Covid-19 pandemic has been a set-back for scientific productivity and the road to recovery must focus on improving the mental health and well-being of scientists

BackgroundYoung adults and especially those with pre-existing mental health conditions, such as disordered eating and self-harm, appear to be at greater risk of developing metal health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear whether this increased risk is affected by any changes in lockdown restrictions, and whether any lifestyle changes could moderate this increased risk.MethodsIn a longitudinal UK-based birth cohort (The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, ALSPAC) we assessed the relationship between pre-pandemic measures of disordered eating and self-harm and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2657 young adults. Regression models examined the relationship between self-reported disordered eating, self-harm, and both disordered eating and self-harm at age 25 years and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and mental wellbeing during a period of eased restrictions in the COVID-19 pandemic (May–July 2020) when participants were aged 27–29 years. Analyses were adjusted for sex, questionnaire completion date, pre-pandemic socioeconomic disadvantage and pre-pandemic mental health and wellbeing. We also examined whether lifestyle changes (sleep, exercise, alcohol, visiting green space, eating, talking with family/friends, hobbies, relaxation) in the initial UK lockdown (April–May 2020) moderated these associations.ResultsPre-existing disordered eating, self-harm and comorbid disordered eating and self-harm were all associated with the reporting of a higher frequency of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and poorer mental wellbeing during the pandemic compared to individuals without disordered eating and self-harm. Associations remained when adjusting for pre-pandemic mental health measures. There was little evidence that interactions between disordered eating and self-harm exposures and lifestyle change moderators affected pandemic mental health and wellbeing.ConclusionsYoung adults with pre-pandemic disordered eating, self-harm and comorbid disordered eating and self-harm were at increased risk for developing symptoms of depression, anxiety and poor mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, even when accounting for pre-pandemic mental health. Lifestyle changes during the pandemic do not appear to alter this risk. A greater focus on rapid and responsive service provision is essential to reduce the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of these already vulnerable individuals.Plain English summaryThe aim of this project was to explore the mental health of young adults with disordered eating behaviours (such as fasting, vomiting/taking laxatives, binge-eating and excessive exercise) and self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analysed data from an established study that has followed children from birth (in 1991 and 1992) up to present day, including during the pandemic when participants were 28 years old. We looked at the relationship between disordered eating and/or self-harm behaviours from before the pandemic and mental health problems (symptoms of depression and anxiety) and mental wellbeing during the pandemic. We also explored whether there were any lifestyle changes (such as changes in sleep, exercise, visiting green space) that might be linked to better mental health and wellbeing in young adults with disordered eating and self-harm. We found that young adults with prior disordered eating and/or self-harm had more symptoms of depression and anxiety, and worse mental wellbeing than individuals without prior disordered eating or self-harm. However, lifestyle changes did not appear to affect mental health and wellbeing in these young adults. Our findings suggest that people with a history of disordered eating and/or self-harm were at high risk for developing mental health problems during the pandemic, and they will need help from mental health services.

The pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic placed mental healthcare professionals at an increased risk of burnout and decreased mental wellbeing. Resilience strategies have been put in place as a protective measure, but little is known about how mental wellbeing evolved over time in this group and how resilience affects it. This study aimed to: 1) investigate long-term changes in burnout and mental well-being among mental healthcare professionals working in the National Health Service (NHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK); and 2) examine whether baseline resilience levels predicted decreased burnout and increased mental well-being over the course of the pandemic. The study used data from NHS CHECK, a longitudinal cohort study investigating NHS staff mental health and well-being since the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical mental health staff (n = 3,289) who completed self-report measures at three time points (baseline, 6 and 12 months later). Baseline surveys were conducted during the initial pandemic peak (April 2020 - June 2020; n = 543), the initial easing of restrictions (July 2020 - September 2020; n = 1,098), and the second peak (October 2020 - January 2021, n = 1,648). Mixed model analyses showed that burnout scores increased over time, with higher resilience at baseline predicting lower burnout 6 and 12 months later. However, rises in burnout were most pronounced in the high resilience group. Well-being remained relatively stable over time, with staff with higher resilience at baseline reporting higher well-being over time. Resilience was linked with both lower burnout and higher well-being in NHS mental health staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite showing steeper increases in burnout, staff with high initial resilience still maintained lower absolute levels of burnout compared to those with lower resilience. Healthcare organizations should consider providing interventions focusing on organizational factors in addition to individual-level resilience-focused support.

