Psychological Distress and Associated Factors among Patients with Hemophilia Living with HIV: The Japan Cohort Study of HIV-Infected Patients through Blood Products

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of severe psychological distress in Chinese adolescents, and to identify the demographic and psychosocial factors associated with psychological distress in this population. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select a sample of adolescents (n = 3109) in Heilongjiang Province (Northeast of China), who were aged 13-18 years old. Psychological distress was measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). A K10 score between 22 and 30 was defined as moderate psychological distress; a score of >or= 31 was defined as severe psychological distress in this study. The rates of moderate and severe psychological distress were 27.9% and 12.2%, respectively in the participants. There were no statistical differences in severe psychological distress by gender. Multivariate analysis showed that family environmental variables, schooling variables, self-perception with life and appearance, perceived health and negative life events were significantly associated with psychological distress. Severe psychological distress is prevalent in the Chinese adolescent population. Family dysfunction, higher academic pressure, poor relationship with others and negative self-perception are important risk factors associated with psychological distress in adolescents. More studies using the K10 scale are needed so that national and international comparisons can be made.

The primary aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of psychological distress among single fathers and single mothers in comparison to parents living together, and the factors contributing to the differences between single and partnered parents. A secondary aim was to investigate the perceived need for parental support in relation to severe psychological distress in these groups. A survey questionnaire was sent to a random population sample in Sweden in 2022 and 5750 parents aged 18-69 years participated. The outcome was severe psychological distress, measured by the Kessler-6 (scores ⩾13). Associations between single parenthood and severe psychological distress were analysed with multiple logistic regression, adjusting for age group, economic difficulties, social support, risk consumption of alcohol and need for parental support. Severe psychological distress was more common among single fathers (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-3.5) and mothers (age-adjusted OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.8-3.3) than among partnered fathers and mothers. The main explanatory factors for the difference were economic difficulties and lack of social support, accounting together for 75% of the excess of severe psychological distress in single fathers and 64% in single mothers. Risk consumption of alcohol among both single and partnered fathers was also associated with severe psychological distress. Being in need of more parental support, for example, from maternity/child health care or family centres was associated with severe psychological distress among all parents, regardless of partnership status and gender. Single parents had a higher prevalence of severe psychological distress than partnered parents, mainly explained by economic difficulties and the lack of social support. Both among single and partnered parents, the need for more parental support was associated with severe psychological distress.

BackgroundPsychological distress including depression and anxiety are among the most serious causes of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. There has been no study in the rural area to report the prevalence of and risk factors for psychological distress. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for psychological distress in a rural district in Bangladesh.MethodsA total of 2425 adults (1249 women) aged 18–90 years were selected from the Narail upazilla using multi-level cluster random sampling for a cross-sectional study. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 10 items questionnaire. Participants’ socio-demographic status, life style factors and health conditions were also collected. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for binary outcomes and mean changes for continuous outcomes of psychological distress score were computed. Logistic regression and generalized linear model techniques were used for analytical purpose.ResultsThe overall prevalence of psychological distress was 52.5%. This proportion included 22.7% people rated as having mild psychological distress, 20.8% moderate and 9.0% severe. The prevalence of moderate (24.7% vs. 17.5%, p<0.001) and severe (16.2% vs. 2.5%, p<0.001) psychological distress was significantly higher in older adults of age 60–90 years than that in younger adults of age 18–59 years. The prevalence of severe psychological distress was higher in females than males and the difference increased with age (vs. (females vs males: 1.9% vs. 1.1% at age of <30 years, 12.2% vs. 10.1% at age between 60–69 years, and 45.5% vs. 25.4% at age of 80 years or older). After multivariate adjustment, compared to degree or equivalent level of education, no education (odds ratio (OR), 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03–2.82) was associated with higher prevalence of any psychological distress in the total sample. Compared to married, psychological distress among widowed older adults was almost five times higher prevalence (OR, 4.89, 95% CI, 2.51–9.55). Socio-economic status showed a U-shaped relationship with the prevalence of psychological distress; being very poor or wealthy was associated with higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to those of moderate socio-economic status. People living in pourashava (semi-urban areas) reported significantly higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to people living in typical rural unions.ConclusionsIn this rural Bangladeshi community, the prevalence of psychological distress was high, especially among older women. Factors including lower level of education, inability to work, and living in semi-urban areas were associated with higher prevalence of psychological distress. Public health programmes should target people in high risk groups to reduce their psychological distress in Bangladesh.

