scholarly journals Ordinary magic in extraordinary circumstances: Predictors of positive mental health outcomes for early adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Ashworth ◽  
David W. Putwain ◽  
Shane McLoughlin ◽  
Pooja Saini ◽  
Jennifer Chopra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Early Adolescents ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Good Mental Health ◽  
General Wellbeing

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions have had a negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of many people worldwide, but there is evidence to suggest this has been a particularly challenging for adolescents. However, there is a paucity of research examining the factors that have promoted good mental health during this time. The aim of the current study was to identify the protective factors among early adolescents in the UK that promoted better mental health outcomes (internalising and externalising difficulties, and wellbeing) during the first national COVID-19 lockdown. Between September and December 2020, 290 11–14 year olds across the North West of England were recruited to complete an online survey, consisting of several measures pertaining to their experiences of lockdown, and their mental health and wellbeing. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyse the data. Results indicated that higher participant-rated lockdown experience (the extent to which it was fun, easy, and good) and higher levels of optimism were protective factors for all three outcomes of interest. Greater adherence to Government guidance was also a protective factor for internalising difficulties and general wellbeing. Stronger family connection was a protective factor for externalising difficulties only, while stronger peer connection was a protective factor for general wellbeing only. In summary, the ‘ordinary magic’ of supportive relationships and positive experiences appear to be some of the key factors needed to ensure adolescents maintain good mental health and wellbeing, and to help them overcome the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 776-788 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Community Support as a Moderator of Postdisaster Mental Health Symptoms in Urban and Nonurban Communities

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny S. West ◽  
Matthew Price ◽  
Kirstin Stauffacher Gros ◽  
Kenneth J. Ruggiero
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Interpersonal Effects ◽  
Disaster Exposure

AbstractObjectiveWe examined the association between disaster exposure, community support, and mental health outcomes in urban and nonurban participants of Galveston and Chambers counties after Hurricane Ike. The moderating effect of community support was evaluated as a protective factor relative to postdisaster mental health.MethodsA representative population-based sample of 157 urban and 714 nonurban adults were interviewed 12 to 17 months after the hurricane about their mental health functioning, disaster exposure, and perceptions of community support.ResultsA series of multiple regressions demonstrated that disaster exposure was associated with mental health outcomes for both groups. The strength of the association varied across population samples.Community support moderated the association between interpersonal effects of the disaster and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression outcomes in nonurban participants and the association between property damage and PTSD in urban participants.ConclusionsCommunity support played a larger role in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms associated with the interpersonal effects of a disaster in the nonurban sample only. Communities may play a more beneficial role in the recovery process in nonurban areas that have elevated levels of injury or death attributed to a disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–9)

scholarly journals Expanding the Utility of Race-Based Accountability: An Application of RBA to Longitudinal Data Analyses

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-79
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Ruiz ◽  
Gabriel A. Acevedo ◽  
Raquel R. Marquez ◽  
Marcos Marquez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Adult Mental Health

Despite the strong empirical evidence linking childhood abuse to negative mental health outcomes later in life, a number of questions remain regarding race variations in this association. Moreover, less is known about the salience of protective factors that can offset or ameliorate the negative effects of abuse on adult mental health, and whether these factors work differently by race. Using three waves of panel data from a nationally representative survey of American adults, the present study examined the long-term effects of childhood abuse on adult mental health over a span of 20 years. In addition, we assessed social support as a protective factor, and examined its differential effects on mental health outcomes for Whites and non-Whites. Results indicate that despite frequent childhood abuse, social support is associated with less depression for Whites—its positive effects being most pronounced for those with the most severe abuse experiences. However, social support is associated with worst depression for non-Whites—its negative effects being most pronounced for those with severe abuse experiences. These findings demonstrate that the factors commonly considered as protective and beneficial for adult victims of abuse work differently across racial groups and in fact, may be detrimental for non-Whites.

