scholarly journals MontefineseEtAl_2021_ANEW-COVID_PrePrint

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Montefinese ◽  
Ettore Ambrosini ◽  
Alessandro Angrilli
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Word Use ◽  
Affective Content ◽  
Lower Valence ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Google Search

Italy was the first Western country with numerous COVID-19 infections that underwent a strong lockdown. This represents the first threat-related mass isolation in the history that can be in-depth studied by scientists to understand the side effects of pandemic lockdown in the psychophysical domain. There is increasing evidence that Italian lockdown was associated with larger incidence of stress, anxiety, and mood symptoms. It was thus expected that, at a more basic level, also emotion perception -namely how an individual judges the affective content of common words- changed substantially during lockdown, especially in individuals with high COVID-19 fear and high negative affect. We measured the effects of this long-term isolation and the related pandemic phobia in an online survey on 71 healthy Italian participants. They completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Fear of COVID-19 Scale and judged valence, arousal, and dominance of words either related or unrelated to COVID-19, as identified by Google search trends. We found that lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic had a substantial impact on participants’ emotional responses. Moreover, emotional judgments changes from normative data varied depending on word type and individuals’ emotional state, revealing early signals of individuals’ mental distress to COVID-19 confinement. Lower valence and dominance judgments were given only to COVID-19-related words by individuals with less negative feelings and COVID-19 fear, but also to COVID-19-unrelated words by individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. Moreover, arousal judgments for all words decreased and increased, respectively, for individuals with less and more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. With respect to more direct but demanding and expensive tools such as surveys and questionnaires, the methods used here allow to measure more conveniently but reliably the emotional alteration and clinical psychiatric risk of population through the analysis of word use in the web and their affective connotation.

scholarly journals Online search trends and word-related emotional response during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: a cross-sectional online study

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11858
Author(s):  
Maria Montefinese ◽  
Ettore Ambrosini ◽  
Alessandro Angrilli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Distress ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Google Search

Background The strong and long lockdown adopted by the Italian government to limit COVID-19 spreading represents the first threat-related mass isolation in history that can be studied in depth by scientists to understand individuals’ emotional response to a pandemic. Methods We investigated the effects on individuals’ mental wellbeing of this long-term isolation by means of an online survey on 71 Italian volunteers. They completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Fear of COVID-19 Scale and judged valence, arousal, and dominance of words either related or unrelated to COVID-19, as identified by Google search trends. Results Emotional judgments changes from normative data varied depending on word type and individuals’ emotional state, revealing early signals of individuals’ mental distress to COVID-19 confinement. All individuals judged COVID-19-related words to be less positive and dominant. However, individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear also judged COVID-19-unrelated words to be less positive and dominant. Moreover, arousal ratings increased for all words among individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear but decreased among individuals with less negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. Discussion Our results show a rich picture of emotional reactions of Italians to tight and 2-month long confinement, identifying early signals of mental health distress. They are an alert to the need for intervention strategies and psychological assessment of individuals potentially needing mental health support following the COVID-19 situation.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Sense of Coherence, and Interpersonal Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3708
Author(s):  
Stefanie Jung ◽  
Jonas Kneer ◽  
Tillmann H. C. Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Patient Health

Preliminary data indicates that the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have a substantial impact on mental health and well-being. We assessed mental health in response to the lockdown in Germany between 1 April 2020 and 15 April 2020 using a cross-sectional online survey (n = 3545) with a mixed-methods approach. We found increased levels of psychosocial distress (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) stress module), anxiety, depressive symptoms (PHQ-4), irritability, and a decrease in overall well-being (WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)), sense of coherence (Short Form of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-L9)), sexual contentment, and sleep quality. The four-week-prevalence of interpersonal violence was yet at 5% and included verbal, physical, and sexual violence. Participants reported finding comfort in family, friends, conversation, exercise, and activity. Findings are also in line with research showing that women seem to have more trouble coping with the pandemic and lockdown measures. Our observations demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures lead to a mental health burden even in a highly developed Western country and should, therefore, be taken seriously. The findings for interpersonal violence are alarming. Thus, we should sharpen our focus on the matter and activate and enhance supporting systems to help protect those affected.

scholarly journals Use of Artificial Intelligence to understand adults’ thoughts and behaviours relating to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 175791392097933
Author(s):  
SW Flint ◽  
A Piotrkowicz ◽  
K Watts
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Community Recovery ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviours ◽  
Artificial Intelligence Methods ◽  
High Concern ◽  
The Impact

