Vaccine hesitancy and psychopathology. A narrative review.

Vaccine hesitancy is a term used to refer to a series of attitudes ranging from reluctance to undergo vaccination to blatant refusal. In the context of the current pandemic, vaccine hesitancy is viewed as one of the ten major threats to public health. This narrative review, based on analysis of the most important literature reports on this topic, aims to illustrate the dimensions of vaccine hesitancy and the numerous sociodemographic and individual determinants involved, with particular reference to psychopathology, a somewhat neglected, but potentially relevant factor.

Psychological and Coping Responses of Health Care Workers Toward Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks: A Rapid Review and Practical Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: In light of the current evolving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the need to learn from past infectious disease outbreaks to provide better psychological support for our frontline health care workers (HCW), we conducted a rapid review of extant studies that have reported on both psychological and coping responses in HCW during recent outbreaks. DATA SOURCES: We performed a systematic search of the available literature using PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), and Web of Science, combining key terms regarding recent infectious disease outbreaks and psychological and coping responses. Papers published from database inception to April 20, 2020, were considered for inclusion. Only studies in the English language and papers from peer-reviewed journals were included. STUDY SELECTION: We identified 95 (PubMed) and 49 papers (Web of Science) from the database search, of which 23 papers were eventually included in the review. DATA EXTRACTION: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used for data extraction. The McMaster University critical appraisal tool was used to appraise quantitative studies. Guidelines by Higginbotham and colleagues were used to appraise qualitative studies. Only studies exploring the combined psychological and coping responses of HCW amid infectious diseases were included. RESULTS: Salient psychological responses that can persist beyond the outbreaks included anxiety/fears, stigmatization, depression, posttraumatic stress, anger/frustration, grief, and burnout, but also positive growth and transformation. Personal coping methods (such as problem solving, seeking social support, and positive thinking) alongside workplace measures (including infection control and safety, staff support and recognition, and clear communication) were reported to be helpful. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological support for HCW in the current COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks should focus on both individual (eg, psychoeducation on possible psychological responses, self-care) and institutional (eg, clear communication, providing access to resources for help, recognition of efforts of HCW) measures.

COVID-19 and mental health disorders in children and adolescents (Review).

The new coronavirus has been present for two years and has had a widespread and sustained impact worldwide. There is growing evidence in the literature that COVID-19 may have negative effects on mental illness in patients and in healthy populations. The unprecedented changes brought about by COVID-19, such as social isolation, school closures, and family stress, negatively affect people's mental health, especially that of children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and summarize the impact of COVID-19 disorders on children's and adolescents' mental health, the mechanisms and risk factors, screening tools, and intervention and prevention. We hope that the mental dysfunction caused by the pandemic will be mitigated through appropriate and timely prevention and intervention.

Mental illness and suicide among physicians.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened interest in how physician mental health can be protected and optimised, but uncertainty and misinformation remain about some key issues. In this Review, we discuss the current literature, which shows that despite what might be inferred during training, physicians are not immune to mental illness, with between a quarter and a third reporting increased symptoms of mental ill health. Physicians, particularly female physicians, are at an increased risk of suicide. An emerging consensus exists that some aspects of physician training, working conditions, and organisational support are unacceptable. Changes in medical training and health systems, and the additional strain of working through a pandemic, might have amplified these problems. A new evidence-informed framework for how individual and organisational interventions can be used in an integrated manner in medical schools, in health-care settings, and by professional colleagues is proposed. New initiatives are required at each of these levels, with an urgent need for organisational-level interventions, to better protect the mental health and wellbeing of physicians.

Improving Mental Health Awareness.

ABSTRACT: It's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and to take action to ensure people experiencing mental health problems receive the assistance and treatment they need. For nurses, this is as true at home as it is at work, particularly so when a person is exhibiting aggressive tendencies or other behaviors that could potentially lead to harm. With the COVID-19 crisis leading many family members to live more closely together for extended periods, nurses should be able to identify concerning behaviors and know what to do if they observe these in their loved ones.

Mental Health and COVID-19: Challenges and Multimodal Clinical Solutions.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an exponential rise in mental health issues. Studies have shown that, in times of increased unemployment rates and economic downturn, rates of mental health issues, suicide, substance use, and domestic violence tend to increase. Barriers to care, including stigma and decreased access to providers, contribute to morbidity and mortality. Telehealth services are being utilized to help increase access to care, and economic stimulus packages have been created to help with the financial burden that is often associated with increased mental health stressors. Efforts to prevent burnout and other policy recommendations can help decrease mental health issues in first responders and health care professionals, who are at an increased risk for these problems. Increasing the ability to provide wellness screenings to the general population, to educate the public about preventive measures and practices, and to provide mental health and substance use treatment, such as medication management and therapy services, are among top priorities to further reduce the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on mental illness.

