological Measures ◽  
Health Lifestyle ◽  
Generation Scotland ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

CovidLife is a longitudinal observational study designed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, well-being and behaviour in adults living in the UK. In total, 18,518 participants (mean age = 56.43, SD = 14.35) completed the first CovidLife questionnaire (CovidLife1) between April and June 2020. To date, participants have completed two follow-up assessments. CovidLife2 took place between July and August 2020 (n = 11,319), and CovidLife3 took place in February 2021 (n = 10,386). A range of social and psychological measures were administered at each wave including assessments of anxiety, depression, well-being, loneliness and isolation. Information on sociodemographic, health, and economic circumstances was also collected. Questions also assessed information on COVID-19 infections and symptoms, compliance to COVID-19 restrictions, and opinions on the UK and Scottish Governments’ handling of the pandemic. CovidLife includes a subsample of 4,847 participants from the Generation Scotland cohort (N~24,000, collected 2006-2011); a well-characterised cohort of families in Scotland with pre-pandemic data on mental health, physical health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors, along with biochemical and genomic data derived from biological samples. These participants also consented to their study data being linked to Scottish health records. CovidLife and Generation Scotland data can be accessed and used by external researchers following approval from the Generation Scotland Access Committee. CovidLife can be used to investigate mental health, well-being and behaviour during COVID-19; how these vary according to sociodemographic, health and economic circumstances; and how these change over time. The Generation Scotland subsample with pre-pandemic data and linkage to health records can be used to investigate the predictors of health and well-being during COVID-19 and the future health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leveraging Twitter Using Artificial Intelligence to Explore Mental Health Insights in the UK During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marshall ◽  
Kate Lanyi ◽  
Rhiannon Green ◽  
Georgie Wilkins ◽  
Fiona Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND There is increasing need to explore the value of soft-intelligence, leveraged using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, as a source of analysed evidence to support public health research activity and decision-making. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to further explore the value of soft-intelligence analysed using AI through a case study, which examined a large collection of UK tweets relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A search strategy comprising a list of terms related to mental health, COVID-19, and lockdown restrictions was developed to prospectively collate relevant tweets via Twitter’s advanced search application programming interface over a 24-week period. We deployed a specialist NLP platform to explore tweet frequency and sentiment across the UK and identify key topics of discussion. A series of keyword filters were used to clean the initial data retrieved and also set up to track specific mental health problems. Qualitative document analysis was carried out to further explore and expand upon the results generated by the NLP platform. All collated tweets were anonymised RESULTS We identified and analysed 286,902 tweets posted from UK user accounts from 23 July 2020 to 6 January 2021. The average sentiment score was 50%, suggesting overall neutral sentiment across all tweets over the study period. Major fluctuations in volume and sentiment appeared to coincide with key changes to any local and/or national social-distancing measures. Tweets around mental health were polarising, discussed with both positive and negative sentiment. Key topics of consistent discussion over the study period included the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health (both positively and negatively), fear and anxiety over lockdowns, and anger and mistrust toward the government. CONCLUSIONS Through the primary use of an AI-based NLP platform, we were able to rapidly mine and analyse emerging health-related insights from UK tweets into how the pandemic may be impacting people’s mental health and well-being. This type of real-time analysed evidence could act as a useful intelligence source that agencies, local leaders, and health care decision makers can potentially draw from, particularly during a health crisis.

scholarly journals Wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a secondary data analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen Murphy ◽  
Mark Elliot
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
National Level ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: In March 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic the UK government declared a national lockdown where citizens were required to stay at home. The impact of this lockdown on levels of well-being has been a source of concern for citizens and mental health professionals.Objectives: We investigated the trajectory of well-being over the course of the ?first wave and sought to determine whether the change in well-being is distributed equally across the population. Speci?fically we investigated pre-existing medical conditions, social isolation, ?financial stress and deprivation as a predictor for well-being and whether there were community level characteristics which protect against poorer well-being.Methods: Using online survey responses from the COVID19 modules of Understanding society, we linked 8,379 English cases across ?five waves of data collection to location based deprivation statistics. We used ordinary least squares regression to estimate the association between deprivation, pre-existing conditions and socio-demographic factors and the change in well-being scores over time, as measured by the GHQ-12 questionnaire.Results: A decline in well-being was observed at the beginning of the fi?rst lock down period at the beginning of March 2020. This was matched with a corresponding recovery between April and July as restrictions were gradually lifted. There was no association between the decline and deprivation, nor between deprivation and recovery. The strongest predictor of well-being during the lockdown, was the baseline score, with the counterintuitive finding that for those will pre-existing poor well-being, the impact of pandemic restrictions on mental health were minimal, but for those who had previously felt well, the restrictions and the impact of the pandemic on well-being were much greater.Conclusion: These data show no evidence of a social gradient in well-being related to the pandemic. In fact, wellbeing was shown to be highly elastic in this period indicating a national level of resilience which cut across the usually observed health inequalities.

