scholarly journals Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hassan Karim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues

The COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting economic and social consequences have significantly affected the mental health of the individuals.1Nevertheless, related literature on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is scarce.2 Moreover, COVID-19 pandemic has profound effects on public mental health and their routine activities. Anxiety, sleep disturbance and overall lower perceived state of health are among some of the adverse effects.3 It has been reported that health organizations across the globe are working in coordination to cope with the mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.4 The mental state of individuals vary based on their health, profession and status.5 Most importantly, mental health issues are common in quarantined and self-isolated individuals. It might be due to loneliness, fear of death and separation from their family members.6 Similarly, children, who have less interaction with their school friends on daily basis, may suffer from psychological problems. Additionally, separation from parents and friends can cause grief in children. They may encounter distress, anxiety, and loneliness; all of which affects their psychological health.7 Elderly people are highly susceptible to the COVID-19 outbreak as they are already prone to autoimmune, neurovascular, cardiovascular and psychological disorders. Social isolation among the elderly may cause irritating and shouting behaviour and emotional anger.8 Health care professionals are at the forefront of the battle to tackle the COVID-19. Therefore, fear of getting infection, extended work shifts, dealing with COVID-19 patients, inaccessibility to COVID-19 medicine, deaths of their colleagues at line of work, exposure to COVID-19, self-isolation, and keeping distance from friends and family can adversely affect their mental health.2 In general, individuals who recover from COVID-19 disease may face social stigma and get emotional disturbance. Each of us have a different attitude towards people who recovered from COVID-19. Health care workers who try to save people’s lives and limit the spread of COVID-19 can also face stigmatization for potentially being carriers of the COVID-19.2 The COVID-19 is a world problem, so concrete efforts are needed to address this pandemic at a global level. In the case of Pakistan, it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to implement effective strategies to fight the Covid-19, as per the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

scholarly journals Travel, Pilgrimage and Health Hazards

JMS SKIMS ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-90
Author(s):  
Shariq Rashid Masoodi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Anticipatory Guidance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Potential Risks

Today more people are travelling than ever before. Travel uWith more people travelling, health care professionals should become more familiar with some of the unique health issues associated with travel and pilgrimage.Travel has some unique safety and health issues, especially for the young and the elderly. Physicians need to be aware of the health issues related to travelling, identify people at risk for health problems during travel, and provide appropriate anticipatory guidance. Many guidelines have been developed to help inform physicians about some of the health issues of people travelling. These guidelines are to provide information on the risks of travel to people, determine which pre-existing health conditions may be complicated by a particular mode of travel, and offer preventative measures that can minimize potential risks to people during the travel. sed to be a leisure which could only be afforded by a few.... JMS 2012;15(2):87-90

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.

scholarly journals Romanian GPs Involvement in Caring for the Mental Health Problems of the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raluca Sfetcu ◽  
Daciana Toma ◽  
Catalina Tudose ◽  
Cristian Vladescu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
National Society

The mental health of the elderly is a matter of increased concern in the context of an aging population since currently only a small fraction of this population is receiving adequate care. The provision of treatment in primary care by the General Practitioners (GPs) has been proposed for over a decade as a potential solution, as services offered by GPs are more accessible, less susceptible to stigma, and have a more comprehensive view of the other health care problems that the elderly might suffer from. In this study, we explored the perception of Romanian GPs regarding their practice and roles in caring for the mental health of the elderly as well as the willingness to increase their future involvement in the management of dementia and other mental health problems. Data was collected via an online questionnaire structured on four dimensions: (1) GPs' sociodemographic profile and practice characteristics, (2) GPs assessment of the services available for elderly with mental health problems, (3) GPs current involvement in mental health care for different categories of problems, and (4) factors that might influence the future involvement of GPs in providing care for elderly with mental health problems. The survey was sent via the member mailing lists of the National Society for Family Medicine. Results show that GPs are currently limited by prescribing possibilities, available resources and knowledge in the area, but they are willing to expand their role in the areas of early recognition and prevention of mental health problems as well as providing disease management and collaborative care. An improved communication with mental health care professionals, a better access to resources and having more financial incentives are the three most important categories for GPs to increase their involvement. In conclusion, increasing the access to personal and professional resources and setting up functional communication channels with specialized mental health care could motivate GPs to provide timely mental health support to elderly patients.

The Social Mandate to Deal With Mental Health

2020 ◽  
pp. 234-254
Author(s):  
Alberta Mazzola
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
Mental Health Agencies ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Public Middle School ◽  
Health Field

The chapter aims to explore the construct of mental health in a psychoanalytic perspective with a psychosocial approach. In particular, the chapter studies mental health by analysing traces to detect social mandate characterizing different mental health agencies. The highlighted hypothesis could be interpreted as that social mandate is a clue of local cultures about mental health, which determine fantasies about mental health issues, grounding on symbolizations shared by professionals, users, and community. The chapter introduces three clinical experiences of interventions, carried out in different contexts: a public mental health service, a public middle school, a psychoanalytic private office. All the presented experiences concern mental health field, even though they are characterized by different features in terms of subjects, methods, professionals, users, and organizations involved. The chapter explores those differences in order to focus on transversal issues.

Mental health issues across the health-care sector

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-409
Author(s):  
Brenda Happell ◽  
Leanne Cowin ◽  
Cath Roper ◽  
Richard Lakeman ◽  
Leonie Cox
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues

scholarly journals Experiences of Reproductive Coercion in Queensland Women

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051984685
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Price ◽  
Leah S. Sharman ◽  
Heather A. Douglas ◽  
Nicola Sheeran ◽  
Genevieve A. Dingle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Unplanned Pregnancy ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Telephone Counseling ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Reproductive Coercion ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Reproductive coercion is any interference with a person’s reproductive autonomy that seeks to control if and when they become pregnant, and whether the pregnancy is maintained or terminated. It includes sabotage of contraceptive methods and intervention in a woman’s access to health care. Our study sought to explore the prevalence and associations with reproductive coercion within Queensland, Australia, where legislation addressing domestic violence and abortion are largely state based and undergoing a period of law reform. The study was a retrospective analysis of 3,117 Queensland women who contacted a telephone counseling and information service regarding an unplanned pregnancy. All data were collected by experienced counselors regarding circumstances within a current pregnancy between January 2015 and July 2017. Overall, experience of current domestic violence was significantly more likely to co-occur with reproductive coercion (21.1%) compared with reproductive coercion identified in the absence of other domestic violence (3.1%). Furthermore, significantly more mental health issues were reported by 36.6% of women affected by reproductive coercion, compared with 14.1% of women with no reproductive coercion present. Disclosure for reproductive coercion, violence, and mental health issues was much higher among women who made a repeat contact to the counselors about their pregnancy (17.8%) compared with those who disclosed at first contact (5.9%). These findings demonstrate the importance for health services to ensure that appropriate screening (and re-screening) for reproductive coercion is completed as a distinct part of screening for violence during a health care relationship.

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