scholarly journals Online search trends and word-related emotional response during COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: a cross-sectional online study

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11858
Author(s):  
Maria Montefinese ◽  
Ettore Ambrosini ◽  
Alessandro Angrilli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Distress ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Google Search

Background The strong and long lockdown adopted by the Italian government to limit COVID-19 spreading represents the first threat-related mass isolation in history that can be studied in depth by scientists to understand individuals’ emotional response to a pandemic. Methods We investigated the effects on individuals’ mental wellbeing of this long-term isolation by means of an online survey on 71 Italian volunteers. They completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Fear of COVID-19 Scale and judged valence, arousal, and dominance of words either related or unrelated to COVID-19, as identified by Google search trends. Results Emotional judgments changes from normative data varied depending on word type and individuals’ emotional state, revealing early signals of individuals’ mental distress to COVID-19 confinement. All individuals judged COVID-19-related words to be less positive and dominant. However, individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear also judged COVID-19-unrelated words to be less positive and dominant. Moreover, arousal ratings increased for all words among individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear but decreased among individuals with less negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. Discussion Our results show a rich picture of emotional reactions of Italians to tight and 2-month long confinement, identifying early signals of mental health distress. They are an alert to the need for intervention strategies and psychological assessment of individuals potentially needing mental health support following the COVID-19 situation.

scholarly journals Wellbeing of Breastfeeding Women in Australia and New Zealand during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1831
Author(s):  
Vanessa S. Sakalidis ◽  
Alethea Rea ◽  
Sharon L. Perrella ◽  
Jacki McEachran ◽  
Grace Collis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Milk Supply ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, breastfeeding women have experienced restricted access to support, placing them at increased risk of mental health concerns and limited breastfeeding assistance. This study investigated the effect of the pandemic on feeding choices and maternal wellbeing amongst breastfeeding mothers living in Australian and New Zealand. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that examined feeding methods, maternal mental wellbeing, worries, challenges, and positive experiences during the pandemic. Most women were exclusively breastfeeding (82%). Partial breastfeeding was associated with perceived low milk supply and longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic. Reduced mental health and wellbeing was associated with lower levels of family functioning, increased perceived stress, and perinatal anxiety. Longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic was associated with lower mental health wellbeing scores, while higher perceived stress scores were reported for regions with higher COVID-19 infection rates and women with perceived low milk supply. Women reported that the pandemic resulted in less pressure and more time for family bonding, while worries about the pandemic, family health, and parenting challenges were also cited. Mental health concerns of breastfeeding women appear to be exacerbated by COVID-19, highlighting a critical need for access to mental health and broader family support during the pandemic.

scholarly journals MontefineseEtAl_2021_ANEW-COVID_PrePrint

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Montefinese ◽  
Ettore Ambrosini ◽  
Alessandro Angrilli
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Word Type ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Word Use ◽  
Affective Content ◽  
Lower Valence ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Google Search

Italy was the first Western country with numerous COVID-19 infections that underwent a strong lockdown. This represents the first threat-related mass isolation in the history that can be in-depth studied by scientists to understand the side effects of pandemic lockdown in the psychophysical domain. There is increasing evidence that Italian lockdown was associated with larger incidence of stress, anxiety, and mood symptoms. It was thus expected that, at a more basic level, also emotion perception -namely how an individual judges the affective content of common words- changed substantially during lockdown, especially in individuals with high COVID-19 fear and high negative affect. We measured the effects of this long-term isolation and the related pandemic phobia in an online survey on 71 healthy Italian participants. They completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Fear of COVID-19 Scale and judged valence, arousal, and dominance of words either related or unrelated to COVID-19, as identified by Google search trends. We found that lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic had a substantial impact on participants’ emotional responses. Moreover, emotional judgments changes from normative data varied depending on word type and individuals’ emotional state, revealing early signals of individuals’ mental distress to COVID-19 confinement. Lower valence and dominance judgments were given only to COVID-19-related words by individuals with less negative feelings and COVID-19 fear, but also to COVID-19-unrelated words by individuals with more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. Moreover, arousal judgments for all words decreased and increased, respectively, for individuals with less and more negative feelings and COVID-19 fear. With respect to more direct but demanding and expensive tools such as surveys and questionnaires, the methods used here allow to measure more conveniently but reliably the emotional alteration and clinical psychiatric risk of population through the analysis of word use in the web and their affective connotation.

