Mental health burden of patients with diabetes before and after the initial outbreak of COVID-19: predictors of mental health impairment

Background The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s mental health worldwide. Patients with diabetes are at risk for a severe course of illness when infected with SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to retrospectively examine mental health changes in patients with diabetes in Germany before and after the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and to furthermore explore potential predictors of such changes. Methods Over the course of eight weeks from April to June 2020, 253 individuals diagnosed with diabetes participated in an online cross-sectional study. Participants completed an anonymous survey including demographics, depression (PHQ-2) and generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L). In addition, all instruments used were modified to retrospectively ask participants to recall their mental health and health status before the outbreak had started. Additionally examined factors were COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face the pandemic, and the subjective level of information about COVID-19. Results This study shows a significant increase in prevalence of depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress, as well as significantly decreased health statuses in diabetes patients after the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Increased depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress were predicted by COVID-19-related fear, whereas trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 predicted higher depression symptoms. Conclusions The results indicate a negative impact of the initial COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and health status in patients with diabetes. In order to improve the efficacy of psychological support strategies for diabetes patients during the pandemic, possible predictors of mental health impairment such as the aforementioned should be examined more thoroughly and addressed more openly.

When Innovation Goes Wrong: Technological Regress and the Opioid Epidemic

The fourfold increase in opioid deaths between 2000 and 2017 rivals even the COVID-19 pandemic as a health crisis for America. Why did it happen? Measures of demand for pain relief – physical pain and despair – are high and in many cases rising, but their increase was nowhere near as large as the increase in deaths. The primary shift is in supply, primarily of new forms of allegedly safer narcotics. These new pain relievers flowed in greater volume to areas with more physical pain and mental health impairment, but since their apparent safety was an illusion, opioid deaths followed. By the end of the 2000s, restrictions on legal opioids led to further supply-side innovations, which created the burgeoning illegal market that accounts for the bulk of opioid deaths today. Because opioid use is easier to start than end, America's opioid epidemicis likely to persist for some time.

Mental Health Burden of Patients With Diabetes Before And After The Outbreak of COVID-19: Predictors of Mental Health Impairment

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s mental health worldwide. Patients with diabetes are at risk for a severe course when infected with SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to retrospectively examine mental health changes in patients with diabetes in Germany before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and to furthermore explore potential predictors of such changes.Methods: Over the course of eight weeks in early summer 2020, 253 individuals diagnosed with diabetes participated in an online cross-sectional study. Participants completed an anonymous survey including demographics, depression (PHQ-2) and generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L). In addition, all instruments used were adjusted to measure participants’ mental health and health status before the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally examined factors were COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face the pandemic, and the subjective level of information about COVID-19.Results: This study shows a significant increase in prevalence of depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress, as well as significantly decreased health statuses in diabetes patients after the COVID-19 outbreak. Increased depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress were predicted by COVID-19-related fear, whereas trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 predicted higher depression symptoms.Conclusions: The results indicate a negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and health status in patients with diabetes. In order to improve the efficacy of psychological support strategies for diabetes patients during the pandemic, possible predictors of mental health impairment such as the aforementioned should be examined more thoroughly and addressed more openly.

Which traits predict elevated distress during the Covid-19 pandemic? Results from a large, longitudinal cohort study with psychiatric patients and healthy controls

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in repeated, prolonged restrictions in daily life. Social distancing policies as well as health anxiety are thought to lead to mental health impairment. However, there is lack of longitudinal data identifying at-risk populations particularly vulnerable for elevated Covid-19-related distress. Methods: We collected data of N=1268 participants (n=622 healthy controls (HC), and n=646 patients with major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder) at baseline (2014-2018) and during the first lockdown in Germany (April-May 2020). We obtained information on Covid-19 restrictions (number and subjective impact of Covid-19 events), and Covid-19-related distress (i.e., subjective fear and isolation). Using multiple linear regression models including trait variables and individual Covid-19 impact, we sought to predict Covid-19-related distress. Results: HC and patients reported similar numbers of Covid-19-related events, and similar subjective impact rating. They did not differ in Covid-19-related subjective fear. Patients reported significantly higher subjective isolation. 30.5% of patients reported worsened self-rated symptoms since the pandemic. Subjective fear in all participants was predicted by four variables: trait anxiety (STAI-T), conscientiousness (NEO-FFI), Covid-19 impact, and sex. Subjective isolation in HC was predicted by social support (FSozu), Covid-19 impact, age, and sex; in patients, it was predicted by social support and Covid-19 impact. Conclusion: Our data shed light on differential effects of the pandemic in psychiatric patients and HC. They identify relevant, easy-to-obtain variables for risk profiles related to interindividual differences in Covid-19-related distress for direct translation into clinical practice. Keywords: Covid-19, mental health, stress, Big Five, social support

Mental Health Burden of German Cancer Patients before and after the Outbreak of COVID-19: Predictors of Mental Health Impairment

The aim of this study was to analyze individual changes in cancer patients’ mental health before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and to explore predictors of mental health impairment. Over a two-week period (16–30 March 2020), 150 cancer patients in Germany participated in this study. Validated instruments assessed demographic and medical data, depression and anxiety symptoms (PHQ-2, GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L). All instruments were adapted to measure the individual mental health before the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19, and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 were measured. Cancer patients showed a significant increase in depression and anxiety symptoms and distress, while health status deteriorated since the COVID-19 outbreak. Increased depression and generalized anxiety symptoms were predicted by COVID-19-related fear. Trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 and COVID-19-related fear predicted increases in distress. Higher subjective levels of information predicted less increasing anxiety symptoms and distress. Present data suggests that cancer patients experienced a significant increase in mental health burden since the COVID-19 outbreak. Observed predictors of mental health impairment and protective factors should be addressed, and appropriate interventions established, to maintain mental health of cancer patients during the pandemic.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI): exploring degrees and causes of TBI in mental health impairment by comprising gender differences

ABSTRACT Objective: To exploring differences between degrees and causes of TBI in mental health impairment with comprising gender differences. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional observational study of TBI patients who bedded within 24 hours of presentation to the emergency department (ED), Khatam Hospital, located in Zahedan, Iran. Participants were randomized by a simple randomization technique. Information had been collected twice, first time screening patients by Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) and the second time was two months after discharging patients from the ED to estimate mental health impairment by using two separate clinical diagnostic tests. Results: The research considered 80 patients, with 66% being male and 34% female. The median age for both genders estimated 23.5 years. There was a statistically significant difference between degrees and causes of TBI on the total score of hospital anxiety and depression. In particular, degree and cause of TBI with depression in males (M = 14.54, SD = .22), and degrees of TBI on post-traumatic stress disorder in females (M = 87, SD = .7) were significant difference. Conclusion: The current investigation highlights the incidence of depression in male patients with severe levels of traumatic brain injury who injured by car accident multiple trauma; furthermore, this research found the remarkable rate of post-traumatic stress disorder in female patients with a mild degree of TBI. The researcher in traumatic brain injury should seriously deliberate and explore gender differences with the degree and cause of TBI in detail.