scholarly journals Mental health policy: protecting community mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Retno Lestari ◽  
Febri Endra Budi Setyawan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
English Language ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Despite the growing interest in the treatment and management of COVID-19, communities still end up experiencing multiple stresses with mental health crisis, due to the pandemic. When this is not addressed, it causes stress in the long run, with further mental health damage in individuals and the communities. Furthermore, relevant policy related to the community mental health was identified as awareness in promoting mental issues, yet there are still failures recorded in the aspect of adequately addressing the well-being concerns. This study aims to support community mental health during the crisis, through useful information from relevant articles. It also explains some perspectives from literature reviews, case reports, with society responses from Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Proquest databases concerning recent community mental health issues, and government policy on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusion criteria required articles that were peer-reviewed, by using i) English language March-September 2020; ii) Presented empirical studies related to COVID-19 (quantitative and qualitative); iii) Searched terms related to the general and community mental health, their policy, and COVID-19 pandemic. This study showed 19 articles related to community mental health issues or psychological wellbeing topics. The interventions provided to strengthen community mental health during the pandemic included emergency psychological crisis treatment, hotline assistance, online counseling service with mental care course, and outpatient consultation. Therefore, community mental health issues should be addressed with physical wellness. In addition, the community plays a key role in influencing stakeholders and governments, to increase the priority in supporting mental health.

Exploring the impact of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety and stress on psychological well-being among adults in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naeem Aslam ◽  
Kanwal Shafique ◽  
Ammar Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Fear of COVID-19 is one of the pivotal components that have generated higher levels of stress, obsessions and anxiety among the adult population, thus creating numerous mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to evaluate psychological well-being based on COVID-19-related fear, obsessions and anxiety during the pandemic situation. Design/methodology/approach The current study aimed to evaluate the relationship between COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations. Additionally, the aim was to see the impact of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety and stress on well-being. This was a cross-sectional study based on nonclinical sample of (n = 250) adults; data was obtained via online questionnaire survey method and analysis was performed by using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-22). Findings The authors’ findings based on descriptive statistics showed that COVID-19-related fear and obsessions were positively associated with COVID anxiety and stress and negatively associated with well-being. COVID anxiety was positively associated with stress and negatively associated with well-being. Moreover, perceived stress is negatively associated with well-being. The results additionally provide the outcome/conclusion that COVID-related anxiety significantly negatively predicted the psychological well-being. Overall the model explained 24% of the variance in psychological well-being. Females scored significantly high in COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessions as compared to males. Research limitations/implications A distinctive feature of this study is the understanding of COVID-19-related fear, obsessions, anxiety, stress and well-being among adult populations, and the findings are highlighting the need for psychological and social interventions for this specific population; therefore, immediate attention is needed by the clinical health professionals dealing with mental health issues. Originality/value There is a vital need to explore and develop psychological interventions aiming at the negative consequences being faced by the adult populations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending second wave that will expose individuals to various mental health issues evolving because of the health crisis.

scholarly journals Coping With COVID-19: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Mitigating Mental Health Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Antonova ◽  
Karoly Schlosser ◽  
Rakesh Pandey ◽  
Veena Kumari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
World Population ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact

The novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 that first emerged in Wuhan, China, in Nov-Dec 2019 has already impacted a significant proportion of the world population. Governments of many countries imposed quarantines and social distancing measures in 2020, many of which remain in place, to mitigate the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease. The direct impact of COVID-19 on people infected with the virus, their families and the health care workers, as well as the impact of the mitigation measures such as quarantine, social distancing, and self-isolation on the rest of the population have contributed to a global mental health pandemic, including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, posttraumatic stress symptoms, psychosis, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and suicidality. These effects are present acutely (for example, due to fear of contamination or losing loved ones, effects of quarantine/isolation, withdrawal of community and social services, etc.) and may continue long after the pandemic is over (for example, due to bereavement, unemployment, financial losses, etc). The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered mental health problems in people without previous history of mental illness, as well as worsened the symptoms in those with pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis. Therefore, the global effort is called for to deal with this mental health pandemic secondary to COVID-19 itself to address the emergence of new as well as the exacerbation of the existing mental health issues. Conversely, this global context provides an extraordinary opportunity for studying individual differences in response to and resilience in the face of physical and psychological threat, challenge to “normal” way of life, and long-term uncertainty. In this viewpoint article we outline the particular suitability of mindfulness, its skills and mechanisms, as an approach to the prevention and management of mental health issues, as well as to the promotion of well-being and building the foundations of adaptability and flexibility in dealing with the long-term uncertainty and profound changes to the social, economic, and possibly political systems as this pandemic continues to unfold.

