Psychosocial, clinical, and organizational perspectives of the risks of remote work for employees` mental health

2021 ◽  
Vol LIII (3) ◽  
pp. 33-43
Author(s):  
Konstantin Y. Zalmunin

The objective of the study was to analyze the modern data on the risks of remote work influence on the employees` mental health from psychosocial, clinical, and organizational perspectives. Methods. The analysis of literary sources, policy documents, publications in the mass media with an emphasis on the period from the beginning of the spread of the new coronavirus infection 2019-nCoV to the present. Results. The current state of the problem of the impact of remote work on the employees` mental health in Russia and in and in other countries during the global COVID-19 pandemic is analyzed. The causal relationships of medical, social, and organizational perspectives of labor activity are considered, and strategies for prevention of negative effects are studied. The widespread using of remote work all over the world is due to the need to limit the direct interpersonal contacts of citizens to contain the spread of infection. It is established that employees of organizations that perform labor functions remotely can be recognized as a type of risk group for mental, behavioral, and addictive disorders due to medical and social perspectives. The development of self-employment and the provision of services on the principles of freelancing may contribute to reducing the number of employees covered by preventive maintenance medical examinations and complicate the early detection of mental and somatic deviations in freelance workers. Conclusion. The result of the growing popularity of remote work is the spread of a hybrid work regime, which requires a comparative assessment of the medical and social risk factors of remote workers, amendments to several regulatory documents as well as the development of evidence based psychohygienic methodological recommendations for employers and early detection of employees with contraindications to remote work.

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.


10.2196/22581 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e22581
Author(s):  
Peter Phiri ◽  
Gayathri Delanerolle ◽  
Ayaat Al-Sudani ◽  
Shanaya Rathod

Emerging evidence has indicated a negative and disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. Previous studies have already reported that biological and social risk factors increase disease susceptibility, particularly in BAME communities. Despite frontline workers in ethnic minority communities in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service attempting to quell the pandemic, disproportionate numbers of BAME physicians and other health care workers have died of COVID-19. This unprecedented situation highlights ethical and moral implications, which could further augment the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. While the government attempts to mitigate the rate of virus transmission, certain key factors inadvertently augment the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health and general well-being of BAME communities. This study examined the available literature to explore the association between, and the wider impact of, COVID-19 on BAME communities. Furthermore, this study aims to raise awareness and provide a deeper insight into current scientific discussions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Phiri ◽  
Gayathri Delanerolle ◽  
Ayaat Al-Sudani ◽  
Shanaya Rathod

UNSTRUCTURED Emerging evidence illustrate a negative and disproportionate impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, although, in comparison to previously reported studies, biological and social risk factors would increase the risk of contracting Covid-19 amongst BAME groups in comparison to the non-BAME population. Despite ethnic minorities standing on the frontline to quell the impact of the pandemic within the United Kingdom’s (UK) National Health Service (NHS), disproportionate amounts of BAME doctors and other healthcare workers have died from covid-19. This unprecedented situation raises ethical and moral implications that could further raise the mental health crises this pandemic has raised. While the government attempts to mitigate the rate of virus transmission using a variety of methods, this does not reduce the impact on mental health and general wellbeing. This analysis considers available literature to explore the association between and the wider impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BAME communities in order to raise awareness and add a further facet to the current scientific discussions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 5297
Author(s):  
Juan P. Sanabria-Mazo ◽  
Bernardo Useche-Aldana ◽  
Pedro P. Ochoa ◽  
Diego F. Rojas-Gualdrón ◽  
Corel Mateo-Canedo ◽  
...  

The identification of general population groups particularly vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on mental health and the development of healthcare policies are priority challenges in the current and future pandemics. This study aimed to identify the personal and social determinants of the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on mental health in a large sample of the Colombian population. In this cross-sectional study, an anonymous online survey was answered by 18,061 participants from the general population residing in Colombia during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak (from 20 May to 20 June 2020). The risk of depression, anxiety, and somatization disorders were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), and Somatic Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ-5), respectively. Overall, 35% of participants showed risk of depression, 29% of anxiety, and 31% of somatization. According to the analysis of social determinants of health, the most affected groups were people with low incomes, students, and young adults (18–29 years). Specifically, low-income young females were the most at-risk population group. These findings show how the lockdown measures affected the general population’s mental health in Colombia and highlight some social risk factors in health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Levita ◽  
Jilly Gibson Miller ◽  
Todd K. Hartman ◽  
Jamie Murphy ◽  
Mark Shevlin ◽  
...  

COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented disruption of normal social relationships and activities, which are so important during the teen years and young adulthood, and to education and economic activity worldwide. The impact of this on young people’s mental health and future prospects may affect their need for support and services, and the speed of the nation’s social recovery afterwards. This study focused on the unique challenges facing young people at different points during adolescent development, which spans from the onset of puberty until the mid-twenties. Although this is an immensely challenging time and there is a potential risk for long term trauma, adolescence can be a period of opportunity, where the teenagers’ brain enjoys greater capacity for change. Hence, the focus on young people is key for designing age-specific interventions and public policies, which can offer new strategies for instilling resilience, emotional regulation, and self-control. In fact, adolescents might be assisted to not only cope, but excel, in spite of the challenges imposed by this pandemic. Our work will feed into the larger societal response that utilizes the discoveries about adolescence in the way we raise, teach, and treat young people during this time of crisis. Wave 1 data has already been collected from 2,002 young people aged 13-24, measuring their mental health (anxiety, depression, trauma), family functioning, social networks, and resilience, and social risk-taking at the time of the pandemic. Here we present a preliminary report of our findings, (Report 1). Data collected 21/4/20- 29/4/20 - a month after the lockdown started).


