scholarly journals Queer Lives in Idaho and the Surrounding Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ollie Shannon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High School ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intermountain West ◽  
The Impact

The experiences of Queer people in the Intermountain-West are under- documented by the scientific community. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths in 2019. Members of the Queer community have higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts than the general population. Theoretically, we may predict that people experience negative mental health outcomes under situations of reduced social contact and support or during periods of exclusion by conspecifics. My research explores mental health in the Queer community utilizing data collected in an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a sample size of 147 participants from the intermountain west, this study examines whether rates of suicidal ideation and behavior are influenced by a person’s high school experience. Specifically, I investigate effects of experienced positive curriculum related to Queer identities, supportive teachers, status of protection under the law, and the impact of COVID-19, particularly related to a lack of pride festivals. Statistical analysis found that mental health declined during the pandemic, and when sexual and gender identity are included in anti-discrimination laws Queer people’s mental health improves. These findings are supported in the high school environment as well. People who heard anti- Queer had five times the odds of engaging in suicidal behaviors. Access to a supportive community improves mental health and suggests that the adaptive use of technology to create social connections in novel ways may be key to thriving during times of cultural change and unpredictability.

scholarly journals Training Preservice Mental Health Counselors for Suicide Assessment: A Multiple Baseline Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teal Bohrer ◽  
Cass Dykeman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multiple Baseline ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Probe Design ◽  
Mental Health Clinicians ◽  
Suicide Assessment ◽  
The Impact

Rates of death by suicide continue to increase across the United States. Mental health clinicians often have contact with individuals expressing suicidal ideation, but research suggests clinicians may not be appropriately prepared to assess a client’s suicide risk. Numerous models and theories explain and assess suicidal ideation. In 2009, Thomas Joiner and his colleagues proposed the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPT), which focused on three main factors strongly supported by research over the preceding decade. The present study utilized a nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline, multiple-probe design as well as a one-group pretest–posttest design to examine the impact of an IPT-based training model. Participants were preservice mental health clinicians currently enrolled in Master’s degree programs. Participants completed assessments on IPT knowledge and suicide-assessment self-efficacy, and results from this study indicated a significant increase in knowledge after completion of the training, as well as a slight decrease in self-efficacy. This study suggests that suicide-assessment training, even when done remotely, can increase suicide-assessment knowledge. Future research should explore preservice mental health clinicians’ self-efficacy as well as those factors influencing the confidence these professionals feel in their assessments of risk.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
Jung Nam Sohn
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
National Level ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Impact

This descriptive study provides basic data for developing a mental health promotion program by analyzing the mental health status under the impact of COVID-19 and verifying the factors affecting mental health. This study aims to identify the prevalence and associated factors of mental health after the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted targeting a total of 156 Korean adults aged 19~64 years. Using the SPSS Win 19.0 program, the frequency, mean, t-test or ANOVA, X2-test, linear regression, and logistic regression analysis were performed. A total of 31.4%, 20.5%, and 12.8% of all subjects classified depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation risk, respectively, and intolerance of uncertainty affected depression (β = .51) and anxiety (β = .63). In addition to intolerance of uncertainty, self-efficacy (β = -.16) was a factor affecting depression. The variables explain 35% of depression and 44% of anxiety. Further, employment status affected suicidal ideation, which increased the risk of suicidal ideation 2.71-fold with unemployed status. This paper is novel because it seeks to find that the intolerance of uncertainty was the common factor affecting mental health during COVID-19. The early detection of risk due to COVID-19 and the intolerance of uncertainty are common factors underlying mental health issues, underscoring the need for cognitive interventions at the individual level and sufficient information and psychological support related to the COVID-19 at the national level.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: The Role of Locus on Control and Internet Use

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 6985
Author(s):  
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir ◽  
Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir ◽  
Haukur Freyr Gylfason
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
The Impact

The true extent of the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear, but early evidence suggests poorer mental health among those exposed to the pandemic. The Internet may have differential effects, by both connecting people with resources, or reinforce the constant checking of negative information. Moreover, locus of control becomes important in an uncontrollable pandemic. The current study aimed to examine whether exposure to COVID-19 would relate to greater symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and to examine the role of internet use and locus of control. Adults in the United States and five European countries (N = 1723) answered an online survey through the website Mturk. Results show elevated psychological symptoms among those who have become infected with COVID-19 or perceive themselves to be at high risk if infected. Experience using the Internet relates to fewer symptoms, but information seeking is associated with more symptoms. Internet social capital relates to fewer symptoms of depression. Having an external locus of control relates to greater symptoms. These findings suggest that public health officials need to focus on the mental health effects of the pandemic, and that internet use and locus of control could be targets to improve mental health in the population.

