Psychological Dating Violence, Self-Compassion, and Depression in Turkish Women: Validation of the PDV-Q

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

Caregivers of patients in vegetative state and minimally conscious state play a crucial role in the process of taking care and, as previous studies reported, they can suffer of high burden and negative health outcomes. The aim of this national cross-sectional study was to assess whether physical and mental health of caregivers, considering gender differences, is related to the presence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, age and patient's disease duration. Four-hundred and eighteen caregivers, 294 women and 124 men, completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y, Beck Depression Inventory, second version and Short Form-12. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate to which extent depressive and anxiety symptoms predict physical and mental health. Men reported higher levels of mental health state, whereas physical health was not different across gender. High levels of anxiety symptoms were associated to negative mental health outcomes in both genders, whereas depressive symptoms were found to impact on female's mental and physical health only. A comprehensive and cost-effective screening of anxiety and depressive symptoms may help to identify determinants of health worsening in order to plan, when necessary, caregivers' support. Female caregivers of patients in vegetative state and minimally conscious state have poorer levels of mental health, whereas physical health is similar to men's. Anxiety symptoms are related to negative mental health outcomes in both male and female caregivers, whereas depressive symptoms are found to impact on female mental and physical health only. It is essential to consider and assess depressive and anxiety symptoms as they may contribute to caregivers' health worsening. This knowledge can lead to plan more comprehensive and tailored caregivers' supports and a better care for patients.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Teens and Adults in the Thalassemia Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Project Liberty provided brief crisis counseling to 753,015 residents of New York City and surrounding counties after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Most regained predisaster functioning after counseling. For those who did not, Project Liberty provided enhanced services by specially trained, licensed mental health professionals. Individuals receiving crisis counseling and enhanced services responded to confidential telephone interviews about 18 and 24 months, respectively, after the attacks. Impairment was compared between groups to determine whether enhanced services recipients reported improved functioning and fewer symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and complicated grief. Crisis counseling recipients (N=153) were interviewed once and enhanced services recipients (N=76) were interviewed twice about symptomatology and daily functioning. The samples did not differ in age or gender. Significantly greater proportions of enhanced services recipients reported knowing someone who died as a result of the attacks, having been involved in rescue efforts, or having lost their job because of the attacks. Compared with crisis counseling respondents, enhanced services recipients at their first interview reported significantly more symptoms of depression, grief, and traumatic stress and significantly poorer daily functioning in five life areas. At follow-up, enhanced services respondents reported significant improvement in three of five functioning domains, significantly fewer symptoms of depression and grief, and marginally less traumatic stress. Recipients of enhanced services were more impaired than people who received only crisis counseling. On the basis of reports from service recipients, meaningful improvements in functioning and symptoms may be associated with the receipt of enhanced services.

Objetivos: Analisar os níveis de inteligência espiritual, bem-estar psicológico, sintomas depressivos e ansiosos, saúde mental e física em idosos que frequentam instituições em Lar ou Centro de Dia e explorar as associações existentes entre todas estas variáveis (e com algumas variáveis sociodemográficas). Método: Neste estudo não-experimental, foram aplicados, em formato de entrevista individual, a Escala de Inteligência Espiritual Integrada, o Questionário de Avaliação Funcional Multidimensional de Idosos (para avaliar saúde física e mental), a Escala de Ânimo (avalia bem-estar psicológico), a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica e o Inventário de Ansiedade Geriátrica, a 65 idosos (idade, M = 83,46; DP = 6,65; sexo feminino, n = 46; 70,8%). Resultados: A maioria dos idosos percecionou a sua saúde física (80%) e mental (84%) como insatisfatória. Uma percentagem importante apresentou sintomas depressivos (56,9%) e ansiosos (64,6%). A pontuação total de inteligência espiritual correlacionou-se positivamente com as atitudes face ao envelhecimento e negativamente com a pontuação total de sintomas depressivos. No que respeita às dimensões da inteligência espiritual, a consciência associou-se positivamente com as atitudes face ao envelhecimento (bem-estar psicológico) e negativamente com os sintomas depressivos. O significado associou-se negativamente com a pontuação total do bem-estar psicológico e suas dimensões solidão/insatisfação e agitação). A graça associou-se positivamente com a pontuação total do bem-estar psicológico e com a sua dimensão atitudes face ao envelhecimento e negativamente com os sintomas depressivos e ansiosos. Por fim, refira-se que idosos a residir em Lar apresentaram valores inferiores de graça e superiores de significado (inteligência espiritual), bem como de sintomas depressivos e ansiosos. Conclusões: Mostrou-se preocupante a prevalência de saúde física e mental insatisfatória, de depressão e ansiedade. Níveis maiores totais e em algumas dimensões de inteligência espiritual associaram-se a níveis menores de sintomas depressivos e ansiosos e níveis maiores de bem-estar psicológico. Estes dados parecem apontar para a eventual importância de promover a inteligência espiritual junto de idosos institucionalizados.

