Efficacy of the Unani Regimen as an Add-On to Standard Treatment in Hospitalised RT-PCR-Confirmed Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Patients: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in mortality and morbidity worldwide. Many treatment modalities have been experimented with limited success. Therefore, the traditional system of medicine needs to be explored. Objective To evaluate the benefits of Unani regimensTiryaq-e-Arba and Unani Joshanda, as adjuvant therapy, were compared to standard treatment alone among reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. Materials and methods An open-label, double-arm, randomized, controlled interventional clinical study was conducted among 90 RT-PCR-confirmed mild to moderate COVID-19 inpatients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India. Participants who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion were randomly assigned to two arms, with 43 subjects allocated to the Unani add-on arm and 47 subjects to the control arm receiving standard treatment alone. Results Clinical recovery was achieved in all patients of the Unani arm, while in the control arm, three (6.4%) patients deteriorated and had to be shifted to ICU following admission. In the intervention arm, a shorter duration of hospitalization was observed (mean 5.95 days {SD = 1.99}) than in the control arm (mean 7.62 days {SD, 4.06}); which was a statistically significant difference (p-value 0.017). The majority of the patients recovered within 10 days in the Unani add-on arm. The number of days taken for the reduction of symptoms was significantly less in the intervention arm (mean 5.14 days {SD, 2.39}) as compared with standard treatment (mean 6.53 days {SD, 3.06}) (p < 0.02). Renal and liver safety parameters were within the normal limits in both arms and no serious adverse event was reported. Conclusion Adding Unani formulations to standard treatment significantly reduced the duration of hospital stay and showed early recovery in COVID-19 patients compared with the control arm. It may be concluded that the synergistic effect of the Unani add-on with standard treatment gave more promising results in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients.

Differences in infant negative affectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This longitudinal study compared infant temperament rated at 3 months postpartum by 263 United-States-based women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic and 72 who gave birth prior to the pandemic. All women completed questionnaires assessing perinatal mental health, social contact, and infant temperament. Mothers whose infants were born during the pandemic reported higher levels of infant negative affectivity as compared with mothers whose infants were born earlier (F(1, 324) = 18.28, p < .001), but did not differ in their ratings of surgency or effortful control. Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms, prenatal stress, and postpartum stress mediated differences in infant negative affectivity  between pandemic and pre-pandemic groups. Within the pandemic group, decreased postpartum social contact was associated with higher ratings of infant negative affectivity. These findings suggest that the pandemic has affected maternal perceptions of infant temperament, perinatal mental health, and social contact.

Este estudio longitudinal comparó el temperamento del infante evaluado a los tres meses después del parto por 263 mujeres con base en Estados Unidos, las cuales dieron a luz durante la pandemia del COVID-19 y 72 que dieron a luz antes de la pandemia. Todas las mujeres completaron cuestionarios para evaluar la salud mental perinatal, el contacto social y el temperamento del infante. Las madres cuyos infantes nacieron durante la pandemia reportaron más altos niveles de afectividad negativa del infante tal como se les comparó con madres cuyos infantes nacieron antes (F(1,324) = 18.28, p<.001), pero no difirieron en sus puntajes de rapidez y astucia o control esforzado. Los síntomas depresivos maternos mediaron la asociación entre la condición de pandemia y la afectividad negativa del infante. Dentro del grupo de pandemia, la baja en el contacto social posterior al parto fue asociada con más altos puntajes en la afectividad negativa del infante. Estos resultados proponen que la pandemia ha afectado las percepciones mentales de la salud mental y el contacto social del temperamento perinatal del infante.

Cette étude longitudinale a comparé le tempérament du nourrisson évalué à trois mois postpartum par 263 femmes basées aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique ayant donné naissance durant la pandémie du COVD-19 et 72 femmes ayant donné naissance avant la pandémie. Toutes les femmes ont rempli des questionnaires évaluant la santé mentale périnatale, le contact social et le tempérament du nourrisson. Les mères dont les nourrissons étaient nés durant la pandémie ont fait état de niveaux plus élevés d'affectivité négative du bébé comparées aux mères dont les bébés étaient nés avant (F(1 324) = 18,28, p <,001), mais n'ont pas divergé dans leurs évaluations du dynamisme ou du contrôle efficace. Les symptômes dépressifs maternels ont médiatisé le lien entre le statue pandémique et l'affectivité négative du nourrisson. Au sein du groupe pandémique le contact social postpartum décru était lié à des évaluations plus élevées de l'affectivité négative du nourrisson. Ces résultats suggèrent que la pandémie a affecté les perceptions maternelles du tempérament du bébé, la santé mentale périnatale et le contact social.

