Parental stress as a mediator between parents' emotion regulation and youth's psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study

Mental health in families has been affected by COVID-19 stressors. Parental stress and emotion regulation can moderate the emotional effects on their children. This study analyzes the role of parental stress as a mediating variable between parents' emotion regulation and children's symptoms. Participants were 214 parents of youth aged 3-17 years, who completed an online survey providing information about parental variables and symptoms in their children. The results show that parental stress mediates the relationship between parental emotion regulation and children's psychological symptoms. Thus, parents who used cognitive reappraisal strategy less frequently reported more psychological symptoms in their children and higher parental stress. Parents who used expressive suppression more frequently also reported more psychological symptoms in their children and higher parental stress. The present study provides novel information by relating parental psychological variables with psychological variables in youth during a period characterized by the most significant psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023. Psy, Soc & Educ.

Long-COVID and its Physical and Neurological Symptoms in Adults: A Systematic Review

This review was carried out with the objective to study patterns of neurological, psychological and other physical consequences of COVID-19 in the long term. The guidelines of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalyses) had been followed;22 articles, published during January 2020 to September 2021, were selected. Original research, review articles, editorial and viewpoints were included. Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed were searched through 2020 till 2021.Data collection in selected studies was performed mainly through the online survey, telephone survey, use of medical records, and patient interviews. This systematic review contains the studies conducted in the American, Asian and European countries. The major outcomes identified were the neurological, psychological, and other long-term chronic manifestations of COVID- 19. This review demonstrates that long-COVID has started to bring a huge wave of patients, the count of them being millions now, who can enter a phase of disability due to neurological damages if not treated during the early course of illness. Though more disabling than lethal, long-COVID patients with a neurological deficit is expected to overburden the healthcare system globally which is already been struggling to handle acute COVID-19 patients in this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

Association between sleep quality and psychological symptoms: A cross-sectional survey of Chinese university students performed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Since the start of the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, people have faced many challenges, including in relation to sleep quality and psychological health. This study aims to analyze the association between sleep quality and psychological symptoms among university students in China, and to provide reference data to facilitate the development of interventions to improve the physical and mental health of university students. Methods: A stratified cluster sampling method was used to investigate the sleep quality and psychological symptoms of 6,363 university students in China. The Chi-square test was used to analyze differences in sleep quality among groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between sleep quality and psychological symptoms. Results: The proportions of Chinese university students with good, medium, and poor sleep quality were 25.73, 10.99, and 63.28%, respectively. The overall rate of psychological symptoms was 16.5%. Logistic regression analysis showed that, in general, university students with poor sleep quality had a higher risk of psychological symptoms than those with good sleep quality (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.28, 1.84, p < 0.01). Compared with university students with good sleep quality, those with poor sleep quality were more likely to experience emotional symptoms (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.36, 1.94), behavioral symptoms (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.84), and difficulties with social adaptation (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.51, 2.25) (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: There was an association between sleep quality and psychological symptoms among Chinese university students. University students with poor sleep quality have a higher risk of psychological symptoms. Measures should be taken to improve the sleep quality of university students and reduce the incidence of psychological symptoms. This study provides reference data for government and education departments that could inform public health policies.

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD among college students after optimizing the COVID-19 response in China.

BACKGROUND: The number of COVID-19 infections has increased sharply and quickly after optimizing the COVID-19 response in China. In the context of this population-size infection, college students' psychological response is yet to be understood. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed to investigate anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among college students from December 31, 2022, to January 7, 2023. The questionnaire included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Impact of Event Scale (IES-R), and self-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 22,624 respondents, the self-reported prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia, PTSD, and any of the four psychological symptoms appeared as 12.7 %, 25.8 %, 11.6 %, 7.9 %, and 29.7 %, respectively. The self-reported COVID-19 infection rate was 80.2 %. Changes in the place for learning, longer time online, not recovering after infection, a higher proportion of family member infection, insufficient drug reserve, worry about sequela after infection, future studies, or employment contributed to a higher risk of anxiety/depression/insomnia symptoms or PTSD symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression showed that those who spent more extended time on the Internet, recovered after infection, and had insufficient drug reserves were less likely to have PTSD than anxiety/depression/insomnia symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The study was a non-probability sampling survey. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD were common psychological symptoms among college students when infection went through a large-scale population. This study highlights the importance of continuing to care for the psychological symptoms of college students, especially timely responses to their concerns related to the epidemic situation and COVID-19 infection.