BackgroundThe pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic placed mental healthcare professionals at an increased risk of burnout and decreased mental wellbeing. Resilience strategies have been put in place as a protective measure, but little is known about how mental wellbeing evolved over time in this group and how resilience affects it. This study aimed to: 1) investigate long-term changes in burnout and mental well-being among mental healthcare professionals working in the National Health Service (NHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK); and 2) examine whether baseline resilience levels predicted decreased burnout and increased mental well-being over the course of the pandemic.MethodsThe study used data from NHS CHECK, a longitudinal cohort study investigating NHS staff mental health and well-being since the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical mental health staff (n = 3,289) who completed self-report measures at three time points (baseline, 6 and 12 months later). Baseline surveys were conducted during the initial pandemic peak (April 2020 – June 2020; n = 543), the initial easing of restrictions (July 2020 – September 2020; n = 1,098), and the second peak (October 2020 – January 2021, n = 1,648).ResultsMixed model analyses showed that burnout scores increased over time, with higher resilience at baseline predicting lower burnout 6 and 12 months later. However, rises in burnout were most pronounced in the high resilience group. Well-being remained relatively stable over time, with staff with higher resilience at baseline reporting higher well-being over time.ConclusionsResilience was linked with both lower burnout and higher well-being in NHS mental health staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite showing steeper increases in burnout, staff with high initial resilience still maintained lower absolute levels of burnout compared to those with lower resilience. Healthcare organizations should consider providing interventions focusing on organizational factors in addition to individual-level resilience-focused support.

Editor's evaluation: Investigating the relationship of COVID-19 related stress and media consumption with schizotypy, depression, and anxiety in cross-sectional surveys repeated throughout the pandemic in Germany and the UK

Decision letter: Investigating the relationship of COVID-19 related stress and media consumption with schizotypy, depression, and anxiety in cross-sectional surveys repeated throughout the pandemic in Germany and the UK

The COVID-19 pandemic has been there for over a year and may substantially negatively impact student’s mental well-being. This study aimed to assess the subjective mental well-being and satisfaction with life of Filipino college students. This cross-sectional study involved the analysis of 1,141 college students in the Philippines. The data were collected using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results indicated that while 52.8% reported high satisfaction with life, 40.2% had poor mental well-being. Self-reported health status (β=1.899, p=.000), age (β=0.179, p=.000), and year level (β=0.306, p=.000) predicted mental well-being. On the other hand, subjective mental well-being (β=0.736, p=.000), self-reported health status (β=0.967, p=.000), and age (β=0.691, p=.025) predicted life satisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic has likely affected students’ mental health and well-being. Interventions should be initiated to address the mental health needs of the students during this pandemic and even beyond the health crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted people’s lives worldwide, with negative consequences for mental health and well-being. Antecedents of mental health and well-being in times of COVID-19 have been underresearched, especially among minority groups. Therefore, an online survey was conducted investigating the personal and societal antecedents of mental well-being among Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands (N = 268). Constructs included perceived decrease of mental well-being and attitude toward the Netherlands as dependent variables and a range of potential antecedents as independent variables. Results show that participants judged the Chinese COVID-19 situation significantly more positively than the Dutch situation. Five antecedents of decreased mental well-being were found: financial concerns, social isolation, feelings of lost time, experienced racism, and distrust of Dutch COVID-19 information and figures. The antecedents of participants’ attitude toward the Netherlands were largely different: missing China, perceived difficulty of traveling to China, distrust of Dutch government measures, trust in Chinese government measures, and distrust of Dutch COVID-19 information and figures. Fear of the virus itself did not significantly affect either of the dependent variables. The results call for a broad perspective on factors associated with mental well-being and for special attention for minority groups in the societal dynamics.

Connectivity and COVID-19.

The international tertiary education sector was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the risk of negative learning and psychosocial experiences. Most international students who remained in the host countries demonstrated admirable resilience and adaptability during those challenging times. An integrative review of factors shaping international students' learning and mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Five electronic databases-CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Web of Science-were searched from 2020 to 2023 using the key search terms 'international students', 'tertiary education', 'mental health and wellbeing', and 'COVID'. A total of 38 studies were included in this review. They revealed six factors across learning and psychosocial experiences. Predisposing factors for maladjustments included the students being younger and possessing poor English proficiency. Precipitating factors were related to online teaching/learning, and lack of accessibility and or insufficient learning and living resources. Perpetuating factors pertained to living arrangements. The protective factor identified was institutional support. This review highlighted that multifaceted factors were associated with international students' experiences and mental health and wellbeing. In-depth understanding of risk and protective factors can help policymakers to prepare for unprecedented challenges and reduce disruptions to international students' education and mental health when studying abroad.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on working life. Previous studies have primarily focused on the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers and are mostly based on cross-sectional data from non-representative samples. The aim of this study was to investigate mental wellbeing trajectories among employees from different industries, and to longitudinally identify factors that affect mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, including job insecurity, fear of COVID-19, working from home or being discharged with wage compensation and management quality.MethodsBaseline data were obtained from the Danish Health and Wellbeing Survey in 2019 (September–December), with follow-up in September–November 2020. We included 1995 respondents, who completed the questionnaire in both waves and were employed in 2020 and measured mental wellbeing using the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale.ResultsMental wellbeing declined among employees in all industries. Employees working from home and employees unsatisfied with management experienced a greater decline in mental wellbeing. We found no differences in mental wellbeing trajectories in relation to fear of infecting others or contracting COVID-19, job insecurity and being discharged with wage compensation.ConclusionsMental wellbeing declined among employees in all industries with no difference between industries. Employees working from home may have been particularly vulnerable, and the analyses show that managers play a key role in mitigating the negative consequences of the pandemic by ensuring adequate information and involvement of employees.

