scholarly journals Reduced Sleep Duration and Sleep Efficiency Were Independently Associated With Frequent Nightmares in Chinese Frontline Medical Workers During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Qi Lin ◽  
Ze-Xin Lin ◽  
Yong-Xi Wu ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Zhao-Nan Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Efficiency ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Frequent Nightmare

ObjectivesNightmares were related to emotion and behavioral problems and also emerged as one of the core features of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our study aimed to investigate the associations of frequent nightmares with sleep duration and sleep efficiency among frontline medical workers in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.MethodsA total of 528 health-care workers from the province of Fujian providing medical aid in Wuhan completed the online questionnaires. There were 114 doctors and 414 nurses. The age, sex, marital status, and work situation were recorded. A battery of scales including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to evaluate subjects’ sleep and general mental health. Frequent nightmares were defined as the response of at least once a week in the item of “nightmare” of PSQI.ResultsFrequent nightmares were found in 27.3% of subjects. The frequent nightmare group had a higher score of PSQI-sleep duration and PSQI-habitual sleep efficiency (frequent nightmares vs. non-frequent nightmares: PSQI-sleep duration, 1.08 ± 0.97 vs. 0.74 ± 0.85, P < 0.001; PSQI-habitual sleep efficiency, 1.08 ± 1.10 vs. 0.62 ± 0.88, P < 0.001). Reduced sleep duration and reduced sleep efficiency were independently associated with frequent nightmares after adjustment for age, sex, poor mental health, and regular sleeping medication use (reduced sleep duration: OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.07–3.58, P = 0.029; reduced sleep efficiency: OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.09–4.32, P = 0.027). Subjects with both reduced sleep duration and sleep efficiency were also associated with frequent nightmares (OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.57–4.65, P < 0.001).ConclusionThe present study found that sleep duration and sleep efficiency were both independently associated with frequent nightmares among frontline medical workers in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. We should pay attention to nightmares and even the ensuing PTSD symptoms among subjects with reduced sleep duration or sleep efficiency facing potential traumatic exposure.

scholarly journals Brief materials and programmes for children and families who have experienced conflict and displacement

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Calam ◽  
A El-Khani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Parenting Skills ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Conflict Zone ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Recovery Techniques ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract This presentation will provide an overview of a set of materials and programmes designed for families who are living through or have escaped conflict and displacement. Delivery formats include i) brief leaflets giving parenting advice for caregivers; ii) a more extensive booklet and format for a Conversation Group, and iii) a programme designed to address post-traumatic stress in children, Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT), to which a caregiver and parenting skills module was added, to form TRT+Parenting. Each intervention has been tested or trialled with families living in challenged contexts. The leaflet was distributed to 3000 families via bakeries in conflict zones in Syria. The Conversation Group was trialled for feasibility in Palestine. TRT+Parenting was piloted with Syrian families living on the Turkey-Syria border, and then trialled with 120 families in Lebanon, with teachers and social care workers trained as facilitators. In Syria, 59.5% of 3000 parents returned questionnaires and reported satisfaction with the leaflet despite the study being conducted in a conflict zone and in the context of humanitarian intervention. The Conversation Group proved feasible and acceptable, and caregivers in Palestine gave positive feedback. Children and caregivers showed significant improvements across measures of trauma and mental health, with higher levels of improvement seen in the TRT+Parenting group compared to TRT alone or waitlist. Caregivers who took part in the Plus Parenting component also reported improvement in their own mental health. The results demonstrated valuable improvements across all interventions, and indicate that brief programs can and should be widely used as components of preventive strategies.

scholarly journals Persistent distress after psychological exposure to the Nagasaki atomic bomb explosion

2011 ◽  
Vol 199 (5) ◽  
pp. 411-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiharu Kim ◽  
Atsuro Tsutsumi ◽  
Takashi Izutsu ◽  
Noriyuki Kawamura ◽  
Takao Miyazaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Atomic Bomb ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Primary Outcome Measure ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Radiological Hazard ◽  
Sample Group ◽  
Individual Perception ◽  
Health Deterioration ◽  
Bomb Explosion

BackgroundAlthough there is speculation that individuals living in the vicinity of nuclear disasters have persistent mental health deterioration due to psychological stress, few attempts have been made to examine this issue.AimsTo determine whether having been in the vicinity of the Nagasaki atomic bomb explosion in the absence of substantial exposure to radiation affected the mental health of local inhabitants more than half a century later.MethodParticipants were randomly recruited from individuals who lived in the vicinity of the atomic bomb explosion in uncontaminated suburbs of Nagasaki. This sample (n = 347) was stratified by gender, age, perception of the explosion and current district of residence. Controls (n = 288) were recruited from among individuals who had moved into the area from outside Nagasaki 5–15 years after the bombing, matched for gender, age and district of residence. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of those at high risk of mental disorder based on the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire, with a cut-off point of 5/6. Other parameters related to individual perception of the explosion, health status, life events and habits were also assessed.ResultsHaving been in the vicinity of the explosion was the most significant factor (OR = 5.26, 95% CI 2.56–11.11) contributing to poorer mental health; erroneous knowledge of radiological hazard showed a mild association. In the sample group, anxiety after learning of the potential radiological hazard was significantly correlated with poor mental health (P<0.05), whereas anxiety about the explosion, or the degree of perception of it, was not; 74.5% of the sample group believed erroneously that the flash of the explosion was synonymous with radiation.ConclusionsHaving been in the vicinity of the atomic bomb explosion without radiological exposure continued to be associated with poorer mental health more than half a century after the event. Fear on learning about the potential radiological hazard and lack of knowledge about radiological risk are responsible for this association.

