scholarly journals Parental Distress and Perception of Children’s Executive Functioning after the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 4170
Author(s):  
Concetta Polizzi ◽  
Sofia Burgio ◽  
Gioacchino Lavanco ◽  
Marianna Alesi
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parental Distress ◽  
Parental Competence ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the consequential first italian lockdown to minimize viral transmission, have resulted in many significant changes in the every-day lives of families, with an increased risk of parental burnout. This study explores the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy on parental distress and parental perceptions of children’s executive functions (EFs). Participants were 308 Italian parents with children between 4 and 17 years of age; they were recruited through online advertisements on websites and social media, and they were given an online survey. The measures were: the balance between risks and resources (BR2) and the executive functioning self-report (EF). Findings of the study suggest that the most distressed parents perceived their children as less competent in EF, highlighting a cognitive fragility on attention, memory, and self-regulation (Pearson correlation coefficient, p < 0.05); significant differences were found between parents of children exhibiting typical and atypical patterns of development (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The study reinforces the need to provide families with psychological aid to support parental competence in restrictive lockdown conditions.

scholarly journals Parental History of Trauma and Resilience during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine LaBrenz ◽  
Philip Baiden ◽  
Erin Findley ◽  
Patrick S. Tennant ◽  
Sreyashi Chakravarty
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Stress ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Parental History ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Since March 2020, families across the U.S. have faced challenges due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its subsequent restrictions. Prior literature has linked family stress to negative outcomes, such as parent and child mental health, increased risk of child maltreatment, and overall well-being, as well as protective factors that may help families navigate and respond to stressors. Furthermore, parental history of trauma, such as exposure to adversity in one’s own childhood, has been linked to stress and resilience. Although some experts have voiced concern over the impact of COVID-19 on family well-being, few studies have been conducted thus far. This study utilized N = 523 responses from an online survey that was administered between May and June 2020 to gauge family stress and resilience among parents of children ages zero-to-five during the pandemic. There was a negative relationship between ACE score and parental resilience among this sample. Furthermore, frequency of childcare was positively linked to protective factors and resilience, while childcare barriers were negatively linked to resilience. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed, with a particular focus on the role of childcare and school openings during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Patient’s Decision about Bariatric Surgery: Results of a National Survey

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (8) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Maciej Walędziak ◽  
Anna Różańska-Walędziak ◽  
Paweł Bartnik ◽  
Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik ◽  
Andrzej Kwiatkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Weight Loss Surgery ◽  
General Information ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Bariatric Patients ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

Background: the COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented restrictions have changed the functioning of healthcare systems worldwide. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of the present epidemiological situation on patients’ decisions about undergoing weight loss surgery. Methods: data were collected from 906 bariatric patients by the means of a national online survey, the majority of whom were women (87.9%). The survey started on 9 April 2020 and was open until 28 April 2020. The questionnaire included multiple choice and open questions, divided into three chapters: general information about the patient, life during the COVID-19 pandemic, and bariatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: despite the pandemic and the associated risk of COVID-19 infection, 443 responders (48.9%) would have decided to undergo bariatric surgery. Awareness of the negative impact of obesity on the course of COVID-19 illness had only marginable impact on patients’ decision-making (76.6% vs. 75.3%; p < 0.80). Contact with COVID-19 prior to the survey had a negative impact on the willingness to undergo bariatric surgery (3.0% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.55). There was a positive correlation between the BMI and preference for bariatric surgery in the time of the pandemic (37.4 ± 9.0 vs. 34.9 ± 8.7; p < 0.001). Conclusions: the level of awareness about the advantages of operative treatment of obesity is high among bariatric patients. The majority of patients awaiting bariatric surgery at the moment of the survey were positive about undergoing bariatric surgery despite the increased risk of a serious course of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, a large proportion of patients was determined to have bariatric treatment even during the pandemic, being aware of the increased risk of worse pace of COVID-19 disease in case of obesity and related diseases.

scholarly journals The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Among Pakistani Adults in Lahore

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Majeed ◽  
Elizabeth Maria Schwaiger ◽  
Abia Nazim ◽  
Ivan Suneel Samuel
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Family System ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
The Impact

