Relationships Between Young Men’s Health-Related Behaviour, Psychological Distress, Physical Education and Sports Experience

Background. Negative health-related behaviours among young adults are common worldwide. Most of young males are physically inactive, have poor diets, drink a lot of alcohol or smoke, and such behavior causes physical and mental health disorders (Aubert et al., 2018). Nowadays more mental health problems are diagnosed among young people than a decade. Researchers are trying to determine the causes of harmful behaviour in adults, but the impact of previous physical education on further health-related behaviours in adults has not been studied. Methods. Physical activity, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking was evaluated according to the 2008 US Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviours (Bray et al., 2009). Adherence to a healthy eating pattern was evaluated using the Mediterranean diet adherence screener (MEDAS). Psychological distress was assessed using the six-item Kessler scale (Kessler et al., 2003). Results. Nearly half of young adults were physically inactive, ate poorly, had harmful habits, one of ten had high psychological distress. Two thirds of the respondents participated in sports in childhood, 61% of young people liked the physical education lessons, 44% of them attended every PE lesson. Lower distress was significantly associated with better nutrition, higher physical activity, lower alcohol consumption, and smoking. Also, significant associations were found between higher alcohol consumption and more frequent smoking. Higher incomes, younger age, better perception and attendance of PE classes in the past, active lifestyle in childhood and adulthood are the predictive factors of more favourable health-related behaviours and better mental health. Conclusions. Harmful health-related behaviours are prevalent among young adults, one of tenth has high psychological distress. Although the majority of young adults were active in childhood, the percentage of active adults decreases significantly. More favourable health-related behaviours are related to less distress. Better economic status, better PE experiences in childhood, sports activities in adulthood lead to better health-related behaviours and less distress. Keywords: young adults, health-related behaviours, mental health, physical education.

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Exploring the views of university students with experience of common mental health disorders about support provided within primary care community settings

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (S1) ◽

pp. S18-S19

Author(s):

Mikaela D'Arcy-Smith ◽

Marta Buszewicz

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Young Adults ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Young People ◽

University Students ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Mental Health Disorders ◽

Health Disorders ◽

The Impact

AimsTo assess the impact of common mental health disorders (CMHDs) on university students’ function and wellbeing. To understand the barriers to receiving adequate support for CMHDs during both adolescence and at university. To provide feedback to healthcare professionals about how young people perceive the support provided when initially seeking help for psychological distress. To explore which forms of support students find the most useful.MethodA literature review was initially undertaken, identifying the lack of prior research in this area. The current study addressed the gap by considering the needs of students with CMHDs in the context of primary care services, with a retrospective exploration of their views about support received during adolescence. 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with both current university students and recent graduates from across the UK, transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis. The study population included 7 men and 8 women, between the ages of 18–25 years.ResultFive main themes emerged from the data:The Journey to Disorder – Explored the difficulties faced by adolescents, and how these might contribute to their experience of CMHDs and their management.Attitudes Towards Help-Seeking – Many participants had little trust in healthcare professionals as adolescents. This contributed to limited trust in university support systems as young adults.Primary Care Support - Perceived effectiveness of General Practitioner (GP) support during adolescence in this cohort was highly variable. Although some participants described good experiences, others felt their views were ignored, with responsibility diverted to their caregivers. A lack of understanding from GPs about CMHDs in adolescents resulted in trust issues for them as young adults.Recommendations for Change - Participants reflected on their previous and current experiences to inform suggestions for changes to tackle issue of psychological distress in adolescents.ConclusionPrevious experiences of the care they had received when presenting with CMHDs during adolescence potentially affected the long-term wellbeing of university students and graduates; the initial support received was inconsistent with the needs of this age group. Recommendations for change included a greater emphasis on the importance of adolescent mental health education, tailoring interventions to personal growth and maturity, and ensuring primary healthcare providers are equipped with the skills required to manage psychological distress in young people.