Background Although survival rates among patients with coronary artery disease have increased since the introduction of treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI, the effect of psychological factors such as symptoms of anxiety and depression on adverse outcomes are sparsely described. Purpose The objective of the current study was to investigate the association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and 1-year mortality after PCI. Methods A national cross-sectional survey at hospital discharge (responders, n=3,366) with register-based follow-up among patients having undergone elective or emergency PCI. Mental health was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS, and divided into symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A) and symptoms of depression (HADS-D). The association between mental health (HADS-A and HADS-D) and 1-year all-cause mortality were investigated with Cox Proportional Hazard models with time to death as the underlying time scale. The results are presented as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and adjusted for sex, age and Tu-comorbidity score. Results At discharge, 32% of the population reported symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A ≥8) and 19% reported symptoms of depression (HADS-D ≥8). After one year, the mortality rate among patients being alive at discharge was 2.1%. All-cause mortality did not differ among patients reporting symptoms of anxiety compared to patients without symptoms of anxiety (2.3% vs 1.9%, p=0.454), whereas all-cause mortality was higher among patients reporting symptoms of depression compared to those, who did not (4.3% vs 1.6%, p≤0.001). In the regression analyses, symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A ≥8) was not associated with 1-year mortality (HR 1.16 95% CI 0.70–1.92); however, symptoms of depression was (HADS-D ≥8, HR 2.27 95% CI 1.38–3.73, adjusted analyses). Based on the continuous scores of HADS-D, a one-point increase in scores was associated with a 12% higher risk of 1-year mortality (HR 1.12 95% CI 1.05–1.18) (Figure 1). Conclusion After PCI, nearly one-third of patient report symptoms of anxiety and one-fifth symptoms of depression. Symptoms of anxiety was not associated with 1-year mortality, whereas symptoms of depression increased the risk of 1-year mortality. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

When should we intervene in adolescent depression and with whom?

Background: Understanding the direction and magnitude of mental health-loneliness associations across time is important to understand how best to prevent and treat mental health and loneliness. This study used weekly data collected over 8 weeks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to expand previous findings and using dynamic panel models with fixed effects which account for all time-invariant confounding and reverse causation.Methods: Prospective data on a convenience and snowball sample from all 50 US states and the District of Colombia (n = 2,361 with ≥2 responses, 63.8% female; 76% retention rate) were collected weekly via online survey at nine consecutive timepoints (April 3–June 3, 2020). Anxiety and depressive symptoms and loneliness were assessed at each timepoint and participants reported the COVID-19 containment strategies they were following. Dynamic panel models with fixed effects examined bidirectional associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and loneliness, and associations of COVID-19 containment strategies with these outcomes.Results: Depressive symptoms were associated with small increases in both anxiety symptoms (β = 0.065, 95% CI = 0.022–0.109; p = 0.004) and loneliness (β = 0.019, 0.008–0.030; p = 0.001) at the subsequent timepoint. Anxiety symptoms were associated with a small subsequent increase in loneliness (β = 0.014, 0.003–0.025; p = 0.015) but not depressive symptoms (β = 0.025, −0.020–0.070; p = 0.281). Loneliness was strongly associated with subsequent increases in both depressive (β = 0.309, 0.159–0.459; p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = 0.301, 0.165–0.436; p < 0.001) symptoms. Compared to social distancing, adhering to stay-at-home orders or quarantining were not associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms or loneliness (both p ≥ 0.095).Conclusions: High loneliness may be a key risk factor for the development of future anxiety or depressive symptoms, underscoring the need to combat or prevent loneliness both throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 containment strategies were not associated with mental health, indicating that other factors may explain previous reports of mental health deterioration throughout the pandemic.

