scholarly journals A Study Protocol

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Betul Keles ◽  
Mary Leamy ◽  
Gemma Trainor ◽  
Trevor Murrells ◽  
Annmarie Grealish
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthy Sample ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Relational Orientation

There is a complex relationship between social media use and mental health outcomes. To explore this complexity and understand how social media influence adolescent mental health, a two-phase, explanatory sequential mixed-method study will be conducted. Firstly, the quantitative phase will involve surveying a healthy sample of 400 adolescents attending secondary schools in the UK (n=200) and Turkey (n=200). We will use the survey to investigate the moderating effect of relational orientation in a cross-sectional study, in which participants will be selected from secondary schools in Portsmouth, United Kingdom and Kayapinar, Diyarbakir, Turkey. Secondly, the qualitative phase will involve interviewing a mixed sample of 10-12 clinical and non-clinical adolescents in London. In these interviews, we will explore key quantitative findings in more detail, for example, how and why adolescents use social media and the role of social media in the development and maintenance of mental health well-being. The strengths and limitations of the study proposal have been discussed. Keywords: social media, anxiety, depression, adolescents, culture, relational orientation

scholarly journals The mental health and well-being benefits of exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of medical students and newly qualified doctors in the UK

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Coyle ◽  
Hanya Ghazi ◽  
Ioannis Georgiou
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mood Score ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background University students have been uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is currently little data upon the measures that medical students and newly qualified doctors have taken to help their mental well-being and mood during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim We aimed to identify the activities respondents found beneficial for their well-being and mental health and recorded a mood score from survey respondents. Methods A nationwide study was completed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon medical students and newly qualified doctors (interim foundation year one). We received 2075 respondents from across the UK. Results Physical activity was found to be the most common activity used by the survey respondents to help with their mental well-being (80.1%) (medical students, 83.7%; interim foundation doctors, 72.3%). Participants who stated that exercise helped their well-being had a mean score (SD) of 52.3 (20.7) which was significantly higher (P = 0.048) than those who reported that they did not exercise (49.8 (21.1)). Respondents who stated they had used exercise to help with their mental well-being had (on average) a higher mood score than those who did not. This was seen in both the medical student and interim foundation doctor subgroups. Discussion Exercise can help to benefit the well-being of medical students and interim foundation doctors. It is hoped that higher education providers and employers recognise the importance of promoting physical activity for the well-being of their students and staff, respectively.

scholarly journals Change in time spent visiting and experiences of green space following restrictions on movement during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationally representative cross-sectional study of UK adults

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e044067
Author(s):  
Hannah Burnett ◽  
Jonathan R Olsen ◽  
Natalie Nicholls ◽  
Richard Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Specific Outcome ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesGreen space positively influences health and well-being; however, inequalities in use of green space are prevalent. Movement restrictions enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have exacerbated existing inequalities regarding who visits green space. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how movement restrictions have changed the time spent visiting green space and experience of green space in the United Kingdom (UK) and how these differed by individual-level demographic characteristics.Design and outcome measuresA nationally representative cross-sectional survey administered through YouGov between 30 April and 1 May 2020. Data were collected on the time spent visiting green space and change in the experience of green space, including missing social interaction, increased physical activity and feeling greater mental health benefits in green space. Demographic information was collected on sex, age, ethnicity, social grade and dog ownership. Associations between specific outcome variables and predictors were assessed using logistic regression.SettingUK, with population weights applied.Participants2252 adults aged 18 years and over.ResultsOverall, 63% of respondents reported a decrease in time spent visiting green space following movement restrictions. Lower social grade respondents were less likely to visit green space before and after restrictions were enforced (OR: 0.35 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.51); OR: 0.77 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.95)). Female respondents were more likely than male respondents to agree that green space benefited their mental health more following restrictions (PP: 0.70 vs 0.59). Older (65+ years) respondents were less likely than middle-aged (25–64 years) respondents to have visited green space following the restrictions (OR: 0.79 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.98)).ConclusionsInequalities in green space use were sustained, and possibly exacerbated, during movement restrictions. Our findings emphasise the importance of green spaces remaining open globally in any future ‘lockdowns’/pandemics. Further investigation is required to determine how visit patterns and experiences change through the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals Public Concerns during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Multicultural Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents in Three Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1577
Author(s):  
Alona Emodi-Perlman ◽  
Ilana Eli ◽  
Nir Uziel ◽  
Joanna Smardz ◽  
Anahat Khehra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
Patient Health

