Psychological Burden During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany

After the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in Germany, various measures limiting contact between people were introduced across the country. The implementation of these measures varied between jurisdictions and potentially had a negative impact on the psychological well-being of many people. However, the prevalence, severity, and type of symptoms of psychological burden has not been documented in detail. In the current study, we analysed various self-reported symptoms of psychological burden in a German sample. The dataset was collected between April 8th and June 1st, 2020, through an online survey measuring psychological burden using the ICD-10-symptom rating scale. More than 2,000 individuals responded to the survey, with a total of 1,459 complete datasets. Data was then sampled to compare (1) the new data to an existing demographically comparable reference dataset including a total of 2,512 participants who did not undergo any kind of contact restrictions or other pandemic measurements, and (2) psychological burden in two different German states. In line with recent observations from Germany, Italy, China, Austria and Turkey, we found a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in comparison to the reference sample. Furthermore, we found a high prevalence of eating disorder and compulsion symptoms. Especially younger adults and women reported a higher symptom severity compared to other groups during our measurement period. However, no difference between the two states in psychological burden was found.

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Depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions in Germany.

10.31234/osf.io/p9wz8 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Iris Schelhorn ◽

Angelika Ecker ◽

Judith Bereznai ◽

Thomy Tran ◽

Stefan Rehm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Services ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Younger Adults ◽

German States ◽

Icd 10 ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Restrictive Measures

Since the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in Germany, various lockdown measures were imposed across the country that likely had a large impact on psychological well-being. In the current study, we investigate depressive symptoms as depression is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease and potentially life-threatening. This study reports on a dataset that was collected between April 8 and June 1 2020 through an online survey in several German states. More than 2000 individuals took part in the survey measuring depressive symptoms (as defined in ICD-10). Similar to recent observations from Italy and China, severe depressive symptoms reported were relatively high. Especially younger adults and females reported more severe symptoms compared to other groups. In conclusion, we need to prepare for increased need of psychological services, availability and accessibility already parallel with imposing restrictive measures.

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Working Conditions, Employment, Career Development and Well-Being of Refugee Researchers

Societies ◽

10.3390/soc11030071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 71

Author(s):

Ourania Tzoraki ◽

Svetlana Dimitrova ◽

Marin Barzakov ◽

Saad Yaseen ◽

Vasilis Gavalas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Appropriate Technology ◽

Public Authorities ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Home Setting ◽

The Public ◽

Work From Home ◽

The Impact

The ongoing ‘refugee crisis’ of the past years has led to the migration of refugee researchers (RRs) to European countries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RRs often had to work from home and/or to continue their social, cultural and economic integration process under new conditions. An online survey carried out to explore the impact of the pandemic on the refugee researchers showed that RRs found it difficult to adapt their everyday working life to the ‘home’ setting. The majority have had neither a suitable work environment at home nor the appropriate technology. Although they stated that they are rather pleased with the measures taken by the public authorities, they expressed concern about their vulnerability due to their precarious contracts and the bureaucratic asylum procedures, as the pandemic has had a negative impact on these major issues. The majority of RRs working in academia seem not to have been affected at all as far as their income is concerned, while the majority of those employed in other sectors became unemployed during the pandemic (58%). Recommendations are provided to the public authorities and policy makers to assist RRs to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic on their life.

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Benefit-finding buffers the effects of quarantine on older adults’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2674 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 722-722

Author(s):

Fan Zhang ◽

Sheung-Tak Cheng

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Benefit Finding ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract Objective Older adults’ health and well-being may suffer due to prolonged social isolation leading to loneliness and increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aimed to address the role of benefit-finding, defined as the capacity to derive meaning and positive aspects from stressful situations, in older adults’ adaptation to the effects of quarantine. Methods 421 participants aged 50 or above in China participated in an online survey to study the effects of quarantine on loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression and life satisfaction, and the moderating role of benefit-finding. Results The results showed that quarantine was basically unrelated to any outcome. Further analysis showed, however, that the effect of quarantine varied by levels of benefit-finding. Only people with lower benefit-finding reported a higher level of loneliness, perceived stress, anxiety and depression, but no relationships were found at higher benefit-finding. Conclusions The findings extended our understanding of the role of benefit-finding in buffering the negative impact of adversity on older people. By mitigating the effects of prolonged social isolation, benefit-finding served as a protective factor in older people’s adaptation to the sequelae of this pandemic.

