Parenting during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Parenting is both an art and science of nurturing a child that comes very naturally to some. In today’s world, the fundamentals of parenting are getting challenged but it has been even more magnified during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The mental health of children is bound to be affected by the stress related to COVID-19 owing to loss of usual routine, unpredictability, uncertainty. Various other social, economic, and environmental factors also threaten their mental well-being. Parents are the child’s first and longest-lasting context for development Positive parenting that involves sensitivity, responsivity, caring, communicating, and empowering would ensure positive developmental outcomes in children and adolescents. Positive parenting and self-care of parents would serve as a promotive and preventative intervention for child and adolescent mental health, especially during this crisis.

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Some Aspects of Policy on Mental Well-Being of Children and Adolescents and the Polish Educational Law

Вестник Пермского университета Юридические науки ◽

10.17072/1995-4190-2021-51-186-197 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 186-197

Author(s):

J. Podgórska-Rykała ◽

◽

M. Kępa ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

System Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Functional System ◽

Prevention Policy ◽

Educational Law ◽

Main Research ◽

Mental Well Being

Introduction: the article deals with policy in the field of mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Special attention is paid to the country’s educational law and the tasks that face the entities constituting the Polish educational system in terms of taking effective measures to protect mental health of children and adolescents, including health promotion, prevention of mental disorders and the provision of care for people with mental aberration. Purpose: the article aims to identify and discuss some aspects of policy on mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Methods: the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the issue in question determined the methodological framework of the study. The authors employ methods traditionally used in research on public policies, such as political analyses of processes, methods used by researchers in the field of law, administration and economics. The main research tool in this study is the analysis of political public contexts which occur in the administration and enforcement of law. A functional system analysis is employed as an auxiliary tool. Results: despite the fact that the discussion on maintaining the mental well-being of children and adolescents has been taking place for many years, and that the educational law system and health policy, including its elements related to mental health, cover many aspects being of fundamental significance to the issue in question, practice shows that that there are still systemic and institutional deficiencies in this field. Conclusions: mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention in children and adolescents cannot be treated as separate activities, but they require a holistic, systemic, and hence horizontal approach. These activities must be integrated into a unified prevention policy at all decision-making and operational (executive) levels.

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A FOUNDATION AS A LEGAL INSTITUTION UNDER POLISH LAW

Вестник Пермского университета Юридические науки ◽

10.17072/1995-4190-2021-54-790-801 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 790-801

Author(s):

J. Podgórska-Rykała ◽

◽

M. Kępa ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

System Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Prevention Policy ◽

Educational Law ◽

Main Research ◽

Mental Well Being

Introduction: the article deals with policy in the field of mental well-being of children and adolescents in Poland. Special attention is paid to the country’s educational law and the tasks that face the entities constituting the Polish educational system in terms of taking effective measures to protect mental health of children and adolescents, including health promotion, prevention of mental disorders and the provision of care for people with mental aberration. Purpose: the article aims to identify and discuss some aspects of policy on mental wellbeing of children and adolescents in Poland. Methods: the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the issue in question determined the methodological framework of the study. The authors employ methods traditionally used in research on public policies, such as political analyses of processes, methods used by researchers in the field of law, administration and economics. The main research tool in this study is the analysis of political public contexts which occur in the administration and enforcement of law. A functional system analysis is employed as an auxiliary tool. Results: despite the fact that the discussion on maintaining the mental well-being of children and adolescents has been taking place for many years, and that the educational law system and health policy, including its elements related to mental health, cover many aspects being of fundamental significance to the issue in question, practice shows that that there are still systemic and institutional deficiencies in this field. Conclusions: mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention in children and adolescents cannot be treated as separate activities, but they require a holistic, systemic, and hence horizontal approach. These activities must be integrated into a unified prevention policy at all decisionmaking and operational (executive)levels.

