scholarly journals Alone but not lonely: The relationship between COVID-19 social factors, loneliness, depression, and suicidal ideation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261867
Author(s):  
Ana Rabasco ◽  
Vincent Corcoran ◽  
Margaret Andover

Objective Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been concerns that social distancing may negatively impact mental health, particularly with regards to loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. The current study explored how aspects of social distancing, communication, and online support from October 2020 to December 2020 related to loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Method Participants (n = 216) who self-identified as having mental health diagnoses were recruited and completed questionnaires online. Results Findings showed that COVID-19 related social contact, particularly electronic social contact, is associated with decreased loneliness, suicidal ideation, and depression. Online emotional support was significantly associated with decreased loneliness and depressive symptoms. Social distancing practices were not associated with increased loneliness, suicidal ideation, and depression. Conclusions Our findings underscore the importance of leveraging electronic methods of social connection, especially among individuals who are at risk for suicide or depression.

Author(s):  
Kundadak Ganesh Kudva ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar ◽  
Boon Yiang Chua ◽  
Saleha Shafie ◽  
...  

Suicidality encompasses suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. This paper aims to establish associations between suicidality and sociodemographic variables, physical disorders, and psychiatric disorders. The Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 was a population-level epidemiological survey, which determined the prevalence of physical disorders, psychiatric disorders, and suicidality. Questionnaires were used to determine socio-demographic information. A total of 6216 respondents were interviewed. Lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts were 7.8%, 1.6%, and 1.6%, respectively. All components of suicidality were more likely in those with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and chronic pain. Suicidal ideation and attempts were more likely in those with diabetes. Age above 65, being male, and a monthly household income of ≥ SGD 10,000 were associated with a lower likelihood of suicidal ideation. These findings indicate that there are high-risk groups for whom suicidality is a concern, and for whom interventions may be needed.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Su Jeong Yi ◽  
Yoo Mi Jeong ◽  
Jae-Hyun Kim

Physically disabled persons can have sleep problems, which affects their mental health more than those in non-disabled people. However, there are few studies on the relationship between sleep duration and mental health targeting physically disabled people in South Korea, and existing studies on the disabled have mostly used data collected from convenience rather than nationally representative samples, limiting the generalization of the results. This study used data from the second wave of the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (PSED, 2016–2018, 1st–3rd year). Participants included 1851 physically disabled individuals. The Chi-square test and generalized estimating equation (GEE) were used and the Akaike information criterion (AIC) value and the AIC log Bayes factor approximation were used to select sleep trajectories. This is the first study to elucidate multiple sleep trajectories in physically disabled people in Korea, and the relationship between sleep duration trajectories and self-rated depressive symptoms. People with physical disabilities who sleep more than 9 h have the highest risk of depression and need more intensive management as a priority intervention.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reva Mondal ◽  
Yajai Sitthimongkol ◽  
Nopporn Vongsirimas ◽  
Natkamol Chansatitporn ◽  
Kathy Hegadoren

Background: Nurses report high levels of workplace stress, which has been linked to an increased risk for experiencing depressive symptoms.Nurses’ workplace stress is also linked to increased absenteeism and decreased job satisfaction. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine: (1) the incidence of depressive symptoms among hospital-based registered nurses in Bangladesh; (2) common sources of workplace stress and their relationships to individual characteristics and depressive symptom scores; and (3) the potential mediating roles of coping strategies in the relationship between workplace stress and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study design involved three hundred and fifty-two registered nurses. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and three standardized tools measuring sources of nurses’ workplace stress, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms. Results: More than half of the participants scored ≥ 16 on the CES-D, which was associated with a major depression episode. Total NSS scores had a small but significant influence on scores on the depression scale. Coping strategies had no mediated effect on the relationship between workplace stress and scores on the depression scale. Low-reliability coefficients for subscales of two of the standardized tools highlight the challenge for researchers in developing countries to address contextual differences that may influence the meanings attached to individual items.  Conclusion: Findings suggest that the mental health of registered nurses in Bangladesh requires immediate attention in part by attending to workplace stressors. Further research should focus on a deeper understanding of Bangladeshi registered nurses’ work experiences and the unique contribution that workplace stressors have on their physical and mental health.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Y Chung ◽  
Alison Gibbons ◽  
Lauren Atlas ◽  
Elizabeth Ballard ◽  
Monique Ernst ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The COVID 19 pandemic led to dramatic threats to health and social life. Study objectives are to develop a prediction model leveraging subsample of known Patient/Controls and evaluate the relationship of predicted mental health status to clinical outcome measures and pandemic-related psychological and behavioral responses during lockdown (spring/summer 2020). Methods: Online cohort study conducted by National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program. Convenience sample of English speaking adults (enrolled 4/4 to 5/16/20; n=1,992). Enrollment measures: demographics, clinical history, functional status, psychiatric and family history, alcohol/drug use. Outcome measures (enrollment and q2 weeks/6 months): distress, loneliness, mental health symptoms, and COVID 19 survey. NIMH IRP Patient/Controls survey responses informed assignment of Patient Probability Scores (PPS) for all participants. Regression models analyzed the relationship between PPS and outcome measures. Outcomes: Mean age 46.0, female (82.4%), white (88.9 %). PPS correlated with distress, loneliness, depression, and mental health factors. PPS associated with negative psychological responses to COVID 19. Worry about mental health (OR 1.46) exceeded worry about physical health (OR 1.13). PPS not associated with adherence to social distancing guidelines but was with stress related to social distancing and worries about infection of self/others. Interpretation: Mental health status (PPS) was associated with concurrent clinical ratings and COVID 19 specific negative responses. A focus on mental health during the pandemic is warranted, especially among those with mental health vulnerabilities. We will include PPS when conducting longitudinal analyses of mental health trajectories and risk and resilience factors that may account for differing clinical outcomes. Funding: NIMH (ZIAMH002922); NCCIH (ZIAAT000030)


