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Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant transformation of the SARS-COV-2 virus form, exposure to substantial psychosocial stress, environmental change, and isolation have led to the inference that the overall population's mental health could be affected, resulting in an increase in cases of psychosis. Objective(s): We initiated a systematic review to determine the impact of the SARS-COV-2 virus and its long-term effects-in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases-on people with or without psychosis. We envisioned that this would give us an insight into effective clinical intervention methods for patients with psychosis during and after the pandemic. Method(s): We selected fifteen papers that met our inclusion criteria, i.e., those that considered participants with or without psychiatric illness and exposed to SARS-COV-2 infection, for this review and were retrieved via Google, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsychINFO Database. Key Gap: There is a dearth of research in understanding how COVID-19 affects people with or without a prior personal history of psychosis. Result(s): The systematic review summary provides insight into the state of knowledge. Insights from the systematic review have also been reviewed from the salutogenesis model's perspec-tive. There is moderate evidence of new-onset psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in which some antipsychotics treated the psychotic symptoms of patients while treating for COVID-19. Suggestions and recommendations are made for preventive and promotive public health strategies. Conclusion(s): The Salutogenesis model and Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI) provide another preventive and promotive public health management approach.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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This is the first study investigating the determinants of mental health among Japanese firefighters with the COVID-19 outbreak. Firefighters who respond to emergency calls and administer emergency medical treatment face numerous serious threats to their mental health because of the spread of COVID-19. These threats range from significant infection risks to changes in daily operations. We conducted an online questionnaire survey with Japanese firefighters (n = 2,748, valid responses = 2,204) who also served as ambulance workers during the second COVID-19 wave in August 2020. The questionnaires inquired about personal and occupational demographics, occupational stress resulting from COVID-19, social support, germ aversion using a subscale of tire Perceived Vulnerability to Disease (PVD) scale, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The results indicated that the burdens of infection prevention, anxiety about infection and furloughs, interpersonal conflicts related to COVID-19, reduced social support, and germ aversion were associated with deterioration of mental health. Measures for maintaining the mental health of firefighters are discussed based on these results. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its consequences may impact individuals' mental health. Objective(s): The present study aimed to investigate the psychological status of individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran following the government's social distancing plan. Method(s): Data from 1,524 people were collected using a cross-sectional web-based survey via social media. Demographic variables and psychological status were evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire, Stress Response Inventory, and Brunel Mood Scale. Result(s): Individuals reported that their mental health decreased during the pandemic. Four factors were associated with increased stress: (1) Fear of getting sick;(2) indefinite quarantine duration;(3) impaired daily activities;and (4) reduced social communication. One-third of the participants reported physical symptoms (32.7%), 47% anxiety, 72% social dysfunction, and 28.3% depression. Approximately half of the participants (52.2%) reported mental health disorder symptoms. Detrimental mental health characteristics were higher among females, younger people, and singles. Conclusion(s): Health policies should be implemented to help reduce the psychological burden during and after the Iranian government's SDP, especially among females, singles, and younger people.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).
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Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused stress and anxiety for various parts of society all over the world. This concern and stress are not limited to being affected by COVID-19 because this condition has also caused changes in people's lifestyles. Objective(s): The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the validity and reliability of the COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire and determine the contribution of each of the stressors to the prediction of mental health in the Iranian population. Method(s): This descriptive-analytical and correlational study was performed on 301 volunteers living in Tehran, Iran. Due to the prevalence of COVID-19, questionnaires were distributed by convenience sampling method and online conduction. The instruments used in the present study were the researcher-made questionnaire on Iranians' COVID-19-related stressors (ICRS) and the mental health questionnaire general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Content validity (qualitative and quantitative), face validity, structural validity (exploratory factor analysis), Cronbach's alpha, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 24 and AMOS24 software. Result(s): In exploratory factor analysis, the final 25 items were obtained in seven factors with an explanation of 66.25% variance. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that worrying about changing economic status, getting COVID-19 and change in lifestyle increased the chance of developing mental health disorder up to 1.29 (OR = 1.29), 1.28 (OR = 1.28), and 1.18 times (OR = 1.18), respectively. The variable of changing family interactions reduces the chance of developing a mental health disorder by 0.85 times (OR = 0.85). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire is valid and can be used in future research. Identifying the most im-portant stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and determining each contribution to mental health prediction will help health policymakers to make better decisions.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).