The field of plastic surgery was inevitably affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Residents in plastic surgery programs, although originally not on the frontline, had significant changes to their schedules and were deployed to other medical services in the hospital to help with the surge of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients. In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic surgery residents are at higher risk of psychological distress and other mental health symptoms.1 To evaluate this, an American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons–approved survey was distributed to plastic surgery residents in the United States. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were used to assess the severity of symptoms of depression and anxiety. A total of 116 residents responded to the survey from all four U.S. subregions and all levels of training (Table 1). Table 1. - Demographics of Survey Respondents No. of Respondents Percentage Gender Male 61 53% Female 55 47% Age 20–30 yr 44 38% 30–40 yr 71 62% Level of training PGY-1 15 13% PGY-2 17 15% PGY-3 19 17% PGY-4 16 14% PGY-5 16 14% PGY-6 14 12% Ind. PGY-1 7 6% Ind. PGY-2 3 3% Ind. PGY-3 8 7% U.S. subregion South 33 28% West 24 20% Midwest 29 24% Northeast 34 28% PGY, postgraduate year; Ind. PGY, independent postgraduate year. Ten respondents (8.62 percent) reported chronic symptoms of depression or anxiety before the pandemic. During the pandemic, 57 respondents (49.1 percent) and 48 respondents (41.4 percent) had symptoms of depression (p < 0.0001) and anxiety (p<0.0001), respectively. Respondents with one or more children were more likely to report symptoms of depression (64.3 percent versus 42.9 percent; p = 0.033) and anxiety (66.7 percent versus 41.2 percent; p = 0.029). Increased planned physical activity by at least 30 minutes/week was associated with less severe symptoms of anxiety (30.1 percent versus 55.3 percent; p = 0.039) and depression (40.8 percent versus 52.6 percent; p = 0.272). Respondents who described their program's emphasis on wellness as major compared with those who described it as minor were found to have less severe symptoms of anxiety (38.7 percent versus 57.4 percent, p = 0.006) and depression (44.9 percent versus 59.0 percent, p = 0.140). With regard to counseling, 58.9 percent reported that they did not know if participation in counseling wellness programs was confidential, and the majority (93.0 percent) did not use these activities due to long work hours and the stigma associated. Lastly, 38.7 percent of respondents reported an increase in alcohol intake and 7 percent reported an increase in tobacco product use. These results suggest that plastic surgery residents had symptoms of depression and anxiety at the time of distribution of the survey. Certainly, a rise in symptoms of anxiety and coping responses to stress is expected during extraordinary circumstances; however, the increased prevalence of people with anxiety and depression increases the risk of burnout, which in turn may lead to decreased productivity, slower learning capacity, compromised patient safety, and engaging in harmful behaviors, such as suicide and self-harm.2 Reviewing the mental health outcomes from a structural point of view, residents who had increased physical activity and more emphasis on wellness activities were found to have less severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Wellness activities have been proven to reduce anxiety, reduce depression, and improve productivity, morale, and overall performance among residents, as well as help to decrease the risks of burnout.3–5 However, these activities must be well implemented and encouraged to avoid conveying feelings of weakness and stigma. Our findings corroborate the importance of established wellness programs and trust between faculty and residents in academic programs, as well as identifying residents at risk for burnout, as these effects can have longstanding sequelae and consequently remain, even when the COVID-19 pandemic is over or under control. DISCLOSURE The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Unmet needs in perinatal mental healthcare are an important public health issue particularly in the context of a stressful life event such as the COVID-19 pandemic but data on the extent of this problem are needed. The aim of this study is to determine the (1) proportion of women with clinically significant symptoms of perinatal depression, anxiety or comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety, receiving mental healthcare overall and by country and (2) factors associated with receiving mental healthcare. Women in the perinatal period (pregnancy or up to 6 months postpartum) participating in the Riseup-PPD-COVID-19 cross-sectional study, reported on sociodemographic, social support health-related factors, and COVID-19 related factors, and on symptoms of depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]) and anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder [GAD-7]) using self-report questionnaires. Clinically significant symptoms were defined as EPDS ≥ 13 for depression and GAD-7 ≥ 10 for anxiety. Mental healthcare was defined as self-reported current mental health treatment. Of the 11 809 participants from 12 countries included in the analysis, 4 379 (37.1%) reported clinically significant symptoms of depression (n = 1 228; 10.4%; EPDS ≥ 13 and GAD-7 ⟨ 10), anxiety (n = 848; 7.2%; GAD-7 ≥ 10 and EPDS ⟨ 13) or comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety (n = 2 303; 19.5%; EPDS ≥ 13 and GAD-7 ≥ 10). Most women with clinically significant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety were not receiving mental healthcare (89.0%). Variation in the proportion of women with clinically significant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety reporting mental healthcare was high (4.7% in Turkey to 21.6% in Brazil). Women in the postpartum (vs. pregnancy) were less likely (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.59-0.88), whereas women with previous mental health problems (vs. no previous mental health problems) (OR 5.56; 95% CI 4.41-7.01), were more likely to receive mental healthcare. There are high unmet needs in mental healthcare for women with clinically significant symptoms of perinatal depression and/or anxiety across countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and covering the whole range of mental health problems in the perinatal period are warranted to understand the gaps in perinatal mental healthcare.

Predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms among teachers in Ghana: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

During the last months of 2019, worldwide attention has focused on a pandemic of COVID-19, and the pandemic spread rapidly, becoming a public health emergency of international concern. The Chinese government has quickly taken quarantine measures and the drastic measures incurred to curtail it, which could have harmful consequences for everyone's behavior and mental health. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of influencing factors and mental health symptoms among Chinese college students according to two rounds of surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was divided into two stages of cross-sectional investigation. In February 2020 and May 2020, two cross-sectional surveys were conducted on college students in the above areas by means of cluster sampling. From February 4 to February 12, 2020, 14,789 college students completed the first round of online study from 16 cities and universities in 21 in China, excluding participants who completed the questionnaire, and finally included 11,787 college students. After 3 months, we also conducted a large-scale questionnaire survey based on the first study area to observe the behavioral changes and psychological symptoms of college students within 3 months. Using the convenience sampling method, a survey on the cognitive and psychological status of COVID-19 among college students was conducted in 21 universities in 16 regions in May 2020. The regions among the two surveys are divided into Wuhan (District 1), neighboring Hubei (District 2), first-tier cities, namely, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou (District 3), and other provinces (District 4). (1) In the first survey, the average age of the participants was 20.51 ± 1.88 years. One-third of the college students were male. In total, 25.9 and 17.8% of college students reported depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. College students, who reported higher ST, lower PA, higher soda beverage and tea beverage intake, have Chinese herbal medicine and vitamin drinking, and decreased frequency of diet had higher depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, infection risk, perceived resistance to COVID-19, concerns about physical symptoms, family/friends directly/indirectly contacted with confirmed cases, and seeking psychological counseling had significant associations with anxiety and depression symptoms. (2) In the second round of surveys, 6803 males (41.7%) and 9502 females (58.3%) had a mean age of 20.58 ± 1.81 years. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 was 30.7 and 23.9%, respectively. (3) In both surveys, college students who reported having higher ST, lower PA, higher soda beverage and tea beverage intake, Chinese herbal medicine and vitamin drinking, and decreased frequency of diet also had higher depression and anxiety symptoms. Coping styles with COVID-19 partially mediate the association between some related lifestyle behaviors and anxiety and depression. The results of the conditional process model analysis support our hypothesis that lifestyle behaviors, and coping styles are both predictors of anxiety and depression symptoms, with both direct and indirect effects moderated by gender level. In logistic regression analysis, the correlation of depression and anxiety in the second rounds of the survey was higher than that in the first survey. In two surveys, there was a correlation between lifestyle health behaviors and coping style, gender and mental health. Our findings demonstrated that the prevalence of anxiety and depression in the two rounds of surveys was different, and the prevalence in the second round was higher than that in the first round, as well as that in the two rounds of surveys. All survey identified that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors were positively associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. Compared with