scholarly journals Flattening the Mental Health Curve: COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Are Associated With Alterations in Mental Health Search Behavior in the United States

10.2196/19347 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e19347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C Jacobson ◽  
Damien Lekkas ◽  
George Price ◽  
Michael V Heinz ◽  
Minkeun Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to dramatic changes worldwide in people’s everyday lives. To combat the pandemic, many governments have implemented social distancing, quarantine, and stay-at-home orders. There is limited research on the impact of such extreme measures on mental health. Objective The goal of this study was to examine whether stay-at-home orders produced differential changes in mental health symptoms using internet search queries on a national scale. Methods In the United States, individual states vary in their adoption of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; as of March 23, 2020, 11 of the 50 states had issued stay-at-home orders. The staggered rollout of stay-at-home measures across the United States allows us to investigate whether these measures impact mental health by exploring variations in mental health search queries across the states. This paper examines the changes in mental health search queries on Google between March 16-23, 2020, across each state and Washington, DC. Specifically, this paper examines differential changes in mental health searches based on patterns of search activity following issuance of stay-at-home orders in these states compared to all other states. The participants were all the people who searched mental health terms in Google between March 16-23. Between March 16-23, 11 states underwent stay-at-home orders to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Outcomes included search terms measuring anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive, negative thoughts, irritability, fatigue, anhedonia, concentration, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Results Analyzing over 10 million search queries using generalized additive mixed models, the results suggested that the implementation of stay-at-home orders are associated with a significant flattening of the curve for searches for suicidal ideation, anxiety, negative thoughts, and sleep disturbances, with the most prominent flattening associated with suicidal ideation and anxiety. Conclusions These results suggest that, despite decreased social contact, mental health search queries increased rapidly prior to the issuance of stay-at-home orders, and these changes dissipated following the announcement and enactment of these orders. Although more research is needed to examine sustained effects, these results suggest mental health symptoms were associated with an immediate leveling off following the issuance of stay-at-home orders.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

10.2196/22817 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e22817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

Background Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. Objective This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. Results Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. Conclusions The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

scholarly journals Flattening the Mental Health Curve: COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders Are Associated With Alterations in Mental Health Search Behavior in the United States (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C Jacobson ◽  
Damien Lekkas ◽  
George Price ◽  
Michael V Heinz ◽  
Minkeun Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to dramatic changes worldwide in people’s everyday lives. To combat the pandemic, many governments have implemented social distancing, quarantine, and stay-at-home orders. There is limited research on the impact of such extreme measures on mental health. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to examine whether stay-at-home orders produced differential changes in mental health symptoms using internet search queries on a national scale. METHODS In the United States, individual states vary in their adoption of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; as of March 23, 2020, 11 of the 50 states had issued stay-at-home orders. The staggered rollout of stay-at-home measures across the United States allows us to investigate whether these measures impact mental health by exploring variations in mental health search queries across the states. This paper examines the changes in mental health search queries on Google between March 16-23, 2020, across each state and Washington, DC. Specifically, this paper examines differential changes in mental health searches based on patterns of search activity following issuance of stay-at-home orders in these states compared to all other states. The participants were all the people who searched mental health terms in Google between March 16-23. Between March 16-23, 11 states underwent stay-at-home orders to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Outcomes included search terms measuring anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive, negative thoughts, irritability, fatigue, anhedonia, concentration, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. RESULTS Analyzing over 10 million search queries using generalized additive mixed models, the results suggested that the implementation of stay-at-home orders are associated with a significant flattening of the curve for searches for suicidal ideation, anxiety, negative thoughts, and sleep disturbances, with the most prominent flattening associated with suicidal ideation and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that, despite decreased social contact, mental health search queries increased rapidly prior to the issuance of stay-at-home orders, and these changes dissipated following the announcement and enactment of these orders. Although more research is needed to examine sustained effects, these results suggest mental health symptoms were associated with an immediate leveling off following the issuance of stay-at-home orders.

scholarly journals Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomei Wang ◽  
Sudeep Hegde ◽  
Changwon Son ◽  
Bruce Keller ◽  
Alec Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. OBJECTIVE This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. RESULTS Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.

