Mechanisms of Parental Stress During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown: A two-wave longitudinal study

Background: In the unpredictable times of the ongoing global coronavirus disease (COVID-19), parents worldwide are affected by stressors and strains that follow in the wake of the government-initiated distancing protocols.Objective: In a two‐wave longitudinal survey, we examined levels of parental perceived stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression among a sample of parents at two time points; in the midst of the strictest government-initiated physical distancing protocols following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (T1, N = 2868) and three months after the protocols discontinued (T2, n = 1489). Further, we investigated the levels of parental stress, anxiety, and depression relative to perceived relationship quality and anger aimed at child(ren) at the two time points, including subgroups based on age, sex, cultural background, civil status, education level, number of children in household, employment status, and pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis.Methods and findings:Parents were asked to fill out a set of validated questionnaires on the two measurement occasions. As expected, the findings indicate that the high levels of parental stress significantly decreased from T1 to T2, indicating that the cumulative stressors that parent’s experiences during distancing protocols declined as a function of the phaseout of the protocols. The decrease of perceived parental stress at the two time points, was accompanied by a significant decrease in symptoms of both depression and anxiety among the participating parents. Symptoms meeting the clinical cut-off for depression (23.0%) and generalized anxiety disorder (23.3%) were reported among participating parents at T1, compared to 16.8% and 13.8% respectively at T2. Reduction in depression and angry at child(ren) from T1 to T2 were further associated with a reduction in perceived parental stress. In addition, relationship quality and angry at child(ren) at T1 predicted change in parental stress. Conclusions: The findings underline some of the negative psychological impact of physical distancing protocols on parent’s health and well-being. Parents who are facing physical distancing and remaining at home with their children may be particularly vulnerable to parental stress, anxiety and depression. Uncovering the nature of how these constructs are associated to parents and families facing social crisis, such as the ongoing pandemic, can contribute to design relevant interventions to reduce parental stress and strengthen parental coping and resilience.Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown, parental stress, anxiety, depression, social distancing.

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Mechanisms of parental distress during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown phase: A two-wave longitudinal study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e0253087

Author(s):

Miriam S. Johnson ◽

Nora Skjerdingstad ◽

Omid V. Ebrahimi ◽

Asle Hoffart ◽

Sverre Urnes Johnson

Keyword(s):

Relationship Quality ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Parental Distress ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Time Points ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Cumulative Stress ◽

Health And Well Being

Background In these unpredictable times of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, parents worldwide are affected by the stress and strain caused by the physical distancing protocols that have been put in place. Objective In a two‐wave longitudinal survey, we investigated the levels of parental stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a sample of parents at two time points; during the implementation of the strictest physical distancing protocols following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (T1, N = 2,868) and three months after the discontinuation of the protocols (T2, N = 1,489). Further, we investigated the relationships between parental stress and anxiety and depression relative to relationship quality and anger toward their children at the two aforementioned time points, including subgroups based on age, parental role, cultural background, relationship status, education level, number of children, employment status and pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis. Methods and findings Parents were asked to fill out a set of validated questionnaires on the two measurement points. Parental stress significantly decreased from T1 to T2, indicating that the cumulative stress that parents experienced during the implementation of the distancing protocols declined when the protocols were phased out. The decrease of perceived parental stress was accompanied by a significant decrease in the symptoms of both depression and anxiety among the participating parents. Symptoms meeting the clinical cut-offs for depression (23.0%) and generalized anxiety disorder (23.3%) were reported among participating parents at T1, compared to 16.8% and 13.8% at T2, respectively. The reduction in depression and anger toward their child(ren) from T1 to T2 was associated with a reduction of parental stress. Relationship quality and anger toward their child(ren) at T1 further predicted a change in the level of parental stress from T1 to T2. Conclusions The study underlines the negative psychological impacts of the implementation of the distancing protocols on parents’ health and well-being. Uncovering the nature of how these constructs are associated with parents and families facing a social crisis such as the ongoing pandemic may contribute to the design of relevant interventions to reduce parental distress and strengthen parental coping and resilience.

