Self-Reported Physical Limitations Among U.S. Veterans Compared to Non-Veterans: Findings from NHANES

Approximately 43% of males over the age of 65 years are Veterans. Veterans may be at elevated risk for functional declines due to barriers to health care access leading to accelerated loss of independence. This compared the prevalence of functional limitations in Veterans and non-Veterans. Data from two National Health and Examination Survey collection periods, administered 2013-2014 and 2015-2016, were used to compare physical functioning data between male Veterans (N=369) and non-Veterans (N=738) matched 1:2 for sex, race, and BMI. Individuals were considered a Veteran if they self-reported having “served in active duty in the U.S. Armed forces.” Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to assess differences in the prevalence of various self-reported functional limitations between groups. Veterans (mean±SEM: age: 64.5±0.54 years; BMI: 30.0±0.3 kg/m2) were disproportionately affected by self-reported functional limitations caused by long-term physical, mental, or emotional illnesses (8% vs. 3%, p<0.004). Twenty-five % of Veterans reported that these limitations kept them from working compared to 18% of non-Veterans (p<0.003). Veterans (38%) were also more likely to report being limited in the amount of work they could perform compared to non-Veterans (27%) (p<0.01). Additionally, Veterans (20%) were more likely to report the use of special healthcare equipment (i.e. cane, wheelchair) than non-Veterans (12%) (p<0.001). These data suggest that Veterans are at greater risk for functional limitations caused by self-reported long-term physical, mental or emotional illness. Therefore, further research is needed to determine if home- and community-based services could prevent further functional decline, ultimately allowing Veterans to maintain independence.

Mental Health and Well-Being during COVID-19 in the developing world: A Review of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

In view of the latest COVID-19 pandemic's unprecedented major global health crisis, it is extremely vital to consider the mental effect of this rising and formidable threat on the life of humanity, which has significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Previous research indicates that people affected by COVID-19 can have a high burden of issues with mental health, including depression, anxiety disorders, stress, sleep disorders, emotional illness, signs of post-traumatic stress, and suicidal behavior. In the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the outbreak entails a large-scale change in behavior and further, creates major psychological burdens on individuals, there is a growing concern to resolve the mental health issues of the general population. This review article attempts to highlight different mental health challenges faced during COVID-19 by multiple individuals. In certain settings, virtual mental health systems should be set up, and social media should be used to provide education and networking tools for mental health. Psychopathological issues in various communities should be emphasized in future epidemiological research

Impact of Health Literacy and Illness Perception on Rehabilitation Adherence among Patients with Stroke

Purpose: This study explored the level of Rehabilitation Adherence (RA) in patients with stroke receiving rehabilitation treatment and identified the impact of health literacy and illness perception on RA.Methods: A total of 163 patients with stroke were recruited during hospitalization for rehabilitation treatment in a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected from August 25, 2018 to October 30, 2018 using self-report structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 26.0 program.Results: The mean score for RA in participants was 3.02±0.49 (range 1~4). Men (t=2.12, p=.035), family caregiver (F=6.59, p=.002), hemorrhagic stroke (t=-2.78, p=.006), shorter period in disease diagnosis (≤12 month) (F=7.49, p=.001) and need of someone’s help for activities of daily living (F=5.20, p=.006) were associated with higher RA. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that health literacy and emotional illness perception explained RA by additional 26%p and 3%p, respectively. Higher health literacy, higher perception about concern and emotional response about disease were effective factors of higher RA in stroke patients. Health literacy was the strongest variable to explain RA among patients with stroke.Conclusion: The study provides insight into how health literacy and emotional illness perception promote RA in stroke patients. It suggests that health literacy and illness perception need to be considered in developing a nursing intervention to increase RA for patients with stroke receiving rehabilitation treatment.

The Role of Pharmacological Therapy and Psychotherapy in Post Stroke Depression

The most prevalent emotional illness following a stroke is post-stroke depression. Some of the symptoms of post-stroke depression include loss of interest, decreased energy, decreased appetite, problems sleeping, self-blame, and even suicide thoughts. To overcome the symptoms of post-stroke depression requires comprehensive management. In the PSD population, antidepressant medication has demonstrated to be effective. In order to obtain comprehensive health services, rehabilitation activities are also required as one of the therapies in the psychological sector of patients with post-stroke depression.

