scholarly journals The Enemy Which Sealed the World: Effects of COVID-19 Diffusion on the Psychological State of the Italian Population

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Forte ◽  
Francesca Favieri ◽  
Renata Tambelli ◽  
Maria Casagrande
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Indirect Contact ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Reported Data

Background: Starting from the first months of 2020, worldwide population has been facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Many nations, including Italy, took extreme actions to reduce the diffusion of the virus, profoundly changing lifestyles. The Italians have been faced with both the fear of contracting the infection and the consequences of enforcing social distancing. This study was aimed to understand the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the psychopathological outcomes related to the first phase of this emergency. Methods: The study included 2291 respondents. An online survey collected information on socio-demographic variables, history of direct or indirect contact with COVID-19, and additional information concerning the COVID-19 emergency. Moreover, psychopathological symptoms such as anxiety, mood alterations and post-traumatic symptomatology were assessed. Results: The results revealed that respectively 31.38%, 37.19% and 27.72% of respondents reported levels of general psychopathological symptomatology, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms over the cut-off scores. Furthermore, a significant worsening of mood has emerged. Being a female or under the age of 50 years, having had direct contact with people infected by the COVID-19, and experiencing uncertainty about the risk of contagion represent risk factors for psychological distress. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to impact not only on physical health but also on psychological well-being. Although these results need to be considered with caution being based on self-reported data collected at the beginning of this emergency, they should be used as a starting point for further studies aimed to develop interventions to minimize both the brief and long-term psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals The Italians in the Time of Coronavirus: Psychosocial Aspects of the Unexpected COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Favieri ◽  
Giuseppe Forte ◽  
Renata Tambelli ◽  
Maria Casagrande
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Indirect Contact ◽  
Infected People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Other Information

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide public health emergency that forced the Italian Government to deliberate unprecedented actions, including quarantine, with a relevant impact on the population. The present study is one of the first Italian nationwide survey within the first period of the COVID-19 outbreak aimed to understand the social and psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods: An online survey collected information on sociodemographic data, history of direct or indirect contact with COVID-19, and other information concerning the COVID-19 emergency. The General Psychological Well-Being Index and a modified version of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, focused on the COVID-19 experience, assessed the respondents' general psychological condition.Results: Of 1,639 respondents equally distributed in the Italian territory, 5.1% reported PTSD symptomatology, and 48.2% evidenced lower psychological well-being linked to COVID-19 diffusion. Lower psychological well-being was significantly higher in women, younger than 50 years, and with health risk factors. Lower psychological well-being was also detected in individuals who did not know if they were infected, who have had direct exposure or were uncertain about their exposure to COVID-19, or who knew infected people. Regarding the social and behavioral consequences, respondents perceived worsening in demographic, economic, social, and relational conditions. Moreover, they reported increased film viewing, cookhouse time, social media use, and decreased physical activity.Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a risk factor for psychological diseases in the Italian population, as previously reported in the Chinese people. About half of the respondents reported a significant psychological impact. Moreover, we confirmed the role of restraining measures that led to modify lifestyles, social perception, and confidence in the institutions. These results underline the need for further studies aimed to develop psychological interventions to minimize the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Psychological distress related to the COVID-19 epidemic in an Italian population of People Living with HIV: an online survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Delle Donne ◽  
Nicoletta Ciccarelli ◽  
Valentina Massaroni ◽  
Francesca Lombardi ◽  
Silvia Lamonica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Living With Hiv

Abstract Purpose: Our aim was to explore the psychological impact of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on People Living with HIV (PLWH), a population at increased risk of psychological distress.Methods: PLWH participated to an online survey exploring demographic and clinical data, physical symptoms, contact history, knowledge and concerns, precautionary measures and additional information about COVID-19 during the first phase of the pandemic in Italy. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) (identifying COVID-19 pandemic as specific traumatic life event) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were also comprised. Results: Out of 98 participants, 45% revealed from mild to severe psychological impact from COVID-19 according to IES-R. A lower percentage, instead, complained significant levels of depression (14%), anxiety (11%) or stress (6%) according to DASS-21. Aging, education, being unemployed, number of possible COVID-19 physical symptoms, concerns about risk of contracting COVID-19 and pandemic situation in Italy, and needing additional information to prevent COVID-19 infection were positively associated to a higher risk of negative psychological impact. Moreover, female gender, fewer years from HIV diagnosis and not being aware of own viremia were associated to a higher risk of negative psychological outcomes.Conclusion: Almost half of our PLWH sample experienced significant levels of distress related to COVID-19 pandemic. Women and those with recent HIV diagnosis seem the more psychological fragile subgroup. Our findings could help to identify patients most in need of psychological interventions to improve wellbeing of PLWH.

