Experience of racism in young people and future mental health in England: longitudinal analysis from the Next Steps Study

Race, Ethnicity and Experienced Racism Are Associated with Adverse Physical and Mental Health Outcomes Among Cancer Survivors

Poor sleep quality has been associated with suboptimal physical and mental health outcomes. Self-compassion has been shown to protect against the effects of poor sleep quality and promote positive mental health benefits. However, the attenuating role of fears of compassion on these relationships is less well known. Herein we examine the mediating role of self-compassion and fears of compassion on the relationship between poor sleep quality and mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Two independent community and student samples within either a university setting or online research setting participated in the research. This was a 2-sample cross-sectional survey design (N = 196, sample 1; N = 151, sample 2) which was conducted March–July 2019. In both samples, we examined self-compassion and fears of compassion as focal mediators of poor sleep quality and mental health outcomes. Mediation analyses with non-parametric bootstrapping identified that self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and mental health outcomes (p < .001, R2 = .20). Fears of self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and mental health wellbeing (p < .001, R2 = .09) and fully mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and psychological distress (p < .001, R2 = .09). We provide empirical evidence for how both self-compassion and fears of compassion can mediate the relationship between poor sleep quality, psychological distress, and mental health wellbeing. Our results provide important suggestions for future work in therapy, clinical studies of sleep, and the utility of the fears of compassion scale as a key psychometric instrument for use within the field.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all our lives, not only through the infection itself but also through the measures taken to control the spread of the virus (e.g. lockdown). Here, we investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented lockdown affected the mental health of young adults in England and Wales. We compared the mental health symptoms of up to 4773 twins in their mid-20s in 2018 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (T1) and during four-wave longitudinal data collection during the pandemic in April, July and October 2020, and in March 2021 (T2-T5) using phenotypic and genetic longitudinal designs. The average changes in mental health were small to medium and mainly occurred from T1 to T2 (average Cohen d = 0.14). Despite the expectation of catastrophic effects of the pandemic on mental health, we did not observe trends in worsening mental health during the pandemic (T3-T5). Young people with pre-existing mental health problems were disproportionately affected at the beginning of the pandemic, but their increased problems largely subsided as the pandemic persisted. Twin analyses indicated that the aetiology of individual differences in mental health symptoms did not change during the lockdown (average heritability 33%); the average genetic correlation between T1 and T2-T5 was 0.95, indicating that genetic effects before the pandemic were substantially correlated with genetic effects up to a year later. We conclude that on average the mental health of young adults in England and Wales has been remarkably resilient to the effects of the pandemic and associated lockdown.

Public mental health: evidence to policy.

SummaryBackgroundEvidence on associations between COVID-19 illness and mental health is mixed. We aimed to examine whether COVID-19 is associated with deterioration in mental health while considering pre-pandemic mental health, time since infection, subgroup differences, and confirmation of infection via self-reported test and serology data.MethodsWe obtained data from 11 UK longitudinal studies with repeated measures of mental health (psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction; mental health scales were standardised within each study across time) and COVID-19 status between April, 2020, and April, 2021. We included participants with information available on at least one mental health outcome measure and self-reported COVID-19 status (suspected or test-confirmed) during the pandemic, and a subset with serology-confirmed COVID-19. Furthermore, only participants who had available data on a minimum set of covariates, including age, sex, and pre-pandemic mental health were included. We investigated associations between having ever had COVID-19 and mental health outcomes using generalised estimating equations. We examined whether associations varied by age, sex, ethnicity, education, and pre-pandemic mental health, whether the strength of the association varied according to time since infection, and whether associations differed between self-reported versus confirmed (by test or serology) infection.FindingsBetween 21 Dec, 2021, and July 11, 2022, we analysed data from 54 442 participants (ranging from a minimum age of 16 years in one study to a maximum category of 90 years and older in another; including 33 200 [61·0%] women and 21 242 [39·0%] men) from 11 longitudinal UK studies. Of 40 819 participants with available ethnicity data, 36 802 (90·2%) were White. Pooled estimates of standardised differences in outcomes suggested associations between COVID-19 and subsequent psychological distress (0·10 [95% CI 0·06 to 0·13], I2=42·8%), depression (0·08 [0·05 to 0·10], I2=20·8%), anxiety (0·08 [0·05 to 0·10], I2=0·0%), and lower life satisfaction (–0·06 [–0·08 to –0·04], I2=29·2%). We found no evidence of interactions between COVID-19 and sex, education, ethnicity, or pre-pandemic mental health. Associations did not vary substantially between time since infection of less than 4 weeks, 4–12 weeks, and more than 12 weeks, and were present in all age groups, with some evidence of stronger effects in those aged 50 years and older. Participants who self-reported COVID-19 but had negative serology had worse mental health outcomes for all measures than those without COVID-19 based on serology and self-report. Participants who had positive serology but did not self-report COVID-19 did not show association with mental health outcomes.InterpretationSelf-reporting COVID-19 was longitudinally associated with deterioration in mental health and life satisfaction. Our findings emphasise the need for greater post-infection mental health service provision, given the substantial prevalence of COVID-19 in the UK and worldwide.FundingUK Medical Research Council and UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The Role of Social Network and Support in Mental Health Service Use: Findings From the Baltimore ECA Study

