scholarly journals The Impact of Remote Working During the COVID-19 Epidemic on Employee Well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-254
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Nowacki ◽  
Sandra Grabowska ◽  
Teresa Lis
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Research Material ◽  
Questionnaire Method ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract The aim of the research was to answer the question whether the remote work imposed on workers during the COVID-19 epidemic has an impact on their well-being, and if so, how. The research material consisted of the results of a survey conducted among the employees referred to remote work in connection with the announced state of the epidemic in Poland. The research was conducted in the period from July 31 to August 19, 2020. The research was conducted using a questionnaire method, the study was attended by 199 respondents. A survey questionnaire was used in the study and the results obtained were statistically processed. The research carried out allowed us to obtain the results of the self-assessment of employees referred to work in the homme-office in terms of their mental well-being and physical well-being.

Evaluation of Physical and Psychosocial Well-Being of Personnel: Employees’ Self-Feeling and Presenteeism at Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
M. Frelih ◽  
A. Fedorova
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Metallurgical Enterprise ◽  
Digital Service ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the study of factors that have a negative impact on the well-being of employees in the workplace. Special attention is paid to the problem of presenteeism on the example of a large metallurgical enterprise. A review of foreign and domestic publications allows concluding that until now specialists do not have reliable and valid tools for studying the presenteeism phenomenon in organizations. The purpose of the research presented in the paper is to examine influence of the factors of the intra-organizational environment on the personnel well-being and assess the level of presenteeism at the enterprise. Empirical data were obtained by conducting a sociological survey of various categories of workers, as well as assessing the impact of presenteeism on the economic indicators of the studied enterprise. For the subsequent in-depth study of health problems in the workplace, the authors have developed a research tool based on the use of a digital service, which allows monitoring the self-feeling of employees by the self-assessment method, which determines the level of physical and psychosocial well-being of staff.

scholarly journals Furloughs, Teleworking and Other Work Situations during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on Mental Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2898
Author(s):  
Israel Escudero-Castillo ◽  
Fco. Javier Mato-Díaz ◽  
Ana Rodriguez-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Exogenous Shock ◽  
Work Location ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Market Status ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Labour Market Status

As a consequence of the Spring 2020 lockdown that occurred in Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their jobs or had to be furloughed. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the latter changes in labour market status on psychological well-being. For this purpose, an ad-hoc questionnaire featuring socio-demographic and mental health criteria was created. Granted that the pandemic can be viewed as an exogenous shock, the bias caused by the bidirectional problems between the work situation and mental well-being can be tackled. Results indicate that the lockdown exerted a greater negative effect on the self-perceived well-being of unemployed and furloughed persons than on those in employment. Moreover, among those in continuous employment, teleworkers experienced a lesser degree of self-perceived well-being post lockdown as compared to those people remaining in the same work location throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the lockdown provoked worse effects on the self-perceived well-being of women as compared to men, a result that appears to be related to gender differences in household production. In conclusion, these results could be especially relevant given that the evolution of the pandemic is having ongoing effects on employment and, therefore, on the mental health of workers.

scholarly journals COVID-19 restrictions and changing sexual behaviours in HIV-negative MSM at high risk of HIV infection in London, UK

2021 ◽  
pp. sextrans-2020-054768
Author(s):  
Iain Hyndman ◽  
Diarmuid Nugent ◽  
Gary George Whitlock ◽  
Alan McOwan ◽  
Nicolò Girometti
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Hiv Negative

