Neuroanatomical signatures associated with dispositional optimism predict COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been increasingly documented to cause negative impacts on mental health outcomes, e.g. posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Dispositional optimism ("optimism" hereinafter), a crucial psychological characteristic defined by positive expectancies for future outcomes, is considered to provide remarkable protection against PTSS. Accordingly, this study was designed to identify neuroanatomical signatures of optimism and further examine the mechanism through which optimism protects against COVID-19-specific PTSS. Here, 115 volunteers from a general population of university students completed MRI scans and optimism tests before (October 2019-January 2020) and after (February-April 2020) the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis showed that a region from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) was associated with optimism. Further seed-based structural covariance network (SCN) analysis using partial least-squares correlation found an optimism-linked SCN covarying with the combined dACC and dmPFC (the dACC-dmPFC). Additionally, mediation analyses revealed that the dACC-dmPFC volume and its SCN impacted COVID-19-specific PTSS through optimism. Our findings deepen the understanding of optimism and have the potential to identify vulnerable individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar future events, as well as to guide optimism-related neural interventions to prevent and alleviate PTSS.

Effects of disaster-related traumatic events on worry about radiation and COVID-19: A decade after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.

Community residents exposed to nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents have long-term worry about the effects of radiation. After the 2011 Fukushima NPP accident, those who experienced traumatic events during the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) tended to have greater worry about radiation. Along with the prolonged worry about radiation, there may also be cognitive changes caused by the traumatic events. We hypothesized that if there were cognitive changes underlying the prolonged worry about radiation, those who experienced the traumatic events would tend to have greater worry about other issues unrelated to radiation. We examined the effects of the traumatic events during the GEJE on community residents' worry about radiation and COVID-19 a decade after the Fukushima NPP accident. Using the data of a longitudinal questionnaire survey following a random sample of 4900 community residents outside the evacuation zone in Fukushima, this study analyzed 774 responses (15.8%). The traumatic events consisted of (1) injury, (2) injury or death of a family member, and (3) the loss of a house or other property. We developed a mediation model drawing paths from the traumatic events to worry about radiation and COVID-19, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) as a mediator, using structural equation modeling. The traumatic events directly affected worry about radiation. Although it did not directly affect worry about COVID-19, it did so indirectly through worry about radiation and PTSS. Traumatic events can increase trauma-related worry independently of PTSS and increase trauma-unrelated worry indirectly through trauma-related worry and PTSS.

The relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life among female victims of domestic violence

Women's mental and physical health by their husband's battering represents a worldwide public health problem. In Indian society, physical violence faced by women has risen since the COVID-19 outbreak, significantly impacting their quality of life and increasing the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. This research aims to find the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms and the quality of life among female victims of domestic violence in India during the pandemic. Two hundred and seventy-seven female victims of domestic violence aged 20-49 took part in this study. The study used the respondents' demographic data, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale-Interview version, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment tools. Pearson correlation showed a strong negative correlation between posttraumatic stress symptoms severity and quality of life among female victims of domestic violence during COVID-19. It shows that women's mental health continues to be a significant issue in India, and psychological interventions are strongly desired. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Prediction of Posttraumatic Consequences during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chilean Adults.

The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) is widely used to assess the use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies to regulate negative emotions. The present study evaluates the psychometric properties, reliability and validity of a Chilean adaptation of the ERQ in a large sample of 1543 participants aged between 18 and 87 (38% male, 62% female). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed the expected two-factor structure and factorial invariance in relation to gender. Results also indicated adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent and predictive validity in predicting posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth six months after the first measurement in a subsample of students exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of reappraisal was positively associated with general well-being, whereas the use of suppression was positively associated with depressive symptomatology. In terms of posttraumatic consequences, the use of reappraisal was negatively associated with posttraumatic symptomatology and positively associated with posttraumatic growth six months later; in turn, suppression was positively associated with posttraumatic symptomatology and negatively associated with posttraumatic growth six months later. This study demonstrates that the ERQ is a valid and reliable instrument to measure emotional regulation strategies in Chilean adults.

