scholarly journals Combining International Survey Datasets to Identify Indicators of Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Machine Learning Approach to Improve Generalization

COVID ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-738
Author(s):  
Eric Yunan Zhao ◽  
Daniel Xia ◽  
Mark Greenhalgh ◽  
Elena Colicino ◽  
Merylin Monaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Applied Machine Learning ◽  
Drastic Increase ◽  
And Gender

The scale and duration of the worldwide SARS-COVID-2 virus-related quarantine measures presented the global scientific community with a unique opportunity to study the accompanying psychological stress. Since March 2020, numerous publications have reported similar findings from diverse international studies on psychological stress, depression, and anxiety, which have increased during this pandemic. However, there remains a gap in interpreting the results from one country to another despite the global rise in mental health problems. The objective of our study was to identify global indicators of pandemic-related stress that traverse geographic and cultural boundaries. We amalgamated data from two independent global surveys across twelve countries and spanning four continents collected during the first wave of the mandated public health measures aimed at mitigating COVID-19. We applied machine learning (ML) modelling to these data, and the results revealed a significant positive correlation between PSS-10 scores and gender, relationship status, and groups. Confinement, fear of contagion, social isolation, financial hardship, etc., may be some reasons reported being the cause of the drastic increase in mental health problems worldwide. The decline of the typical protective factors (e.g., sleep, exercise, meditation) may have amplified existing vulnerabilities/co-morbidities (e.g., psychiatric history, age, gender). Our results further show that ML is an apropos tool to elucidate the underlying predictive factors in large, complex, heterogeneous datasets without invalidating the model assumptions. We believe our model provides clinicians, researchers, and decision-makers with evidence to investigate the moderators and mediators of stress and introduce novel interventions to mitigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Successful Reintegration and Mental Health: An Examination of Gender Differences Among Reentering Offenders

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1121-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas W. Bakken ◽  
Christy A. Visher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
The Body ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Former Prisoners ◽  
And Gender

Men and women exiting the correctional system represent a population at high risk for mental health problems, and the body of research on the mental health needs of former prisoners is growing. These mental health problems pose challenges for individuals at every stage of the criminal justice process, from arrest to incarceration to reentry and reintegration. This article examines the mental health status and gender differences among a sample of 352 men and women leaving confinement and the role that mental health problems played in shaping their reentry outcomes using data collected between 2002 and 2005. In the year after leaving prison, men and women with mental health problems reported worse health indicators and less satisfactory social factors, such as employment, housing, and family support. The article concludes with a discussion of recommendations for improved policy and practice for assisting former prisoners with mental health problems during reintegration.

3 The emerging role of cannabis therapeutics in psychiatry

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. e2.1-e2
Author(s):  
H Valerie Curran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Policy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Clinical Psychopharmacology ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Experimental Medicine ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
The Uk

Val Curran is Director and Founder of the UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit at UCL, Professor of Psychopharmacology, a founding member of the charity DrugScience, Research Lead at a London NHS Drug Service and an advisor to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform. Her research focuses on the short- and long-term effects of drugs on our mood, thought processes, memory and the brain. Her research is funded mainly by the Medical Research Council. Val’s work spans drugs used in medical treatments, drugs used recreationally and some drugs (e.g. cannabinoids, ketamine, opiates) used in both contexts. Currently she is running several projects on cannabinoids including their differential effects on adolescents compared with adults; the use of cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for cannabis addiction and other potential medical uses of cannabinoids. Val’s cannabis research formed the basis of the Channel 4 documentary: Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial.Cannabis contains over 140 unique ‘cannabinoids’ and levels of these vary in different types of cannabis. Research to date has focussed on just two of these cannabinoids:Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). We have shown that this variation can influence the effects of cannabis and people’s vulnerability to experiencing mental health problems such as addiction and psychosis. On the opposite side of the coin, THC and CBD and their combination are emerging as potential treatments for some mental health problems. Cannabis based medicines can now be prescribed in the UK, although hardly any patients have yet received these treatments on the NHS. This talk will summarise relevant background research in experimental medicine before presenting new data from a recent RCT of the effects of different doses of CBD for treating cannabis use disorder. I will argue that research on cannabinoids is not only about the ‘cause or cure’ of mental health problems; critically, we should emphasise prevention as a key approach which will require politicians to take evidence-based decisions on UK drug policy.

Perinatal Psychiatry

2014 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Perinatal Depression ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Puerperal Psychosis ◽  
Perinatal Psychiatry ◽  
History Of

Mental health problems during and immediately after pregnancy are a major concern across the world. As well as affecting the health of the mother, they can have significant, harmful, and long term effects on the infant if not dealt with effectively. Perinatal Psychiatry honors the work of Channi Kumar, one of the seminal figures in the history of perinatal psychiatry, and presents a comprehensive multidisciplinary review of the field. Bringing together the leading researchers in the area, it covers the causes of perinatal mental health problems, the biology of perinatal depression and its more extreme form, puerperal psychosis, as well as psychosocial and psychological interventions, hormonal and neural substrates of perinatal depression, and risk factors and epidemiology.

Mental Health, Drug, and Violence Interventions for Sexual/Gender Minorities: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-54
Author(s):  
Robert W. S. Coulter ◽  
James E. Egan ◽  
Suzanne Kinsky ◽  
M. Reuel Friedman ◽  
Kristen L. Eckstrand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Violence Victimization ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Methodologic Quality ◽  
Small Collection ◽  
Family Based ◽  
And Gender

CONTEXT Compared with cisgender (nontransgender), heterosexual youth, sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) experience great inequities in substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization, thereby making them a priority population for interventions. OBJECTIVE To systematically review interventions and their effectiveness in preventing or reducing substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization among SGMY. DATA SOURCES PubMed, PsycINFO, and Education Resources Information Center. STUDY SELECTION Selected studies were published from January 2000 to 2019, included randomized and nonrandomized designs with pretest and posttest data, and assessed substance use, mental health problems, or violence victimization outcomes among SGMY. DATA EXTRACTION Data extracted were intervention descriptions, sample details, measurements, results, and methodologic rigor. RESULTS With this review, we identified 9 interventions for mental health, 2 for substance use, and 1 for violence victimization. One SGMY-inclusive intervention examined coordinated mental health services. Five sexual minority–specific interventions included multiple state-level policy interventions, a therapist-administered family-based intervention, a computer-based intervention, and an online intervention. Three gender minority–specific interventions included transition-related gender-affirming care interventions. All interventions improved mental health outcomes, 2 reduced substance use, and 1 reduced bullying victimization. One study had strong methodologic quality, but the remaining studies’ results must be interpreted cautiously because of suboptimal methodologic quality. LIMITATIONS There exists a small collection of diverse interventions for reducing substance use, mental health problems, and violence victimization among SGMY. CONCLUSIONS The dearth of interventions identified in this review is likely insufficient to mitigate the substantial inequities in substance use, mental health problems, and violence among SGMY.

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