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions have affected attendance to and delivery of UK sexual healthcare services (SHS). We surveyed the impact on sexual behaviour of men having sex with men (MSM) to inform future SHS provision.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based survey among HIV-negative MSM at high risk of HIV infection who attended 56 Dean Street, a sexual health and HIV clinic. The survey was conducted over a 7-day period in August 2020. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, sexual behaviour and related mental well-being experienced during lockdown (defined as 23 March–30 June 2020) were extracted. Categorical and non-categorical variables were compared according to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use.Results814 MSM completed the questionnaire: 75% were PrEP users; 76% reported they have been sexually active, of which 76% reported sex outside their household. 75% reported fewer partners than prior to lockdown. Isolation/loneliness (48%) and anxiety/stress (27%) triggered sexual activity, and 73% had discussed COVID-19 transmission risks with their sexual partners. While 46% reported no change to emotions ordinarily experienced following sex, 20% reported guilt for breaching COVID-19 restrictions. 76% implemented one or more changes to their sexual behaviour, while 58% applied one or more steps to reduce COVID-19 transmission during sex. 36% accessed SHS and 30% reported difficulties in accessing testing/treatment. Of those who accessed SHS, 28% reported an STI diagnosis. PrEP users reported higher partner number, engagement in ‘chemsex’ and use of SHS than non-PrEP users.ConclusionsCOVID-19 restrictions had a considerable impact on sexual behaviour and mental well-being in our survey respondents. High rates of sexual activity and STI diagnoses were reported during lockdown. Changes to SHS provision for MSM must respond to high rates of psychological and STI-related morbidity and the challenges faced by this population in accessing services.

scholarly journals Boosting urban health and well-being through cross-sectoral cooperation

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Liinamo ◽  
K Matinheikki-Kokko ◽  
I Gobina ◽  
A Villeruša
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract In the future, health promotion would require developed strategies that lead to stronger cross-sectoral cooperation. Cross-sectoral cooperation enables the integration of fragmented resources and competencies, which benefit service solutions for urban health. Healthy Boost “Urban Labs for Better Health for All in the Baltic Sea Region”, funded by the EU Interreg Baltic Sea Region -program, aims to develop the Model for cross-sectoral cooperation, which will be tested in the cities of the Baltic Sea Region during 2020-21. The self-assessment tool for cross-sectoral cooperation was developed, and the self-assessment among the nine cities in seven countries from the Baltic Sea Region was conducted in 2019. The results indicated to what extent the staff (n = 329) in the cities have recognized the cross-sectoral cooperation for health and wellbeing as strategically crucial in their policies, communication, and in the design of their organizational functions. The daily practices were evaluated in terms of how systematically cities have implemented cross-sector actions for health and wellbeing. The biggest challenges for cooperating across sectors for the cities were coordination and systematic identification of the community needs for health promotion. The cooperative actions were less systematic than expected in the strategic approach. The variation among respondents' assessments was high within the cities that lead to a conclusion about existing gaps in coordination, communication, and leadership of cross-sectoral work within the cities. The Likert type self-assessment measurement was statistically reliable in both strategic and operational dimensions of cooperation. Key messages Evaluation and measurements are needed to identify cross-sectoral actions to health and well-being. The evidence-based Model developed in the Healthy Boost project will guide partners towards systematic cross-sectoral cooperation processes.

scholarly journals A pilot study on the impact of a first-time central heating intervention on resident mental wellbeing

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2097546
Author(s):  
Richard A Sharpe ◽  
Andrew J Williams ◽  
Ben Simpson ◽  
Gemma Finnegan ◽  
Tim Jones
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Waiting List ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Central Heating ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Mental Well Being

Fuel poverty affects around 34% of European homes, representing a considerable burden to society and healthcare systems. This pilot study assesses the impact of an intervention to install a new first time central heating system in order to reduce fuel poverty on household satisfaction with indoor temperatures/environment, ability to pay bills and mental well-being. In Cornwall, 183 households received the intervention and a further 374 went onto a waiting list control. A post-intervention postal questionnaires and follow-up phone calls were undertaken ( n = 557) to collect data on household demographics, resident satisfaction with indoor environment, finances and mental well-being (using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing scale). We compared responses between the waiting list control and intervention group to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. A total of 31% of participants responded, 83 from the waiting list control and 71 from the intervention group. The intervention group reported improvements in the indoor environment, finances and mental well-being. However, these benefits were not expressed by all participants, which may result from diverse resident behaviours, lifestyles and housing characteristics. Future policies need to consider whole house approaches alongside resident training and other behaviour change techniques that can account for complex interactions between behaviours and the built environment.