Background: In the wake of the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus and the resultant restrictive measures, mental health has become a crucial issue. Physical health is not the only aspect of humans that is at risk. Globally, the rates and severity of mental illness are being significantly impacted by this pandemic. Two scales have been validated to measure the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the levels of anxiety and obsessional thinking in clinical and non-clinical populations. The present study was designed to investigate the levels of anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19 in the general public of Lahore, Pakistan.Materials and Methods: Data were collected via snowball sampling from May 9 to May 19. An online survey consisting of a demographic profile and two scales, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS), was sent through email, WhatsApp, and Facebook groups to adults (18 years and above) of Lahore, Pakistan.Results: A total of 240 individuals (20% men and 80% women) recorded their responses. The majority belonged to a nuclear family system (60%), and their education level ranged from high school to Ph.D. The cut-off score for probable dysfunctional coronavirus anxiety and obsession levels was not met within this sample (CAS, M = 3.24, SD = 4.21; OCS, M = 4.14, SD = 3.15), suggesting that the general population of Lahore, Pakistan is not suffering from dysfunctional anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Forty-seven participants' score on OCS and 35 participants' scores on CAS were above the cut-off, i.e., ≥7 and ≥9, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship (**p &lt; 0.619) between anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19.Conclusion: One important, yet surprising, conclusion of this study is that the average adult in Lahore does not show much anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Other studies around the world using these measurement tools have indicated significantly high levels of both anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19. These findings may demonstrate the resilience of Pakistanis or perhaps the lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES ON THE ACQUISITION OF SOCIAL COMPETENCIES THROUGH PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (03) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Salam EL KETTANI
Keyword(s):  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Emotional Competencies ◽  
Social Competencies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Social and emotional difficulties are common during the kindergarten stage, the changes between family and school environment leave the child at risk of a range of emotional and social problems at that point. This pressure confronts the child's weak ability at that age, linguistically, to express his feelings and thoughts in a clear and understandable manner, as well as the beginning of his ability to control and organize his feelings and behaviors. All this constitutes factors that make the child's adaptation process on the emotional, social and cognitive level difficult during the kindergarten stage. While many studies confirm that the child is an emotional and social being par excellence, and while educational programs emphasize in most of their content on cognitive learning, the child's needs, personality and sentiments are ignored, hence the question raised about the role of emotional competencies in establishing other competencies? Since the kindergarten stage by its nature requires that the child learn to adapt to the environment and establish healthy relationships, our paper aims to study the relationship between emotional competencies (Self-awareness and Self-regulation*) and their indicators and social competencies (Social awareness and Relationships skills*) and their indicators and determine the mutual impact between them. As a tool for this study we used SEAM scale to measure emotional and social competencies to measure the relationship between emotional variables as an independent variable to see its effect on the dependent variable, which is in our study social competencies. Using the inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient and simple linear regression coefficient) to measure the relationship between two variables, results demonstrated that there is a positive semantic relationship confirms that emotional competencies and their determinants are highly influential competencies that establish social competencies and their determinants at preschool age. Participant were 191 children, aged 4 to 6 years old at the time initial assessment, in kindergarten, within the group of schools relied to the Moroccan Foundation for promoting preschool education.

scholarly journals Proximity to people with COVID-19 and anxiety among community residents during the epidemic in Guangzhou, China

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinghua Su ◽  
Xiyuan Chen ◽  
Ning Yang ◽  
Meng Sun ◽  
Liang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Community Residents ◽  
Recent Outbreak ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Insight Into

Summary The recent outbreak of a novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) may have acute psychological consequences, both in relation to the impact of the virus itself and the restrictions imposed to tackle its spread. We conducted an online survey of 403 residents in Guangzhou, China. We found the prevalence of anxiety (defined as Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 score ≥5) was 37.7%, and anxiety was significantly and moderately correlated with worry about COVID-19. Higher anxiety levels in community residents was associated with the presence of individuals with COVID-19 in the same building; a longer time spent each day gathering information about the virus; and choosing social media as their preferred source of information. Our findings provide an insight into the psychological support and guidance about information sources that are required in this type of public health emergency.

Relationship Satisfaction, Conflict and Psychological Distress: The Impact of Combat Deployment to Afghanistan on the Romantic Partners of Australian Army Personnel

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Turner ◽  
Danuta Chessor
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Combat Deployment ◽  
The Impact

Coping with psychological suffering after combat deployment has been identified across a diverse range of wars and countries as having the potential to negatively influence the long-term wellbeing of female partners of veterans. The aim of the study was to explore whether romantic partners of veterans (N = 97) suffered higher levels of psychological distress and destructive relationship conflict, lower relationship satisfaction and perceived social support when compared to female Australians in the civilian population (N = 87). Australian participants completed an anonymous online survey, and overall means were calculated for each group and compared using independent samples t tests. Results from the study indicated strong support for all research hypotheses in the expected directions. Research findings suggest that Australian females romantically involved with Afghanistan War veterans are more vulnerable to experiencing relationship dysfunction and are at an increased risk of impaired psychological health in the Australian population.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of Suicide Bereavement on Specific Interpersonal Relationships: A Qualitative Study of Survey Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeriya Azorina ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Hedvig Nesse ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
David Osborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Suicide Bereavement ◽  
Social Discomfort ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

