Vivid Memory of �When� a Happy Event Happened is Associated with Mental Well-being: A Natural Language Processing Based Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoru Ito ◽  
Daisaku Shibata ◽  
Shoko Wakamiya ◽  
Eiji Aramaki
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Time Specific ◽  
Vivid Memories ◽  
Mental Well Being

BACKGROUND Overgenerality or specificity of autobiographical memory is associated with psychological disorders such as major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and drug addiction. Current methods to measure overgenerality rely upon researchers’ subjective judgment, although automatic tools can measure other language-based scores for psychological disorder screening. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to detect time-specific expressions, an aspect of specificity, in an episode. METHODS We analyzed 7000 episodes reported by 1000 participants via crowdsourcing, using Japanese language parsers to extract time-related expressions. Each participant wrote seven episodes according to seven emotional stimulus words. Three participant groups were made according to their WHO-5 well-being index score. The high well-being score (WB) group and low-WB group were examined to assess time expression usage (high-WB group; WB ≥ 60, n = 367, mean WB = 70.6, std = 10.5: low-WB group; WB ≤ 40, n = 378, mean WB = 27.5, std = 11.4). RESULTS Two-sided Fisher’s exact test revealed that happy episodes with detailed time expressions are significantly more numerous in the high-WB group than in the low-WB group (P = .001), but no significant difference was found for any other pair. CONCLUSIONS Results show that vivid memories about a happy event are associated with mental well-being.

scholarly journals Assessing Anxiety Disorders Using Wearable Devices: Challenges and Future Directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Elgendi ◽  
Carlo Menon
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg ◽  
Mental Well Being

Wearable devices (WD) are starting to increasingly be used for interventions to promote well-being by reducing anxiety disorders (AD). Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is one of the most commonly used biosignals for assessing the cardiovascular system as it significantly reflects the activity of the autonomic nervous system during emotional changes. Little is known about the accuracy of using ECG features for detecting ADs. Moreover, during our literature review, a limited number of studies were found that involve ECG collection using WD for promoting mental well-being. Thus, for the sake of validating the reliability of ECG features for detecting anxiety in WD, we screened 1040 articles, and only 22 were considered for our study; specifically 6 on panic, 4 on post-traumatic stress, 4 on generalized anxiety, 3 on social, 3 on mixed, and 2 on obsessive-compulsive anxiety disorder articles. Most experimental studies had controversial results. Upon reviewing each of these papers, it became apparent that the use of ECG features for detecting different types of anxiety is controversial, and the use of ECG-WD is an emerging area of research, with limited evidence suggesting its reliability. Due to the clinical nature of most studies, it is difficult to determine the specific impact of ECG features on detecting ADs, suggesting the need for more robust studies following our proposed recommendations.

MENTAL WELL-BEING IN SETTINGS OF ‘COMPLEX EMERGENCY’: AN OVERVIEW

2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASTIER M. ALMEDOM ◽  
DEREK SUMMERFIELD
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Scholarly Journals ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Complex Emergency ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Mental Well Being

The mental state of people affected by war and other disasters has been a subject of special interest to academic researchers and practitioners in humanitarian assistance and public health for over two decades. The last decade in particular has seen a rise in the number of papers published in scholarly journals around the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) debate. Anthropologists have rarely engaged in this debate. Nevertheless, some of the most illuminating contributions have come from socio-medical anthropology (Last, 2000).

Prefrontal-Limbic Brain Circuitry and the Regulation of Emotion

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annmarie MacNamara ◽  
K. Luan Phan
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Brain Circuitry ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Regulation Of Emotion ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
The Brain

The ability to regulate emotion promotes mental well-being in health and is disrupted in psychopathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The prefrontal cortex (PFC)—a region of the brain involved in executive function, behavioral coordination, and cognitive control—is particularly important in implementing the regulation of emotional response. This chapter reviews a decade and a half of neuroscientific research that has made considerable progress in advancing understanding of the neural basis of emotion regulation. This work, conducted in healthy individuals, provides a platform from which to understand the neural basis of emotion dysregulation that characterizes disorders like PTSD. Therefore, the proposed model could serve as a basis for explaining the etiology and/or maintenance of PTSD. The chapter concludes by summarizing the main findings and highlighting areas that need more work, including translation into the clinical domain.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and students' mental health: foreign studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
T.V. Ermolova ◽  
A.V. Litvinov ◽  
N.V. Savitskaya ◽  
O.A. Krukovskaya
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
The Face ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Remote Care ◽  
Mental Well Being

