Investigating differential effects of socio-emotional and mindfulness-based online interventions on mental health, resilience and social capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic: The study protocol

Background The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to a mental health crisis on a global scale. Epidemiological studies have reported a drastic increase in mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, increased loneliness and feelings of disconnectedness from others, while resilience levels have been negatively affected, indicating an urgent need for intervention. The current study is embedded within the larger CovSocial project which sought to evaluate longitudinal changes in vulnerability, resilience and social cohesion during the pandemic. The current second phase will investigate the efficacy of brief online mental training interventions in reducing mental health problems, and enhancing psychological resilience and social capacities. It further provides a unique opportunity for the prediction of intervention effects by individual biopsychosocial characteristics and preceding longitudinal change patterns during the pandemic in 2020/21. Methods We will examine the differential effects of a socio-emotional (including ‘Affect Dyad’) and a mindfulness-based (including ‘Breathing Meditation’) intervention, delivered through a web- and cellphone application. Participants will undergo 10 weeks of intervention, and will be compared to a retest control group. The effectiveness of the interventions will be evaluated in a community sample (N = 300), which is recruited from the original longitudinal CovSocial sample. The pre- to post-intervention changes, potential underlying mechanisms, and prediction thereof, will be assessed on a wide range of outcomes: levels of stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety, resilience, prosocial behavior, empathy, compassion, and the impact on neuroendocrine, immunological and epigenetic markers. The multi-method nature of the study will incorporate self-report questionnaires, behavioral tasks, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approaches, and biological, hormonal and epigenetic markers assessed in saliva. Discussion Results will reveal the differential effectiveness of two brief online interventions in improving mental health outcomes, as well as enhancing social capacities and resilience. The present study will serve as a first step for future application of scalable, low-cost interventions at a broader level to reduce stress and loneliness, improve mental health and build resilience and social capacities in the face of global stressors. Trial registration This trial has been registered on May 17, 2020 with the ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04889508 registration number (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04889508).

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Trauma, Sleep and Mental Health Problems in Low-Income Young Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18031145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 1145

Author(s):

Rachel A. Fusco ◽

Yan Yuan ◽

Hyunji Lee ◽

Christina E. Newhill

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Low Income ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Health Problems ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

The Relationship

Low-income young adults are more likely to have exposure to trauma, which increases risk for mental health problems. Although adequate sleep promotes good health, people with histories of trauma are more likely to have sleep problems. The current study explored whether poor sleep mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and mental health. A sample of 143 low-income 18–24-year-old young adults completed depression, anxiety, and trauma exposure measures and wore sleep monitors for four nights. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine both direct and indirect effects of variables. Results showed that higher trauma exposure was associated with depression and anxiety. Mean sleep hours per night was fewer than six, far below recommended guidelines for optimal health and functioning. Fewer sleep hours partially mediated the relationship between both trauma exposure and depression and anxiety, and the direct effect from trauma remained significant after adjusting for the partial mediation from sleep.

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Misconceptions about Veterans and Health

Pained ◽

10.1093/oso/9780197510384.003.0022 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 69-72

Author(s):

Michael D. Stein ◽

Sandro Galea

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Rehabilitation Services ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Physical Health Problems ◽

The Military

This chapter studies the health of veterans and the military. Since the first Gulf War in 1990, veterans have had worse mortality than the general population. Aside from mortality, mental health problems are a particular concern. More soldiers kill themselves than are killed on the battlefield. Beyond suicide, key mental health concerns among veterans include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Itself disruptive, PTSD foreshadows increased risks of physical health problems, substance use/misuse, homelessness, and violence. Less studied, but equally important, are high rates of depression and anxiety among veterans. Rates of chronic pain and physical disability are also high. These challenges make the Veterans Health Administration’s unique expertise in mental health care provision and rehabilitation services all the more crucial. For these reasons, moves to privatize veterans’ health care and narrow access to these services do veterans a disservice, shortchanging a fundamental social contract. The health of soldiers is the public’s health.

