scholarly journals Occupational Stress and Mental Health: A Comparison Between Frontline Medical Staff and Non-frontline Medical Staff During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xie Zhang ◽  
Ke Zhao ◽  
Guohua Zhang ◽  
Ruihua Feng ◽  
Jianjun Chen ◽  
...  

Background: During an epidemic, both frontline and non-frontline medical staff endure stressful work circumstances that render their mental health a major public health concern. This study aims at investigating and comparing the prevalence and severity of mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression and insomnia) between frontline medical staff and non-frontline medical staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. It also seeks to evaluate the association of their mental health with occupational stress.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wenzhou, China from 2020 February 16th to 2020 March 2th. A total of 524 medical staff responded to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Occupational stress Questionnaire, and a demographic data form. Data were principally analyzed with logistic regression.Results: Of the 524 participants, 31.3% reported depression, 41.2% reported anxiety, and 39.3% reported insomnia. Compared with the citizens during the COVID-19 epidemic, medical staff experienced higher level of anxiety, depression and insomnia, especially the frontline medical staff. Furthermore, male, married medical staff with poorer physical health reported lower mental health. Frontline medical staff endorsed higher self-reported occupational stress, especially higher occupational hazards, than non-frontline medical staff. In addition, four indicators on occupational stress (working intensity, working time, working difficulty and working risk) were correlated positively with mental health symptoms. Regression analyses found a significant association between occupational stress and mental health symptoms in both frontline and non-frontline medical staff during COVID-19 outbreak.Conclusion: The results indicated that during the COVID-19 epidemic, medical staff experienced higher levels of anxiety, depression and insomnia than citizens, and their occupational stress had positive effects on their psychological distress. These findings emphasize the importance of occupational stress management interventions to decrease the risk of developing mental health problems among the medical staff during a biological disaster.

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Macy ◽  
Elizabeth Jones ◽  
Laurie M. Graham ◽  
Leslie Roach

Health and human service providers have expressed growing interest in the benefits of yoga to help individuals cope with the effects of trauma, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the growing popularity and strong appeal of yoga, providers must be mindful of the evidence regarding the efficacy of yoga in treating trauma effects as well as trauma-related mental health symptoms and illnesses. Therefore, our research team sought to answer two questions: (a) What is the evidence regarding yoga as a treatment for trauma effects, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD and (b) what are the clinical and service recommendations for using yoga with trauma-exposed individuals? Our initial scans identified a substantial body of research, including reviews. Rather than replicate earlier efforts, we undertook a systematic meta-review of 13 literature reviews, one of which included a meta-analysis. We determined the 13 reviews examined 185 distinct studies. Findings show that the evidence regarding yoga as an intervention for the effects of trauma as well as the mental health symptoms and illnesses often associated with trauma is encouraging but preliminary. Overall, the body of research is lacking in rigor as well as specificity regarding trauma. Review results also only allow for the recommendation of yoga as an ancillary treatment. Further, the reviews had considerable differences in their methods and limitations. Nonetheless, the results yielded findings concerning how clinicians and service providers can use yoga in their own practices, which is an important step for building an evidence base in this area.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M Bell ◽  
Diane Holmberg

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people are facing heightened uncertainty about the future and increasing rates of psychological distress. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and perceived COVID-19 threat may be contributing to mental health problems. This study investigated changes in mental health problems prior to and during the first two pandemic waves in the U.S., and the extent to which IU and perceived COVID-19 threat predicted these problems. MTurk participants (n=192; 50% women) were recruited from a pre-pandemic study in December 2019/January 2020 for a follow-up study on COVID-19 experiences, across five timepoints between April and August 2020. IU, perceived COVID-19 threat, and mental health problems (i.e., worry, COVID-19 fear, and trauma symptoms) were assessed. On average, mental health problems were not elevated, relative to pre-pandemic levels, and remained stable across time. Heightened IU and perceived COVID-19 threat were associated with more mental health problems. Surprisingly, objective measures of COVID-19 threat (e.g., state case rates) showed no associations with IU, and were slightly negatively correlated with psychological distress and perceived threat. Pre-existing mental health symptoms, IU and perceived COVID-19 threat may foster vulnerability to mental health problems during the pandemic, more so than objective threat levels.


Circulation ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (suppl_12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M McTigue ◽  
Elan Cohen ◽  
Alison Hipwell ◽  
Charity Moore ◽  
Rolf Loeber ◽  
...  