scholarly journals The impact of the first UK Covid-19 lockdown on carers and people living with low prevalence dementia: results from the Rare Dementia Support survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Suárez-González ◽  
Emma Harding ◽  
Nikki Zimmerman ◽  
Zoe Hoare ◽  
Emilie Brotherhood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Cognitive Symptoms ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Low Prevalence ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionThe public health measures imposed to contain Covid-19 during the first UK lockdown resulted in significant changes in the provision of community support and care for people with dementia. People with low prevalence and young-onset dementias often experience non-memory, behavioural or neuropsychiatric symptoms that require specialised support.ObjectiveWe explored the impact of the first Covid-19 lockdown on people living with low prevalence and young-onset dementia and their carers in the UK.MethodAn online survey, including eleven questions about the impact of the lockdown on both the person with dementia and their family caregivers was conducted. Participants were people living with dementia and caregivers who are members of the UK national-reach organisation Rare Dementia Support.Results184 carers and 24 people with dementia completed the survey. People with dementia experienced worsening of cognitive symptoms (70%), ability to do things (62%) and well-being (57%) according to their carers. Carers also reported a reduction in the support received for caring (55%). 93% of carers of people living in care homes reported a reduction in their ability to provide care. 26% of carers reported changes in the medication of the person with dementia during the lockdown. 74% of people with dementia reported decreased ability to connect with people socially.ConclusionsPeople with dementia experienced a worsening of dementia symptoms, removal of support and increased difficulty to connect with other people socially during the 1st wave of Covid-19. Carers encountered barriers to both receiving and providing support and a decline in their own mental health and well-being.Key points70 % of carers reported cognitive symptoms getting worse during the lockdown (e.g., the person with dementia being more disoriented and finding it more difficult to communicate).26 % of carers reported a change (initiation or increase) in medication in the person with dementia during the lockdown.79 % carers reported their own physical or mental health getting worse due to the lockdown. This increased to 93% when considering responses only from family carers of people living in care homes.93 % of family carers of people living in care homes found it harder to continue providing care and support for their relative due to Covid-19.

Report2: Impact of Covid-19 on young people aged 13-24 in the UK- preliminary findings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Levita ◽  
Jilly Gibson Miller ◽  
Todd K. Hartman ◽  
Jamie Murphy ◽  
Mark Shevlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Adult Study ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

A brief follow on report (from Report 1, see https://psyarxiv.com/uq4rn/). This report presents data on parents and their children's well being as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from our adult survey study. In addition to presenting additional data showing a potentially significant increase in anxiety and depression in young people aged 13-24, as a consequence of COVID-19. Data collection for our Adult Study (Wave 2) took place between 22nd April and was ended on Friday, May 1st, here we report headline figures for the impact of Covid-19 on parents and their children. We have described our methods in a separate report (https://psyarxiv.com/wxe2n) and released two reports on our mental health outcomes from wave 1 (https://psyarxiv.com/hb6nq, https://psyarxiv.com/ydvc7).