This study assesses the determinants and severity of psychological distress among frontline Ministry of Health workers within Saudi Arabia during the rapid acceleration phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. Moreover, we assess distress sustainability and stress-coping behaviors. We conducted an online national cross-sectional survey. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (k10) is a highly reliable instrument used to assess depression and anxiety. We evaluated stress-coping behavior and the persistence of the disorders. Binary logistic regression identified the sociodemographic factors related to severe distress.The prevalence of severe psychological distress among COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) was 27.3%. Factors associated with severe psychological distress in multiple regression analyses were male gender (p < 0.001), working for >45 hours/week (p = 0.009), age of >40 years (p = 0.038), years of experience for more than seven years (p = 0.048), Asir region (p = 0.003), and using psychological services (p < 0.001). The prevalence of severe psychological distress was 27.3%. Factors associated with severe psychological distress in multiple regression analyses were male gender, working >45 hours/week, age, years of experience, region, and using psychological services. The results form a foundation for targeted psychological health support services at the individual and institutional levels to prevent progression to mental illness.

BackgroundOlder adults’ engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness and improve mental health. Purpose: This study aimed to examine loneliness and social media use and its association with severe psychological distress among older adults and whether social media use moderated the association of loneliness on severe psychological distress among older adults.MethodsThis study is a secondary analysis of the 2019–2020 California Health Interview Survey. The Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6) assessed symptoms of psychological distress, with a K6 score ≥ 13 associated with severe mental illness. Loneliness was measured using a revised Three Item Loneliness Scale (TILS) score. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between loneliness and severe psychological distress.ResultsLoneliness, health status, and identification as Asian, remained strong predictors of severe psychological distress among older adults when adjusting for other factors. In bivariate analysis, high-frequent social media users, but did not remain significant when accounting for covariates. Social media use did not moderate the association between loneliness and severe psychological distress.ConclusionThis study underscores the significant impact of loneliness on poor mental health among older adults, emphasizing that while frequent social media use correlates with severe psychological distress, it may not alleviate the association of loneliness on poor mental health, thus highlighting the urgent need to address social isolation and promote genuine social connectedness, particularly among Asian older adults.