Aims: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that has had substantial impact across societies. An attempt to reduce infection and spread of the disease, for most nations, has led to a lockdown period, where people’s movement has been restricted resulting in a consequential impact on employment, lifestyle behaviours and wellbeing. As such, this study aimed to explore adults’ thoughts and behaviours in response to the outbreak and resulting lockdown measures. Methods: Using an online survey, 1126 adults responded to invitations to participate in the study. Participants, all aged 18 years or older, were recruited using social media, email distribution lists, website advertisement and word of mouth. Sentiment and personality features extracted from free-text responses using Artificial Intelligence methods were used to cluster participants. Results: Findings demonstrated that there was varied knowledge of the symptoms of COVID-19 and high concern about infection, severe illness and death, spread to others, the impact on the health service and on the economy. Higher concerns about infection, illness and death were reported by people identified at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Behavioural clusters, identified using Artificial Intelligence methods, differed significantly in sentiment and personality traits, as well as concerns about COVID-19, actions, lifestyle behaviours and wellbeing during the COVID-19 lockdown. Conclusions: This time-sensitive study provides important insights into adults’ perceptions and behaviours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown. The use of Artificial Intelligence has identified that there are two behavioural clusters that can predict people’s responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, which goes beyond simple demographic groupings. Considering these insights may improve the effectiveness of communication, actions to reduce the direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support community recovery.

scholarly journals COVID-19 as a Stressor: Pandemic Expectations, Perceived Stress, and Negative Affect in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
And Coping

Abstract Objectives The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic is appraised as a stressor influences perceived stress (PS) and psychological well-being during the event. Here, the association of older adults’ expectations concerning the pandemic’s duration and impact with PS and negative affect (NA) is investigated. Based on the stress and coping framework, PS is expected to mediate the association between COVID-19 expectations and NA. Methods Seven hundred fourteen residents of the United States and aged 60 and older completed an anonymous online survey in late March 2020 reporting PS, NA, and expectations regarding the pandemic. Results Regression analyses controlling for demographic factors revealed that more dire pandemic expectations significantly predicted PS and NA directly, and the effects on NA were significantly mediated by PS. Discussion Findings provide evidence that expectations about a pandemic influence the extent to which older adults experience stress and NA in the midst of a pandemic event. Implications for mental health are discussed.

scholarly journals Critical thinking and creativity of MSMEs in improving business performance during the covid-19 pandemic

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Mujanah ◽  
I Dewa Ketut Raka Ardiana ◽  
Riyadi Nugroho ◽  
Candraningrat Candraningrat ◽  
Achmad Yanu Alif Fianto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this descriptive-explanatory study is to examine the relationship between critical thinking and creativity and the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) in Indonesia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, a questionnaire instrument was used, which was given online using Online Survey Forms, to collect information from a sample of 108 business managers who were selected at random to participate. Using the SmartPLS software, an analysis was performed once the data had been collected. The results indicate a substantial impact on the performance of MSMEs in Indonesia was found to be associated with critical thinking and innovation, according to the findings.

Users' Satisfaction with the Electronic Health Record (EHR) in the Kingdom of Bahrain

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 29-51
Author(s):  
Aysha Ebrahim Abdulla ◽  
Shurooq Yousif Ahmed ◽  
Maryam Abdulrahman Alnoaimi ◽  
Hayat Ali
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Record System ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Electronic Health

Today, many hospitals seek to adopt the latest and most sophisticated technologies in order to raise the service quality and users' satisfaction. The Electronic Health Record (EHR) had a substantial impact on the health sector and has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare providers. The purpose of this research is to examine the factors that affect users' satisfaction with the current Health Record System in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A research model was built based on three popular models of users' satisfaction toward information systems. Toward achieving the research objective, a quantitative approach was followed to collect data from an online survey. Accordingly, 152 responses were collected from the users of EHR in public hospitals and health centres in Bahrain. The results of the survey were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 3.0. It was concluded that the most effective factors in the users' satisfaction with EHR were directly service quality and technical support, with system and information quality indirectly through trust.

The Missing Leader: Japanese Youths' View of Political Authority

1975 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Massey
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Political Authority ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
National Leaders ◽  
Popular Images ◽  
Negative Feelings

Before 1945 Japan was the epitome of a nation whose political regime was based on the presence of a “benevolent leader,” the Emperor. The postwar democratic regime, however, was founded in explicit repudiation of this central role of the Emperor in the political life of the nation. This study, based on two surveys of Japanese children and adolescents, investigates their images of political authority figures and the consequences of those images on support for the institutions of the present regime. The first part of the paper focuses on younger children's images of possible contenders for the role of benevolent leader. The data reveal indifference toward the emperor and strong negative affect toward the prime minister. Comparison of the images of prime minister and local leader suggests that the leader's personality and leadership style, characteristics of the institutional structure of politics, and children's conceptions of the meaning of “politics” combine to the detriment of the prime minister's image. The second part of the paper centers around the question of whether there occurs in later years a spill-over of negative affect from the prime minister's image onto the other major institutions of the regime. The data indicate that a selective political cynicism emerges in adolescence, in which negative feelings toward the authoritative, output institutions of government are coupled with support for those institutions which mediate popular participation in politics. The paper concludes with a consideration of the significance that the historical origins of a political regime have for popular images of national leaders.

