Don't let corona become our only story

This chapter is about, what impact can the corona crisis have on our mental health? Besides the relational tensions that can arise from living on top of each other, many of us are also stuck in one negative story. The chapter is about the importance making room for stories that are not about corona. It discusses about work that consisting of broadening people's horizon by letting participants discover that they consist of multiple stories. This will have an enormous impact on the mental well-being of a large part of the population, which will have lots of consequences. That is why it is important to actively make room for other stories right now, in the middle of the pandemic. Memories from the past and dreams for the future. This is a responsibility one has to take towards one's own mental health (and resilience), just as we have to do for others. Sharing other stories and making sure people don't get stuck in that one difficult story is just as much part of caring about each other and will help us get through this crisis healthier. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Security Issues at the Time of the Pandemic and Distance Work

Security issues have always been central to workplaces. Increased work performed at home environments caused by COVID-19 pandemic has changed the security landscape of work radically. Security arrangements are no more at the domain of the employer, yet the risks remain, and responsibilities. In this chapter we discuss this new boom of distance work from the viewpoints of data privacy and security, physical safety and mental well-being. The issues are intertwined, and changes, risks and solutions in one of these cause implications for the other areas too. In data privacy and security, the home office environment causes several risks, and the mixed use of devices and facilities both in work and leisure use causes difficulties. Physical safety is compromised in several ways at home environment, which is partly confounding, as the very core of work at home and social distancing is the search for physical security from COVID viruses. Mental well-being problems are a key product of this social distancing, and they do not typically emerge immediately, but first after a long period. With the COVID-19 pandemic over two years, we first start to see the magnitude of the mental well-being problems it has caused. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very short period in history. For individuals living now, it can deeply affect life, especially in critical periods of life. On the positive side, the very special pressure COVID-19 has caused on working life has surely improved and speeded up academic and practical work in distance work development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Identifikace prediktorů duševní pohody vysokoškolských studentů během pandemie covidu-19

Pandemie covidu-19 byla široce zkoumána jako ekonomická i zdravotní krize s důrazem na zvyšování duševního zdraví a pohody vysokoškolských studentů. Tato studie zkoumá vztahy mezi fyzickým zdravím, sociální podporou a gramotností v oblasti duševního zdraví s duševní pohodou studentů malajsijských univerzit během pandemie covidu-19. Studijní soubor tvořilo 199 studentů. Průřezový průzkum byl proveden pomocí dotazníků, které si sami zadali. Tyto dotazníky využívaly Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), nástroj Multidimenzionální škála vnímané sociální podpory a nástroj Škála duševního zdraví. Průzkum zahrnoval i položky z dotazníku Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Výsledky této studie ukázaly, že fyzické zdraví má pozitivní a silný vztah k duševní pohodě. Podobně výsledky ukázaly, že sociální podpora má významný a pozitivní vztah k duševní pohodě. Nicméně duševní zdravotní gramotnost nebyla významně spojena s duševní pohodou. Výsledky tohoto výzkumu by mohly poskytnout zákonodárcům, odborníkům z praxe a vedení univerzit užitečné poznatky, které podporují pozitivní výsledky provádění intervenčních programů ke zlepšení duševní pohody studentů.Alternate :The Covid-19 pandemic has been widely examined to be both an economic crisis and health with updates of increasing the mental health and well-being of university students. This study examines the relationships between physical health, social support, and mental health literacy with the mental well-being of Malaysian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study population comprised 199 students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with self-administered questionnaires that used the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support instrument, and the Mental Health Literacy Scale. The survey also included items from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The results of this study showed that physical health had a positive and strong relationship with mental well-being. Similarly, the results indicated that social support had a significant and positive relationship with mental well-being. However, mental health literacy was not significantly associated with mental well-being. The results of this research might provide policymakers, practitioners, and university management with useful insights that foster the positive outcome of conducting intervention programs to improve the mental well-being of students.

University students' mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of resilience between meaning in life and mental well-being.

The current study aims to examine (a) the mental well-being of university students, who were taking online classes, and (b) and test whether resilience would mediate the relationship between meaning in life and mental well-being. The sample of 302 university students (Mage = 20.25 years; 36.1% men, 63.9% women) was taken from the universities of Punjab, Pakistan. The participants were recruited online and they completed a cross-sectional survey comprising the scales of meaning in life, resilience, and mental well-being during COVID-19. Findings from the study indicated that participants had a normal to a satisfactory level of overall mental wellbeing during COVID-19. Resilience acted as a mediator for both the presence of meaning in life, the search for meaning in life, and mental well-being. Demographic variables including family size were significantly and positively related to resilience while the availability of personal room showed a significant positive relationship with mental well-being. These findings suggest that meaning in life and resilience supports mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and that effective steps should be taken to make the lives of university students more meaningful and resilient.

Perceived Stress, Psychological Flexibility Profiles, and Mental Health During COVID-19: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Purpose: Although the link between psychological flexibility and healthy functioning has been widely analyzed, the employed measurements often lacked accuracy. The current study introduced a person-centered approach that identified subgroups of college students across the dimensions of the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (PPFI) and explored how these subgroups relate to a risk factor (perceived stress) and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, negative affect, and positive affect) in the context of COVID-19. Methods: A sample of 659 participants (Mage = 19. 99, SD = 1.27; 57.97% females) completed the questionnaires online. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to determine the optimal number of subgroups or profiles. Then, multinomial logistic regression and analyses of variance were used to identify variables associated with profile membership. Results: LPA identified three distinct profiles (active strategy, inconsistent strategy, and passive strategy). Furthermore, multinomial logistic regressions indicated that students with high perceived stress were more likely to be in the passive strategy group than the active strategy group (ß = -0.104, OR = 0.901, p < 0.001) and the inconsistent strategy group (ß = -0.087, OR = 0.917, p < 0.001). Additionally, analyses of variance revealed that the three profiles differed in depression (η2 = 0.062, p < 0.001), anxiety (η2 = 0.059, p < 0.001), negative affect (η2 = 0.047, p < 0.001), and positive affect (η2 = 0.048, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study employed LPA based on the PPFI to identify and confirm three profiles of psychological flexibility. We found that perceived stress and mental health outcomes were associated with these three profiles. This study offers a new perspective on understanding psychological flexibility through a person-centered approach. Furthermore, interventions aimed at reducing college students' perceived stress during the COVID-19 crisis are critical for preventing the deterioration of psychological flexibility.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Mental Well-Being Using Health Behavior Data from University Students.

BACKGROUND: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the importance of timely and effective assessment of mental well-being has increased dramatically. Machine learning (ML) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be harnessed for early detection, prognostication and prediction of negative psychological well-being states. METHODS: We used data from a large, multi-site cross-sectional survey consisting of 17 universities in Southeast Asia. This research work models mental well-being and reports on the performance of various machine learning algorithms, including generalized linear models, k-nearest neighbor, naïve Bayes, neural networks, random forest, recursive partitioning, bagging, and boosting. RESULTS: Random Forest and adaptive boosting algorithms achieved the highest accuracy for identifying negative mental well-being traits. The top five most salient features associated with predicting poor mental well-being include the number of sports activities per week, body mass index, grade point average (GPA), sedentary hours, and age. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the reported results, several specific recommendations and suggested future work are discussed. These findings may be useful to provide cost-effective support and modernize mental well-being assessment and monitoring at the individual and university level.

An investigation into the use of smart home devices, user preferences, and impact during COVID-19.

With the goal of designing smart environments that can support users' physical/mental well-being, we studied users' experiences and different factors that can influence success of smart home devices through an online study conducted during and after the COVID-19 restrictions in June 2021 (109 participants) and March 2022 (81 participants). We investigated what motivates users to buy smart home devices, and if smart home devices may have the potential to improve different aspects of users' well-being. As COVID-19 emphasized a situation where people spent a significant amount of time at home in Canada, we also asked if/how COVID-19 motivated purchase of smart-home devices and how these devices affected participants during the pandemic. Our results provide insights into different aspects that may motivate the purchase of smart home devices and users' concerns. The results also suggest that there may be correlations between the use of specific types of devices and psychological well-being.

Covid Related Distress and its Impact on Mental Health: A study based on early and late adolescents in Bangalore

The closure of educational institutions and social distancing norms have impacted the life of adolescents. Forced to stay at home, limited interaction with friends and online schooling are some of the factors that have affected their lives. While some researchers believe that the true extent of the impact on the mental health of the adolescent is still not clear, others propose that the impact will only be observable in later stages of their life. In an attempt to understand the impact of the COVID related distress factors on the mental well being of adolescents, the current study collected data from 100 early adolescents and 100 late adolescents. The COVID related distress factors were measured through an instrument designed for the same, while mental well being was measured through depression symptoms and general anxiety levels. The finings of the study identify the particular distress factors that have a significant impact on the mental well-being of adolescents. The findings also identify the factors that are significant in predicting the mental well-being of each category, separately.

