scholarly journals The Relationships among Anxiety, Subjective Well-Being, Media Consumption, and Safety-Seeking Behaviors during the COVID-19 Epidemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13189
Author(s):  
Yi-Fang Luo ◽  
Heng-Yu Shen ◽  
Shu-Ching Yang ◽  
Liang-Ching Chen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
New Media ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Atypical Pneumonia ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 epidemic has been confirmed as the largest scale outbreak of atypical pneumonia since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and it has become a public health emergency of international concern. It exacerbated public confusion and anxiety, and the impact of COVID-19 on people needs to be better understood. Indeed, prior studies that conducted meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort research compared mental health before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic and proved that public health polices (e.g., city lockdowns, quarantines, avoiding gatherings, etc.) and COVID-19-related information that circulates on new media platforms directly affected citizen’s mental health and well-being. Hence, this research aims to explore Taiwanese people’s health status, anxiety, media sources for obtaining COVID-19 information, subjective well-being, and safety-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 epidemic and how they are associated. Online surveys were conducted through new media platforms, and 342 responses were included in the analysis. The research results indicate that the participants experienced different aspects of COVID-19 anxiety, including COVID-19 worry and perceived COVID-19 risk. Among the given media sources, the more participants searched for COVID-19 information on new media, the greater they worried about COVID-19. Furthermore, COVID-19 worry was positively related to safety-seeking behavior, while perceived COVID-19 risk was negatively related to subjective well-being. This paper concludes by offering some suggestions for future studies and pointing out limitations of the present study.

scholarly journals The impact of cash transfers on subjective well-being and mental health in low- and middle- income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel McGuire ◽  
Caspar Kaiser ◽  
Anders Bach-Mortensen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Cash Transfers ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Average Effect ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Impact

Background: A large body of evidence evaluates the impact of cash transfers (CTs) on physical health and economic indicators. A growing amount of research on CTs contains measures of subjective well- being (SWB) and mental health (MH) but no attempt has been made to systematically synthesize this work.Methods/design: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs and quasi- experimental studies, including peer-reviewed publications and grey literature (e.g. reports, pre-prints, and working papers), conducted over the period 2000-2020, examining the impact of CTs on self- reported SWB and MH outcomes.Results: Two authors (JM and CK) double-screened 1,147 records of potentially relevant studies, finding 38 studies suitable for inclusion in our meta-analysis, covering 100 outcomes and a total sample of n=114,274 individuals. The average effect size (Cohen’s d) of 38 CT studies on our composite outcome of MH and SWB is 0.10 standard deviations (SDs) (95% CI: 0.8, 0.13) for an average time until follow-up of two years. However, there is a substantial amount of heterogeneity in the estimated effects (I-squared = 64% and 95% Prediction interval: 0.0021, 0.215). CT value, both in absolute terms and relative to previous income, are significant predictors of the effect size. We find only weak evidence that the impact diminishes over time. Four randomized controlled trials in our sample were designed to identify the spillover effects of CTs on the SWB and MH outcomes of non-recipients. Two found negative spillovers but the average effect is not statistically significant and is close to zero.Discussion: Cash transfers significantly increase MH and SWB in low- and middle-income countries. More research on the long run (5+ years) effects is needed, as well as further analysis of the community and household spillover effects of cash transfers on MH and SWB outcomes. We encourage the inclusion of MH and SWB metrics in impact evaluations of interventions to enable the assessment of their relative cost-effectiveness at improving lives compared to cash transfers.

scholarly journals Longitudinal access and exposure to green-blue spaces and individual-level mental health and well-being: protocol for a longitudinal, population-wide record-linked natural experiment

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e027289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Mizen ◽  
Jiao Song ◽  
Richard Fry ◽  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Damon Berridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionStudies suggest that access and exposure to green-blue spaces (GBS) have beneficial impacts on mental health. However, the evidence base is limited with respect to longitudinal studies. The main aim of this longitudinal, population-wide, record-linked natural experiment, is to model the daily lived experience by linking GBS accessibility indices, residential GBS exposure and health data; to enable quantification of the impact of GBS on well-being and common mental health disorders, for a national population.Methods and analysisThis research will estimate the impact of neighbourhood GBS access, GBS exposure and visits to GBS on the risk of common mental health conditions and the opportunity for promoting subjective well-being (SWB); both key priorities for public health. We will use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to create quarterly household GBS accessibility indices and GBS exposure using digital map and satellite data for 1.4 million homes in Wales, UK (2008–2018). We will link the GBS accessibility indices and GBS exposures to individual-level mental health outcomes for 1.7 million people with general practitioner (GP) data and data from the National Survey for Wales (n=~12 000) on well-being in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. We will examine if these associations are modified by multiple sociophysical variables, migration and socioeconomic disadvantage. Subgroup analyses will examine associations by different types of GBS. This longitudinal study will be augmented by cross-sectional research using survey data on self-reported visits to GBS and SWB.Ethics and disseminationAll data will be anonymised and linked within the privacy protecting SAIL Databank. We will be using anonymised data and therefore we are exempt from National Research Ethics Committee (NREC). An Information Governance Review Panel (IGRP) application (Project ID: 0562) to link these data has been approved.The research programme will be undertaken in close collaboration with public/patient involvement groups. A multistrategy programme of dissemination is planned with the academic community, policy-makers, practitioners and the public.

