scholarly journals Could Gamification Be a Protective Factor Regarding Early School Leaving? A Life Story

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2569
Author(s):  
Laura Guerrero-Puerta ◽  
Miguel. A Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
School Engagement ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Rebound Effect ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Young Student ◽  
Early School Leaving ◽  
Early School ◽  
The Impact

The European Union has recognized the close relationship between mental health, well-being, and education, encouraging studies and whole school interventions that work in the interrelationship between mental health and school, especially in aspects related to Early School Leaving (ESL). Literature shows that there are research gaps in this regard, but there are some inklings to think that innovative teaching methods can improve both adolescent´s mental health and reduce the rates of ESL. The main objective of this article was to find out how the use of game-based teaching techniques affects the well-being of students at risk of ESL. The life story of one young student that has left school early has been studied, focusing on the impact that gamification had in his scholar trajectory and well-being. Data analysis was carried using the constructivist version of the grounded theory. Results showed a certain degree of interrelation between all three aspects. Pointing that a period of gamification can have a positive effect in school engagement as a result of better levels of wellbeing, but also, that if this methodology is not maintained or accompanied it can cause a rebound effect acting as a risk factor to ESL.

Is religion really important?

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 451-451
Author(s):  
G. Da Ponte ◽  
T. Neves ◽  
M. Lobo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionKnowing the impact that religious beliefs can have on the etiology, diagnosis and course of psychiatric disorders will help psychiatrists better understand their patients, assessing when the religious or spiritual beliefs are used to cope with mental illness and when they may be exacerbating this disease.ObjectivesAlert to the importance of religion in clinical practice.MethodsRelevant literature review.ResultsSeveral studies have demonstrated the influence of spirituality on physical, mental and health. In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) has given rise to the interest in further investigations in this area, with the inclusion of a spiritual aspect of the multidimensional concept of health. The spiritual well-being can be considered a protective factor for psychiatric disorders.Although it is not possible to determine with accuracy, the mechanisms of interaction of spirituality on health, especially mental health, several studies suggest that exercise can influence the spiritual activities, psychodynamically, through positive emotions. Furthermore, these emotions may be important for mental health in terms of possible psychophysiological and psychoneuroimmunological mechanisms.Anthropological sources suggest that beliefs in demons, black magic and evil spirits as cause of mental illness and distress are common. They may be less prevalent in western countries but even in Europe it's possible to see patients thought that their condition have been caused by evil and occult possession.ConclusionsClinicians should understand the negative and positive roles that religion plays in those with mental disorders and use this in clinical practice.

scholarly journals OP0082-PARE THE EFFECT COVID-19 HAS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH RHEUMATIC DISEASES. FROM DATA TO INTERVENTIONS.

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 44-45
Author(s):  
S. Mingolla ◽  
A. Celano ◽  
M. Santopietro
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rheumatic Diseases ◽  
Rare Diseases ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
National Association ◽  
The Impact

Background:Covid-19 has had an important impact on the mental health conditions of over 5 million Italians suffering from one of the over 150 rheumatic diseases. In order to understand the psychological impact of the Covid-19 emergency and the restrictions imposed to counter it, the Italian National Association of People with Rheumatic and Rare Diseases – APMARR APS launched the research “Living with a rheumatic pathology”.Objectives:Gather data directly from Italian patients about the impact of the COVID-19 and consequent restrictions on their mental health and feelings; evaluate the most effective intervention to be implemented to face the pandemic by Patients organization.Methods:A qualitative-quantitative survey was carried out through a questionnaire administered throughout the national territory to a sample of N = 1,001 people. The people invited to complete the questionnaire were women (55,9%) and men (44,1%), aged 18-85 years (age 18-41=26,7%; age 42-65=64%; age >65=9,3%) with at least one rheumatic pathology. The questionnaire was made up of 39 questions, of which 29 were closed and 10 were open. For the administration of the questionnaires, the CAWI (Computer Aided Web Interview) methodology of on-line survey was used. The 1,001 interviews were carried out from 7 to 14 August 2020.Results:More than 4 out of 10 people (total sample 44.2%; male 60%, female 35,7%; age 18-41=39,1%; age 42-65=45,9%; age >65 = 50%) declared that the emergency period has somehow caused a worsening of their health condition. People declared that the deterioration of their health is due to the emergency period for the following reasons: 1) Psychological: such as stress and anxiety: “Too much stress and anxiety made the symptoms worse.”; “The stress of the quarantine affected my problem”; “Insomnia. Nervousness. General ailments. Depression. Strong stress” 2) Inability to perform physiotherapy and motor activities due to the lockdown 3) Postponement of examinations, visits and checks 4) remote working, in some cases described as harmful for people’s mental and physical health: “Due to Covid19 I had to do remote working and I worked even 12 hours a day including holidays to the detriment of my family life”.Furthermore, from January 31, 2020 a significant increase emerged in communication problems with rheumatology specialist compared to the period before the emergency due to Covid-19. The sharp increase may be due to the situation of severe psychological stress to which also the doctors were subjected in the emergency phase: people could not find the comfort of being empathically listened to.Conclusion:The research shows that the most frequent symptoms among people with rheumatic diseases were depression and high levels of anxiety due to strong emotional stress. Psychological malaise caused direct effects in worsening the symptoms of rheumatic disease as well as other related effects, for example, insomnia. The forced isolation due to the lockdown has made people lack the social support that is fundamental for the psychological well-being especially for those suffering from some chronic pathology. Starting from the data collected, APMARR promptly activated a completely free psychological support service with 6 professional psychologists, two of them specialized in emergency psychology. The service is accessible online and is still going on for all who are not able to overcome the anxiety and fear related to the pandemic and its evolution. Thousands of accesses to the service have been measured to date.References:S Mingolla1, A Celano1, M Santopietro2[1]NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH RHEUMATIC AND RARE DISEASES - APMARR APS[2]WeResearch. Ricerche di marketingDisclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of the European resilience curriculum in preschool, early and late primary school children