"No country for old men": the Lawnmower Maintenance Society

PurposeThis paper aims to describe a link between and benefits of two initiatives targeted at mental health and social inclusion. One being informal, the sport of walking football;the other a formal self-help well-being group. Design/methodology/approachThis reflective commentary describes two group activities which are aimed at addressing physical and mental health challenges of older adults. These are described by the author to highlight the benefits that they provide for some of the challenges faced by men in particular in later life. Using a narrative approach to describe a synergy between the two initiatives created by the link between the activities, and the participants. FindingsThe Lawnmower Maintenance Society has proved to be a successful model for promoting and supporting the participant's mental health and well-being. As we emerge from the trauma of COVID-19 and the isolation of lockdown, such initiatives may help redress the imbalance in health which resulted. Although there are several similar groups, there seems to be a positive link between the physical and mental health benefits of using Walking Football as a shared interest of the attendees. Feedback from participants and interest from the wider community suggest the positive impact of such groups, particularly as National Health Service resources are stretched beyond capacity. Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study reports on one new group for men, to the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first to bring together the areas of Walking Football and a men's support group. Practical implicationsThis type of support group could easily be extended if the footballing authorities wish to replicate it in other parts of the country. Social implicationsIt is well known that men are very reluctant to talk about personal problems. Other workers have also tried innovative solutions to this problem, such as Men in Sheds. This case study offers a further contribution to this area. Originality/valueThere are several academic papers, as well as information on well-being groups in both the print and social media. This commentary outlines a small, but contemporary, description of one such initiative.

Effects of Covid 19 on Health status and Quality of life among Software Professionals in a Home based work setting - A Questionnaire based Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan city, China. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, to restrict the spread of virus, the Government has imposed strict measures with subsequent lockdowns as a result the home environment has become a workplace for many. Of all sectors the software domain is the most affected. Limited resource facility, work - engagement, work-life balance, family conflicts, stress management have been the challenges faced by these IT professionals working from home Aim: To analyze the impact of Covid 19 on health status and quality of life among software professionals in Covid pandemic through validated online questionnaires using google forms. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional e-survey was conducted using validated questionnaires through google forms following approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee. The questionnaire consisted of 4 open ended and 21 close ended questions.Job-stress, physical and mental well-being, work life balance, work engagement was assessed.The google form was posted in social media channel groups of software professionals for a period of 2 weeks following which the data was collected.Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 22.0. Results: A total of 154 software professionals participated in the study. Of which 80 were females and belonged to the 26-30 years age group. 83% software professionals preferred working in hybrid mode. This study shows that working hours increased with increased work pressure in a home-based work setting (61%). Both work life balance and work engagement were fair in a home-based work setting (p-0.0001). Anxiety, depression and emotional problems affected work engagement and work life balance. Some professionals developed physical ailments such as hair fall, vision problems and back ache in a home-based work set up. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggests that emotional well-being, sleep quality,decision latitude,limited resource facilities and job stress affected work engagement and work life balance. Hence undertaking appropriate measures proactively to enhance these factors under crisis conditions may mitigate the negative consequences of home-based work setting and improve the quality of life of software developers in the covid pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results is the property of ResearchTrentz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Health and financial impacts of COVID-19 and the relationship on the mental well-being of adults in eight English speaking countries in 2020

The extent to which the pandemic impacted human life has been repeatedly highlighted in various scientific literature. COVID-19 reminded all that human well-being as related to mental health is not just about the clinical diagnosis of mental disorders. Mental well-being encompasses Mood and Outlook, Drive and Motivation, Social Self, Mind-Body connection, Core Cognition, and Complex Cognition. Mental well-being is neither mere life satisfaction nor happiness. It is beneficial to examine how COVID-19 is related to individuals' feelings about handling life challenges. The aim of this quantitative correlational study was to measure COVID-19 related health and financial impacts on individuals and to calculate if there were associated effects on any of the person's six different domains of mental well-being using a retrospective, non-experimental correlational study design. Data collected by Sapien Labs, Inc, from over 45,000 Mental Health Million Project participants in 2020, from age 18 through 85+ across eight English-speaking countries was used. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine hypothesized COVID-19 health and finance relationships on the six domains of mental health well-being while controlling for covariates. The results of this study showed significant positive correlations between COVID-19 health or finance adversities and the six domains of mental well-being. The linear regression model between COVID-19 health adversities and overall mental-wellbeing were statistically significant, F(74,9937) = 6.97, p < .001, R2 = .05, CI = 95%. The linear regression model between COVID-19 finance adversities and overall mental-wellbeing were statistically significant, F(72,9939) = 7.20, p < .001, R2 = .05, CI = 95%. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic might not have affected mental health globally, as much as reported in the media. Subsequently, the outcome of this study will aid effective management of mental well-being as related to similar disease outbreaks in the future. This study remained an essential first step in measuring how the objective indicators of mental well-being in the human feeling context are related to individual direct life experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Virtual and personal academic instruction and behavior management

