scholarly journals Associations of Household Structure and Presence of Children in the Household with Mental Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Smail ◽  
Kira Riehm ◽  
Cindy Veldhuis ◽  
Renee Johnson ◽  
Calliope Holingue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Distress ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Household Structure ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurpose: The objectives of the current study were to: (1) assess the impact of household structure (i.e. living alone compared to living with children, a partner, or both) and presence of children on mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) determine whether these associations are moderated by income or sex.Results: A total of 2,524 adults aged 25-55 were included in the analytic sample. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine associations between explanatory variables and mental distress, measured via the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-4. In adjusted models, each additional child under the age of 12 was associated a decrease in mental distress (β=-0.21, p=0.03). This finding was significant when adjusting for sociodemographic variables (age, sex, race, education, household income, living with a partner, and currently having a job) and historical depressive symptoms (CESD-8). Having children between the ages of 13 and 18 and household structure were not significantly associated with mental distress.Conclusion: This study supports prior literature that demonstrates the positive association of childrearing with psychological well-being, and suggests that these benefits may be present even under stay-at-home orders in the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Living/Eating Arrangement, Loneliness, and Mental Distress among Older Korean Immigrants: Gender Difference

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 921-921
Author(s):  
Nan Sook Park ◽  
Yuri Jang ◽  
Soondool Chung ◽  
David Chiriboga ◽  
William Haley
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Gender Difference ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Korean Immigrants ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Older Korean Immigrants ◽  
Structural Isolation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Structural isolation such as living alone poses a mental health risk in diverse groups of older adults, including older immigrants. Given that those living with others might also be disengaged, the present investigation included eating alone as another source of isolation and examined the impact of the combination of living and eating alone. The proposes of the study were to examine (1) how living and/or eating alone would impact mental distress, (2) whether the impact would be mediated by feelings of loneliness, and (3) if there would be gender differences in the mediation effect. The data were drawn from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA), which surveyed older Korean immigrants in five states during 2017−2018. The living/eating arrangement was classified into four-groups: living/eating with others (57%), living with others/eating alone (12.4%), living alone/eating with others (7.3%), and living/eating alone (23.1%). Using the PROCESS macro, we tested the mediation effect of loneliness and the moderation effect of gender in the relationship between the typology and mental distress controlling for background/health characteristics and social capital related variables. Two groups (living with others/eating alone and living/eating alone) had sociodemographic, health, and social capital disadvantages. Analyses demonstrated that mental distress was linked with living with others/eating alone and living/eating alone, of which relationships were mediated by loneliness only among women. Findings suggest that not only structural isolation (e.g., living alone) but also disengagement with others (e.g., eating alone) need to be considered to understand emotional well-being in older immigrant population and gender difference.

Cognitive Impairment and Length of Stay in Acute Care Hospitals: A Scoping Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Jonathan Plante ◽  
Karine Latulippe ◽  
Edeltraut Kröger ◽  
Dominique Giroux ◽  
Martine Marcotte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Older persons experiencing a longer length of stay (LOS) or delayed discharge (DD) may see a decline in their health and well-being, generating significant costs. This review aimed to identify evidence on the impact of cognitive impairment (CI) on acute care hospital LOS/DD. A scoping review of studies examining the association between CI and LOS/DD was performed. We searched six databases; two reviewers independently screened references until November 2019. A narrative synthesis was used to answer the research question; 58 studies were included of which 33 found a positive association between CI and LOS or DD, 8 studies had mixed results, 3 found an inverse relationship, and 14 showed an indirect link between CI-related syndromes and LOS/DD. Thus, cognitive impairment seemed to be frequently associated with increased LOS/DD. Future research should consider CI together with other risks for LOS/DD and also focus on explaining the association between the two.

Beyond vision loss: the independent impact of diabetic retinopathy on vision-related quality of life in a Chinese Singaporean population

2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 1314-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva K Fenwick ◽  
Ryan E K Man ◽  
Alfred Tau Liang Gan ◽  
Neelam Kumari ◽  
Charlene Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Diabetic Retinopathy ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
The Impact

