Common Mental Health Problems Research Articles

Using Progress Feedback to Enhance Treatment Outcomes: A Narrative Review.

We face increasing demand for greater access to effective routine mental health services, including telehealth. However, treatment outcomes in routine clinical practice are only about half the size of those reported in controlled trials. Progress feedback, defined as the ongoing monitoring of patients' treatment response with standardized measures, is an evidence-based practice that continues to be under-utilized in routine care. The aim of the current review is to provide a summary of the current evidence base for the use of progress feedback, its mechanisms of action and considerations for successful implementation. We reviewed ten available meta-analyses, which report small to medium overall effect sizes. The results suggest that adding feedback to a wide range of psychological and psychiatric interventions (ranging from primary care to hospitalization and crisis care) tends to enhance the effectiveness of these interventions. The strongest evidence is for patients with common mental health problems compared to those with very severe disorders. Effect sizes for not-on-track cases, a subgroup of cases that are not progressing well, are found to be somewhat stronger, especially when clinical support tools are added to the feedback. Systematic reviews and recent studies suggest potential mechanisms of action for progress feedback include focusing the clinician's attention, altering clinician expectations, providing new information, and enhancing patient-centered communication. Promising approaches to strengthen progress feedback interventions include advanced systems with signaling technology, clinical problem-solving tools, and a broader spectrum of outcome and progress measures. An overview of methodological and implementation challenges is provided, as well as suggestions for addressing these issues in future studies. We conclude that while feedback has modest effects, it is a small and affordable intervention that can potentially improve outcomes in psychological interventions. Further research into mechanisms of action and effective implementation strategies is needed.

Factors associated with posttraumatic stress and anxiety among the parents of babies admitted to neonatal care: a systematic review

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress (PTS) and anxiety are common mental health problems among parents of babies admitted to a neonatal unit (NNU). This review aimed to identify sociodemographic, pregnancy and birth, and psychological factors associated with PTS and anxiety in this population.MethodStudies published up to December 2022 were retrieved by searching Medline, Embase, PsychoINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health electronic databases. The modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cohort and cross-sectional studies was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. This review was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021270526).ResultsForty-nine studies involving 8,447 parents were included; 18 studies examined factors for PTS, 24 for anxiety and 7 for both. Only one study of anxiety factors was deemed to be of good quality. Studies generally included a small sample size and were methodologically heterogeneous. Pooling of data was not feasible. Previous history of mental health problems (four studies) and parental perception of more severe infant illness (five studies) were associated with increased risk of PTS, and had the strongest evidence. Shorter gestational age (≤ 33 weeks) was associated with an increased risk of anxiety (three studies) and very low birth weight (< 1000g) was associated with an increased risk of both PTS and anxiety (one study). Stress related to the NNU environment was associated with both PTS (one study) and anxiety (two studies), and limited data suggested that early engagement in infant’s care (one study), efficient parent-staff communication (one study), adequate social support (two studies) and positive coping mechanisms (one study) may be protective factors for both PTS and anxiety. Perinatal anxiety, depression and PTS were all highly comorbid conditions (as with the general population) and the existence of one mental health condition was a risk factor for others.ConclusionHeterogeneity limits the interpretation of findings. Until clearer evidence is available on which parents are most at risk, good communication with parents and universal screening of PTS and anxiety for all parents whose babies are admitted to NNU is needed to identify those parents who may benefit most from mental health interventions.

Readiness for mHealth interventions in Jordan: Refugee camp and urban community survey

Jordan hosts one of the largest populations of refugees in the world. This study evaluated the capacity, infrastructure, and interest in mobile health interventions to address unmet mental health needs among refugees and non-refugees in Jordan. We surveyed 209 (141 refugees) adults and youth in urban, rural, and refugee camp settings. Survey results indicated that mobile device ownership was lower among refugees than non-refugees (71 % vs. 100 %, respectively). Refugee phone users had less access to smartphones than non-refugees (75 % vs. 96 %, respectively). Refugees and non-refugees reported using mobile devices for diverse activities including calling (83 % vs. 100 %, respectively), texting (28 % vs. 87 %, respectively) social media (45 % vs. 94 %, respectively), watching videos (23 % vs. 90 %, respectively), and studying (34 % vs. 72 %, respectively). Most respondents had reliable access to electricity (75 % vs. 99 %, respectively) and to mobile-cellular service (67 % vs. 97 %, respectively). Refugees and non-refugees differed substantially in their access to WiFi (14 % vs. 91 %, respectively). Both groups identified anger, anxiety, depression, traumatic memories, and eating problems as the most common mental health problems in their communities. Approximately half of refugees (44 %) and non-refugees (50 %) reported that their communities had insufficient or no access to mental health resources. Most refugees (78 %) and non-refugee (87 %) believed that using mobile devices to provide support for people with mental health conditions would be helpful. Overall, both groups' reported access to mobile technologies and openness to digital mental health treatment options suggest that mHealth interventions may be feasible and welcomed in these communities.

