scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study on the Emotional-Behavioral Sequelae for Children and Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Their Families

Author(s):  
Alessia Raffagnato ◽  
Sara Iannattone ◽  
Benedetta Tascini ◽  
Martina Venchiarutti ◽  
Alessia Broggio ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the immediate and short-term impact of the pandemic on the psychological well-being of Italian children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders and their families. Overall, 56 patients aged 6–18 (M = 13.4 years, SD = 2.77) and their parents were evaluated during the COVID-19 lockdown (T0) and after 4 months (T1). An ad hoc data sheet, Youth Self-Report 11–18 (YSR), Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 (CBCL), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were administered. Patients, mainly suffering from internalizing disorders, overall demonstrated a good adaptation to the pandemic context. Moreover, patients with behavioral disorders showed a greater psychological discomfort at both T0 and T1 compared to patients with internalizing disorders. Over time, patients presented an improvement on the emotional side, as proven by a significant decrease in internalizing and post-traumatic stress problems. Finally, no significant differences were found in the emotional-behavioral profile of patients according to the means of conducting neuropsychiatric interventions during the lockdown (i.e., in person/remotely/interrupted), thus allowing us to exclude important negative effects caused by the transition to remote therapy. Concerning parents, an inverse relationship emerged between the DASS-21 scores and the level of resilience, which therefore represents a protective factor against psychological maladjustment. Over time, an improvement in the psychological well-being of parents was observed, as shown by a significant decrease in mothers’ anxiety and fathers’ stress.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 3516
Author(s):  
Silvana Miceli ◽  
Barbara Caci ◽  
Michele Roccella ◽  
Luigi Vetri ◽  
Giuseppe Quatrosi ◽  
...  

Several studies evidenced increased elevated symptomatology levels in anxiety, general stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress related to COVID-19. Real difficulties in the effective control of time that could be responsible for mental health issues and loss of vitality were also reported. Prior literature highlighted how perceived control over time significantly modulates anxiety disorders and promotes psychological well-being. To verify the hypothesis that perceived control over time predicts fear of COVID-19 and mental health and vitality mediate this relationship, we performed an online survey on a sample of 301 subjects (female = 68%; Mage = 22.12, SD = 6.29; age range = 18–57 years), testing a parallel mediation model using PROCESS macro (model 4). All participants responded to self-report measures of perceived control over time, COVID-19 fear, mental health, and vitality subscales of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. Results corroborate the hypotheses of direct relationships between all the study variables and partially validate the mediation’s indirect effect. Indeed, mental health (a1b1 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.11; UL = −0.01; p < 0.001) rather than vitality (a2b2 = −0.06; CI: LL = −0.09; UL = 0.03; n.s.) emerges as a significant mediator between perceived control over time and fear of COVID-19. Practical implications of the study about treatment programs based on perceived control over time and emotional coping to prevent fear and anxiety toward the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.


Author(s):  
Airin Triwahyuni ◽  
Clement Eko Prasetio

First-year university students are vulnerable to certain psychological disorders. Psychological Well-Being (PWB) is one of the resources they can use to face academic challenges. However, research focusing to identify PWB as protective factor among first-year university students is still rare. This study employs quantitative method involving 151 respondents from the Faculty of Psychology of University X in West Java. It uses a PWB scale composed by Ryff and Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20). It also employs simple multiple regression to determine the relation between PWB and symptoms of psychological disorders, on one hand, and stepwise multiple regression to find out which dimensions of PWB are significant to anticipate psychological disorder, on the other. This study argues that PWB, especially self-acceptance and environment mastery dimension, can be used as a protective factor against psychological disorders. Keywords: first-year university students, psychological disorders, psychological well-being


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne M. A. Lamers ◽  
Cees A. W. Glas ◽  
Gerben J. Westerhof ◽  
Ernst T. Bohlmeijer

This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), a 14-item self-report questionnaire for measuring emotional, social, and psychological well-being. The study draws on data of a representative panel (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences of CentERdata). 1,932 Dutch adults filled out the MHC-SF at four timepoints over 9 months. We used item response theory analyses with two-parameter models to examine differential item functioning across demographics, health indicators, and timepoints. The results indicated differences in the performance of one item (social well-being) for educational level, one item (social well-being) for sex, and two items (psychological well-being) for age. The MHC-SF is highly reliable over time, as there was no differential item functioning across the four timepoints. Furthermore, the means and reliabilities of the subscales were consistent over time. The MHC-SF is a reliable and valid instrument to measure positive aspects of mental health.


