scholarly journals Evaluation of Distress and Risk Perception Associated with COVID-19 in Vulnerable Groups

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9207
Author(s):  
Carmen Orte ◽  
Lidia Sánchez-Prieto ◽  
David Caldevilla Domínguez ◽  
Almudena Barrientos-Báez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Preventive Behavior ◽  
The Face ◽  
Coronavirus Infection

Preventive behavior developed by the population is essential in the face of the risk of coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, preventive measures will depend on the risk perception acquired. In addition, lockdown can directly affect mental health, provoking distress. Distress could affect risk perception. This study’s objective was to analyze whether experiencing distress had an influence on risk perception with respect to vulnerable groups. The sample consisted of 806 participants. The study was conducted during the first week of lockdown declared by the Spanish Government. The Brief Symptom Inventory BSI-18 and a risk perception questionnaire about vulnerable groups was administered. The study revealed the appearance of distress in 9.6% of the sample (85.7% women). Experiencing distress influenced risk perception. This study’s main contribution is the link between experiencing distress and the risk perception with respect to vulnerable groups. Risk perception is relevant since it can influence how the population faces the pandemic. Transmission of accurate information could help to minimize the effect of certain cognitive biases that affect risk perception and foster preventive behavior.

scholarly journals Worry and perceived risk of contagion during the COVID-19 quarantine in the Jalisco population: Preliminary Study

Salud Mental ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 253-261
Author(s):  
Jesua Iván Guzmán-González ◽  
Franco Giordano Sánchez-García ◽  
Saúl Ramírez-de los Santos ◽  
Francisco Gutiérrez-Rodríguez ◽  
David Palomino-Esparza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Indirect Measure ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Penn State Worry Questionnaire ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Penn State ◽  
The Face ◽  
State Worry

Introduction. Preventive measures taken during periods of health crisis, specifically in pandemics, have consistently been associated with detrimental effects on mental health. Isolation and loneliness are indirect effects of these preventive measures. Given these premises, monitoring the behavior of the population in the face of these eventualities becomes important. Worry as an indirect measure of anxiety and stress enables one to recognize subjects who are vulnerable to phenomena of high uncertainty, since measures taken to avoid excessive contagion can have high costs for this population. This phenomenon has been consistently observed in other pandemics such as H1/N1 influenza. Objective. To determine the prevalence of worry and perceived risk of contagion in the Guadalajara population during the COVID-19 quarantine and to identify differentiating effects. Method. A total of 255 people from western Mexico (Guadalajara, Jalisco) voluntarily participated by answering the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) adapted to Mexican population. The average age of the respondents, aged between 18 and 70 years, was 31.71 (± 5.19). A total of 170 women and 85 men participated in the study. Results. 40.12% of the population scored high levels of worry, making them vulnerable to mental health conditions. Subjects favored the prevention of a contagion regardless of whether they were self-isolated. The only variable that had a differential effect was sex (p < .05), and there were no differences in educational attainment, occupational demandingness, and isolation between the groups. Discussion and conclusion. A preventive attitude was observed among the participants, and so it is important to implement strategies that will prevent mental health costs in those who express excessive worry to avoid saturating mental health services.

scholarly journals Coping in mental health during social isolation: analysis in light of Hildegard Peplau

2022 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Bassani Dal’Bosco ◽  
Lara Simone Messias Floriano ◽  
Amanda Gabrieli Schuber Spósito Rangel ◽  
Mirian Cristina Ribas ◽  
Ana Paula Garbuio Cavalheiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
The Face ◽  
Coronavirus Infection

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the coping of individuals in social isolation due to suspicion or confirmation of coronavirus infection from the perspective of Hildegard Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations. Methods: this is a qualitative, descriptive research, carried out with 34 individuals in social isolation due to suspicion or confirmation of coronavirus infection who passed through a screening tent of a university hospital in Paraná. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in June and July 2020. Empirical categories were interpreted by content analysis. Results: four categories emerged: Distance; Social and emotional support; Self-awareness and resolution; Learning. These categories established the coping strategies. Conclusions: individuals undergoing social isolation are more likely to present problems related to mental health. It was highlighted that coping strategies, motivated by nurses, anchored in Hildegard Peplau’s theoretical framework, promoted the necessary learning for promoting participants’ mental health in the face of a pandemic context.