Cross-Cultural comparisons of psychosocial distress in the USA, South Korea, France, and Hong Kong during the initial phase of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Dean ◽  
Ivy Fei Tso ◽  
Anne Giersch ◽  
Hyeon-seung Lee ◽  
Tatiana Baxter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Outcome ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in the worldwide disruption of everyday life but the impact and response to the pandemic have not been uniform. Many countries rapidly deployed physical-distancing mandates to curb the spread of the COVID-19; others did not. Whilst social distancing strategies are necessary to reduce the transmission of the virus, it is also important to examine unintended psychiatric consequences of social isolation. We examined psychological distress in four countries with distinct public health strategies (South Korea, Hong Kong, France and the United States) to identify common and region-specific factors that may contribute to mental illness. From March to July June 2020, an online survey of demographics, general health, mental health, loneliness and social networks was conducted. Overall, younger age, greater concern for COVID, and increased loneliness predicted worse psychological outcome, although the magnitudes of the effects were not uniform among the four countries. We also observed notable differences in psychological distress; Hong Kong, with the strictest lockdown mandate, suffered the most drastic worsening of mental health outcome. To explain differential exacerbations of psychological distress around the globe during the pandemic, contributions of social unrest, economic uncertainty, and disruption to regular routine should be considered.

scholarly journals Flattening the Mental Health Curve: COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders are Associated with Alterations in Mental Health Search Behavior in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Jacobson ◽  
Damien Lekkas ◽  
George Price ◽  
Michael V. Heinz ◽  
Minkeun Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

Background: COVID-19 has led to dramatic changes globally in persons’ everyday lives. To combat the pandemic, many governments have implemented social distancing, quarantine, and stay-at-home orders. There is limited research on the impact of such extreme measures on mental health. Objective: The goal of the present study was to examine whether stay-at-home orders produced differential changes in mental health symptoms using internet search queries at a national scale. Methods: In the United States, individual states vary in their adoption of measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; as of March 23, 2020, eleven of the fifty states had issued stay-at-home orders. The staggered rollout of stay-at-home measures across the U.S. allows us to investigate whether these measures impact mental health by exploring variations in mental health search queries across the states. The current manuscript examines the changes in mental health search queries on Google between March 16-23, 2020 across each state and Washington D.C. Specifically, the current manuscript examines differential change in mental health searches based on patterns of search activity following issuance of stay-at-home orders in these states compared to all other states. Participants included all persons who searched mental health terms in Google between March 16-23. Between March 16-23, eleven states underwent stay-at-home orders to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Outcomes included search terms measuring anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive, negative thoughts, irritability, fatigue, anhedonia, concentration, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Results: Analyzing over 10 million search queries using generalized additive mixed models, the results suggested that the implementation of stay-at-home orders are associated with a significant flattening of the curve for searches for suicidal ideation, anxiety, negative thoughts, and sleep disturbances with the most prominent flattening associated with suicidal ideation and anxiety. Conclusions: These results suggest that, despite decreased social contact, mental health search queries increased rapidly prior to the issuance of stay-at-home orders, and these changes dissipated following the announcement and enactment of these orders. Although more research is needed to examine sustained effects, these results suggest mental health symptoms were associated with an immediately leveling off following the issuance of stay-at-home orders.

scholarly journals Media Exposure and Substance Use Increase during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6318
Author(s):  
Ofer Amram ◽  
Porismita Borah ◽  
Deepika Kubsad ◽  
Sterling M. McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cable News ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Impact

Background: Lockdown measures because of COVID-19 are likely to result in deteriorating physical and mental health. In this study, our aim was to assess the impact of media exposure on increases in substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A nationally representative online survey of 1264 adults was collected during the pandemic in the United States. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between an increase in substance use since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and exposure to cable news or social media together with COVID-19 knowledge, while controlling for covariates. Results: In the multivariable-adjusted models, participants with the highest exposure to social media (at least daily) and low knowledge of COVID-19 were 9.9 times more likely to experience an increase in substance use since the pandemic began (OR = 9.90, 95% CI = 4.27–23.06). Participants with the highest exposure to cable news and low knowledge of COVID-19 were over 11 times more likely to experience an increase in substance use (OR = 11.64, 95% CI = 4.01–24.45). Conclusion: Based on our findings, we recommend that media organizations should aim to reduce uncertainty and also provide positive coverage to counter the negative information associated with pandemics.

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