Author(s):  
Ieva Norkiene ◽  
Lina Jovarauskaite ◽  
Monika Kvedaraite ◽  
Encarl Uppal ◽  
Mandeep Kaur Phull ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on healthcare globally. Additional pressure created by coronavirus adversely affected the mental health and psychological well-being of healthcare workers, leading many to question their desire and willingness to continue working in healthcare. This study aimed to identify predictors for career change ideation among healthcare professionals in two countries; Lithuania and the United Kingdom amid the coronavirus pandemic. In total, 610 healthcare professionals from Lithuania and the UK (285 and 325, respectively) participated in a survey from May to August 2020. Psychological distress and psychological well-being were measured using the self-report scales “DASS-21” and “WHO-5”. Almost half of the sample (49.2%), 59.6% and 40.0% in Lithuanian and the UK, respectively, exhibited career change ideation, the country effect was significant (AOR = 2.21, p < 0.001). Stronger ideation to leave healthcare was predicted by higher levels of depression (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.005), stress (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.007), anxiety surrounding inadequate personal protective equipment (AOR = 2.27, p = 0.009), and lower psychological well-being scores (AOR = 1.10, p = 0.007). We conclude that psychosocial support must be provided for healthcare professionals to prevent burnout and loss of staff amid the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Wunsch ◽  
Claudio R. Nigg ◽  
Susanne Weyland ◽  
Darko Jekauc ◽  
Claudia Niessner ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) has beneficial effects on health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which is a protective factor of illness and mortality. The purpose of this examination was to investigate if self-reported and device-based measures of PA were related to HRQoL in adolescents. Methods Participants (N = 1565; 54.3% female; Mage = 14.37 years, SDage = 1.99) were recruited from 167 sample points across Germany. Adolescents self-reported their PA, supplemented by a 1-week examination of device-based PA using accelerometry. Additionally, they completed the multidimensional KIDSCREEN-27 to assess HRQoL. Results Results showed that self-reported PA was correlated with overall HRQoL, Physical Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, Social Support & Peers, and School Environment, whereas device-based PA was only correlated with Physical as well as Psychological Well-Being. Further, self-reported PA significantly predicted all facets of HRQoL except for Autonomy and Parent Relations, whereas device-based PA solely heightened the amount of explained variance in the Physical Well-Being subscale. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the importance of self-reported PA as it is related to almost all facets of HRQoL. Both measures of PA are not congruent in their relationship with HRQoL and thus implications have to be carefully considered. Future studies should investigate the direct effect of PA on HRQoL and health in a longitudinal approach to account for the causality of effects.


1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Takahashi ◽  
Junko Tamura ◽  
Makiko Tokoro

On the premise that social relationships among elderly adults differ in terms of the most significant, dominant figure, this study aimed to examine: (1) whether there were qualitative differences in supportive functions between family-dominant and friend-dominant affective relationships, and (2) whether “lone wolves”, who were deficient in human resources, had difficulties in maintaining their well-being. A total of 148 Japanese, over the age of 65, both living in communities and in institutions were individually interviewed about their social relationships using a self-report type method, the Picture Affective Relationships test, and their well-being was assessed using Depression, Self-esteem, Life satisfaction, and Subjective health scales. Results showed that there were no differences in psychological well-being between family-dominant and friend-dominant participants, but those who lacked affective figures had lower scores in subjective well-being than did their family-dominant and friend-dominant counterparts. The generalisation of these findings to other cultures is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zainab Ifthikar ◽  
Saima Sajjad Fakih ◽  
Saumy Johnson ◽  
Johnson Alex

Abstract Background In recent times, COVID-19 has been recognized as a public health emergency and thus far, most papers published on it are focused only on the clinical characteristics of infected patients. This pandemic has also made phenomenal emotional impact among the young and the old. We aimed to find out the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of medical students in a University at Riyadh. Results There were 309 participants in the study. Out of them 44% did not have PTSD, 29% had score more than 37 which might contribute to immune suppression, in 18.4% PTSD was a clinical concern and 8.6% had probable PTSD. Female participants were the majority in the group and they also had higher chance of having consequences than the male counterparts (P < 0.001). Avoidance score between male and female gender was significantly different. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has not just affected the physiological functioning of the affected individuals but also has had a probable post-traumatic stress disorder among young college students. Screening for psychological well-being and the treatment for PTSD is imperative in college, school and general population.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110406
Author(s):  
Marina Pauletto ◽  
Michele Grassi ◽  
Maria Chiara Passolunghi ◽  
Barbara Penolazzi