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A brief transdiagnostic psychological intervention for Afghan asylum seekers and refugees in Austria: a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-019-3839-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Matthias Knefel ◽

Viktoria Kantor ◽

Andrew A. Nicholson ◽

Jennifer Schiess-Jokanovic ◽

Dina Weindl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Asylum Seekers ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Health Problems ◽

Immigrant Integration ◽

World Health ◽

Afghan Refugees ◽

Link Type ◽

Asylum Seekers And Refugees

Abstract Background Asylum seekers and refugees are at great risk for developing mental disorders. Afghan refugees are a particularly vulnerable group with a low average education and mental health literacy level. Traumatic experiences and hardship before and during migration are predictive of mental health problems. However, post-migration living difficulties (PMLDs) also account for a large proportion of mental distress in such populations, which, critically, are not sufficiently considered in treatment protocols and research investigations. Indeed, the evidence base for the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers is sparse and limited mainly to trauma-specific treatments, where refugees may likely suffer from other mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Methods/design This trial is the first evaluation of a short-term, transdiagnostic treatment protocol for treatment-seeking Afghan refugees which addresses mental health problems and PMLDs while using an adapted version of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) protocol. Here, we will investigate the efficacy of an intervention manual with a prospective, single-center, randomized, assessor-blind, two-group trial among refugees who are on a waiting list for professional mental health treatment. Furthermore, we will investigate participants’ subjective experiences with the intervention manual via in-depth interviews. One hundred twenty people will be assessed and randomly allocated to either the intervention arm or a treatment-as-usual arm. Clinical psychologists will conduct the treatment, and the sessions will take place with a Dari interpreter. The protocol consists of six 90-min sessions. The primary endpoint is the general symptom distress measure, assessed with the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28). Secondary endpoints are the Post-Migration Living Difficulties Checklist (PMLDC), the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), the Psychological Outcome Profile (PSYCHLOPS), service and health care use (assessed with several items), and the Immigrant Integration Index (IPL-12). Discussion This trial may provide substantial evidence for a brief transdiagnostic psychological intervention. Here, we intend to contribute to the treatment of mental health problems among Afghan refugees. The assessment of subjective experience with this treatment manual, as well as the evaluation of its clinical applicability, may optimize treatment acceptance and outcomes across a wide range of mental health problems among refugees. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) registration number: DRKS00016538. Universal Trial Number: U1111-1226-3285. Registered on January 7, 2019. https://www.drks.de/drks_web/setLocale_EN.do

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Disrupted Rhythms of Life, Work and Entertainment Behaviours and Their Associations with Mental Health Problems under the Stress of COVID-19 Epidemic: A Survey in 5854 Chinese People with Different Backgrounds

10.21203/rs.3.rs-27400/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Min Yang ◽

Ping He ◽

Xiaoming Xu ◽

Jing Wang ◽

Yanjun Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Status ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Annual Income ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychosomatic Diseases ◽