Online Contingent Attention Training (OCAT): transfer effects to cognitive biases, rumination, and anxiety symptoms from two proof-of-principle studies.

The aim of the present research was to develop and test the efficacy of a novel online contingent attention training (i.e., OCAT) to modify attention and interpretation biases, improve emotion regulation, and reduce emotional symptom levels in the face of major stressors. Two proof-of-principle studies were carried out. In study 1, 64 undergraduates who were about to start a major stressful period (i.e., final exams) were randomized to undergo 10 days of active OCAT or a sham-control training. Emotion regulation (habitual use of rumination and reappraisal) and symptom levels (depression and anxiety) were assessed before and after the intervention. In study 2, the same 2 × 2 mixed design was used with 58 individuals from the general population undergoing a major stressful situation (the lockdown period at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020). In both studies, the OCAT group showed significant improvements on attention towards negative information and interpretation biases in comparison to the sham-control group. Additionally, changes in cognitive biases transferred to reductions of participants' use of rumination and anxiety symptom levels. These results show preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of the OCAT to target attention and interpretation biases as well as to improve emotion regulation processes and to buffer against the effects of major stressors.

Brain functional network changes associated with psychological symptoms in emergency psychological responding professionals after the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Emergency psychological responding professionals are recruited to help deal with psychological issues as the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues. We aimed to study the neural correlates of psychological states in these emergency psychological responding professionals after exposure to COVID-19 related trauma at baseline and after 1-year self-adjustment. Methods: Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and multiscale network approaches were utilized to evaluate the functional brain activities in emergency psychological professionals after trauma. Temporal (baseline vs. follow-up) and cross-sectional (emergency psychological professionals vs. healthy controls) differences were studied using appropriate t-tests. The brain functional network correlates of psychological symptoms were explored. Results: At either time-point, significant changes in the ventral attention (VEN) and the default mode network (DMN) were associated with psychological symptoms in emergency psychological professionals. In addition, the emergency psychological professionals whose mental states improved after 1 year demonstrated altered intermodular connectivity strength between several modules in the functional network, mainly linking the DMN, VEN, limbic, and frontoparietal control modules. Conclusion: Brain functional network alterations and their longitudinal changes varied across groups of EPRT with distinctive clinical features. Exposure to emergent trauma does cause psychological professionals to produce DMN and VEN network changes related to psychological symptoms. About 65% of them will gradually adjust mental states, and the network tends to be rebalanced after a year.

Prevalence of psychological symptoms and associated risk factors among nurses in 30 provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Background With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), nurses have won well-deserved recog-nition for their indispensable roles in providing humane and professional healthcare for patients. However, by the nature of their role working at the forefront of patient care, nurses are prone to experiencing mental health conse-quences. Therefore, we pay attention to measuring the magnitude of psychological symptoms and identifying associ-ated factors among nurses in China.Methods We launched a nationwide, cross-sectional survey of nurses who worked in secondary or tertiary hospitals and public or private hospitals from 30 provinces in China. The prevalence and severity of symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety were investigated, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with each psychological symptom.Findings A total of 138 279 respondents who worked in 243 hospitals completed this survey. A substantial propor-tion of nurses reported symptoms of burnout (34%), depression (55.5%), and anxiety (41.8%). In line with the dispro-portionality of economic development, we noted that the middle or western region was an independent risk factor for depression and anxiety. Compared with those working in the secondary hospital, nurses who worked in tertiary hospitals were associated with a higher likelihood of burnout and depression.Interpretation Nurses are experiencing emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion during the COVID-19 epidemic. Governments and health policymakers need to draw attention to reinforcing prevention and ameliorating counter-measures to safeguard nurses' health.Funding The strategic consulting project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering [2021-32-5]. Advanced Institute of Infomation Technology, Peking University, Zhejiang Province [2020-Z-17]Copyright (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Predictors of Mental Health Service Utilization among Frontline Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