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Aim of the study: To identify the sociodemographic predictors of general functioning, stress, anxiety and depression in Polish medical workers' group in the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional observational study using an online questionnaire was conducted via both professional organizations and social media groups. A total of 303 completed responses were received. More than half of participants (54.8%) work in public hospitals, the majority was females (77.6%), nurses (38.3%), the age was ranged from 22 to 68 years (M = 41.37;SD = 11.38). The semi-structured online questionnaire covered following areas: (1) general sociodemografic data, including health state and COVID-19 related questions;(2) psychological impact and mental health, measured by GHQ-30 and DASS-21. Result(s): Overall, our results showed that sex, years of experience and profession have predictive power to explain mental health being of medical workers during COVID-19. In our study, females reported worse general functioning (GHQ-30) and higher stress (DASS-21) than males. Longer working experience is predictor of better interpersonal relationships (GHQ-30). Discussion(s): Years of experience and gender accounted for 27% of the variance of the level of stress in medical staff group. With the years of experience of healthcare professionals, the stress decreases. Nurses reported less severity of anxiety than other medical workers. We assume those results are connected with education process as well as experience level. Conclusion(s): It may be important to develop a personalized intervention, considering the main predictors of mental well-being. Authorities should consider creating the tailored-made programs for medical professions.Copyright © 2023 Polish Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had numerous maternal and neonatal consequences, especially at the mental level. Pregnant women experience a rise in anxiety symptoms and prenatal stress. Aims: The aim was to describe self-perceived health status, general stress and prenatal stress and to analyze relations and associations with sociodemographic factors. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted using non-probabilistic circumstantial sampling. The sample was recruited during the first trimester of pregnancy during the control obstetrical visit. The Google Forms platform was used. A total of 297 women participated in the study. The Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ), the Perceived Stress Score (PSS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used. Results: Primiparas presented higher levels of worry about childbirth and the baby (10.93 ± 4.73) than multiparous women (9.88 ± 3.96). Somatic symptoms were present in 6% of the women. Anxiety-insomnia was scored positively by 18% of the women. In the Spearman correlation analysis, statistically significant values were found between almost all study variables. A positive correlation was observed between self-perceived health and prenatal and general stress levels. Discussion: During the first trimester of gestation, prenatal concerns increase when levels of anxiety, insomnia and depression also increase. There is a clear relationship between prenatal worries, anxiety, insomnia and depression with stress. Health education that focuses on mental health of pregnant women would help reduce worries during pregnancy and would improve the pregnant women perception of her health and well-being.
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Background: From the literature emerges that having a pregnancy and especially a high-risk pregnancy in time of pandemic can lead to an increase of the levels of anxiety, which are usually already higher in relation to maternal-fetal disease. Furthermore, the literature shows that significant organizational and methodological changes have been introduced in the detection of psychological conditions, such as the introduction of telehealth intervention. Particularly in our experience about psychological health screenings there was a period of care interruption (between 11.03.2020 and 04.05.2020) and a clinical activity restructuring on the ward according to the new needs that have accrued. The aim of this experience is to analyze the progress of psychological health perinatal screening in women during the Covid-19. Specifically, we aimed to understand the percentage of positive screening and management compared to the pre-pandemic period. Method(s): Perinatal psychological screening was administered to women with high-risk pregnancy hospitalized in a Obstetric ward in a period between May 2020 to December 2021. The data were then compared with those recorded from September 2019 to February 2020 (pre-Covid-19). Screening consists in the description of the Obstetrical Psychology Service, the case history, the self-administration questionnaire GHQ-12 (General Health Questionnaire- 12) and the assessment interview if necessary. Result(s): A total of 469 screenings were administered during the pandemic, about 30% of which were found to be positive in the screenings (2020-21). Specifically in 2020, the positivity amounted to 28.69%. Of these 64 women, 56 performed the assessment, and in particular 22 were taken to the Psychology Service, 6 were referred to the territorial counseling centers, and 28 didn't receive further treatment indication. In 2021, the positivity was 32.93%. Especially of these 81 women, 32 were taken to the Psychology Service, 10 were sent to the territorial counseling centers and, 16 refused the assessment interview, 6 were already in treatment, 11 didn't receive further treatment indications and 6 cases dropped out. In the pre-pandemic phase the rate of positivity was 27%. Of the 30 women who tested positive at the screening, 5 were taken to the Psychology Service, 9 were referred to family counseling centers in the area, 11 refused the assessment interview, and 5 didn't receive further therapeutic indication. Conclusion(s): The importance of psychological care continuity and the feasibility of administering psychological health screenings clearly emerges in the ward despite the changed health situation due to Covid-19. The results show how the positivity rate for psychological health screening increases over the years (27% from September 2019 to February 2020/pre-Covid-19, 28,69% from May to December 2020 and 32,93% in 2021).
