The Social Distribution of Distress and Well-Being in the Canadian Aboriginal Population Living Off Reserve

This article examines how the social structure distributes risk and protective factors and mental health outcomes within the off reserve Aboriginal population in Canada. It uses the stress process model, a prominent model in the sociology of mental health, to explore pathways between social status, stress, coping resources, and mental health outcomes. Path analyses are used to decompose total effects on distress and well-being into direct and indirect or mediating pathways. The results suggest that stress, mastery, and social support are important mediators between social status and mental health outcomes. Stress appears to be a stronger contributor to distress while mastery and social support are of higher relative importance to well-being.

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THE SOCIOCULTURAL STRESS PROCESS MODEL APPLIED TO LONG-DISTANCE CAREGIVING

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2057 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S557-S557

Author(s):

Verena R Cimarolli ◽

Amy Horowitz ◽

Danielle Jimenez ◽

Xiaomei Shi ◽

Francesca Falzarano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Process Model ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Stress Process ◽

Stress Process Model ◽

Sociocultural Stress ◽

The Impact

Abstract This study investigated the impact of LDC on mental health utilizing the Sociocultural Stress Process Model as a conceptual framework. A path analytic model tested the impact of caregiving stressors (i.e. distance, frequencies of visits, hours spent helping, burden) and sociocultural values (i.e. familialism) on LDCs’ mental health outcomes (i.e. depression, anxiety), and resources (i.e. coping strategies, social support) which can mediate the association between stressors and mental health outcomes while controlling for socio-demographics. Results show that resources did not mediate the effects of stressors on the mental health outcomes. However, both higher depression and anxiety were associated with living closer to the care recipient (CR), less frequent visits, higher burden, being younger, being female, and less optimal income adequacy. In addition, higher depression was associated with lower use of coping strategies and higher education. Higher anxiety was also associated with lower levels of social support and higher familialism.

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The association between perceived social support in adolescence and positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood: a prospective cohort study

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494821993718 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 140349482199371

Author(s):

Andreas Lindegaard Jakobsen ◽

Claus D. Hansen ◽

Johan Hviid Andersen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Perceived Social Support ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Well Being ◽

Positive Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Subjective Well Being

Aims: The link between perceived social support and mental health has received much attention from numerous scientific fields in recent years. Most studies, however, have examined associations only over relatively short follow-up periods using global measures of perceived social support and dichotomous negative indicators of mental health. We investigated the long-term association between perceived social support from friends, parents and teachers and multiple positive hedonic and eudemonic indicators of mental health, including hope, meaningfulness and subjective well-being. Methods: This study used questionnaire data from 2004, 2007 and 2010 from the West Jutland Birth Cohort study with linked register data. The study population consisted of 3681 adolescents born in 1989. Multiple linear and ordered logistic regression were used to analyse the association between perceived social support at age 14/15 years and mental health indicators at age 20/21 years while controlling for possible confounders, including the Big Five personality traits and baseline symptoms of depression. Results: The results show that perceived social support from friends in adolescence was positively associated with all indicators of mental health in early adulthood. Furthermore, perceived paternal social support was positively associated with meaningfulness and subjective well-being, while perceived social support from teachers was positively associated with meaningfulness. Conclusions: Overall, the results from this study indicate that perceived social support in adolescence, particularly support from friends, could promote positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood.

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Decision letter for "Social support as a mediator of occupational stressors and mental health outcomes in first responders"

10.1002/jcop.22403/v1/decision1 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

First Responders ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Occupational Stressors

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Individual- and Relationship-Level Factors Related to Better Mental Health Outcomes following Child Abuse: Results from a Nationally Representative Canadian Sample

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0706743716651832 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 61 (12) ◽

pp. 776-788 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Tracie O. Afifi ◽

Harriet L. MacMillan ◽

Tamara Taillieu ◽

Sarah Turner ◽

Kristene Cheung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Child Abuse ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Well Being ◽

Canadian Community Health Survey ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Abuse History ◽

