The Cost of Austerity Policies for Public Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 117 (802) ◽  
pp. 310-314
Author(s):  
Aaron Reeves
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Health And Well Being

[S]hort-term policy changes can have long-term effects on the health and well-being of the population.

The Long-Term Effects of Solitary Confinement From the Perspective of Inmates

2021 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 652-674
Author(s):  
Liat Tayer ◽  
Tomer Einat ◽  
Anat Yaron Antar
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Solitary Confinement ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Mental And Behavioral Disorders

This qualitative study analyzes the effects of solitary confinement on prisoners and the strategies used by them to cope with its difficulties. The findings indicate that solitary confinement is perceived as unfair and as intensifying hostile emotions and physical aggression, and that it is related to a range of long-term physiological, mental, and behavioral disorders. Three strategies are used to cope with the difficulties of solitary confinement: keeping to a ritualistic routine, a religious lifestyle, and physical exercise. We conclude that solitary confinement exacerbates the difficulties of detention and affects prisoners’ health and well-being for short and long terms.

scholarly journals Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in healthy ceremony attendants: A replication study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim I. van Oorsouw ◽  
Malin V. Uthaug ◽  
Natasha L. Mason ◽  
Nick J. Broers ◽  
Johannes G. Ramaekers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Altered States Of Consciousness ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
States Of Consciousness ◽  
First Time ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background and aims There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the psychedelic plant tea, ayahuasca, holds therapeutic potential. Uthaug et al. (2018) demonstrated that a single dose of ayahuasca improved mental health sub-acutely and 4-weeks post-ceremony in healthy participants. The present study aimed to replicate and extend these findings. A first objective was to assess the sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on mental health and well-being in first-time and experienced users. A second aim was to extend the assessment of altered states of consciousness and how they relate to changes in mental health. Method Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 73) were assessed before, the day after, and four weeks following the ceremony. Results We replicated the reduction in self-reported stress 4-weeks post ceremony, but, in contrast, found no reduction in depression. Also, increased satisfaction with life and awareness the day after the ceremony, and its return to baseline 4 weeks later, were replicated. New findings were: reduced ratings of anxiety and somatization, and increased levels of non-judging 4-weeks post-ceremony. We replicated the relation between altered states of consciousness (e.g., experienced ego dissolution during the ceremony) and mental health outcomes sub-acutely. The effects of ayahuasca did not differ between experienced and first-time users. Conclusion Partly in line with previous findings, ayahuasca produces long-term improvements in affect in non-clinical users. Furthermore, sub-acute mental health ratings are related to the intensity of the psychedelic experience. Although findings replicate and highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, this needs to be confirmed in placebo-controlled studies.

scholarly journals Impacts of international labor migration on the mental health and well-being of left-behind children

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Antia ◽  
J Boucsein ◽  
A Deckert ◽  
P Dambach ◽  
J Racaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Transnational Families ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Labor migration is a challenge for the globalised world due to its long-term effects such as the formation of transnational families with the particularly vulnerable groups of left-behind children (LBC). These families, where family members of migrant workers are 'left-behind' are becoming common practice in many developing countries. In this systematic literature review, we aimed to investigate the impacts of parental labor migration on the mental health and well-being of their LBC. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic literature search in English using PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar for studies, investigating mental health and well-being among LBC who live in transnational families. Case-reports, qualitative studies as well as opinion papers were excluded. We summarized the evidence and additionally compared quantitative results. Results 25 studies were selected for the final analysis. We found that mental health and well-being outcomes of LBC differ across regions and sometimes even within regions. Only studies conducted in South America and South Asia observed purely negative effects. Overall, LBC show abnormal SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) scores and report higher levels of depression and loneliness, than children who do not live in transnational families. Evidence suggests that gender of migrant parent, culture and other transnational family characteristics such as family arrangement, the role of the mother and the role of the father contribute to the well-being and psychological health of LBC. Conclusions International migration of parents has more negative than positive effects (e.g. through remittances) on the mental health and well-being of LBC. However, the effects strongly depend on family arrangements and care giving practices in migrants' sending countries. Key messages Further research utilizing longitudinal data is needed to better explore the complex and long-term effects of parental migration on LBC. Multidimensional family characteristics are crucial and should be better explored when examining the impacts of migratory separation on left-behind children.

scholarly journals Short and Long term effects of Overeating (Atimatrashan) on health and well-being: A Conceptual Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-80
Author(s):  
Unnati A. Chavan ◽  
◽  
Narayan R. Sabu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Great Emphasis ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Conceptual Study ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Food Consumed ◽  
The Ideal

Overeating is the excess food consumed in relation to the energy that an organism expends. Out of various eating disorders overeating from supersize meal portions is termed as Atimatrashan in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda great emphasis has been given on the ideal quantity i.e., ‘matra’ of Aahara which is customized according to individual appetite. While occasional overeating predisposes to various disorders manifested through impaired digestive function, Habitual overeating eventually leads to obesity. Obesity being a state of chronic inflammation predisposes to wide range of diseases including Metabolic syndrome and Cancer. In this context, this paper discusses the Ayurvedic concept of Tridosha Prakop (vitiation of all the three Doshas) with the resulting ailments and Aamvish which is said to be formed as a result of habitual overeating and is thought to be Vishsadrushya (highly toxic) and param asaadhyam (incurable).