scholarly journals Contributing Factors in Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being—The Role of Socioeconomic Status, Social Support, and Health Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9597
Author(s):  
Gabriella Nagy-Pénzes ◽  
Ferenc Vincze ◽  
Éva Bíró
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

Mental disorders are common in adolescents, and for effective interventions we should be aware of their determinants. However, there are only a small number of studies investigating the combined effect of multiple factors. Therefore, our aim is to assess the impact of socioeconomic status, social support, and health behavior on adolescents’ mental well-being. A cross-sectional health survey of 1641 children was carried out in accordance with the study protocol of the Hungarian Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey. Multivariate multiple regression was used to analyze the main determinants of mental well-being. The boys’ mental well-being was favorable compared to girls; lower subjective family wealth was associated with lower life satisfaction and depressive mood. Life satisfaction was positively related to healthy eating, social support, and physical activity. Unhealthy eating, sedentary lifestyle, and lower social support were associated with higher depression scores. Higher social support reduces psychosomatic symptoms, while unhealthy eating and spending a lot of time in front of the computer increase them. Both social support and healthy lifestyle seem to be protective against mental health problems among adolescents, and thus interventions should focus on these factors regardless of the socioeconomic status of the participants, with special attention given to girls.

Bioethics, Adaptive Preferences, and Judging the Quality of a Life with Disability

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-220
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Stramondo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Clinical Ethics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
The Self ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Adaptive Preferences ◽  
The Status

Both mainstream and disability bioethics sometimes contend that the self-assessment of disabled people about their own well-being is distorted by adaptive preferences that are only held because other, better options are unavailable. I will argue that both of the most common ways of understanding adaptive preferences—the autonomy-based account and the well-being account—would reject blanket claims that disabled people’s QOL self-assessment has been distorted, whether those claims come from mainstream bioethicists or from disability bioethicists. However, rejecting these generalizations for a more nuanced view still has dramatic implications for the status quo in both health policy and clinical ethics.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Study Conditions and Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among University Students in Germany: Results of the International COVID-19 Student Well-Being Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Mayara Matos Fialho ◽  
Franca Spatafora ◽  
Lisa Kühne ◽  
Heide Busse ◽  
Stefanie M. Helmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
German Student ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