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Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Health Care Professionals on Duty in COVID-19 Wards

10.20944/preprints202010.0559.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Maham Noor Afroz ◽

Syeda Maria Hassan ◽

Kanwal Bansari ◽

Humza Faisal Siddiqui ◽

Sana Irfan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Group A ◽

The Government ◽

Group B ◽

Anxiety Depression

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has affected HCPs in multiple way. It has caused psychological impact in form of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In this study, we aim to study and compare the stress level, anxiety and depression among HCPs who are posted in special COVID-19 units with the HCPs who are not posted in COVID-19 units.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2020, at various hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. All health care professionals (HCPs) were invited to participate. A total of 301 HCPs completed this study, who were divided into two groups; those who are posted in COVID-19 ward (Group A) and those who are not (Group B). Psychological Impact was English version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21).Results: In Group A, 70.5% had moderate, severe, or extremely severe depression compared to 49.2% in group B. In Group A, 75.4% had moderate, severe, or extremely severe anxiety compared to 44.7% in group B. In Group A, 80.3% had moderate, severe or extremely severe stress compared to 54.2% in group B. Anxiety, depression and stress were significantly higher in HCPs who were posted in COVID-19 ward compared to those who were not posted in COVID-19 wardConclusion: There was significantly higher anxiety, stress and depression in health care professionals posted in COVID-19 ward. Both the government and health care agencies should take responsibility for protecting the psychological well-being of health care communities all over the world and ensuring a healthy work environment.

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Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being

New Media & Society ◽

10.1177/1461444819840021 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 2160-2182 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Samantha B Mackson ◽

Paula M Brochu ◽

Barry A Schneider

Keyword(s):

Social Comparison ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

The Social ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Insight Into

The current study examined the association between the social media application Instagram and its users’ psychological well-being. Participants, both Instagram users and non-users, were surveyed online on measures of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, body image, and social comparison. Participants who reported having an Instagram account were also asked about their time spent on Instagram and Instagram anxiety. To understand the association between Instagram and psychological well-being, the study’s first aim was to compare participants who had an Instagram account with those who did not have one. Results revealed that participants with the application reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and higher levels of self-esteem, than participants who did not have an account. Furthermore, loneliness and self-esteem mediated the association between having an Instagram account and depression and anxiety. The second aim of the study was to examine what factors are associated with Instagram users’ reports of anxiety and depression, focusing specifically on participants who reported having an Instagram account. Results revealed that anxiety and depression were predicted by Instagram anxiety and social comparison, respectively. Overall, these results show that Instagram is associated with psychological well-being. However, when Instagram users experience Instagram anxiety or engage in social comparison, it is associated with poorer psychological outcomes. This research provides an insight into the psychological impact that Instagram can have on its users.

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AB0177 ANXIETY-DEPRESSIVE SPECTRUM IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ANKYLOSING SPONDILITIS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.3444 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1114.2-1114

Author(s):

M. Letaeva ◽

M. Koroleva ◽

J. Averkieva ◽

O. Malyshenko ◽

T. Raskina

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Depressive Syndrome ◽

Depression Screening ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Control Group ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Anxiety Depression

Objectives:to assess the frequency of occurrence of the anxiety-depressive spectrum in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.Methods:A survey was conducted of 44 patients aged from 21 to 57 years (average age - 42.3 ± 6.7 years), who were treated at GAUZ KO OKGVV. All patients had a verified diagnosis of RA and AS according to the ACR criteria and received treatment with basic drugs. The control group consisted of 40 people comparable in age and sex, without concomitant pathology of RA and AS.The depression screening card, the subjective well-being scale, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) were used to assess and detect anxiety-depressive syndrome. The assessment of the condition is carried out over the last 2 weeks, which corresponds to the temporary diagnostic criterion for depression.The Depression Screening Scale is a 35-item self-questionnaire that assesses 7 categories of signs: sleep and appetite disorders, anxiety, emotional instability, cognitive impairment, loss of self, guilt, and suicidal tendencies. A total score of 65 and above indicates a high likelihood of depression.The Subjective Well-Being Scale is a psychodiagnostic screening tool for measuring the emotional component of subjective well-being or emotional comfort.Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Zigmond A.S., Snaith R.P. was developed for the primary detection of depression and anxiety in a general medical practice. The HADS scale consists of 14 statements with 4 possible answers and includes two parts: anxiety and depression. The sum of points of 8 or more is regarded as “subclinically expressed anxiety / depression”, 11 or more points - “clinically expressed anxiety / depression”.Results:According to the results of the depression screening questionnaire, 34 (77.3%) patients with RA and AS showed signs of depression, while in the control group only 6 (15%) patients tested positive for the presence of depressive disorders. According to the data obtained when assessing the scale of well-being in the main group, 26 (59.1%) patients showed signs of emotional discomfort (the indicator was 80% or more), in the control group - in 6 (15%). Using the hospital scale of anxiety and depression HADS, anxiety-depressive syndrome was detected in 36 (81.8%) patients with RA and AS: 16 (44.4%) patients had anxiety, 20 (55.6%) - depression, of them, subclinically expressed anxiety and depression were observed in 10 (27.7%) and 12 (33.3%) people, respectively. Anxiety-depressive syndrome in the control group, according to the HADS questionnaire, was detected only in 8 (20%) patients, of whom 4 (10%) patients had subclinical anxiety and 4 (10%) had signs of depression. No clinically pronounced anxiety and depression were registered in the control group.Conclusion:In most patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, anxiety-depressive disorders have been identified, which can directly affect both the course of the disease itself and the development of various complications. Timely diagnosis of mental disorders and close cooperation of rheumatologists, psychiatrists and psychologists in the selection of adequate therapy can improve the course and prognosis of the disease.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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Divorce in the family and its psychological impact on the adolescent