scholarly journals Dietary fibre and prebiotics in infant formulas

2003 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Ghisolfi
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Microflora ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Infant Formulas ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Bacterial Host ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Health And Well Being

Prebiotics have the potential to promote immediate and long-term effects on the health and well-being of infants. They have been added to infant formulas in Japan for 20 years and have only recently been used in Europe. The objective is to change the intestinal microflora in order to mimic the bacteriological effect and, thus, the functional effects of human milk. There is, however, a potential risk of long-term effects of the use of these infant formulas. The consequences of using prebiotics in infants, during the first months of life, on the composition and development of the intestinal microflora, and on the resulting bacterial–bacterial and bacterial–host interactions are not known. Attempts have been made to improve infant and follow-on formulas by prebiotic supplementation, but intervention studies are needed to evaluate their immediate and long-term beneficial effects and demonstrate the absence of harmful consequences from their use.

scholarly journals The cost of shift work: Absenteeism in a large German automobile plant

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 236-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Frick ◽  
Robert Simmons ◽  
Friedrich Stein
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
System Management ◽  
Automobile Plant ◽  
Work Absenteeism ◽  
Shift Schedules ◽  
The Cost ◽  
A Company ◽  
Health And Well Being

Using a balanced panel of some 400 organizational units in a large automobile plant, we analyse changes in absenteeism following a company innovation intended to improve worker health and well-being. During the period under consideration (January 2009–December 2011) the firm replaced its traditional shift schedule associated with high health risks for workers with an ergonomically more advantageous system. Our findings show that this innovation was accompanied by a statistically significant and economically relevant decrease in absenteeism. However, when workers started to express discontent with the new system, management after a few months implemented another shift system that was, from an ergonomical perspective, again associated with higher health risks than those associated with the second one. Absentee figures quickly returned to their initial levels. This suggests that short-term leisure preferences can override long-term health concerns in worker responses to the implementation of different shift schedules.

scholarly journals In Sickness and in Health: Dyadic Perspectives on Health and Well-Being Among Older Couples

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 648-648
Author(s):  
Courtney Polenick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract This session will incorporate a variety of dyadic methods to explore the multifaceted ways that older spouses shape their own and their partners’ health and well-being. First, Dr. Karen Lyons will consider the roles of communication, collaborative decision-making, and social support in shaping the mental health of couples managing chronic pain. Her comparative dyadic analysis highlights the value of collaborative illness management in optimizing couples’ mental health. Dr. Courtney Polenick will then describe how chronic condition discordance (i.e., the extent to which two or more conditions have non-overlapping self-management requirements) within individuals and between spouses is linked to perceived control among couples over an8-year period. This study reveals that more complex patterns of chronic conditions within couples have particularly detrimental implications for women’s perceptions of control over their own health and other life domains. Next, Dr. Kira Birditt will examine the long-term effects of spouses’ similar drinking patterns (i.e., concordance). Although drinking concordance may enhance marital satisfaction, she will explain how it can have enduring negative consequences for cardiovascular health among middle-aged men. Dr. Joan Monin will then explain the short-term benefits of laughter for blood pressure among couples during lab-based spousal support interactions. Finally, Dr. Amy Rauer will discuss how spouses react to one another’s health-related support attempts using in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with both members of the couple. Taken together, these studies underscore the importance of evaluating dynamic short-term and long-term health-related influences among couples in middle and later life. Dyadic Research on Health and Illness Across the Adult Lifespan Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals Biodiversity and Health in the Urban Environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Marselle ◽  
Sarah J. Lindley ◽  
Penny A. Cook ◽  
Aletta Bonn
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Purpose of review Biodiversity underpins urban ecosystem functions that are essential for human health and well-being. Understanding how biodiversity relates to human health is a developing frontier for science, policy and practice. This article describes the beneficial, as well as harmful, aspects of biodiversity to human health in urban environments. Recent findings Recent research shows that contact with biodiversity of natural environments within towns and cities can be both positive and negative to human physical, mental and social health and well-being. For example, while viruses or pollen can be seriously harmful to human health, biodiverse ecosystems can promote positive health and well-being. On balance, these influences are positive. As biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, research suggests that its loss could threaten the quality of life of all humans. Summary A key research gap is to understand—and evidence—the specific causal pathways through which biodiversity affects human health. A mechanistic understanding of pathways linking biodiversity to human health can facilitate the application of nature-based solutions in public health and influence policy. Research integration as well as cross-sector urban policy and planning development should harness opportunities to better identify linkages between biodiversity, climate and human health. Given its importance for human health, urban biodiversity conservation should be considered as public health investment.

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