scholarly journals Young adults’ coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianos Golemis ◽  
Panteleimon Voitsidis ◽  
Eleni Parlapani ◽  
Vasiliki A Nikopoulou ◽  
Virginia Tsipropoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Cross Sectional

Summary COVID-19 and the related quarantine disrupted young adults’ academic and professional life, daily routine and socio-emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study focused on the emotional and behavioural responses of a young adult population during the COVID-19-related quarantine in April 2020, in Greece. The study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 1559 young adults, aged 18−30 years, completed Steele’s Social Responsibility Motivation Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about compliance with instructions, quarantine-related behaviours and coping strategies. According to the results, participants displayed a relatively high sense of social responsibility (M = 16.09, SD = 2.13) and a trend towards moderate feeling of loneliness (M = 2.65, SD = 1.62); young women reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than men. The majority complied with instructions often (46.4%) or always (44.8%). Significantly more women created a new social media account and used the social media longer than 5 h/day, compared with men. Resorting to religion, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted higher levels of social responsibility; humour, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted lower levels of loneliness. Conclusively, COVID-19 is expected to have a significant psychological impact on young adults. Currently, Greece is going through the second quarantine period. This study raises awareness about loneliness in young adults during the COVID-19-related quarantine and highlights the importance of developing online programmes, attractive to younger people, to nurture adaptive coping strategies against loneliness.

scholarly journals How can electric lighting contribute to human health and well-being?

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-522
Author(s):  
P Raynham
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Electric Light ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Hypothetical Explanation

Electric light in buildings may provide some health benefits; however, for most people these benefits are likely to be small. It is possible for electric lighting to cause health problems, if there is too little light or there is glare, but for the most part there is good guidance available and these problems can be avoided. The quality of the lit environment can have a psychological impact and this may in turn impact well-being. A starting point for this is perceived adequacy of illumination. Related lighting metrics are examined and a hypothetical explanation is suggested.

scholarly journals Psychological Consequences of the Delay in the Silent Mentor Programme During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Family Members of Silent Mentors

2021 ◽  
pp. 003022282110009
Author(s):  
Li Ping Wong ◽  
Sik Loo Tan ◽  
Haridah Alias ◽  
Thiam Eng Sia ◽  
Aik Saw
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Health And Well Being

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP); this pause has not only caused unprecedented challenges for the delivery of medical education but has forced changes in the programme ceremony sessions. We aimed to describe the psychological impact and experiences of family members of silent mentors during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative interviews. Many expressed feelings of remorse and unrest about the unprecedented delay of the SMP. The delay increased negative emotions particularly among some elderly family members; however, there was no prominent negative effect on their functional health and well-being. Several participants relayed the belief that the soul cannot rest until the body receives a proper burial while some worried about the deterioration of the physical condition of the mentors. In conclusion, findings provide insights into the importance of not overlooking the mental health implications of delaying the SMP in future outbreaks or crises.

scholarly journals Factors Related to Mental Health During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Pinedo ◽  
Isabel Vicario-Molina ◽  
Eva González Ortega ◽  
Andrés Palacios Picos
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Healthy Habits ◽  
And Gender

The COVID-19 disease has forced governments to adopt exceptional measures. The lockdown decreed in Spain in 2020 required citizens to stay confined at home, which might have affected their mental health. The objective is to identify factors that influenced adults' mental health during this period. A sample of 3,508 adults from the Spanish general population completed an online survey that collected sociodemographic data and information about daily planning and activities, healthy habits, loneliness, coping humor and mental health. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. According to the results, the proposed model showed good fit values, and latent variables explained 30% of the variance in mental health. Loneliness, coping humor, healthy habits, age and gender had a significant weight in the prediction of mental health during lockdown. Area of residence, number of days of confinement and number of people in the household were not related to mental health. This study addresses the effect of COVID-19 and social distancing measures by identifying risk and protective factors for the development of mental health difficulties. There is a need to target specific and early interventions aimed at mitigating the psychological impact of the pandemic while increasing well-being, especially in more vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals Mental Health and Well-Being During the First vs. Second COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Cyprus