Effectiveness of hydrotherapy and balneotherapy for anxiety and depression symptoms: a meta-analysis

AbstractDepression and anxiety are common mental health problems that negatively affect the quality of life. Functioning, social relationships, daily activities, and physical health are negatively affected. Therefore, it is very important to manage these problems and to investigate effective treatments for individuals to lead a healthy life. This study aims to evaluate the effect of hydrotherapy and balneotherapy on anxiety and depression. Randomized controlled trials published in the last 20 years comparing hydrotherapy and balneotherapy with active control or waiting lists in adults with anxiety and depressive symptoms were included. Pubmed, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched until August 2023. The random effects model and fixed effects model were used for data analysis. The heterogeneity of the study was assessed using the I2 index, and publication bias was assessed using Egger and Begg tests and funnel plots. Seventeen eligible studies with a sample size of 977 participants were selected. After data analysis, the results showed that hydrotherapy and balneotherapy led to a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores (SMD: 0.46 95% CI: 0.27, 0.65), depression scores (SMD: 0.53 95% CI: 0.38, 0.67). Subgroup analysis based on intervention type showed that balneotherapy reduced anxiety scores (SMD: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.65) but not depression scores. Evidence suggests that hydrotherapy and balneotherapy can reduce anxiety and depression in adults. Based on these findings, hydrotherapy and balneotherapy can be applied as an adjunct to standard treatments to improve the mental health of adults.Registration: The study protocol was registered in the International Register of Prospective Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) with accession number CRD42023448993.

A scoping review of the literature on the application and usefulness of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention around the world.

Given the high rates of common mental disorders and limited resources, task-shifting psychosocial interventions are needed to provide adequate care. One such intervention developed by the World Health Organization is Problem Management Plus (PM+). This review maps the evidence regarding the extent of application and usefulness of the PM+ intervention, i.e. adaptability, feasibility, effectiveness and scalability, since it was introduced in 2016. We conducted a scoping review of seven literature databases and grey literature from January 2015 to February 2024, to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on PM+ around the world. Out of 6739 potential records, 42 met the inclusion criteria. About 60% of the included studies were from low- and middle-income countries. Findings from pilot/feasibility trials demonstrated that PM+ is feasible, acceptable and safe. Results from definitive randomised controlled trials at short-term follow-up also suggested that PM+ is effective, with overall moderate-to-large effect sizes, in improving symptoms of common mental health problems. Although PM+ was more effective in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders, it was found to be costlier compared to usual care in the only study that evaluated its cost-effectiveness. Our findings indicate that PM+, in its individual and group formats, can be adapted and effectively delivered by trained helpers to target a wide range of common mental health concerns. More effectiveness and implementation evidence is required to understand the long-term impact of PM+, its cost-effectiveness and scalability, and moderators of treatment outcomes such as gender and delivery formats.

The Relative Frequency of Anxiety and Its Correlation with Individual and Family Factors Among Adolescents in Shiraz, 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems in adolescents. Uncontrolled anxiety disorders during this period not only negatively affect adolescents' current performance but can also have long-term negative consequences on their physical and mental health. Objectives: This study is designed to investigate the relative frequency of anxiety and its correlation with individual and family characteristics among first-grade high school students in Shiraz, 2020. Methods: This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, conducted on 360 first-grade high school students who were selected using a multi-stage sampling method in Shiraz, Iran. Data were collected through online questionnaire software, which included the Beck Anxiety Inventory and a Demographic Questionnaire, and were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. Results: The relative frequency of anxiety disorders in the study samples was 59.7% (60.9% in girls and 56.6% in boys); among them, 13.1% experienced severe anxiety, 16.9% had moderate anxiety, and 29.7% had mild anxiety. The results of univariate analysis showed correlations between anxiety disorders and factors such as father's unemployment (P = 0.04), a history of physical and mental problems in teenagers (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001, respectively), and the lack of friendly relations between family members (P = 0.001). Additionally, the results of logistic regression analysis indicated that adolescents with mental illness and those lacking friendly relationships within their family had higher chances of experiencing anxiety disorders compared to other participants (OR = 5.00, P = 0.04 and OR = 9.95, P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions: In this study, mental illness and the lack of friendly relations between family members emerged as significant factors contributing to adolescents' anxiety. Therefore, identifying and addressing these related factors, along with timely diagnosis and treatment of this disorder in adolescents, should be prioritized by mental health officials.