Background/aimsTo assess the independent impact of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on three domains of vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) in a Chinese Singapore population.MethodsThe Singapore Chinese Eye Study (n=3353; 2009–2011) was a population-based, prospective, cross-sectional study conducted at the Singapore Eye Research Institute. The study population included 292 adults with diabetes, with and without DR. DR (better eye) was categorised as presence and absence of any DR; severity of DR (no vision-threatening DR (VTDR); severe non-proliferative DR (NPDR); PDR and/or clinically significant macular oedema and VTDR). Our main outcome was VRQoL which was measured using Rasch-calibrated scores from the ‘Reading’, ‘Mobility’ and ‘Emotional’ domains of the Impact of Vision Impairment questionnaire. The relationship between DR and VRQoL was assessed using multiple linear regression models.ResultsOf the 292 individuals (mean age 61.35 ± 9.66 years; 55.8% male), 201 (68.8%), 49 (16.8%), 20 (6.8%), 22 (7.5%) and 27 (9.2%) had no DR, minimal-mild NPDR, moderate-severe NPDR, PDR and VTDR, respectively. Any DR and VTDR were independently associated with 6% and 12% worse Reading scores and 7% and 18% poorer Emotional well-being, respectively, compared with those without DR. These associations persisted after separate adjustment for visual impairment and presenting visual acuity. No significant difference was found in the Mobility domain between persons with and without DR.ConclusionsWe documented that DR, particularly VTDR, was independently associated with restrictions in Reading and Emotional well-being. Understanding factors underlying the detrimental DR-VRQoL relationship may optimise rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with DR.

scholarly journals The Stress of Caring—Resilience and HPA-Axis Activity in Hair Samples of Youth Residential Caregivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bürgin ◽  
Nina Kind ◽  
Martin Schröder ◽  
Vera Clemens ◽  
Jörg M. Fegert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Residential Care ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Residential Care Institutions ◽  
Hair Samples

Background: Professional caregivers in youth residential care institutions experience frequent verbal and physical aggression as well as multiple stressors as part of their everyday work, leading to high levels of burnout and staff turnover. Resilience might buffer against psychophysiological stress response and therefore be crucial for well-being in professional caregivers.Objectives: We aimed to investigate if measures related to resilience [sense of coherence (SoC), self-efficacy and self-care] and attachment security of caregivers were cross-sectionally associated with stress markers in hair samples [cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)].Method: Participants (n = 134; 64.2% women) reported on individual resilience measures and provided hair samples for cortisol and DHEA assays. Attachment was assessed in a subsample using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP, n = 69). Linear regression models were fitted to estimate the association between resilience measures and the Cortisol:DHEA ratio, cortisol and DHEA, controlling for gender and age.Results: SoC was associated with a lower Cortisol:DHEA ratio (β = −0.36, p < 0.001), driven by a positive association between SoC and DHEA levels (β = 0.28, p = 0.002). Self-care was also associated with lower Cortisol:DHEA ratios (β = −0.24, p = 0.005), due to self-care being associated with higher DHEA (β = 0.21, p = 0.016). HPA-axis measures were not associated with self-efficacy nor with attachment patterns in a subsample.Conclusions: Our findings imply that youth residential care institutions might benefit from programs focusing on enhancing SoC and self-care practices. Fostering a meaningful, comprehensible and manageable professional climate in caregiving environments and implementing self-care in routine practices might enhance not only well-being but also physical health of professional caregivers and in this way buffer adverse health effects of chronic stressors.

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

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

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

scholarly journals The Impact of Social Support and Pregnancy on Subjective Well-Being: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buyantungalag Battulga ◽  
Marc Reginald Benjamin ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Enkhmandakh Bat-Enkh
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
The Impact

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) has a protective role in mental health maintenance and is prone to change during short stressful moments, such as pregnancy. Longstanding research suggests that social support (SS) from the partner and family members of pregnant women directly or indirectly acts as a buffer against negative mental outcomes. For happier pregnancies, it is important to understand how SS and pregnancy affect the SWB.Objective: This review aims to examine the extended association of being pregnant and SS on the SWB of pregnant women.Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included regardless of the year and if they had assessed the impact of at least one SWB or SS outcome among healthy pregnant women. The tools of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute were used for quality assessment.Results: Thirty-four studies that assessed the domains of SWB measurements, such as happiness, quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction, positive and negative effects, and well-being, were included and its association with either pregnancy or SS was summarized. Variable results, such as life satisfaction, happiness, and mental component of QoL, were found to be high during pregnancy, but positive emotion and physical components of QoL had decreased. Almost universally, SS during pregnancy was found to have a positive association with all measurements of SWB.Conclusion: This study had found that, despite some arising trends, pregnancy itself does not necessarily have similar impacts on SWB across healthy pregnant women. However, SS had a significant effect on SWB.

