scholarly journals Will Nothing Be the Same Again?: Changes in Lifestyle during COVID-19 Pandemic and Consequences on Mental Health

Author(s):  
Emanuele Caroppo ◽  
Marianna Mazza ◽  
Alessandra Sannella ◽  
Giuseppe Marano ◽  
Carla Avallone ◽  
...  

Social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected lifestyles: from sedentary behaviors to reduced physical activity, from disrupted sleep patterns to altered dietary habits. As a consequence, serious mental and emotional responses have been registered. There was a significant decline in physical and other meaningful activities of daily living, leisure, social activity, and education. In children, collateral effects of the pandemic include inadequate nutrition with a risk of both overweight and underweight, addiction to screens, lack of schooling, and psychosocial difficulties. Older adults are frequently unable to adapt to lockdown measures and suffer from depression and cognitive complaints. Recent studies focusing on changes in lifestyle during the Covid-19 pandemic and consequences on mental health have been identified in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, and ScienceDirect. All the available literature has been retrospectively reviewed. The results of the present narrative review suggest that mental distress caused by social isolation seems to be linked not only to personality characteristics but also to several lifestyle components (sleep disruption, altered eating habits, reduced physical activity). This review aims to explore major changes in the lifestyle and quality of life and the impact of these changes on mental health, and to inform clinicians and policymakers about elements that may reduce the negative psychological effects of the quarantine period imposed during this worldwide crisis. There is an urgent need for tailored preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic mental health interventions for the general population and for higher risk groups.

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e043397
Author(s):  
Austen El-Osta ◽  
Aos Alaa ◽  
Iman Webber ◽  
Eva Riboli Sasco ◽  
Emmanouil Bagkeris ◽  
...  

ObjectiveInvestigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on feelings of loneliness and social isolation in parents of school-age children.DesignCross-sectional online survey of parents of primary and secondary school-age children.SettingCommunity setting.Participants1214 parents of school-age children in the UK.MethodsAn online survey explored the impact of lockdown on the mental health of parents with school-age children, and in particular about feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Associations between the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLATILS), the Direct Measure of Loneliness (DMOL) and the characteristics of the study participants were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported measures of social isolation and loneliness using UCLATILS and DMOL.ResultsHalf of respondents felt they lacked companionship, 45% had feelings of being left out, 58% felt isolated and 46% felt lonely during the first 100 days of lockdown. The factors that were associated with higher levels of loneliness on UCLATILS were female gender, parenting a child with special needs, lack of a dedicated space for distance learning, disruption of sleep patterns and low levels of physical activity during the lockdown. Factors associated with a higher DMOL were female gender, single parenting, parenting a child with special needs, unemployment, low physical activity, lack of a dedicated study space and disruption of sleep patterns during the lockdown.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown has increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness among parents of school-age children. The sustained adoption of two modifiable health-seeking lifestyle behaviours (increased levels of physical activity and the maintenance of good sleep hygiene practices) wmay help reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness during lockdown.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2447
Author(s):  
Edyta Łuszczki ◽  
Anna Bartosiewicz ◽  
Iwona Pezdan-Śliż ◽  
Maciej Kuchciak ◽  
Paweł Jagielski ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused huge changes in people’s lifestyle, health, and social relationships. This situation has had an impact on children and adolescents, affecting their health, intellectual, physical, and emotional development. The survey aimed to compare eating behaviors, level of physical activity (PA), hours of sleep, and screen time among Polish children and adolescents aged 6–15 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We obtained self-reported data from 1016 participants at two measurement points before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in Poland to examine the influence of the lockdown and the distance learning on PA, dietary habits, sleep, and media usage of children and adolescents aged 6–15 years. The study identified dietary differences and changes in daily activity patterns (reduced sleep duration with higher sleep quality and reduced physical activity). Additionally, the increase in general media usage was observed during the pandemic alongside a reduction in smartphone usage. Together, the findings indicate increased sleep, physical activity, and reduced media usage and screen time among Polish children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Sweeney ◽  
Lewis Carpenter ◽  
Savia de Souza ◽  
Hema Chaplin ◽  
Hsiu Tung ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Aims  COVID-19 lockdown affected access to clinical care for many vulnerable patients, including those with inflammatory arthritis (IA). It also had the potential to alter self-management behaviours. These changes could in turn impact mental health, especially given that IA patients are already at higher risk of mental health disorders. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine how IA care and self-management were affected by lockdown and assess the impact of these changes on disease outcomes and mental health. Methods  Online questionnaires were completed by 338 participants between June and July 2020. The questionnaires assessed demographics, IA condition, IA self-management, COVID-19 clinical information, quality of life, and mental health. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for patient global assessment (PGA) of disease activity, pain, fatigue, and emotional distress were completed relating to the previous week and retrospectively for pre-lockdown (March) and early-lockdown (April). Improvement/worsening in each VAS was considered as a change of 10 points or more from pre-lockdown to the current rating. Linear regressions were conducted to determine factors associated with worse outcomes, controlling for potential confounders including self-reported pre-lockdown status. Results  Mean VAS scores worsened during lockdown for all outcome measures, with over half reporting a more than 10-point worsening (Table 1). Changes to clinical care affected 87% of patients. The most commonly affected services were hospital outpatient appointments (77%), GP appointments (59%), and blood tests (53%). Changes to clinical care were significantly associated with worse PGA (b = 8.95, p=0.01), pain (b = 7.13, p=0.05), fatigue (b = 17.01, p<0.00) and emotional distress (b = 12.78, p<0.01). Regarding self-management, 64% of patients reported changes to diet while 51% reduced physical activity. Change in diet was not significantly associated with any of the outcomes, whereas physical activity was associated with PGA (b=-2.42, p<0.01), pain (b=-2.43, p<0.01), fatigue (b=-2.5, p < 0.01), and emotional distress (b=-2.41, p<0.01). Conclusion  Most patients (87%) had at least one area of clinical care affected by the lockdown. These changes in IA clinical care were associated with worse disease outcomes across all measures and greater emotional distress. In self-management, reduced physical activity was associated with worse outcomes in all physical and mental health measures. P095 Table 1:Mean VAS (0-100) scores and percent changesPGAMarch April June/JulyMean (SD) 44.51 (23.70) 53.18 (24.67) 57.69 (25.29)Better Same WorsePercent 7.9936.6855.33[95% CI] [5.33-11.41][31.54-42.07][49.85-60.71]PainMarch April June/July42.60 (25.60) 51.11 (26.01) 56.66 (26.40)Better Same Worse7.6937.8754.44[5.09-11.07] [32.68-43.28][48.96-59.84]FatigueMarch April June/July46.86 (26.17) 57.11 (25.83) 61.35 (26.51)Better Same Worse10.0634.0255.92[7.07-13.77] [28.98-39.35][50.44-61.29]Emotional DistressMarch April June/July30.96 (26.28) 49.06 (29.09) 48.75 (29.15)Better Same Worse8.2833.14 58.58[5.58-11.75] [28.14-38.43][53.12-63.88] Disclosure  M. Sweeney: None. L. Carpenter: None. S. de Souza: None. H. Chaplin: None. H. Tung: None. E. Caton: None. J. Galloway: None. A. Cope: None. M. Yates: None. S. Norton: None.


Author(s):  
Sibel Karakaya ◽  
Merve Eda Eker ◽  
Sedef Nehir El ◽  
Beste Özsezen

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on eating habits, and lifestyles including sleeping and smoking habits, and physical activity of the Turkish population aged >15 years using a web-survey. The survey was conducted from the 5th of August to the 4th of October 2020 by using an online platform and disseminated through institutional and private social networks (Facebook and WhatsApp) and institutional mailing lists. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, anthropometric data, changes in dietary habits, and changes in lifestyle habits. The total number of participants was 1020 in the study and 71.1% of them are female, and 80% of the participants were in the 20-59 age range. More than half of the participants (67.42%) declared that their eating habits and lifestyles changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the participants (63%) declared that there is no special food that can improve their immunity against the Covid-19. Contrary to them, most of those who added certain foods to their diets or increased the consumption of certain foods to improve the immunity (39.8%), declared that they got that information from social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp. In particular smoking habits did not change and sleep hours increased during the Covid-19 period. Concerning physical activity, no significant difference was found between the percentage of people before and during the Covid-19 period.


