scholarly journals PSYCHO-SOCIAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUTHS DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: INSIGHTS FROM HARARE, ZIMBABWE

2020 ◽  
Vol S.I. (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59
Author(s):  
Nicola Mazwi ◽  
◽  
Bongani Seremani ◽  
Tsungai Kaseke ◽  
Clemencia Lungu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
World Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Psychological Conditions ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Restrictive Measures

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in Wuhan, Hubei province in China in December 2019 has brought about varied psycho-social experiences to youths during the COVID-19 lockdown period. World Health Organisation warned that the coronavirus and the restrictive measures around it would have negative effects on people’s mental health and well-being. Current scientific literature reveals that in China, UK and Spain COVID-19 outbreak resulted in symptoms leading to psychological disorders while in Africa the 2014 Ebola outbreak resulted in social and economic breakdowns in people’s livelihoods. This qualitative study made use of document analysis as a research design. WhatsApp messages were analysed using thematic analysis. The study sought to explore how youths in Harare, Zimbabwe responded to the lockdown and ways in which the lives of the youths were psychologically and socially affected. Research questions were on; how youths in Harare responded to the lockdown; how the lockdown affected the youths; in what ways the lockdown affected psychological lives of the youths and what can be done in future in order to improve the lives of youths during pandemics. The study revealed that some youths of Harare presented psychological conditions leading to PTSD symptoms such as stress, confusion, anger, anxiety and depression while some embraced COVID-19 Lockdown as it improved family and social ties. It was also noted that youths should be able to access psychological services during epidemics in order to avert surges in mental health illnesses emanating from national lockdowns.

scholarly journals 21-Day Stress Detox: Open Trial of a Universal Well-Being Chatbot for Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 416
Author(s):  
Ruth Williams ◽  
Sarah Hopkins ◽  
Chris Frampton ◽  
Chester Holt-Quick ◽  
Sally Nicola Merry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
First Year Students

There has been a lot of interest in digital mental health interventions but adherence to online programmes has been less than optimal. Chatbots that mimic brief conversations may be a more engaging and acceptable mode of delivery. We developed a chatbot, called 21-Day Stress Detox, to deliver stress management techniques for young adults. The purpose of the study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of this low-intensity digital mental health intervention in a non-clinical population of young adults. The content was derived from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and included evidence-informed elements such as mindfulness and gratitude journaling. It was delivered over 21 daily sessions using the Facebook Messenger platform. Each session was intended to last about 5–7 min and included text, animated GIFs, relaxation tracks and reflective exercises. We conducted an open single-arm trial collecting app usage through passive data collection as well as self-rated satisfaction and qualitative (open-ended) feedback. Efficacy was assessed via outcome measures of well-being (World Health Organisation (Five) Well-being Index; WHO-5; and Personal Well-being Measure; ONS4); stress (Perceived Stress Scale–10 item version; PSS-10); and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale; GAD-7). One hundred and ten of the 124 participants who completed baseline commenced the chatbot and 64 returned the post-intervention assessment. Eighty-one percent were female and 51% were first year students. Forty-five percent were NZ European and 41% were Asian. Mean engagement was 11 days out 21 days (SD = 7.8). Most (81%) found the chatbot easy to use. Sixty-three percent rated their satisfaction as 7 out of 10 or higher. Qualitative feedback revealed that convenience and relatable content were the most valued features. There was a statistically significant improvement on the WHO-5 of 7.38 (SD = 15.07; p < 0.001) and a mean reduction on the PSS-10 of 1.77 (SD = 4.69; p = 0.004) equating to effect sizes of 0.49 and 0.38, respectively. Those who were clinically anxious at baseline (n = 25) experienced a greater reduction of GAD-7 symptoms than those (n = 39) who started the study without clinical anxiety (−1.56, SD = 3.31 vs. 0.67, SD = 3.30; p = 0.011). Using a chatbot to deliver universal psychological support appears to be feasible, acceptable, have good levels of engagement, and lead to significant improvements in well-being and stress. Future iterations of the chatbot should involve a more personalised content.

