scholarly journals Changes in youth mental health, psychological wellbeing, and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Zolopa ◽  
Jacob A. Burack ◽  
Roisin O'Connor ◽  
Charlotte Corran ◽  
Jessica Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Prospective Assessment ◽  
Substance Use Services ◽  
Poor Outcomes

Background: The focus of this review was to assess changes in youth mental health, psychological wellbeing, or substance use, as well as changes or disruptions to the delivery of mental health or substance use services for young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: We conducted a rapid review of the literature on our outcomes of interest among youth (age <=25) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Primary studies and systematic reviews on change were eligible for inclusion. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase in May 2021, and two reviewers screened studies for inclusion. We report results using a narrative synthesis.Results: We included 156 primary publications. A variety of methods were used to assess change, including prospective assessment of longitudinal cohorts, retrospective recall by participants in cross-sectional and qualitative studies, and comparison of peri-pandemic data to pre-pandemic normative values. Publications regarding mental health (n = 121) and psychological wellbeing (n = 26) generally indicated poor outcomes during the pandemic period. Publications on substance use (n = 41) revealed overall declines or unchanged patterns of use, though certain groups reported increased or problematic use. Studies of service delivery (n = 11) indicated a generally positive reception for helplines and telehealth, although some youth experienced difficulties accessing mental health services. Conclusions: The evidence indicates negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health, although declines in alcohol and nicotine use were also found. Services will need to continue to adapt as the pandemic progresses, particularly to support disadvantaged youth who lack access to telehealth resources.

scholarly journals Going virtual: youth attitudes toward and experiences of virtual mental health and substance use services during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa D. Hawke ◽  
Natasha Y. Sheikhan ◽  
Karen MacCon ◽  
Joanna Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Substance Use Services ◽  
Youth Attitudes ◽  
Virtual Services

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health and substance use services rapidly moved to virtual modalities to meet social distancing requirements. It is important to understand youth attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. Objective This study examined the attitudes toward and experiences of virtual mental health and substance use services among youth drawn from clinical and non-clinical samples. Method Four hundred nine youth completed a survey including questions about their attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. The survey included quantitative and open-ended questions on virtual care, as well as a mental health and substance use screener. Results The majority of youth with mental health or substance use challenges would be willing to consider individual virtual services, but fewer would consider group virtual services. However, many have not received virtual services. Youth are interested in accessing a wide variety of virtual services and other supportive wellness services. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual services are discussed, including accessibility benefits and technological barriers. Discussion As youth mental health and substance use services have rapidly gone virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we hear the perspectives of youth to promote service utilization among those in need. Diverse, accessible, technologically stable virtual services are required to meet the needs of different youth, possibly with in-person options for some youth. Future research, engaging youth in the research process, is needed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual services to plan for the sustainability of some virtual service gains beyond the pandemic period.

scholarly journals Going Virtual: Youth Attitudes Toward and Experiences of Virtual Mental Health and Substance use Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa D Hawke ◽  
Natasha Y Sheikhan ◽  
Karen MacCon ◽  
Joanna Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Substance Use Services ◽  
Youth Attitudes ◽  
Virtual Services

Abstract Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health and substance use services rapidly moved to virtual modalities to meet social distancing requirements. It is important to understand youth attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. Objective. This study examined the attitudes toward and experiences for virtual mental health and substance use services among youth drawn from clinical and non-clinical samples.Method. 409 youth completed a survey including questions about their attitudes toward and experience of virtual services. The survey included quantitative and open-ended questions on virtual care, as well as a mental health and substance use screener. Results. The majority of youth with mental health or substance use challenges would be willing to consider individual virtual services, but fewer would consider group virtual services. However, many have not received virtual services. Youth are interested in accessing a wide variety of virtual services and other supportive wellness services. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual services are discussed, including accessibility benefits and technological barriers. Discussion. As youth mental health and substance use services have rapidly gone virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we hear the perspectives of youth to promote service utilization among those in need. Diverse, accessible, technologically stable virtual services are required to meet the needs of different youth, possibly with in-person options for some youth. Future research, engaging youth in the research process, is needed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual services to plan for sustainability of some virtual service gains beyond the pandemic period.

