Increasing Trends in Physical and Mental Health Problems among US Workers in Different Job Sectors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s):  
Gopal K Singh ◽  
Hyunjung Lee ◽  
Romuladus E. Azuine

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial adverse impact on workers’ employment and physical and mental health. However, job losses, job-related household income shocks, and their related physical and mental health problems have not been well-documented. Using temporal, nationally representative data, this study examines inequalities in job-related income losses and their resultant health impact among US workers aged 18-64 years in different job sectors during the pandemic. Methods: Using April, August, and December 2020 rounds of the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (N=56,156, 82,173, and 51,500), job-related income losses among workers in various job sectors and associated impacts on self-assessed health, depression, anxiety, worry, and lack of interest were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Results: In December 2020, 64.0% of self-employed and 66.3% of unemployed adults reported that they or someone in their household experienced a loss of employment income since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. This percentage was the lowest for the public sector (35.2%) and non-profit-sector (45.0%) workers. Job/income losses increased by 26% between April and December for workers in the private and non-profit sectors. Prevalence of fair/poor overall health, serious depression, serious anxiety, serious worry, and serious lack of interest increased substantially during the pandemic for workers in all sectors, with the self-employed, those in the family business, and the unemployed experiencing the highest risk and those in the government/public and non-profit sectors experiencing the lowest risk of poor physical and mental health. Workers in all sectors reporting job-related income losses experienced approximately 2-to-4-fold higher odds of poor overall health, serious depression, serious anxiety, serious worry, and serious lack of interest, compared to public-sector workers with no job/income losses, controlling for covariates. Conclusion and Implications for Translation: Job-related income losses and prevalence of poor overall health and mental health among workers in all sectors increased markedly during the pandemic, with the self-employed, family business, and unemployed workers being especially vulnerable to poor health, depression, anxiety, and stress.   Copyright © 2021 Singh, et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in this journal, is properly cited.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Rajni Suri ◽  
Anshu Suri ◽  
Neelam Kumari ◽  
Amool R. Singh ◽  
Manisha Kiran

The role of women is very crucial in our society. She cares for her parents, partner, children and other relatives. She performs all types of duties in family and also in the society without any expectations. Because of playing many roles, women often face many challenges in their life including both physical and mental. Mental health problems affect women and men equally, but some problems are more common among women including both physical and mental health problems. Aim of the study - The present study is aimed to describe and compare the clinical and socio-demographic correlates of female mentally ill patients. Methods and Materials: The study includes 180 female mentally ill patients based on cross sectional design and the sample for the study was drawn purposively. A semi structured socio-demographic data sheet was prepared to collect relevant information as per the need of the study. Result: The present study reveals that the socio-demographic factors contribute a vital role in mental illness. Findings also showed that majority of patients had mental problems in the age range of 20-30 have high rate. Illiterate and primary level of education and daily wage working women as well as low and middle socio-economic status women are more prone to have mental illness. Other factors like marital status, type of family and religion etc also important factors for mental illness. Keywords: Socio demographic profile, female, psychiatric patient


Author(s):  
Hae Ran Kim ◽  
Eun Jung Kim

The purpose of this study was to investigate mental health problems among international students in South Korean universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to identify the factors that affect their mental health. A total of 488 international students living in South Korea participated in a web-based survey. The questionnaire was created using the Google Forms platform, and a link to the questionnaire was shared through social media. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the data. The prevalence rates of sleep problems, anxiety, and depression among international students were 47.1%, 39.6%, and 49%, respectively. The prevalence of mental health problems was higher among participants who were male, living with someone, residents of a rural area, and earning a higher income. The following variables were found to contribute to the prevalence of mental health problems: undergraduate student status, good understanding of the Korean language, longer hours of media usage, and experiences related to COVID-19 infection. A collaborative effort between the government and universities to manage the mental health of international students could promote the mental health of these students.


Author(s):  
Sabyasachi Bhaumik ◽  
Dasari Mohan Michael ◽  
Reza Kiani ◽  
Avinash Hiremath ◽  
Shweta Gangavati ◽  
...  

This chapter focuses on the current knowledge in public health for people with intellectual disability and recognizes the extent of health inequalities these individuals experience. The prevalence of intellectual disability worldwide is discussed with special emphasis on the prevalence of mental health problems. Also highlighted are the population health characteristics, including physical and mental health problems. The issue of barriers to accessibility and the possible reasons are discussed. There is a section on premature mortality of people with intellectual disability and measures to improve the health status for this marginalized population. Recent initiatives, including prevention strategies and health promotional aspects, are discussed and solutions suggested, including those for low-and-middle income countries (LAMICs)emphasized. Training aspects to improve quality of health care in LAMICs is highlighted with the recognition of limitations in creating a sustainable transformation of services unless they are backed by authorities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Xiaopeng Guo ◽  
Lijun Wang ◽  
Jinzhu Guo ◽  
Haiyan Zhao ◽  
...  

Purpose. To identify the characteristics of the physical and mental health status of patients with pituitary adenomas, explore the postoperative reversibility of impaired health status, and assess the impact of clinical characteristics, hormone levels, anxiety, depression, and disease stigma on health status. Methods. We prospectively enrolled 147 and 138 patients with nonfunctioning and secretory pituitary adenomas, respectively. Health status was evaluated in 8 domains using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey before and 3 months after transsphenoidal surgery. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness were used to assess the psychological status. Results. Compared with the healthy population reference values, general physical and mental health, social functioning, and role limitations due to physical and psychological health problems were all found to be significantly impaired in the adenoma patients. Health status was worse in patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone- (ACTH-) secreting and growth hormone- (GH-) secreting adenomas than in patients with nonfunctioning adenomas. Among the patients, 11.6% had anxiety and 30.9% had depression. Higher scores for anxiety, depression, and disease stigma; older age; higher body mass index; and tumor recurrence were independent risk factors for health status impairment in at least one domain. Physical function impairment and role limitations caused by physical health problems became worse after surgery, whereas the mental component of health status remained the same. Conclusion. Health status was impaired in patients with pituitary adenomas, especially secretory adenomas. Physical function and role limitations were worse 3 months after surgery than before surgery. Mental problems, old age, obesity, and tumor recurrence reduced health status.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiva Raj Mishra ◽  
Pratik Khanal ◽  
Vishnu Khanal

Conflict in Nepal seems never resolving and the current generation has grown up in the environment of armed and political conflict characterized by indiscriminate killing, violent demonstration and widespread hostility. Adding to agony, the April 2015 earthquake left two million homeless and the 2015 Indo-Nepal economic blockade has created hostility among different community ethnic groups. With such background, this commentary highlights issues related to conflict, disaster and their relation to mental health. We also identify some gaps in existing health system, medical education and current focus on preventive approach to mental health. Mental health policy was endorsed in 1996; however, the policy has never been implemented in the fullest sense. Psychiatric services are provided by tertiary hospitals with no linkage to community-level primary health care services. Medical training still lacks mental health training at basic cadres of health workers and only small number of seats is allocated for post-graduate degree. Nepal continue to experience conflicts and disasters possibly leading to an increased burden of mental health problems and its health system is further distressed by the increasing gaps in provision of mental health service. With the devastating effect of the April 2015 earthquake, there is even higher need of serious effort to treat and prevent mental health problems with evidence-though limited depicting increase in burden of mental health problems. The state should stop putting half-hearted response to mental health problems and put more effort on long-term sustainable and culturally suitable solutions.Keywords: conflict, mental health, Nepal


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