2021 ◽  
pp. 014303432110250
Author(s):  
Celeste Simões ◽  
Anabela C. Santos ◽  
Paula Lebre ◽  
João R. Daniel ◽  
Cátia Branquinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Prosocial Behaviours ◽  
The Impact

Resilience is an individual’s ability to adapt successfully to and persevere during and after significant challenges. Resilience programmes based on a socioemotional learning approach have been associated with an increase in protextive factors (e.g., prosocial competencies), improvements in physical and mental health, and a decrease in internalised and externalised symptoms. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the RESCUR curriculum implemented in Portuguese schools on students’ academic, behavioural, and socioemotional outcomes, based on child and teacher reports. Participants included 1,084 children (53.2% male) aged 3-15 ( M = 7.24, SD = 2.31). A quasi-experimental study compared outcomes for an experimental intervention group (AIG) with a waiting list control group (WG). The results showed the RESCUR programme decreased mental health difficulties while increasing both prosocial behaviours and well-being. In addition, academic performance increased for those in preschool after implementation. Both teachers and children consistently reported positive behavioural changes in resilience-related competencies after implementing RESCUR. Our findings contribute to the recent research on the potential of RESCUR to address key socioemotional competencies and improve relevant protextive factors. Study limitations and future recommendations are addressed.

scholarly journals Family Physicians’ Standpoint and Mental Health Assessment in the Light of COVID-19 Pandemic—A Nationwide Survey Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2093
Author(s):  
Tina Vilovic ◽  
Josko Bozic ◽  
Marino Vilovic ◽  
Doris Rusic ◽  
Sanja Zuzic Furlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, family physicians (FPs) are the backbone of the healthcare system with considerable impact on the general population, and their well-being is of great importance. The aim of this investigation was to assess FPs mental health, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding the pandemic, and opinions on non-communicable disease (NCD) health care provided to patients. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 613 FPs. Anxiety and depression levels were estimated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, subjective perceived stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, while trauma-related symptoms were assessed using the Impact on Event Scale-COVID19. KAPs toward the pandemic and opinions regarding NCD patients were evaluated with questionnaires accordingly. Results have shown that age (β = −0.02, p = 0.013) and personal risk of COVID‑19 (β = 1.05, p < 0.001) were significant independent correlates of the knowledge score. A total of 87.7% FPs expressed moderate/high perceived stress, 45.2% moderate/severe trauma-related symptoms, 60.4% borderline/abnormal anxiety levels, and 52.4% borderline/abnormal depression levels. Knowledge score was an independent predictor of perceived stress (β = −0.33, p = 0.023) and anxiety (β = −0.31, p = 0.006) levels. Limited accessibility to healthcare services and decreased number of newly-diagnosed NCD cases were mostly agreed on. The pandemic puts a considerable strain on FPs mental health, as well as on public health measures, due to the decreased overall quality of NCD patient health care. Educational programs may bridge the gaps between FPs’ knowledge. Thus lowering anxiety and improving patient care.

scholarly journals The Association between Physical Activity and Selected Parameters of Psychological Status and Dementia in Older Women

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7549
Author(s):  
Angelika Cisek-Woźniak ◽  
Kinga Mruczyk ◽  
Rafał W. Wójciak
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
The Impact

Physical activity has an unquestionable impact on broadly understood human health. One interesting issue related to this is the importance of movement on mental health and cognitive functioning. Research shows that regular physical activity improves the cognitive functioning of adults and people with mental disorders. Regular physical activity can be an important and powerful protective factor in cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly, and exercise is an important non-pharmacological treatment for mild cognitive impairment or neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to present the impact of physical activity on selected cognitive functions in physically active women over 60 years of age. The research was carried out in a group of 110 generally healthy women from the area of western Poland over 60 years of age, who were divided into four groups based on the intensity of their physical activity. A pedometer (sport watch) and a physical activity diary were used to measure physical activity. Body Mass Index was assessed. Selected cognitive functions were assessed using the MMSE test, motor and psychomotor skills were measured, and Luria’s auditory memory test and recall test, a clock drawing test, and a GDS test were performed. There were statistically significant relationships between the level of physical activity and the effectiveness of cognitive processes. These results show that about 5000 steps a day is enough to see a positive effect on the mental health and cognitive functioning of this group of the elderly population. The women had an average BMI of 28.1 ± 4.7. BMI, indicating an overweight condition (over 30 kg/m2), was observed in 31% of women. The results of this study lead the authors to conclude that physical activity positively influences cognitive function and can be recommended for all seniors who do not have other serious comorbidities that would prevent them from playing sports.