scholarly journals Behavioral Reactions and Psychological Responses to 2019-nCoV: A Narrative Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vahid Ranaei ◽  
Zahra Pilevar ◽  
Teamur Aghamolaei
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Narrative Review ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
The Impact

Context: The emerging 2019-nCoV outbreak has involved almost all countries worldwide. Although the timely dissemination of clear and accurate information on threats of the disease might cause panic, it is needed for rapid adoption and implementation of prevention and control measures. From the early stages of outbreaks, the behavioral responses and public risk perception should be carefully monitored for further policies and corrective measures. Evidence Acquisition: In the current narrative review article, the psychological and behavioral responses are reviewed after an introduction to the risk perception and role of social and personal behavioral changes in the 2019-nCoV outbreak. Additionally, the impact of public perception on mental health problems and containment of the outbreak is discussed. Results: The consequences of the outbreak affect both infected and non-infected people in communities. People may experience loneliness, fear of catching the disease, and loss of loved ones during the outbreak. The timely understanding of the situation, implementation of urgent psychological interventions, and emotional supports are necessary to encourage people to fight this long-term outbreak and prevent subsequent mental health problems. Conclusions: High self-control and public perception can mediate the associated psychological impacts of stressful conditions in outbreaks.

A descriptive study of the prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in the Canadian population: comparison between low-income and non-low-income populations

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Caron ◽  
A. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
High Psychological Distress

Objective This descriptive study compares rates of high psychological distress and mental disorders between low-income and non-low-income populations in Canada. Methods Data were collected through the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS 1.2), which surveyed 36 984 Canadians aged 15 or over; 17.9% (n = 6620) was classified within the low-income population using the Low Income Measure. The K-10 was used to measure psychological distress and the CIDI for assessing mental disorders. Results One out of 5 Canadians reported high psychological distress, and 1 out of 10 reported at least one of the five mental disorders surveyed or substance abuse. Women, single, separated or divorced respondents, non-immigrants and Aboriginal Canadians were more likely to report suffering from psychological distress or from mental disorders and substance abuse. Rates of reported psychological distress and of mental disorders and substance abuse were much higher in low-income populations, and these differences were statistically consistent in most of the sociodemographic strata. Conclusion This study helps determine the vulnerable groups in mental health for which prevention and promotion programs could be designed.

Perfectionism in adolescents: Self-critical perfectionism as a predictor of depressive symptoms across the school year

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelby L. Levine ◽  
Isabelle Green-Demers ◽  
Marina Milyavskaya ◽  
Kaitlyn M. Werner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
School Students ◽  
Personal Standards ◽  
School Year ◽  
Path Modelling ◽  
Personal Standards Perfectionism

The present study examined the influence of personal standards and self-critical perfectionism on depressive and anxiety symptoms over the academic year. High-school students (N=174) were surveyed in the late Fall and early Spring, assessing perfectionism in the Fall and mental health across the year in both the Fall and Spring. Path modelling was used to examine whether self-critical and personal standards perfectionism were related to changes in mental health across the school year. Controlling for mental health at the start of the year, self-critical perfectionism predicted an increase in depressive symptoms over time, whereas personal standards perfectionism was unrelated to changes in mental health. Results support that self-critical perfectionism is detrimental to mental health in adolescents, suggesting that future interventions should focus on reducing self-critical cognitive biases in youth.

The Goldwater Rule: Perspectives From, and Implications for, Psychological Science

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
scott lilienfeld ◽  
Josh Miller ◽  
Donald Lynam
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Psychiatric Status ◽  
Public Figures ◽  
Duty To Inform

When, if ever, should psychological scientists be permitted to offer professional opinions concerning the mental health of public figures they have never directly examined? This contentious question, which attracted widespread public attention during the 1964 U.S. presidential election involving Barry Goldwater, received renewed scrutiny during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, when many mental health professionals raised pointed questions concerning the psychiatric status of Donald Trump. Although the Goldwater Rule prohibits psychiatrists from offering diagnostic opinions on individuals they have never examined, no comparable rule exists for psychologists. We contend that, owing largely to the Goldwater Rule’s origins in psychiatry, a substantial body of psychological research on assessment and clinical judgment, including work on the questionable validity of unstructured interviews, the psychology of cognitive biases, and the validity of informant reports and of L (lifetime) data, has been overlooked in discussions of its merits. We conclude that although the Goldwater Rule may have been defensible several decades ago, it is outdated and premised on dubious scientific assumptions. We further contend that there are select cases in which psychological scientists with suitable expertise may harbor a “duty to inform,” allowing them to offer informed opinions concerning public figures’ mental health with appropriate caveats.