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on the practice of breast pathologists: a survey of breast pathologists in the UK and Ireland

2021 ◽  
pp. jclinpath-2021-207725
Author(s):  
Mirna Elghobashy ◽  
Lutful Wahab ◽  
Anu Gunavardhan ◽  
Emma O’Sullivan ◽  
Elena Provenzano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Working Practices ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

AimsThere is little information on the impact of COVID-19 on breast pathologists. This survey assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK and Ireland-based breast pathologists to optimise working environments and ensure preparedness for potential future pandemics.MethodsA 35-question survey during the first wave of COVID-19 infections in the UK including questions on workload, working practices, professional development, training, health and safety and well-being was distributed to consultant breast pathologists and responses collected anonymously.ResultsThere were 135 responses from breast pathologists based in the UK and Ireland. Most participants (75.6%) stated that their workload had decreased and their productivity dropped. 86/135 (63.7%) were given the option of working from home and 36% of those who did reported improved efficiency. Multidisciplinary team meetings largely moved to virtual platforms (77.8%) with fewer members present (41.5%). Online education, including webinars and courses, was utilised by 92.6%. 16.3% of pathologists reported shortages of masks, visors or gowns as the the most common health and safety concern. COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the physical and mental health of 33.3% of respondents. A small number of pathologists (10.4%) were redeployed and/or retrained.ConclusionThe UK and Ireland breast pathologists adapted to the rapid change and maintained service delivery despite the significant impact of the pandemic on their working practices and mental health. It is important to apply flexible working patterns and environments that improve productivity and well-being. The changes suggested should be considered for long-term shaping of breast pathology services.

Asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland: the impact of post-migration stressors on mental health

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
F. Murphy ◽  
U. M. Vieten
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees

Abstract Objectives: In recent years, Northern Ireland has seen an increase in the numbers of asylum seekers and refugees. Given its status as a post-conflict region, this is a relatively new phenomenon for the area. Northern Ireland is also the only part of the United Kingdom (UK) without a refugee integration strategy. In 2016, we conducted an extensive study for the racial equality unit of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister in Stormont on the everyday life experience of asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland with view to understanding how service delivery and notions of integration/inclusion impact. Methods: This was a mixed methods study using quantitative survey methods and in-depth semi-structured interviews with service providers, asylum seekers, refugees and new UK citizens. We examined a range of service provision such as education, labour, legal provision, housing and health. Results: This article examines the issue of mental health with respect to asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland. The results delineate how asylum seekers and refugee’s mental health is dramatically impacted by the asylum system in Northern Ireland (and hence, the UK) and the dearth thereof, of particular and necessary supports and access issues in the space of health and mental health in Northern Ireland. We describe how post-migration stressors experienced through the UK asylum system further compound mental health issues. The findings provide a focus on the asylum system, housing and employment. Conclusions: Our research found a dearth of mental health supports in Northern Ireland and concluded that the asylum system in the UK (as a form of post-migration stressor) further exacerbates and contributes to poor mental health and well-being for many asylum seekers and refugees.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: a comparison between Germany and the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Knolle ◽  
Lisa Ronan ◽  
Graham K Murray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

In March 2020 the SARS-CoV-2infection (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. In response to its world-wide outbreak radical measures were taken by governments across the world including curfew, quarantine, travel bans, social distancing, work place and school closures, etc, to reduce the transmission of the virus. These measures led to dramatic social and economic changes for the general population, in addition to the fears and worries related to the disease and its contraction. First studies report the impact of the pandemic on mental well-being of the general population showing increased levels of anxiety, stress and depression. In this study, we compare the impact of the pandemic on two European countries: the UK and Germany, which reported their first cases within a week. 241 residents of the UK and 541 residents of Germany filled in an online survey, including questions on COVID-19 exposure, impact on financial situation and work, substance and media consumption, self-reported mental and physical health, as well as including two clinical questionnaires, the general mental health Symptom Check List-27 (SCL-27) and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Data collection was completed between 27/04/20-31/05/20. We found distinct differences between the two countries. UK responders reported a stronger direct impact on their health, financial situation and their families. UK responders had higher clinical scores on the SCL-27, with a higher percentage being above cut-off. Interestingly, however, we found that German responders were less hopeful for an end of the pandemic and more concerned about their life-stability. Generally, we found that a younger age, being female, lower education, poorer mental and physical health before the pandemic, as well as more social media and substance consumption was associated with a higher clinical risk. This research shows strong differences between two economically and culturally similar countries, but as 25% of both German and UK responders reported a subjective worsening of the general psychological symptoms and 20-50% of German and UK responders reached the clinical cut-off for depressive, dysthymic and anxieties, it specifically shows the need for health emergency tailored intervention systems to assist not only people vulnerable for mental health problems, but also large proportions of the general public.