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon L. Boring ◽  
Kaitlyn T. Walsh ◽  
Namrata Nanavaty ◽  
Vani A. Mathur

The experience of pain is subjective, yet many people have their pain invalidated or not believed. Pain invalidation is associated with poor mental health, including depression and lower well-being. Qualitative investigations of invalidating experiences identify themes of depression, but also social withdrawal, self-criticism, and lower self-worth, all of which are core components of shame. Despite this, no studies have quantitatively assessed the interrelationship between pain invalidation, shame, and depression. To explore this relationship, participants recounted the frequency of experienced pain invalidation from family, friends, and medical professionals, as well as their feelings of internalized shame and depressive symptoms. As shame has been shown to be a precursor for depression, we further explored the role of shame as a mediator between pain invalidation and depressive symptoms. All sources of pain invalidation were positively associated with shame and depressive symptoms, and shame fully mediated the relationship between each source of pain invalidation and depression. Relative to other sources, pain invalidation from family was most closely tied to shame and depression. Overall, findings indicate that one mechanism by which pain invalidation may facilitate depression is via the experience of shame. Future research may explore shame as a potential upstream precursor to depression in the context of pain. Findings provide more insight into the harmful influence of pain invalidation on mental health and highlight the impact of interpersonal treatment on the experiences of people in pain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
THAÍS CAMPELO BEDÊ VALE ◽  
LÍVIA RODRIGUES DE ARAÚJO ◽  
VITÓRIA NUNES MEDEIROS ◽  
JOSÉ HÍCARO HELLANO GONÇALVES LIMA PAIVA ◽  
TATIANA PASCHOALETTE RODRIGUES BACHUR ◽  
...  

Depression is a common mental condition worldwide and a major cause of debility, with the potential to impair the quality of life of affected people. Medical students are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders, with depression, anxiety, and burnout being the most common ones. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in medical students and their association with burnout and aspects of life. This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Data collection was performed using four validated scales and a questionnaire in 511 medical students from the first to the fourth year from different universities. Depression was present in 49% of the students. A correlation was found between depression and female gender. Regarding the students' daily sleep time, 54.5% of the students slept only 3 to 6 hours per night. The use of psychoactive substances was reported by 29.9%. Regarding the emotional support offered by universities, about 92.8% of students with depressive symptoms reported not receiving adequate emotional support. As for quality of life, all domains were impaired among students with depression. According to the two-dimensional criterion, 37% of the students have burnout, with correlation between the presence of the syndrome and depressive symptoms. In addition, burnout proved to be an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation and self-mutilation. New methods that can help detect and address factors that trigger stress and depressive symptoms in medical students are needed to reduce the incidence of depression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Lu ◽  
ShengYan Jian ◽  
Min Dong ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
TianTian Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims The factors associated with suicidal ideation among adolescents have been extensively characterised, but the mechanisms underlying the complexities of the relationship between experiences of childhood trauma and suicidal ideation have been less studied. This study examined the direct effect of childhood trauma on suicidal ideation on the one hand and whether school bullying victimisation and Internet addiction mediate the association between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation on the other hand. Methods This school-based mental health survey was carried out in Qinghai Province in Northwest China in December 2019. We employed standardised questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and target mental health outcomes. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression and structural equation modelling were performed for the data analyses. Results This study included 5864 university students. The prevalence of lifetime suicidal ideation and Internet addiction were 34.7% and 21.4%, respectively. Overall, 16.4% and 11.4% of participants reported experiences of childhood trauma and school bullying victimisation, respectively. There were direct effects of childhood trauma, school bullying victimisation and Internet addiction on suicidal ideation. The total effect of childhood trauma on suicidal ideation was 0.201 (p < 0.001). School bullying victimisation and Internet addiction mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation. Internet addiction played a mediating role between school bullying and suicidal ideation. Conclusions Childhood trauma had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation; these effects were mediated by school bullying victimisation and Internet addiction in Chinese university students. Elucidating these relationships will therefore be useful in developing and implementing more targeted interventions and strategies to improve the mental well-being of Chinese university students.