Music therapy effectiveness by duration in patients with cancer: a meta-regression

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2021-003163
Author(s):  
Ronald Chow ◽  
Robert Bergner ◽  
Elizabeth Prsic
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Therapy Effectiveness ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesSeveral reviews and meta-analyses have reported on music therapy for physical and emotional well-being among patients with cancer. However, the duration of music therapy offered may range from less than 1 hour to several hours. The aim of this study is to assess whether longer duration of music therapy is associated with different levels of improvement in physical and mental well-being.MethodsTen studies were included in this paper, reporting on the endpoints of quality of life and pain. A meta-regression, using an inverse-variance model, was performed to assess the impact of total music therapy time. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the outcome of pain, among low risk of bias trials.ResultsOur meta-regression found a trend for positive association between greater total music therapy time and improved better pain control, but it was not statistically significant.ConclusionThere is a need for more high-quality studies examining music therapy for patients with cancer, with a focus on total music therapy time and patient-related outcomes including quality of life and pain.

Day Case Varicose Vein Surgery: Patient Health Outcome

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-163
Author(s):  
K. J. Sweeney ◽  
T. Cheema ◽  
S. O'Keefe ◽  
S. Johnston ◽  
P. Burke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Function ◽  
Varicose Vein ◽  
Varicose Veins ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Perception ◽  
Day Case ◽  
Varicose Vein Surgery ◽  
Population Norms ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
The Impact

Background: The success of day case varicose vein surgery (DCWS) is traditionally denned clinically. However, the patient's perception of his or her own health prior to and following DCWS has not been established. This study prospectively measured the health status of patients with varicose veins, compared this with established population norms and assessed the impact of DCWS on both general health perception and varicose vein symptoms. Method: Fifty-three consecutive patients undergoing DCWS over a 9 month period were enrolled in this study. The SF-36 health assessment questionnaire and a vein-symptom-specific questionnaire were administered on the morning of surgery, 7 weeks postoperatively and 1 year following surgery. All patients in this study underwent a standard varicose vein operation and followed a standard protocol of postoperative management. Results: DCWS population health scores were lower than general population norms preoperatively. There was a significant improvement in the 7 week postoperative group in physical function and health perception (p<0.05). One year after surgery physical function, health perception, mental health and physical role were significantly improved from preoperative scores (p<0.05). Symptom-specific scores demonstrated a sustained trend towards improvement over the postoperative year. Conclusion: Varicose veins are associated with diminished well-being. Day case varicose vein surgery improves patient health perception and symptoms and is the treatment of choice for suitable patients with varicose veins.

scholarly journals Mental Distress in the United States at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 1628-1634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Calliope Holingue ◽  
Luther G. Kalb ◽  
Kira E. Riehm ◽  
Daniel Bennett ◽  
Arie Kapteyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Completion Date ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental distress in US adults. Methods. Participants were 5065 adults from the Understanding America Study, a probability-based Internet panel representative of the US adult population. The main exposure was survey completion date (March 10–16, 2020). The outcome was mental distress measured via the 4-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Results. Among states with 50 or more COVID-19 cases as of March 10, each additional day was significantly associated with an 11% increase in the odds of moving up a category of distress (odds ratio = 1.11; 95% confidence interval = 1.01, 1.21; P = .02). Perceptions about the likelihood of getting infected, death from the virus, and steps taken to avoid infecting others were associated with increased mental distress in the model that included all states. Individuals with higher consumption of alcohol or cannabis or with history of depressive symptoms were at significantly higher risk for mental distress. Conclusions. These data suggest that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental distress may continue to increase and should be regularly monitored. Specific populations are at high risk for mental distress, particularly those with preexisting depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals The Complex Relationship Between Veterinarian Mental Health and Client Satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Perret ◽  
Colleen O. Best ◽  
Jason B. Coe ◽  
Amy L. Greer ◽  
Deep K. Khosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Health States ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Impact

A relatively high risk of poor mental health has been described among Canadian veterinarians, but no published studies have explored the impact that veterinarian mental health may have on veterinary clients and patients. In order to investigate the association between veterinarian mental health and veterinary client satisfaction, veterinarians were randomly sampled and recruited throughout southwestern Ontario, Canada, from November, 2017, through January, 2019. Sixty participating veterinarians completed an enrollment survey that included psychometric scales measuring resilience, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, emotional distress, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Nine hundred and ninety-five companion animal clients of these veterinarians were recruited in-clinic over 2–3 days and completed a post-appointment survey including the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. The associations between clients' satisfaction scores (as the outcome variable) and each of the veterinarians' mental health measures (as the explanatory variables) were assessed using separate, multilevel, multivariable linear regression models. The associations between client satisfaction and veterinarian mental health measures were non-linear and complex; in several of the models, relatively higher client satisfaction was unexpectedly associated with poor veterinarian mental health states, while lower client satisfaction was associated with mental health scores suggesting wellness. Given that client satisfaction may impact client adherence to medical recommendations, client loyalty, and business income, the association with veterinarian mental health may have broad implications and warrants further investigation.

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