10025 Background: Poverty is associated with inferior psychosocial function among parents of children with cancer. Severe parental distress during treatment predicts future poor mental health for both parents and children. It is also associated with impaired parental cognitive bandwidth and executive function, which may have implications for treatment adherence. Efforts to identify poverty-exposures amenable to intervention are essential to improving survivorship quality of life for the &gt; 90% of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who will be long-term survivors. Household material hardship (HMH) is a targetable poverty exposure defined as at least 1 of 3 unmet basic needs including food, housing, or utilities. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium trial 16-001 is the first pediatric oncology clinical trial to systematically evaluate HMH. We investigated the hypothesis that HMH exposure independently predicts severe parent psychological distress during ALL therapy. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed ALL ages 1-17 years were enrolled on the DFCI 16-001 embedded HMH cohort study at 8 U.S. and Canadian centers. Secondary interim analyses used baseline (within 32-days of trial enrollment) and 6-mos parent-reported sociodemographic data, the Kessler-6 (K6) Psychological Distress scale, and trial-collected child and disease data. Severe psychological distress was defined as a K6 &gt; = 13. Multivariable cox regression evaluated baseline HMH-exposure and parent distress at baseline and 6-mos adjusting for child’s initial ALL risk group (Very High Risk (VHR) vs other) and marital status (single vs dual parent). Results: Among 258 families with evaluable data, 34% reported baseline HMH. Families were predominantly English-speaking (54%) dual parent households (71%). Children were a median of 5.7 years (IQR 1.0-17.99) at diagnosis and predominantly non-Hispanic white (66%) with expected disease distribution by immunophenotype (84% B-cell). HMH (odds ratio (OR) 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-4.31, p = 0.025) and VHR initial risk group (OR 2.32; 95% CI 1.06-5.06, p = 0.035) were independently associated with baseline severe psychological distress. Only HMH was independently associated with 6-mos severe psychological distress (OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.80-13.48, p = 0.002). Future analyses will investigate race and ethnicity associations with parental distress pending trial accrual for statistical power. Conclusions: HMH, a modifiable poverty exposure, is significantly associated with severe parent psychological distress at diagnosis that persists 6-months into pediatric ALL therapy. These findings identify a cohort at high risk of inferior mental health outcomes, and affirm the need for HMH-targeted interventions to support children and parents during cancer treatment to reduce poverty-associated outcome disparities in survivorship.

ObjectiveDue to the high prevalence of psychological distress among medical students and its related functional and cognitive implications, this study aimed to investigate the association between perceived stigma and psychological distress, estimate the prevalence of each level of distress among medical students, and determine the independent significant risk factors of outcome variables for each level of psychological distress.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed that surveyed medical students at King Saud University in 2018. Using the modified and validated stigma scale for receiving psychological help along with Kessler psychological distress scale, the survey measured perceived stigma towards mental illness in relation to the level of psychological distress.ResultsAmong the 524 participants, 395 surveys were completed. Participants had a mean age of 21.56 years old, and 53% were female. The overall prevalence of severe psychological distress was 30.7% (N = 161). Furthermore, 25.6% of participants reported experiencing moderate distress (N = 134). Additionally, a significant association was found between females and severe psychological distress. Moreover, family income was significantly associated with severe psychological distress in the extreme lower and upper groups (5000–10,000 SR and above 20,000 SR). Participants with high levels of psychological distress were more likely than those with low levels to agree or strongly agree with 3 out of 10 items related to perceived stigma.ConclusionsMedical students with moderate/severe psychological distress disclosed more concerns regarding stigma, particularly about perceived consequences of their mental health issues being revealed to others. Such opinions could cause physical health problems and decrease quality of life.

Poor psychological health has been consistently documented for sexually minoritized women. However, little is known about the association between poor psychological health and physical health. This study examined associations between psychological distress and cardiometabolic health, including cardiovascular disease risk conditions (hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes) and diagnoses (stroke, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and angina), by sexual identity among women. Data are from the 2013-2018 National Health Interview Survey and included 102,279 women, who were straight (n = 97,909), lesbian/gay (n = 1,424), bisexual (n = 1,235), something else (n = 360), did not know (n = 712), and refused to disclose (n = 639). Multivariable multinomial logistic regression models were fit to estimate associations between psychological distress (measured with Kessler-6) and cardiometabolic health (self-reported diagnosis) and to examine sexual-identity differences in these associations. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, severe psychological distress was associated with significantly higher odds of having a cardiometabolic health condition (OR = 2.66). These associations generally did not statistically significantly differ based on sexual identity. However, potential substantive differences in the magnitude of the association existed among lesbian/gay (OR = 4.00) compared to straight women (OR = 2.73). Moreover, women who identified as gay/lesbian, bisexual, "something else," or "I don't know" all reported significantly higher prevalence of severe psychological distress than straight women. Given the overall positive association between psychological distress and cardiometabolic health as well as the higher prevalence of severe psychological distress among sexual minority women, more work is needed to longitudinally examine the effects of psychological distress on health among sexually minoritized women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychological distress and completed suicide in Japan: A comparison of the impact of moderate and severe psychological distress