the emerged city of risk areas, other pandemic regions have a lower risk of mental health problems. The survey findings complement each other. Lifestyle health behaviors and coping style alleviated mental health symptoms. COVID-19-related social stressors were positively associated with mental health symptoms. The study also suggests that at the beginning of the pandemic, the effective management of college students' mental health problems, corresponding coping measures and maintaining a good lifestyle play a key role in the prevention and control of other cities. Understanding the college students' lifestyle behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown will help public health authorities reshape future policies on their nutritional recommendations, in preparation for future pandemics.

This longitudinal study aimed to explore anxiety and depressive symptoms, individual resources, and job demands in a multi-country sample of 612 healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two online surveys were distributed to HCWs in seven countries (Germany, Andorra, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Iran) during the first (May-October 2020, T1) and the second (February-April 2021, T2) phase of the pandemic, assessing sociodemographic characteristics, contact with COVID-19 patients, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-compassion, sense of coherence, social support, risk perception, and health and safety at the workplace. HCWs reported a significant increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms. HCWs with high depressive or anxiety symptoms at T1 and T2 reported a history of mental illness and lower self-compassion and sense of coherence over time. Risk perception, self-compassion, sense of coherence, and social support were strong independent predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms at T2, even after controlling for baseline depressive or anxiety symptoms and sociodemographic variables. These findings pointed out that HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak experienced a high burden of psychological distress. The mental health and resilience of HCWs should be supported during disease outbreaks by instituting workplace interventions for psychological support.

This study aimed to explore, characterize, and compare mental health profiles of women in peri- and post-menopause. A sample of 577 women aged between 45 and 55 in perimenopause (66.6%) and postmenopause (33.4%) participated in an online survey. A latent profile analysis was conducted to estimate the number of profiles, based on anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and positive mental health. Differences in menopause-related, sociodemographic, and clinical data between profiles were examined. Four mental health profiles were identified: impaired mental health (IMH; elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms and low positive mental health); threatened mental health (TMH; mild depressive and anxiety symptoms and low positive mental health); moderate mental health (MMH; low depressive and anxiety symptoms, and moderate positive mental health); complete mental health (CMH; low depressive and anxiety symptoms and high positive mental health).Significant differences between profiles were found, with women in the IMH profile reporting the highest levels of menopausal symptoms, insomnia severity, lower sexual functioning, and greater negative impact on work life, romantic relationships, and overall health and well-being. Women in the CMH profile were more likely to be employed and to have higher incomes compared to other profiles. Differences were also observed in the history of psychopathology, current professional care for peri- and post-menopausal symptoms and physical exercise practice. These findings provide evidence for diverse patterns of mental health during transition to menopause, with important implications for screening and intervention, including the development of tailored psychological interventions.