Deep graph neural network-based prediction of acute suicidal ideation in young adults.

Precise remote evaluation of both suicide risk and psychiatric disorders is critical for suicide prevention as well as for psychiatric well-being. Using questionnaires is an alternative to labor-intensive diagnostic interviews in a large general population, but previous models for predicting suicide attempts suffered from low sensitivity. We developed and validated a deep graph neural network model that increased the prediction sensitivity of suicide risk in young adults (n = 17,482 for training; n = 14,238 for testing) using multi-dimensional questionnaires and suicidal ideation within 2 weeks as the prediction target. The best model achieved a sensitivity of 76.3%, specificity of 83.4%, and an area under curve of 0.878 (95% confidence interval, 0.855-0.899). We demonstrated that multi-dimensional deep features covering depression, anxiety, resilience, self-esteem, and clinico-demographic information contribute to the prediction of suicidal ideation. Our model might be useful for the remote evaluation of suicide risk in the general population of young adults for specific situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yoga for children in the new normal - experience sharing.

OBJECTIVES: Covid-19 Pandemic has affected everyone's mental health. In addition to several preventive measures such as wearing a mask, using sanitizer, measures also need to be taken to prevent anxiety and depressive disorders due to this unexpected crisis situation. Practicing yoga is one of the simple, scientific methods to combat stress and prevent anxiety among children. METHODS: The scientific evidence and anecdotal experiences on benefits of yoga is described in this paper, highlighting the importance of yoga in nurturing the mental well-being in children. RESULTS: Scientifically designed and conducted studies as part of the research programs by health professionals objectively conclude that mental health parameters improve significantly with yoga as an intervention. In addition to mental health, yoga will also improve the physical health and boost immunity among children which will also help in reducing the infection rate in children. CONCLUSIONS: As a way forward, authors strongly recommend establishing yoga as a curriculum at scale to cover the vast vulnerable population of young children who are the future of the nation.

Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries.

Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15-24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.

Psychological outcome of COVID-19 pandemic. How can we prepare for a psychodemic crisis? / A COVID-19-pandémia mentálhigiénés következményei. Hogyan tudunk felkészülni a pszichodémiás krízisre?

Összefoglaló. Az elmúlt hónapokban életünket alapvetoen megváltoztatta a COVID-19-pandémia, melynek egészségügyi, gazdasági és társadalmi hatásai egyelore szinte felbecsülhetetlenek. A vírusfertozés akut következményei mellett egyre több adat bizonyítja a teljes népességre kifejtett hatásait: a pszichológiai distressz, a depressziós és szorongásos tünetek, valamint az addiktív viselkedésformák gyakoriságának növekedését. Az is nagyon fontos kérdés, hogy a globális válsághelyzet hogyan befolyásolja az öngyilkossági arányszámokat. Írásomban az elmúlt idoszak legjelentosebb pszichiátriai szakirodalma alapján foglalom össze a vírusfertozés akut és krónikus hatásait, valamint a járványhelyzet általános és specifikus pszichológiai-pszichopatológiai következményeit, kiemelt figyelmet fordítva a suicidiumrizikóra és a leginkább veszélyeztetett csoportokra. A vizsgálatok arra utalnak, hogy a pandémia következtében kialakuló mentális gondok és a suicid viselkedés egyre fontosabb népegészségügyi problémává válnak. Bár napjainkban még a vírusfertozöttek gyógyítása és a fertozés terjedésének lassítása a legfontosabb cél, mindannyiunknak fel kell készülnünk a járvány hosszú távú következményeire. A pandémia várható negatív mentálhigiénés hatásainak megelozésére és enyhítésére általános és specifikus módszerek kidolgozása és alkalmazása szükséges. Ebben az egészségügyi, mentálhigiénés és közösségi ellátórendszerek mellett szerepet kell vállalniuk a politikai és gazdasági döntéshozóknak, a társadalmi szervezeteknek és a média munkatársainak is. Hatékony együttmuködésük kulcsfontosságú az egyéni, közösségi és társadalmi szinten is alkalmazható prevenciós stratégiák megvalósításában, hiszen csak így válik lehetové a súlyosabb mentálhigiénés problémák járványszeru elterjedésének, a "pszichodémiának" a megelozése. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(10): 366-374. Summary. In recent months, our lives have been fundamentally changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the health, economic, and social impacts of which are almost invaluable for the time being. In addition to the acute consequences of viral infection, more and more data are proving its effects on the entire population: an increase in the incidence of psychological distress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and addictive behaviours. It is also a very important question, how the global crisis is affecting suicide rates. In my paper, I summarize the acute and chronic effects of viral infection and the general and specific psychological-psychopathological consequences of the epidemic based on the most significant psychiatric literature of the recent period, paying special attention to suicidal risk and the most vulnerable groups. Studies suggest that mental troubles and suicidal behaviour resulting from a pandemic are becoming an increasingly important public health problem. Although the treatment of viral infections and slowing the spread of the infection are still the most important goals today, we all need to be prepared for the long-term consequences of the epidemic. In order to prevent and mitigate the expected negative mental health effects of a pandemic, it is necessary to develop and apply general and specific methods. In addition to health care, mental health and community care systems, political and economic decision-makers, civil society organizations and the media must also play a role. Their effective cooperation is key to the implementation of prevention strategies that can be applied at the individual, community and social levels, as this is the only way to prevent the epidemic spread of more serious mental health problems, the "psychodemia". Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(10): 366-374.