A Developmental Pathway From Early Behavioral Inhibition to Young Adults' Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to young adults' lives, resulting in mental health difficulties for many; however, some individuals are particularly prone to heightened anxiety. Little is known about the early life predictors of anxiety during the pandemic. We examined a developmental pathway from behavioral inhibition (BI), a temperament characterized by fearful responses toward novelty, to changes in young adults' anxiety during the initial period of the pandemic. We hypothesized that a stable pattern of BI across early childhood would predict greater adolescent worry dysregulation, which in turn would predict increases in young adult anxiety during a stressful phase of the pandemic. Method: Participants (N = 291; 54% female) were followed from toddlerhood to young adulthood. BI was observed at ages 2 and 3 years. Social wariness was observed at age 7 years. Participants rated their worry dysregulation in adolescence (age 15) and anxiety in young adulthood (age 18) at 2 assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 month apart. Results: A significant moderated mediation, in which a stable pattern of BI from toddlerhood to childhood, as compared to the absence of this pattern, predicted greater worry dysregulation in adolescence. Worry dysregulation predicted elevated young adult anxiety in the second assessment during COVID-19, even after accounting for the first assessment. Conclusion: This study identifies a developmental pathway from toddlerhood BI to young adults' elevated anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings have implications for early identification of individuals at risk for dysregulated worry and the prevention of anxiety during stressful life events in young adulthood.Reprinted from J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 60, Zeytinoglu et al., A Developmental Pathway From Early Behavioral Inhibition to Young Adults' Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic, pp. 1300-1308, copyright 2021, with permission from Elsevier.

Who Believes in Fake News: A Study on the Relationship between Affective Temperament, Cyberchondria and Problematic Use of the Internet during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with various psychological problems, such as Cyberchondria, constant research for information online, to obtain health-related information. This was associated with problematic social media use and various psychological problems. This study aimed to measure the characteristics of fear and anxiety of COVID-19, the generalized approach to online searching and the use of the Internet about the perception of health, during a pandemic. The online survey was disseminated from April to June 2021 on available social media channels. We found that the pandemic was associated with depression, anxiety, cyberchondria, and cognitive preoccupation. We reported an increase in cyberchondria, depression, stress, low mood, and anxiety during the Covid outbreak. The Internet plays a vital role in everyday life in this period, because it has become a popular source of accessing health-related information. © 2023 by the author.

A Comprehensive Review on the Medicinal Benefits of Honey with an Emphasis on Unani Medicine

Background: Honey has been used medicinally in folk medicine since the dawn of civili-zation. It is a necessary component of medicine and food in a wide variety of cultures. It has been used in Unani Medicine for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. Objective(s): This review article aims to explore the medicinal characteristics of honey in view of Unani and modern concepts, highlight its potential in the treatment of the ailments stated in Unani medical literature, and also explore the relevant evidence-based phytochemistry, pharmacological, and clinical data. Method(s): The authors searched classical texts exhaustively for information on the temperament (Mizaj), pharmacological activities, mechanism of action, and therapeutic benefits of honey. Addition-ally, a comprehensive search of internet databases was conducted to compile all available information on the physicochemical, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties of this compound. Result(s): Evidence suggests that honey contains about 180 different types of various compounds, including carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes, flavonoids, and other chemical substances. In Unani classical literature, it exerts important pharmacological actions besides its immense nutritional signifi-cance. Unani physicians advocated many tested/experimented prescriptions and formulations, which still have their relevance in the amelioration of various diseases. Conclusion(s): This analysis concludes that honey has been successfully utilized in Unani medicine for centuries to treat a variety of maladies and is a potential natural source of remedy for a variety of medical disorders. Future research on honey should include a combination of Unani and modern principles.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Emotional Disconnect Among Married Couples: Relation With Phubbing Behaviour