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Background: COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), which is spreading domestically and internationally and has had a significant impact on the world, was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Following the worldwide emergency of COVID-19, health care workers faced several issues, including an increase in workload. Many of them became infected and died as a result of close contact with COVID-19 patients. The continuing epidemic of COVID-19 is inducing fear, anxiety, and fatigue in them, and there's an urgent need to determine their mental health status. Aim(s): To assess the psychological distress and identify various coping strategies among the health care workers Methods: One hundred seventy health worker were selected. Following the candidates' informed consent, information about their socio-demographics and COVID-19 duties was gathered in a semistructured performa. All selected health care workers were assessed for psychological distress with the help of the General Health Questionnaire-12 and The coping strategies were measured by a brief cope questionnaire. Result(s): The mean score on GHQ-12 scale was 13.69(SD= 6.26) indicating that the professionals' mental health was poor condition. The most frequently used coping strategies were Emotion Focused Coping, followed by Problem Focused Coping. Meanwhile, the least used coping strategies were Avoidant Coping. Conclusion(s): Health-care professionals reported poor mental health during covid-19 outbreak and majority of professionals coped with adaptive coping strategies in this adverse situation.
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While teledermatology has been a feature of some dermatology services for some time, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to both a deterioration in waiting lists for routine patients, and the use of distance consultation as a means of providing and improving access for such patients. The majority of teledermatology platforms rely on general practitioner (GP)-submitted information and images, and most data suggest that these systems result in around 50% of patients avoiding hospital attendance through the implementation of management plans suggested by hospital-based consultants (Mehrtens SH, Shall L, Halpern SM. A 14 year review of a UK teledermatology service: experience of over 40,000 teleconsultations. Clin Exp Dermatol 2019;44: 874-81). We now report the use of an online platform (Virtual LucyTM) using patient-provided information via a structured questionnaire, and patient images uploaded following clear online guidance, reinforced by call centre interaction. The data are derived from funded National Health Service (NHS) work: there was no specific funding for its generation. In total, 3500 patients from two hospital trusts with routine waiting list pressures were invited to use the system as an alternative to eventual hospital attendance. After secure registration, they completed dermatology and general health questionnaires based on conventional medical history taking, as well as a Dermatology Life Quality Index and then uploaded one or more images as appropriate. The patient data were reviewed by a consultant and a self-populated report provided to the patient, GP and trust within 72 h. Forty-eight per cent of patients were discharged to their GP with reassurance or a management plan. Patients requiring hospital attendance were signposted to appropriate clinics (e.g. isotretinoin, phototherapy, patch testing) or to surgical clinics for biopsy or excision. Hospital trust-based consultants were able to access the platform to view images prior to any surgery. Of patients directed to hospital clinics, 32% were reclassified as being urgent - waiting list duration was the main determinant of the need for reclassification. Of all images, 0.5% were unsatisfactory, and those patients were contacted through the platform to ask for a replacement image with specific advice. One per cent of patients were contacted by clinical staff by telephone or video to clarify or expand on the information given, and approximately 1% of patients used the platform to ask for additional treatment details. There were no patient complaints, and GP and hospital staff issues related to logistics were increasingly uncommon as iterative development of the system and support processes occurred. Teledermatology using patient-derived information and images gives similar outcomes to those seen in published conventional teledermatology, puts fewer demands on clinical staff, is popular with patients and has a significant benefit to the NHS.