Longitudinal Assessment of Changes in Mental and Sexual Health Outcomes Due to COVID-19 Among Latinx SMM and TGW.

The connections between alcohol use, mental health problems and mental well-being have been under-researched. We examined the links between different aspects of alcohol use and positive and negative aspects of mental health, and the effect of protective social factors on these links. A cross-sectional general population survey of Finns aged 15-69 years was carried out in 2008 (n = 2725, response rate 74%). The included aspects of alcohol use were the frequency and volume of drinking, binge drinking and hazardous drinking using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The included aspects of mental health were subjective well-being (life satisfaction), self-efficacy (sense of mastery) and psychological distress using the General Health Questionnaire. The protective social factors examined were social support (loneliness, having a confidant) and socioeconomic status. Binge drinking and, particularly, hazardous drinking were associated with different aspects of mental health. The proportion of respondents with poor mental well-being increased when binge drinking was more frequent than monthly, and when respondents scored ≥6 on the AUDIT scale. Abstainers reported poor sense of mastery and former drinkers additionally reported poor satisfaction with life. Frequency and volume of drinking did not have a consistent connection with mental health. These associations between alcohol use and mental health did not depend on the protective social factors. Frequent binge drinking and alcohol problems are associated with poor mental health, especially with a lack of life satisfaction and psychological distress. This result applies equally to lower and higher social status groups.

The aim of this study was to confirm and extend the authors' previous work indicating that symptoms of traumatic grief are predictors of future physical and mental health outcomes. The study group consisted of 150 future widows and widowers interviewed at the time of their spouse's hospital admission and at 6-week and 6-, 13-, and 25- month follow-ups. Traumatic grief was measured with a modified version of the Grief Measurement Scale. Mental and physical health outcomes were assessed by self-report and interviewer evaluation. Survival analysis and linear and logistic regressions were used to determine the risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes posed by traumatic grief. Survival and regression analyses indicated that the presence of traumatic grief symptoms approximately 6 months after the death of the spouse predicted such negative health outcomes as cancer, heart trouble, high blood pressure, suicidal ideation, and changes in eating habits at 13- or 25-month follow-up. The results suggest that it may not be the stress of bereavement, per se, that puts individuals at risk for long-term mental and physical health impairments and adverse health behaviors. Rather, it appears that psychiatric sequelae such as traumatic grief are of critical importance in determining which bereaved individuals will be at risk for long-term dysfunction.

Mexican immigrants in the United States (US) account for 11.4 million individuals, yet little psychological research has examined the role of adult attachment on their acculturation experience and mental health outcome. This study investigated the relations among adult attachment, acculturative stress, and mental health (i.e., psychological distress, life satisfaction) with a sample of 154 non-US-citizen Mexican immigrants. Results indicated that the direct effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on psychological distress were not significant when considering acculturative stress, but both attachment variables indirectly associated with psychological distress via acculturative stress. Consistent with our hypothesis, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were positively associated with acculturative stress. Higher acculturative stress was positively correlated with psychological distress, but it was not significantly associated with life satisfaction. Further, attachment avoidance was directly associated with life satisfaction, but its indirect effect on life satisfaction via acculturative stress was not significant. Attachment anxiety did not have a significant direct or indirect effect on life satisfaction. Findings highlight the role of acculturative stress in the association of adult attachment and mental health and suggest that psychological interventions targeting at alleviating acculturative stress may be important in reducing psychological distress for non-US-citizen Mexican immigrants with insecure attachment.