Background : The Covid-19 pandemic and social isolation has led to increased use of communication and information technology tools definitely in young people but also in adults leading to phubbing. Phubbing, as described by Chotpitayasunondh and Douglas (2018), is the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at one's phone instead of paying attention to the other person. According to surveys carried out by the Lawyers in India, there is at least 30 percent increase in petitions seeking divorce. Aim(s): Therefore, the aim of this research is to evaluate the relation between 1) phubbing and temperament in married couples 2) phubbing and intimacy in married couples. Methods : A cross-sectional study will be carried in around 100 married couples by online survey or face-to-face interview. The Generic Scale of Phubbing, The Generic Scale of Being Phubbed, Marital Intimacy Questionnaire and TEMPS-M will be used to assess phubbing, being phubbed, intimacy among married couples and temperament in individuals respectively. The study will be done in a period of 3 months. Result(s): The results and implications of the results will be discussed.

Some concerns about imputation methods for missing data

Comments on an article by RJ Van Lieshout et al. (see record 2022-41504-002). Van Lieshout and colleagues1 conducted a randomized clinical trial of an online 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy workshop vs waiting list in a population at risk of postpartum depression and evaluated the effect using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a patient-reported outcome measure of depressive symptom severity. Second, although they used LMM, we have concerns about whether this method adequately imputed the missing outcomes. In general, repeated outcome measurements are required to correctly estimate the missing values using LMM. However, this study had only a single follow-up point, and in LMM the baseline measure must be used as a covariate and not as an outcome. We wonder how such a model could have accounted for missing outcomes. More details about the specific LMM methods used would be helpful. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Prenatal maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and infant regulatory capacity at 3 months: A longitudinal study.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global traumatic experience for citizens, especially during sensitive time windows of heightened plasticity such as pregnancy and neonatal life. Pandemic-related stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy may act as an early risk factor for infants' regulatory capacity development by altering maternal psychosocial well-being (e.g., increased anxiety, reduced social support) and caregiving environment (e.g., greater parenting stress, impaired mother-infant bonding). The aim of the present longitudinal study was to assess the consequences of pandemic-related prenatal stress on infants' regulatory capacity. A sample of 163 mother-infant dyads was enrolled at eight maternity units in northern Italy. They provided complete data about prenatal stress, perceived social support, postnatal anxiety symptoms, parenting stress, mother-infant bonding, and infants' regulatory capacity at 3 months of age. Women who experienced emotional stress and received partial social support during pregnancy reported higher anxious symptoms. Moreover, maternal postnatal anxiety was indirectly linked to the infants' regulatory capacity at 3 months, mediated by parenting stress and mother-infant bonding. Dedicated preventive interventions should be delivered to mothers and should be focused on protecting the mother-infant dyad from the detrimental effects of pandemic-related stress during the COVID-19 healthcare emergency.

The Structure of Temperament in Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia.

The onset of schizophrenia symptoms usually occurs in early youth. As a result, the parents of these patients usually become their caregivers. The role of a caregiver for a person with schizophrenia is a considerable mental and physical burden. Therefore, an interesting issue is what motivates these people to take up this challenge. It is probable that, apart from the moral imperative or kinship, the factor determining this decision is the personality structure of the caregiver. The aim of our study was to compare the structure of temperament (according to the model of temperament as formal characteristics of behavior developed by Jan Strelau) in caregivers of young adults (age 18-25 years) with schizophrenia with the structure of temperament of parents of healthy young adults still living in the family home under their care. The study group consisted of 64 people (51 women), who were taking care of young adults (aged 18-25 years) with schizophrenia, while the control group (53 people, 42 women) consisted of parents of healthy adults still living in the family home. Both groups were asked to complete a questionnaire of the authors' own design on their demographic data as well as The Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory to assess the temperament traits. The results were given in the number of points obtained on average in each dimension. Both groups did not differ in terms of size and age, with women predominating. Caregivers of young adults with schizophrenia had higher values of briskness (43.22 ± 4.45 vs. 42.90 ± 3.98, p = 0.032), emotional reactivity (46.02 ± 4.39 vs. 41.01 ± 3.12, p = 0.012) and activity level (44.01.89 ± 4.15 vs. 37.59 ± 4.77, p = 0.022) compared to the control group. The remaining dimensions of temperament: perseverance, sensory sensitivity, rhythmicity, and endurance did not differentiate between the two groups. The temperament structure of caregivers of young people with schizophrenia differs from the temperament structure of caregivers of healthy adults. Caregivers of sick people have higher values of briskness, emotional reactivity, and activity level compared to the control group.