Good Mental Health ◽

Nationally Representative

Objective: Child abuse can have devastating mental health consequences. Fortunately, not all individuals exposed to child abuse will suffer from poor mental health. Understanding what factors are related to good mental health following child abuse can provide evidence to inform prevention of impairment. Our objectives were to 1) describe the prevalence of good, moderate, and poor mental health among respondents with and without a child abuse history; 2) examine the relationships between child abuse and good, moderate, and poor mental health outcomes; 3) examine the relationships between individual- and relationship-level factors and better mental health outcomes; and 4) determine if individual- and relationship-level factors moderate the relationship between child abuse and mental health. Method: Data were from the nationally representative 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health ( n = 23,395; household response rate = 79.8%; 18 years and older). Good, moderate, and poor mental health was assessed using current functioning and well-being, past-year mental disorders, and past-year suicidal ideation. Results: Only 56.3% of respondents with a child abuse history report good mental health compared to 72.4% of those without a child abuse history. Individual- and relationship-level factors associated with better mental health included higher education and income, physical activity, good coping skills to handle problems and daily demands, and supportive relationships that foster attachment, guidance, reliable alliance, social integration, and reassurance of worth. Conclusions: This study identifies several individual- and relationship-level factors that could be targeted for intervention strategies aimed at improving mental health outcomes following child abuse.

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National or population level interventions addressing the social determinants of mental health – an umbrella review

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12145-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Neha Shah ◽

Ian F. Walker ◽

Yannish Naik ◽

Selina Rajan ◽

Kate O’Hagan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Population Level ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Umbrella Review ◽

The Social ◽

Quality Evidence

Abstract Background Social circumstances in which people live and work impact the population’s mental health. We aimed to synthesise evidence identifying effective interventions and policies that influence the social determinants of mental health at national or scaled population level. We searched five databases (Cochrane Library, Global Health, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) between Jan 1st 2000 and July 23rd 2019 to identify systematic reviews of population-level interventions or policies addressing a recognised social determinant of mental health and collected mental health outcomes. There were no restrictions on country, sub-population or age. A narrative overview of results is provided. Quality assessment was conducted using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2). This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019140198). Results We identified 20 reviews for inclusion. Most reviews were of low or critically low quality. Primary studies were mostly observational and from higher income settings. Higher quality evidence indicates more generous welfare benefits may reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mental health outcomes. Lower quality evidence suggests unemployment insurance, warm housing interventions, neighbourhood renewal, paid parental leave, gender equality policies, community-based parenting programmes, and less restrictive migration policies are associated with improved mental health outcomes. Low quality evidence suggests restriction of access to lethal means and multi-component suicide prevention programmes are associated with reduced suicide risk. Conclusion This umbrella review has identified a small and overall low-quality evidence base for population level interventions addressing the social determinants of mental health. There are significant gaps in the evidence base for key policy areas, which limit ability of national policymakers to understand how to effectively improve population mental health.

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Mental Health Literacy, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Outcomes in Women Rugby Players

Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal ◽

10.1123/wspaj.2020-0066 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Shakiba Oftadeh-Moghadam ◽

Paul Gorczynski

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Literacy ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

And Bisexual ◽

Rugby Players

Within rugby, a plethora of research has focused on male rugby players, with some recent attention being directed to examining their mental health. Such attention has not been evident for their female rugby counterparts. The aims of this study were to ascertain levels of mental health literacy (MHL) and explore demographic differences in United Kingdom semielite rugby players who identified as women, and examine whether MHL is associated with better mental health outcomes and general help-seeking intentions. In total, 208 semielite women rugby players completed an online multisection questionnaire measuring MHL, general help-seeking intentions, distress, and well-being. Overall, most players scored a low rating of well-being; however, those who indicated a previous mental health problem exhibited significantly higher levels of MHL. Players were more likely to display general help-seeking intentions toward an intimate partner or a friend than a health care professional. High levels of distress were reported in 64.4% of players, particularly those who had been previously medically diagnosed with a mental disorder and bisexual rugby players. MHL was significantly, positively correlated with general help-seeking intentions, but not significantly correlated with distress or well-being. This study is the first to examine MHL in women rugby players and suggests that strategies devised by multidisciplinary teams of experts to help promote, engage, and offer tailored mental health support to women rugby players would be beneficial. Further investigations exploring the determinants of, and barriers to, MHL among women rugby players would be worthwhile to better understand and support players throughout their sporting career.