Excess Anxiety's Effect on the Occurrence of Insomnia in Adolescents in Late Adolescence

Due to the difficult process of social transition associated with the end of adolescence, this may create complications. For example, the issue of anti-social conduct in teenagers, as well as disagreements with parents, often result in conflict, ties of solidarity that may result in hazardous hazards and emotional illnesses such as stress, excessive anxiety, and depression. Anxiety disorder is a kind of emotional illness that may develop in late adolescence as a result of psychosocial causes. In which late adolescents react to stresses in an inappropriate and accurate manner. Anxiety disorders may impair the development of teaching and learning, since they lead people to suffer information processing distortion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of excessive worry on the prevalence of sleeplessness in late teenage adolescents. The researchers will conduct an analytical observational study using a cross sectional design. Teenagers with anxiety were classified as having no anxiety by 71 individuals (88.8 percent), mild anxiety by 8 people (10.0 percent), and moderate anxiety by one person (1.3 percent ). According to the classification of insomnia, there were 48 individuals (60.0 percent) in the severe group, 18 teenagers (22.5 percent) in the very severe category, and 14 adolescents (17.5 percent) in the moderate category. There is a link between anxiety and the prevalence of sleeplessness in late teenage teens.

Risks of occupational illnesses among health workers providing care to patients with COVID-19: an integrative review

Objective: to analyze evidence concerning the risks of occupational illnesses to which health workers providing care to patients infected with COVID-19 are exposed. Method: integrative literature review conducted in the following online databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE/PubMed), Web of Science (WoS), Excerpta Medica Data-Base (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus (Elsevier). Original articles published between November 2019 and June 2020, regardless of the language written, were included. A descriptive analysis according to two categories is presented. Results: the sample is composed of 19 scientific papers. Most were cross-sectional studies with an evidence level 2C (n=17, 90%) written in English (n=16, 84%). The primary thematic axes were risk of contamination and risk of psycho-emotional illness arising from the delivery of care to patients infected with COVID-19. Conclusion: the review presents the potential effects of providing care to patients with COVID-19 on the health of workers. It also reveals the importance of interventions focused on the most prevalent occupational risks during the pandemic. The studies’ level of evidence suggests a need for studies with more robust designs.

The Role of Online Infidelity Behaviors in the Link between Mental Illness and Social Media Intrusion

Online social interactions can potentially benefit users. Excessive use and certain behaviors, however, may cause interpersonal problems and promote toxic behaviors such as stalking. The present study explored the link between mental health status and social media intrusion (addiction) in a sample of 243 married/cohabiting romantic partners (female 177, male 66). The sample was divided into two groups based on the diagnosis or nondiagnosis of mental/emotional illness. We also tested a mediation model to examine whether social networking sites (SNS) related infidelity behaviors mediate the link between mental health and social media intrusion. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between mental illness and SNS intrusion, and SNS related infidelity behaviors partially mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that partners should be cautious when making friends online and should take proactive steps to avoid the possibility of engaging in infidelity behaviors. Therapeutic implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

A Health Behavior Prediction Model for Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships among functional status, hostility, social support, illness perceptions, and health behaviors in patients with coronary artery disease using structural equation modeling. Participants comprised 215 patients with coronary artery disease who had received percutaneous coronary artery intervention or a coronary artery bypass graft in two general hospitals in Seoul, Korea. Using structured interviews with questionnaires, data accrued from July to August, 2015. Fitness of the model was verified with AMOS 21.0. As social support increased, it negatively aligned with cognitive-illness perceptions. Higher levels of hostility and greater negative cognitive-illness perceptions aligned with negative emotional-illness perceptions. Social support indirectly affected emotional-illness perceptions. Lower levels of functional status, greater social support, and more positive cognitive-illness perceptions aligned with health behaviors. Social support indirectly affected health behaviors. In conclusion, nurses should focus on coronary artery disease patients’ physical functions and cognitive-illness perceptions to provide support.