People bereaved by suicide have an increased risk of suicide and suicide attempt, yet report receiving less support than people bereaved by other sudden deaths. Reductions in support may contribute to suicide risk, yet their nature is unclear. We explored the impact of suicide bereavement on the interpersonal relationships of young adults in the UK using an online survey to collect qualitative data. We conducted thematic analysis of free-text responses from 499 adults to questions capturing the impact of bereavement on relationships with partners, close friends, close family, extended family, and other contacts. We identified four main themes describing the changes in relationships following the suicide: (1) Social discomfort over the death (stigma and taboo; painfulness for self or others to discuss; socially prescribed grief reactions); (2) social withdrawal (loss of social confidence; withdrawal as a coping mechanism); (3) shared bereavement experience creating closeness and avoidance; (4) attachments influenced by fear of further losses (overprotectiveness towards others; avoiding attachments as protective). These findings contribute to understanding deficits in support and pathways to suicidality after suicide bereavement. Such disrupted attachments add to the burden of grief and could be addressed by public education on how to support those bereaved by suicide.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity Behavior and Well-Being of Canadians

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 3899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris A. Lesser ◽  
Carl P. Nienhuis
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Physical Activity Behaviour ◽  
Physical Activity Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Active Population ◽  
Activity Behavior ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

A global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions to daily living for Canadians, including social distancing and closure of city and provincial recreation facilities, national parks and playgrounds. The objective of this study was to assess how these preemptive measures impacted physical activity behaviour and well-being of Canadians. An online survey was utilized to measure participant physical activity behavior, nature exposure, well-being and anxiety levels. Results indicate that while 40.5% of inactive individuals became less active, only 22.4% of active individuals became less active. Comparatively, 33% of inactive individuals became more active while 40.3% of active individuals became more active. There were significant differences in well-being outcomes in the inactive population between those who were more active, the same or less active (p < 0.001) but this was not seen in the active population. Inactive participants who spent more time engaged in outdoor physical activity had lower anxiety than those who spent less time in outdoor physical activity. Public health measures differentially affected Canadians who were active and inactive and physical activity was strongly associated with well-being outcomes in inactive individuals. This suggests that health promoting measures directed towards inactive individuals may be essential to improving well-being.

scholarly journals Efficacy of contact tracing for the containment of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-214051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt J Keeling ◽  
T Deirdre Hollingsworth ◽  
Jonathan M Read
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Control Measure ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Central Public Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveContact tracing is a central public health response to infectious disease outbreaks, especially in the early stages of an outbreak when specific treatments are limited. Importation of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from China and elsewhere into the UK highlights the need to understand the impact of contact tracing as a control measure.DesignDetailed survey information on social encounters from over 5800 respondents is coupled to predictive models of contact tracing and control. This is used to investigate the likely efficacy of contact tracing and the distribution of secondary cases that may go untraced.ResultsTaking recent estimates for COVID-19 transmission we predict that under effective contact tracing less than 1 in 6 cases will generate any subsequent untraced infections, although this comes at a high logistical burden with an average of 36 individuals traced per case. Changes to the definition of a close contact can reduce this burden, but with increased risk of untraced cases; we find that tracing using a contact definition requiring more than 4 hours of contact is unlikely to control spread.ConclusionsThe current contact tracing strategy within the UK is likely to identify a sufficient proportion of infected individuals such that subsequent spread could be prevented, although the ultimate success will depend on the rapid detection of cases and isolation of contacts. Given the burden of tracing a large number of contacts to find new cases, there is the potential the system could be overwhelmed if imports of infection occur at a rapid rate.

scholarly journals A-20 Metabolic Syndrome and Executive Functioning in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 879-879
Author(s):  
T Slonim ◽  
L Haase-Alasantro ◽  
C Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Metabolic Status ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Objective Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased rates of mortality and increased risk for developing dementia. Changes in brain structure and executive functioning have been reported within the literature. However, research examining cognitive performance in individuals with metabolic syndrome focuses primarily on older cohorts. As such, the effect of metabolic syndrome on cognitive functioning earlier in the lifespan is unclear. This research examined neuropsychological test performance and self-report measures in young, middle-aged, and older adults with and without MetS. Method Participants (n = 128) were categorized by age and metabolic status as follows: Young: n = 42, 52.4% Metabolic; Middle-Age: n = 41, 56.1% Metabolic; Older: n = 45, 51.1% Metabolic. Participants were administered the following cognitive assessments as part of a larger study: Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS) Color-Word Interference Test and Trail Making. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to examine the relationship between age group, metabolic status, and cognitive performance. Results As expected, older adults performed more poorly than young and middle-aged adults across neurocognitive assessments (p < .05). MetS adults performed more slowly on Color-Word Interference: Inhibition [F(1,114) = 5.26, p = .024, η2 = .05]; however, there were no additional significant differences between groups on cognitive tests in this sample size. Conclusions These findings suggest that aspects of inhibition might be impaired in MetS adults. Future studies aimed at investigating relationships between metabolic risk factors and inhibition may provide insight into effective intervention targets to delay or prevent metabolic syndrome.

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