scholarly journals COPD in the time of COVID-19: An analysis of acute exacerbations and reported behavioural changes in patients with COPD

2020 ◽  
pp. 00718-2020
Author(s):  
Hamish McAuley ◽  
Kate Hadley ◽  
Omer Elneima ◽  
Christopher E Brightling ◽  
Rachael A Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Treatment Frequency ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Acute Exacerbations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionThe impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and lockdown measures, on acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the change in AECOPD treatment frequency during the first 6 weeks of lockdown in the UK compared with 2019 and assess changes in self-reported behaviour and well-being.MethodsIn this observational study in Leicestershire, UK, patients with COPD under a secondary care clinic were recruited. Exacerbation frequency in the first 6 weeks of COVID lockdown was compared with the same period in 2019 using electronic health records. A telephone survey was used to assess changes in anxiety, inhaler adherence, physical activity, and behaviour during the pre-lockdown and lockdown periods compared to normal.Results160 participants were recruited (mean [sd] age 67.3 [8.1] years, 88 [55%] male, FEV1 34.3 [13] % predicted). 140 [88%] reported at least one AECOPD in the previous year. Significantly more community treated exacerbations were observed in 2020 compared with 2019 (126 versus 99, p=0.026). The increase was a result of multiple courses of treatment, with a similar proportion of patients receiving at least one course (34.4% versus 33.8%).During “lockdown” participants reported significantly increased anxiety, adherence to their preventative inhalers, and good adherence to shielding advice (all p<0.001). A significant reduction in self-reported physical activity and visitors was reported (both p<0.001).DiscussionTreatment for AECOPD events increased during the first 6 weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the UK compared to 2019. This was associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and significant behavioural change.

scholarly journals Who is Left Behind? Altruism of Giving, Happiness and Mental Health during the Covid-19 Period in the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleftherios Giovanis ◽  
Oznur Ozdamar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ethnic Background ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract The UK government has decided to implement lockdown measures in the end of March 2020 as a response to the outbreak and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a consequence, households have experienced job losses and a significant drop in their finances and living standards. During these unprecedented and difficult times, people provide financial assistance to those who are in need and have to cope with falls in their living standards. In this study we are interested to investigate the subjective well-being (SWB), which is expressed by mental health and components of general happiness, of the givers rather than of receivers. We apply a difference-in-differences (DiD) framework to investigate the impact of altruism on the givers’ SWB in the UK. Altruism is denoted by transfers made to adult children, parents, siblings, and friends. Using the DiD estimator and the estimated coefficient of the household income we calculate the implicit willingness-to-pay (WTP) for altruism. We perform various regressions by gender and racial-ethnic background using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS). The analysis shows that altruistic behaviours impact different domains of SWB between men and women, as well as, among people with different racial-ethnic background.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychosocial Coping Strategies in Health Sciences Students at the University of Seville: A Pilot Study

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1661
Author(s):  
Rocío de-Diego-Cordero ◽  
Cristina Martínez-del-Carmen ◽  
Patricia Bonilla Sierra ◽  
Ana-Magdalena Vargas-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Sciences Students ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The new infection by coronavirus has supposed a challenge to all health systems worldwide, affecting our psychosocial health. Education as we knew it has changed, which is why university students, attending Health Sciences courses in this case, have been affected by the pandemic. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the preventative measures and restrictions associated with COVID-19 on multiple mental health and psychological well-being indicators in Health Sciences students at the University of Seville. A descriptive and cross-sectional pilot study in the University of Seville by means of an online questionnaire elaborated was conducted. Of the final sample (n = 68), more than 60% of the students acknowledged having received specific training by their university and/or health institution where they perform practices on COVID-19 measures; however, they negatively emphasized not having received psychosocial aid or support in most of the cases (94.12%). As the health situation imposed by COVID-19 is considered long-lasting, the proposal is to plan short- and long-term strategies for promotion and intervention in the mental health of students and future health care workers.

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