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 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 Gender differences in suicide in Serbia within the period 2011-2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 1165-1171
Author(s):  
Gordana Dedic ◽  
Srdjan Dedic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Suicide Method ◽  
Elderly Male ◽  
Male Population ◽  
Female Suicide

Background/Aim. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estrimates that approximately 1,000,000 people die by suicide every year. The aim of this study was to examine the gender differences in cases of committed suicides, including suicide rates, socio-demographic factors and methods of suicide in Serbia within the period 2011?2015. This investigation is continuing the previous investigation from the period 2006?2010. Methods. Data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Their classification related to the suicide method was carried out on the basis of International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revions- Clinical Modification (ICD-X-CM) (WHO 1992). Statistical analysis was done by using the crude number of committed suicide. Results. Within the period 2011?2015, the total number of suicides in Serbia was 5,897, of which 74.56% were males and 25.44% females (male to female suicide ratio was 2.93). Annual suicide rate (per 100,000) showed constantly decreased from 2011 to 2015, and in 2015 it was 15. Male/female suicide ratio was the highest among adolescents and decreased with age. The suicide was the most often committed by married males (47.6%) and widowed females (38.86%) with completed high school, retired, Serbs. About a quarter (23.38%) suicide committers were older than 75 years, and 39.39% were older than 65 years. The most common suicide method males (64.63%) and females (59.00%) used was hanging, strangulation and suffocation. The second most common method males used was by firearm (18.96%) and females by poisoning (16.73%). Conclusions. Suicide Prevention Programme in Serbia should be primarily oriented towards two age groups at highest risk to commit suicide, towards the adolescents whose suicide was on the rise and towards the elderly male population, less ready to refer to the doctors for help because of problems related to their mental health. With the aim to suicide prevention, doctors should become familiar with community, state and national resources that are concerned with youth and elderly populations, including mental health institutions, family and crisis intervention centers.

scholarly journals COVID-19, mental health and psychological first aid

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Minihan ◽  
B. Gavin ◽  
B. D. Kelly ◽  
F. McNicholas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Aid ◽  
World Health ◽  
Psychological First Aid ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health And Well Being

Crises such as the global pandemic of COVID-19 (coronavirus) elicit a range of responses from individuals and societies adversely affecting physical and emotional well-being. This article provides an overview of factors elicited in response to COVID-19 and their impact on immunity, physical health, mental health and well-being. Certain groups, such as individuals with mental illness, are especially vulnerable, so it is important to maximise the supports available to this population and their families during the pandemic. More broadly, the World Health Organization recommends ‘Psychological First Aid’ as a useful technique that can help many people in a time of crisis.

Mental Health and Vitality among Canadian Women with Physical Disabilities

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
R. Feld ◽  
A. Colantonio ◽  
K. Yoshida ◽  
F. Odette
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Disabilities ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Health Promotion Programs ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Women With Physical Disabilities

This study investigated scores for mental health and vitality in a large community-based sample of women with physical disabilities. The scores from two subscales of the SF-36 were collected from 1,096 women with physical disabilities through a mailed survey regarding health and well-being. These scores were compared to normative data using t tests. The mean scores of the vitality subscale were significantly lower than that of the normed sample when analyzed by age groups. The mental health scores were significantly lower as well, except for one age group (65-74 yr.). These results suggest that health care workers should address aspects of mental health and energy when caring for women with physical disabilities, as these areas are often overlooked in this population. Health promotion programs aimed at these topics should be designed specifically for this population as well.

scholarly journals Introduction: Mental Health and Human Rights: Social Policy and Sociological Perspectives