scholarly journals When altruists cannot help: The influence of altruism on mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Feng ◽  
Dan Dong ◽  
Min Zong ◽  
Zhizun Yang ◽  
Zhihong Qiao
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Valuable Insight

Abstract Background The positive predictive effect of altruism on physical and psychological well-being has been extensively demonstrated in previous studies, but few studies have examined the effect of altruism on negative mental health outcomes when altruists cannot perform altruistic behaviors. This study explored the influence of altruism on negative affect and mental health (anxiety and depression) during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people self-isolated at home in China.Method: College students were recruited via a cross-sectional online survey during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. Self-reported perceived risk, altruism, negative affect, anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured using the Self-Report Altruism Scale (SRA), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the 9-item PHQ depression scale (PHQ-9). A structural equation model was used to analyze the mediating and moderating effects on mental health.Results The final sample comprised 1346 Chinese participants (Mage = 19.76 ± 2.23 years, 73% female). Overall, the higher risk people perceived, the more negative affect they exhibited (β = 0.16, p < .001); thus, the more anxious and depressed they felt (β = 0.134, p < .001), but this relationship between risk perception and negative affect was moderated by altruism. Paradoxical to previous studies, the increase in negative affect associated with increased perceived risk was pronounced among individuals with high altruism ( t = 7.68, p < .001).Conclusions Individuals with high altruism exhibited more negative affect, indirectly increasing their anxiety and depressive symptoms. The findings enrich the theory of altruism and provide valuable insight into the influence of altruism on mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak.

scholarly journals COMPULSIVE BUYING AND RELATED MOTIVES: ENHANCEMENT AND COPING

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuntay Arcan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Compulsive Buying ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Coping Motives ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Negative Feelings

"Background: Research indicates that compulsive buying that refers to chronic, excessive shopping and expenditure isn’t rare, especially among the young people. However, related studies are limited. More research is required to advance our understanding about the phenomenon and to improve prevention and treatment strategies. Objectives: This study especially aimed to investigate the role of shopping motives for compulsive buying. For this purpose, coping and enhancement motives that were originally developed to assess drinking reasons were adapted for shopping. Examining the relationships of compulsive buying with demographics, spending frequency of different products, positive and negative affect were also other objectives of the study. Methods: The sample was composed of 362 voluntary university students selected through convenience sampling in Turkey. Majority of the participants were females (77.9%). The mean age was 21.91 (SD = 3.11). Participants rated the frequency of shopping motives for each of the 5 enhancement items (e.g. to get high, because it’s fun) and the 5 coping items (e.g. to forget worries, to relax) on 4 point Likert-scale (1: almost never, 4: almost always). Compulsive Buying Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were also utilized as standard measurement instruments. The participants rated their spending frequency on different products such as cosmetics, clothes, technological products, or furniture on a 1 to 4 scale (1: almost never, 4: almost always). Findings: According to the results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis being female, having younger age and lower GPA (1st step) in addition to higher personal income (2nd step), spending frequently for cosmetics, shoes and clothes (3rd step), having higher negative affect (4th step) were found to be associated with compulsive buying scores. Moreover, both enhancement and coping motives that were entered into the regression equation in the last step (5th step), also predicted the participants’ compulsive buying scores. The total explained variance was 58.2%. Conclusions: The findings of this study are important to indicate the possible risk factors for compulsive buying including age, gender, income, spending habits, and negative affect. Moreover, the results reveal that buying something in order to enhance positive affect and to avoid negative feelings can be prominent determinants of compulsive buying. Research from non-Western countries such as the present study are essentially important to highlight the associates of compulsive buying across cultures since majority of the relevant literature derive from studies conducted with Western participants."

scholarly journals Young People's Use of Digital Tools to Support Their Mental Health During Covid-19 Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudette Pretorius ◽  
David Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Resources ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Google Search

Young adulthood represents a sensitive period for young people's mental health. The lockdown restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced young people's access to traditional sources of mental health support. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the online resources young people were using to support their mental health during the first lockdown period in Ireland. It made use of an anonymous online survey targeted at young people aged 18–25. Participants were recruited using ads on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat. A total of 393 respondents completed the survey. Many of the respondents indicated that they were using social media (51.4%, 202/393) and mental health apps (32.6%, 128/393) as sources of support. Fewer were making use of formal online resources such as charities (26%, 102/393) or professional counseling services (13.2%, 52/393). Different social media platforms were used for different purposes; Facebook was used for support groups whilst Instagram was used to engage with influencers who focused on mental health issues. Google search, recommendations from peers and prior knowledge of services played a role in how resources were located. Findings from this survey indicate that digital technologies and online resources have an important role to play in supporting young people's mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these digital tool's potential as well as how they can be improved to better meet young people's needs.

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