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Furloughs, Teleworking and Other Work Situations during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Impact on Mental Well-Being

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18062898 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 2898

Author(s):

Israel Escudero-Castillo ◽

Fco. Javier Mato-Díaz ◽

Ana Rodriguez-Alvarez

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Well Being ◽

The Self ◽

Exogenous Shock ◽

Work Location ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Market Status ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Labour Market Status

As a consequence of the Spring 2020 lockdown that occurred in Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their jobs or had to be furloughed. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the latter changes in labour market status on psychological well-being. For this purpose, an ad-hoc questionnaire featuring socio-demographic and mental health criteria was created. Granted that the pandemic can be viewed as an exogenous shock, the bias caused by the bidirectional problems between the work situation and mental well-being can be tackled. Results indicate that the lockdown exerted a greater negative effect on the self-perceived well-being of unemployed and furloughed persons than on those in employment. Moreover, among those in continuous employment, teleworkers experienced a lesser degree of self-perceived well-being post lockdown as compared to those people remaining in the same work location throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the lockdown provoked worse effects on the self-perceived well-being of women as compared to men, a result that appears to be related to gender differences in household production. In conclusion, these results could be especially relevant given that the evolution of the pandemic is having ongoing effects on employment and, therefore, on the mental health of workers.

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COVID-19 is having a destructive impact on health-care workers’ mental well-being

International Journal for Quality in Health Care ◽

10.1093/intqhc/mzaa158 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kris Vanhaecht ◽

Deborah Seys ◽

Luk Bruyneel ◽

Bianca Cox ◽

Gorik Kaesemans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Residential Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Health Symptoms ◽

Care Workers ◽

Sources Of Support ◽

Mental Well Being

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may aggravate workplace conditions that impact health-care workers’ mental health. However, it can also place other stresses on workers outside of their work. This study determines the effect of COVID-19 on symptoms of negative and positive mental health and the workforce’s experience with various sources of support. Effect modification by demographic variables was also studied. Methods A cross-sectional survey study, conducted between 2 April and 4 May 2020 (two waves), led to a convenience sample of 4509 health-care workers in Flanders (Belgium), including paramedics (40.6%), nurses (33.4%), doctors (13.4%) and management staff (12.2%). About three in four were employed in university and acute hospitals (29.6%), primary care practices (25.7%), residential care centers (21.3%) or care sites for disabled and mental health care. In each of the two waves, participants were asked how frequently (on a scale of 0–10) they experienced positive and negative mental health symptoms during normal circumstances and during last week, referred to as before and during COVID-19, respectively. These symptoms were stress, hypervigilance, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, unable to relax, fear, irregular lifestyle, flashback, difficulty concentrating, feeling unhappy and dejected, failing to recognize their own emotional response, doubting knowledge and skills and feeling uncomfortable within the team. Associations between COVID-19 and mental health symptoms were estimated by cumulative logit models and reported as odds ratios. The needed support was our secondary outcome and was reported as the degree to which health-care workers relied on sources of support and how they experienced them. Results All symptoms were significantly more pronounced during versus before COVID-19. For hypervigilance, there was a 12-fold odds (odds ratio 12.24, 95% confidence interval 11.11–13.49) during versus before COVID-19. Positive professional symptoms such as the feeling that one can make a difference were less frequently experienced. The association between COVID-19 and mental health was generally strongest for the age group 30–49 years, females, nurses and residential care centers. Health-care workers reported to rely on support from relatives and peers. A considerable proportion, respectively, 18 and 27%, reported the need for professional guidance from psychologists and more support from their leadership. Conclusions The toll of the crisis has been heavy on health-care workers. Those who carry leadership positions at an organizational or system level should take this opportunity to develop targeted strategies to mitigate key stressors of health-care workers’ mental well-being.

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Child maltreatment, cognitive functions and the mediating role of mental health problems among maltreated children and adolescents in Uganda

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health ◽

10.1186/s13034-021-00373-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Herbert E. Ainamani ◽

Godfrey Z. Rukundo ◽

Timothy Nduhukire ◽

Eunice Ndyareba ◽

Tobias Hecker

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Working Memory ◽

Child Maltreatment ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems

Abstract Background Child maltreatment poses high risks to the mental health and cognitive functioning of children not only in childhood but also in later life. However, it remains unclear whether child maltreatment is directly associated with impaired cognitive functioning or whether this link is mediated by mental health problems. Our study aimed at examining this research question among children and adolescents in Uganda. Methods A sample of 232 school-going children and adolescents with a mean age of 14.03 (SD = 3.25) was assessed on multiple forms of maltreatment using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology Exposure—Pediatric Version (pediMACE). Executive functions were assessed by the Tower of London task and working memory by the Corsi Block Tapping task, while mental health problems were assessed using the Child PTSD Symptom Scale for PTSD and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Results In total, 232 (100%) of the participant reported to have experienced at least one type of maltreatment in their lifetime including emotional, physical, and sexual violence as well as neglect. We found a negative association between child maltreatment and executive functions (β = − 0.487, p < 0.001) and working memory (β = − 0.242, p = 0.001). Mental health problems did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions Child maltreatment seems to be related to lower working memory and executive functioning of affected children and adolescents even after controlling for potential cofounders. Our study indicates that child maltreatment the affects children’s cognitive functionality beyond health and well-being.