(1) Background: this study aimed to evaluate the worries, anxiety, and depression in the public during the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in three culturally different groups of internet survey respondents: Middle Eastern (Israel), European (Poland), and North American (Canada). (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the mentioned countries during the lockdown periods. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on personal concerns, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). A total of 2207 people successfully completed the survey. (3) Results: Polish respondents were the most concerned about being infected. Canadian respondents worried the most about their finances, relations with relatives and friends, and both physical and mental health. Polish respondents worried the least about their physical health, and Israeli respondents worried the least about their mental health and relations with relatives and friends. Canadian respondents obtained the highest score in the PHQ-4, while the scores of Israeli respondents were the lowest. (4) Conclusions: various factors should be considered while formulating appropriate solutions in emergency circumstances such as a pandemic. Understanding these factors will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stress, social isolation, and uncertainty on the well-being and mental health of culturally different societies.

scholarly journals Use of online cultural content for mental health and well-being during COVID-19 restrictions: cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Syed Sheriff ◽  
Helen Adams ◽  
Evgenia Riga ◽  
Andrew K. Przybylski ◽  
Laura Bonsaver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Online Culture ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
June July ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

Aims and method To gain a deeper understanding of the use of online culture and its potential benefits to mental health and well-being, sociodemographic characteristics and self-reported data on usage, perceived mental health benefits and health status were collected in an online cross-sectional survey during COVID-19 restrictions in the UK in June–July 2020. Results In total, 1056 people completed the survey. A high proportion of participants reported finding online culture helpful for mental health; all but one of the benefits were associated with regular use and some with age. Reported benefits were wide-ranging and interconnected. Those aged under 25 years were less likely to be regular users of online culture or to have increased their use during lockdown. Clinical implications There may be benefits in targeting cultural resources for mental health to vulnerable groups such as young adults.

scholarly journals The Influence of Technology on Mental Well-Being of STEM Teachers at University Level: COVID-19 as a Stressor

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9605
Author(s):  
Johanna Andrea Navarro-Espinosa ◽  
Manuel Vaquero-Abellán ◽  
Alberto-Jesús Perea-Moreno ◽  
Gerardo Pedrós-Pérez ◽  
Pilar Aparicio-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Mental Well Being

Stress can result in psychopathologies, such as anxiety or depression, when this risk factor continues in time. One major stressor was the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered considerable emotional distress and mental health issues among different workers, including teachers, with another stressor: technology and online education. A mixed-method approach is presented in this research, combining a cross-sectional study of university teachers from Ecuador and Spain with a medium of twenty years of working experience (N = 55) and a bibliometric analysis carried out in three databases (161 documents). The levels of anxiety and depression, and therefore the risk of developing them as mental disorders, were high. The lack of training (p < 0.01), time (p < 0.05), or research regarding the use of technology in education (p < 0.01) and stress caused by COVID-19 (p < 0.001) were linked to frequency. The most relevant observational study obtained through the bibliometric analysis (138 citations and over 65% of methodological quality) indicated that previous training and behavioral factors are key in the stress related to technology. The combination of the results indicated that mental health in STEM teachers at university is related to diverse factors, from training to the family and working balance.