Introduction Obesity and mental health problems are increasing in youth; both are often under-treated. The interplay between mental health and body weight development in adolescent girls is not well understood. Hypothesis Bi-directional associations will be established between mental health symptoms (depression and conduct symptoms) and BMI in urban pre-adolescent girls. Methods We examined data from participants in an accelerated longitudinal cohort study of largely disadvantaged urban girls from a single US city (n=2,451; 53% African American). Data were collected annually over 6 years, starting in 2003 when girls were age 8-11. Depression and conduct symptoms (oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder symptoms combined) were collected via the validated Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4) and height and weight were measured. Transitional models assessed for bi-directional associations between mental health symptoms and BMI. Random-effects mixed models identified within-subject and between-subject effects in models examining whether mental health symptoms predicted BMI. All models were adjusted for race, age, and receipt of public assistance, and when applicable, included interaction terms. Results Transitional models showed that prior depression symptoms (β=0.27; p<0.001) predicted an increase in BMI while prior conduct symptoms (β=0.04; p=0.05) showed a small and borderline significant effect on BMI. An increase in prior BMI predicted an increase in depression symptoms (β=0.074, p<0.001) but not conduct symptoms (β=0.028, p=0.125). Mixed models revealed significant between-girl and within-girl effects (β = 0.38 and 0.038, respectively, both with p<0.001) for depression symptoms predicting BMI. Conduct symptoms showed a significant between-girl effect (β=0.51; p=0.045) but a non-significant within-girl effect (β=0.011; p=0.080) when used to predict BMI. Conclusions We identified a clear bi-directional relationship between depression symptoms and BMI in under-privileged girls, and mixed models confirmed that a change in depression score is associated with increased BMI. While an increase in conduct symptoms shows a weak positive association with BMI, the association was not bi-directional. The potential for BMI and depression to each reinforce the other may represent a mechanism for the development of high-risk weight patterns in girls. Early identification of those at risk may facilitate preventive measures for both weight and mental health outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 700-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Gouttebarge ◽  
João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia ◽  
Paul Gorczynski ◽  
Brian Hainline ◽  
Mary E Hitchcock ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo present an overview of the existing epidemiological evidence regarding the occurrence of mental health symptoms and disorders among current and former elite athletes.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesFive electronic databases were searched from inception to November 2018: PubMed (MEDLINE), SportDiscus via EBSCO, PSycINFO via ProQuest, Scopus and Cochrane.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesWe included original quantitative studies that were written in English, were conducted exclusively among current or former elite athletes, and presented incidence or prevalence rates of symptoms of mental disorders.ResultsTwenty-two relevant original studies about mental health symptoms and disorders among current elite athletes were included: they presented data especially on symptoms of distress, sleep disturbance, anxiety/depression and alcohol misuse. Meta-analyses comprising 2895 to 5555 current elite athletes showed that the prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders ranged from 19% for alcohol misuse to 34% for anxiety/depression. Fifteen relevant original studies about mental health symptoms and disorders among former elite athletes were included: they similarly presented data especially about symptoms of distress, sleep disturbance, anxiety/depression and alcohol misuse. Meta-analyses comprising 1579 to 1686 former elite athletes showed that the prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders ranged from 16% for distress to 26% for anxiety/depression.ConclusionsOur meta-analyses showed that the prevalence of mental health symptoms and disorders ranged from 19% for alcohol misuse to 34% for anxiety/depression for current elite athletes, and from 16% for distress to 26% for anxiety/depression for former elite athletes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Roni Mermelshtine ◽  
Jacqueline Barnes

Perceptions of poor care in the family of origin can relate to adverse mental health and poor adaptation for mothers but there is less evidence about fathers. This study investigated the relevance of fathers’ recollections of their own parents (Generation 1) for their (Generation 2) current mental health symptoms and for interactions with their 3-year-old children (Generations 2/3), in a community sample of 482 British fathers. Recollections of G1 maternal and paternal behaviour were associated in uncontrolled correlations with G2 paternal mental health, but taking family social class and maternal (G2) mental health into account they did not significantly predict G2 fathers’ mental health symptoms at 36 months postpartum, though a trend remained for G1 paternal care. Significant predictors were paternal depression symptoms in the first year postpartum and G2 mothers’ current mental health. Predictors of more dysfunctional father-child (G2/G3) interactions at 36 months postpartum were working class status, recall of more G1 maternal controlling behaviour and more concurrent paternal mental health symptoms; predictors of less G2/G3 dysfunction were G2 paternal use of more positive discipline. Potential implications of the results for parenting support and advice are discussed, recognising that intergenerational transmission of parent-child relationships is likely for fathers.


Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110429
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Maiolatesi ◽  
Satyanand Satyanarayana ◽  
Richard Bränström ◽  
John E. Pachankis

Social stressors stemming from within the gay community might render gay and bisexual men vulnerable to mental health problems. The 20-item intraminority Gay Community Stress Scale (GCSS) is a reliable measure of gay community stress, but the scale’s length limits its widespread use in sexual minority mental health research. Using three independent samples of gay and bisexual men, the present research developed two abbreviated versions of the GCSS using nonparametric item response modeling and validated them. Results indicated that eight items provided maximal information about the gay community stress construct; these items were selected to form the eight-item GCSS. The eight-item GCSS reproduced the factor structure of the parent scale, and gay community stress scores obtained from it correlated with other identity-specific social stress constructs and mental health symptoms. Associations between gay community stress and mental health symptoms remained significant even after controlling for related identity-specific stressors, general life stress, and relevant demographics. A four-item version was also developed and assessed, showing good structural, convergent, criterion, and incremental validity and adequate reliability. The eight- and four-item versions of the GCSS offer efficient measures of gay community stress, an increasingly recognized source of stress for gay and bisexual men.


2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moisés Próspero ◽  
Peter Fawson

The present study investigated the prevalence of female-to-male intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms among 370 male university students. Participants completed surveys that measured three types of IPV victimization (sexual, physical, and psychological) and four types of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, hostility, and somatic symptoms). Correlations revealed strong positive associations between sexual, physical, and psychological IPV among male victims. Multiple regressions identified that males who reported psychological and sexual IPV from their female partner were more likely to report higher hostility, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Further analyses identified that male victims experienced much higher levels of “insisted” sexual coercion rather than “forced” sexual coercion. Mental health practitioners should be aware of the possible mental health symptoms among male IPV victims, specifically from sexual coercion. The study posits that gender socialization does not allow men to refuse sex from an intimate partner and therefore elicit mental health symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Stillman ◽  
Hudson Farmer

Athletes suffer from clinical and subclinical mental health symptoms and disorders that affect their lives and their performance. The objective of this chapter is to describe methods of psychotherapy used in treating elite athletes and the unique challenges that clinicians may face when working with this population. Psychotherapy, either as the sole treatment or combined with other nonpharmacological and pharmacological strategies, is a vital component in the management of clinical and subclinical mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes. Effective psychotherapy takes the form of individual, couples/family or group therapy and should address athlete-specific issues while validated as normative by athletes and their core stakeholders. This chapter summarizes research on psychotherapy for elite athletes with clinical and subclinical mental health symptoms and disorders. Though psychotherapeutic interventions are similar to those with non-athletes, working with elite athletes can present unique challenges. These can include diagnostic ambiguity, barriers to help-seeking behaviors, and altered expectations about services. Other personality factors occasionally associated with elite athletes could create difficulties when engaging in psychotherapy. These challenges may prevent athletes from seeking or continuing treatment.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clio Berry ◽  
Jeremy E. Niven ◽  
Cassie M. Hazell

Background Emerging evidence demonstrates that postgraduate researchers have high rates of mental health problems. These problems are distressing, affect PhD studies, and have longer-term potential effects beyond the duration of the PhD. Yet large-scale studies of multiple risk and protective factors are rare. Aims We aimed to test the predictive validity of a comprehensive set of potential determinants of mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety and suicidality) among postgraduate researchers in the UK, including personal, study-related, and supervision characteristics. Method We used regression models applied to data obtained from a national online survey of UK postgraduate researchers (Understanding DOCtoral researcher mental health; U-DOC, 2018–2019) to test predictors of mental health symptoms. Results These models show that postgraduate researchers' mental health symptoms are predicted by demographic, occupational, psychological, social and supervisory relationship factors. Greater perfectionism, more impostor thoughts and reduced supervisory communion most strongly and consistently predict mental health symptoms. Conclusions Institutions training postgraduate researchers should focus interventions intended to improve depression, anxiety, suicidality, on self-beliefs and social connectedness. Moreover, supervisors should be provided with training that improves the degree of agency, and especially communion, in the relationships they form with postgraduate researchers.


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