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Study Protocol for Implementation of An Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Promoting Mental Health Among Migrant Live-in Caregivers in Canada (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31211 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kenneth Po-Lun Fung ◽

Mandana Vahabi ◽

Masoomeh Moosapoor ◽

Abdolreza Akbarian ◽

Josephine Pui-Hing Wong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Self Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Virtual Space ◽

Commitment Therapy ◽

Acceptance And Commitment

BACKGROUND Psychological distress, isolation, feeling of powerlessness, and limited social support are realities faced by temporary migrant live–in caregivers in Canada. Furthermore, they experience multiple barriers in accessing mental health services due to their long work hours, limited knowledge about health resources, precarious employment, and immigration status. OBJECTIVE Women Empowerment - Caregiver Acceptance & Resilience E-Learning (WE2CARE) project is a pilot intervention research project that aims to promote mental well being and resiliency of migrant live-in caregivers. The objectives include exploring the effectiveness of this program in: (1) reducing psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress); (2) promoting committed actions of self-care; and (3) building mutual support social networks. Further, participants’ satisfaction with the intervention and their perceived barriers and facilitators to practicing the self-care strategies embedded in WE2CARE will be examined. METHODS Thirty-six live- in caregivers residing in Great Toronto Area (GTA) will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and waitlist control groups. The intervention group will receive a 6-week web-based psychosocial intervention that will be based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Standardized self-reported surveys will be administered online pre-, post-, and 6-week post-intervention to assess mental distress (DASS 21), psychological flexibility (AAQ-2), mindfulness (CAMS-R) and Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR-I). Two focus groups will be held with a subset of participants to explore their feedback on the utility of the WE2CARE program. RESULTS WE2CARE was funded in January 2019 for a year. The protocol was approved by the research ethics boards of Ryerson University (REB 2019-036) in February 2019, and University of Toronto (RIS37623) in May 2019. Data collection started upon ethics approval and was completed by May 2020. A total of 29 caregivers completed the study and 20 participated in the focus groups. Data analyses are in progress and results will be published in 2021. CONCLUSIONS WE2CARE can be a promising approach in reducing stress, promoting resilience, and providing a virtual space for peer emotional support and collaborative learning among socially isolated and marginalized women. The results of this pilot study will inform the adaptation and utility of online delivery of ACT based psychological intervention in promoting mental health among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. CLINICALTRIAL None

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Efficacy of ‘Foundations’, a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-Being, during COVID-19: A Proof-of-Principle Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30976 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Silvina Catuara-Solarz ◽

Bartlomiej Skorulski ◽

Inaki Estella ◽

Claudia Avella-Garcia ◽

Sarah Shepherd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

World Health ◽

Randomised Control Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Proof Of Principle

BACKGROUND Against a long-term trend of increasing demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global rise in common mental disorders. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based interventions to support mental well-being. OBJECTIVE The aim of this proof-of-principle study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile-based app in adults with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and stress in a randomised control trial that took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. METHODS Adults with mild to severe anxiety and moderate to high levels of perceived stress were randomised to either the intervention or control arm. Participants in the intervention arm were given access to the app, Foundations, for the duration of the 4-week study. All participants were required to self-report a range of validated measures of mental well-being (10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience scale [CD-RISC-10]; 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Office of National Statistics Four Subjective Well-being Questions [ONS-4]; World Health Organisation-5 Well-Being Index [WHO-5]) and sleep (Minimal Insomnia Scale [MISS]) at baseline and weeks 2 and 4; and, in addition, on perceived stress weekly (10-item Perceived Stress Score [PSS]). RESULTS 136 participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The intervention group (n=62) showed significant improvements compared to the control group (n=74) on measures of anxiety (GAD-7 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.35 [SD 4.43]; control group: -0.23 [SD 3.24]; t134= 1.71 , P=.04), resilience (CD-RISC score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.79 [± SD 4.08]; control group: -0.31 [± SD 3.16]; t134 -3.37, P<.001), sleep (MISS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.16 [± SD 2.67]; control group: -0.26 [± SD 2.29]; t134= 2.13, P=.01), and mental well-being (WHO-5 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.53 [5.30]; control group: -0.23 [± SD 4.20]; t134= -2.16, P=.02) within 2 weeks of using Foundations, with further improvements emerging at week 4. Perceived stress was also reduced within the intervention group, although the results did not reach statistical significance relative to the control group (PSS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -2.94 [± SD 6.84]; control group: -2.05 [± SD 5.34]; t134= 0.84, P=.20). CONCLUSIONS This study provides proof-of-principle that the digital mental health app, Foundations, can improve measures of mental well-being, anxiety, resilience, and sleep within 2 weeks of use, with greater effects after 4 weeks. It therefore offers potential as a scalable, cost-effective, and accessible solution to enhance mental well-being, even during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Identifying key targets for interventions to improve psychological wellbeing: replicable results from four UK cohorts