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Nutrition, lifestyle factors, and mental health in adolescents and young adults living in Austria

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2013-0310 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 377-386 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Julia Walther ◽

Ulrike Aldrian ◽

Hans Peter Stüger ◽

Ingrid Kiefer ◽

Cem Ekmekcioglu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Young People ◽

Fast Food ◽

Well Being ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

Positive Effects

Abstract Background: Due to an alarming trend of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, along with the sparse data on dietary habits and lifestyle factors, the present study aims to analyze the current nutritional behavior as well as the lifestyle and mental health of adolescents and young adults living in Austria. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 500 respondents (aged between 14 and 24 years) completed an anonymous questionnaire on nutrition behavior, mental health, and lifestyle factors by Internet survey. Results: Only 50% of the participants ate breakfast daily and 10% did not eat breakfast at all. About 47% of the respondents consumed milk and milk products daily. Furthermore, only 31% ate fruit and 21% ate vegetables at least once a day, and 46% ate fish seldom or never. Nearly 28% of young people liked to eat fast food twice or thrice a week and more, with males more often replacing a meal with a fast food product (36%) than females (21%). About 46% of the respondents engaged in physical activity only once a week (or more rarely). A fifth of our respondents (23%) spent more than 2 h a day using various social networks, with Facebook being the most popular social network among the respondents. Around 27% claimed to be smokers, with more female (33%) than male (20%) smoker. In terms of sleeping habits, 19% slept <6 h a day. Regarding well-being, 44% were more likely to feel stressed, 35% stated that they were tense, and 43% felt tired and listless. Eating together, physical activity, and sleep patterns showed positive effects on well-being, whereas higher consumption of fast food/snacks/soft drinks and alcoholic drinks/energy drinks was associated with relatively lower well-being. Conclusions: Unhealthy eating habits, suboptimal physical activity, and smoking are still prominent in a sample of Austrian adolescents and young people. In addition, stress and tiredness are also relevant problems in this collective.

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Mental health and health behaviours before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: Longitudinal analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Study

10.1101/2020.06.21.20136820 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Claire L Niedzwiedz ◽

Michael Green ◽

Michaela Benzeval ◽

Desmond D Campbell ◽

Peter Craig ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

List Type ◽

Longitudinal Analyses ◽

Cigarette Use ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk

AbstractBackgroundThere are concerns that COVID-19 mitigation measures, including “lockdown” may have unintended health consequences. We examined trends in mental health and health behaviours in the UK before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and differences across population subgroups.MethodsRepeat cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey, including representative samples of adults (aged 18+) interviewed in four surveys between 2015 and 2020 (n=48,426). 9,748 adults had complete data for longitudinal analyses. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ). Binary outcomes were created for loneliness, current smoking and use of e-cigarettes. Alcohol consumption was assessed using three binary measures assessing frequent, binge and heavy drinking. Cross-sectional weighted prevalence estimates were calculated and multilevel Poisson regression assessed associations between time period and the outcomes of interest, as well as differential effects by age, gender, education level and ethnicity.ResultsPsychological distress substantially increased one month into the COVID-19 lockdown, with the prevalence rising from 19.4% (95% CI 18.7%-20.0%) in 2017-19 to 30.3% (95% CI 29.1%-31.6%) in April 2020. Women’s mental health was particularly affected, as was that of the most educated and young adults. Loneliness remained stable overall. Smoking and e-cigarette use declined and the proportion of people drinking on four or more days per week increased, as did binge drinking.ConclusionsPsychological distress increased one month into lockdown, particularly among women and young adults. Smoking declined, but the frequency of alcohol consumption increased. Effective treatment and prevention are required to mitigate adverse impacts on health.What is already known on this topicCountries around the world have implemented radical COVID-19 lockdown measures, with concerns that these may have unintended consequences for a broad range of health outcomes.Evidence on the impacts of lockdown measures on mental health and health-related behaviours remains limited.What this study addsIn the UK, psychological distress markedly increased during the lockdown, with women particularly adversely affected.Smoking and e-cigarette use fell, but the frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased.