In the pandemic from the womb. Prenatal exposure, maternal psychological stress and mental health in association with infant negative affect at 6 months of life.

For mother-infant health especially, the pandemic has brought multiple stressors inside a susceptible psychobiological system. We study the longitudinal associations between maternal prenatal and postpartum: (a) COVID-19 stressful events exposure, (b) pandemic psychological stress, and (c) mental health and infants' negative affect. A sample of 643 Italian pregnant women completed a web-based survey from April 8th to May 4th, 2020 and a follow-up at 6 months after delivery. Maternal assessment covered prenatal and postpartum measures for: COVID-19 stressful events exposure, pandemic psychological stress, mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder) and postpartum, social support and report of infants' negative affect. Maternal mental health symptoms during pregnancy, at the peak of pandemic, is longitudinally associated with infant negative affect, with postpartum mental health mediating this association. Also, maternal COVID-19 stressful events exposure in postpartum is associated with negative affect at 6 months mediated by postpartum mental health symptoms. Maternal pandemic psychological stress during pregnancy predicted mental health symptoms in postpartum. The study supports the association between pandemic-related maternal health across pregnancy and postpartum and offspring's development (i.e., negative affect). It also puts the spotlight on mental health risk in women experiencing lockdown during pregnancy, especially when feeling high psychological stress in pregnancy or when directly exposed to COVID-19 stressful events postpartum.

Functional Movement Disorders during COVID-19: Psychological Distress, Affective Temperament and Emotional Dysregulation.

Background and objective: Functional movement disorders (FMD) represent a spectrum of psychosomatic symptoms particularly sensitive to stress. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased psychological distress worldwide and may have worsened FMD. The study aimed to confirm this hypothesis and to test whether in FMD there is a relationship between affective temperament, emotional dysregulation and psychological distress due to the pandemic. Methods: We recruited individuals with FMD, diagnosed them according to validated criteria and matched them with healthy controls (HC). Psychological distress and temperament were obtained using the Kessler-10 and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa and San Diego Autoquestionnaire, respectively. We used bootstrapped mediation analysis to test the mediator role of emotional dysregulation on the effect of temperament on psychological distress. Results: The sample consisted of 96 individuals. During the pandemic, 31.3% of the patients reported the need for urgent neurological care, and 40.6% reported a subjective worsening neurological condition. Patients with FMD presented with more psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic (F = 30.15, df = 1, p ≤ 0.001) than HC. They also reported more emotional dysregulation (F = 15.80, df = 1, p ≤ 0.001) and more cyclothymic traits (F = 14.84, df = 1, p ≤ 0.001). Cyclothymic temperament showed an indirect effect on COVID-19-related psychological distress, mediated by deficits in emotion regulation mechanisms (Bootstrapped LLCI = 0.41, ULCI = 2.41). Conclusion: Our results suggest that emotional dysregulation may represent a dimension mediating cyclotimic temperament response to the stressful effect of the pandemic and provide insight for developing intervention policies.

"Covid-19 is dangerous": The role of parental verbal threat information on children's fear of Covid-19.