Life Work

Abstract BACKGROUND and OBJECTIVE The rhythms of life, work and entertainment behaviours are considered as the external behavioural manifestations of biological rhythm.To evaluate the distinctive disrupted rhythms of behaviours and their associations with mental health problems in people with different backgrounds under the stress of COVID-19 epidemic.SUBJECTS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from 10-17 March 2020 under the stress of COVID-19 epidemic.A structured e-questionnaire containing general information,rhythm scale(subscale1 for life-work rhythms and subscale2 for entertainment rhythm) and Zung's self-rating depression and anxiety scale(SDS and SAS) were filled and the data were analysed.RESULTS Overall 5854 participants were included.Significant differences were found in rhythm, SDS and SAS scores among people with different backgrounds (all P<0.05). Subjects with female gender and poor health status were mostly suffered from disrupted rhythms of life- work-entertainment behaviours, combined with depression and anxiety. Nurses and subjects being divorced or with chronic disease with psychosomatic diseases were mostly suffered from disrupted rhythms of life-work behaviours, combined with depression and anxiety. Subjects with aged 26-30 years, or annual income of 50,000-100,000CY were mostly suffered from disrupted rhythms of life-work combined with depression. Subjects with income over 300,000CY were mostly suffered from disrupted rhythm of entertainment combined with anxiety.The prevalence rates of depression and anxiety in people with the high-scores of rhythm disruption increased by 34.50% and 47.16%, respectively, compared with those with low-scores.People with the high-scores of rhythm disruption had higher SDS and SAS scores, compared to those with low scores (all P<0.001). The independent related factors of disrupted rhythms included gender,age,marital status, health status,annual income and chronic diseases with psychosomatic diseases using logistic regression.The disrupted rhythms of life and work behaviours was positively correlated with both SDS and SAS scores.CONCLUSIONS The disrupted rhythms of life, work and entertainment behaviours were closely associated with mental health problems.The disrupted rhythms of behaviours are frequent and fluxible,triggering more severe mental health problems under the stress of COVID-19 epidemic.The physicians should be aware of their importance when evaluating their interviewees or patients’ mental health and achieving maximization of therapeutic efficacy by integrating the intervention of circadian rhythm and its behaviour.

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Sickness absences among young employees in private and public sectors

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.336 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

J Narusyte ◽

P Svedberg

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Private Sector ◽

Sickness Absence ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Health Problems ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Public And Private ◽

Familial Factors ◽

The Public

Abstract Background Mental health problems among young adults is a public health problem as well as increasing work incapacity in terms of sickness absence (SA) due to mental diagnoses in Sweden. SA levels among those working in the public sector tend to exceed those working in the private sector. Knowledge is however lacking on whether experiencing mental health problems in young years can contribute to the association. The aim was to examine the association between type of employment and sickness absence among women and men, also adjusting for previously experienced depression and anxiety as well as for familial factors. Methods The study included data on 25,496 twins born in Sweden 1959-1990. Information on depression and anxiety as well as on type of employment was obtained from a web-based survey conducted in 2005. Twins were followed prospectively until 2013 through national register data on SA. Logistic regression analyses were run with adjustment for familial factors, such as common genetics and environmental factors related to the family. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) are presented. Results Higher rates of SA in the public (59%) as compared to the private (50%) sector were observed among women. There were 29% and 30% of men in public and private sectors, respectively, that have had at least one SA spell during the follow-up. Preliminary results showed that working in the private sector was associated with a higher risk for future SA among women (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.14-2.33) but not among men (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.41-1.07). The results changed only slightly after adjusting for previous depression or anxiety as well as for familial factors. Conclusions Higher rates of SA among women working in the public as compared to the private sector were not explained by previously experienced depression or anxiety disorders. Key messages Higher rates of SA were observed among women working in public as compared to private sector. Previously experienced depression and anxiety were of similar importance for future SA in both public and private sectors.

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Differential Effects of Mental Health Problems Among Truant Youths

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research ◽

10.1007/s11414-014-9435-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 402-427 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Richard Dembo ◽

Jennifer Wareham ◽

James Schmeidler ◽

Rhissa Briones-Robinson ◽

Ken C. Winters

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Differential Effects

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Prevalence of mental health problems and associated factors among front-line public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: an effort–reward imbalance model-informed study

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-021-00563-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jing Zhang ◽

Yijing Wang ◽

Jingdong Xu ◽

Hua You ◽

Yan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Problems ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Front Line ◽