scholarly journals Psychological Impact and their Associated Factors of COVID-19 Pandemic among Nurses of a Metropolitan City of Central Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-164
Author(s):  
Rama Kumari Lamichhane ◽  
Bijaya Dhakal ◽  
Asha Thapa ◽  
Kalyan Sapkota
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Peritraumatic Distress

Introduction: COVID-19 poses a great challenge to the global health system. The nurses worked in COVID ward and fever clinic act as gatekeepers to the health care system in the public health response to COVID-19 epidemic. The consequences of lockdown, quarantine of COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused physical sufferings but also affected the mental health of the nurses around the globe. This study aimed to assess psychological impact and associated factors of COVID 19 pandemic among nurses working in different level of hospital at Bharatpur Municipality Chitwan, Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 150 nurses working in different hospitals of Bharatpur Municipality. Non-probability Purposive Sampling Technique was used and Data was collected via online survey using Google Form questionnaire. COVID-19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) questionnaire was used to find out psychological impact. Statistical analysis of data was done using SPSS version 20. Results: Total of 150 nurses were involved in the study where 99.3% were female, 45.3% in the age group of 26-35 years, mean age 27.22±6.612 years, 87.2% bachelor in nursing. Mild to moderate peritraumatic distress was found in 47.33% and 16% of respondents found to have severe distress level. Chi-square test showed that respondents level of knowledge (p=0.003) and presence of chronic disease (p=0.007) was statistically significant with level of distress. Conclusions: Majority of the nurses had some form of psychological distress. Study highlights the need for counseling for distress and mental health during COVID-19 pandemic. A focus on improving mental wellbeing of nurses should be immediately initiated.

scholarly journals Depression, Anxiety and Depression-anxiety comorbidity amid COVID-19 Pandemic: An online survey conducted during lockdown in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Sigdel ◽  
Anu Bista ◽  
Navaraj Bhattarai ◽  
Bimal Chandra Pun ◽  
Govind Giri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Co Morbidity

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health status during the lockdown period. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess prevalence of depression, anxiety and depression-anxiety comorbidity, and associated factors during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nepal.MethodsA quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Nepal. Data was collected from April 9 to April 16, 2020 using an e-questionnaire which was shared through different popular social media. A total of 349 participants were included. Self-reported depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety tools respectively. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with depression, anxiety and depression and anxiety co-morbidity.ResultsThe prevalence rates of depression, anxiety and depression-anxiety co-morbidity were found to be 34.0%, 31.0% and 23.2% respectively. The multi-variate analysis showed that females, those living alone, health professionals and those who spent more time in accessing information about COVID-19 were significantly more likely to have depression, anxiety and depression-anxiety co-morbidity.ConclusionsHigh rates of depression and anxiety and co-morbidity were found to be prevailing among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nepal. The results suggest that only the scientific, but contextually appropriate messages about the disease should be disseminated to reduce unnecessary fears and anxiety. Awareness interventions to promote mental wellbeing need to be integrated into the response interventions. Community mental health care should be made accessible to at-risk groups.

scholarly journals Mental Wellbeing during the Lockdown Period following the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (230) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmina Shrestha ◽  
Calvin Ghimire ◽  
Sajan Acharya ◽  
Prabhat KC ◽  
Swarndeep Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Potential Part