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Background: Many women and pregnant women are front-line health care workers in the COVID-19 era and are worried about the possible impacts of COVID-19 on their fetuses. Due to the pressure and high working load on the healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis, the healthcare workers were potentially at risk of different types of mental health disorders. Objective(s): We aimed to evaluate the correlation between mental health status and the level of COVID19-related anxiety in pregnant healthcare workers in the COVID-19 era in Iran from August 2020 to December 2020. Method(s): This cross-sectional study included 64 pregnant clinical residents, general physicians, nurses and other medical staff who worked in hospitals in Iran, from August 2020 to December 2020 using an anonymous online survey available on the Google Form platform. The online survey consisted of socio-demographic questions, pregnancy-related questions, and questions about medical/drug history. The participants filled the Persian versions of General Health Questionnaire - 28 (GHQ-28) and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS). Result(s): The participants' mean age and gestational age were 31.3+/-3.9 years, and 24.5+/-10.1 weeks respectively. Psychological problems were moderate (total score GHQ-28> 40) in 9.4% (n: 6) of pregnant healthcare workers. The frequency of moderate/severe problems in the four subclasses, including somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression were 9(14.1%), 25(39.0%), 7(10.9%), and 10(15.6%), respectively. According to CDAS, 26.5% of participants had moderate to severe COVID-19-related anxiety. COVID-19-related anxiety and its subclasses, physical and psychological, were significantly correlated with the GHQ-28 total score and its subclasses, including somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression among pregnant healthcare workers (p<0.01). Conclusion(s): According to the results of the current study, over 25% of pregnant health care workers have moderate to severe COVID-19-related anxiety;so, it is crucial for policymakers to focus on the mental health of pregnant health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Introduction: Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of both COVID-19 patients and the general population. Adults with COVID-19 risked their lives, lost their loved ones, struggled with comorbid clinical conditions to manage, and have been unable to enjoy the physical presence of their families during the infection, quarantine, and lockdown periods. During hospitalization and discharge, family members often did not receive clinical updates from providers and patients, were unable to offer in-person assistance, and to receive psychological support. Incidence and prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID- 19 older adults and their family members skyrocketed beyond the possibilities of any mental health system to address psychological aftermath of this pandemic and intervene with in-person services. In response to the urgent need for treatments that could be remotely delivered at a large scale, we designed DigiCOVID, a digital mental health approach that offered remote brief tele-psychotherapy to COVID-19 patients and/or their first-degree relatives. The main goal of this single arm, naturalistic study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and usability of DigiCOVID. Additionally, we assessed the impact of DigiCOVID on psychopathology by means of self-report questionnaires. Method(s): Participants underwent an initial phonebased screening to of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were: 18-80 years old;positive nasopharyngeal swabs or serology to COVID-19 (for the patients' subgroup);absence of visual/ motor deficits that might interfere with study participation;good level of Italian;and adequate tech literacy. Participants were excluded if they had a previous or actual DSM-5 diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, or substance use disorder;if they had a diagnosis of dementia;or if they presented suicidal ideation assessed through the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Next, they completed a neuropsychological test over video to assess IQ (if lower than 70 participants were excluded), and filled out online gold-standard selfreports for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI), post traumatic symptoms (IES-R) and general wellbeing (GHQ-12). Participants were then assigned to a psychotherapist who remotely conducted eight remote tele-psychotherapy sessions. After treatment, online questionnaires were filled out again to collect data on preliminary efficacy. Result(s): Since November 2021, 138 patients were recruited, 83 completed the intervention (57 patients, 26 fist-degree relatives), and 55 dropped out. At a group level, participants showed significant improvements on all clinical outcomes (PHQ-9: R2=0.12, p=.0019;ISI: R2=0.15, p=.0004;IES-R: R2=0.11, p=.0003;GHQ- 12: R2=0.23, p<.0001;GAD-7: R2=0.12, p=.0011). Given the high heterogeneity in illness severity and psychopathology, we conducted clustering on baseline data coming from the five online questionnaires: 55% of the whole sample had no psychopathology (Cluster 1), whereas 45% showed severe psychopathology (Cluster 2). When clustering was conducted on post-treatment data, three clusters emerged: no psychopathology, residual psychopathology and severe psychopathology. 71% of Cluster 1 participants remained asymptomatic;25% of Cluster 2 participants showed full symptom remission, while 48% and 28% of Cluster 2 participants showed partial symptom remission and no significant effect of treatment, respectively. Conclusion(s): Remote brief tele-psychotherapy for COVID-19 patients and their first-degree relatives is feasible and preliminary efficacious at reducing COVID-related psychopathology. Further research is needed to investigate distinct profiles of treatment response.