School climate, victimization, and mental health outcomes among elementary school students in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 587-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cixin Wang ◽  
Dengting Boyanton ◽  
Ana-Sophia M. Ross ◽  
Jia Li Liu ◽  
Kathryn Sullivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
School Climate ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Relationship

Although school climate has been identified as a protective factor for youth development in the United States, few longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between school climate and student outcomes in China. This study explored the relationship between school climate, victimization, covitality, internalizing symptoms, and academic achievement, and whether school climate moderated the relationship between victimization and mental health outcomes using longitudinal data. Survey data were collected from 1150 Chinese 3rd to 6th grade students ( Mage = 10.27 years, SD = 1.03 years, 55% boys) from five elementary schools at two time points. Regression results showed that school climate factors, including student-teacher relationships, clear expectations, respect for diversity and fairness of rules, predicted victimization, mental health (both internalizing symptoms and covitality), and academic grades six months later. School climate did not moderate the relationship between victimization and mental health. Our results suggest that it is important to foster positive school climate in order to prevent bullying and promote positive youth development among elementary students in China.

scholarly journals The Moderating Effect of Comfort from Companion Animals and Social Support on the Relationship between Microaggressions and Mental Health in LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Angela Matijczak ◽  
Shelby E. McDonald ◽  
Camie A. Tomlinson ◽  
Jennifer L. Murphy ◽  
Kelly O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
The Relationship

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual/gender minority identities) individuals frequently report exposure to microaggressions, which are associated with deleterious mental health outcomes. Social support from humans has been found to be an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults. However, an underexplored area of research is the protective role of interactions with companion animals for this population. We conducted simple and multiple moderation analyses to explore whether and to what extent emotional comfort from companion animals and human social support moderated the relationship between LGBTQ-related microaggressions and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our sample included 134 LGBTQ+ emerging adults (mean age of 19.31). We found that social support moderated the relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms. The relationship between microaggressions and depressive symptoms was not significant at high levels of social support, indicating the protective nature of human social support. Comfort from companion animals also moderated the relationship between interpersonal microaggressions and depressive symptoms. For participants with high or medium levels of emotional comfort from companion animals, interpersonal microaggressions were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the need to further investigate the complex role of relationships with companion animals on mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ emerging adults.

The importance of attachment to fathers in Latinx mental health

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110594
Author(s):  
Amanda Venta ◽  
Jesse Walker ◽  
Cassandra Bailey ◽  
Tessa Long ◽  
Alfonso Mercado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
The United States ◽  
Maternal Attachment ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Solid Base ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Paternal Attachment ◽  
The Impact

The impact of attachment to fathers on mental health in Latinx communities is understudied and not fully understood, though extant research focusing on maternal attachment forms a solid base of knowledge regarding the importance of attachment (to mothers) on mental health. The broad aim of this study was to examine the importance of paternal attachment in relation to maternal attachment on mental health in Latinx young adults. The current study used two large, young adult samples: one collected in Latin America ( n = 774) and one collected in the United States ( n = 1084). We hypothesized that paternal attachment would be a significant predictor of internalizing (emotional symptoms), externalizing (hyperactivity, conduct problems), and interpersonal (social problems, prosocial behavior) functioning beyond maternal attachment. Exploratory analyses examined whether paternal communication, trust, or feelings of alienation, three established facets of attachment, differentially related to mental health outcomes. Findings broadly supported hypotheses, as attachment to fathers made a significant, incremental contribution to all outcome variables. Further, paternal alienation emerged as a potent potential risk factor, while paternal trust emerged as a potential protective factor for mental health outcomes in these samples. This study is the first to endeavor to understand the links between paternal attachment and mental health beyond maternal attachment in two distinct samples with varying immigration statuses, countries of residence, and cultural norms and has important implications for working with Latinx populations from a clinical, assessment, and research standpoint.

Social Connectedness, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless Youth

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 989-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Begun ◽  
Kimberly A. Bender ◽  
Samantha M. Brown ◽  
Anamika Barman-Adhikari ◽  
Kristin Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes

Homeless youth frequently meet diagnosis criteria for depressive and/or substance use disorder(s). Although prior research has established that both social connectedness and self-efficacy buffer vulnerable youth’s adverse health outcomes, few studies have compared the potential of these protective factors on homeless youth’s mental well-being. The current study analyzes comparative effects of social connectedness and self-efficacy on meeting criteria for major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, and the co-occurrence of both disorders among a sample of 601 service-seeking homeless youth in Austin, Denver, and Los Angeles. Hierarchical logistic regressions indicate that while both social connectedness and self-efficacy constructs are valuable protective factors, social connectedness may offer greater utility, particularly in buffering against more complex mental health outcomes, such as the co-occurrence of depressive and substance use disorders. Accordingly, resource-strapped homeless youth service providers and researchers may benefit from tailoring mental health intervention strategies to further emphasize social connectedness in future efforts.

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