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291718003288 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 49 (14) ◽

pp. 2389-2396 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Stochl ◽

E. Soneson ◽

A.P. Wagner ◽

G.M. Khandaker ◽

I. Goodyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Wellbeing ◽

Self Perception ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Mental Health Interventions ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Signal Improvement

AbstractBackgroundAn increasing importance is being placed on mental health and wellbeing at individual and population levels. While there are several interventions that have been proposed to improve wellbeing, more evidence is needed to understand which aspects of wellbeing are most influential. This study aimed to identify key items that signal improvement of mental health and wellbeing.MethodsUsing network analysis, we identified the most central items in the graph network estimated from the well-established Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Results were compared across four major UK cohorts comprising a total of 47,578 individuals: the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey, the Northern Ireland Health Survey, and the National Child Development Study.ResultsRegardless of gender, the three items most central in the network were related to positive self-perception and mood: ‘I have been feeling good about myself’; ‘I have been feeling confident’; and ‘I have been feeling cheerful’. Results were consistent across all four cohorts.ConclusionsPositive self-perception and positive mood are central to psychological wellbeing. Psychotherapeutic and public mental health interventions might best promote psychological wellbeing by prioritising the improvement of self-esteem, self-confidence and cheerfulness. However, empirical testing of interventions using these key targets is needed.

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Iraq: children's and adolescents' mental health under conditions of continuous turmoil

International Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/s1749367600006135 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 4-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

AbdulKareem AlObaidi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Health Systems ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Civil Unrest ◽

Education And Health

Children and adolescents constitute half of Iraq's population of over 30 million. Mental health problems experienced by Iraqi children and adolescents are a hidden problem. Many factors contribute to the mental health problems of young Iraqis, including being victims and witnesses to violence, seeing family members become victims, being displaced from their homes, and experiencing the instability that still plagues their nation. Iraqis have experienced severe deprivation caused by many years of war, economic embargoes and civil unrest. Violence, poverty and the failure of the education and health systems have severely undermined the well-being of Iraqis, especially children (AlObaidi et al, 2009).

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Microdosing Psychedelics: Personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers

10.31234/osf.io/gk4jd ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Anderson ◽

Rotem Petranker ◽

Daniel Rosenbaum ◽

Cory Weissman ◽

Le-Anh Dinh-Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽

Online Forums ◽

New Paradigm ◽

Full Dose ◽

Regular Consumption ◽

Exciting Potential ◽

Clinical Benefits ◽

Mental Well Being

Microdosing psychedelics - the regular consumption of small amounts of psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin - is a growing trend in popular culture. Recent studies on full-dose psychedelic psychotherapy reveal promising benefits for mental well-being, especially for depression and end-of-life anxiety. While full-dose therapies include perception-distorting properties, microdosing may provide complementary clinical benefits using lower-risk, non-hallucinogenic doses. No experimental study has evaluated psychedelic microdosing, however; this pre-registered study is the first to investigate microdosing psychedelics and mental health. Recruited from online forums, current and former microdosers scored lower on measures of dysfunctional attitudes and negative emotionality and higher on wisdom, open-mindedness, and creativity when compared to non-microdosing controls. These findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy. As microdoses are easier to administer than full-doses, this new paradigm has the exciting potential to shape future psychedelic research.

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