(1) Background: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of factors associated with self-reported mental health service use in a longitudinal cohort of frontline health care workers (FHCWs) providing care to patients with COVID-19 throughout 2020. (2) Methods: The study comprised a two-wave survey (n = 780) administered in April-May 2020 (T1) and November 2020-January 2021 (T2) to faculty, staff, and trainees in a large urban medical center. Factors associated with initiation, cessation, or continuation of mental health care over time were examined. (3) Results: A total of 19.1% of FHCWs endorsed currently utilizing mental health services, with 11.4% continuing, 4.2% initiating, and 3.5% ceasing services between T1 and T2. Predisposing and need-related factors, most notably a history of a mental health diagnosis and distress related to systemic racism, predicted service initiation and continuation. Among FHCWs with a prior mental health history, those with greater perceived resilience were less likely to initiate treatment at T2. Descriptive data highlighted the importance of services around basic and safety needs (e.g., reliable access to personal protective equipment) relative to mental health support in the acute phase of the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Results may be helpful in identifying FHCWs who may benefit from mental health services.

Patient management and rethinking healthcare amid long COVID

Long-COVID patients felt that the primary cause of their unmet care needs was a lack of information, identified by more than 50% of patients. Most long-COVID patients want to stay informed about new scientific findings, but they are not readily available, aside from patient support groups. Any long-COVID patient with persistent dyspnea should have a comprehensive pulmonary evaluation. The most difficult and controversial issue is related to exercise and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. A few studies demonstrated that gradual physical activity improved pulmonary function and symptoms in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Short bouts of cardiovascular exercise while lying down or seated with the patient wearing compression stockings will reduce blood pooling. The cognitive and psychological symptoms of long COVID are difficult to treat. Patients with long COVID face an uphill fight for obtaining any disability rights. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 associated psychological symptoms in Turkish population: A path model.

We investigated the mediator roles of risk factors (intolerance of uncertainty, negative metacognition, and negative prospections) and protective factors (positive prospections and psychological resilience) together on the link between COVID-19-related feelings and behaviors, thoughts, and precautions taken and psychological symptoms with an integrative approach in Turkey. The online sample consisted of Turkish adults. The results of path analyses indicated that feelings and behaviors related to COVID-19, thoughts about COVID-19, and precautions taken related to COVID-19 are significantly associated with intolerance of uncertainty. Intolerance of uncertainty is significantly associated with negative metacognition, negative and positive prospections, psychological symptoms, and psychological resilience. Negative metacognition, negative and positive prospections, and psychological resilience are significantly associated with psychological symptoms. Mediation analysis demonstrated that intolerance of uncertainty significantly mediated the relationship between feelings and behaviors related to COVID-19, thoughts about COVID-19, and precautions taken related to COVID-19 and negative metacognition, psychological resilience, positive and negative prospections, and psychological symptoms. Lastly, negative metacognition, psychological resilience, positive and negative prospections significantly mediated the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and psychological symptoms. Implications for mental health providers are discussed.

Psychological symptoms and correlates of Chinese healthcare professionals in the intensive care unit before and after the COVID-19 outbreak: A comparison of two cross-sectional studies.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of COVID-19 disarranged lives across mainland China. No study has examined changes in psychological symptoms of healthcare professionals in the intensive care unit (ICU) before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to estimate changes in psychological symptoms of ICU healthcare professionals before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and to analyze factors related to psychological symptoms. METHODS: Two waves' administrations were implemented between December 13 and December 14, 2018, and between April 5 and April 7, 2020, respectively. The symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90) were used to evaluate psychological symptoms. Multiple logistical regression was used to reveal the risk of psychological symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 3902 and 3908 ICU healthcare professionals took part in the first and second surveys. The mean total score of the SCL-90 was 179.27 (70.02) at wave 1 and 147.75 (58.40) at wave 2, respectively. The proportion of psychological symptoms was 55.6 % (95%CI = 54.0-57.1) at wave 1. But rates of psychological symptoms decreased to 36.6 % (95%CI = 35.1-38.2) at wave 2. ICU healthcare professionals with western economic belt and 6-10 years of work were more likely to develop psychological symptoms, while ICU healthcare professionals with the later survey and doctoral degree were less likely to develop psychological symptoms. CONCLUSION: Although COVID-19 period benefited psychological symptoms of ICU healthcare professionals, psychological symptoms still had a related high prevalence. Regular screening and appropriate interventions should still be implemented to decrease the risk for psychological symptoms among Chinese ICU healthcare professionals.