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Intimate Partner Violence Exposure and Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Housing Insecurity

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211043588 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110435

Author(s):

Katherine E. Marçal

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Adolescent Depression ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Depression And Anxiety

The present study investigated pathways from childhood exposure to mothers’ intimate partner violence (IPV) to adolescent depression and anxiety. Further, the study examined whether housing insecurity mediated the link from IPV exposure to mental health outcomes. Data came from the Years 5, 9 and 15 interviews of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study; the analytic sample was limited to mothers with at least partial custody of children ( N = 2,425). Structural equation modeling with latent variables investigated research questions. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identified observed indicators for latent constructs, and a path analysis tested direct and indirect pathways from IPV exposure to adolescent depression and anxiety. IPV exposure at age five was associated with increased housing insecurity at age nine, which was associated with increased adolescent depression and anxiety at age 15. Although IPV exposure was not directly associated with either mental health outcome, housing insecurity mediated the link from IPV exposure to adolescent depression. Findings point to the long-term consequences of exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood, highlighting pathways to mental disorder in adolescence. The present study emphasizes the need for policies that protect survivors of IPV from eviction and homelessness, empower them to leave abusers without fear of losing their housing, and promote healthy child development in the wake of family violence.

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The Impact of Distal Influences and Proximal Resources on the Mental Health of African American Older Adults: Findings From the Georgia Centenarian Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa046 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Meneka C Johnson Nicholson ◽

Peter Martin ◽

Megan Gilligan ◽

Carolyn E Cutrona ◽

Daniel W Russell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

African American ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Early Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Financial Resources ◽

The Impact ◽

African American Older Adults

Abstract Background and Objectives Over the years, a large amount of research has been devoted to the investigation of factors that led to mental health outcomes in older adults. For African American older adults, their lived experiences place them at high risk for mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of early life influences (i.e., education, childhood life events, and childhood financial well-being) and present psychosocial resources (i.e., individual, financial, and social) on current mental health outcomes in a sample of African American older adults in their 60s, 80s, and 100s. Research Design and Methods Using data from the Georgia Centenarian Study, 125 participants were interviewed about their mental health, resources, and early life influences. Results A structural equation model was tested and resulted in a good fit. Results indicated that the more social resources African American older adults had available, the lower the number of depressive symptoms they reported. African Americans with higher levels of financial well-being during childhood reported higher self-rated mental health. Older adults had higher levels of financial resources. Level of education showed a positive relationship with financial resources. Indirect effects of distal influences on health outcomes via current resources were not found. Discussion and Implications The findings are of direct practical relevance and can be used to more readily identify older African Americans who may be susceptible to poorer mental health outcomes based upon the impact of their unique distal and proximal psychosocial resources.

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Victimization Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes Among Grades 7 to 12 Students in Manitoba, Canada

International Journal of Bullying Prevention ◽

10.1007/s42380-019-00056-0 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ashley Stewart-Tufescu ◽

Samantha Salmon ◽

Tamara Taillieu ◽

Janique Fortier ◽

Tracie O. Afifi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Youth Health ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Mental Health Functioning ◽

Health Functioning ◽

The Life Course ◽

Canada Data

AbstractVictimization experiences, including traditional forms of bullying, discriminatory harassment, and cyber victimization, are associated with numerous detrimental consequences in adolescence and over the life course. The objective of the current study was to understand the relationships between nine experiences of victimization and mental health outcomes among students in grades 7 to 12 in Manitoba, Canada. Data were drawn from the 2012–2013 Manitoba Youth Health Survey (N = 64,174; response rate = 67%). Mental health outcomes included mental health functioning and emotional well-being, and feelings of sadness and hopelessness. The prevalence of moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being ranged from 35.2% (boys in grades 7 to 9) to 51.0% (girls in grades 10 to 12). The prevalence of feeling sad and hopeless ranged from 31.4% (boys in grades 7 to 9) to 57.7% (girls in grades 10 to 12). All nine victimization types were associated with increased odds of having moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being and feeling sad and hopeless for both boys and girls in grades 7 to 9 and 10 to 12, although some gender and grade differences were noted. A dose-response trend was found with increased odds of moderate/languishing mental health functioning and emotional well-being corresponding with increased frequency of being victimized. A similar trend was noted for girls only for feeling sad and hopeless. Effective prevention and intervention strategies targeting boys and girls and across grades 7 to 12 are needed to improve mental health functioning and emotional well-being, and reduce feelings of sadness and hopelessness among adolescents with victimization experiences.

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