Determinants of adolescents' depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in Northwest Ethiopia: A non-recursive structural equation modeling.

In low and middle-income countries, adolescent mental health is not only a major public health challenge but also a development concern. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders and somatic symptoms often co-exist with them. Adolescents with common mental health problems are associated with an increased risk of suicide, future unemployment, and poor quality of life. However, little is known about the mental health of adolescents in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the determinants of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms among adolescents in Northwest Ethiopia, in 2022. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 8 to 24, 2022. Two-stage stratified random sampling was used to select 1407 adolescents in Northwest Ethiopia. Structured and standardized self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Non-recursive structural equation modeling was employed to assess the direct, indirect, and total effects of predictors. Adjusted regression coefficients and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were used to interpret the strength of the association. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms were 28.21% (95% CI: 25.8, 31%), 25.05% (95%CI: 22.8, 27.5), and 25.24(95% CI: 23, 27.6%) respectively. Alcohol use had a significant positive effect on depression [β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.073, 0.201], anxiety [β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.041, 0.188], and somatic symptoms [β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.062, 0.211]. Stress had a significant positive effect on depression [β = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.642, 0.900], anxiety [β = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.955, 1.264], and somatic symptoms [β = 086, 95% C: 0.700, 1.025]. Depression had a direct positive effect on anxiety [β = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.508, 1.010]. In this study, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms was moderate. Alcohol use and stress were significantly related to depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. The bidirectional relationship between anxiety and depression was significant. Therefore, public health interventions should focus on the bidirectional relationship between depression and anxiety, as well as on identified factors to reduce the burden of mental illness in adolescents.

Investigating the Trajectory and Associated Risk Factors of Clinical Outcomes for Early Childhood Disruptive Behavior Disorders Using Real World Data.

Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are common mental health problems among early childhood American youth that, if poorly managed, pose costly psychological and societal burdens. There is limited real world evidence on how parent management training (PMT) - the evidence-based treatment model of choice - implemented in common practice settings within the United States influences the behavioral progress of early childhood DBDs, and the risk factors associated with poor outcomes. This study used data from a measurement feedback system implemented within a U.S.-based private practice to study how behavioral outcomes change as a function of PMT treatment engagement and associated risk factors for 4-7 year-old children diagnosed with DBDs. Over 50% of patients reached optimal outcomes after 10 appointments. Attending 24-29 appointments provided maximum treatment effect - namely, 75% of patients reaching optimal outcomes by end of treatment. Outcomes attenuate after reaching the maximum effect. Patients also had higher odds of reaching optimal outcomes if they had consistent attendance throughout the treatment course. Notable risk factors associated with lower odds of reaching optimal outcomes included Medicaid insurance-type, greater clinical complexity, and having siblings concurrently in treatment. Increased implementation of systems that monitor and provide feedback on treatment outcomes in U.S.-based practice settings and similar investigations using its data can further enhance 'real world' management of early childhood DBDs among American youth.

Insomnia and anxiety among COVID-19 patients in China: the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and self-esteem