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A Survey to Evaluate the Association of COVID-19 Restrictions on Perceived Mood and Coping in Australian Community Level Athletes

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living ◽

10.3389/fspor.2021.624267 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Caitlin Fox-Harding ◽

Sarah Ann Harris ◽

Shane L. Rogers ◽

Shayne Vial ◽

Philipp Beranek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Level ◽

Brief Cope ◽

Australian Community ◽

Unexpected Findings ◽

And Coping ◽

The Impact

Highlights:No differences in coping or well-being in Australian community athletes based on the level of support received during COVID-19 restrictions.Community level athletes had better coping when a training program was provided.No difference between individual or team community athletes for well-being or coping scores. Australian community level athletes faced unprecedented changes to their training and competition options as the global COVID-19 pandemic took a stronghold. This disruption was predicted to have a negative impact on emotional well-being as communities braced through periods of social isolation and physical distancing requirements. This study provides an Australian perspective on the emotional well-being of community level athletes and the extent to which they coped during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emotional well-being and coping were measured using the Brief Emotional Experience Scale and the 28-item Brief Cope Scale. Both instruments were administered along with other questions pertaining to participant demographics and training status via an online survey between April and June 2020. The survey was disseminated to community athletes through word-of-mouth and social media platforms. No significant differences in emotional well-being were observed between athlete groups as a result of COVID-19 and its associated restrictions. Coping scores also appeared to be preserved in Australian community athletes, which contrasts the impact expected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While tentative, the observed preservation in coping may have buffered potential declines in emotional well-being, which has been documented in professional and semi-professional athletes and the general population. These unexpected findings and tentative suppositions warrant further investigation and highlight the importance of conducting a country- or region-specific approach to examining the impact of COVID-19 on community athletes, as responses to COVID-19 are undoubtedly not consistent throughout the world.

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Parents' Psychological Factors Promoting Children's Mental Health and Emotional Regulation During the COVID-19 Lockdown

MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL INFANZIA ◽

10.3280/mal2021-001004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 47-63

Author(s):

Mara Morelli ◽

Elena Cattelino ◽

Roberto Baiocco ◽

Emiddia Longobardi ◽

Carmen Trumello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Emotional Regulation ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health

On March 9th, 2020 Italy went into lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Several studies showed how the pandemic had a negative impact on children's psychologi-cal well-being. The present research studied how parents can promote their children's psy-chological well-being, in order to understand how to help parents in managing this unprec-edented situation. A total of 277 parents of children aged 6 to 13 years old completed an online survey. MANCOVA analyses showed that children with more anxiety and depres-sion, more lability/negativity and less emotional regulation had parents with more psycho-logical distress, less regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and less parenting self-efficacy (all p .01). Parents were important protective factor for their children's mental health during the lockdown.

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Excessive Media Consumption About COVID-19 is Associated With Increased State Anxiety: Outcomes of a Large Online Survey in Russia (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20955 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nikita A Nekliudov ◽

Oleg Blyuss ◽

Ka Yan Cheung ◽

Loukia Petrou ◽

Jon Genuneit ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Social Media ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

State Anxiety ◽

Job Loss ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially had a negative impact on the mental health and well-being of individuals and families. Anxiety levels and risk factors within particular populations are poorly described. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate confidence, understanding, trust, concerns, and levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population and assess risk factors for increased anxiety. METHODS We launched a cross-sectional online survey of a large Russian population between April 6 and 15, 2020, using multiple social media platforms. A set of questions targeted confidence, understanding, trust, and concerns in respondents. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure anxiety. Multiple linear regressions were used to model predictors of COVID-19–related anxiety. RESULTS The survey was completed by 23,756 out of 53,966 (44.0% response rate) unique visitors; of which, 21,364 were residing in 62 areas of Russia. State Anxiety Scale (S-Anxiety) scores were higher than Trait Anxiety Scale scores across all regions of Russia (median S-Anxiety score 52, IQR 44-60), exceeding published norms. Time spent following news on COVID-19 was strongly associated with an increased S-Anxiety adjusted for baseline anxiety level. One to two hours spent reading COVID-19 news was associated with a 5.46 (95% CI 5.03-5.90) point difference, 2-3 hours with a 7.06 (95% CI 6.37-7.74) point difference, and more than three hours with an 8.65 (95% CI 7.82-9.47) point difference, all compared to less than 30 minutes per day. Job loss during the pandemic was another important factor associated with higher S-Anxiety scores (3.95, 95% CI 3.31-4.58). Despite survey respondents reporting high confidence in information regarding COVID-19 as well as an understanding of health care guidance, they reported low overall trust in state and local authorities, and perception of country readiness. CONCLUSIONS Among Russian respondents from multiple social media platforms, there was evidence of higher levels of state anxiety associated with recent job loss and increased news consumption, as well as lower than expected trust in government agencies. These findings can help inform the development of key public health messages to help reduce anxiety and raise perceived trust in governmental response to this current national emergency. Using a similar methodology, comparative surveys are ongoing in other national populations.