Pedagogy and Psychology ◽

10.51889/2020-4.2077-6861.16 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 132-139

Author(s):

M. Iskakova ◽

◽

T. Nurzhanova ◽

A. Sapargaliyeva ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Family Relationships ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Strong Shock ◽

Well Being ◽

Number Of Children ◽

The Family ◽

Modern Family ◽

Divorce Rates ◽

Methodological Considerations

The purpose of this article is to review and describe the psychosocial impact of divorce on children and adolescents facing divorce situations in their lives, as well as to provide psychological intervention for their emotional well- being. Recently, problems related to the family have become increasingly relevant in society. The modern family has undergone major changes: its size and number of children have decreased, the roles of the older brother and sister have not become so great, and the influence of the older generation is not unconditional. But the most important thing is that the number of divorces has increased dramatically — almost every second marriage breaks up. But divorce is a strong shock for all family members, and first of all, for children. High divorce rates recorded in Kazakhstan, especially in cities, are one of the most serious consequences of the imbalance in family relationships. Finally, some suggestions were included regarding methodological considerations in conducting prospective research.

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Psychological Impact of Corona Lockdown in Germany: Changes in Need Satisfaction, Well-Being, Anxiety, and Depression

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17239083 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 9083

Author(s):

Malte Schwinger ◽

Maike Trautner ◽

Henrike Kärchner ◽

Nantje Otterpohl

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

The Novel ◽

Educational Levels ◽

In The Beginning

All over the world; measures have been implemented to contain the novel Sars-CoV-2 virus since its outbreak in the beginning of 2020. These measures—among which social distancing and contact restrictions were most prominent—may have an overall effect on people’s psychological well-being. The present study seeks to examine whether lockdown measures affected people’s well-being; anxiety; depressive symptoms during the lockdown and whether these effects could be explained by reduced satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of autonomy and relatedness. N = 1086 participants of different ages and educational levels from all over Germany reported strong declines in autonomy and well-being; small declines in relatedness satisfaction; moderate increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms. These effects were stronger for people with moderate to bad subjective overall health. Latent change modeling revealed that, especially, decreases in autonomy satisfaction led to stronger decreases in well-being as well as stronger increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms; whereas decreases in relatedness had much weaker effects. Our results imply differential effects depending on individual preconditions; but also more generally that peoples’ need for autonomy was most strongly affected by the lockdown measures, which should be considered as important information in planning future lockdowns.

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Physical and Psychological Impact of the Phase One Lockdown for COVID-19 on Italians

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.563722 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Marco Tommasi ◽

Francesca Toro ◽

Simone Arnò ◽

Angelo Carrieri ◽

Marco Maria Conte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Psychological Conditions ◽

Natural Catastrophes ◽

Physical And Psychological Health ◽

At Home

The exceptional pandemic due to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has obliged all Italians to stay at home. In the literature, there are evidences that traumatic global events, such as natural catastrophes and pandemic, have negative effects on the physical and psychological health of the population. We carried out a survey to analyze the physical and psychological conditions of Italians during the pandemic. Due to the severe limitations in moving during the phase one lockdown, the survey was administered by internet. Results show that Italians followed the provisions established by the Italian government to avoid contamination, but 43% of them declared to have suffered from physical symptoms, in particular migraine, sleep disorders, persistent exhaustion, and difficulty of concentration. They have great fear to be contaminated or that relatives or friends can be contaminated, and they actively take actions to avoid contamination. Participants declared that they had suffered a lot of inconveniences due to restrictions in their movements, and that their life habits were strongly changed. They spent their time at home in different activities, but their psychological well-being was strongly impaired by the lockdown. The level of anxiety tripled, in relation to the prepandemic period, and 30% of males and 41% of females declared to have severe levels of depression. Participants with high levels of optimism and hopefulness show a stronger resilience against anxiety and depression. In addition, there is a negative correlation between anxiety and depression and the five factors of personality. These results show that psychological diseases must not be neglected, and that people in lockdown do need support for their psychological health, also with the help of internet and communication technologies.