scholarly journals Research beyond biomedical confines: towards better mental health and well-being for all

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Jou Yin Teoh ◽  
Kee Hean Lim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Health And Well Being

‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’ is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2019. According to the World Health Organisation, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-19 years old. One person dies of suicide every 40 seconds, with this form of death affecting people of all age groups in all countries. Hence in line with this year’s theme calling for a trans-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach to address this epidemic, we would like to invite all contributors and readers of Neuroscience Research Notes (NeurosciRN) to take a moment to reflect on how they - as researchers can contribute towards the facilitation, discussion and promotion of positive mental health, which in turn has been found to reduce suicide risk.

scholarly journals Psychological Services During the Pandemic and Isolation Period.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Population Mental Health ◽  
Isolation Period

During a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is common for everyone to experience increased levels of anxiety and worry, especially as a result of social isolation. Physicians and other front-line health care professionals are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of mental health, as they try to balance the task of caring for patients with concerns for their own well-being and that of their family and friends, but by not leaving aside the rest of the population. Mental health care and psychosocial well-being are just as important as physical health management. The effects of pandemics such as COVID-19 have highlighted the need for governments to take measures to curb not only the physical health of individuals but also their mental and psychosocial well-being. In this paper, we review the provision of psychological mental health services in Kosovo during the pandemic and after.

scholarly journals Resilience in the Storm: Impacts of Changed Daily Lifestyles on Mental Health in Persons with Chronic Illnesses under the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5875
Author(s):  
Bobo Hi-Po Lau ◽  
Mike Kwun-Ting Cheung ◽  
Lucian Tsz-Hei Chan ◽  
Cecilia Lai-Wan Chan ◽  
Pamela Pui-Yu Leung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
World Health ◽  
Psychological Resilience

Studies have shown individuals with chronic illnesses tend to experience poorer mental health compared to their counterparts without a chronic illness under the COVID-19 pandemic. The pervasive disruption on daily lifestyles due to social distancing could be a contributing factor. In this study, we collaborated with local patient support groups to explore the psychological adjustment among a group of community-dwelling individuals with chronic illnesses under the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. We collected responses from 408 adults with one or more chronic illnesses using an online survey. Results show that about one in four participants experienced moderate to high levels of depression (26.0%), anxiety (26.2%) and stress (20.1%) symptoms measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the World Health Organisation-Five Well-Being Index. While 62.3% (gatherings) to 91.9% (contact with others) of participants reported changes in their daily lifestyles, these changes—both an increase and a decrease—were related to poorer mental health. The relationship was mediated by psychological resilience, measured by the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, with an estimate of indirect effect of −0.28 (95% confidence interval −0.44 to −0.10). In light of our findings, we urge social and healthcare professionals to support chronic illness patients to continue their daily lifestyles such as exercises and social contacts as much as possible by educating the public on feasible and practical preventive measures and enhance the psychological resilience of community-dwelling patients with scalable and efficacious psychological interventions.

Efficacy of ‘Foundations’, a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-Being, during COVID-19: A Proof-of-Principle Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvina Catuara-Solarz ◽  
Bartlomiej Skorulski ◽  
Inaki Estella ◽  
Claudia Avella-Garcia ◽  
Sarah Shepherd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
World Health ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Proof Of Principle

