Health and Well-Being of Athletes During the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Background: The ongoing global pandemic has become the world's leading health problem, causing massive public fear and concern. Reports suggest that athletes are seeking mental health support, showing the pressures of boredom, and tension associated with their anticipated social isolation. The current study seeks to evaluate the evidence regarding the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on occupational stress in professional athletes.Method: A scoping review was conducted. A comprehensive search involving Embase and PubMed databases was conducted using a combination of the following key words: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, and athletes. In this study, articles were retained if they were original studies reporting on the impact of the pandemic on professional athletes.Results: Nine studies were identified as they investigated the impact of the pandemic on athletes. Most were observational and cross-sectional, and one was longitudinal. Outcome measures mainly investigated were level of depression, anxiety, and stress. Dependent variables were physical activity, nutrition, mental state, sleep quality, individual well-being, social identity, exclusivity, negative affectivity, alcohol consumption, psychological distress, and gambling habits.Conclusions: This review highlights the need for proactive engagement with professional athletes, coaches, trainers, and sports councils to facilitate understanding and awareness-raising, process optimization, and delivery of consistent training and psychosocial aid and occupational therapy programs that maintain the health and well-being of athletes while minimizing occupational stress during a pandemic.

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What is the evidence for the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being: a scoping review and evidence-based logic model to guide healthcare strategy decision making on the use of gardening approaches as a social prescription

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036923 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. e036923 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michelle Howarth ◽

Alison Brettle ◽

Michael Hardman ◽

Michelle Maden

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Long Term Conditions ◽

Logic Models ◽

Health Strategy ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

ObjectiveTo systematically identify and describe studies that have evaluated the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. A secondary objective was to use this evidence to build evidence-based logic models to guide health strategy decision making about gardens and gardening as a non-medical, social prescription.DesignScoping review of the impact of gardens and gardening on health and well-being. Gardens include private spaces and those open to the public or part of hospitals, care homes, hospices or third sector organisations.Data sourcesA range of biomedical and health management journals was searched including Medline, CINAHL, Psychinfo, Web of Knowledge, ASSIA, Cochrane, Joanna Briggs, Greenfile, Environment Complete and a number of indicative websites were searched to locate context-specific data and grey literature. We searched from 1990 to November 2019.Eligibility criteriaWe included research studies (including systematic reviews) that assessed the effect, value or impact of any garden that met the gardening definition.Data extraction and synthesisThree reviewers jointly screened 50 records by titles and abstracts to ensure calibration. Each record title was screened independently by 2 out of 3 members of the project team and each abstract was screened by 1 member of a team of 3. Random checks on abstract and full-text screening were conducted by a fourth member of the team and any discrepancies were resolved through double-checking and discussion.ResultsFrom the 8896 papers located, a total of 77* studies was included. Over 35 validated health, well-being and functional biometric outcome measures were reported. Interventions ranged from viewing gardens, taking part in gardening or undertaking therapeutic activities. The findings demonstrated links between gardens and improved mental well-being, increased physical activity and a reduction in social isolation enabling the development of 2 logic models.ConclusionsGardens and gardening can improve the health and well-being for people with a range of health and social needs. The benefits of gardens and gardening could be used as a ‘social prescription’ globally, for people with long-term conditions (LTCs). Our logic models provide an evidence-based illustration that can guide health strategy decision making about the referral of people with LTCs to socially prescribed, non-medical interventions involving gardens and gardening.

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and initial period of lockdown on the mental health and well-being of adults in the UK

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2020.79 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ross G. White ◽

Catharina Van Der Boor

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Initial Period ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Summary The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being were assessed in a convenience sample of 600 UK adults, using a cross-sectional design. Recruited over 2 weeks during the initial phase of lockdown, participants completed an online survey that included COVID-19-related questions, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the World Health Organization (Five) Well-Being Index and the Oxford Capabilities Questionnaire for Mental Health. Self-isolating before lockdown, increased feelings of isolation since lockdown and having COVID-19-related livelihood concerns were associated with poorer mental health, well-being and quality of life. Perceiving increased kindness, community connectedness and being an essential worker were associated with better mental health and well-being outcomes.

