scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Experiences of Social Media use during the Covid-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariyana Schoultz ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Question ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information

Background Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter in place during the current pandemic. Methods This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The research question was to explore the experiences and challenges of social media users during the Covid-19 pandemic. 3810 people took part in the survey and 1991 responses were included in the analysis . Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions from which was difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning which was positive and stressful and the same time. Conclusion Using social media while in shelter in place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of the population. These findings give a clear insight into practical recommendations for policy and practice on the importance of strengthening mental health care in the community and investing in health workers to support the mental health needs of the public.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of social media use during the Covid-19 pandemic from a trans-national sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariyana Schoultz ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Sample ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information

Background Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter in place during the current pandemic. Methods This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the Covid-19 pandemic in UK, USA and Australia. 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions from which was difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning which was positive and stressful and the same time. Conclusion Using social media while in shelter in place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6171
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Luciana Santos de Assis ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Paul Toner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

Aftermath of anti-police protests in Nigeria: Burden and predictors of psychiatric morbidity among protesters and non-protesters

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110493
Author(s):  
Olatunde Olayinka Ayinde ◽  
Oluwasemiloore Peace Atere ◽  
Ugonna Ibeawuchi ◽  
Toyin Bello ◽  
Abiola Ogunkoya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ratio Range

Objectives: Anti-police (#EndSARS) protests took place in October 2020 across several Nigerian cities, resulting in deaths, injuries and loss of property, but the psychological sequelae of these protests have not been studied. Method: In a cross-sectional online survey, we collected data on psychiatric morbidity and potential risk factors from 426 Nigerian social media users, who self-identified as participants or non-participants in a recent anti-police protest. Results: We found elevated rates of psychiatric morbidity, with worse outcomes for protesters compared to non-protesters (psychological distress [44.2% vs 29.8%], depression [26.0% vs 14.9%], anxiety [51.0% vs 29.8%], post-traumatic stress disorder [7.4% vs 1.8%], current substance use [11.2% vs 4.5%] and suicidal ideation [7.1% vs 4.4%], respectively). After adjusting for the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and previous mental health diagnosis, the predictors of poor mental health among non-protesters were being unmarried (odds ratio = 7.4, p = 0.01) and low resilience (odds ratio range = 4.1–5.4, p < 0.03) while for the protesters, the predictors were low resilience (odds ratio range = 2.9–4.7, p < 0.01), being from Northern Nigeria (odds ratio = 4.7, p < 0.01) or residing in Northern Nigeria (odds ratio = 2.8, p = 0.03), being under-/unemployed (odds ratio range = 2.1–2.5, p < 0.04), holding the view that the protest was caused by the state of the economy (odds ratio = 2.0, p = 0.01), belief that the protest had a direct negative impact on the protester (odds ratio = 2.3, p = 0.04) and willingness to participate in future protests (odds ratio = 4.13, p = 0.02). Conclusion: We conclude that participating in the #EndSARS protest was associated with significant psychiatric morbidity. There is need to recognise and address the mental health sequelae of collective actions, and invest in programmes that build resilience and address socio-political determinants of mental health, especially with a focus on youth.

scholarly journals Social Media Activities, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Their Interactions on People’s Mental Health in COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Keqiao Liu ◽  
Siqi Li ◽  
Man Shu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Regulation Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the general population’s life worldwide. People may spend more time on social media because of policies like “work at home”. Using a cross-sectional dataset collected through an online survey in February 2020, in China, we examined (1) the relationships between social media activities and people’s mental health status and (2) the moderation effect of emotional-regulation strategies. The sample included people aged ≥18 years from 32 provinces and regions in China (N = 3159). The inferential analyses included a set of multiple linear regressions with interactions. Our results showed that sharing timely, accurate, and positive COVID-19 information, reducing excessive discussions on COVID-19, and promoting caring online interactions rather than being judgmental, might positively associate with the general public’s psychological well-being. Additionally, the relationships between social media activities and psychological well-being varied at different emotion-regulation strategy levels. Adopting the cognitive reappraisal strategy might allay the adverse relationships between certain social media activities and mental health indicators. Our findings expanded the theory of how social media activities can be associated with a human being’s mental health and how it can interact with emotion-regulation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Community Perception towards Mental Illness among Residents of Gimbi Town, Western Ethiopia

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misael Benti ◽  
Jemal Ebrahim ◽  
Tadesse Awoke ◽  
Zegeye Yohannis ◽  
Asres Bedaso
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Family History ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Community Perception ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
History Of