BackgroundThe outbreak of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in 2019 has continued until now, posing a huge threat to the public’s physical and mental health, resulting in different degrees of mental health problems. As a vulnerable segment of the public, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems among COVID-19 patients. Excessive anxiety aggravates the physical and psychological symptoms of COVID-19 patients, which is detrimental to their treatment and recovery, increases financial expenditure, affects family relations, and adds to the medical burden.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the role of psychological capital and self-esteem in the relationship between insomnia and anxiety, thereby shedding light on the mechanism of the effect of insomnia on anxiety in COVID-19 patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2022 in Fangcang hospital in Shanghai, China. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 718 COVID-19 patients via cell phone using the Internet platform “Questionnaire Star”, which included Athens Insomnia Scale, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Self-esteem Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, gender, age, marital status, education. Data analysis was performed using descriptive analysis, independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, ordinary least-squares regression, and bootstrap method.ResultsEducation background had significant impact on anxiety in COVID-19 patients (F = 7.70, P < 0.001). Insomnia, psychological capital, self-esteem and anxiety were significantly correlated, respectively (P < 0.001). And Regression analysis showed that insomnia had a direct negative predictive effect on psychological capital (β = -0.70, P < 0.001) and self-esteem (β = -0.13, P < 0.001). Psychological capital had a direct positive predictive effect on self-esteem (β = 0.12, P < 0.001). Insomnia had a direct positive predictive effect on anxiety (β = 0.61, P < 0.001). Both psychological capital and self-esteem had significant negative predictive effects on anxiety (β = -0.06, P < 0.05; β = -0.72, P < 0.001). The results showed that the mediating effect of psychological capital and self-esteem was significant, and the mediating effect value was 0.21. First, the indirect effect consisting of insomnia - psychological capital - anxiety was 0.04, showing that psychological capital had a significant mediating effect. Second, the indirect effect consisting of insomnia-self-esteem-anxiety had a value of 0.10, indicating that self-esteem had a significant mediating effect. Third, the indirect effect consisting of insomnia-psychological capital-self-esteem-anxiety had a value of 0.06, suggesting that psychological capital and self-esteem had a significant chain mediating effect between insomnia and anxiety.ConclusionsInsomnia had a significant positive predictive effect on anxiety. Insomnia was first associated with a decrease in psychological capital, followed by a sequential decrease in self-esteem, which in turn was associated with increased anxiety symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, focusing on improving the psychological capital and self-esteem of patients can help alleviate the anxiety caused by insomnia in COVID-19 patients. It is recommended that patients and health care professionals increase the psychological capital and Self-esteem of COVID-19 patients through various methods to counter the effects of insomnia on anxiety.

Data-driven personalized medicine approaches to cognitive-behavioral therapy allocation in a large sample: A reanalysis of the ENRICHED study

BackgroundAlthough effective treatments for common mental health problems are available, individual responses to treatments are difficult to predict. Treatment efficacy can be optimized by targeting interventions using individual predictions of treatment outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop a prediction algorithm using data from one of the largest randomized clinical trials on psychological interventions for common mental health problems. MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease study investigating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and care as usual (CAU) for depression and low perceived social support following acute myocardial infarction. 2481 participants were randomly assigned to CBT and CAU. Baseline social-demographics, depression characteristics, comorbid symptoms, and stress and adversity measures were used to build an algorithm predicting post-treatment depression severity using elastic net regularization. Performance and generalizability of this algorithm were determined in a hold-out sample (n = 1203). ResultsTreatment matching based on predictions in the hold-out sample resulted in inconsistent and small effects (d = 0.15), that were more pronounced for individuals matched to CBT (d = 0.22). We identified a small subgroup of individuals for which CBT did not appear more efficacious than CAU. LimitationsLimitations are a poorly defined CAU condition, a low-severity sample, specific exclusion criteria and unavailability of certain baseline variables. ConclusionsSmall matching effects are likely a realistic representation of the performance and generalizability of multivariable prediction algorithms based on clinical measures. Results indicate that future work and new approaches are needed.

Evaluation of the First Approach Skills Training (FAST) Integrated Pediatric Primary Care Program: Implementation and Clinical Effectiveness

ABSTRACT The current study evaluated the clinical effectiveness and implementation of a brief integrated pediatric primary care program, First Approach Skills Training (FAST). We analyzed clinical retrospective data during the first year of implementation of FAST. Patients and parents completed symptom measures as part of standard clinical care. Integrated behavioral health providers completed measures regarding the FAST program's usability, feasibility, effectiveness, and cultural responsiveness. Patients and parents reported significant improvement in anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and disruptive behaviors. Clinicians rated FAST as highly usable, feasible, effective, and culturally responsive. The FAST program demonstrates preliminary clinical effectiveness for common youth mental health problems in pediatric primary care.