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Playwork in prison as a mechanism to support family health and well-being

Health Education Journal ◽

10.1177/0017896917716204 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 76 (7) ◽

pp. 842-852

Author(s):

James Woodall ◽

Karina Kinsella

Keyword(s):

Emotional Health ◽

Prison Population ◽

Family Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Family Outcomes ◽

Telephone Interviews ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Objective: The health of the prison population is of increasing concern, given the disproportionate rates of ill health in this population. Moreover, the challenges faced by prisoners’ families and their children are also becoming more apparent, with prisoners’ children being more likely than other children to experience mental and emotional health problems and more likely to go to prison themselves. Prison visits are an integral part of institutional structures and are a key way by which families stay in contact and mitigate against the negative effects of family separation. This paper focuses particularly on the impact of prison play visits as an alternative to ‘standard’ visiting procedures. Design: Cross-sectional qualitative study. Setting: A male prison in Northern England. Method: Telephone interviews with six prison visitors who had regularly participated in a play visit, plus a focus group with five prisoners. Results: The paper identifies play visits as a useful way to maintain family well-being as they ‘mimic’, albeit temporarily, domestic life. This is reported to be beneficial for future family outcomes and in enabling children to adjust to parental incarceration. Play visits improve levels of intimacy, which is beneficial for the mental and emotional health of both prisoners and their children. Conclusion: The paper argues for a more holistic notion of prisoner health that sees family connections as a key part of supporting health and well-being.

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Can a collective-impact initiative improve well-being in three US communities? Findings from a prospective repeated cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048378 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e048378

Author(s):

Carley Riley ◽

Brita Roy ◽

Veronica Lam ◽

Kerianne Lawson ◽

Lauren Nakano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Collective Impact ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Usa ◽

Perceived Impacts ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Improve Health

IntroductionCommunities are seeking to learn if and how they can improve the well-being of their residents. We therefore examined the impact of a community-led, collective-impact initiative, deployed through Blue Zones Project by Sharecare, aimed at improving health and well-being in one set of US communities.MethodsWe used data from cross-sectional surveys of the Well-Being Index (2010–2017) to assess how the Life Evaluation Index (LEI) in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach in California (Beach Cities) changed over time and how this change compares with change for similar cities (Beach Cities-like) and for the USA as a whole. We examined types of interventions, perceived impacts, and relationships between intervention type and change in LEI.ResultsThe Beach Cities experienced greater increases in LEI than Beach Cities-like communities and the nation. The entire portfolio of interventions was positively associated with change in LEI in the Beach Cities (+1.12, p=0.012), with process-oriented interventions most closely associated with improvement.ConclusionsCommunity-led collective action that leverages community engagement and activation, strategic use of programming and large-scale built-environment and policy change can improve health and well-being at scale.

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Criminal Orders of Protection for Domestic Violence: Associated Revictimization, Mental Health, and Well-being Among Victims

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260519883865 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 088626051988386

Author(s):

Tami P. Sullivan ◽

Nicole H. Weiss ◽

Jacqueline Woerner ◽

Janan Wyatt ◽

Camille Carey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Domestic Violence ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression Symptom ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Criminal Protection ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

All states issue criminal protection orders (POs) with the intention of improving the lives of victims of domestic violence (DV); however, there is a dearth of research examining their impact. This study aims to examine the impact of criminal POs with different levels of restrictions on victims’ revictimization, mental health, and well-being. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data regarding two time points during one interview among a sample of 298 victims in a criminal DV case. Across the three levels of PO restrictions (limited, residential stay-away, and full no-contact), participants reported significantly reduced physical, sexual, and psychological DV; unwanted pursuit behavior; post-traumatic stress and depression symptom severity; and perceived stress and fear of revictimization. The amount of change varied between groups for revictimization variables. Full no-contact restrictions were associated with the greatest decreases in revictimization. However, findings must be interpreted with caution given the heterogeneity in victims’ experiences; some victims experienced an increase in revictimization and mental health problems and a decrease in well-being. Findings suggest that the court, through criminal POs, may be a system through which to reach victims who might not otherwise connect with services to promote safety and resilience.

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A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Impact of Irrelevant Speech Noise on Annoyance, Mental Health and Well-being, Performance and Occupants’ Behavior in Shared and Open-Plan Offices

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16020280 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 280 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Sonja Di Blasio ◽

Louena Shtrepi ◽

Giuseppina Puglisi ◽

Arianna Astolfi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Work Performance ◽

Well Being ◽

Irrelevant Speech ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Noise Annoyance ◽

Open Plan ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

This cross-sectional survey has compared subjective outcomes obtained from workers in shared (2–5 occupants) and open-plan (+5 occupants) offices, related to irrelevant speech, which is the noise that is generated from conversations between colleagues, telephone calls and laughter. Answers from 1078 subjects (55% in shared offices and 45% in open-plan offices) have shown that irrelevant speech increases noise annoyance, decreases work performance, and increases symptoms related to mental health and well-being more in open-plan than in shared offices. Workers often use headphones with music to contrast irrelevant speech in open-plan offices, while they take a break, change their working space, close the door or work from home in shared offices. Being female, when there are more than 20 occupants, and working in southern cities without acoustic treatments in the office, make it more likely for the occupants to be annoyed by irrelevant speech noise in open-plan offices. While, working in southern cities and with acoustic treatments in the office makes it more likely that noise annoyance will be reported in shared offices. Finally, more than 70% of the interviewed in open-plan offices were willing to reduce their voice volumes when advised by a noise monitoring system with a lighting feedback.