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Recognition of the effects of social, economic, political and cultural conditions on mental health and the personal, social and economic costs of a growing global mental health crisis (WHO, 2001; EC, 2005) mean that mental health and well-being are a current feature of social policy agendas at UK, European and world levels, with debate increasingly becoming framed in human rights terms. In the UK, policy drives to address social exclusion and health inequalities as key social and economic rights issues have encompassed attention to mental health and distress (DoH, 2003; Social Exclusion Unit, 2004) and mental health has been identified as a priority area for the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (Diamond, 2007; DRC, 2007). At the European level too, rights-based social policy approaches to promoting social cohesion (European Committee for Social Cohesion, 2004) and policy directives on the ‘right to health’ (Commission of the European Communities, 2007) have been centrally concerned with mental health and well-being, and have been accompanied by a European strategy on mental health for the EU (EC, 2005). At a global level, the World Health Organisation has declared enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health to be a fundamental human right (WHO, 2006). It has launched a new appeal on mental health which draws attention to the impact of human rights violations and cites social isolation, poor quality of life, stigma and discrimination as central issues for those with mental health needs (Dhanda and Narayan, 2007; Horton, 2007; WHO, 2007).

scholarly journals COVID-19 Lockdown: Housing Built Environment’s Effects on Mental Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Amerio ◽  
Andrea Brambilla ◽  
Alessandro Morganti ◽  
Andrea Aguglia ◽  
Davide Bianchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Housing Design ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic on 11 March, severe lockdown measures have been adopted by the Italian Government. For over two months of stay-at-home orders, houses became the only place where people slept, ate, worked, practiced sports, and socialized. As consolidated evidence exists on housing as a determinant of health, it is of great interest to explore the impact that COVID-19 response-related lockdown measures have had on mental health and well-being. We conducted a large web-based survey on 8177 students from a university institute in Milan, Northern Italy, one of the regions most heavily hit by the pandemic in Europe. As emerged from our analysis, poor housing is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms during lockdown. In particular, living in apartments <60 m2 with poor views and scarce indoor quality is associated with, respectively, 1.31 (95% CI: 1046–1637), 1.368 (95% CI: 1166–1605), and 2.253 (95% CI: 1918–2647) times the risk of moderate–severe and severe depressive symptoms. Subjects reporting worsened working performance from home were over four times more likely to also report depression (OR = 4.28, 95% CI: 3713–4924). Housing design strategies should focus on larger and more livable living spaces facing green areas. We argue that a strengthened multi-interdisciplinary approach, involving urban planning, public mental health, environmental health, epidemiology, and sociology, is needed to investigate the effects of the built environment on mental health, so as to inform welfare and housing policies centered on population well-being.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and initial period of lockdown on the mental health and well-being of adults in the UK

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina Van Der Boor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Initial Period ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Summary The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being were assessed in a convenience sample of 600 UK adults, using a cross-sectional design. Recruited over 2 weeks during the initial phase of lockdown, participants completed an online survey that included COVID-19-related questions, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the World Health Organization (Five) Well-Being Index and the Oxford Capabilities Questionnaire for Mental Health. Self-isolating before lockdown, increased feelings of isolation since lockdown and having COVID-19-related livelihood concerns were associated with poorer mental health, well-being and quality of life. Perceiving increased kindness, community connectedness and being an essential worker were associated with better mental health and well-being outcomes.

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 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.

scholarly journals Psychological Intervention Measures for Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ancha Rani ◽  
Vandana Singh Malik ◽  
Rakesh Kumar Behamani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Health And Well Being

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health problem affecting around 213 countries and territories worldwide, with more than 6,474,200 cases reported and 382,914 deaths documented so far. The World Health Organization announced COVID-19 is a pandemic outbreak on 11 March, 2020. We are facing a medical emergency because of COVID-19 pandemic. These large incidents have negative and detrimental effects on mental health and well-being of individuals worldwide. Widespread infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 are linked to mental illness symptoms and psychological distress. Preliminary studies indicate that depression (28%) and anxiety (16%) symptoms and self-reported stress (8 %) are typical psychological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could be correlated with sleep disturbance. The physical and psychological wellbeing of general people, particularly health care practitioners, has been profoundly affected by illness. The main objective of this review-based study is to focus mental health and psychological interventions which can be provided during this pandemic. Stress, fear, anxiety, panic, frustration is very common during COVID-19 pandemic and these can be reduced by some psychological intervention measures.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document