BACKGROUND Against a long-term trend of increasing demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global rise in common mental disorders. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based interventions to support mental well-being. OBJECTIVE The aim of this proof-of-principle study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile-based app in adults with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and stress in a randomised control trial that took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. METHODS Adults with mild to severe anxiety and moderate to high levels of perceived stress were randomised to either the intervention or control arm. Participants in the intervention arm were given access to the app, Foundations, for the duration of the 4-week study. All participants were required to self-report a range of validated measures of mental well-being (10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience scale [CD-RISC-10]; 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Office of National Statistics Four Subjective Well-being Questions [ONS-4]; World Health Organisation-5 Well-Being Index [WHO-5]) and sleep (Minimal Insomnia Scale [MISS]) at baseline and weeks 2 and 4; and, in addition, on perceived stress weekly (10-item Perceived Stress Score [PSS]). RESULTS 136 participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The intervention group (n=62) showed significant improvements compared to the control group (n=74) on measures of anxiety (GAD-7 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.35 [SD 4.43]; control group: -0.23 [SD 3.24]; t134= 1.71 , P=.04), resilience (CD-RISC score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.79 [± SD 4.08]; control group: -0.31 [± SD 3.16]; t134 -3.37, P<.001), sleep (MISS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.16 [± SD 2.67]; control group: -0.26 [± SD 2.29]; t134= 2.13, P=.01), and mental well-being (WHO-5 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.53 [5.30]; control group: -0.23 [± SD 4.20]; t134= -2.16, P=.02) within 2 weeks of using Foundations, with further improvements emerging at week 4. Perceived stress was also reduced within the intervention group, although the results did not reach statistical significance relative to the control group (PSS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -2.94 [± SD 6.84]; control group: -2.05 [± SD 5.34]; t134= 0.84, P=.20). CONCLUSIONS This study provides proof-of-principle that the digital mental health app, Foundations, can improve measures of mental well-being, anxiety, resilience, and sleep within 2 weeks of use, with greater effects after 4 weeks. It therefore offers potential as a scalable, cost-effective, and accessible solution to enhance mental well-being, even during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health Policy in Ireland 1984–2004: theory, overview and future directions

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan D Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Transnational Migration ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Health Report ◽  
The Eu

Recent years have seen renewed emphasis on the importance of mental health policy as a key component of health and social policy at both national and international levels. In 2001 the European Commission produced a public health framework for mental health in the EU. In the same year, the World Health Organisation devoted its annual health report to mental health and called on countries to formulate, update and implement mental health policies. The EU and WHO initiatives both recognised that the challenges facing mental health policy makers are increasingly transnational in scope, related to issues such as rapid demographic change, increased transnational migration, the protection of human rights and the implementation of a growing number of international laws, directives and protocols in relation to mental health care.Significant progress has been made in the development of Irish mental health services over the past 40 years. Nevertheless, many challenges remain. The aims of this paper are to outline:• Prevailing theoretical perspectives on mental health policy• Mental health policy in Ireland since the last major policy revision in 1984• Relevant economic and demographic changes in Ireland since 1984• Relevant clinical, legislative and policy developments in relation to mental health• Future directions for mental health policy.Electronic literature searches were performed using Psyclit (American Psychological Association, 1887–2003), Medline (United States National Library of Medicine, 1985 – 2003), with broad search terms related to mental health policy. Additional books and papers were identified by tracking back through references and consulting with colleagues. Policy documents and selected literature on Irish psychiatric services were reviewed and related to recent literature on mental health policy.

scholarly journals ‘The fact that she just looked at me…’ – Narrations on shame in South African workplaces

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude-Hélène Mayer ◽  
Rian Viviers ◽  
Louise Tonelli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Work Context ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Health And Well Being

Orientation: Shame has been internationally researched in various cultural and societal contexts as well as across cultures in the workplace, schools and institutions of higher education. It is an emotional signal that refers to experienced incongruence of identity goals and the judgement of others.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to focus on experiences of shame in the South African (SA) workplace, to provide emic, in-depth insights into the experiences of shame of employees.Motivation for the study: Shame in the workplace often occurs and might impact negatively on mental health and well-being, capability, freedom and human rights. This article aims at gaining some in-depth understanding of shame experiences in SA workplaces. Building on this understanding the aim is to develop awareness in Industrial and Organisational Psychologists (IOPs), employees and organisations to cope with shame constructively in addition to add to the apparent void in the body of knowledge on shame in SA workplaces.Research design, approach and method: An interpretative hermeneutical research paradigm, based on Dilthey’s modern hermeneutics was applied. Data were collected through semistructured interviews of 11 employees narrating their experiences from various workplaces, including the military, consulting organisations and higher education institutions. Content analysis was used for data analysis and interpretation.Main findings: The major themes around which shameful experiences evolved included loss of face, mistreatment by others, low work quality, exclusion, lifestyle and internalised shame on failure in the workplace. Shame is experienced as a disturbing emotion that impacts negatively on the self within the work context. It is also experienced as reducing mental health and well-being at work.Practical/managerial implications: SA organisations need to be more aware of shame in the workplace, to address the potential negative effects of shame on employees, particularly if they are not prepared to reframe shame into a constructively and positively used emotion. Safe spaces should be made available to talk about shame. Strategies should be applied to deal with shame constructively.Contribution/value-add: This article expands an in-depth understanding of shame from emic and culture-specific perspectives within SA workplaces. The findings are beneficial to IOPs and organisations to understand what shame is from the perspective of SA employees across cultural groups. The article thereby adds value to theory and practice, offering IOPs a deeper understanding of shame in the work context.