2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 879-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen J Stain ◽  
Cherrie A Galletly ◽  
Scott Clark ◽  
Jacqueline Wilson ◽  
Emily A Killen ◽  
...  

Background: Social inclusion is a key priority of the Fourth National Mental Health Plan for Australia (2009–2014), with strong evidence for its protective impact on mental health. Social integration has been associated with enhanced well-being for people with mental illnesses such as psychosis. Objective: To explore the impact of psychosis on an individual’s social and community participation. Method: The second Australian national survey of psychosis was conducted across seven Australian sites. Semi-structured interviews with adults living with psychosis assessed mental health status, social and role functioning, life satisfaction and future goals. The cohort comprised 1825 adults with a psychotic illness (59.6% were male; 42.4% were aged 18–34 years; 31.5% had 12 years or more of education) of whom 32.7% had been employed in the past year. Results: Most adults indicated experiencing loneliness (80.1%) and a need for more friends (48.1%). Men were more likely to have never had a long-term relationship (59.4% M, 33.2% F). Even though women were more likely to experience anxiety in social situations [(χ2(1) = 8.95, p < 0.01)], they were more likely to have attended a social activity in the past year [χ2(2) = 11.84, p < 0.01]. Just over half of the survey participants (56.7%) reported having daily or nearly daily contact with family members. In the past year, 69% had not attended any social activity and 43% described stigma as a barrier. Although 63.2% showed significant impairment in social functioning, only 29.5% had received help for this in the last year. Social isolation and loneliness were rated as major challenges by 37.2% of the cohort. Conclusions: Social isolation and dysfunction experienced by people with psychosis have not decreased since the last Australian national survey of people with psychosis. Alongside education and employment, social functioning and participation must be addressed to improve social inclusion for people with psychosis. Programs targeting social opportunities (befriending, peer support), social anxiety and social functioning for all stages of psychosis are warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Cheikh Ismail ◽  
Mona Hashim ◽  
Maysm N. Mohamad ◽  
Hussein Hassan ◽  
Abir Ajab ◽  
...  

This study aimed to examine the impact of quarantine on eating habits and lifestyle behaviors among the Lebanese adult population. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms between 3 June and 28 June 2020. The survey questions were adapted from the Short Food Frequency Questionnaire, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form, and the second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. A total of 2,507 adults completed the questionnaire. During the lockdown, 32.8% claimed weight gain, 44.7% did not eat fruits daily, 35.3% did not eat vegetables on daily basis, and 72.9% reported drinking less than eight cups of water per day. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the number of meals consumed per day, consumption of homemade meals, sedentary time, stress, and sleeping disturbances during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (all p &lt; 0.001). However, there was a significant decrease in physical activity engagement, sleep quality, and energy level during the lockdown compared to before the pandemic (all p &lt; 0.001). The study highlights that the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with unfavorable changes in dietary habits and lifestyle behaviors in Lebanon. Sleep and mental health were also negatively impacted by the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna Gilchrist ◽  
Kate Battista ◽  
Karen A. Patte ◽  
Guy Faulkner ◽  
Valerie Carson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep are associated with mental health in adolescents. Mental health may depend not only on the amount of time spent in a specific activity, but also on the activity it displaces. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of reallocating 15 minutes of time spent in one health behavior with 15 minutes in another on adolescent mental health. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the students participating in the COMPASS Study (2018-2019) were analyzed (N = 46,413). Participants self-reported the amount of time they spent engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), doing homework and using screens, and their sleep duration on average each day. Participants also self-reported depressive symptoms, anxiety, and flourishing. Data were analyzed using isotemporal substitution modeling. Results: Non-linear associations were evident between sleep and the mental health outcomes, so analyses were stratified by sleep duration based on whether students reported meeting current guidelines or not. Among adolescents getting less than the recommended amount of sleep, replacing any behaviour with sleep was generally associated with better mental health outcomes. Conversely, among adolescents getting adequate sleep, the findings did not support replacing other behaviors with sleep with the exception of screen time. Replacing homework and MVPA with sleep was associated with less flourishing regardless of sleep duration. Of the two sedentary behaviors assessed, replacing screen time with homework was associated with less depression and greater flourishing. However, replacing any behavior with homework was associated with greater anxiety regardless of whether participants reported adequate sleep or not.Conclusions: Replacing screen time with any behaviour may be better for mental health outcomes. Results provide further support for the critical role of sleep in promoting healthy development during adolescence, though more sleep than is recommended may confer little benefit for mental health. Youth getting adequate sleep may benefit from replacing screen time with homework or MVPA. The findings demonstrate that mental health benefits may be obtainable at intervals as short as 15 minutes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-131
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Parfin ◽  
Krystian Wdowiak ◽  
Marzena Furtak-Niczyporuk ◽  
Jolanta Herda