Assessing anxiety symptom severity in Rwandese adolescents: cross-gender measurement invariance of GAD-7.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems experienced by adolescents worldwide because of their evident significant impact on their quality of life and functioning. The generalized anxiety disorder item (GAD-7) was manufactured to identify the severity of self-reported anxiety symptoms. Efforts to address and screen for mental health problems in Rwanda have been limited, and the importance of screening for anxiety disorders is high. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Kinyarwanda version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD-7, and then test the measurement invariance of the GAD-7 by gender. We used the Rwandese version of GAD-7 among secondary school students in Kigali city (n=1813). Measurement invariance of the GAD-7 across gender and report on anxiety symptom severity prevalence. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine measurement invariance. Our findings demonstrated that in the sample of 1813 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years, generalized anxiety symptoms prevalence rates were higher in females (46.4%) than males (n= 29.8%) GAD-7 demonstrated good reliability and validity coefficients with a Cronbach's α of .077 and KMO and Bartlett test of Sphericity = 0.835. In addition to these psychometric properties, the GAD-7 screening scale had equivalence for configural and metric invariance across groups with excellent fit indices, and we confirmed partial scalar invariance across groups. The GAD-7 can be used in cross-group comparison of generalized anxiety disorder prevalence, and we acknowledge that full scalar invariance is generally difficult to confirm, especially due to gender differences. We recommend that future studies further investigate populations living in rural areas and conduct trials that will focus on anxiety-specific treatment in Rwandan Clinical health care centers to determine the diagnostic accuracy of this screening tool.

Costs and benefits of scaling psychosocial interventions during the perinatal period in England: A simulation modelling study

BackgroundGlobally, guidance recommends the integration of mental health into maternal and child healthcare to address common maternal mental health problems during the perinatal period. However, implementing this in the real-world requires substantial resource allocations. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to estimate the likely costs and consequences linked to scaling the delivery of treatment (in the form of psychosocial interventions) during the perinatal period. DesignSimulation modelling. Setting(s)England. MethodsCosts and consequences were modelled for three scenarios of assumed provision of services, whereby one referred to the projected provision under current government plans, with no additional scaling up of treatment. The other two scenarios referred to additional scaling of treatment: in one scenario, this referred to the provision of treatment by midwives and health visitors trained in the routine enquiry about mental health and delivery of psychosocial interventions; in the other scenario this referred to an expanded provision by primary mental health services. For each scenario and in yearly intervals (covering a ten-year period, 2015 to 2024), unit cots and outcomes were assigned to the activities women were assumed to receive (routine enquiry, assessment, treatment, care coordination). All costs were in 2020 pounds sterling. Data sources for the modelling included: published findings from randomised controlled trials; national unit cost source; national statistics; and expert consultation. ResultsIf the projected treatment gap was to be addressed, an estimated additional 111,154 (50,031) women would be accessing treatment in 2015 (2024). Estimated total costs (including cost offsets) in the scenario of projected provision under current government plans would be £73.5 million in 2015 and £95.2 million in 2024, whilst quality-adjusted life years gained would be 901 and 928 respectively. Addressing the treatment gap through provision by trained midwives and health visitors could mean additional costs of £7.3 million in 2015 but lower costs of £18.4 million in 2024. The additional quality-adjusted life years gained are estimated at 2096 in 2015 and 1418 in 2024. A scenario in which the treatment gap would be met by primary mental health services was likely to be more costly and delivered less health gains. ConclusionsFindings from this modelling study suggest that scaling the integration of mental health care into routinely delivered care for women during the perinatal period might be economically viable. RegistrationN/A. Tweetable abstractIntegrating mental health into maternal and child healthcare might generate economic benefits new study by @a_annettemaria and @knappem @CPEC_LSE finds #increasing access to treatment for women with perinatal mental health problems

O le tagata ma lona aiga, o le tagata ma lona fa’asinomaga (Every person belongs to a family and every family belongs to a person): Development of a parenting framework for adolescent mental wellbeing in American Samoa