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The emergence of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China during late 2019 spread quickly and creating international emergency and tremendous challenges for healthcare workers (HCWs) including dental and oral healthcare professionals. The brisk spread of this new viral disease forced HCWs to suffer from different types of stress including mortality and morbidity, delayed patient dealing, scarcity of complete personal protective equipment (PPE), and fear of being COVID-19 virus target and carriers to their family members. The dental and oral HCWs were also advised to apply mobility restrictions and social distancing measures. All of a sudden, most of the regular medical check-ups including dental clinic appointments were cancelled, reducing the number of patients flow. The abrupt cancellation of appointments put a sudden break on medical profession including dental practice. Different scales like progression of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHd-12), Davidson Trauma Scale-Chinese (DTS-C), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Impact of Event Scale (IES), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) etc. have been devised in different countries to assess the overall mental health status. The reports from earlier SARS outbreak in 2007 had also put a psychological impact on HCWs but least has been learned from this out break. The reports from previous Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks and early COVID-19 pandemic have a considerable negative impact (short and long-term) on mental status of HCWs. Different types of negative impacts on mental health like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and distress were reported in HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic. The current COVID-19 pandemic given a broader understanding of how much, how far and how fast an outbreak can occur and affect HCWs psychologically. In this review, authors summarize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the psychology of HCWs, as reported from different countries.Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) face work-related psychosocial risks. The ongoing pandemic is causing widespread concern in a variety of ways, including COVID-19 fear and anxiety. Objective(s): We aimed to evaluate mental health, quality of life, COVID-19 fear and related factors in Turkish HCWs practicing in pandemic hospitals. Method(s): The data were collected in 13 provinces between 27 September and 11 November 2021 by researchers from the Early Career Task Force of the Turkish Thoracic Society. The study survey included sociodemographic, health- and work-related characteristics, the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) evaluating mental health, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaire and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Result(s): Of 1,556 participants, 522 (33.5%) reported a need for mental health support (MHS) in the previous year. The FCV-19S weakly correlated with the GHQ-12 (r=0.234, p<0.001) and WHOQoL-BREF domains (r=-0.245 for physical health, r=-0.182 for psychological health, r=-0.141 for social relationships and r=-0.183 for environmental health domains;p<0.001). The need for MHS was the common significant variable for all scale scores in univariate analyses and multiple linear regression. After multiple linear regression, the FCV-19S score was significantly related to the GHQ-12 and all WHOQoL-BREF domain scores. Conclusion(s): Our results indicate a remarkable level of need for MHS. The need for MHS and COVID-19 fear are related to mental health and quality of life in Turkish HCWs. The self-reported need for MHS may serve as an alarming characteristic for HCWs' psychosocial burden.
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PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic led to disproportionate mental health responses in younger adults and parents. The aim of the study was to investigate how Millennial parents' experiences were associated with psychological distress over the first year of the pandemic. METHODS: We examined data in September 2020 (n men = 994; n women = 1824) and February 2021 (n men = 1054; n women = 1845) from the Next Steps cohort study (started ages 13-14 in 2003-04). In each wave, we examined differences in GHQ-12 scores between parent groups defined by the age and number of children, adjusting for background characteristics at ages 13-14, psychological distress at ages 25-26, and other circumstances during the pandemic. We also examined if differences varied by work status, financial situation before the outbreak and relationship status. RESULTS: Whereas mothers with one or two children and children aged 0-2 reported less distress than non-mothers in September 2020, there were no such differences in February 2021. Fathers with three or more children reported more distress in February 2021. Compared with non-fathers who worked, fathers were also disproportionally distressed if they were working with one child or with children aged 2 or less in September 2020. CONCLUSION: The distribution of psychological distress among Millennial parents and non-parents has varied by age, sex, parenting stage, work status and the timing of the pandemic. Generous family policies are needed, with special attention dedicated to parents combining work and family responsibilities.