Women's experiences of trauma, the psychosocial impact and health service needs during the perinatal period.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic events are associated with psychological and physical health problems for women in the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy-12-months after childbirth). Despite the negative impact of trauma on perinatal women, the long-term impact of such diverse trauma and women's experience during the perinatal period remains understudied. METHODS: This study explored two research questions: 1) What are the psychological experiences of perinatal women who have experienced interpersonal traumatic events? And 2) What are the service needs and gaps expressed by women relating to perinatal medical protocols and psychological services? These questions were addressed via in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews with nine perinatal women (one pregnant and eight postpartum) residing in central Canada who reported experiencing interpersonal traumatic events occurring from adolescence to the perinatal period. Recruitment and data collection occurred from October 2020 to June 2021. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to constructivist grounded theory. RESULTS: The emergent grounded theory model revealed the central theme of the role of prior trauma in shaping women's perinatal experiences, with four related main themes including perinatal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of social support in women's perinatal experiences, the barriers that women experienced while seeking psychological and medical services prior to the perinatal period and during the perinatal period, and the specific needs of perinatal women with a history of interpersonal trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this research highlight the negative and long-lasting impact of traumatic events experienced on women's psychological health and psychosocial functioning during the perinatal period, as well as perinatal women's unmet psychological and medical service needs. A call to action for perinatal researchers and clinicians is imperative in furthering this important area of research and practicing person-centered and trauma-informed care with this population.

Association between Dairy Consumption and Psychological Symptoms: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of College Students in the Yangtze River Delta Region of China.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the dairy consumption and psychological symptoms of Chinese college students as a reference for the mental health of Chinese college students. METHODS: A three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to investigate dairy consumption and psychological symptoms among 5904 (2554 male students, accounting for 43.3% of the sample) college students in the Yangtze River Delta region. The mean age of the subjects was 20.13 ± 1.24 years. Psychological symptoms were surveyed using the Brief Questionnaire for the Assessment of Adolescent Mental Health. The detection rates of emotional problems, behavioral symptoms, social adaptation difficulties and psychological symptoms among college students with different dairy consumption habits were analyzed using chi-square tests. The association between dairy consumption and psychological symptoms was assessed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: College students from the "Yangtze River Delta" region of China participated in the study, of which 1022 (17.31%) had psychological symptoms. The proportions of participants with dairy consumption of ≤2 times/week, 3-5 times/week, and ≥6 times/week were 25.68%, 42.09%, and 32.23%, respectively. Using dairy consumption ≥6 times/week as a reference, multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that college students with dairy consumption ≤2 times/week (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.71) were at higher risk of psychological symptoms (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese college students with lower dairy consumption exhibited higher detection rates of psychological symptoms. Dairy consumption was negatively associated with the occurrence of psychological symptoms. Our study provides a basis for mental health education and increasing knowledge about nutrition among Chinese college students.

Non-pharmacological, psychosocial MAKS-s intervention for people with severe dementia in nursing homes: results of a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Severe dementia is one of the most challenging conditions when caring for people in nursing homes. A manualised non-pharmacological, psychosocial group intervention especially adapted to the needs of people with severe dementia (PWSDs) is currently still lacking. To close this gap, we adapted the evidence-based multicomponent non-pharmacological MAKS intervention (Motor stimulation, ADL stimulation, Cognitive [german: Kognitive] stimulation, and Social functioning in a group setting) to the special needs of PWSDs called the MAKS-s intervention, where the s stands for severe dementia. METHODS: In a prospective, multicentre, cluster-randomised trial with a waitlist control group design, 26 nursing homes comprising 152 PWSDs were randomly assigned to either the MAKS-s intervention group (IG) or control group (CG) - 121 PWSDs were still alive after the 6-month intervention period (t6) and included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) sample. The two primary outcomes, behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSDs, measured with NPI-NH) and quality of life (QoL, measured with QUALIDEM), and the secondary outcome, activities of daily living (ADLs, measured with ADCS-ADL-sev), were assessed at baseline (t0) and at t6. Mixed ANOVAs were computed to investigate possible effects of the MAKS-s intervention on the outcomes. RESULTS: In the ITT sample, BPSDs and QoL did not change significantly over time, and group assignment did not affect them, although the IG participants had significantly better overall QoL than the CG participants. ADLs decreased significantly over time, but group assignment did not affect them. Analyses in the per protocol (PP) sample showed comparable results, with the exception that the IG participants showed a significantly greater increase in BPSDs than the CG participants did. DISCUSSION: Under the situational conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, no beneficial effects of the MAKS-s intervention on BPSDs, QoL, or ADLs were observed. This finding also means that under 'normal circumstances' (i.e., if there had been no pandemic), we could not make any statements about the effect or non-effect of MAKS-s. In order to be able to address the hypotheses formulated here, the study will have to be repeated incorporating helpful experiences of the present study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15722923 (Registered prospectively, 07. August 2019).