scholarly journals Relationship between social competences and the sense of general mental health and intensity of stress among nurses

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Chrzan-Rodak ◽  
Barbara Ślusarska ◽  
Grzegorz Nowicki ◽  
Alina Deluga ◽  
Agnieszka Bartoszek
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Social Competences

Introduction: Social competences are indispensable in occupations reliant on interpersonal interactions, such as in medical professions, e.g. nursing, conditioning not only the effective construction of interpersonal relationships, but ever more often emphasizing a positive impact on strengthening coping skills in stressful situations. The object of our study was to assess the connection of social competences with the sense of general mental health and intensity of stress in the group of nurses.Materials and methods: In the study took part 291 nurses (ages 23–63, mean job seniority 11 years, SD = 10.22). We used the Social Competence Questionnaire (KKS) according to Anna Matczak, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), as adapted by Zygfryd Juczyński and Nina Ogińska-Bulik, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in the adaptation of Zofia Makowska and Dorota Merecz to collect information for the study.Results: Stress intensity among respondents averaged 16.83 points (SD = 4.47). In the 4 analyzed indicators of the GHQ-28, the mean point score was: somatic symptoms M = 8.45, anxiety and insomnia M = 8.75, functional disorders M = 8.07, depression symptoms M = 2.46. 38.1% of the results of the level of general mental health were in the range 5–6, which is the average level of mental health perceived in the group of nurses.Conclusions: The level of perceived stress among more than half of the surveyed group of nurses was average (52.6%). The level of social competences is not significantly correlated with the intensity of stress experienced. The level of general mental health of 38.1% of the nurses fell in the range of average. The level of social competences significantly correlates with the general mental health status of the nurse respondents (R = -0.254, p < 0.001).

scholarly journals Cognitive therapy as an early treatment for children with PTSD: the outcomes for parents’ own PTSD, depression, anxiety and general mental health.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Hammond ◽  
Richard Meiser-Stedman ◽  
Anna McKinnon ◽  
Tim Dalgleish ◽  
Patrick Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cognitive Therapy ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Post Traumatic

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by children can have a large impact on the wider family. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2018) recommend that parents are involved in their child’s PTSD treatment. Studies have found that parents themselves also report high levels of PTSD and other mental health symptoms but few have explored whether these symptoms reduce following their child receiving trauma-focused CBT. In this study, parents (N=29) whose children (ages 8-17 years) were randomly assigned to either 10 sessions of Cognitive Therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) or a wait-list control condition (WL) completed the Post Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; to measure depression), the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28; to measure general mental health) for pre-post comparison. Parents whose children were allocated to CT-PTSD reported greater improvements on self-report PTSD, depression, anxiety and general mental health, relative to the WL condition. This trial provides preliminary support for the efficacy of CT-PTSD delivered to children for reducing parent PTSD, depression, anxiety and general mental health symptoms. Replication is needed as well as further exploration of parent factors and frequency of parental involvement required to predict improvements.

scholarly journals Psychological and psychosocial interventions for refugee children resettled in high-income countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fazel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
High Income ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Science Methodology

Large numbers of refugee children are arriving in high-income countries. The evidence to date suggests that they have mental health needs that are higher than for the general population and that these are exacerbated by the numbers of traumatic events they have experienced and the post-migration stressors they continue to be exposed to. The importance of a thorough and thoughtful assessment is discussed. Treatments of note are described for post-traumatic stress disorder, family functioning, general mental health problems and school environments. Future opportunities to operationalise outcome measures, develop multimodal interventions and utilise implementation science methodology are considered.

Characterizing psychiatric hypersomnia on campus: contributions of chronotype, insomnia, and tiredness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Beattie ◽  
Georgios Rigas ◽  
Stephany Biello
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Preliminary Report ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Sleep Health ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Sleep Propensity

Study Objectives: The sleep of students contains several features rendering it worthy of independent investigation. Sleep duration is an important aspect of sleep health and wellbeing, however the assessment of psychiatric hypersomnia has been hampered by the absence of a single unitary scale of this construct. With the recent publication of the Hypersomnia Severity Index, research can now examine this condition in greater detail.Methods: Here we consider how the candidate variables of sleep propensity, fatigue, chronotype and insomnia may be associated with hypersomnia scores in a sample of 140 students. Results suggest that hypersomnia was significantly predicted by these measures, but not age or gender. We then model a pathway from chronotype to hypersomnia, including these factors as potential mediators.Results: Results suggest that hypersomnia was significantly predicted by these measures, but not age or gender. The proposed pathway from chronotype to hypersomnia warrants further study.Conclusions: Future studies should expand upon this preliminary report and consider longitudinally and prospectively how hypersomnia is linked to poor mental health in well-characterized samples of students and other young adults.