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Introduction: Nursing and midwifery staff members are at high risk of mental disorders. Depression, anxiety, and insomnia are commonly reported symptoms among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic insomnia leads to lower quality of life, worse professional performance and deterioration of cognitive function. Moreover, it increases the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Material and methods: The study included 235 nurses (n =133) and midwives (n =102). The diagnostic methods included a descriptive and demographic questionnaire, The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). The study was conducted using an online survey. Results: There are no statistically significant intergroup differences in terms of mental state, sleep quality and the insomnia level in the groups of nurses and midwives. 9% of subjects used psychological support and revealed lower assessment of their mental health, poorer sleep quality and the higher insomnia rate. The stable mental health of nurses and midwives positively correlated with the sleep quality and negatively with the insomnia level. 63% of study participants assessed their sleep quality as low. The symptoms of clinical insomnia were present in 35% of subjects. Conclusions: Insomnia is a serious health problem for nursing and midwifery staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of preventive programmes focused on medical workers' mental health should be a priority in prevention of long-term consequences of sleep problems and insomnia.
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BACKGROUND: Most communities' mental health and perceptions of psychological well-being are known to be profoundly disrupted by large-scale pandemics. Despite the wide range of available screening measures, few reliable and valid screening measures exist for assessing overall psychological well-being in nonclinical populations during a health emergency situation such as the COVID-19 outbreak. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to conduct a psychometric analysis of Goldberg's 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to validate its use among a sample of Saudi adults during the COVID-19 lockdown using reliability and factor analyses. METHODS: A total of 473 individuals (aged 18 years and over) were recruited from the general Saudi population living in the Makkah (Western) Province of Saudi Arabia to complete the virtual format of the Arabic GHQ-12 (Ar-GHQ-12). In addition to a descriptive statistics measurement and reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to examine the unidimensionality and validity of the Ar-GHQ-12. RESULTS: In line with previous works from several cultures, the Ar-GHQ-12 with two-factor solution considered to be the best-fitting model because it fits the data better than the one-factor (unidimensional) model did, and adequate reliability indices were achieved for each factor (.83 for factor 1 and .65 for factor 2). DISCUSSION: The Ar-GHQ-12 was determined to be suitable for assessing the overall psychological well-being of the general population in Saudi Arabia in emergency contexts and may be applied among Saudis and other Arabic-speaking populations in research and primary care settings.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Adult , Adolescent , COVID-19/epidemiology , Psychological Well-Being , Psychometrics , Saudi Arabia/epidemiology , Reproducibility of Results , Communicable Disease Control , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pandemic COVID 19 that started in Wuhan, China, began to present itself in Europe rapidly in the early spring of 2020. This new situation impacted the life of students in all Europe. To measure the level impact of the situation created by COVID 19, from an active and dynamic life with many daily physical activities in the gym, to self-isolation, quarantine and social distancing, the main aim of this study was to investigate the level of mental health and its correlation with physical activity among physical education students. METHOD(S): The survey was conducted online through google forms, using the Goldberg and Hillier's 28-item scaled version of the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28). The data were gathered in the period when the teaching process were conducted through online platforms and Pandemic COVID 19 were in the process and all the participants were isolated. A total sample consist of 206 students, 40% of the students were female with the mean age M=20.8 and, 60% male with the mean age M=21.2. RESULT(S): Results show that their general health total scores, 79.6% of the participants had very low disorder, 17.0% low disorder and 3.4% moderate disorder. Results also shows that GHQ-28 scale and subscale level of Somatic symptoms, Anxiety insomnia, Social dysfunction and Severe Depression had lower values in students who did physical activity for 60 min per day, more than 4 times a week during self-isolation. CONCLUSION(S): Based on the findings general health and its subscales show statistical correlation with physical activity. Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA.
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Background: The public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mental and psychological ramifications on the healthcare professionals. The pre-licensure nursing students found themselves not only fighting against the baneful virus but also weak ego resilience. At this point, enriching the pre-licensure nursing students with psychological first aid (PFA) could help them to recover from the feeling of psychological distress and improve their resilience capacity to encounter any upcoming outbreaks. Methods: A quasi-experimental two groups, a pre-post-test study was used in which sixty-four pre-licensure nursing students completed a baseline survey which revealed high levels of psychological distress and low resilience capacity due to the COVID-19 crisis. The study group engaged in the Psychological First- aid Intervention (PFA) at the end of the clinical practicum course period, while the comparison group received routine psychological support. Results: A significant reduction in the psychological distress levels among students in the PFA group (FET=7.83, P = 0. 001). Likewise, significant improvements in the students' resilience capacity level immediately after the intervention (FET=3.34, P = 0.019) and during the two-month follow-up (FET=12.94, P = 0. 001). The implementation of PFA enhanced the pre-licensure nursing students' psychological health status and resilience capacity levels after their clinical training amid the ambiance of the COVID-19 crisis. Conclusion: The PFA effectively fostered the pre-licensure nursing students' recovery from the COVID-19 related- psychological distress and improve their resilience capacity. The application of RAPID model is recommended to reduce stress and prevent burnout among novice and future nurses who show signs of psychological exhaustion.