Author(s):  
Lourdes Rey ◽  
Cirenia Quintana-Orts ◽  
Sergio Mérida-López ◽  
Natalio Extremera

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between being cybervictimised and the presence of clinical symptoms, such as depression. To date, however, there has been no comparative analysis of the personal resources profiles of adolescent victims of cyberbullying with and without depressive symptoms. The current study analysed the relationship between positive personal resources and clinical symptoms in 251 adolescent victims of cyberbullying at several Spanish high schools. It examined how several positive personal resources varied in adolescent victims of cyberbullying who displayed symptoms of depression (n = 89) or did not (n = 162). Victims of cyberbullying who displayed depressive symptoms reported lower levels of personal resources (emotional intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and forgiveness) than those who did not. Logistic regression provided evidence that gratitude was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms in victims of cyberbullying, followed by emotional intelligence and optimism. These findings expand the existing literature on the role of personal resources in mental health and highlight the need for their development in youths to help them cope more effectively and function better after being cyberbullied.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 527-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Liljeroos ◽  
Anna Strömberg ◽  
Kristofer Årestedt ◽  
Misook L Chung

Background: As treatment has improved, patients with heart failure live longer, and the care mostly takes place at home with partners providing the main assistance. Perceived control over heart failure is important in managing self-care activities to maintain health in patients and their family. Depressive symptoms are associated with impaired health status in patients with heart failure and their family. However, there is limited knowledge about how depressive symptoms affect the relationship between health status and perceived control over heart failure in patients with heart failure and their cohabiting partners. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between perceived control and health status (i.e. mental and physical) was mediated by depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure and their partners. Methods: In this secondary data analysis, we included 132 heart failure patients and 132 partners who completed measures of depressive symptoms (the Beck depression inventory II), perceived control (the control attitude scale), and physical and mental health status (the short form-36) instruments. The mediation effect of depression was examined using a series of multiple regression in patients and their family caregivers separately. Results: We found a mediator effect of depressive symptoms in the relationship between perceived control and mental health status in both patients and partners. The relationship between perceived control and physical health status was mediated by depressive symptoms in the patients, not in the partners. Conclusion: Efforts to improve self-care management and maintenance by targeting perceived control may be more effective if depressive symptoms are also effectively managed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-199
Author(s):  
Hai-Zhen Wang ◽  
Ting-Ting Yang ◽  
James Gaskin ◽  
Jin-Liang Wang

Introduction: The relationship between Social Networking Site (SNS) usage and depressive symptoms is a growing concern among mental health researchers and practitioners. The purpose of this study was to better understand the mechanism and context under which SNS use affects depressive symptoms. Method: We did this by examining envy as a mediator of the relationship between passive SNS usage and depression over time, with life satisfaction as a moderator of this mediation effect. The sample included 266 college students, who completed the surveys in two waves. Results: The results showed that envy fully mediated the association between passive SNS usage and depression. This indirect relationship was moderated by level of life satisfaction. Specifically, and unexpectedly, among individuals with higher levels of life satisfaction, more frequent passive SNS use was related to increased envy, which, in turn, was associated with increased depressive symptoms. However, this indirect relationship was non-significant for those with lower levels of life satisfaction. Discussion: Thus, the potential of passive SNS use to increase depressive symptoms through envy among individuals with high life satisfaction should be considered when mental health practitioners design interventions.


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