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-200
Author(s):  
Sergey N. Sakhnov

Introduction. The high prevalence of glaucoma and its dominance among causes of irreversible blindness determine medical social significance. Purpose of study. To analyze risk factors in patients with glaucoma to be implemented in organization of early detection of pathology. Materials and methods. The results of digital screening of risk factors in sampling of 225 patients with glaucoma stage II-III and 207 patients of the same age the evaluation was applied concerning prognostic significance of medical and behavioral risk factors. Results. The major risk factors of development of glaucoma are high intraocular pressure, arterial hypertension, previous surgery on affected eye, elder age, hereditary load. In total of all examined factors the higher, moderate and low degrees of risk of development of glaucoma were established. Conclusion. The proposed approach permits to detect glaucoma at early stages of its development on the basis of prognostication of risk factors.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 03001
Author(s):  
Vide Gudzinskiene ◽  
Rimvydas Augutavicius

Families at risk are definitely the urgent public concern that requires immediate solutions in Lithuania. It is important to mention that the children growing within the families at risk are in the centre of concern as their social and physical environment is not stimulating enough, leading to a number of different problems the families and children themselves are facing. In general, the number of such children makes about 4 percent of the total number of children in the country and this rate has remained stable for many years. Scientific problem – the problems experienced by children growing within social risk families and the impact of social risk factors on children's socialization and integration. Object – phenomenon of families at risk in Lithuania. Task of the article – to analyze the phenomenon of social risk families and its trends in Lithuania.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000468
Author(s):  
Poppy Evenden ◽  
Anita Roche ◽  
Basel Karo ◽  
Sooria Balasegaram ◽  
Charlotte S Anderson

BackgroundA quarter of London’s pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients have over 4 months of delay. Late diagnosis increases disease severity and the risk of transmission. We aim to classify delays, identify associated risk factors and assess treatment outcome.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using London surveillance data, 2012–2018 on adults aged ≥18 years with pulmonary TB. We defined presentation delay (days from symptom onset to first healthcare visit) and healthcare delay (first healthcare visit to treatment commencement) as dichotomous variables; positive delay being days equal or greater than the third quartile. We applied logistic regression models to identify risk factors associated with delays and treatment outcome at 12 months.ResultsOf 7216 people, 4539 reported presentation and 5193 healthcare delays. The third quartiles for presentation and healthcare delay were 84 and 61 days, respectively. Presentation delay was associated with female sex (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.21; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.39), increasing age (aOR=1.004; 95% CI 1.001 to 1.008), white compared to Asian ethnicity (aOR=1.35; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.62), previous imprisonment (aOR=1.66; 95% CI 1.22 to 2.26) and alcohol misuse (aOR=1.44; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.89). Healthcare delay was associated with female sex (aOR=1.39; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.59), increasing age (aOR=1.014; 95% CI 1.009 to 1.018) and white ethnicity (aOR=1.41; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.68). 16% of 5678 people with known outcome did not complete treatment. Neither delay was associated with non-completion (p value <0.05).ConclusionsFemale, white and older people with TB were more likely to experience both presentation and healthcare delays. Social risk factors were also associated with delay in presentation. Early diagnosis and treatment remain critical to reduce transmission, regardless of whether delay affected completion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e229120
Author(s):  
Rita Goncalves ◽  
Mafalda Marques ◽  
Teresa Cartaxo ◽  
Vera Santos

Worldwide, millions of children and adolescents are suffering due to a lack of efficient mental healthcare. Although some progress has been made to address the mental health problems in this age group, currently, even developed countries fail in providing psychiatric patients with the best practice care. We present a case of a Portuguese adolescent with a first episode of psychosis in whom multiple social and environmental risk factors were identified as triggers to his clinical presentation, as well as fundamental determinants of prognosis in the short and long term. In this case, we demonstrate how social determinants, including poverty, family dysfunction and difficulties in accessing appropriate mental healthcare, strongly influence the development, maintenance and prognosis in early psychosis during adolescence. Furthermore, we consider the implications of an absence of community-based mental healthcare and rehabilitation services and reasons for why this may complicate the management and limit opportunities to this patient population.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S562-S563
Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Elham Mahmoudi ◽  
Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez

Abstract The US health care system is at a critical moment of transformation. The implementation of value-based models has made significant progress towards improving care quality and coordination, continuity of care and reducing cost. However, concerns have been raised regarding “cherry-picking” healthier people that may negatively impact patients with more complex needs and minority populations. Given that the US is becoming more diverse, there is a need for understanding the impact of social risk factors including ethnicity, immigration status, income and geography on health outcomes and issues of health care disparities. This panel brings together four studies that examine these phenomena in minority populations. These studies will provide novel insight regarding 1) healthcare utilization in Mexican-American Medicare beneficiaries and showing that social determinants of health are associated with a higher risk of hospitalization, emergency room admissions, and outpatient visits. 2) Mortality rates and predialysis care among Hispanics in the US, Hispanics in Puerto Rico, and Whites in the US demonstrating substantial disparities in access to recommended nephrology care for Hispanics in Puerto Rico; 3) Trends in age-adjusted mortality rates and supply of physicians in states with different nurse-practitioners regulation. 4) The impact of social risk factors on disenrollment from Fee-For-Service and enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan in older Mexican-Americans. 5) Racial disparities in access to physician visits, prescription drugs, and healthcare spending among older adults with cognitive limitation. Studies in this panel will also discuss the effects of changes in care delivery and payment innovations in improving health equity.


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