Perception of COVID-19-related stigma and associated psychological challenges among healthcare workers at Cairo University hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: The current study explores the level of perceived social stigma and associated psychological challenges among healthcare workers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 150 healthcare workers at Cairo University hospitals that were confirmed positive for COVID-19 infection. Participants were interviewed for assessment of perceived COVID-19-related stigma and associated psychological symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment for anxiety, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for post-traumatic stress symptoms. RESULTS: Two-thirds of participants perceived moderate-to-severe COVID-19-related stigma. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were observed at varying levels in 58.0%, 38.0%, and 11.3% of participants, respectively. Female sex and occupation as a nurse were significantly associated with the total perceived COVID-19-related stigma score. COVID-19-related stigma perception significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. CONCLUSION: Perceived social stigma prevails among healthcare workers and is associated with numerous psychological disturbances.

Association of Soyfoods or Soybean Products Consumption with Psychological Symptoms: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of Chinese University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is a strong association between soyfoods or soybean product consumption and adolescent health, but there are few studies on the association between soyfoods or soybean product consumption and psychological symptoms among university students. To this end, this study investigated the association between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms among Chinese university students and analyzed the association between them. A three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to administer questionnaires on soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms to 7742 university students in China. Self-assessment questionnaires were also administered to confounding variables such as basic demographic information, family status, parental education, body mass index (BMI), and moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association and differences between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms. The proportion of Chinese university students' soyfoods or soybean products consumption in ≤one time/week, two-four times/week, and ≥five times/week were 38.81%, 40.24%, and 20.95%, respectively. University students' psychological symptoms problem detection rate was 16.22%. The detection rate of psychological symptoms was lower among university male students (14.75%) than female students (17.35%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 9.525, p < 0.01). After adjusting for relevant covariates, students with soyfoods or soybean products consumption ≤one time/week (OR = 1.83, 95% CI:1.52, 2.21) had a higher risk of psychological symptoms compared to university students with soyfoods or soybean products consumption ≥five time/week (p < 0.01). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese university students had lower consumption of soyfoods or soybean products and a higher detection rate of psychological symptoms. There was a negative association between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms. Our study provides a scientific reference for the government and educational decision-making authorities and suggests that education on eating behavior and dietary guidance should be emphasized among university students in the future to maintain a reasonable consumption of soyfoods or soybean products for better physical and mental health development.

Influence of transitional care on the clinical manifestations among patients with COVID­19: A single­center, double­blinded, randomized survey.

Pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome are the major complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Transitional care is indispensable in successfully transitioning patients with COVID-19 from hospital to home and preventing adverse events of this disease. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effects of transitional care on improvements in inflammation and pulmonary function in patients with COVID-19. Data of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n=242) discharged from Mudanjiang Medical University (Mudanjiang, China) between May 2020 and October 2020 were retrospectively collected. Patients with COVID-19 had been hospitalized and assigned to receive transitional care (n=126) or usual care (n=116) and were followed up for 12 months. Hospital stay, inflammation and pulmonary function were compared in patients with COVID-19 between the transitional care and usual care group. Transitional care significantly improved physical symptoms, anxiety, depression and empathy of the patients for other patients affected. Compared to the usual care group, marked improvements in typical symptoms, including dyspnea, asthenia, cough, nausea, chest pain, myalgia, headache, fever, diarrhea, chest pain, dizziness, conjunctivitis, as well as disorders of smell and taste, were observed in the transitional care group. Patients in the transitional care group had a shorter hospital stay than those patients in the usual care group. Furthermore, transitional care decreased inflammation and ameliorated pulmonary function in patients with COVID-19. In conclusion, transitional care has an essential role in the improvement of physical symptoms, inflammation and pulmonary function in patients with COVID-19 [Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) registration no. ChiCTR2200060295; 26.05.2022].