COVID-19 and Eating Problems in Daily Life: The Mediating Roles of Stress, Negative Affect and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to individuals' mental health. People worldwide are experiencing increased stress, negative affect, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, which may lead to eating problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the perceived severity of COVID-19 on eating problems and the mediating effects of stress/negative affect/posttraumatic stress symptoms both at the personal level and interpersonal level. Methods: During the COVID-19 outbreak, a total of 108 college students were recruited to report their perceived severity of COVID-19, stress, negative affect, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and eating problems three times a day for seven consecutive days using Ecological Momentary Assessment. Results: State perceived severity of COVID-19 predicted fewer subsequent eating problems in daily life at the personal level. Both state negative affect and posttraumatic stress symptoms were positively associated with eating problems in daily life. At the interpersonal level, trait-like perceived severity of COVID-19, stress, negative affect, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were positively associated with overall eating problems. There were no mediating effects of stress/negative affect/posttraumatic stress symptoms on the relations between perceived severity of COVID-19 and eating problems at the personal/interpersonal level. Conclusions: The perceived severity of COVID-19, stress, negative affect, and posttraumatic stress symptoms might increase the risk of eating problems.

The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that changes in social support and loneliness have affected mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are a lack of studies comparing the robustness of these associations. AIMS: The aims were to estimate the strength of the associations of loneliness and social support with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) in the general population. METHOD: The method entailed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of quantitative studies. RESULTS: Seventy-three studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled correlations of the effect size of the association of loneliness with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress were 0.49, 0.40, and 0.38, respectively. The corresponding figures for social support were 0.29, 0.19, and 0.18, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the strength of some associations could be influenced by the sociodemographic characteristics of the study samples, such as age, gender, region, and COVID-19 stringency index, and by methodological moderators, such as sample size, collection date, methodological quality, and the measurement scales. CONCLUSIONS: Social support had a weak association with mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic while the association with loneliness was moderate. Strategies to address loneliness could be highly effective in reducing the impact of the pandemic on social relationships and mental health.

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among COVID-19 Survivors After Hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: Limited data are available on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among COVID-19 survivors. This study aimed to contribute to this knowledge base. METHODS: PTSS among COVID-19 survivors who had been hospitalized were investigated. Patients were identified as COVID-19 positive at hospital admission. COVID-19 survivors were surveyed with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) between March and October 2020 at 5- and 12-month postdischarge follow-up points. RESULTS: Of 411 patients, 331 (81%) survived to hospital discharge. Of these survivors, 83 (25%) completed the PCL-5 at the 5-month follow-up. Of those patients, 12 (14%) screened positive for PTSS. At the 12-month follow-up, four of eight patients remained PTSS positive. Mean age of follow-up participants was 62±15 years; 47% were women, 65% were White, and 63% were Hispanic. PTSS-positive patients were predominantly non-White (67% vs. 30%, p=0.02), and although the differences were not statistically significant, these patients tended to be younger (56 vs. 63 years, p=0.08) and have shorter intensive care unit stays (2.0 vs. 12.5 days, p=0.06). PTSS-positive and PTSS-negative groups did not differ significantly in prehospitalization neurological diagnoses (11% vs. 8%), psychiatric diagnoses (17% vs. 21%), and intensive care admission status (25% vs. 25%). More patients in the PTSS-positive group had returned to the emergency department (50% vs. 14%, p<0.01) and reported fatigue at follow-up (100% vs. 42%, p<0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression model, non-White race (OR=11, 95% CI=2-91) and returning to the emergency department (OR=19, 95% CI=3-252) were associated with PTSS-positive status. CONCLUSION: PTSS were twice as common among hospitalized COVID-19 survivors than among those in the general population.

The impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on quality of life among battered wives in India amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Battery against women has alarmingly escalated since the COVID-19 Pandemic, resulting in increase in post-traumatic stress disorder and negatively influenced their quality of life. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to find the effect of PTSD on the quality of life among battered wives in Madhya Pradesh, India, during the said plague. Method: Two hundred and seventy-seven battered wives, aged 20 years old to 49 years old participated in this study. Purposive sampling method was employed for data collection. The assessment instruments used were the respondents' demographic data, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale-Interview version DSM-5, and World Health Organization Quality of Life. Whereas, for the quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis were used. Furthermore, the demographic details of the participants-age, education, duration of marriage, economic status, types of violence and number of children -severely impacted which added to the posttraumatic stress symptoms among domestically abused women. Results: Findings revealed that posttraumatic stress symptoms were a strong predictor of poor quality of life among battered wives (R2 = 0.587; ß = 0.766). The study also has found that the demographic details of the participants-age, education, duration of marriage, economic status, types of violence and number of children were significantly related with vulnerability to posttraumatic stress symptoms among battered women. Conclusion: Battered women's mental health conditions continued to be a major issue in India, and psychological interventions were strongly recommended.

The effect of social determinants of health on quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic: a path analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges in 2020 in the world and Iran. To help vulnerable groups such as refugees during the response and recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying the quality of life (QOL) and its associated factors is helpful. Considering that research in this field is limited, this study evaluated the effect of social determinants of health on the quality of life among Afghan refugees in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 300 Afghan refugees and migrants in Alborz province, Iran, from February to May 2022 using Convenience sampling. Data were completed using the socioeconomic status scale (SES), World Health Organization's quality of life -BREF (WHOQOL), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21), and COVID-19 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (COVID-PTSD). In addition, path analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships among the research variables with quality of life. RESULTS: 64.3% of the study participants were male, with a mean of 29.29 ± 9.64 years. The path analysis showed that SES had the most positive relationship (B = .266), and the number of COVID-19 cases had the most negative relationship (B = -.169) with the quality of life from both paths. The self-rated health had the most positive relationship (B = .25), and the DASS score had the most negative relationship (B = -.2) with the quality of life through only one path. Access to medical services was the only variable that indirectly had a positive causal relationship with QOL (B = .044). CONCLUSION: We provided an empirical model that illustrates the relationships between quality of life and social determinants of health among Afghan refugees and migrants during the Covid19 pandemic. The negative emotional states of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS) as a mediator play an essential role in the quality of life and other variables.

Posttraumatic stress symptom trajectories of Chinese university students during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, and posttraumatic growth

Objective: To identify the moderating effects of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) on the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in university students. Methods: The survey included 1 987 Chinese university students who completed questionnaires on PTS symptoms in February 2020, with three follow-up surveys at two-month intervals until August 2020. We assessed CR and ES at February 2020 and PTG at August 2020. Growth mixture modeling was used to classify the PTS symptom trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression was used to recognize the predictors of class membership. The relationships among PTS symptoms, CR, ES, and PTG were examined using multi-group path analysis. Results: Sex, SARS-CoV-2 infection of a family member or friend, number of siblings, CR, and ES were significantly associated with PTS symptoms. Three latent classes were identified: 'Increasing PTS' (n=205, 10.0%) who had rapid deterioration of PTS symptoms, 'Moderate PTS' (n=149, 8.0%) who had a high level of PTS symptoms at the beginning and slightly increasing, and 'Persistent Minimal PTS' (n=1 633, 82.0%), who had slow resolution of PTS symptoms over time. Male, SARS-CoV-2 infection of a family member or friend, and having a lower CR and a higher ES, were more likely to have 'Increasing PTS'. PTS at February 2020 predicted PTG only in 'Increasing PTS' class, and both CR and ES had moderating effects on the conversion between them. Conclusions: Most students recovered from posttraumatic stress of COVID-19 pandemic, but a small proportion expeienced increasing PTS symptoms, and those with this condition may benefit from emotional regulation intervention.