American Samoan adolescents experience a high prevalence of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. To complement existing health system efforts, family-based interventions may be a feasible, cost-effective, and relevant opportunity to promote mental health. This community-partnered, qualitative study aimed to: (1) identify potential family-related psychosocial protective factors for adolescent mental health and (2) develop a framework for a parenting program to promote adolescent mental health in American Samoa. Applying the fa’afaletui framework developed for research in Samoan communities, which emphasizes the importance of weaving a range of community member perspectives to reach consensus, semi-structured in-depth interviews with adult key informants (n = 28) were conducted between October 2020 and February 2021. Results were validated through five focus groups with Samoan adolescents (n = 35) between May and June 2022. Adult participants were sampled for diversity in profession, age, gender, education, and region of residence; adolescent participants were sampled for diversity in gender. Participants were recruited using personal networks and snowball sampling; adolescent participants also responded to Facebook advertising. The semi-structured interviews focused on broad topics including common mental health problems, contributors to mental illness, and potential interventions, among others. Transcripts were coded in duplicate and analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Themes were collaboratively mapped onto an adapted fonofale model, an existing framework for Pacific Island health research. Six themes described key practices: (1) provide emotional safety and security; (2) provide physical safety and security; (3) encourage sense of self; (4) strengthen intergenerational communication skills; (5) prioritize quality time; and (6) cultivate healthy coping strategies. Participants also expressed the importance of a supportive environment grounded in culture, family and community, and caregiver mental health. These results provide an initial step to identify family-focused factors that promote adolescent mental health in American Samoa and categorize them into a framework to inform intervention development. Drawing on a collaborative and community-partnered process, these findings provide the first evidence-based framework to develop a parenting program to promote adolescent mental wellbeing and resilience in Samoan communities.

Validation of the Italian Version of the Web Screening Questionnaire for Common Mental Disorders.

The ever-increasing spread of Internet-based systems for common mental disorders has generated the need for brief online screening methods. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Web Screening Questionnaire (WSQ) to examine its suitability for screening for common mental health problems among a community sample of Italian adults. A total of 1282 subjects (F = 819; mean age = 42.05) answered the WSQ. Its discriminant characteristics were examined with other validated selected scales for measuring mental health widely used in the Italian population using sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC), as well as positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV). Most of the WSQ subscales exhibited moderate to high specificity values. Specifically, the scales of 'agoraphobia' (0.947; 95%CI [0.934, 0.960]), 'anxiety' (0.959; 95%CI [0.946, 0.970]), and 'panic disorder' (0.973; 95%CI [0.964, 0.981]) showed the highest values whilst the 'obsessive-compulsive' dimension had the lowest value at 0.838, 95%CI [0.815, 0.861]. With exceptions observed for 'depression' (0.716; 95%CI [642, 798]) and 'alcohol abuse' (0.760; 95%CI [560, 920]), instead, the WSQ demonstrated critical sensitivity values (<0.6) in all dimensions. The WSQ was appropriate for discriminating between people with and without a psychiatric condition, as it helps to confirm the absence of disorders. However, further diagnostic procedures are required, in case of a positive WSQ screening result.

Exploring the Effect of Psychological Interventions on Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents based on Behavior Change Wheel Theory

Background: Anxiety is a common mental health problem among adolescents that substantially increases the risk of anxiety disorder. Depression in adulthood and is a high-risk factor leading to suicide. We aimed to explore effective anxiety intervention methods in view of the annual rising detection rate of anxiety in adolescents.&#x0D; Methods: We enrolled 150 volunteers with mild anxiety or above (anxiety scale≥50 points) from 1015 adolescents between March and May 2023 in four communities in Shenyang, Liaoning Province and Nantong, Jiangsu Province in China. The participants were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups, comprising 73 and 74, respectively. The experimental group was given 2-month psychological intervention based on behavior change wheel (BCW) theory, whereas the control group was given no intervention.&#x0D; Results: The average anxiety score of the participants 46.57 ± 14.19, with 40.4% having anxiety symptoms. Anxiety was statistically correlated with self-evaluation of physical condition, family relationship, and grades (P &lt; 0.05). The depression and anxiety score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P &lt; 0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Anxiety has become a common phenomenon among adolescents. Self-evaluation of physical condition, family relationship, and grades are the focus of intervention for individuals with anxiety. The intervention method proposed in this study can effectively reduce the level of anxiety and depression in adolescents, providing a new perspective for formulating anxiety intervention strategies for adolescents.&#x0D;  

Gratitude in the Time of the Coronavirus: A Thematic Analysis of the Three Good Things in Young Adults

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the daily lives of college students, resulting in elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and isolation. Research suggests positive psychology interventions aimed at practicing gratitude, offer potential benefits in reducing these common mental health problems. However, there is a limited understanding of how or why these interventions work nor what function gratitude plays in the lives of young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the purpose of the paper was to explore the sources and targets of gratitude of college students during the COVID-10 lockdown in Ireland. This study aimed analyse the content of the ‘Three Good Things’ intervention as reported by young adults during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Ireland. A total of 109 college students participated in a 7-day online ‘Three Good Things’ intervention, where they were prompted to reflect on and document three positive experiences each day. Participants were asked to elaborate on how these experiences made them feel and to highlight their role in facilitating these positive experiences. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the 2,200 submitted responses. The findings revealed three overarching themes relating to participants’ expressions of gratitude during the COVID-19 lockdown: (1) cultivating positive social interactions, (2) prioritizing meaningful self-care, and (3) fostering hope for a more normal life post-pandemic. By delving into the lived experiences of college students, this study sheds light on the elements central to their expressions of gratitude during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings underscore the importance of social connections, self-care practices, and hopeful prospects as sources of gratitude among students.