scholarly journals The Impact of Pediatric Basal Ganglia Stroke on Mental Health in Children: Report of 2 Cases

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 2329048X2097924
Author(s):  
Sidrah A. Badar ◽  
Rupa Radhakrishnan ◽  
Meredith R. Golomb
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mild Depression ◽  
Residual Symptoms ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact

Background: The impact of basal ganglia stroke on mental health is better described in adults than in children. We report 2 children with significant mental health issues after basal ganglia stroke. Case Reports: Patient 1, an 8-year-old boy, had mild anxiety before his left basal ganglia stroke. Post-stroke, he developed severe anxiety, obsessions, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in addition to a right hemiplegia and some mild chorea. He gradually improved over 3 years with psychiatric care and medication but continued to have residual symptoms. Patient 2, a 10-year-old boy, had no history of mental health issues before his right basal ganglia stroke. Post-stroke, he developed significant anxiety and mild depression, along with a left hemiplegia. He improved over 9 months and returned to his mental health baseline. Conclusions: Mental health issues after basal ganglia stroke in children can be significant, and recovery can take months to years.

scholarly journals Participation in community gardening: Sowing the seeds of well-being

2021 ◽  
pp. 000841742199438
Author(s):  
Melinda J. Suto ◽  
Shelagh Smith ◽  
Natasha Damiano ◽  
Shurli Channe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Supported Housing ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Gardening ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Background. Sustaining well-being challenges people with serious mental health issues. Community gardening is an occupation used to promote clients’ well-being, yet there is limited evidence to support this intervention. Purpose. This paper examines how facilitated community gardening programs changed the subjective well-being and social connectedness of people living with mental health issues. Method. A community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods were used with 23 adults living in supported housing and participating in supported community gardening programs. A constructivist approach guided inductive data analysis. Findings. Participation in community gardening programs enhanced well-being through welcoming places, a sense of belonging, and developing positive feelings through doing. The connection to living things and responsibility for plants grounded participants in the present and offered a unique venue for learning about gardening and themselves. Implications. Practitioners and service-users should collaborate to develop leadership, programs, places, and processes within community gardens to enhance well-being.

scholarly journals Mental Health in Women Living With HIV: The Unique and Unmet Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 232595822098566
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Waldron ◽  
Inger Burnett-Zeigler ◽  
Victoria Wee ◽  
Yiukee Warren Ng ◽  
Linda J. Koenig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Women Living With Hiv ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Hiv Management ◽  
Living With Hiv

Women living with HIV (WLWH) experience depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at higher rates than their male counterparts and more often than HIV-unaffected women. These mental health issues affect not only the well-being and quality of life of WLWH, but have implications for HIV management and transmission prevention. Despite these ramifications, WLWH are under-treated for mental health concerns and they are underrepresented in the mental health treatment literature. In this review, we illustrate the unique mental health issues faced by WLWH such as a high prevalence of physical and sexual abuse histories, caregiving stress, and elevated internalized stigma as well as myriad barriers to care. We examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions that have been tested in WLWH including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and supportive counseling. Future research is required to address individual and systemic barriers to mental health care for WLWH.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 restriction measures on loneliness among older adults in Austria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Stolz ◽  
Hannes Mayerl ◽  
Wolfgang Freidl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Opening Phase

Abstract Background To halt the spread of COVID-19, Austria implemented a 7-week ’lockdown’ in March/April 2020. We assess whether the ensuing reduction in social contacts led to increased loneliness among older adults (60+). Methods Three analyses were conducted: (1) A comparison between pre-pandemic (SHARE: 2013-2017) and pandemic (May 2020) levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 scale), (2) an assessment of the cross-sectional correlation between being affected by COVID-19 restriction measures and loneliness (May 2020), and (3) a longitudinal analysis of weekly changes (March-June 2020) in loneliness (Corona panel). Results We found (1) increased loneliness in 2020 compared with previous years, (2) a moderate positive association between the number of restriction measures older adults were affected from and their loneliness, and (3) that loneliness was higher during ’lockdown’ compared to the subsequent re-opening phase, particularly among those who live alone. Conclusion We provide evidence that COVID-19 restriction measures in Austria have indeed resulted in increased levels of loneliness among older adults. However, these effects seem to be short-lived, and thus no strong negative consequences for older adults’ mental health are expected. Nonetheless, the effects on loneliness, and subsequent mental health issues, might be both more long-lasting and severe if future restriction measures are enacted repeatedly and/or over longer time periods.