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The Impact of Psychological Flexibility on Psychological Well-Being in Adults With Obesity

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.636933 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Guerrini Usubini ◽

Giorgia Varallo ◽

Valentina Granese ◽

Roberto Cattivelli ◽

Simone Consoli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Health ◽

Psychological Flexibility ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Physical And Psychological Health ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Obesity is a global health problem that affects both physical and psychological health and well-being. Psychological flexibility is one of the key components related to psychological health. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the impact of psychological flexibility on psychological well-being in a sample of 220 individuals with obesity. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the role of psychological flexibility in explaining psychological well-being, controlling for confounding factors (sex, age, and Body Mass Index). According to the results, psychological flexibility significantly explained psychological well-being. Our study provides additional evidence of the impact of psychological flexibility on psychological well-being. It also provides further support for the importance of integrating psychological flexibility in the psychological interventions for obesity.

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Examining the Impact of Wellness Champions on the Effectiveness of a Workplace Health and Well-Being Program

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/0890117120929131 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 121-126

Author(s):

Rebecca Ellis ◽

Colleen Saringer ◽

Ashlee Davis ◽

Duke Biber ◽

David A. Ferrer

Keyword(s):

Program Implementation ◽

Program Effectiveness ◽

Implementation Fidelity ◽

Well Being ◽

Workplace Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Program Satisfaction ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of Desire2Move (D2M) implementation fidelity by Wellness Champions on program effectiveness. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Years 1, 3, and 5 of D2M; an annual peer support health and well-being initiative for university employees. Participants: D2M participants included 422 employees from 28 teams; however, only 144 provided survey data (34.1% response rate). Intervention: During the 8-week program, departments competed as teams to accumulate the greatest average physical activity (PA) minutes. Each team selected a Wellness Champion who delivered program information. Each team member recorded PA minutes with MapMyFitnes s. Measures: An electronic survey assessed program implementation fidelity and program satisfaction. Analysis: Median split (median [Mdn] = 21.2) categorized teams into “high” (n = 14; Mdn = 24.0, range = 21.4-25.0) and “low” (n = 14; Mdn = 19.4, range = 14.3-21.0) implementation groups. Independent samples t tests evaluated differences between groups on program satisfaction and team program average PA minutes. Results: Groups were significantly different for program satisfaction, t(26) = −2.76, P = .011, and team program average PA minutes, t(26) = −2.40, P = .024. The “high” implementation group reported greater program satisfaction (mean [M] = 12.6, standard deviation [SD] = 1.8) and team program average PA minutes (M = 2104.4, SD = 807.4) than the “low” implementation group (program satisfaction M = 11.1, SD = 1.1; team program average minutes M = 1340.8, SD = 875.8). Conclusion: Wellness Champions positively impacted employee PA participation and program satisfaction.

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The Impact of Parental Operational Stress Injury on Child Mental Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review

Military Behavioral Health ◽

10.1080/21635781.2016.1181582 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 334-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Heidi Cramm ◽

Linna Tam-Seto ◽

Deborah Norris ◽

Maya Eichler ◽

Kimberley Smith-Evans

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Child Mental Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Stress Injury ◽

Operational Stress ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

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Cross-Sectional Study Protocol for the COVID-19 Impact Survey of Mothers and Their 7–11 Year Old Children in Alberta, Canada

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.597759 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Nicole Letourneau ◽

Sheila McDonald ◽

Lyndsay Jerusha MacKay ◽

Rhonda C. Bell ◽

Erin Hetherington ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Objectives: Our aim is to understand the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on families who have been followed longitudinally in two cohorts studied in Alberta, Canada. We will examine household infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, financial impact, domestic violence, substance use, child school and daily life and relationships in the home. We will identify risk and protective factors for maternal mental health outcomes using longitudinal data that can inform policy and government resource allocation in future disasters.Methods: Mothers who are currently participating in two longitudinal studies, Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON; N = 1,800) and All Our Families (AOF: N = 2,534) were eligible to participate. Mothers were invited to complete the baseline COVID-19 Impact Survey (20–30 min) within 4 months of March 15, 2020, which was when the province of Alberta, Canada, implemented school closures and physical-distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Mothers were asked to report on their own, their child's and their family's functioning. Mothers were re-surveyed at 6 months after completion of the initial COVID-19 Impact Survey, and will be re-surveyed again at 12 months.Results: Responses from participants in both cohorts will be examined in harmonized analyses as well as separately. Descriptive, multivariable analysis will be undertaken to examine risk and resiliency over time and factors that predict mental health and well-being.Conclusions: This study will provide timely information on the impact of COVID-19 for Albertan families. It will identify risk and protective factors for mental health and well-being among contemporary urban families supported by a publicly funded health care system to inform allocation of resources to support those most vulnerable during a global pandemic.

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