Common maternal health problems and their correlates in early post-partum mothers.

Mothers experience a wide range of maternal health problems after childbirth, which in turn, affect their well-being and ability to care for their newborn. These problems may be influenced by factors such as mode of delivery or socio-economic status. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of common maternal health problems and their correlates in a public primary healthcare institution in Singapore. This was a cross-sectional study, based on a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 373 mothers (mean age 31.9 years) who accompanied their infants for their 4- to 8-week development assessments at a public primary care clinic in Singapore completed a self-administered questionnaire from June 2021 to December 2021. The questionnaire assessed demographic factors, mode of delivery, number of children, number of individuals providing significant help, and the frequency of common physical and mental maternal health problems using a 5-point Likert-type scale. The five most common maternal health problems were fatigue (77.7%), lower back pain (59.3%), Caesarean wound pain (54.3%), upper back pain (53.0%) and vaginal pain (41.2%). The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 22.0% and 11.3%, respectively. With respect to the symptoms' correlates, pain on passing urine was more frequent after assisted vaginal deliveries than all other forms of deliveries (all pairwise p < 0.01), and pain on passing motion was more frequent in vaginal deliveries than in Caesarean deliveries (all pairwise p < 0.05). Mothers having a larger number of children more frequently experienced headaches (β = 0.17, SE = 0.05, p = 0.002) and less frequently experienced breastfeeding difficulties (β = -0.28, SE = 0.08, p < 0.001). Mothers experienced a high prevalence of maternal health problems in multiple domains during the first 8 weeks after childbirth. Mode of delivery and number of children were associated with increased prevalence of certain problems. Mothers' physical and mental well-being should be investigated early after delivery and addressed with adequate treatments and resources.

Psychometric Properties and Factorial Invariance of the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression (CECAD) in Basque Population.

Anxiety and depression are the most common current mental health problems. Due to their comorbidity, there is a need for instruments that measure them simultaneously. Moreover, given that their prevalence varies by gender and age, it is important to examine the factorial invariance of such instruments. The present study aimed to analyze the dimensionality and factorial invariance of the Basque version of the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression (CECAD) as a function of gender and age, and to gather additional evidence of its validity. The sample comprised 2131 participants (54.2% female) between 7 and 24 years old ( M = 13.2; SD = 3.52). The CECAD was found to have a two-dimensional structure invariant to gender and age, with higher latent means for girls in both dimensions, and for those aged 14 and over in depression, but with small effect sizes. Both reliability and convergent validity values were good. The Basque version of the CECAD has good evidence of validity and reliability for assessing anxiety and depression in Basque-speaking children and adolescents.

Affect and mental health across the lifespan during a year of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of emotion regulation strategies and mental flexibility.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in common mental health problems compared to prepandemic levels, especially in young people. Understanding the factors that place young people at risk is critical to guide the response to increased mental health problems. Here we examine whether age-related differences in mental flexibility and frequency of use of emotion regulation strategies partially account for the poorer affect and increased mental health problems reported by younger people during the pandemic. Participants (N = 2,367; 11-100 years) from Australia, the UK, and US were surveyed thrice at 3-month intervals between May 2020 and April 2021. Participants completed measures of emotion regulation, mental flexibility, affect, and mental health. Younger age was associated with less positive (b = 0.008, p < .001) and more negative (b = -0.015, p < .001) affect across the first year of the pandemic. Maladaptive emotion regulation partially accounted for age-related variance in negative affect (β = -0.013, p = .020), whereby younger age was associated with more frequent use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, which, in turn, was associated with more negative affect at our third assessment point. More frequent use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and in turn, changes in negative affect from our first to our third assessment, partially accounted for age-related variance in mental health problems (β = 0.007, p = .023). Our findings add to the growing literature demonstrating the vulnerability of younger people during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest that emotion regulation may be a promising target for intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).