scholarly journals Mental Health and its Relationship with Social Support in Iranian Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s):  
Reza Ghafari ◽  
Mojgan Mirghafourvand ◽  
Mahsa Rouhi ◽  
Shirin Osouli-Tabrizi

Abstract Background In addition to physical problems, the COVID-19 crisis continues to impose serious psychological adverse effects on people's mental health, which plays a major role in the efficiency of every community. Students, especially medical students, suffer more stress as a result of exposure to COVID induced stressors. It is, therefore, essential to measure mental health and its correlation with social support in medical students during the COVID pandemic. The present study was conducted to determine mental health status of students and its correlation with social support. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 on 280 students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran using random sampling. Socio-demographic profile scale, Mental Health Test (GHQ-28) and the Scale of Perceived Social Support (PRQ-85) were used to collect data. Participants completed the questionnaires online. Results To determine the relationship between mental health and perceived social support, a general linear model was utilized considering the potential confounding variables.Mean (standard deviation) of total mental health score 26.5 (12.5) was in the acceptable range of 0 to 63. 56% students suffered from a mental disorder. Mean (standard deviation) of social support score 128.2(21.0) was within the range 25 to175. According to the Pearson's correlation coefficient, there was a significant inverse correlation between social support score and total mental health score and all its subscales [p<0.001; r=-0.294 to -0.536]. According to the general linear model, mental health score decreased significantly with social support score [p=0.0001;-0.32 to-0.20; CI 95%; B=0.26].ConclusionsGiven the inverse relationship between social support and mental health, it is suggested to increase the level of social support for students at all times, especially during the stressful COVID-19 pandemic to improve their mental health.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Ghafari ◽  
Mojgan Mirghafourvand ◽  
Mahsa Rouhi ◽  
Shirin Osouli Tabrizi

Abstract Background In addition to physical problems, the COVID-19 crisis continues to impose serious psychological adverse effects on people's mental health, which plays a major role in the efficiency of every community. Students, especially medical sciences students, suffer from more stress as a result of exposure to COVID-induced stressors. It is, therefore, essential to measure mental health and its relationship with social support in medical sciences students during the COVID pandemic. The present study was conducted to determine the mental health status of students and its correlation with social support. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using random sampling on 280 students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran in 2020. Socio-demographic profile scale, Mental Health Test (GHQ-28), and the scale of Perceived Social Support (PRQ-85) were used to collect data. Participants completed the questionnaires online. Results Considering the potential confounding variables, a general linear model (GLM) was utilized to determine the relationship between mental health and perceived social support. Mean (± standard deviation) of total mental health score 26.5 (12.5) was in the acceptable range of 0–63., and 56% of students suffered from a mental disorder. Mean (± standard deviation) of social support score 128.2 (21.0) ranged from 25 to175. According to Pearson's correlation coefficient, there was a significant inverse correlation between social support score and total mental health score and all its subscales [p < 0.001; r =  − 0.294 to − 0.536]. According to the GLM, mental health score decreased significantly with social support score [p = 0.0001; − 0.32 to − 0.20; CI 95%; B = 0.26]. Conclusions Given the inverse relationship between social support and mental health, it is suggested to increase the level of social support for students at all times, especially during the stressful COVID-19 pandemic to improve their mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Hammami ◽  
Scott T. Leatherdale ◽  
Frank J. Elgar

Abstract Background Youth who go hungry have poorer mental health than their counterparts – there are gender differences in this relationship. This study investigated the role of social support in the association between hunger and mental health among a nationally representative sample of youth in Canada in gender-specific analyses. Methods We used a probability-based sample of 21,750 youth in grades 6–10 who participated in the 2017–2018 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children. Self-report data were gathered on hunger, mental health (measured via the World Health Organization-5 well-being index) and five sources of support – peer, family and teacher support as well as the school climate and neighborhood support. We conducted adjusted, gender-specific, multilevel regression analyses assessing the association between mental health, social support and hunger. Results We found that youth who reported lower support were more likely to experience going to bed hungry (relative to never hungry) across all support factors. As for the social support factors, all the social support factors were associated with a higher mental health score, even after controlling for hunger. Despite these results our final set of models showed that our measures of social support did not alleviate the negative association between hunger and mental health. As for gender-specific findings, the negative association between hunger and a mental health was more pronounced among females relative to their male counterparts. We also found that certain social support factors (i.e., family, teacher and neighborhood support) were associated with a higher mental health score among females relative to males while controlling for hunger status. Conclusions We find that five social support factors are associated with a higher mental health score among ever hungry youth; however, social support did not overpower the negative association between hunger and mental health. Food insecurity is a challenge to address holistically; however, hungry youth who have high social support have higher odds of better mental health.


Salmand ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-159
Author(s):  
Majid Sadoughi ◽  
◽  
Fatemeh Hesampour ◽  