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Are lower levels of physical activity and self-rated fitness associated with higher levels of psychological distress in Croatian young adults? A cross-sectional study

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4700 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4700 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Lovro Štefan ◽

Goran Sporiš ◽

Tomislav Krističević

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Psychological Distress ◽

Insufficient Physical Activity ◽

The City

Background Although previous evidence has shown that physical activity and physical fitness lower the level of psychological distress, little is known of simultaneous associations between of physical activity and physical fitness and with psychological distress, especially in young adults. Therefore, the main purpose of the present study was to explore both separate and simultaneous association between physical activity and physical fitness with psychological distress. Methods Participants in this cross-sectional study were 2,100 university students (1,041 men and 1,059 women) chosen from eight faculties in the city of Zagreb. Physical activity, physical fitness and psychological distress were assessed using structured questionnaires. The associations were examined using logistic regression analysis. Results After adjusting for gender, body-mass index, self-rated health, material status, binge drinking, chronic disease/s and sleep quality, “insufficient” physical activity (OR = 2.60; 95% CI [1.92–3.52]) and “lower” levels of physical fitness (tertile 2; OR = 1.94; 95% CI [1.25–3.01] and tertile 1; OR = 2.59; 95% CI [1.65–4.08]) remained associated with “high” psychological distress. When physical activity and physical fitness were entered simultaneously into the model, “insufficient” physical activity (OR = 2.35; 95% CI [1.72–3.21]) and “lower” levels of physical fitness (tertile 2; OR = 1.77; 95% CI [1.24–2.77] and tertile 1; OR = 2.00; 95% CI [1.26–3.20]) remained associated with “high” psychological distress. Conclusion Our study shows that both “insufficient” physical activity and “lower” levels of physical fitness are associated with “high” psychological distress, even after adjusting for numerous covariates. Therefore, special policies aiming to increase the levels of physical activity and fitness are warranted.

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A descriptive study of the prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in the Canadian population: comparison between low-income and non-low-income populations

Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada ◽

10.24095/hpcdp.30.3.03 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 148-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Caron ◽

A. Liu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Abuse ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Low Income ◽

Well Being ◽

Descriptive Study ◽

Canadian Community Health Survey ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

High Psychological Distress

Objective This descriptive study compares rates of high psychological distress and mental disorders between low-income and non-low-income populations in Canada. Methods Data were collected through the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS 1.2), which surveyed 36 984 Canadians aged 15 or over; 17.9% (n = 6620) was classified within the low-income population using the Low Income Measure. The K-10 was used to measure psychological distress and the CIDI for assessing mental disorders. Results One out of 5 Canadians reported high psychological distress, and 1 out of 10 reported at least one of the five mental disorders surveyed or substance abuse. Women, single, separated or divorced respondents, non-immigrants and Aboriginal Canadians were more likely to report suffering from psychological distress or from mental disorders and substance abuse. Rates of reported psychological distress and of mental disorders and substance abuse were much higher in low-income populations, and these differences were statistically consistent in most of the sociodemographic strata. Conclusion This study helps determine the vulnerable groups in mental health for which prevention and promotion programs could be designed.

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Physical activity and mental well-being under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional multination study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10931-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Costas I. Karageorghis ◽

Jonathan M. Bird ◽

Jasmin C. Hutchinson ◽

Mark Hamer ◽

Yvonne N. Delevoye-Turrell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Young Adults ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Online Survey ◽

Electronic Device ◽

Well Being ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Steps Per Day ◽

Western Nations

Abstract Background COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia). Methods An online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time). Results In the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women. Conclusions The findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.