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Introduction: Pandemics and subsequent lockdowns affect mental health of different subgroups of populations. In Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), caregivers of those patients who have respiratory complaints is one such subgroup which is more vulnerable to disturbances in mental health, because of the fear that their patient's respiratory symptoms could be because of COVID-19. Aim(s): To assess the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 and subsequent state imposed lockdown on the caregivers of patients presenting with respiratory complaints and also to evaluate the effect of relaxation of lockdown after following-up them over a period of time. Material(s) and Method(s): This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India (tertiary care institute), from April 2020 to June 2020. Baseline assessment was done using socio-demographic performa, lockdown related questionnaire {3 domains, summed as total score (Lockdown)}, COVID-19 related questionnaire {Total score (COVID-19)} and General Health Questionnaire-12-Hindi version (GHQ-12). Reassessment was done twice i.e., at 11-15 days and 41-45 days after relaxation of lockdown. Quality Of Life (QOL) at first and second follow-up versus pre-lockdown times (score A and C) and first follow-up versus un-lockdown (score B) was also noted. Analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM, SPSS)version 22.0. Result(s): Mean age of the participants was 40.2+/-11.812 years with maximum caregivers 25 (41.7%) aged between 31-40 years. Majority (83.3%) were men. Psychological distress was experienced in 50% of caregivers at baseline and 23.7% caregivers at first follow-up (p-value=0.001). Worry for COVID-19 (p-value=0.035), Domain 1 scores (p-value <0.001), Domain 2 scores (p-value=0.003), Domain 3 scores (p-value=0.001), and Total score Lockdown (p-value <0.001) decreased significantly at first follow-up. Mean C score was significantly better than mean A score (p-value <0.001). Baseline psychological distress was significantly more in those with worry for COVID-19 (p-value=0.018), poorer scores of domains 1 (p-value=0.005), domains 2 (p-value <0.001), domains 3 (p-value <0.001), total score (Lockdown) (p-value <0.001) and total score (COVID-19) (p-value=0.010). Follow-up psychological distress was more in those with "worry for COVID-19" (p-value <0.001), negative thoughts (p-value=0.001), poorer follow-up scores of three domains, total score (Lockdown), mean A, B and C scores (p-value <0.001). Conclusion(s): Caregivers experienced extreme levels of psychological distress, which decreased, but persisted even after relaxation in lockdown. Copyright © 2022 Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction and Objective. Lifestyle and its related health behaviour are significant factors affecting health. The aim of this study was to define a selection of factors influencing the health behaviour of paramedics from the Masovian Province, the biggest in Poland. Materials and method. The study group consisted of paramedics employed in Emergency Response Teams (ERT) on the territory of Masovian Province. The study involved 238 participants: 223 men and 15 women. The mean age of the participants was 39.03±9.27 years for males, and 31.93±7.76 years for females. The research was carried out between May 2019 – September 2019 using the diagnostic survey method, including Jurczyński’s Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI), Courtauld’s Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Results. The health behaviours of the participants were defined as average. The probability of exhibiting proper health behaviours increases with age (OR=2.178, 95% Cl: 1.030–4.604;p 0,042), the ability to control emotions, especially on the depressive mood scale, (OR=0.901, 95% Cl: 0.827–0.981;p 0.017) and the general health condition, i.e., the less anxiety or insomnia the participating paramedics experience, the higher the chance of them exhibiting proper health behaviours (OR =0.809, 95% Cl: 0.725–0.903;p 0.000) or not experiencing social dysfunction (OR=0.760, 95% Cl: 0.628–0.920;p 0.005). Conclusions. As an occupational group, paramedics require help from their employers and other specialists in the fostering of proper health behaviour in order to experience a good quality of life in the workplace and beyond. Educative measures have to be undertaken in the paramedic population, especially with regard to ameliorating eating habits, handling stress, burnout prophylaxis, and counteracting musculo-skeletal disorders.