INTRODUCTION: Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that the effect of parental verbal threat information on the offspring's fear acquisition of novel stimuli may be causal. The current study investigated this verbal fear acquisition pathway from parents to children in the unique context of Covid-19 as a novel environmental threat for parents and children. METHODS: Using an online cross-sectional survey, we collected data about fear of Covid-19, parent-child communication, parental anxiety, and child temperament, in the period between June 11th 2020 and May 28th 2021. Participants were 8 to 18-year-old children (N = 195; Mage = 14.23; 113 girls) and their parents (N = 193; Mage = 47.82; 146 mothers) living in the Netherlands. RESULTS: Children of parents with stronger Covid-19 fears also reported stronger Covid-19 fears. Moreover, parents who were more fearful of Covid-19 provided more threat-related information about the virus to their children. More parental threat information in turn was related to stronger fear of Covid-19 in their children, and partly mediated the link between parent and child fear of the virus. The link between parental threat information and children's fear of Covid-19 was not moderated by child temperament or parental anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Parental communication about Covid-19 may play a role in children's fear acquisition of Covid-19. The lack of moderation of this link by parental anxiety and child temperament may reflect the potentially adaptive nature of verbal fear transmission during the first year of the pandemic and the nonclinical levels of fear in this community sample.

Associations between maternal postpartum depression and infant temperament in treatment-seeking mothers prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It remains unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mother-infant relationship and associations between maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and offspring temperament. This study examined the impact of the pandemic on these links and how maternal ratings of the mother-infant relationship mediated associations between PPD and infant temperament in a sample of treatment-seeking mothers in Ontario, Canada before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers with infants <12 months of age and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores ≥10 enrolled in two separate randomized controlled trials of 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy-based workshops for PPD conducted before COVID-19 (n = 392) and during the pandemic (n = 403). Mothers reported on depressive symptomatology, infant temperament, and the mother-infant relationship. Maternal PPD was associated with more infant negative affectivity and mother-infant relationship difficulties. While associations between PPD and infant-focused anxiety were stronger during COVID-19, the pandemic did not otherwise affect associations between PPD and infant temperament. Mediation analyses suggested that aspects of the mother-infant relationship mediated associations between PPD and infant negative affectivity. Findings highlight the importance of detecting PPD and intervening to potentially improve outcomes for mothers and their children.

Association between COVID-19 Anxiety and Cognitive Failure and Temperament Components in the Personnel of an Iranian Hospital, Iran, 2021

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has a serious crisis for health systems in different countries. This study aimed to investigate the association between COVID-19 anxiety and cognitive failure and temperament components in the personnel of a hospital in the Yazd Province. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The participants were the personnel of a hospital. The convenience sampling method was used for the sampling purpose. The participants were the personnel of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 sections of a hospital. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ), and the Emotionality Activity Sociability (EAS) Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS-24 software. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33.45 (6.42) years. COVID-19 anxiety was significantly higher in the non-COVID-19 personnel than in the COVID-19 personnel (P < 0.001). In addition, a positive correlation was found between COVID-19 anxiety scores and cognitive failure scores (P = 0.04). After investigating the simultaneous relation of COVID-19 anxiety with cognitive failure and temperament components, the model results showed that cognitive failure (P = 0.02) and sociability (P < 0.001) had a significant effect on COVID-19 anxiety. Conclusions: High levels of COVID-19 anxiety in non-COVID-19 section personnel indicated the importance of paying more attention to all hospital occupations. To reduce cognitive failure and anxiety, it is recommended to provide psychological training, workloads reduction, and the number of personnel be increased. © The Author(s) 2022;All rights reserved. Published by Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Press.

Psychological reactions of different affective temperaments to the COVID-19 pandemic

Various studies show that the temperament characteristics of individuals play a decisive role in how much and how they will be affected by traumatic events. However, no research has been found in the literature examining the relationship between affective temperament and trauma. The Covid 19 pandemic process is described as a social trauma. In this context, in this study, it is aimed to examine the reactions of different affective temperaments to social trauma within the framework of the pandemic. Within the scope of the research, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, San Diego Autoquestionaire (TEMPS-A) were used. The scales were applied online to a total of 1075 volunteer participants (653 women and 422 men). Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the significance of temperament types in the prediction of depression, anxiety, and stress levels of individuals. The method employed was stepwise regression analysis. In the data obtained, it was observed that depression, anxiety, and stress levels and anxious, cyclothymic, depressive, and irritable temperament types showed a positive correlation at different levels and a low level of negative correlation with hyperthymic temperament type during the pandemic process. The four aforementioned affective temperament types were significant predictors for depression, three were predictors for stress, and two for anxiety. Additionally, the results of this study indicated that hyperthymic temperament can be protective against the effects of trauma. Copyright © 2022 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.