scholarly journals Training school teachers in Malawi about substance misuse and trauma: the need for a sustainable strategy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 480-488
Author(s):  
Nicola Evans ◽  
Rhiannon Lane ◽  
Gemma Stacey-Emile ◽  
Anthony Sefasi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Post Measure ◽  
Health Need

Purpose The World Health Organisation found depression to be the fourth leading cause of disability in Malawi (Bowie, 2006) with the prevalence of mental health need in children and young people in Malawi estimated between 10 and 30% (Kutcher et al., 2019). One option to address this was to provide schoolteachers with skills and knowledge related to mental health so they can better support children. There is generally a lack of evidence of the utility or feasibility of school-based mental health literacy programmes in low to medium income countries (LMIC). This paper aims to report on a project to train schoolteachers in Malawi on aspects of mental health. Design/methodology/approach The aim of this project was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of delivering a training initiative in Malawi to teachers to better enable them to recognise and cope with school children who had been exposed to trauma and substance misuse. Findings Feedback was generated through the use of a specifically designed pre and post measure, focus groups, interviews and observations of the teaching delivery. Practical implications Teachers found the training built on their existing knowledge and they requested further opportunities for training and consultation about how to manage difficult presentations. It was evident that teachers did not know how to access mental health care or support for children whose needs could not be met by schoolteachers alone. Originality/value For a sustainable improvement for children’s mental health care in this context, further training becomes valuable when located as part of a network of joined up health and educational services.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid-19 Public Health Policies on Persons with Disability and their Caregivers in Malta

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Andrew Camilleri ◽  
Samantha Pace Gasan ◽  
Andrew Azzopardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
The Impact

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health pandemic, due to the spread of a novel coronavirus, later named “Covid-19”. The spread of Covid-19 led to social isolation, distancing and a number of restrictive measures in Malta.  The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictive measures on persons with disability and their caregivers and families in Malta. Using thematic analysis, the study found that a variety of impacts ranging from a sense of isolation, lack of essential services being provided, additional difficulties encountered at the place of work and education and measures that were not sufficiently tailored for persons with disability issued by public health authorities. Underlying the additional difficulties brought about by Covid-19, structural difficulties to access essential services as well as ignorance from policy makers and politicians and the added “vulnerable-ization” of persons with disabilities were found to be highly impacting factors that pervade the experience of persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

Future of Work and Its Implication on Employee Well-Being in the 4IR Era

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ethel N. Abe ◽  
Isaac Idowu Abe ◽  
Olalekan Adisa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Job Loss ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Rate ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Swedish Study ◽  
The World

Capitalist corporations seek ever-new opportunities for trade and gain. As competition intensifies within markets, profit-seeking corporations innovate and diversify their products in an unceasing pursuit of new market niches. The incessant changes and unpredictable nature of capitalism often leads to insecurity regarding job loss. Job insecurity has been empirically proven to have negative effects on individuals and organisations. It associates to reduced job satisfaction and decreased mental health. A longitudinal Swedish study showed an indirect effect of trust on job satisfaction and mental health of employees. The advent of AIs, humanoids, robotics, and digitization present reason for employees to worry about the future of their work. A recent study conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute reports that by 2030, a least 14% of employees globally could need changing their careers as a result of the rapid rate of digitization, robotics, and advancement in artificial intelligence disruptions in the world of work.

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