Background: Infertility is a problem of global proportions. It is the most important reproductive health concern of women. Generally, the female is held responsible for virtually all cases of infertility. The men folk are held as above board. Consequent upon this, the woman is humiliated, isolated, derided, rebuffed and abused. This abuse could be physical or psychological. The psychosocial morbidity they have can also affect their treatment success as such there is need to evaluate the prevalence, types, and sources of this psychosocial morbidity and also the need to introduce psychotherapy as part of infertility management in our centre.Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on consecutive women attending the infertility clinic at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika Zaria. Data was collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire designed by the researchers and psychiatric morbidity in the women was assessed by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) until sample size of 217 was met. Women with severe psychological distress were confidentially interviewed about their sources of pressure. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 33.2years. Most of them were married [95.8%] in a monogamous setting [72.2%] and in their first order of marriage [62%]. Fifty-six percent of them had secondary infertility. The mean duration of infertility in all respondents was 5.3years. Majority [77.8%] of the respondents were stressed by being unable to conceive. Their sources of pressure included their husbands, mother-in-law amongst others. 26.2% have been physically abused as a result of their infertility. Only 29.8% of women will consider adoption in case of prolonged childlessness and most [63.8%] of infertile women will cope better with infertility if there were support groups. Prevalence of psychological distress among infertile women was 37.8% and of these, 7.7% had severe psychological distress. Those with primary infertility, longer duration of infertility and the financial burden of treatment had a statistically significant increase in severe psychological distress. Previous psychiatric disorder did not affect the prevalence of severe psychological distress in them. In-depth interview with these women revealed the enormous burden they carry as a result of infertility including marital disharmony, social stigma, and mental health difficulties.Conclusion: A significant proportion of infertile women experience psychosocial morbidity, as such, there is needed to implement psychotherapy as part of infertility management.

The Relationship between Psychological Distress and Physical Frailty in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundFollowing the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has continued to affect the mental health status of residents in the evacuation zone. To examine the mental health status of evacuee after the nuclear accident, we conducted the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey as part of the ongoing Fukushima Health Management Survey.MethodsWe measured mental health status using the Kessler 6-item psychological distress scale (K6) in a total of 73,569 (response rate: 40.7%) evacuees aged 15 and over who lived in the evacuation zone in Fukushima Prefecture. We then dichotomized responders using a 12/13 cutoff on the K6, and compared the proportion of K6 scores ≥13 and ≤12 in each risk factor including demographic information, socioeconomic variables, and disaster-related variables. We also performed bivariate analyses between mental health status and possible risk factors using the chi-square test. Furthermore, we performed multivariate regression analysis using modified Poisson regression models.ResultsThe median K6 score was 5 (interquartile range: 1–10). The number of psychological distress was 8,717 (14.6%). We found that significant differences in the prevalence of psychological distress by almost all survey items, including disaster-related risk factors, most of which were also associated with increased Prevalence ratios (PRs). Additionally, we found that psychological distress in each evacuation zone was significantly positively associated with the radiation levels in their environment (r = 0.768, p = 0.002).ConclusionThe earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident likely caused severe psychological distress among residents in the evacuation zone in Fukushima Prefecture. The close association between psychological distress and the radiation levels shows that the nuclear accident seriously influenced the mental health of the residents, which might be exacerbated by increased risk perception. To provide prompt and appropriate support, continued psychosocial intervention for evacuees is strongly recommended.