The Pandemial babies: effects of maternal stress on temperament of babies gestated and born during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic may configure an adverse prenatal context for early development. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of pandemic-related negative experiences, prenatal anxiety and depression on the temperament of six-month-old babies. The sample consisted of 105 mother-child dyads. A longitudinal evaluation was carried out using pre- and postnatal online surveys. Mothers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory - II, the Pandemic Impact Questionnaire and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised. Serial mediation models were tested, in which the pandemic-related negative experiences constituted the independent variable, the prenatal anxiety and depression were the mediators, and the children's temperament dimensions were the dependent variables. Pandemic-related negative experiences were indirectly associated with the offspring's negative affect and surgency through anxious symptomatology, which acted as a mediating variable. This was the first study to identify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on temperament. Such an adverse context implies risks for child development. Public health policies aiming to evaluate socioemotional variables during early childhood become necessary to allow on-time interventions for lessening these risks.

The Relationship between the Severity of the COVID-19 Disease, Temperament and Psychological Factors.

Objective: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic negatively affects public mental health around the world. Individuals' reactions to COVID-19 vary depending on their temperament, individual differences, and personality traits. Therefore, the current study is conducted to assess the association of demographical features, Persian temperament, and psychological characteristics with the severity of COVID-19. Method: An online survey was sent to COVID-19 patients to collect their demographic information, COVID-19 symptoms, and clinical data. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DAAS-21) questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Spiel Berger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) , Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI), and Persian general and brain temperament Questionnaire were also completed by 258 participants (127 men and 131 women) 45 days after recovery from COVID-19. Non-parametric analysis was used for statistical analysis. Results: Results showed the significant relationship of demographic factors such as weight, age and gender with the severity of the COVID-19 (P < 0.05). Mean scores of brain temperament (warm/cold) in the severe group were significantly lower than the moderate and mild groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the dry/wet temperament of the brain in the severe and moderate groups compared to the mild group (P < 0.05). The results of DASS-21 showed a significantly higher anxiety in patients with severe COVID-19 compared with moderate and mild groups (P < 0.05). The severe group was found to be significantly different compared to moderate group in the results of BDI-II (P < 0.05). The result of STAI (state and trait) showed a significant difference between the severe group and the mild and moderate groups. The score of PSQI between the moderate and mild groups was significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicate the relationship between demographic factors such as weight, age and gender, brain temperament, as well as some psychological factors such as sleep quality and anxiety with the severity of the COVID-19 disease.

Flourishing or Languishing? Predictors of Positive Mental Health in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students were burdened with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The objective of the present study was to investigate predictors of positive mental health among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an online survey from September 2021 to March 2022. We applied the snowball recruitment technique involving medical students from the University of Catania, Italy. We administered, anonymously, a questionnaire about demographic characteristics, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the short form of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC-SF). Participants showed moderate anxiety, depression, and stress levels, and more than half had positive mental health status overall. This finding was inversely related to age, depression severity, cyclothymic, and depressive temperaments. Our results showed that medical students with depressive and cyclothymic temperaments were more at risk of worsening mental health status during the pandemic. Our findings may allow for further developments about the impact of personological characteristics on students' mental health to enable more efficient support for the most vulnerable.

Maternal-prenatal stress and depression predict infant temperament during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers have begun to examine the psychological toll of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Data are now emerging indicating that there may be long-term adverse effects of the pandemic on new mothers and on children born during this period. In a longitudinal study of maternal mental health and child emotional development during the pandemic, we conducted online assessments of a cohort of women at two time points: when they were pregnant at the beginning of the surge of the pandemic in the United States (baseline, N = 725), and approximately 1 year postpartum (follow-up, N = 296), examining prenatal and postnatal maternal mental health, prenatal pandemic-related stress, and infant temperament. Pandemic-related stress at baseline was associated with concurrent depressive symptoms and infant negative affect at follow-up. Baseline maternal depressive symptoms were associated with follow-up depressive symptoms, which in turn were also associated with infant negative affect. Pandemic-related stress during pregnancy may have enduring effects on infant temperament. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the emotional development of children who were in utero during the COVID-19 pandemic.