An appropriate and reactive response to the repeated waves of the COVID-19 pandemic by the national medico-psychological network (CUMP) in France.

INTRODUCTION: France has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety, depression, burn out and the high proportion of post-traumatic stress disorder proved to be the most expected troubles caused by this pandemic and the confinement. Medico-psychological emergency units (CUMP) have been solicited at the very early stage of the pandemic because CUMP units are very well known by the French government and systematically associated to emergency plans. METHODS: In this article we describe the process which has been developed to cope with the psychological needs in the general population. At a first level, platforms of volunteers specialised into listening were available. Then those platforms could directly mobilise the CUMP in case of psychiatric disorders. It ran over the whole first wave and it has been reactivated because of the second confinement in France. RESULTS: During the first wave, approximately 1% of all the calls made on the national Covid number required to be redirected to the listening platforms. Of this group, 4% were related to reactive pathology or a psychiatric decompensating that required adapted and specialised care. CONCLUSION: The high rates of psychological distress detected in the general population in recent scientific literature seem discrepant with our findings of relatively low reorientation towards the CUMP. Nevertheless, our study highlights that the response of the CUMP network in France during the first wave was supportive. The second wave displays its adaptability to the public health policies.

Religious Support as a Contribution to Face the Effects of Social Isolation in Mental Health During the Pandemic of COVID-19.

Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic has required measures to contain the contagion, including social isolation. However, this and other factors have caused mental health problems, both in patients and health professionals and in family members or asymptomatic population. Religious support can be an ally for this type of confrontation. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, spiritual/religious care has been restricted and insufficient. When accessible to patients and frontline professionals, they are offered by virtual means, almost always by recorded media and made available in bulk. This essay argues, based on references in the areas of psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, biosafety, and military, that the face-to-face and personalized relationship between religious leaders, patients, health professionals, family members, and faith communities is as essential as possible for the dignified treatment victims, referral to spiritual needs and resilience of society, in addition to contributing to the improvement of the immune response of all. Practical examples are cited in the areas of military chaplaincy and hospital civilian chaplaincy. The essay also proposes the adoption of protocols already published by WHO and other safety measures such as the use of robotics and the recruitment/training of mass chaplains. In addition to contributing to the improvement of COVID-19 pandemic coping processes, the study also contributes to improving the delivery of spiritual/religious care as an ally to physical and mental, individual, and collective health.

Establishing a Theory-Based Multi-Level Approach for Primary Prevention of Mental Disorders in Young People.

The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders and psychosocial distress among young people exceeds the capacity of mental health services. Social and systemic factors determine mental health as much as individual factors. To determine how best to address multi-level risk factors, we must first understand the distribution of risk. Previously, we have used psychometric methods applied to two epidemiologically-principled samples of people aged 14-24 to establish a robust, latent common mental distress (CMD) factor of depression and anxiety normally distributed across the population. This was linearly associated with suicidal thoughts and non-suicidal self-harm such that effective interventions to reduce CMD across the whole population could have a greater total benefit than those that focus on the minority with the most severe scores. In a randomised trial of mindfulness interventions in university students (the Mindful Student Study), we demonstrated a population-shift effect whereby the intervention group appeared resilient to a universal stressor. Given these findings, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we argue that population-based interventions to reduce CMD are urgently required. To target all types of mental health determinants, these interventions must be multi-level. Careful design and evaluation, interdisciplinary work, and extensive local stakeholder involvement are crucial for these interventions to be effective.

Analysis of the prison population's mental health in Sars-Cov-2 pandemic: Qualitative analysis.

This study aimed to analyze the possible impacts on the prison population's mental health in the context of the new COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative study was carried out following a lexical and content analysis using the software IRaMuTeQ, version 0.7 alpha 2, in the speech of the short communication and headlines from newspapers. Three groups emerged from the analysis: "spatial conditions for infection" (39.2% of the text segments); "disease outbreaks in prisons" (30,4%) and "public responsibility" (30,4%). Precarious conditions of prisons, high rate of infections and psychiatric illnesses, and lack of government assistance are issues that should be given special attention in order to formulate health promotion and prevention policies focusing on mental health in prison population.