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected all aspects of society, including mental and physical health. Often missed is the fact that the pandemic is occurring against the backdrop of a very high prevalence of mental health issues. Protecting the mental health of people and healthcare workers is important for long-term positive health outcomes and proper control of the outbreak. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online survey by convenience sampling. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review committee of Nepal Health Research Council (reference no. 2467). Open access, pre-validated questionnaires were used. Participants with significantly poor Mental wellbeing were identified using the WHO well-being index threshold score. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. Results: Five hundred and fifty-six participants were included in the analysis. Forty percent of the participants reported a WHO well-being index score of below 13, indicative of poor mental wellbeing and a need for further assessment for depression. Poor Mental wellbeing was more prevalent among participants less than 30 years of age, female gender, never married, diagnosed mental disorder, living alone and those using informal sources for COVID-19 related information. More participants with lower sleep quality score and higher perceived stress score reported poor Mental wellbeing. Conclusions: Combating this challenge requires integration across disciplines. One potential part of the solution is psychological intervention teams. An emerging positive connotation to the pandemic is that it needs to be harnessed as a tool for improving health facilities, community participation, and fighting misinformation.

Quantifying empathy levels among UK undergraduate medical students: an online survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp20X711293
Author(s):  
Sarah Garnett ◽  
Hajira Dambha-Miller ◽  
Beth Stuart
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Cross Sectional

BackgroundEmpathy is a key health care concept and refers to care that incorporates understanding of patient perspective’s, shared decision making, and consideration of the broader context in which illness is experience. Evidence suggests experiences of doctor empathy correlate with improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction. It has also been linked to job satisfaction, and mental wellbeing for doctors. To date, there is a paucity of evidence on empathy levels among medical students. This is critical to understand given that it is a key point at which perceptions and practices of empathy in the longer term might be formed.AimTo quantify the level of empathy among UK undergraduate medical studentsMethodAn anonymised cross-sectional online survey was distributed to medical students across three universities. The previously validated Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used to quantify empathy. The survey also collected information on age, sex, ethnicity, year of medical school training and included a free-text box for ‘any other comments’.ResultsData analysis is currently underway with high response rates. Mean empathy scores by age, sex, year of study and ethnic group are presented. A correlation analysis will examine associations between age and year of study, and mean empathy sores.ConclusionThese data will help to provide a better understanding of empathy levels to inform the provision of future empathy training and medical school curriculum design. Given previous evidence linking experiences of empathy to better health outcomes, the findings may also be significant to future patient care

scholarly journals How is the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the mental health of parents of school-age children in the UK? A cross-sectional online survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e043397
Author(s):  
Austen El-Osta ◽  
Aos Alaa ◽  
Iman Webber ◽  
Eva Riboli Sasco ◽  
Emmanouil Bagkeris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveInvestigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on feelings of loneliness and social isolation in parents of school-age children.DesignCross-sectional online survey of parents of primary and secondary school-age children.SettingCommunity setting.Participants1214 parents of school-age children in the UK.MethodsAn online survey explored the impact of lockdown on the mental health of parents with school-age children, and in particular about feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Associations between the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLATILS), the Direct Measure of Loneliness (DMOL) and the characteristics of the study participants were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported measures of social isolation and loneliness using UCLATILS and DMOL.ResultsHalf of respondents felt they lacked companionship, 45% had feelings of being left out, 58% felt isolated and 46% felt lonely during the first 100 days of lockdown. The factors that were associated with higher levels of loneliness on UCLATILS were female gender, parenting a child with special needs, lack of a dedicated space for distance learning, disruption of sleep patterns and low levels of physical activity during the lockdown. Factors associated with a higher DMOL were female gender, single parenting, parenting a child with special needs, unemployment, low physical activity, lack of a dedicated study space and disruption of sleep patterns during the lockdown.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown has increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness among parents of school-age children. The sustained adoption of two modifiable health-seeking lifestyle behaviours (increased levels of physical activity and the maintenance of good sleep hygiene practices) wmay help reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness during lockdown.

