Mental health status of informal waste workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

The deadliest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is taking thousands of lives worldwide and presents an extraordinary challenge to mental resilience. This study assesses mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors among informal waste workers in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June 2020 among 176 informal waste workers selected from nine municipalities and one city corporation in Bangladesh. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess respondents' mental health. The study found that 80.6% of the individuals were suffering from psychological distress; 67.6% reported anxiety and depression, 92.6% reported social dysfunction, and 19.9% reported loss of confidence. The likelihood of psychological distress (Risk ratio [RR]: 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.48) was significantly higher for female than male. Multiple COVID-19 symptoms of the family members (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.41), unawareness about COVID-19 infected neighbor (RR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04-1.41), income reduction (RR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.06-2.41) and daily household meal reduction (RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.03-1.73) were also found to be associated with psychological distress. These identified factors should be considered in policy-making and support programs for the informal waste workers to manage the pandemic situation as well as combating COVID-19 related psychological challenges.

Working poor and working nonpoor cancer survivors: Work-related and employment disparities.

BACKGROUND: Many cancer survivors face challenges remaining at work during treatment or returning to work posttreatment. Workplace supports can ease the strain associated with managing the cancer-work interface. Limited research has examined the employment experiences of low-wage earning survivors, who are less likely to have access to workplace supports, overlooking a factor that may influence survivors' employment outcomes. AIMS: This study assessed differences in employment experiences between working poor (WP) and working nonpoor (WNP) cancer survivors in the United States. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and the 2011 MEPS Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement were analyzed to evaluate differences in workplace supports, cancer-related psychological job distress, productivity, and employment outcomes between WP and WNP cancer survivors. The sample included adults diagnosed with cancer within 5 years prior to survey completion and engaged in paid employment since diagnosis. Working poor respondents had income below 200% of the poverty level. Chi-square tests assessed differences between WP (n = 57) and WNP (n = 164) cancer survivors' demographic, cancer, and employment characteristics; cancer-related psychological job distress; employee productivity; and employment outcome measures. Multiple logistic regression analyses determined the independent association between WP status and these same variables controlling for sociodemographic confounders. Working poor survivors were more likely to take unpaid time off, change from full-time to part-time, to report cancer-related psychological job distress, negative influences on job productivity and employment outcomes, and less likely to have health insurance. In logistic regression analyses, those who took unpaid time off were more likely to be WP; being WP was also associated with poorer employment outcomes, after controlling for sociodemographics differences between WP and WNP. CONCLUSION: Working poor survivors had fewer workplace supports and poorer employment outcomes than WNP survivors, highlighting important occupational disparities for cancer survivors. Areas for future research are discussed.

Access through altruism: A community-based free outpatient surgery program for the working poor in the United States.

Despite healthcare reform, a large population in the United States is without healthcare coverage. The Surgery for People in Need (SPIN) program offers free outpatient surgical procedures to working, uninsured adults. Taking nearly one year to construct, the program has been operational for three years and has performed 22 procedures. Free surgery programs can improve healthcare access by providing interventions to patients who otherwise have no outlet for surgical care.

Financial Stress and Smoking within a Large Sample of Socially Disadvantaged Australians.

Financial stress is associated with fewer quit attempts and higher relapse rates. This study aimed to compare financial stress among smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers in a highly socioeconomically disadvantaged sample. The study also aimed to determine whether specific indicators of financial stress differ according to smoking status. Adult clients seeking welfare assistance from two Social and Community Service Organisation sites in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to complete a cross-sectional survey between March 2012 and December 2013. Responses to a financial stress scale, smoking status and demographics were collected. Linear and logistic regression modelling was used to examine associations between smoking status and financial stress. A total of 1463 participants completed the survey. Current smokers had significantly higher total financial stress scores than ex-smokers and non-smokers respectively. Current smokers also had higher odds of severe financial stress indicators, such as going without meals (Odds Ratio = 2.2 and 2.0), than both non-smokers and ex-smokers. Even among a highly socioeconomically disadvantaged sample with high levels of financial stress, smoking status further exacerbates experiences of deprivation. Given the relationship between financial stress, socioeconomic disadvantage and difficulty quitting, it is important to provide enhanced cessation support to smokers experiencing financial stress.

Perspective Taking Explains Gender Differences in Late Adolescents' Attitudes Toward Disadvantaged Groups.

Adolescents' attitudes toward disadvantaged groups are surprisingly understudied. What we know from these few studies is that adolescents' attitudes tend to become more favorable over time and that adolescent girls display more favorable attitudes than do adolescent boys. However, researchers have not offered explanations for why these effects occur. We proposed that changes in social-cognitive abilities that accompany adolescent development increase perspective taking and that the increased perspective taking facilitates more favorable attitudes toward disadvantaged groups. Because girls develop social-cognitive abilities earlier than boys, girls should show greater perspective taking and thus more positive attitudes toward disadvantaged groups than should boys. Importantly, we propose that these more positive attitudes are explained better by perspective taking than by gender. Participants were late adolescents (n = 803, 53.3 % female, ages 15-19) from high schools in north-central Florida (United States) participating in an ongoing, multi-wave study. Participants completed a measure of perspective-taking and reported their attitudes toward three disadvantaged groups (Black, gay, and poor people) during their third year of high school and, again, 6 months later during their fourth year of high school. Our findings provided strong support for our theorizing. Girls generally reported warmer attitudes than did boys toward disadvantaged groups, with the gender differences in warmth tending to diminish across time. Similarly, girls were higher than boys in perspective-taking abilities at both time points, although boys increased over time whereas girls did not. Crucially, perspective taking mediated observed gender differences in attitudes, suggesting that perspective taking is a mechanism for improving attitudes toward disadvantaged groups during late adolescence.

Assessing clients' mental well-being.

An experienced mental health nurse reflects on her practice and the wider context within which she works, including the social issues now causing more stress and anxiety for people.