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 Cross sectional analysis of depression and stress in medical students

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler S. Jones ◽  
Deborah Rupert
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Medical student wellbeing is a topic of growing concern. Medical students experience high levels of stress and burnout and are at increased risk for depression and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Even more concerning, medical students are disproportionately less likely to seek help for their mental health issues. Identifying and preventing these problems early can have lasting positive consequences over the course of a physician’s lifetime. We implemented a wellness program at our medical school in the spring of 2016 with the goals of decreasing burnout and depression, heightening awareness of mental health issues, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors. To analyze the impact of our program, we have implemented a quality assurance survey. Here we report lifestyle factors associated with positive screens for depression from that data and propose institutional initiatives that can be spearheaded by medical students for medical students to impact positive change.

scholarly journals An Integrated Approach to Deal with Mental Health Issues of Children and Adolescent during COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mousumi Sethy ◽  
Reshmi Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Children And Adolescent ◽  
Mental Health Issues

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has left few countries untouched. It is a far-reaching implication on humankind, with children and adolescents, being no exception. Although the prevalence and fatality are negligible among children, a possible impact on their psychological and mental health cannot be disregarded. The unprecedented change in the way of living is bound to be having some psychological consequences on children and adolescents. The experiences gathered in childhood and adolescence are known to contribute to shaping the physical, emotional, and social well-being in adult life. Children are highly susceptible to environmental stressors. The present situation has the potential of adversely affecting the physical and mental well-being of children. To save the children from the long term consequences of this pandemic, a holistic approach integrating biological, psychological, social and spiritual methods of enhancing mental health have become essential. A concerted effort of government, Non Government Organisations (NGOs), parents, teachers, schools, psychologists, counselors and physicians are required to deal with the mental health issues of children and adolescents. This paper discusses the possible role of these agencies in the holistic intervention of this crisis.

scholarly journals Advancing Mental Health and Psychological Support for Health Care Workers Using Digital Technologies and Platforms (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiancheng Ye
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Psychological Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Care Workers

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health crisis that has not only endangered the lives of patients but also resulted in increased psychological issues among medical professionals, especially frontline health care workers. As the crisis caused by the pandemic shifts from acute to protracted, attention should be paid to the devastating impacts on health care workers’ mental health and social well-being. Digital technologies are being harnessed to support the responses to the pandemic, which provide opportunities to advance mental health and psychological support for health care workers. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to develop a framework to describe and organize the psychological and mental health issues that health care workers are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the framework, this study also proposes interventions from digital health perspectives that health care workers can leverage during and after the pandemic. METHODS The psychological problems and mental health issues that health care workers have encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic were reviewed and analyzed based on the proposed MEET (Mental Health, Environment, Event, and Technology) framework, which also demonstrated the interactions among mental health, digital interventions, and social support. RESULTS Health care workers are facing increased risk of experiencing mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including burnout, fear, worry, distress, pressure, anxiety, and depression. These negative emotional stressors may cause psychological problems for health care workers and affect their physical and mental health. Digital technologies and platforms are playing pivotal roles in mitigating psychological issues and providing effective support. The proposed framework enabled a better understanding of how to mitigate the psychological effects during the pandemic, recover from associated experiences, and provide comprehensive institutional and societal infrastructures for the well-being of health care workers. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges due to its prolonged uncertainty, immediate threat to patient safety, and evolving professional demands. It is urgent to protect the mental health and strengthen the psychological resilience of health care workers. Given that the pandemic is expected to exist for a long time, caring for mental health has become a “new normal” that needs a strengthened multisector collaboration to facilitate support and reduce health disparities. The proposed MEET framework could provide structured guidelines for further studies on how technology interacts with mental and psychological health for different populations.

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