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 Psychosocial Effects and Use of Communication Technologies during Home Confinement in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy and The Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2619
Author(s):  
Sofia Bastoni ◽  
Christian Wrede ◽  
Achraf Ammar ◽  
Annemarie Braakman-Jansen ◽  
Robbert Sanderman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Digital Communication ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Psychosocial Impact ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Psychosocial Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced people from all around the globe to strongly modify their daily routines, putting a significant strain on the social aspects of daily lives. While the first wave of the pandemic was a very challenging time in all countries, it is still uncertain whether various lockdown intensities and infection rates differed regarding their psychosocial impact. This work therefore aimed to investigate (i) the psychosocial effects of home confinement in two European countries that underwent different lockdown intensities: Italy and the Netherlands and (ii) the role of communication technology in relation to feelings of loneliness. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional online survey inquiring about different psychosocial variables and the use of and satisfaction towards communication technology was circulated among the general public during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 629 participants (66% female, 68% from the Netherlands) answered each question twice, referring to “before” and “during” the pandemic. (3) Results: We found significant negative effects of COVID-19 home confinement on depressive feelings (p < 0.001, %∆ = +54%), loneliness (p < 0.001, %∆ = +37.3%), life satisfaction (p < 0.001, %∆ = −19.8%) and mental wellbeing (p < 0.001, %∆ = −10.6%) which were accompanied with a significantly increased need for psychosocial support (p < 0.001, %∆ = +17.3%). However, the magnitude of psychosocial impact did not significantly differ between residents undergoing a more intense (Italy) versus a less intense (Netherlands) lockdown, although the decrease in social participation was found to be significantly different for both countries (z = −7.714, p < 0.001). Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that the increase in loneliness was associated with the adoption of new digital communication tools (r = 0.21, p < 0.001), and significantly higher for individuals who started to adopt at least one new digital communication tool during confinement than for those who did not (z = −4.252, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: This study highlights that, although COVID-19 home confinement significantly impacted psychosocial wellbeing during the first wave of the pandemic, this impact did not differ based on lockdown intensity. Recognizing the increasing adoption of digital communication technology in an attempt to reduce lockdown loneliness, future studies should investigate what is needed from the technology to achieve this effect.

scholarly journals The Perceived Impact of The First UK Covid-19 Lockdown on Companion Animal Welfare and Behaviour: A Mixed-Method Study of Associations with Owner Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6171
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Luciana Santos de Assis ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Elena Ratschen ◽  
Paul Toner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Human Animal

Background: Companion animals may be a positive presence for their owners during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the welfare of a companion animal is strongly influenced by the behaviour of their owners, as well as their physical and social environment. We aimed to investigate the reported changes in companion animal welfare and behaviour and to examine the association between these changes and companion animal owners’ mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents over 18 years of age was conducted between April and June 2020 (n = 5926). The questionnaire included validated, bespoke items measuring outcomes related to mental health, human-animal bonds and reported changes in animal welfare and behaviour. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe experiences associated with human-animal relationships during the first UK lockdown phase. Results: Animal owners made up 89.8% of the sample (n = 5323), of whom 67.3% reported changes in their animal’s welfare and behaviour during the first lockdown phase (n = 3583). These reported changes were reduced to a positive (0–7) and negative (0–5) welfare scale, following principal component analysis (PCA) of 17 items. Participants reported more positive changes for cats, whereas more negative changes were reported for dogs. Thematic analysis identified three main themes relating to the positive and negative impact on companion animals of the Covid-19 pandemic. Generalised linear models indicated that companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores pre-lockdown reported fewer negative changes in animal welfare and behaviour. However, companion animal owners with poorer mental health scores since lockdown reported more changes, both positive and negative, in animal welfare and behaviour. Conclusion: Our findings extend previous insights into perceived welfare and behaviour changes on a very limited range of species to a wider a range of companion animals. Owner mental health status has a clear, albeit small, effect on companion animal welfare and behaviour.

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