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Sextech Use as a Potential Mental Health Reprieve: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness in Seeking Sex Online

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18178924 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 8924

Author(s):

Alexandra S. Marcotte ◽

Ellen M. Kaufman ◽

Jessica T. Campbell ◽

Tania A. Reynolds ◽

Justin R. Garcia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Behavior ◽

Sexual Behaviors ◽

Global Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Mental Health Interventions ◽

Important Pathway ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Mental Well Being

Depression, anxiety, and loneliness have long been recognized as global mental health concerns. To temporarily relieve psychological distress, self-soothing behavior is common, including engagement in sexual behaviors that are linked to positive mental well-being. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated many mental health ailments alongside physical distancing regulations, we specifically examined online sexual behavior via the use of emergent digital sexual technologies, or sextech. In a 2019 study of 8004 American adults, we assessed whether people experiencing higher anxiety, depression, and/or loneliness were more likely to engage in sextech use. Furthermore, we examined whether anxiety or depression mediated the association between loneliness and sextech use, as loneliness is one contributor to anxiety and depression. People with higher anxiety and depression were more likely to engage in sextech. However, those who were more lonely were less likely to engage with sextech, suggesting the aforementioned patterns were not due to lack of social connection. Our findings suggest people with mental health struggles may be drawn to interactive, digital forms of sexual behavior as a means of alleviating symptoms through distraction or self-soothing. This insight offers an important pathway for expanding the scope of mental health interventions, particularly as technology becomes increasingly prevalent and accessible in everyday life.

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The Therapeutic Effects of Yoga on Health and Related Diseases: An Analytical Review

Journal of Scientific Research in Medical and Biological Sciences ◽

10.47631/jsrmbs.v1i2.133 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 109-115

Author(s):

Gurmeet Singh Sarla

Keyword(s):

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

Well Being ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

The Body ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Mind And Body ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Reducing Stress

Purpose: Yoga means unity of mind and body. It has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and thus it can be used as complementary medicine. It not only is effective for strengthening the body but also incorporates appropriate breathing techniques, mindfulness, and meditation in order to achieve the maximum benefits. The objective of this study is to assess the findings of selected articles regarding the therapeutic effects of yoga and to provide a comprehensive review of the benefits of regular yoga practice. Subjects and Methods: In order to locate research studies and interventions that examined the therapeutic effects of yoga, databases were searched through Google Scholar and PubMed. The keywords entered into the database were Yoga, therapeutic effects, stress, anxiety, depression, chronic disease, arthritis, low backache, diabetes, cancer and pregnancy and articles from 1993 to 2007 were searched. Results: It is revealed that Yoga improves physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual health and offers an effective method of managing and reducing stress, anxiety and depression. It also triggers neurohormonal mechanisms that bring about health benefits, evidenced by the suppression of sympathetic activity. Yoga should be considered as a complementary therapy or alternative method for medical therapy in the treatment of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders as it has been shown to create a greater sense of well-being, increase feelings of relaxation, improve self-confidence and body image, improve efficiency, better interpersonal relationships, increase attentiveness, lower irritability, and encourage an optimistic outlook on life. Conclusion: Yoga teaches us to slow down, quieten our minds and connect with our inner selves which ultimately help in relieving us from the pressures and stressors of this modern day life.

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Anxiety and depression in the Republic of Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/8yqxr ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Philip Hyland ◽

Mark Shevlin ◽

Orla McBride ◽

Jamie Murphy ◽

Thanos Karatzias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Self Report ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Republic Of Ireland ◽

The Republic ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Temporary Closure

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland precipitated the temporary closure of all non-essential services and a nationwide quarantine as of March 27th, 2020. This study represents the first assessment of the mental health of the nation during the initial phase of the COVID-19 response, as part of a multi-wave investigation into the social, behavioural, and psychological impact of the pandemic.Aims: First, estimate prevalence rates of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and combined anxiety and depression, and identify risk factors associated with screening positive for anxiety/depression. Second, determine if COVID-19-related anxiety was highest amongst those identified with the greatest mortality risk from the virus. Method: Self-report data from a nationally representative Irish sample (N = 1,041) was collected online between March 31 and April 5; the first week of the Republic of Ireland’s nationwide quarantine measures. Results: A substantial proportion of people screened positive for depression (22.77%), generalized anxiety (20.00%), and anxiety/depression (27.67%). Screening positive for anxiety/depression was associated with younger age, female sex, loss of income due to COVID-19, COVID-19 infection, and higher perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. Citizens aged 65 and older reported significantly higher levels of COVID-19 anxiety than adults aged 18-34. Sex, underlying health conditions, and proximity to COVID-19 deaths were not associated with COVID-19 anxiety.Conclusions: Government responses to the current pandemic should ensure that measures protect not only the population’s physical health, but its mental health also, as an equally important component of health and wellbeing.

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