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Mental Health of Apprentices during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria and the Effect of Gender, Migration Background, and Work Situation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18178933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 8933

Author(s):

Rachel Dale ◽

Teresa O’Rourke ◽

Elke Humer ◽

Andrea Jesser ◽

Paul L. Plener ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Online Survey ◽

Linear Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Migration Background ◽

Work Situation ◽

P Values ◽

Health Measures ◽

High Prevalence

This study assessed the mental health of apprentices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria and the effect of gender, migration background, work situation, and work sector. An online survey via REDCap was performed with a sample of 1442 apprentices (female: 53.5%, male: 45.4%, diverse: 1.1%, migration background: 28.4%) from 29 March to 18 May 2021. Indicators of mental health were depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), well-being (WHO-5), disordered eating (EAT-8), and insomnia (ISI-7). There was a high prevalence of clinically relevant depression (cut-offs ≥11 for adolescents, ≥10 for adults: 48.3%), anxiety (cut-offs ≥11 for adolescents, ≥10 for adults: 35.4%), insomnia (cut-off ≥15: 27%), and disordered eating (cut-offs ≥2 for men, ≥3 for women: 50.6%). Linear models revealed that apprentices with female and diverse gender, migration background, and unemployed status showed the poorest scores on all mental health measures (all p-values < 0.05) except disordered eating. These findings emphasize the need for intersectional strategies to reduce and prevent adverse mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for apprentices.

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On-Call Duties: The Perceived Impact on Veterinarians' Job Satisfaction, Well-Being and Personal Relationships

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.740852 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Lori Kogan ◽

Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher ◽

Patrick Carney ◽

Peter Hellyer ◽

Mark Rishniw

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Multiple Linear Regression ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Personal Relationships ◽

Information Network ◽

The Impact

Objective: To assess the impact of on-call duties on veterinarians' job satisfaction, well-being and personal relationships.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Sample: The sample was obtained from Veterinary Information Network (VIN) members in private practice within the United States.Procedures: A link to an anonymous online survey was distributed via an email invitation to all Veterinary Information Network (VIN) members with access from August 15, 2017 to October 21, 2017.Results: A total of 1,945 responses were recorded. The majority of those who reported having on-call duties were female associates. Composite scales were created to assess the impact of on-call shifts on job satisfaction and well-being. Multiple linear regression was conducted and found that gender (p = 0.0311), associate status (p < 0.0001), and age (p = 0.0293) were all significantly associated with on-call related job satisfaction. Additionally, multiple linear regression found that gender (p = 0.0039), associate status (p < 0.0057), and age (p < 0.0001) were all significantly associated with on-call related well-being. On-call shifts were reported by many to have a negative impact on job satisfaction and well-being; this was especially pronounced for female associates. Females had on-call related job satisfaction scores that were, on average, 1.27 points lower than that of males (lower scores equates to lower job satisfaction). Further, females' average on-call related well-being scores were 1.15 points higher than that of males (lower scores equates to higher well-being).Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This study suggests that on-call shifts have a negative impact on veterinarian job satisfaction, well-being and personal relationships. The negative impact on job satisfaction and well-being is greatest for female associates. Veterinary medicine has been identified as a stressful occupation that can lead to psychological distress. It is therefore important to critically assess current practices that appear to increase stress and reduce emotional well-being. For this reason, it is suggested that veterinary hospitals explore alternative options to traditional on-call shifts.