This chapter explores effective instructional and behavior management practices, and their role in creating an environment that promotes student success and student mental well-being. It considers how the evidence-based approaches might recommend mesh with guidance for working with children and youth impacted by trauma. Explicit instruction is a combination of effective teaching practices that have consistently shown to have a positive impact on student achievement. Active student engagement is critical for the learning and success of all students. Effective feedback involves providing information to improve or maintain student performance, and increasing student motivation, engagement, and independence. The implementation of effective instructional practices has been an issue long before the onset of COVID-19. This issue was exacerbated with the arrival of COVID-19 as instructional design, delivery, and assessment transformed into primarily an online environment. Meeting students' learning needs and virtual instruction were two themes that emerged regarding challenges related to learning and instruction during the pandemic. Classroom and behavior management have long been identified as areas of concern for teachers. Rigorous implementation of academic instruction and behavior management practices potentially holds the key to improving both outcomes and overall mental health for countless students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health care system, work, and mental well-being of people with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for all, particularly for high-risk groups including people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF). AIM: This study aims to examine impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of PWCF in relation to hospital visits, use of telemedicine, employment, and mental well-being. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was developed by the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Ireland research team and uploaded on SmartSurvey UK. The survey was advertised by CF Ireland via their website and social media in October 2020. The University College Dublin research partner team conducted the analysis. Logistic regression was used for the analysis, using IBM SPSS Version 26. RESULTS: One hundred nineteen PWCF responded. 47.5% deferred their hospital visits, with delays ranging from 1 to 6 months. Deferrals impacted rehabilitation therapies, medical care at hospital, and diagnostic tests. For many, online consultation was a new experience (51.7%), and 87.8% were satisfied with this method. Among those who worked during lockdown (47.8%), 87.2% (n = 48) worked at home. PWCF aged < 35 years (9.6%) were more likely to work onsite as compared to those > 35 years (1.9%). When adjusted for gender and employment, PWCF aged < 35 years were more likely to feel "nervous" (OR: 3.28; P = 0.02), "nothing could cheer them up" (OR: 3.24; P = 0.04), and "tired" (OR: 2.76; P = 0.02) as compared to those > 35 years. CONCLUSION: COVID 19 pandemic has greatly impacted PWCF in terms of hospital visits, access to tests, CF care, and psychological well-being. Younger PWCF reported greater impact on psychological health. Online consultation and electronic prescription were welcomed and could have a role post-pandemic.

Identifying predictors of university students? mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has been widely examined to be both an economic crisis and health with updates of increasing the mental health and well-being of university students. This study examines the relationships between physical health, social support, and mental health literacy with the mental well-being of Malaysian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study population comprised 199 students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with self-administered questionnaires that used the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support instrument, and the Mental Health Literacy Scale. The survey also included items from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The results of this study showed that physical health had a positive and strong relationship with mental well-being. Similarly, the results indicated that social support had a significant and positive relationship with mental well-being. However, mental health literacy was not significantly associated with mental well-being. The results of this research might provide policymakers, practitioners, and university management with useful insights that foster the positive outcome of conducting intervention programs to improve the mental well-being of students.

Social Media Fatigue and Academic Performance: Gender Differences

Coronavirus is a modern virus that is now spreading rapidly. The majority of current research in biomedical, concentrating on people's physical well-being. Mental health problems tend to be ignored in this setting. This research contributes to a broader understanding of adolescent mental health by exploring the effects of a dynamic new pandemic: COVID-19 is a virus that infects people. The term "social media fatigue" refers to a self-controlled and subjective feeling of exhaustion resulting from using these channels. The effect of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak on adolescent mental health, specifically psychological distress and depression, is investigated in this report. COVID-19 has several adverse effects on a person's mental health. While students are regularly taking their classes online, they are more exposed to digital devices. Thus, the chances of getting drifted to social media platforms increase. The frequency and severity of social media use were the most potent predictors of social media fatigue (Dhir et al. in Int J Inf Manage 48:193-202, 2019[5]). Self-disclosure and online social comparison were both significant predictors of social media exhaustion. The results also indicate that social media exhaustion can play a role in poor academic performance (Malik et al. in Inf Technol People, 2020[12]). The study tries to explore gender differences in academic performance while being exposed to social media.