Effort Reward Imbalance ◽

Public Health Workers ◽

Reward Imbalance

Abstract Background Poor mental health status and associated risk factors of public health workers have been overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used the effort–reward imbalance model to investigate the association between work-stress characteristics (effort, over-commitment, reward) and mental health problems (anxiety and depression) among front-line public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods A total of 4850 valid online questionnaires were collected through a self- constructed sociodemographic questionnaire, the adapted ERI questionnaire, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between ERI factors and mental health problems (i.e., depression and anxiety), with reward treated as a potential moderator in such associations. Results The data showed that effort and over-commitment were positively associated with depression and anxiety, while reward was negatively associated with depression and anxiety. Development and job acceptance were the two dimensions of reward buffered the harmful effect of effort/over-commitment on depression and anxiety, whereas esteem was non-significant. Conclusions This study confirmed the harmful effects of effort and over-commitment on mental health among public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Such effects could be alleviated through an appropriate reward system, especially the development and job acceptance dimensions of such a system. These findings highlight the importance of establishing an emergency reward system, comprising reasonable work-allocation mechanism, bonuses and honorary titles, a continuous education system and better career-development opportunities.

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Gender differences of depression and anxiety among social media users during the COVID-19 outbreak in China:a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09738-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fengsu Hou ◽

Fengying Bi ◽

Rong Jiao ◽

Dan Luo ◽

Kangxing Song

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Social Media ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Health Problems ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Prevalence Of Depression

Abstract Background Studies have shown that the outbreak of infectious diseases would result in mental health problems. Females are in greater risk for psychological problems than males. The present study investigated gender differences of depression and anxiety and explored associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic among Chinese social media users. Methods We recruited 3088 participants through social media cross China. Participants completed sociodemographic and the COVID-19 epidemic related questions, the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), the Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. We applied Chi-square test and ANOVA for data description and linear regression analysis for exploring factors associated with depression and anxiety. Results Of 3063 participants eligible for analysis, the total prevalence of depression and anxiety was 14.14 and 13.25%. Females were experiencing more severe stress and anxiety symptoms, while males showed better resilience to stress. The severity of depression symptoms would decrease with the increase of age resilience, and it would increase if being unemployed, feeling less adapted, being more stressed. The severity of anxiety symptoms would decrease with higher education and better resilience, and it would increase if being female, spending over 60 min on COVID-19 related information, less adapted, and being more stressed. Conclusion The findings show the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety in Chinese population during the COVID-19 epidemic, and females are experiencing more severe anxiety symptoms than males. As social media is the current main resource of information related to COVID-19, interventions should be implemented to help users to limit the time they spend on social media and to get key information related to the epidemic from authoritative and authentic resource to avoid infodemic and prevent mental health problems.

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Persistent peer victimization is associated with differential effects on cortisol production between boys and girls

10.13056/acamh.12315 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Peer Victimization ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Differential Effects ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Peer victimization increases the risk of developing long-lasting mental health problems, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear.

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Association of Mental Health and Aggression against Co-Workers in Indian Banks during COVID 19

Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International ◽

10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i36a31937 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 151-162

Author(s):

Shivani Dutt ◽

Rashmy Moray

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Testing Procedure ◽

Health Problems ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Conflict Tactics Scales ◽

Bank Employees ◽

Indian Banks

Most representatives working in banks have been affected severely due to COVID 19 widespread in India. This comprehensive examination's key goal is to carefully examine mental health problems such as anxiety and depression among the bank employees and identify their relationship with aggression against their co-workers during COVID-19 circumstance. A non-probability snowball testing procedure has been utilized to direct online surveys from 536 employees. A moderate level of information has been perceived about COVID 19 among the employees working in banks. Besides COVID-19 related information, anxiety was surveyed by English adaptation of GAD-scale; an English version of CES-D has been used to gauge the depression and aggression against co-workers and is assessed by Conflict Tactics Scales. Affiliations between aggressions against co-workers with mental health problems have been recognized using multiple logistic regressions. The predominance of anxiety and depression is 24.27% and 47.72%, respectively. Additionally, the prevalence of the union of depression and anxiety is 20.81%. 71.1% of participants show frequent aggression against co-workers. The research findings depict that frequent aggression against co-workers was particularly connected with mental health issues during the COVID-19 flare-up. These detections ensnared that the administration needs to consider psychological well-being issues, particularly depression and anxiety among bank employees.

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