ABSTRACTHIV diagnosis may be a source of psychological distress. Late initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and treatment-related beliefs may intensify psychological distress among those recently diagnosed. This analysis describes the prevalence of psychological distress among people living with HIV (PLWH) and examines the association of recent HIV diagnosis, late ART initiation and treatment-related beliefs with psychological distress. The sample includes 1175 PLWH aged 18 or older initiating ART at six HIV clinics in Ethiopia. Psychological distress was assessed with Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Scores ≥ 29 were categorized as severe psychological distress. Individuals who received their first HIV diagnosis in the past 90 days were categorized as recently diagnosed. Multivariable logistic regression modeled the association of recent diagnosis, late ART initiation and treatment-related beliefs on severe psychological distress, controlling for age, sex, education, area of residence, relationship status, and health facility. Among respondents, 29.5% reported severe psychological distress, 46.6% were recently diagnosed and 31.0% initiated ART late. In multivariable models, relative to those who did not initiate ART late and had longer time since diagnosis, odds of severe psychological distress was significantly greater among those with recent diagnosis and late ART initiation (adjusted OR [aOR]: 1.9 [95% CI 1.4, 2.8]). Treatment-related beliefs were not associated with severe psychological distress in multivariable models. Severe psychological distress was highly prevalent, particularly among those who were recently diagnosed and initiated ART late. Greater understanding of the relationship between psychological distress, recent diagnosis, and late ART initiation can inform interventions to reduce psychological distress among this population. Mental health screening and interventions should be incorporated into routine HIV clinical care from diagnosis through treatment.

The unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic can induce psychological distress in individuals. We investigated perceived stressors, prevalence of psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and predictors of psychological distress among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. This study was a cross-sectional, population-based household telephone survey of 993 conveniently sampled adults (18+ years) from all the four administrative regions of Eswatini. Data were collected between 9 June and 18 July 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was under a partial lockdown. COVID-19-related psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). We performed weighted modified Poisson regression analyses to identify significant predictors of moderate/severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥5). The weighted prevalences of moderate (K6 scores: 5–12) and severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥13) were 41.7% and 5.4%, respectively. Participants reported several perceived COVID-19-related stressors, including worries and fears of the contagion-specific death, serious need for food and money, and concerns about loss of income or business. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.5%. Statistically significant predictors of increased risk for moderate/severe psychological distress included living in the Hhohho and Manzini regions; feeling not well informed about COVID-19; feeling lonely; having received COVID-19 food or financial relief from the government; feeling burdened by the lockdown; being married; and being youth (18–24 years). The results call for the government to urgently augment the provision of mental health services during the pandemic. Mental health practitioners and programs may use several stressors and risk factors identified in this study to inform interventions and government policies aimed at reducing psychological distress induced by the pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic-related changes have increased mental health problems of essential workers. However, little is known about its impact on direct support professionals (DSPs) working at facilities for people with disabilities. This study examined the resilience and related factors, including psychological distress, burnout, depression, among DSPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those in facility with cluster occurrences in Japan. We conducted an online survey from May 18 to June 9, 2021, targeting staff at Social Welfare Corporation Shirane Gakuen, a cluster facility. An additional survey was conducted on May 24, 2021, through Yahoo! Crowd Sourcing, targeting individuals who worked at disability support facilities categorized as non-cluster facilities. We obtained 108 and 95 responses, respectively, including 76 and 16 DSPs. The following instruments were used: Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Bidimensional Resilience Scale, Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine associations between resilience and related factors. The prevalence of severe psychological distress, burnout, and depression among DSPs within the COVID-19 cluster facility was 11.8%, 69.7%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the non-cluster facilities, the prevalence was 37.5%, 68.8%, and 62.5%, respectively. A positive association between acquired resilience factors and burnout was observed (coefficient = 2.35, 95% CI 0.38 to 4.31). However, no significant association was observed between acquired resilience factors and the interaction term of COVID-19 cluster occurrences at the workplace and burnout (coefficient = -2.03, 95% CI -6.97 to 2.90). This study demonstrated that the acquired resilience factors of Japanese DSPs was linked with increased burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the COVID-19 cluster occurrences. As burnout intensifies, DSPs may cultivate acquired resilience, and programs enhancing these factors may help alleviate their burnout and promote well-being.