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How Did the COVID-19 Lockdown Affect Children and Adolescent's Well-Being: Spanish Parents, Children, and Adolescents Respond

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.746052 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Ajanovic ◽

Jon Garrido-Aguirre ◽

Bàrbara Baro ◽

Núria Balanza ◽

Rosauro Varo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Electronic Devices ◽

Application Programming Interface ◽

Well Being ◽

Emerging Infections ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sleeping Problems

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown strategies have been widely used to contain SARS-CoV-2 virus spread. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to suffering psychological effects as result of such measures. In Spain, children were enforced to a strict home lockdown for 42 days during the first wave. Here, we studied the effects of lockdown in children and adolescents through an online questionnaire.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain using an open online survey from July (after the lockdown resulting from the first pandemic wave) to November 2020 (second wave). We included families with children under 16 years-old living in Spain. Parents answered a survey regarding the lockdown effects on their children and were instructed to invite their children from 7 to 16 years-old (mandatory scholar age in Spain) to respond a specific set of questions. Answers were collected through an application programming interface system, and data analysis was performed using R.Results: We included 1,957 families who completed the questionnaires, covering a total of 3,347 children. The specific children's questionnaire was completed by 167 kids (7–11 years-old), and 100 adolescents (12–16 years-old). Children, in general, showed high resilience and capability to adapt to new situations. Sleeping problems were reported in more than half of the children (54%) and adolescents (59%), and these were strongly associated with less time doing sports and spending more than 5 h per day using electronic devices. Parents perceived their children to gain weight (41%), be more irritable and anxious (63%) and sadder (46%). Parents and children differed significantly when evaluating children's sleeping disturbances.Conclusions: Enforced lockdown measures and isolation can have a negative impact on children and adolescent's mental health and well-being. In future waves of the current pandemic, or in the light of potential epidemics of new emerging infections, lockdown measures targeting children, and adolescents should be reconsidered taking into account their infectiousness potential and their age-specific needs, especially to facilitate physical activity and to limit time spent on electronic devices.

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Mental health of patients with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: A questionnaire-based survey weighted for attrition

10.1101/2021.03.13.21253363 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pernille Kølbæk ◽

Oskar Hougaard Jefsen ◽

Maria Speed ◽

Søren Dinesen Østergaard

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Random Sampling ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Brief Symptom Inventory ◽

Psychiatric Services ◽

World Health ◽

Clinical Support

ABSTRACTImportanceIndividuals with pre-existing mental illness may be particularly vulnerable to the negative impact that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic seems to have on mental health. Most prior studies on this topic are limited by non-random sampling, lacking information on non-respondents, and self-reporting of mental illness. In the present study, we aimed to overcome these limitations via random sampling, acquisition of clinical and sociodemographic data on both respondents and non-respondents, and weighting of results informed by attrition.ObjectiveTo assess whether patients with mental illness experienced deterioration in mental health during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown of Denmark in the Spring of 2020.DesignA cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey coupled with sociodemographic and clinical data from the medical records of all invitees. The latter enabled analysis of attrition and weighting of results.SettingThe psychiatric services of the Central Denmark Region.ParticipantsA total of 992 randomly drawn patients diagnosed with mental illness in the psychiatric services of the Central Denmark Region prior to the lockdown responded to the online survey (response rate of 21.6%).ExposureThe four-week nationwide lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic (from March 11 to April 15, 2020).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe online questionnaire included the 18-item Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), the five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and 14 questions evaluating worsening or improvement in symptoms during the lockdown using the pre-pandemic period as reference. Perceived reasons for deterioration of mental health were also reported.ResultsThe weighted mean WHO-5 and BSI-18 scores were 38 and 28, respectively. A total of 52% of the respondents reported that their mental health had deteriorated during the lockdown, while 33% reported no change, and 16% reported improvement. The most commonly reported reasons for deterioration were loneliness, disruption of routines, concerns about coronavirus, less frequent contact with family/friends, boredom, and reduced access to psychiatric care.Conclusion and RelevanceMore than half of the patients with mental illness reported worsening of their mental health during the pandemic lockdown. There should be increased emphasis on ensuring both social and clinical support for individuals with mental illness during pandemics.KEY POINTSQuestionsDid patients with mental illness experience worsening of their mental health during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown of Denmark in the Spring of 2020?FindingsOf the 925 respondents, 52% reported that their mental health had deteriorated during the lockdown, while 33% reported no change and 16% reported improvement. The most commonly reported reasons for deterioration were loneliness and disruption of routines.MeaningThese findings suggest that there should be increased emphasis on ensuring both social and clinical support for individuals with mental illness during the ongoing and potential future pandemics.

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