scholarly journals The role of meditation in college students' neuroticism and mental health

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqing Liu ◽  
Jiayan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Highly Correlated

Abstract A large number of empirical studies have found evidence that neuroticism is related to personality traits, but no one has integrated the relationship between neuroticism and mental health through meta-analysis. As a personality trait, neuroticism reflects the stable tendency of how individuals experience, feel, evaluate negative emotions and make corresponding behavioural responses. By means of meta-analysis, a preliminary dimension of neuroticism is constructed through an open questionnaire and literature review. On this basis, a preliminary neuroticism questionnaire for college students is compiled. The structural model of College Students' neuroticism questionnaire fits well, and has a high correlation with the neuroticism subscale of the simple version of Big Five Personality Questionnaire, which shows that it has a good structural validity. The positive orientation indicators of subjective well-being, life satisfaction and other mental health indicators were also selected. In addition, self-assessment indicators of physical health were selected. It was found that neuroticism was highly correlated with appeal indicators, indicating that the questionnaire of College Students' neuroticism had good validity.

Effectiveness of training workplace managers to understand and support the mental health needs of employees: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 462-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimée Gayed ◽  
Josie S Milligan-Saville ◽  
Jennifer Nicholas ◽  
Bridget T Bryan ◽  
Anthony D LaMontagne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Employee Outcomes ◽  
Manager Training ◽  
The Impact

Managers are in an influential position to make decisions that can impact on the mental health and well-being of their employees. As a result, there is an increasing trend for organisations to provide managers with training in how to reduce work-based mental health risk factors for their employees. A systematic search of the literature was conducted to identify workplace interventions for managers with an emphasis on the mental health of employees reporting directing to them. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled effect sizes using the random effects model for both manager and employee outcomes. Ten controlled trials were identified as relevant for this review. Outcomes evaluating managers’ mental health knowledge (standardised mean difference (SMD)=0.73; 95% CI 0.43 to 1.03; p<0.001), non-stigmatising attitudes towards mental health (SMD=0.36; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.53; p<0.001) and improving behaviour in supporting employees experiencing mental health problems (SMD=0.59; 95% CI 0.14 to 1.03; p=0.01) were found to have significant pooled effect sizes favouring the intervention. A significant pooled effect was not found for the small number of studies evaluating psychological symptoms in employees (p=0.28). Our meta-analysis indicates that training managers in workplace mental health can improve their knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviour in supporting employees experiencing mental health problems. At present, any findings regarding the impact of manager training on levels of psychological distress among employees remain preliminary as only a very limited amount of research evaluating employee outcomes is available. Our review suggests that in order to understand the effectiveness of manager training on employees, an increase in collection of employee level data is required.

scholarly journals Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call for Action

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-412
Author(s):  
G. Kalcev ◽  
A. Preti ◽  
G. Orrù ◽  
M.G. Carta
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Burnout Syndrome ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
National Public Health ◽  
The Impact

The current COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect the physical and mental health and the well-being of people globally. The physicians and nurses on the frontline of patients care will be among the most affected in their psychosocial well-being, being exposed to trauma consequences and burnout syndrome. It is still unknown whether the COVID-19 infection will have direct neuropsychiatric consequences. The impact of the quarantine lockdown on mental health, too, has to be taken into account. The inclusion of mental health as part of national public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic is mandatory in assisting all those in need.

scholarly journals Social Participation and Health Outcomes Among Caregivers and Noncaregivers in Great Britain

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1313-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athina Vlachantoni ◽  
Zhixin Feng ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
Maria Evandrou
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Intensity Of Care ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

This study investigates the relationship between social participation and health outcomes between caregivers and noncaregivers in Great Britain. Previous studies indicate that the impact of informal caregiving on the carer’s health is complex, and the intensity of care provision has an adverse impact on the caregivers’ health, while social participation could have a protective role in this respect. Using qualitative and quantitative data from Wave 8 of the 1958 National Child Development Study, the analysis shows that social participation has a positive effect on the carers’ mental health and subjective well-being. Individuals who did not engage in social participation reported lower levels of mental health and control, autonomy, self-realization and pleasure (CASP) scores than those engaged in social participation. The qualitative results showed the barriers to social participation of caregivers to be time, energy, and finance. We discuss ways in which the government could address such barriers to improve the level of social participation among caregivers.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Examination of COVID-19 Public Health Measures on Mental Health for Rural Patients With Serious Mental Illness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie B Riblet ◽  
Susan P Stevens ◽  
Brian Shiner ◽  
Sarah Cornelius ◽  
Jenna Forehand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rural Patients ◽  
At Home