This analytical review provides a broad outline of the historically significant process of consolidating the global scientific community in the face of the threat posed to the psyche of children and young people by the COVID-19 pandemic. The formation of vector data arrays, revealing aspects and prevalence of mental disorders of children, provoked by a pandemic, is shown. In the majority of students, the additional neuro-psychological load led to increased anxiety, depressive states, post-traumatic stress, decreased learning capacity. There are studies of the psyche of students in families in connection with the phenomenon of screen-time (time spent at the computer screen), the presence of comorbid disorders, narrowing of communication, closing schools. The importance of adequate parenthood for children's mental well-being, educational strategy for parents, volunteers, nurses is shown. The direction of telepsychiatry as a remote care tool has been demonstrated. Pilots of the concept of mental disorders of students against the background of the pandemic are presented. The questions about the delayed cumulative effect of mental disorders in students and the continuing incompleteness of knowledge about it are also raised.

Body Armor for the Mind

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-40
Author(s):  
Michael Donald Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
First Responders ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Body Armor ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Management Personnel ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Mental Well Being

This chapter looks at the often overlooked yet vitally important steps of mental preparation for first responders, emergency and disaster management personnel, and command center staffs. This chapter will delve into the importance of using simulations and exercises to focus on the mental well-being of our responders to prevent future incidents of post-traumatic stress disorder and other health issues. The past 19 years of war against terrorism starting with the attacks on 9/11 coupled with the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has brought to the forefront the necessity to mentally prepare our warriors, our first responders, and our medical personnel to operate effectively in the toxic environment of a disaster or emergency. This chapter aims to help build that awareness and facilitate planning.

scholarly journals The efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum as compared to a homoeopathic complex in the management of post-traumatic stress disorder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Aphelele Sibahle Zodumo Gumede
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Complex Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Traumatic

This double-blind randomised controlled study aimed to determine the efficacy of a homoeopathic simillimum treatment as compared to a homoeopathic complex in the management of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD belongs to a group of mental disorders that is caused by an intense stress or the inability to overcome stress. The DSM-5 (2013) categorises PTSD as a mental disorder that is debilitating to the person and occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic, tragic or terrifying incident that results in the person having recurrent frightening thoughts and memories of the past incident and causes emotional numbness. This study aimed to manage and reduce PTSD symptoms through careful treatment of the mental, emotional and physical being of the individual. Methodology A sample size of 33 consenting participants between the ages of 18-65 years who met the inclusion criteria according to the DSM-5 (2013) completed the study. The duration of the study was eight weeks per participant. Measurements were taken during four consultations over the eight weeks period of the intervention. The participants were divided into two groups using a randomisation list arranged by the Durban University of Technology Homoeopathic Clinic technician, namely, the simillimum group and complex group. Because of the nature of the research, the researcher was not aware of who was in which group, this prevented biasness when treating the participants. At each consultation a Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) (Weathers et al.2013), Post-Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) (McCarthy 2008) and the Screen for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (SPTSS) (Carlson 2012) was filled out to measure the progress in each consultation. Results The results of the study showed no significant difference between the simillimum group and complex group, leading to the conclusion that homoeopathic simillimum treatment is no more effective than homoeopathic complex treatment in the management of PTSD. Each treatment group showed a reduction in scores in all the scales, and improvement in well-being, lifestyle and attitude towards life even though this improvement was not statistically significant. It was evident that the p-values were greater than 0.05. All three instruments showed of improvement of symptoms in the participants. However, there was no statistical significance between the simillimum and complex group

How Czecho-Slovakia Bounces Back: Population-Based Validation of the Brief Resilience Scale in Two Central European Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110296
Author(s):  
Jana Furstova ◽  
Natalia Kascakova ◽  
Iva Polackova Solcova ◽  
Jozef Hasto ◽  
Peter Tavel
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Best Fit