The Intertwining of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Alcohol, Tobacco or Nicotine Use, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) and alcohol, tobacco, or nicotine use are frequently associated conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful situation globally and has worsened mental health conditions and addictions in the population. Our systematic review explores the links between PTSSs and (1) alcohol use and (2) tobacco or nicotine use during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases for studies published between January 2020 and 16 December 2021. We included studies published in English concerning adults or adolescents. Included articles dealt simultaneously with the COVID-19 pandemic, PTSSs, and alcohol, tobacco, or nicotine use. The reports included were cross-sectional, longitudinal, or cohort studies. We categorized the reports according to the population explored. Our main outcomes are the impacts of PTSSs on (1) alcohol use and (2) tobacco and nicotine use and their relation to COVID-19-related stressors (worries, exposure, lockdown, and infection, either of self or relatives). RESULTS: Of the 503 reports identified, 44 were assessed for eligibility, and 16 were included in our review, encompassing 34,408 participants. The populations explored were the general population, healthcare workers, war veterans, patients with substance use disorders, and other vulnerable populations. Most studies were online surveys (14) with cross-sectional designs (11). Every study explored alcohol use, while only two assessed tobacco use. In most populations explored, a high level of PTSSs was associated with alcohol use increase. COVID-19-related stress was frequently correlated with either high PTSSs or alcohol use. In healthcare workers, PTSSs and alcohol use were not associated, while COVID-19 worries were related to both PTSSs and alcohol use. DISCUSSION: 1. PTSSs and increased alcohol use are frequently associated, while COVID-19 worries might trigger both conditions and worsen their association. Alcohol use increase may represent either an inadequate way of coping with PTSSs or a vulnerability amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to PTSSs. As most studies were cross-sectional online surveys, longitudinal prospective studies are needed to ascertain the direction of the associations between these conditions. These studies need to be sufficiently powered and control for potential bias and confounders. 2. Our review highlighted that research about PTSSs and tobacco or nicotine use is scarce.

Insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis on interrelated association (n = 57,618) and prevalence (n = 573,665).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental disorder, which is strongly associated with insomnia, yet their epidemiological overlap is poorly understood. To determine the convergent quantitative magnitude of their relationship, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, PubPsych, and PsycINFO were searched to identify studies that either reported the correlation or frequency of insomnia symptoms in PTSD and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), or both. Out of 3714 records, 75 studies met selection criteria and aggregate effect size (ES) estimates were generated for the correlations (K=44, comprising 57,618 subjects) and frequencies (K=33, comprising 573,665 subjects with PTSD/PTSS) of insomnia symptoms in PTSD/PTSS. A medium-size significant correlation was found [ES: 0.52 (CI: 0.47-0.57)] with moderating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and military service as causes of trauma. The prevalence of insomnia in PTSD/PTSS was 63% [CI: 45%-78%] and was moderated by the cause of trauma as well as the PTSD/PTSS assessment scale. The findings from this meta-analysis highlight the importance of screening and managing insomnia in PTSD patients.

Pandemic Fatigue and Anxiety Sensitivity as Associated Factors With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among University Students in South Korea During the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: The global impact of COVID-19 driven by new variants may add to the negative mental health consequences of the prolonged pandemic, including posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). University students may be prone to develop a series of PTSS due to life plan disruptions as well as increased uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between pandemic fatigue, anxiety sensitivity (AS), and PTSS among university students in South Korea. Methods: Using convenience sampling, 400 students participated in this cross-sectional online survey. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed models were used to examine factors associated with PTSS. Results: About one-third (32.3%) of the participants reported clinically significant levels of PTSS. Multivariate analyses revealed that pandemic fatigue (ß = 0.124, p < 0.001) and AS (ß = 0.212, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with PTSS while controlling for other study variables. Conclusion: Young adults who feel more fatigue related to the COVID-19 pandemic and with high AS should be given access to mental health resources to better manage their mental health and reduce PTSS.

Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory.