Background. Despite the increased burden of mental health problem, little is known about knowledge and perception of the public towards mental health problems in Ethiopia. Methods. Community based cross-sectional study was conducted among selected 845 Gimbi town residents from May 28 to June 28, 2014. Results. Out of the total study participants, 304 (37.3%) were found to have poor perception (a score below mean five semantic differential scales for positive questions and above mean for negative questions) of mental illness. Being above 28 years of age (AOR = 0.48 CI (0.23, 0.78)), private workers (AOR = 0.41 CI (0.19, 0.87)), and lack of mental health information were found to be associated with poor perception of mental illness (AOR = 0.133 CI (0.09, 0.20)). Absence of family history of mental illness was also found to be associated with poor perception of mental illness (AOR = 0.37 CI (0.21, 0.66)). Conclusions. Significant proportions of the community in Gimbi town were found to have poor perception of mental illness. Poor perception is common among old aged, less educated, private workers, those unable to access mental health information, and those with no family history of mental illness. Mental health education on possible causes, treatment options, and possible outcome of treatment to the community is required.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH AMONG BANGLADESHI SENIOR CITIZENS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shahadat Hossen ◽  
Abu Hayat Md Rafiqul Rezvi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Condition ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a dangerous virus that was first emerged in China at December 2019. It has already infected more than 128 million people and killed more than 2.8 million people. The main purpose of this paper is to find out the present mental condition of Bangladeshi Senior Citizens in Dhaka city to overcome their loneliness or boringness. A systematic cross-sectional online survey regarding COVID-19 has been conducted from June 15 to June 25, 2020. After developing questionnaires utilizing Google form, it has been sent out to the participants using an online platform and the responses of the participants have been recorded. A total of 280 participants (100 female and 180 male) completed the survey. The average age of them is about 60 years. It has been observed that maximum male participants (58.3%) felt financial stress and maximum female participants (56%) felt horrified due to COVID-19. Additionally, it has been found that maximum male and female participants were utilized more time in social media then the normal time. Since COVID-19 has already become a major issue all over the world, it is necessary to identify the mental health conditions and activities of people during this pandemic situation so that appropriate measures can be taken. More research should be conducted regarding mental health impact and possible solutions. Hopefully, it will ease to provide fruitful information especially for the community health workers with a view to helping them tackle these psychological fitness-related issues in response to other similar societal disasters. After the pandemic, follow-up should be made in order to improve mental health.

scholarly journals 3029 Willingness to Engage in a Statewide Virtual Community for Biomedical Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 100-101
Author(s):  
Christi Patten ◽  
Milton Eder ◽  
Tabetha A Brockman ◽  
Deborah Hendricks ◽  
Miguel Valdez Soto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Group Methods ◽  
Study Population

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Virtual communities are an untested method to enhance community engagement in biomedical research. Our CTSA Hubs collaborated to assess receptivity to engage in a statewide Facebook (FB) group. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Cross-sectional online survey administered via iPads at the MN State Fair in 2018 to adults aged 18+ years residing in MN assessed demographics, social media use, interest in participating in a FB group for biomedical research; and open-ended questions on health topics of interest, and what would keep people engaged in this group. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Respondents (N=487) were 21% racial minorities and 65% female sex. Most (87%, n=422) had created a personal FB profile. Of these, the proportion who agreed/strongly agreed was: 57% that the FB group sounded interesting, 45% were interested in being part of it, 41% were willing to share it with others, 62% that it would allow the community’s thoughts/ideas to be heard and 59% wanted to learn about opportunities to participate in research on health topics they care about. Using content analysis, the top 3 health topics people wanted to learn about were chronic disease and prevention, wellness, and mental health. Top ways to keep people engaged were providing personable, relevant health information; and interactive bi-directional discussions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Findings will inform development of a FB group to engage diverse populations in biomedical research.

scholarly journals Can psychological flexibility and prosociality mitigate illness perceptions toward COVID-19 on mental health? A cross-sectional study among Hong Kong adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuen Yu Chong ◽  
Wai Tong Chien ◽  
Ho Yu Cheng ◽  
Angelos P. Kassianos ◽  
Andrew T. Gloster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Illness Perceptions ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Best Fit

Abstract Background The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public mental health can be persistent and substantial over a long period of time, but little is known regarding what psychological factors or processes can buffer such impact. The present study aimed to examine the mediating roles of coping, psychological flexibility and prosociality in the impacts of perceived illness threats toward COVID-19 on mental health. Method Five-hundred and fourteen Hong Kong citizens (18 years or above) completed an online survey to measure illness perceptions toward COVID-19, coping, psychological flexibility, prosociality, and mental health, together with their socio-demographic variables. Structural equation modelling was used to explore the explanatory model that was the best-fit to illustrate the relationships between these constructs. Results Serial mediation structural equation model showed that only psychological flexibility (unstandardised beta coefficient, β = − 0.12, 95% CI [− 0.20, − 0.02], p = 0.031) and prosociality (unstandardised β = 0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.08], p = 0.001) fully mediated the relationship between illness perceptions toward COVID-19 and mental health. In addition, psychological flexibility exerted a direct effect on prosociality (standardised β = 0.22, 95% CI [0.12, 0.32], p < 0.001). This best-fit model explained 62% of the variance of mental health. Conclusions Fostering psychological flexibility and prosocial behaviour may play significant roles in mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19 and its perceived threats on public mental health.

scholarly journals Cross-national study of worrying, loneliness, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between individuals with and without infection in the family

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Mariyana Schoultz ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Psychological Outcomes ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Family ◽  
Public Behavior

Abstract Background: As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, strict national policies regarding public behavior were implemented in countries throughout the world, including Europe, America and Australia. Social distancing became the main policy for public behavior, in effect imposing radical changes in people’s everyday life. Thus, mental health may be affected at the general population level and not only among those who have been infected by the disease or have witnessed family members or close ones fall ill. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. Participants (n = 3810) were recruited via social media postings by the researchers and the involved universities. Differences between those with and without infection in the family were investigated with chi-square tests and independent t-tests. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess associations between sociodemographic variables and psychological outcomes (worry, loneliness and mental health) in both groups. Results: Compared to their counterparts, participants with infection in the family reported higher levels of worries about themselves (p < 0.05) and their family members (p < 0.001), and had poorer mental health (p < 0.05). However, the effect sizes related to the differences were small. The largest effect (d = 0.24) concerned worries about their immediate family. Poorer psychological outcomes were observed in those who were younger, female, unemployed, living alone and had lower levels of edcuation, yet with small effect sizes. Conclusions: In view of the small differences between those with and without infection, we generally conclude that the mental health effects of the COVID-19 situation are not limited to those who have been infected or have had infection within the family, but extend to the general population.

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