scholarly journals Social Media Activities, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Their Interactions on People’s Mental Health in COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (23) ◽  
pp. 8931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Keqiao Liu ◽  
Siqi Li ◽  
Man Shu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Regulation Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the general population’s life worldwide. People may spend more time on social media because of policies like “work at home”. Using a cross-sectional dataset collected through an online survey in February 2020, in China, we examined (1) the relationships between social media activities and people’s mental health status and (2) the moderation effect of emotional-regulation strategies. The sample included people aged ≥18 years from 32 provinces and regions in China (N = 3159). The inferential analyses included a set of multiple linear regressions with interactions. Our results showed that sharing timely, accurate, and positive COVID-19 information, reducing excessive discussions on COVID-19, and promoting caring online interactions rather than being judgmental, might positively associate with the general public’s psychological well-being. Additionally, the relationships between social media activities and psychological well-being varied at different emotion-regulation strategy levels. Adopting the cognitive reappraisal strategy might allay the adverse relationships between certain social media activities and mental health indicators. Our findings expanded the theory of how social media activities can be associated with a human being’s mental health and how it can interact with emotion-regulation strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health Status in Semnan University of Medical Sciences Employees

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
M. Saberian ◽  
S. Hajiaghajani ◽  
R. Ghorbani ◽  
B. Behnam
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Treatment Setting ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire

Background:The mission of every University is to educate professionals to improve the quality of well being of body and mind of the society's members. To approach this important issue, Universities needs healthy employee to enable them to educate healthy qualified and well trained. This study was aimed to evaluate the status of mental health of Semnan University of medical sciences employees.Material and methods:This is a descriptive- analytical performed in a cross- sectional study. Samples were 414 employee. data were collected trough a self - reporting questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed by spss and also mean, standard deviation, absolute & relative frequency were detected. Chi-square, Pearson & Spearman correlation coefficient at the level of 5% and logistic regression analysis was used for analysis.Findings:Total of 28.6% suffers from mental disorder. The most were working in treatment setting (41%). People aged 40-49 were 29.3 %, women were 37.4%, University undergraduate 40.7%, not married single 60%, 20 or more year work experienced 35.2%, had the most prominent mental disorder. Interpretation logistic regression showed that index of gender, level of education, and occupation has significant influence over mental disorder.Conclusion:The degree of mental disorder is 2.5 more than the statistics reported by WHO, but is similar with those reported in Iran. More investigation needs to better understanding the higher prevalence of mental disorder among women, university undergraduate, government employee and those working in treatment setting. The result of these studies can lead to find solution to resolve this problem.

scholarly journals Psychological correlates and binge drinking behaviours among Canadian youth: a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health pilot data from the COMPASS study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. e028558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Butler ◽  
Isabella Romano ◽  
Karen Patte ◽  
Mark A Ferro ◽  
Margaret de Groh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Canadian Youth

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine associations between depression, anxiety and binge drinking among a large sample of Canadian youth, while testing the moderating effect of flourishing. This research uses data from the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, Sedentary Behaviour (COMPASS) study (2012–2021) with a large sample size collecting data on youth health behaviours within Canadian secondary schools.DesignCross-sectionalSetting14 secondary schools across Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.ParticipantsA sample of grade 9–12 students (n=6570) who participated in the Mental Health pilot of the COMPASS studyPrimary and secondary outcome measuresSelf-reported questionnaires assessed student binge drinking behaviours (5≥drinks), symptoms of depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (Revised)−10 scores≥10) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale scores≥10), and flourishing (Diener’s Flourishing Scale: 8–40).ResultsIn our sample of 6570 students, 37.0% of students reported binge drinking in the last year, and 41.4% and 31.7% of students report clinically-relevant symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. Anxiety (adjusted OR (AOR): 0.57, (99% CI 0.15 to 2.22)) and depression (AOR: 1.98, (99% CI 0.76 to 5.13)) symptoms were not found to be associated with binge drinking and we did not detect any moderating role of flourishing. Rather, factors that were associated with increased odds of binge drinking included sports team participation (AOR: 1.67, (99% CI 1.37 to 2.03)) and use of other substances (tobacco (AOR: 3.00, (99% CI 2.12 to 4.25)) and cannabis (AOR: 7.76, (99% CI 6.36 to 9.46))). Similar associations were found for frequency of binge drinking.ConclusionsConsistent with existing literature, binge drinking behaviours were problematic, as well as clinically-relevant symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, mental health problems and well-being may not be responsible for explaining patterns of binge drinking in youth. Targeted intervention efforts towards student athletes and concurrent substance users are necessary for addressing binge drinking in youth populations.

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