Healthcare workers are vulnerable to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) due to stressful work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate whether the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS would be mediated by maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies and moderated by perceived family support based on stress-coping theory. An anonymous online survey was conducted among 1449 doctors and nurses in five hospitals in China between October and November 2020 during the "post-outbreak" period. The prevalence of PTSS assessed by the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale Self-Report was 42%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that worries about being infected with COVID-19, perceived difficulties in family caregiving, coping strategies of rumination, catastrophizing, acceptance, and perceived family support were independently associated with PTSS. Furthermore, maladaptive and adaptive coping partially mediated the association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS.The results of multi-group analyses showed that perceived family support tended to intensify the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and adaptive coping and between adaptive coping and PTSS, whereas perceived family support attenuated the positive association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS. The findings suggest tailor-made health interventions with respect to alleviation of work-related stressors and coping skill training to reduce the risk of PTSS among healthcare workers, especially for those with lower perceived family support.

The protective role of parental involvement at home in negative psychological outcomes among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 epidemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has generated many negative psychological outcomes, such as depression, in adolescents. Exploration of protective factors for adolescent mental health is urgently needed, and no research has examined the role of parental involvement. METHODS: From March to April 2020, valid data were collected from 1663 Chinese adolescents through online demographic and other questionnaires. Parental involvement at home was assessed by an adapted questionnaire on parental support in learning at home, stress since the COVID-19 outbreak was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale, and three negative psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)) were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and PTSD Check List-Civilian Version, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 35.4%, 21% and 25% of adolescents had depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and PTSS, respectively. Three moderated mediation models consistently showed the following: a. Parental involvement indirectly reduced the three psychological problems by alleviating perceived stress, and the indirect effects were not moderated by sex. b. There were negative direct effects of parental involvement on the three psychological problems, and the links were not moderated by sex. c. Sex moderated the associations between perceived stress and the three psychological problems. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design and the sampling of all participants from one junior high school impeded causal inferences and the generalization of our findings, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found similar indirect and direct protective roles of parental involvement in boys' and girls' mental health, and girls were more vulnerable to stress.

The role of prediction error in a behavioral memory reconsolidation intervention for the treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms: Original proposal and update due to the COVID-19 global pandemic

A failure to naturally resolve posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following exposure to a traumatic event is associated with costly and debilitating consequences. Interventions for PTSS are successful for only 40%-70% of patients, and treatment drop-out and symptom relapse are common. Recent research targeting memory reconsolidation mechanisms to augment the memory may provide important information regarding possible paradigms for improving the efficacy of trauma-focused interventions. This research indicates that the use of prediction error during a memory activation cue may result in memory destabilization allowing for the destabilized memory to be updated. Considering that PTSS are inherently memory-dependent, an intervention targeting memory reconsolidation mechanisms may be especially relevant for the treatment of these symptoms. The current study was designed to translate the memory reconsolidation literature for clinical application in the treatment of PTSS. Participants were assigned to either the Intervention or the Control conditions. Psychophysiological arousal, as well as change in overall symptoms, intrusion symptoms specifically, and subjective distress were assessed one week later. Although initially designed as a randomized trial of a behavioral intervention targeting memory reconsolidation mechanism, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the completion of planned data collection, and the study was discontinued with only five participants' data collected in full. Three participants were in the Intervention condition;two were in the Control condition. As such, this data was examined as a case series to explore the potential efficacy of the paradigm. Results of the case series were mixed, suggesting that the Intervention condition, but not the Control condition, may have been successful at diminishing the spontaneous recovery of psychophysiological responding for some individuals (n = 2), but that the effect is likely not clinically meaningful. The role of case series in treatment design is discussed as are limitations of the current design and future directions. A proposal for a future iteration of this study is presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Association between Premenstrual Symptoms and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms by COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study with Japanese High School Students.

COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented global pandemic. Premenstrual symptoms include mood-related, behavioral, and physical symptoms that are limited to the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Psychosocial stress is a risk factor for premenstrual symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the association between premenstrual symptoms and stress caused by COVID-19. We analyzed data from 871 students with regular menstrual cycles who completed the Premenstrual Symptoms Questionnaire (PSQ), Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised version (IES-R). The total PSQ score was significantly higher in women with COVID-19-induced posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) than in non-PTSS groups. Compared with pre-pandemic data (2019), the total PSQ score did not change in non-PTSS, but increased in PTSS groups. All symptoms were more severe in PTSS groups than in non-PTSS groups. Compared with 2019, PTSS groups had more severe symptoms for all symptoms except 'physical symptoms' and 'decreased social activity', and non-PTSS groups only exhibited improvements in the 'decreased social activity'. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the IES-R score was a significant exacerbation factor of the total PSQ score, along with age and menstrual pain. This study revealed the association between pandemic-associated PTSS and the severity of premenstrual symptoms.

Latent Profiles and Influencing Factors of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected public health and the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms among adults in Hubei Province, China. In this study, a total of 2,930 (662 males and 2,268 females) adults answered a questionnaire obtaining information on their demographics, posttraumatic stress symptoms (i.e., intrusion and avoidance), social media exposure, social media involvement, and self-efficacy. Results of the latent profile analysis identified four latent profiles of posttraumatic stress symptoms, which are, no symptoms, high intrusion-low avoidance, moderate symptoms, and high symptoms. The multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed the contributors to the posttraumatic stress symptoms subgroups. Adults with high social media involvement were classified into the high intrusion-low avoidance group, whereas adults with low self-efficacy were included in the moderate symptoms group. Meanwhile, adults with high social media involvement and low self-efficacy were included in the high symptoms group. Interventions may focus on decreasing social media involvement for the adults in the high Intrusion-low avoidance group, improving self-efficacy for the adults in the moderate symptoms group, and reducing social media involvement and improving self-efficacy for the adults in the high symptoms group.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people: A comparison between China and the United Kingdom.

PURPOSE: As COVID-19 spreads globally and affects people's health, there are concerns that the pandemic and control policies may have psychological effects on young people (age from 17 to 35 years). This psychological impact might vary in different countries, and thus we compared the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress, loneliness and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among young people in the United Kingdom (UK) and China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data of this study came from two sources. One source was the first wave of COVID-19 study in Understanding Society, a special wave of the UK household longitudinal study, which provided the high-quality, national-wide representative panel data. The sample comprised 1054 young people. The other source was an online survey on the mental health of 1003 young people from Shanghai, a highly developed area in China. The questionnaire included questions on the prevalence of common mental disorders (cut-off score ≥ 4), loneliness and potential PTSS (cut-off ≥ 33). Univariable analyses were conducted to test the differences in the self-reported prevalence of psychological distress and loneliness between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to explore the predictors of psychological distress and loneliness among all the young people from England and Shanghai. RESULTS: Among the samples with self-reported psychological distress, the UK sample accounted for 34.4% (n=1054) and the Chinese sample accounted for 14.1% (n=1003). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Additionally, 57.1% of people in the UK and 46.7% in China reported that they sometimes or often felt lonely, of which the difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001). Regression analysis of the entire samples showed that nationality, gender, psychotherapy and loneliness were significant predictors of 12-item General Health Questionnaire scores, while the variables of age and living alone were not. Significant predictors of self-reported loneliness were the nationality, gender, age, living alone and psychotherapy. In China, 123 (12.3%) young people, 49 men (11.3%) and 74 women (13.0%), met the criteria of PTSS symptoms (cut-off scores ≥ 33). These scores were only collected in China. CONCLUSION: This evidence suggests that mental health and loneliness reported by young people were lower in China than that in the UK during the studied period. More research is needed to understand these differences. If the differential negative psychological impacts are confirmed, country-specific measures of prevention and intervention should be adopted to improve the mental health of young people under the ongoing impact of the pandemic.