Background: Results of previous studies examining the impact of the SARS-CoV-1 epidemic in 2003 on university students' mental well-being indicated severe mental health consequences. It is unclear how the current COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in study conditions due to federal regulations affected mental well-being in the German student population. We examined university students' perceptions of study conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated associations between study conditions and depressive symptoms.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Germany in May 2020 at four universities (N = 5,021, 69% female, mean age: 24 years, SD: 5.1). Perceived study conditions, as well as sociodemographic information, were assessed with self-generated items and the CES-D 8 scale was used to determine depressive symptoms. Associations between perceived study conditions (academic stress and academic satisfaction), in general, and confidence to complete the semester, in particular, and depressive symptoms were analyzed using generalized linear regressions.Results: Fifty-four percent of survey participants felt that the university workload had significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic; 48% were worried that they would not be able to successfully complete the academic year; 47% agreed that the change in teaching methods caused significant stress. Regarding depressive symptoms, the mean score of the CES-D 8 scale was 9.25. Further, a positive association between perceived study conditions and depressive symptoms was found (p < 0.001), indicating that better study conditions were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Results of the generalized linear regression suggest that better student mental well-being was related to higher confidence in completing the semester.Conclusions: This study provides first insights into perceived study conditions and associations with depressive symptoms among students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Findings underline the need for universities to provide intervention strategies targeting students' mental well-being during the course of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Companion Animal Type and Level of Engagement Matter: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Links between Companion Animal Guardianship, Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2349
Author(s):  
Heather Clements ◽  
Stephanie Valentin ◽  
Nicholas Jenkins ◽  
Jean Rankin ◽  
Nancy R. Gee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, countries worldwide placed limitations on social interaction, which is anticipated to have severe psychological consequences. Although findings are inconsistent, prior research has suggested that companion animals may positively influence human well-being and reduce loneliness. In the context of COVID-19, this has important implications, as companion animal guardians may be less negatively affected by the pandemic. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the influence of companion animals on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic, with specific interest in the role of ornamental fishes. A mixed-methods study was conducted, using an international sample. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey (n = 1199) and analysed using robust hierarchical multiple regression analyses; the influence of level of engagement with companion animals was examined for dogs, cats and ornamental fishes. There was no evidence that companion animal guardianship was associated with loneliness and mental well-being during the pandemic but spending more time engaging physically or socially with dogs (and to a lesser extent cats) was generally associated with poorer outcomes. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey responses (n = 757) and semi-structured interviews (n = 25) and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two themes were developed—one related to companion animals as providers of social and emotional support, and the other to companion animals as providers of purpose and perspective. Concerns regarding the impact of the pandemic on animal welfare were also identified. Compared to other animal types, more participants expressed indifference regarding the impact of their fishes on their well-being during the pandemic, possibly because fishes cannot provide comfort via physical touch. The findings of this study reflect the wider field of human–animal interaction; although qualitative data suggest guardians believe their companion animals are a positive influence in their lives, there is little convincing quantitative data to support these beliefs. This highlights the need to refine theories regarding which aspects of companion animal guardianship may influence human well-being; the findings from this research may be useful in the refinement of such theories.

scholarly journals An audit looking at the impact of poverty on referrals to child and adolescent mental health services

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S338-S338
Author(s):  
Aida Nourbakhsh ◽  
Kandarp Joshi ◽  
Breige Yorston
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Referral Criteria ◽  
Medication Intervention ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Index Of Multiple Deprivation ◽  
Made In ◽  
Deprived Areas

AimsRecently, there has been a greater focus on how mental health in young people (YP) can be improved. Up to 10% of YP in Scotland have a diagnosable mental health condition1 and half of all adults with mental ill-health have had symptoms from their mid-teens2. Poverty is an important factor associated with poorer mental well-being from an early age which worsens if left untreated3. The aim of this audit was to answer the question: Are more YP referred from the least deprived areas, and are they more likely to require medication intervention or high intensity (tier 4) care? The results of which could help identify possible avenues for intervention to help improve retention of those most at risk of negative outcomes.MethodNHS Grampian CAMHS provides service to Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray. Pre-collected data over 15 months from these areas were analysed using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) deciles to distinguish any differences between referrals made. In addition, this audit evaluated the data to define any trends of deprivation linking YP to medication intervention or tier 4 care.ResultResults showed that more referrals were made for YP in low-ranking areas (3.19% of decile one compared to 1.74% of decile ten). The referrals were also more likely to be rejected based on the referral criteria, 33% in decile one versus 21% in decile ten. The increased rejection of referrals is most likely a reflection of the health inequalities faced by communities in more deprived areas. In terms of service provision, the patients from the most deprived areas are 3 times more like to require tier 4 care while the least deprived are 1.5 times more likely as compared to percentage of population. With regards to medication intervention patients from deciles one, five, six and seven have significantly higher numbers.ConclusionThis project set out to look at the current service provided by CAMHS and found that despite best efforts deprivation has had an impact on the acceptance of referrals. Going forward this data will be shared with multiagency stakeholders to develop service provisions, in particular the issues identified with the rejection of referrals in more deprived areas. Higher level of medication use in more deprived population is not unexpected but highlights the need to share the findings with a multiagency network.

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