The association between duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms is higher in boys than in girls: A cross-sectional study based on Chinese college students during COVID-19.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had many negative effects on the physical and mental health of college students. Although many studies have analyzed the association between muscular fitness and psychological symptoms in children and adolescents, research during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. Our study focused on analyzing the association between duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A four-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to investigate basic demographic information, duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms in 5,559 college students aged 19-22 years in China. Chi-square test (categorical variables) and one-way ANOVA (continuous variables) were used to compare the psychological symptoms of college students with different durations of muscle exercise. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms. Result: The detection rate of psychological symptoms among Chinese college students was 9.0%; the detection rate was 10.7% for boys and 7.6% for girls. The proportions of duration of muscle exercise at <30 min/d, 30-60 min/d, and >60 min/d were 75.0%, 20.4%, and 4.6%, respectively. After adjusting for relevant confounding variables, taking Chinese college students with duration of muscle exercise >60 min/d as the reference group, duration of muscle exercise <30 min/d was positively correlated with the occurrence of psychological symptoms (OR: 4.19, 95%CI: 1.82, 9.61) (P < 0.001). In emotional symptoms (OR: 4.56, 95%CI: 1.99, 10.44), behavioral symptoms (OR: 3.44, 95%CI: 1.79, 6.60), social adaptation difficulties (OR: 3.04, 95%CI: 1.62, 5.68) dimensions, there is also a positive correlation (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The negative association between duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms among Chinese college students also suggests that longer duration of muscle exercise among college students is associated with a lower prevalence of psychological symptoms. The association between duration of muscle exercise and psychological symptoms was higher in boys compared to girls.

Suicidal ideation in the general population in China after the COVID-19 pandemic was initially controlled.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of psychological problems including suicidal ideation (SI) in the general population. In this study, we investigated the risk factors of SI after the COVID-19 pandemic was initially controlled in China. METHODS: We conducted an online questionnaire via JD Health APP in China in June 2020. Demographic data, feelings and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic and psychological problems were collected. The participants (n = 14,690) were divided into the non-SI and SI groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the correlates of SI. RESULTS: Nine percent of the participants (1328/14690) reported SI. The regression analysis showed that SI was positively associated with ethnic minority (OR = 1.42 [1.08-1.85]), age (e.g. 18-30 years: OR = 2.31 [1.67-3.20]), having history of mental disorders (OR = 2.75 [2.27-3.35]), daily life disturbance due to health problems (OR = 1.67 [1.38-2.01]), being around someone with the COVID-19 (OR = 1.58 [1.30-1.91]), being uncertain about effective disease control (OR = 1.23 [1.03-1.46]), and having depressive symptoms (OR = 4.40 [3.59-5.39]), insomnia symptoms (OR = 2.49 [2.13-2.90]) or psychological distress (OR = 1.87 [1.59-2.18]). LIMITATIONS: The main limitation is that the cross-sectional design of this study could not allow us to further explore the causality of SI. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of SI was relatively high in general population after the COVID-19 pandemic was initially controlled in China. SI should be monitored continually after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevalence of psychological symptoms and associated risk factors among nurses in 30 provinces during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: Prevalence of psychological symptoms among Chinese nurses

Background: With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), nurses have won well-deserved recognition for their indispensable roles in providing humane and professional healthcare for patients. However, by the nature of their role working at the forefront of patient care, nurses are prone to experiencing mental health consequences. Therefore, we pay attention to measuring the magnitude of psychological symptoms and identifying associated factors among nurses in China. Methods: We launched a nationwide, cross-sectional survey of nurses who worked in secondary or tertiary hospitals and public or private hospitals from 30 provinces in China. The prevalence and severity of symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety were investigated, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with each psychological symptom. Findings: A total of 138 279 respondents who worked in 243 hospitals completed this survey. A substantial proportion of nurses reported symptoms of burnout (34%), depression (55·5%), and anxiety (41·8%). In line with the disproportionality of economic development, we noted that the middle or western region was an independent risk factor for depression and anxiety. Compared with those working in the secondary hospital, nurses who worked in tertiary hospitals were associated with a higher likelihood of burnout and depression. Interpretation: Nurses are experiencing emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion during the COVID-19 epidemic. Governments and health policymakers need to draw attention to reinforcing prevention and ameliorating countermeasures to safeguard nurses' health. Funding: The strategic consulting project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering [2021-32-5]. Advanced Institute of Infomation Technology, Peking University, Zhejiang Province [2020-Z-17] © 2022 The Author(s)