Objectives: Today, psychological care for the elderly has received increasing attention due to potential threats posed by aging, loneliness, gradual decline in physical activity, increase of chronic diseases, social isolation, and physical and mental disabilities. The positive psychology approach to mental health seeks to promote the mental health of people by identifying and developing mental abilities and competences. The present study aimed to predict psychological well-being of the elderly based on the components of positive psychology including spirituality, gratitude to God, and perceived social support. Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive correlational study conducted on 211 elderly people aged 60-70 years (109 males and 102 females) who were selected randomly. Data collection tools were a demographic form (surveying age, gender, education, marital status, and socioeconomic status), and Paloutzian and Ellisons’ Spirituality Well-Being Scale, short form of Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale, Emmons and Crumpler’s Gratitude to God Questionnaire, and Zimet’s Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS software V. 22 by using descriptive (Mean and Standard Deviation), Pearson correlation test, and stepwise regression analysis. Results: Mean and Standard Deviation of different study variables were reported as follows: Psychological well-being =7.1±10.68; Spirituality =90.22±15.36; Gratitude to God =14.09±2.41; Social support from family members =21.6±4.2; Social support from friends =16.5±5.8; and Social support from significant others =20.23±5. The results of stepwise regression analysis indicated that spirituality (F1,209=62.02, P=0.001), social support from family members (F1,208=11.06, P=0.001), and gratitude to God (F1,207=4.80, P=0.001) could significantly explain 27% of the psychological well-being variance in the elderly.  Conclusion: Increased spirituality, gratitude to God, and perceived social support especially from family members can improve psychological well-being of the elderly. Hence, Strengthening and paying special attention to their spiritual needs and perceived social support as well as planning health care for them can help increase their psychological well-being. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaru Chen ◽  
Xin Huang ◽  
Chengyuan Zhang ◽  
Yuanyuan An ◽  
Yiming Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 5 million people around the world and killed more than 300,000 people; thus, it has become a global public health emergency. Our objective was to investigate the mental health of hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Trauma Exposure Scale, abbreviated version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Demographic Questionnaire were used to examine posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, trauma exposure, resilience and perceived social support among 898 patients who were hospitalized after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in China. The data were analyzed with t tests, one-way ANOVA and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The results showed that the prevalence of PTSD, depression and anxiety was 13.2, 21.0 and 16.4%, respectively. Hospitalized patients who were more impacted by negative news reports, had greater exposure to traumatic experiences, and had lower levels of perceived social support reported higher PTSD, depression and anxiety. Conclusions Effective professional mental health services should be designed to support the psychological wellbeing of hospitalized patients, especially those who have severe disease, are strongly affected by negative news and have high levels of exposure to trauma.


Author(s):  
Naila Yaqoob ◽  
Sadaf Ahsan

Objective: The present study investigated the impact of perceived social-support and parental-bonding in predicting suicidal intent among self-harm patients.Methods: Cross-sectional research design was used in current study. Study was conducted at Foundation University, Rawalpindi from February, 2019 to September, 2019. A purposive sample of 50 self-harm patients was collected from different mental health departments of hospitals of Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Peshawar. Participants were administered Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Parental-Bonding Instrument (PBI) and Beck Suicide Intention Scale (BSIS). Data was analyzed through SPSS using correlation, t test and regression. Differences on the basis of demographic variable were also studied.Results: The main results of the study specified that social support and parental bonding’ factor ‘care’ had significant negative correlation with suicide intent. Moreover, it negatively predicted suicide intent. Whereas, parental boding’ factor ‘overprotectiveness’ had significant positive correlation with suicide intent and significantly positively predicted suicide intent. Conclusion: The outcomes of present study emphasized that social-support and parental bonding both can play substantial roles in saving lives. Researchers and mental health experts will be able to start examine about the factors that distinguish deliberate self-harm from attempted suicide as well as the characteristics common to both conducts. Continuous...


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Ou ◽  
yunhanqi ◽  
Ke Zhang ◽  
Yuexiao Du ◽  
Yihang He ◽  
...  

The social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic exerts lasing impacts on people’s mental health. However, whether and how people’s pre-existing positive social relationships can serve as stable reserves to alleviate people psychological distress following the disaster remains unknown. To address the question, the current study examined whether pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction would predict post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety through middle-pandemic perceived social support and/or gratitude using four-wave data in China (N = 222, 54.50% female, Mage = 31.53, SD = 8.17). Results showed that people’s COVID-19 anxiety decreased from the peak to the trough pandemic stage; perceived social support increased markedly from the pre-pandemic to the peak and remained stable afterwards, while relationship satisfaction remained unchanged throughout. Further, it was middle-pandemic perceived social support, but not gratitude, mediated the association between pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction and post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety, indicating perceived social support played a more crucial role than gratitude in this process. Last, it is suggested to distinguish perceived social support from gratitude as two different components of social interactions.


Curationis ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vhuhwavho M. Maselesele ◽  
Erhabor S. Idemudia

Background: Some life-event experiences such as injuries in car accidents, gun shots and the like, can be life changing and traumatic. Objectives: The article investigated the relationship between mental health and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after orthopaedic trauma, and attempted to understand whether social support moderates the relationship between mental health and PTSD.Method: A cross-sectional research model was used. Two hundred participants were selected using simple randomisation within a hospital complex in Gauteng, South Africa. The sample consisted of 110 men and 90 women (x̄ = 37.8 years, s.d. = 12.9 years). Data were collected using the Revised Civilian Mississippi Scale for PTSD, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the General Health Questionnaire version 28.Results: The findings of the study indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between mental health and PTSD after orthopaedic trauma, and a positive correlation between poor mental health and PTSD (r = 0.52, n = 200, p < 0.05). However, perceived social support did not moderate mental health or PTSD, indicating that perceived social support did not significantly influence mental health or PTSD, (MSPSS B = 0.07, p = 0.66). Those with high scores on social support had a lower regression coefficient (B = 0.19) for mental health and PTSD than those who reported low social support (B = 0.26).Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between mental health and PTSD of orthopaedic patients, and social support did not moderate the relationship between mental health and PTSD. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Sadegh Nabavi ◽  
Faramarz Sohrabi ◽  
Gholamali Afrooz ◽  
Ali Delavar ◽  
Simin Hosseinian ◽  
...  

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