Growing evidence suggests that connection to nature may be linked to mental health and well-being. Behavioral changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic could negatively affect adolescents’ connection to nature, subsequently impacting health and well-being. We explored the relationship between connection to nature and well-being before and during the pandemic through a nationally representative survey of adolescents across the United States (n = 624) between April and June 2020. Survey items focused on connection to nature, mental well-being, and participation in outdoor activities before and during the pandemic. Paired-sample t-tests revealed declines in connection to nature, mental well-being, and participation in outdoor activities during the pandemic. Multiple linear regression analyses examining connection to nature’s mediating role between outdoor activity participation and mental well-being indicated that connection to nature fueled higher levels of mental well-being at both time intervals. Z scores comparing connection to nature’s mediating role between outdoor activity participation and mental well-being between time intervals indicate that during the pandemic, the direct effect of outdoor activities on mental well-being increased, generating a greater impact than before the pandemic. This study illustrates how the health and well-being benefits associated with adolescents’ outdoor activities are reinforced when those activities also foster a stronger connection to nature.

Patients living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As these patients are considered extremely clinically vulnerable, they were advised to ‘shield’ at home, with limited face-to-face contact and support for the duration of the pandemic. Living with ESKD impacts heavily on patients’ mental health and wellbeing, and this extended period of isolation and loneliness is likely to have a further negative effect on patients’ mental wellbeing. The Renal Arts Group (RAG), Queen’s University Belfast, aims to improve the quality of life of those living with ESKD and the extended renal community through engagement with the arts. We developed an initiative, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and carried out an evaluation. The initiative included a programme of online arts-based activities that built upon the work of RAG and provided mental wellbeing support for patients who faced an extended, lonely period of self-isolation. We worked with experienced arts practitioners to identify appropriate activities and developed five workshops and tutorials that were delivered online. We received positive feedback from participants who found the activities to be enjoyable, beneficial to their mental wellbeing and were interested in undertaking further activities online. We conducted interviews with the arts facilitators and identified three themes for consideration when developing online arts activities for the renal community. Participants reported that the activities benefited their mental wellbeing, were enjoyable and provided an opportunity to meet others with shared interests. The arts facilitators reported experiences around accessibility, audience engagement, impact on health and wellbeing and facilitator experience, that should be considered when developing online arts activities for the renal community. This evaluation will inform future work in this area, and the arts tutorial videos developed as part of this project will remain available online for members of the renal community to access.

Impact on mental health by "Living in Isolation and Quarantine" during COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Children’s mental health and wellbeing declined during the first COVID-19 lockdown (Spring 2020), particularly among those from disadvantaged settings. We compared mental health and wellbeing of school-aged children observed pre-pandemic in 2018 and after the first lockdown was lifted and schools reopened in Fall 2020.Methods: In 2018, we surveyed 476 grade 4–6 students (9–12 years old) from 11 schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in Northern Canada that participate in a school-based health promotion program targeting healthy lifestyle behaviours and mental wellbeing. In November-December 2020, we surveyed 467 grade 4–6 students in the same schools. The 12 questions in the mental health and wellbeing domain were grouped based on correlation and examined using multivariable logistic regression.Results: There were no notable changes pre-pandemic vs. post-lockdown in responses to each of the 12 questions or any of the sub-groupings.Conclusion: Supporting schools to implement health promotion programs may help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health and wellbeing. The findings align with recent calls for schools to remain open as long as possible during the pandemic response.

BackgroundUniversity students have been uniquely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is currently little data upon the measures that medical students and newly qualified doctors have taken to help their mental well-being and mood during the COVID-19 pandemic.AimWe aimed to identify the activities respondents found beneficial for their well-being and mental health and recorded a mood score from survey respondents.MethodsA nationwide study was completed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon medical students and newly qualified doctors (interim foundation year one). We received 2075 respondents from across the UK.ResultsPhysical activity was found to be the most common activity used by the survey respondents to help with their mental well-being (80.1%) (medical students, 83.7%; interim foundation doctors, 72.3%). Participants who stated that exercise helped their well-being had a mean score (SD) of 52.3 (20.7) which was significantly higher (P = 0.048) than those who reported that they did not exercise (49.8 (21.1)). Respondents who stated they had used exercise to help with their mental well-being had (on average) a higher mood score than those who did not. This was seen in both the medical student and interim foundation doctor subgroups.DiscussionExercise can help to benefit the well-being of medical students and interim foundation doctors. It is hoped that higher education providers and employers recognise the importance of promoting physical activity for the well-being of their students and staff, respectively.