We aimed to evaluate the mental health benefits and possible mechanisms of objective and subjective treescape exposures whilst also accounting for relationships with residential area greenspace in general. Independent variables were objective measures of residential neighbourhood tree cover density and woody linear features, and a subjective measure of perceived neighbourhood treescape richness. Outcome variables were four standard measures of positive mental health and two of psychological distress. Questionnaire survey data ( N = 1376) were merged with neighbourhood treescape and greenspace data on residential postcode. A structural equation model tested a set of theorised pathways from neighbourhood nature exposures to mental health outcomes, with indirect effects via nature connectedness, satisfaction with the local natural environment and nature visit exposure. A sensitivity analysis assessed whether observed effects were a mediated function of childhood exposure to nature. Tree cover density and woody linear features were positively associated with perceived neighbourhood treescape richness. With the exception of a positive relationship between tree cover density and life satisfaction, the total effects of tree cover density and woody linear features were not significantly associated with positive mental health or psychological distress outcomes despite some significant specific indirect effects. In contrast, the total effects of perceived neighbourhood treescape richness were positively associated with positive mental health and negatively associated with psychological distress outcomes. The total effects of neighbourhood greenspace were not significantly associated with positive mental health or psychological distress outcomes despite some significant specific indirect effects. In all cases, nature visit exposure was positively associated with positive mental health and negatively associated with psychological distress outcomes. Neighbourhood nature satisfaction was positively associated with all the positive mental health outcomes and negatively associated with one of the two psychological distress outcomes. Nature connection was positively associated with all the positive mental health outcomes, but, contrary to expectations, was positively associated with both psychological distress outcomes. Policy implications . Residents' perceptions of treescapes generally matter more for their mental health than objective measures of treescapes, so policy should promote meaningful engagement with treescapes to achieve the greatest benefits. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Parenting styles play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s psychological well-being, influencing their emotional regulation, self-esteem, and overall life satisfaction. This study examines the relationship between different parenting styles—authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive—and their impact on life satisfaction . Drawing from established theoretical frameworks, including Baumrind’s parenting typology, this research explores how varying parental approaches affect individuals’ mental health outcomes. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected through standardized questionnaires measuring perceived parenting styles and psychological well-being. The findings suggest that authoritative parenting and permissive parenting is positively associated with higher levels of life satisfaction , whereas authoritarian parenting styles shows negative effects on life satisfaction . The study highlights the importance of balanced parental involvement and its long-term influence on life satisfaction of adults . These findings have significant implications for parents, educators, and mental health professionals in fostering supportive environments that promote psychological well-being in children and adolescents.

Area social fragmentation, social support for individuals and psychosocial health in young adults: Evidence from a national survey in England

BackgroundLiterature about life satisfaction in rural senior older adults is scarce. The aim of this research was to examine the relationships among mental health, social capital and life satisfaction in rural senior older adults.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. From July to October 2017, 245 senior older adults from 14 villages of Jinhua City in China were recruited. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Chinese Version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Social Capital Questionnaire (SCQ) and a self-designed questionnaire was administered to the participants. Structural equation modelling was implemented to analyse the relationships between mental health, social capital and life satisfaction in rural senior older adults.ResultsThe structural equation model was fitting adequately (χ2/df = 1.785, P < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.059; CFI = 0.963). Life satisfaction was positively affected by income (β = 0.243, P = 0.01). Likewise, community canteen services improved life satisfaction (β = 0.288, P = 0.001). Social capital had direct positive prediction on life satisfaction (β = 0.342, P = 0.003) and indirectly improved life satisfaction through mental health (β =0.183, P = 0.007). Life satisfaction was impaired by poor mental health among senior older adults (β = − 0.395, P < 0.026).ConclusionsLife satisfaction among rural senior older adults is a multifaceted well-being construct affected by income, community canteen services, social capital and mental health. The presented model highlights the positive effect of income, community canteen services, social capital and mental health. Appropriate home-based aged care, programs and policies are needed.

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.