Given the increase of mental health problems in youth, focusing on the promotion of psychological well-being is essential. Among the variables recognized as linked to children’s psychological well-being, trait emotional intelligence, emotional self-efficacy and coping seem to be crucial, whereas the role played by intelligence is still controversial. In the present study, we explored the combined effects of these variables, aimed at disentangling their unique contribution to psychological well-being of 74 children (41 males, mean age: 9.03 years). We administered verbal and reasoning tests as intelligence measures and self-report questionnaires to assess trait emotional intelligence, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, coping styles, psychological well-being. Correlations revealed two independent clusters of variables: a first cluster including intelligence indexes and a second cluster including psychological well-being, trait emotional intelligence, regulatory emotional self-efficacy and adaptive coping styles. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that only trait emotional intelligence and positive restructuring coping style significantly contributed to psychological well-being. This study highlights that, unlike general intelligence, trait emotional intelligence was associated to psychological well-being, whereas coping styles play a negligible role in explaining this relationship. These findings are valuable in identifying the most relevant factors for children’s adjustment and in enhancing emotion-related aspects in interventions for psychological well-being promotion.


Author(s):  
Carolina Mendoza ◽  
Helena Poggi ◽  
Mónica Flores ◽  
Cristóbal Morales ◽  
Alejandro Martínez-Aguayo

Introduction: Transgender (TG) children and adolescents experience problems in school as well as with family and social relationships that can adversely affect their physical and psychosocial health and impair their quality of life (QOL). This study aims to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in TG children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study comparing HRQoL in gender nonconforming (Trans) and gender conforming (CIS) children and adolescents using the Spanish version of KIDSCREEN-52 in 120 Chilean Trans and CIS children (aged 8–18 years) and their parents. All scores were standardized according to the KIDSCREEN manual. Results: Among the 100 questionnaires answered, 38 corresponded to children and adolescents aged 8.4–18 years. Twenty-one of them were TG (71% trans males) and 17 were CIS (76% females). Sixty-two parents answered the questionnaires: 33 from families of TG children (PTrans) and 29 from families of CIS children (PCis). Trans children had lower HRQOL scores in all domains compared to CIS children. The lowest-scoring domains for TG children were “Moods and Emotions”, “Psychological Well-Being” and “Social Acceptance”, and the highest-scoring domain was “School Environment”. The PTrans group had significantly higher scores than the Trans group for 3 of the 10 domains: “Psychological Well-Being”, “Moods and Emotions”, and “Parent Relations and Home Life”. Conclusion: Our results revealed that TG children and adolescents have lower QOL than their CIS counterparts, especially regarding items related to mental health. Furthermore, their parents may underestimate their well-being, confirming the vulnerability of the TG population. This finding underlies the need to perform early assessments of QOL for early detection and intervention in aspects that could deteriorate their quality of life.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Ishii ◽  
Ai Shibata ◽  
Minoru Adachi ◽  
Yoshiyuki Mano ◽  
Koichiro Oka

Background:Sedentary behaviors (SB) are associated with health indicators; however, there are currently very few studies that have examined these associations, especially in conjunction with psychological factors, in children. The current study examined the independent relationship between objectively assessed SB, and indicators of obesity and psychological well-being, among Japanese children.Methods:A total of 967 elementary-school children completed a cross-sectional survey. SB was measured with accelerometers for 7 consecutive days. Psychological well-being data (eg, anxiety and behavior problems) were collected via a self-report questionnaire. To determine the relationship of SB with degree of obesity and psychological well-being, linear regression analyses were conducted to relate the indicators of obesity and psychological well-being on SB, adjusted by gender, grade, percentage of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, duration spent wearing the accelerometer, and degree of obesity.Results:SB was significantly related to behavioral/emotional problems (β = .280, P = .010, R2 = .015). There was a statistically significant relationship between SB and anxiety (β = .206, P = .059, R2 = .007). No significant association with degree of obesity was found.Conclusions:Excess SB relates higher levels of behavioral/emotional problems and anxiety. These results can inspire the development of interventions that promote well-being and enhance psychological health, by focusing on SB in Japanese children.


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