ABSTRACT
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).
ABSTRACT
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected individuals' physical and mental health. Protective measures such as closures, social-distancing, masking, and isolation resulted in increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. This study aimed to investigate life changes associated with COVID-19 for family caregivers of persons with Lewy body disease (LBD). Method(s): Data were analyzed from an existing LBD caregiver needs and concerns study that took place between January 2021 and February 2021. A mixed methods approach was used to describe how 20 caregivers' lives changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Items from the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS) were adapted for COVID-19 and rated on a response scale ranging from 1 = changed for the worst to 7 = changed for the best, with 4 = did not change. Qualitative data were collected as participants expanded upon their responses to the scale items. Result(s): Caregivers experienced both positive and negative life changes as a result of COVID-19. On average, positive changes included increased use of the internet to order items (Mean = 4.35), videoconferencing to connect with others (Mean = 4.55), and improved financial well-being (Mean = 4.35). Negative changes included reduced social (Mean = 1.7) and family (Mean = 2.05) activities and decreased ability to cope with stress (Mean = 2.60). Most responses ranged from 1 to 4, with some items having wider ranges from 1 to 7 showing that individual caregivers were impacted differently by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative comments were consistent with quantitative responses. Some caregivers expressed concerns that limited family and social contact contributed to a more rapid decline in the person with LBD. Caregiver health and well-being were negatively affected as well, with caregivers noting decreased level of energy and worsened physical health. Conclusion(s): Family caregivers of persons with LBD experienced both positive and negative life changes as a result of COVID-19. Responses indicated that caregivers were affected in a variety of ways and an individualized approach is recommended in dealing with caregiver life changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Copyright © 2022 the Alzheimer's Association.
ABSTRACT
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is described as behaviors that directly and intentionally inflict damage to body tissue without suicidal intent and for reasons not linked to cultural expectations or norms. Literature has confirmed several "specific risk factors" related to NSSI behaviors; emotional reactivity, internalizing problems, alexithymia traits, and maladaptive family functioning can predispose an individual to intrapersonal and interpersonal vulnerabilities related to difficulties in regulating one's own cognitive-emotional experience. The present study aims to analyze and define the psychopathological and family interactive-relational characteristics of adolescents with NSSI through a case-control study. Thirty-one patients with NSSI and thirty-one patients without NSSI paired for sex, age, and psychiatric diagnosis (ICD-10) were recruited in Padua among two Child Neuropsychiatry Units before the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show a higher prevalence of internalizing problems, alexithymia trait related to "difficulty identifying feelings", and lower quality of family functioning related to inclusion of partners, child involvement, and child self-regulation. These results carry significant implications for the clinical management and therapeutic care of non-suicidal self-injury patients and further confirm the need for an in-depth investigation of internalizing problems, alexithymia, and quality of family interactions.