The Secrets to Aging Well: Animal Interactions, Social Connections, Volunteerism, and More

This editorial synthesizes the findings of eight studies in the latest issue of Activities, Adaptation & Aging: Dignified and Purposeful Living for Older Adults. The findings encapsulate the factors that contribute to aging well and improving the quality of life for older adults, including active leisure participation, adopting leisure activities, animal interactions, community center involvement, individualized information, mental and physical well-being strategies, social resources and support, and volunteering. These factors not only inform practitioners working with older adults but also provide insights for individuals seeking to age well. The resilience of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic is also discussed, emphasizing the importance of speaking positively about aging. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Activities, Adaptation & Aging is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN EFFECTS ON MENTAL WELL-BEING AND RELIGIOSITY: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

We investigate the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on frequency of online search on mental well-being and religiosity-related terms in Indonesia using high-frequency data from Google Trends and Bank Indonesia Consumer Survey from January 1st, 2018, to February 28th, 2021. Monthly search terms and consumer survey data are merged at the provincial level, which results in a total of 131,300 individual observations. Using event analysis and instrumental variable approaches, our study suggests that lockdown policy is significantly associated with higher search intensity of mental well-being and religiosity-related terms compared to the pre-lockdown period. Our findings suggest that mentally disturbed people tend to lean on religion to cope with stressful events during a crisis. Our study has substantial policy implications on ensuring appropriate government interventions that minimize the detrimental effect of COVID-19 on mental well-being. © 2023 University of Ljubljana - Veterinary Faculty. All rights reserved.

Association of nurses' mental well-being and professional quality of life (ProQOL) to their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

This study was conducted in determining the factors that affect nurses' resiliency while working in public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional design was used and self-administered surveys were completed by 420 nurses. Nurses working in public hospitals have had high levels of resilience and mental well-being during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with their ProQOL found to be average. Higher levels of mental well-being and ProQOL contributed to developing better resiliency. The study poses the significance of taking preemptive measures on the parts of both the government and the healthcare institutions themselves to assist nursing professionals in enduring disasters such as the pandemic. © 2022 The Authors.

Automatic emotion regulation of psychological overwhelm for software developers

Due to the steadily increasing digitalization and the lack of social contact during the Covid-19 pandemic, the workload, and stress of software developers increases. This may lead to psychological overwhelm, when negative emotions caused by heavy stress are not detected early enough to be treated effectively. Machine Learning made it possible to recognize emotions in human beings using physiological features automatically. Nonetheless, current research lacks of methods to detect psychological overwhelm in software developers during work early. Furthermore, means are necessary to react to such detection properly. In this research, we investigate the methods for enabling an automatic emotion regulation for psychological overwhelm of software developers using multimodal physiological sensors, Machine Learning and the qualitative inquiry method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The goal is to find solutions to improve the psychological well-being of software developers and the associated quality of software development through the use of emotion regulation techniques. Raising awareness of the problem of psychological overwhelm among software developers will lead to a more profound understanding of its impact on the overall quality of software development and the mental health of software developers. © 2022 IEEE.

KIMA: Voice: The human voice as embodied presence

Through and post-COVID, disembodied technological interactions were experi-enced at an unprecedented, often involuntary level in households across the world, with the human voice often providing a link between geographically disconnected individuals, resulting in a decrease in perceived social connectedness. Recent research suggests that effects of social isolation and sensory deprivation can be mitigated through participatory media arts experiences (Tymoszuk et al. 2020;Tejada et al. 2020, All-Party Parliamentary Report 2017). Over the last ten years, the art collective Analema Group has explored the pivotal role of the human voice as means for social connectedness through their artwork KIMA (Tate, National Gallery, Barbican). The current development of KIMA: Voice seeks to challenge experiences of embodiment in remote environments. This article and artwork pres-entation will present a new development KIMA: Voice designed to provide new forms of embodied experiences across a distance. The publication will be supported by a demonstration and exhibition of the artwork. © 2022 Intellect Ltd Article. English language.