Young construction workers: substance use, mental health, and workplace psychosocial factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Pidd ◽  
Vinita Duraisingam ◽  
Ann Roche ◽  
Allan Trifonoff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Young Australian workers are at elevated risk of mental health and alcohol and other drug related problems. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between alcohol and drug (AOD) use, psychological wellbeing, and the workplace psychosocial environment among young apprentices in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of a cohort of 169 construction industry apprentices in their first year of training was undertaken. The survey included measures of psychological distress (K10), quantity/frequency measures of alcohol and illicit drug use, and workplace psychosocial factors. Findings Construction industry apprentices are at elevated risk of AOD related harm and poor mental health. Levels of psychological distress and substance use were substantially higher than age/gender equivalent Australian population norms. Job stress, workplace bullying, and general social support accounted for 38.2 per cent of the variance in psychological distress. General social support moderated the effects of job stress and bullying on psychological distress. Substance use was not associated with psychological distress. However, workplace social support accounted for 2.1 per cent of the variance in AUDIT-C scores, and 2.0 per cent of the variance in cannabis use. Workplace bullying explained 2.4 per cent of the variance in meth/amphetamine use. Practical implications Construction trades apprentices are a high-risk group for harmful substance use and poor mental health. Study results indicate that psychosocial wellbeing interventions are warranted as a harm reduction strategy. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind to describe a cohort of Australian construction trade apprentices in terms of their substance use and psychological wellbeing. The study shows workplace psychosocial factors may predict young workers psychological wellbeing.

scholarly journals What makes mental health and substance use services youth friendly? A scoping review of literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa D. Hawke ◽  
Kamna Mehra ◽  
Cara Settipani ◽  
Jaqueline Relihan ◽  
Karleigh Darnay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Substance Use Services ◽  
Youth Friendly

scholarly journals Financial stress and mental health among higher education students in the UK up to 2018: rapid review of evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 977-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tayla McCloud ◽  
David Bann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Financial Stress ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk

IntroductionIn the United Kingdom and many other countries, debt accrued during higher education has increased substantially in recent decades. The prevalence of common mental health problems has also increased alongside these changes. However, it is as yet unclear whether there is an association between financial stress and mental health among higher education students.MethodsWe conducted a rapid review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature. Eligible studies were English-language publications testing the association between any indicator of financial stress and mental health among higher education students in the UK. Papers were located through a systematic search of PsychINFO, PubMed and Embase up to November 2018.ResultsThe search strategy yielded 1272 studies—9 met the inclusion criteria. A further two were identified through hand-searching. The median sample size was 408. Only three of seven studies found an association between higher debt and worse mental health. There was a consistent cross-sectional relationship between worse mental health and both experience of financial difficulties (seven of seven studies) and debt worry/financial concern (four of five studies), though longitudinal evidence was mixed and limited to six studies.ConclusionAmong higher education students in the UK, there is little evidence that the amount of debt is associated with mental health. However, more subjective measures of increased financial stress were more consistently associated with worse mental health outcomes. Nevertheless, the identified evidence was judged to be weak; further research is required to examine whether links between financial stress and mental health outcomes are robust and causal in nature.

scholarly journals Family trouble: Heteronormativity, emotion work and queer youth mental health

2019 ◽  
pp. 136345931986057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth McDermott ◽  
Jacqui Gabb ◽  
Rachael Eastham ◽  
Ali Hanbury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Work ◽  
Lgbtq Youth ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Queer Youth ◽  
Health And Well Being

Conflict with the family about sexual orientation and gender diversity is a key risk factor associated with poor mental health in youth populations. Findings presented here derive from a UK study that employed an interdisciplinary critical mental health approach that de-pathologised emotional distress and conceptualised families as social and affective units that are created through everyday practices. Our aim was to explore how family relationships foster, maintain or harm the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. Data were generated through exploratory visual, creative and digital qualitative methods in two phases. Phase 1 involved digital/paper emotion maps and interviews with LGBTQ+ youth aged 16 to 25 (n = 12) and family member/mentor interviews (n = 7). Phase 2 employed diary methods and follow-up interviews (n = 9). The data analytic strategy involved three stages: individual case analysis, cross-sectional thematic analysis and meta-interpretation. We found that family relationships impacted queer youth mental health in complex ways that were related to the establishment of their autonomous queer selves, the desire to remain belonging to their family and the need to maintain a secure environment. The emotion work involved in navigating identity, belonging and security was made difficult because of family heteronormativity, youth autonomy and family expectations, and had a stark impact on queer youth mental health and well-being. Improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth requires a much deeper understanding of the emotionality of family relationships and the difficulties negotiating these as a young person.

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