ABSTRACT Introduction There is emerging evidence to support that the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures may be associated with negative mental health sequelae. Rural populations in particular may fair worse because they share many unique characteristics that may put them at higher risk for adverse outcomes with the pandemic. Yet, rural populations may also be more resilient due to increased sense of community. Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and well-being of a rural population pre- and post-pandemic, especially those with serious mental illness. Material and Methods We conducted a longitudinal, mixed-methods study with assessments preceding the pandemic (between October 2019 and March 2020) and during the stay-at-home orders (between April 23, 2020, and May 4, 2020). Changes in hopelessness, suicidal ideation, connectedness, and treatment engagement were assessed using a repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman test. Results Among 17 eligible participants, 11 people were interviewed. Overall, there were no notable changes in any symptom scale in the first 3-5 months before the pandemic or during the stay-at-home orders. The few patients who reported worse symptoms were significantly older (mean age: 71.7 years, SD: 4.0). Most patients denied disruptions to treatment, and some perceived telepsychiatry as beneficial. Conclusions Rural patients with serious mental illness may be fairly resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic when they have access to treatment and supports. Longer-term outcomes are needed in rural patients with serious mental illness to better understand the impact of the pandemic on this population.

scholarly journals Online Mindfulness May Target Psychological Distress and Mental Health during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 216495612110024
Author(s):  
Suzan R Farris ◽  
Licia Grazzi ◽  
Miya Holley ◽  
Anna Dorsett ◽  
Kelly Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Helping Others ◽  
The Impact

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected mental health, creating an urgent need for convenient and safe interventions to improve well-being. Online mindfulness interventions show promise for improving depression, anxiety, and general well-being. Objective To assess: 1) the impact of online mindfulness on psychological distress, 2) altruistic efforts, and 3) the quantity, quality, and availability of online mindfulness resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods 233 participants (203 U.S.; 20 international; 10 unknown) participated in this prospective, single-arm, non-randomized clinical trial of a single online mindfulness meditation session with pre- and post-surveys. Main Outcome Measures (a) Mindfulness session helpfulness, online platform effectiveness, and immediate pre- to post-session changes in momentary stress, anxiety, and COVID-19 concern; (b) qualitative themes representing how people are helping others during the pandemic; (c) absolute changes in quantity of mindfulness-oriented web content and free online mindfulness resource availability from May to August 2020. Results Most participants felt the online mindfulness session was helpful and the electronic platform effective for practicing mindfulness (89%, 95% CI: [82 to 93%]), with decreased momentary anxiety (76%; 95% CI: [69 to 83%]), stress (80%; [72 to 86%]), and COVID-19 concern (55%; [46 to 63%]), (p < 0.001 for each measure). Participants reported helping others in a variety of ways during the pandemic, including following public health guidelines, conducting acts of service and connection, and helping oneself in hopes of helping others. “Mindfulness + COVID” search results increased by 52% from May to August 2020. Most (73%) Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health member websites offer free online mindfulness resources. Conclusions Virtual mindfulness is an increasingly accessible intervention available world-wide that may reduce psychological distress during this isolating public health crisis. Kindness and altruism are being demonstrated during the pandemic. The consolidated online mindfulness resources provided may help guide clinicians and patients.

scholarly journals Algorithmic Meta-analysis of the Effects of Social Services on the Vulnerable Population

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
J. Carreón-Guillén ◽  
C. Y. Quiroz-Campas ◽  
E. Bolivar-Mojica ◽  
O. Coronado-Rincón ◽  
J. Hernández-Valdés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Selection Of

Meta-analytic studies are distinguished by comparing literature that reports positive effects with respect to literature that warns of spurious or negative effects. The aim of the present work was to establish the proportion of probabilities between categories and subcategories extracted from the consulted, updated and specialized literature. A documentary study was carried out with a selection of sources indexed to international repositories such as Copernicus, Dialnet, Ebsco, Latindex, Redalyc, Scielo. An indistinct scenario was found, even though the literature that reports positive effects on the quality of life and the subjective well-being of public health services prevails; suggesting the extension of the work to repositories like WoS and Scopus.

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield: Narratives on the road to asylum

2020 ◽  
pp. 136346152090163
Author(s):  
Debbie C Hocking
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Determination Process ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to explore the ecological influences on subjective well-being identified by current and former community-dwelling asylum seekers engaged in the process of Refugee Status Determination in Australia. This article presents the qualitative component of a prospective mixed-methods study of 131 asylum seekers and refugees (T1, N = 131; T2, N = 56). The Framework Analysis method was employed to qualitatively analyse the narrative data derived from 187 semi-structured interviews documenting pre-, peri-, and post-migration experiences, and the impact of Australia’s asylum policies and procedures. Four overarching themes comprising 15 sub-themes emerged: The Refugee Status Determination process (Waiting; Uncertainty; Worry) ; Psychosocial factors (Un/employment & gainful activity; Medicare; Accommodation; Family separation & loneliness; Loss) ; Health and well-being (Mental health; Physical health & somatic issues; Hopelessness; Helplessness) ; and Protective factors (Hope; Support & social connectivity; Religion). The complex interface between the Refugee Status Determination process, un/employment, and mental health concerns was the most salient finding. Policy implications are discussed in relation to the application of the Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees and the Guidelines on the Judicial Approach to Expert Medical Evidence.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document