Psychological Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease on Cancer Patients

Coronaviruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Dhiman
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Related Problem ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Vulnerable Group ◽  
Recommended Care ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Face ◽  
Mental Trauma ◽  
The Cost

: In this letter, the psychological impact of COVID-19 on cancer infected patients is discussed. Cancer is a serious health-related problem in the human body nowadays. The 2019 pandemic of coronavirus disease has developed into an unheard-of pandemic. Given the havoc wreaked by this pathogen worldwide, many countries have implemented a severe, legally enforced method of social distancing, in the form of a lockdown. Unless adequate preventive measures are taken, the cost of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown can prove to be irreparable. The obvious consequences of this lockout, such as the escalating levels of unemployment, imminent economic crisis, and extreme food scarcity faced by the sudden unemployed migrant labour population, have been widely reported. Cancer patients are a highly vulnerable group even during non-pandemic periods, often presenting late in the course of their illness, without the services required to avail recommended care. The incidence of psychological complications and emotional distress is considerably higher than in the general population, and the trauma of both the pandemic and subsequent lockdown contributes significantly to their mental trauma. This analysis is geared at solving the challenges faced by cancer patients in the face of this pandemic and subsequent lockdown, with a look at potential solutions that can be enforced.

scholarly journals Typhoon eye effect versus ripple effect: the role of family size on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tooba Lateef ◽  
Jiyao Chen ◽  
Muhammad Tahir ◽  
Teba Abdul Lateef ◽  
Bryan Z. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Family Size ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Populous Country

Abstract Background The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted adversely upon the mental health of millions of people worldwide. Impacts on the mental health conditions and the associated predictors relating to adults in Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, during the COVID-19 remain understudied. Our aim was to investigate distress, anxiety, and overall mental health and their associated predictors among Pakistani adults in this pandemic. We specifically examine mental health issues based on the distance from the epicenter, (a predictor that has revealed opposing evidence in other countries) based on the theories of typhoon eye effect and ripple effect. The sample consisted of 601 adults who were surveyed online about 2.5 months into the outbreak across Pakistan with varying distances from the epicenter of COVID-19 of Karachi. Results The results showed that 9.2 and 19.0% of the participants surpassed the cut-off criteria for distress and anxiety disorders, respectively. Overall, the distance from the epicenter positively predicted the mental health of adults in Pakistan, and family size negatively moderated this effect. The distance from the epicenter negatively predicted distress and anxiety disorders for adults in large families, which are quite common in Pakistan. Conclusion The evidence of the study interestingly finds that the prediction of the mental health of people by their distance from the epicenter depends on family size. The evidence of this study can help to provide initial indicators for mental health care providers to screen vulnerable groups in Pakistan, a populous country that continues struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Afro-Communitarianism and the Role of Traditional African Healers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Cordeiro-Rodrigues ◽  
Thaddeus Metz
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
The Face

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, and in Africa, given the lack of resources, they are likely to be even more acute. The usefulness of Traditional African Healers in helping to mitigate the effects of pandemic has been neglected. We argue from an ethical perspective that these healers can and should have an important role in informing and guiding local communities in Africa on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Particularly, we argue not only that much of the philosophy underlying Traditional African Medicine is adequate and compatible with preventive measures for COVID-19, but also that Traditional African Healers have some unique cultural capital for influencing and enforcing such preventive measures. The paper therefore suggests that not only given the cultural context of Africa where Traditional African Healers have a special role, but also because of the normative strength of the Afro-communitarian philosophy that informs it, there are good ethical reasons to endorse policies that involve Traditional Healers in the fight against COVID-19. We also maintain that concerns about Traditional African Healers objectionably violating patient confidentiality or being paternalistic are much weaker in the face of COVID-19.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document