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ENgage YOung people earlY (ENYOY): a mixed-method study design for a digital transdiagnostic clinical – and peer- moderated treatment platform for youth with beginning mental health complaints in the Netherlands

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03315-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. van Doorn ◽

A. Popma ◽

T. van Amelsvoort ◽

C. McEnery ◽

J. F. Gleeson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Young People ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Study Design ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Mixed Method Study ◽

Health Complaints ◽

Stress Biomarkers ◽

Smart Watch

Abstract Background The onset of mental disorders typically occurs between the ages of 12 and 25, and the burden of mental health problems is the most consequential for this group. Indicated prevention interventions to target individuals with subclinical symptoms to prevent the transition to clinical levels of disorders, even leading to suicide, have shown to be effective. However, the threshold to seek help appears to be high. Digital interventions could offer a solution, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This implementation study will investigate the digital indicated prevention intervention ENgage YOung people Early (ENYOY), the Dutch version of the original Moderated Online Social Therapy Platform (MOST+) from Australia. In addition, the relationship between stress biomarkers, symptoms and outcome measures of youth using the platform will be investigated in this study. Methods The MOST+ platform will be adapted, translated and developed for the situation in the Netherlands in collaboration with a Youth Panel. A prospective cohort of 125 young people (16–25 years) with beginning mental health complaints will be on the platform and followed for a year, of which 10 participants will have an additional smart watch and 10 participants will be asked to provide feedback about the platform. Data will be collected at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months. Outcome measures are Psychological Distress assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Social and occupational functioning (measures by the SOFAS), positive mental health indicators measured by the Positive Health Instrument, stress biomarkers with a smart-watch, website journeys of visitors, and feedback of youth about the platform. It will be a mixed-method study design, containing qualitative and quantitative measures. Discussion This trial will specifically address young people with emerging mental health complaints, and offers a new approach for treatment in the Netherlands. Considering the waiting lists in (child and adolescent)-psychiatry and the increase in suicides among youth, early low-threshold and non-stigmatizing help to support young people with emerging psychiatric symptoms is of crucial importance. Moreover, this project aims to bridge the gap between child and adolescent and adult psychiatry. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register ID NL8966, retrospectively registered on the 19th of October 2020.

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Unmet need for professional mental health care among adolescents with high psychological distress

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867417707818 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 59-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Rachel Sheppard ◽

Frank P Deane ◽

Joseph Ciarrochi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Unmet Need ◽

High Psychological Distress ◽

Professional Mental Health

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Psychotic disorders in young adults with perinatally acquired HIV: a UK case series

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720004134 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

I. Mallik ◽

T. Pasvol ◽

G. Frize ◽

S. Ayres ◽

A. Barrera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Young People ◽

Case Series ◽

Psychotic Episode ◽

Published Data ◽

Growing Up ◽

Term Care ◽

Perinatally Acquired

Abstract Background Increasing numbers of children with perinatally acquired HIV (PaHIV) are transitioning into adult care. People living with behaviourally acquired HIV are known to be at more risk of psychosis than uninfected peers. Young adults living with PaHIV face numerous risk factors; biological: lifelong exposure to a neurotrophic virus, antiretroviral medication and immune dysfunction during brain development, and environmental; social deprivation, ethnicity-related discrimination, and migration-related issues. To date, there is little published data on the prevalence of psychotic illness in young people growing up with PaHIV. Methods We conducted a retrospective case note review of all individuals with PaHIV aged over 18 years registered for follow up at a dedicated clinic in the UK (n = 184). Results In total, 12/184 (6.5%), median age 23 years (interquartile range 21–26), had experienced at least one psychotic episode. The presentation and course of the psychotic episodes experienced by our cohort varied from short-lived symptoms to long term illness and nine (75%) appear to have developed a severe and enduring mental illness requiring long term care. Conclusion The prevalence of psychosis in our cohort was clearly above the lifetime prevalence of psychosis in UK individuals aged 16–34 years, which has been reported to be 0.5–1.0%. This highlights the importance of clinical vigilance regarding the mental health of young people growing up with PaHIV and the need to integrate direct access to mental health services within the HIV centres providing medical care.

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