An exploration of the consequences of, and coping with loneliness in an ageing intellectual disability population

Background: Loneliness has been associated with hypervigilance and sad passivity. The physiological and psychological reactions of people with an intellectual disability to loneliness have never been investigated. This research aims to explore the outcomes of loneliness for an ageing intellectual disability population. Methods: In Ireland, data from a nationally representative data set of people aged over 40 years with an intellectual disability (N=317) was applied to a social environment model that describes the effects of loneliness in five pre-disease pathways health behaviours, exposure to stressful life events, coping, health and recuperation. The data was tested through chi-squared, ANCOVA and binary logistic regression. Results: Being lonely predicted raised systolic blood pressure (A.O.R=2.051, p=0.039), sleeping difficulties (AOR=2.526, p=0.002) and confiding in staff (AOR=0.464 p=0.008). Additionally, participants who did moderate activity had significantly higher loneliness scores (F=4.171, p<0.05). Conclusions: The analysis supports the concept of hypervigilance in older people with an intellectual disability and limited support for the use of coping mechanisms that differ from those found in the wider population. Future research needs to investigate the longitudinal relationships between loneliness and health.

‘Every Woman Wants to Know What Came out of Her Body’: Grief Experiences of Women After Stillbirth in Nigeria

Stillbirth commonly affects women in Nigeria, but their experiences of grief following stillbirth is under explored. This study aimed to describe Nigerian women’s experiences of grief after stillbirth. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 women in Nigeria who experienced stillbirth. The results from the thematic analysis suggest that mothers had an unmet need to see their stillborn baby, and they experienced communication challenges such as being blindsided/misled about the baby during their interactions with health personnel. The participants experienced emotional and psychological reactions to grief that manifested in the form of emotional pain, sadness, blame and shock, but having a sense of gratitude helped them cope. The findings of this study highlight gaps in bereavement care and suggest the need for basic bereavement training for health personnel.

Effects of Exposure to COVID-19 News and Information: A Meta-Analysis of Media Use and Uncertainty-Related Responses During the Pandemic

This meta-analysis integrates 47 empirical studies, comprising 89,826 participants from 21 countries, to examine the cumulative effects and potential moderators of exposure to COVID-19 news and information on attendant emotions, appraisals, and behaviors. Overall media exposure indicated only small positive effect sizes on adverse psychological reactions, though it was moderately and positively associated with disease concern and preventive measures. Social media exposure was associated with all these responses, but traditional news media exposure was only associated with disease concern. The associations between overall media exposure and adverse psychological reactions were moderated by COVID-19 experience, healthcare profession, and country type.

Medical students’ psychological and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive phenomenological study

On February 19, 2020, the Iranian government officially confirmed the first deaths due to COVID-19 and within a week, all universities were closed. The purpose of this study is to explore Iranian medical students' psychological and behavioral responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive phenomenological study was conducted on 52 medical students. Data were collected using a purposive sampling method by means of synchronous virtual focus group discussions which were conducted using the WhatsApp messaging application. Data were analyzed using the MAXQDA software version 2020. Data analysis resulted in the emergence of three categories consisting of psychological responses to the pandemic and the behavioral and psychological responses to the quarantine. Most of the extracted themes are related to students’ psychological reactions to the pandemic. During the quarantine period, students suffered from uncertainty, experienced boredom, worried about delay in their graduation, and were concerned about losing employment opportunities. Medical students must be prepared for crisis situations like the present pandemic. We recommend that online courses and training programs be developed with the aim of offsetting the negative effects of university closure on students’ education and skill training.

What Privacy Isn’t

This chapter cuts through some of the common myths about privacy in our digital society. First, privacy isn’t about hiding dark secrets. Saying that those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear ignores that we all have aspects of our selves we don’t want shared indiscriminately, ignores that privacy matters because privacy is about power, and incorrectly focuses on privacy as an individual rather than a social matter. Second, privacy isn’t about creepiness. Using socially contingent psychological reactions as a trigger for whether privacy is menaced is a trap because it is underinclusive, overinclusive, and malleable by those who collect data. Third, privacy isn’t about “controlling our data.” In our complex world, control of data is an illusion that actually cedes control to powerful companies, thereby completing the creepy trap. Fourth, privacy isn’t dying; it’s the ongoing social conversation about the social power that human information confers.

KECEMASAN MAHASISWA SELAMA PEMBELAJARAN JARAK JAUH PADA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is an epidemic that is occurring worldwide and causing a number of psychological reactions and mental health. In response to the outbreak, the government established ‘Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh’ (PJJ). However, PJJ has had a number of negative effects. In addition, students are also prone to experiencing anxiety. There is increasing attention to the mental health of students at the higher education due to the COVID-19 situation. This study aims to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student mental health, especially anxiety among students in Indonesia. The study was conducted using an online survey, with an anxiety scale from the DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), and a questionnaire related to the anxiety. The participants were 166 active undergraduate (S-1) students who were doing PJJ. The results showed that most students experienced extremely severe level of anxiety (44%). The anxiety that students experience might come from the COVID-19 pandemic situation, and the PJJ situation. Most of the students were worried that they would be infected by COVID-19 (83.13%). In addition, students also experience anxiety about the PJJ activities. They feel more anxious about carrying out academic activities compared to the period before the pandemic (76.5%). In addition, there are several conditions that affect student anxiety, such as: (a) feeling bored and less enthusiastic about online learning activities (78.31%); (b) the signal is bad, the quota runs out (68.67%), and (c) there is a lot of disturbance to the surrounding environment when online classes (67.47%). This state of academic anxiety is considered disturbing for students. Pandemi COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) merupakan epidemi yang terjadi di seluruh dunia dan menyebabkan sejumlah reaksi psikologis dan kesehatan mental. Dalam menanggapi adanya wabah yang sedang merebak, pemerintah menetapkan Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh (PJJ). Namun demikian, PJJ menyebabkan sejumlah dampak negatif. Selain itu, mahasiswa juga rentan mengalami kecemasan. Terjadi peningkatan perhatian terhadap kesehatan mental siswa pada tingkat pendidikan tinggi karena situasi COVID-19. Penelitian ini berusaha mengetahui dampak pandemi COVID-19 pada kesehatan mental mahasiswa, khususnya kecemasan pada mahasiswa di Indonesia. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan online survey, dengan skala kecemasan dari DASS (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale), dan survey terkait kecemasan yang mahasiswa rasakan yang diciptakan peneliti. Partisipan berjumlah 166 mahasiswa aktif Strata 1 (S-1) yang sedang melakukan PJJ. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar siswa mengalami kecemasan dengan tingkat sangat parah (44%). Kecemasan yang dialami siswa dapat berasal dari situasi pandemi COVID-19 dan situasi PJJ. Sebagian besar mahasiswa cemas akan terjangkit COVID-19 (83,13%). Selain itu, mahasiswa juga mengalami kecemasan mengenai kegiatan PJJ yang berlangsung. Mereka merasa lebih cemas dalam menjalankan kegiatan akademik dibandingkan dengan masa sebelum pandemi (76,5%). Selain itu, terdapat beberapa kondisi yang mempengaruhi kecemasan mahasiswa, seperti: (a) perasaan bosan dan kurang antusias mengenai kegiatan belajar online (78,31%); (b) sinyal buruk, kuota habis (68,67%), dan (c) banyaknya gangguan lingkungan sekitar ketika sedang kelas online (67,47%). Keadaan kecemasan akademik ini dianggap mengganggu bagi mahasiswa.