Objective In recent years, resilience has become a focus of research in the medical and behavioral sciences. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) was developed to assess the individual ability to recover from stress (“to bounce back”) after experiencing adversities. The aim of the study was to validate the Czech and Slovak versions of the BRS. Methods A representative sample of the Czech and Slovak populations (NCZ = 1800, mean age MCZ = 46.6, SDCZ = 17.4, 48.7% of men; NSK = 1018, mean age MSK = 46.2, SDSK = 16.6, 48.7% men) completed a survey assessing their health and well-being. Several confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models of the BRS were compared to find the best fit. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients of reliability were evaluated. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating resilience (BRS), physical and mental well-being (SF-8) and psychopathology symptoms (BSI-53). Differences in gender and age groups were appraised. Results A single-factor model with method effects on the reverse items was evaluated to best fit the data in both the Czech and Slovak samples (χ2CZ(6) = 39.0, p < 0.001, CFICZ = 0.998, TLICZ = 0.995, RMSEACZ = 0.055, SRMRCZ = 0.024; χ2SK(6) = 23.9, p < 0.001, CFISK = 0.998, TLISK = 0.995, RMSEASK = 0.054, SRMRSK = 0.009). The reliability was high in both samples (αCZ = 0.80, ωCZ = 0.85; αSK = 0.86, ωSK = 0.91). The BRS was positively associated with physical and mental well-being and negatively associated with somatization, depression and anxiety. In both countries, a lower BRS score was associated with higher age. Czech men reported significantly higher BRS scores than women. No significant difference was found in the mean BRS scores between the two countries. Conclusion This study provides evidence of good psychometric properties, reliability and validity of the Czech and Slovak adaptations of the BRS.

scholarly journals Healthcare staff well-being and use of support services during COVID-19: a UK perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. e100458
Author(s):  
Anika R Petrella ◽  
Luke Hughes ◽  
Lorna A Fern ◽  
Lisa Monaghan ◽  
Benjamin Hannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Evaluation ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased demands on healthcare workers (HCWs) leaving them vulnerable to acute psychological distress, burnout and post-traumatic stress. In response, supportive services in a central London hospital mobilised mental health support specifically for HCWs.AimsThis rapid evaluation assessed HCW psychological welfare during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and their use of supportive services made available.MethodsDuring the acute phase of COVID-19 (April to May 2020) all staff working for the hospital were invited to complete an online survey assessing well-being (self-rated health, moral distress exposure, symptoms of burnout and psychological distress) and use of available supportive services (awareness of, use and perceived helpfulness). Associations among personal characteristics and psychological well-being were explored using correlations and linear regression.ResultsA total of 1127 staff participated in the rapid evaluation. On average, psychological distress was high (mean (SD): 22 (7.57)) regardless of role, with 84% of this sample scoring above the general population mean (14.5). Nearly half of the sample reported feeling emotionally drained and a profile emerged displaying higher levels of psychological distress and burnout in those who were younger and exposed to morally distressing situations, with this group also exhibiting greater support service use. Greater levels of burnout were associated with increased psychological distress when controlling for personal factors. During this acute phase of the pandemic, majority of staff used at least one service and rated it as helpful.ConclusionHCWs experienced high levels of psychological distress requiring continued support as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved. Although HCWs were aware of supportive services, uptake varied. In order to mitigate the risk of burnout and post-traumatic stress, long-term, effective strategies that facilitate staff accessing support are urgently required.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic stress disorder following COVID-19 pandemic among medical students in Riyadh: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zainab Ifthikar ◽  
Saima Sajjad Fakih ◽  
Saumy Johnson ◽  
Johnson Alex
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background In recent times, COVID-19 has been recognized as a public health emergency and thus far, most papers published on it are focused only on the clinical characteristics of infected patients. This pandemic has also made phenomenal emotional impact among the young and the old. We aimed to find out the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of medical students in a University at Riyadh. Results There were 309 participants in the study. Out of them 44% did not have PTSD, 29% had score more than 37 which might contribute to immune suppression, in 18.4% PTSD was a clinical concern and 8.6% had probable PTSD. Female participants were the majority in the group and they also had higher chance of having consequences than the male counterparts (P < 0.001). Avoidance score between male and female gender was significantly different. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected the physiological functioning of the affected individuals but also has had a probable post-traumatic stress disorder among young college students. Screening for psychological well-being and the treatment for PTSD is imperative in college, school and general population.

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