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danae Papageorgiou ◽  
Angelos P. Kassianos ◽  
Marios Constantinou ◽  
Demetris Lamnisos ◽  
Christiana Nicolaou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Similar Survey ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract. Introduction: Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries imposed strict governmental lockdowns. Research investigating the psychological impact of pandemic-induced lockdowns is accumulating, though to date no study has examined the psychological health and associated parameters of well-being in countries that underwent additional lockdowns as the pandemic continued into resurgence “waves.” Aim: The present study provides an overview of the psychological impact of COVID-19 across the two lockdowns in the Cypriot population. Methods: In total, 957 participants completed an online survey during the first lockdown, 134 of whom completed a similar survey again during the second lockdown. The outcomes assessed included stress, positive and negative affect, and well-being. Results: The results indicated no population-wide severe reactions in the participants. Repeated measures analyses showed similar mental health levels during both the first and the second lockdowns. Further inspection of participants’ scores indicated that, for all mental health variables, approximately half of the participants improved, while the other half deteriorated. Discussion: Perceived social support and psychological flexibility predicted most psychological outcomes during both lockdowns. Further research is necessary to understand the continuing effects of the pandemic and associated lockdowns on mental health.

scholarly journals The Psychological Consequences of COVID-19 and Lockdown in the Spanish Population: An Exploratory Sequential Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8578
Author(s):  
María Dolores Hidalgo ◽  
Nekane Balluerka ◽  
Arantxa Gorostiaga ◽  
José Pedro Espada ◽  
Miguel Ángel Santed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sequential Design ◽  
Spanish Population ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Qualitative Phase ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Large Representative

The objectives of this study were to analyze the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in the Spanish population and to identify what population profiles were most affected. The study used a sequential exploratory design. In the qualitative phase, 40 participants were recruited based on theoretically relevant criteria and the saturation of the information provided by the interviews. In the quantitative phase, a large representative sample was applied. The universe considered was the adult population of Spain. A total of 6789 surveys were conducted. Both the analysis of the narratives of the interviews and the responses to the panel survey showed relevant changes in attitudes and mood swings compared to the period prior to lockdown. These changes include dysphoric moods (i.e., experiences of distress such as sadness/depression, anxiety, rage, feeling of unreality, worry, etc.) and also some euphoric moods (i.e., feelings of well-being, happiness, etc.). A higher number of women were affected than men and a greater increase was observed in younger people. The findings of the study may serve as a basis for detecting needs and providing psychological support, as the symptoms detected as the most common are key for the processes of screening at-risk individuals.

scholarly journals The Psychological Consequences of Disability over the Life Course: Assessing the Mediating Role of Perceived Interpersonal Discrimination

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-207
Author(s):  
Eun Ha Namkung ◽  
Deborah Carr
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Interpersonal Discrimination ◽  
The Life Course

We examine whether perceived interpersonal discrimination mediates the association between disability and psychological well-being (depression, negative and positive affect) and how these processes differ across the life course. Data are from two waves (2004–2006; 2013–2014) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS; N = 2,503). Perceived discrimination accounts for 5% to 8% of the association between disability and the three mental health outcomes. Moderated mediation analyses reveal significant age differences; perceived discrimination is a stronger explanatory mechanism among midlife (ages 40–64) relative to older (age 65+) adults. Disability stigma takes a heightened psychological toll at midlife, a life stage when adults are expected to be able-bodied and interact with a diverse social network, which may be a source of interpersonal mistreatment. Among older adults, for whom impairment is expected and common, the psychological impact of disability may operate through other pathways. We discuss implications for research and practice.

Economic Perspective on the Value of Cats and Dogs

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 595-613
Author(s):  
Ruben Hoffmann ◽  
Carl-Johan Lagerkvist ◽  
Malin Hagberg Gustavsson ◽  
Bodil Ström Holst
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Economic Values ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Good Starting Point

AbstractAlthough various benefits of cats and dogs have been extensively studied, their fundamental economic value is poorly understood. Economic values are, in contrast to monetary values, determined subjectively and guide individuals in their decisions. This study presents a conceptual economic model of the value of cats and dogs which provides a basis for future research. Benefits of cats and dogs identified in the literature are categorized in relation to the model. The multidimensional value of these nonhuman animals includes different use and non-use values, for caretakers and other humans. Data from an online survey on the salience (importance of attributes in memory) of cats and dogs in Sweden provide support for the proposed model. It is argued that the subjective well-being approach developed in psychology provides a good starting point for estimating many of the economic values of these animals, but that different types of values may require different approaches.

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