scholarly journals Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazeda Hossain ◽  
Rachel Pearson ◽  
Alys McAlpine ◽  
Loraine Bacchus ◽  
Sheru W. Muuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Functional Disability ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Refugee Women

Abstract Background There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled in a cohort study of refugee women accessing GBV response services in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. Women were surveyed about GBV experiences (past 12 months, before the last 12 months, before arriving in the refugee camps), functional disability status, and mental health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress), and we explored the inter-relationship of these factors. Results Among women accessing GBV response services, 44% reported a disability. A higher proportion of women with a disability (69%) reported a past-year experience of physical intimate partner violence and/or physical or sexual non-partner violence, compared to women without a disability (54%). A higher proportion of women with a disability (32%) experienced non-partner physical or sexual violence before arriving in the camp compared to women without a disability (16%). Disability was associated with higher scores for depression (1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–3.33), PTSD (2.26, 95% CI 0.03–4.49), and anxiety (1.54, 95% CI 0.13–2.95) after adjusting for age, length of encampment, partner status, number of children, and GBV indicators. Conclusions A large proportion of refugee women seeking GBV response services have disabilities, and refugee women with a disability are at high risk of poor mental health. This research highlights the need for mental health and disability screening within GBV response programming.

Asylum Adjudication, Mental Health and Credibility Evaluation

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Hunter ◽  
Linda Pearson ◽  
Mehera San Roque ◽  
Zac Steel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Health Assessment ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Answering Questions

This article examines the central role that credibility assessment plays in refugee determinations. It draws on the authors' own empirical study, Tales of the Unexpected, to display the complex ways in which applicants' poor mental health can affect their capacity to present a 'coherent and plausible‘ account of their experiences. The authors then explore the significant issues arising from the tendency revealed in the Tales study for decision makers to dismiss expert opinions expressed in reports tendered by applicants from psychologists specialising in cross-cultural mental health assessment. For example, consider the decision maker who observed that [The] psychologist reported that the Applicant was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression and that this psychological state was likely to affect his ability to answer questions at an RRT hearing …. [Nevertheless] [Mr S] did not display any difficulty in understanding or answering questions. … He [appeared] alert, engaged, and is clearly an intelligent man. I do not accept that he had any difficulty in understanding proceedings or answering questions.5

scholarly journals Risk of depression in family caregivers: unintended consequence of COVID-19

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Gallagher ◽  
Mark A. Wetherell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Data Set

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is likely to exacerbate the symptoms of poor mental health in family caregivers. Aims To investigate whether rates of depressive symptomatology increased in caregivers during COVID-19 and whether the unintended consequences of health protective measures, i.e., social isolation, exacerbated this risk. Another aim was to see if caregivers accessed any online/phone psychological support during COVID. Method Data (1349 caregivers; 6178 non-caregivers) was extracted from Understanding Society, a UK population-level data-set. The General Health Questionnaire cut-off scores identified those who are likely to have depression. Results After adjustment for confounding caregivers had a higher risk of having depressive symptoms compared with non-caregivers, odds ratio (OR) = 1.22 (95% CI 1.05–1.40, P = 0.008) evidenced by higher levels of depression pre-COVID-19 (16.7% caregivers v. 12.1% non-caregivers) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (21.6% caregivers v. 17.9% non-caregivers), respectively. Further, higher levels of loneliness increased the risk of depression symptoms almost four-fold in caregivers, OR = 3.85 (95% 95% CI 3.08–4.85, P < 0.001), whereas accessing therapy attenuated the risk of depression (43%). A total of 60% of caregivers with depression symptoms reported not accessing any therapeutic support (for example online or face to face) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions COVID-19 has had a negative impact on family caregivers’ mental health with loneliness a significant contributor to depressive symptomatology. However, despite these detriments in mental health, the majority of caregivers do not access any online or phone psychiatric support. Finally, psychiatric services and healthcare professionals should aim to focus on reducing feelings of loneliness to support at-risk caregivers.

Association between self-reported sexually transmitted infection treatment and mental health symptoms in conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Koegler ◽  
Caitlin E Kennedy ◽  
Carol B Thompson ◽  
Peter J Winch ◽  
Remy M Mpanano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Infection Treatment ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Although poor mental health has been associated with sexual risk behavior, few studies have examined the association between mental health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in conflict-affected settings. With elevated symptoms of poor mental health in conflict-affected settings, it is important to consider if and how mental health may be a risk factor for STIs in these settings. We used cross-sectional logistic regression to examine the association between symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with having been treated for an STI in rural South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among 753 adults, those with elevated self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety (adjusted OR = 2.73, 95% CI 1.68, 4.44) and PTSD (adjusted OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.17, 3.06) had higher odds of reporting ever being treated for an STI than those who were not symptomatic. Our findings suggest that future studies are needed to more rigorously examine the relationship between mental health and STIs.

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