AbstractIntroduction. The COVID-19 is the name of an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2). It was first diagnosed in December 2019 in patients in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The symptoms are dominated by features of respiratory tract infections, in some patients with a very severe course leading to respiratory failure and, in extreme cases to death. Due to the spread of the infection worldwide, the WHO declared a pandemic in March 2020.Aim. An investigation of the impact of social isolation introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic on selected aspects of life. The researchers focused on observing changes in habits related to physical activity and their connections with people’s subjective well-being and emotional state.Material and methods. The study was carried out within the international project of the group „IRG on COVID and exercise”. The research tool was a standardized questionnaire.Results. Based on the data collected and the analysis of the percentage results, it can be observed that the overwhelming majority of people taking up physical activity reported a better mood during the pandemic. However, statistical tests do not confirm these relationships due to the small sample size.Conclusions. Isolation favours physical activity. Future, in-depth studies, by enlarging the population group, are necessary to confirm the above observations.


Author(s):  
Hubert Dobrowolski ◽  
Dariusz Włodarek

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a number of changes in social life around the world. In response to the growing number of infections, some countries have introduced restrictions that may have resulted in the change of the lifestyle. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the lockdown on body weight, physical activity and some eating habits of the society. The survey involving 183 people was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. The mean age of the study participants was 33 ± 11 and mean height 169 ± 8 cm. An average increase in body weight was observed in 49.18% by 0.63 ± 3.7 kg which was the result of a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption. We also observed a decrease in PAL from 1.64 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.13 and changes in the amount of food and individual groups of products consumption, including alcohol. Among the study participants who did not lose body mass, there was an average weight gain of 2.25 ± 2.5 kg. In conclusion, an increase of weight was shown in about half of the respondents in the study group which was associated with a decrease in physical activity and an increase in the consumption of total food and high energy density products.


Author(s):  
Matthew Pears ◽  
Susanna Kola-Palmer ◽  
Liane Beretta De Azevedo

Abstract Objective The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity (PA) and sitting time on adults’ mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety and wellbeing) and the influence of mediators and confounders. Methods An online survey was disseminated in the UK between May and June 2020. A total of 284 participants (33.5 ± 12.4 years) self-reported their PA, sitting time and mental health through validated questionnaires. Results Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that being of younger age, female, on a lower income, with one or more comorbid health conditions, with a previous diagnosis of mood disorder and increased sitting time independently correlated with higher depression scores (F (13,219) = 12.31, p < 0.001), and explained 42% of the variance. Similar results were found for wellbeing where socio-demographic, health outcomes and sitting time influenced the subjective wellbeing (F (14,218) = 5.77, p < 0.001, 27% variance), although only socio-demographic and health outcomes contributed to the variation in anxiety score (F (13,219) = 7.84, p < 0.001, 32% variance). PA did not explain variation when sitting time was taken into account in any of the models. Combined analysis revealed that participants with lower sedentary time (< 8 h) and with both low or moderate and high PA presented a significantly lower depression score [low PA: (B = −2.7, 95% CI −4.88, −0.52); moderate and high PA (B = −2.7, −4.88, −0.52)]. Conclusion Sitting time was strongly associated with adverse mental health during COVID-19 lockdown and should be considered in future public health recommendations.


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