scholarly journals Maternal mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuang Wei ◽  
Ming-Yue Gao ◽  
Mary Fewtrell ◽  
Jonathan Wells ◽  
Jin-Yue Yu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Fair Division ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Maternal Characteristics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Beijing China

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on breastfeeding women and to identify predictors of maternal mental health and coping. Methods Mothers aged ≥ 18 years with a breast-fed infant ≤ 18 months of age during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China, completed a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis of lockdown consequences was performed and predictors of these outcomes were examined using stepwise linear regression. Results Of 2233 participants, 29.9%, 20.0% and 34.7% felt down, lonely, and worried, respectively, during the lockdown; however, 85.3% felt able to cope. Poorer maternal mental health was predicted by maternal (younger age, higher education) and infant (older age, lower gestation) characteristics, and social circumstances (husband unemployed or working from home, receiving advice from family, having enough space for the baby, living close to a park or green space). Conversely, better maternal mental health was predicted by higher income, employment requiring higher qualifications, more personal space at home, shopping or walking > once/week and lack of impact of COVID-19 on job or income. Mothers with higher education, more bedrooms, fair division of household chores and attending an online mother and baby group > once/week reported better coping. Conclusion The findings highlight maternal characteristics and circumstances that predict poorer mental health and reduced coping which could be used to target interventions in any future public health emergencies requiring social restrictions.

scholarly journals Scoping review of mental health in prisons through the COVID-19 pandemic

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e046547
Author(s):  
Luke Johnson ◽  
Kerry Gutridge ◽  
Julie Parkes ◽  
Anjana Roy ◽  
Emma Plugge
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Prison Staff ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.Eligibility criteria for selection of studiesAll papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.ResultsOf 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.ConclusionsIt is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.

Leveraging Twitter Using Artificial Intelligence to Explore Mental Health Insights in the UK During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marshall ◽  
Kate Lanyi ◽  
Rhiannon Green ◽  
Georgie Wilkins ◽  
Fiona Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND There is increasing need to explore the value of soft-intelligence, leveraged using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, as a source of analysed evidence to support public health research activity and decision-making. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to further explore the value of soft-intelligence analysed using AI through a case study, which examined a large collection of UK tweets relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A search strategy comprising a list of terms related to mental health, COVID-19, and lockdown restrictions was developed to prospectively collate relevant tweets via Twitter’s advanced search application programming interface over a 24-week period. We deployed a specialist NLP platform to explore tweet frequency and sentiment across the UK and identify key topics of discussion. A series of keyword filters were used to clean the initial data retrieved and also set up to track specific mental health problems. Qualitative document analysis was carried out to further explore and expand upon the results generated by the NLP platform. All collated tweets were anonymised RESULTS We identified and analysed 286,902 tweets posted from UK user accounts from 23 July 2020 to 6 January 2021. The average sentiment score was 50%, suggesting overall neutral sentiment across all tweets over the study period. Major fluctuations in volume and sentiment appeared to coincide with key changes to any local and/or national social-distancing measures. Tweets around mental health were polarising, discussed with both positive and negative sentiment. Key topics of consistent discussion over the study period included the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health (both positively and negatively), fear and anxiety over lockdowns, and anger and mistrust toward the government. CONCLUSIONS Through the primary use of an AI-based NLP platform, we were able to rapidly mine and analyse emerging health-related insights from UK tweets into how the pandemic may be impacting people’s mental health and well-being. This type of real-time analysed evidence could act as a useful intelligence source that agencies, local leaders, and health care decision makers can potentially draw from, particularly during a health crisis.

scholarly journals SEPARATED KIN: RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION AND MENTAL HEALTH TRAJECTORIES OF OLDER ADULTS LEFT BEHIND IN RURAL CHINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S880-S880
Author(s):  
Zhiyong Lin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As the processes of urbanization and globalization have intensified across the world, a burgeoning literature has documented the impact of emigration on the health of family members left behind in emigrant communities. Although the association between children’s migration and parental well-being is well documented, few have examined the health implications of children’s migration in the milieu of multiple children and further differentiated between children’s short-term and long-term migration. Therefore, I argue that it is not the geographic locality of a single child but the composition of all children’s location that matters. I further suggest that the impact of children’s migration on parental wellbeing is conditioned on the duration of children’s migration. Using a six waves longitudinal data (2001-2015) collected in rural China, this paper compares mental health (measured as depressive symptoms) trajectories of old adults (aged 60 and older) across different compositions of local and migrant children over a 14-year span. Results from growth curve models show that parents having more migrant children relative to local children experience a more rapid increase in depressive symptoms. In addition, older adults who have their most children migrate away for three or more waves of data have experienced the steepest rate of increase in depressive symptoms. These findings provide new evidence to support the life course processes of mental health disparities among older adults from the perspective of intergenerational proximity.

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