Degree Of Psychological Distress Research Articles

Nonsuicidal self-injury among Chinese university students during the post-COVID-19 era: analysis of sex differences and the impact of gender role conflict.

Global centers of epidemic prevention and control have entered a new stage of normalization, namely, the "post-COVID-19 era." During the post-COVID-19 era, which is characterized by the time period following that with the most serious medical consequences, the psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic began to receive worldwide attention, especially the degree of psychological distress it caused. This study explored the differential impact of gender role conflict on Chinese university students' engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a function of biological sex following the global COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 1,600 university students in northwestern China (M age = 21.3 years; 50.8% women) who completed online measures of demographic variables (including biological sex, gender role conflict, and NSSI engagement). Women reported significantly more gender role conflicts than men did, while engagement in NSSI was significantly more prevalent among men than women. A total of 262 men reported engaging in at least one NSSI behavior, resulting in a prevalence rate of 33.25%. In comparison, a total of 106 individuals reported engaging in at least one NSSI behavior, resulting in a prevalence rate of 13.05% among women. Gender role conflict was found to significantly predict university students' NSSI engagement, regardless of biological sex. This is the first empirical study to identify sex differences in both gender role conflict and engagement in NSSI among university students in Northwestern China during the post-COVID-19 era. In addition, the present study is the first to demonstrate how gender role conflict predicts engagement in NSSI across sexes. These findings will inform the literature on gender role conflict and NSSI, particularly the close relationship between gender role conflict and engagement in NSSI among Chinese university students, and they emphasize the need for continued efforts to explore NSSI cross-culturally.

“More support, less distress?”: Examining the role of social norms in alleviating practitioners’ psychological distress in the context of assisted dying services

This study explores how providing assisted dying services affects the psychological distress of practitioners. It investigates the influence of professional norms that endorse such services within their field. Study 1 included veterinarians (N = 137, 75.2% female, M age = 43.1 years, SD age = 12.7 years), and Study 2 health practitioner students (N = 386, 71.0% female, M age = 21.0 years, SD age = 14.4 years). In both studies, participants indicated their degree of psychological distress following exposure to scenarios depicting assisted dying services that were relevant to their respective situations. In Study 1, we found that higher willingness to perform animal euthanasia was associated with lower distress, as were supportive norms. In Study 2, a negative association between a greater willingness to perform euthanasia and lower psychological distress occurred only when the provision of such services was supported by professional norms. In conclusion, psychological distress is buffered by supportive professional norms.

Complications and psychological impact of pressure ulcers on patients and caregivers.

Pressure ulcers are persistent skin lesions that have substantial detrimental effects on the physical well-being of patients. Moreover, their psychological ramifications for both patients and their caregivers are becoming more widely acknowledged. This research was conducted to examine the psychological ramifications of pressure ulcers and ascertain efficacious approaches to mitigate these effects and improve overall well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2022 to December 2023 across tertiary care centres located in Beijing. The cohort consisted of 431 participants, which included primary caregivers and patients who were diagnosed with pressure ulcers. The data were gathered through the utilization of structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. These methods encompassed demographic details, clinical characteristics and validated scales that assessed psychological parameters, including quality of life, anxiety, stress and depression. The research exposed substantial psychological toll on both individuals receiving care and those providing care, with caregivers enduring diminished quality of life and elevated levels of anxiety, depression and stress (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was identified between the degree of psychological distress and severity of pressure ulcers (p < 0.05). Both location of the ulcer and duration of care were substantial contributors to the psychological burden (p < 0.05). In spite of the apparent necessity, a significant proportion of the participants refrained from obtaining psychological counselling. The results underscored the significant psychological ramifications of pressure ulcers for both individuals receiving care and the caregivers. As a result, comprehensive care strategies that incorporate psychological assistance into the prescribed treatment plan are imperative. This research highlighted the criticality of implementing all-encompassing, interdisciplinary approaches to tackle the complex issues presented by pressure ulcers in an effort to enhance the general welfare of those influences.

A Study on the Current Situation of Psychological Distress among Psychiatric Nurses and its Influencing Factors

Objective: To understand the current situation of psychiatric nurses' psychological distress and analyse its influencing factors. Methods From August to October 2022, 326 clinical nurses in three psychiatric hospitals in Henan Province were selected by convenience sampling method, and questionnaires were administered to them using the General Information Questionnaire, Psychological Distress Scale, Flexibility Scale Simplified, and Workplace Violence Frequency Scale. Statistical processing used SPSS 24.0. Results 76.4% of the nurses had different degrees of psychological distress, and the total score of psychological distress was (23.35±9.19). Length of work, psychological resilience and workplace violence were the influencing factors of psychiatric nurses' psychological distress (P&lt;0.05), which could explain 26.6% of the total variance. Conclusion Psychiatric nurses have more serious psychological distress, and nursing managers should take active interventions to improve the level of psychological resilience of nursing staff and reduce workplace violence.

Evaluation of the psychological distress and mental well-being of pre-hospital care providers in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19.

Pre-hospital care providers are the first line of contact when emergencies occur. They are at high risk of mental health disorders associated with trauma and stress. The magnitude of their stress could increase during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports on the state of mental well-being and the degree of psychological distress among pre-hospital care workers (paramedics, emergency medical technicians, doctors, paramedic interns and other healthcare practitioners) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. The study was a cross-sectional survey study in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was distributed among pre-hospital care workers in Saudi Arabia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was based on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). In total, 427 pre-hospital care providers completed the questionnaire; 60% of the respondents had scores of more than 30 in the K10 and were likely to have a severe disorder. The WHO-5 showed a similar percentage of respondents with a score of more than 50 and coded as having poor well-being. The findings of this study provide evidence around mental health and well-being for pre-hospital care workers. They also highlight the need to better understand the quality of mental health and well-being for this population and to provide appropriate interventions to improve their quality of life.

Beyond the individual: Sexual minority help-seeking and the consequences of structural barriers.

Sexual minorities report more psychological distress, unmet mental health needs, and barriers to mental health care compared with heterosexuals, yet little is known about their barriers to seeking out mental health care. The present study reports the factors that influence intentions to seek out mental health care of a national survey of 398 sexual minorities. Structural equation modeling identified structural barriers, such as cost, time, and knowing how to access services, as the strongest predictor of sexual minorities' help-seeking intentions. Latent moderators indicated sexual minorities' help-seeking intentions varied depending upon their degree of psychological distress. This revealed a pattern where the most vulnerable participants (i.e., those with high structural barriers and negative help-seeking attitudes) were willing to pursue mental health care only when they were experiencing significant distress. Furthermore, nearly 40% of participants reported unmet mental health needs, and structural barriers were the primary reasons for this deficit. Findings from this study contrast with previous mental health help-seeking research by emphasizing the importance of structural vulnerability, which refers to the external forces that frame and constrain choices, thereby impeding decision-making and limiting life options for those who are in systemically disadvantaged social positions. These findings are discussed in terms of counseling psychology training, practice, social justice advocacy, and future health care research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ACADEMIC IMPACT OF COVID-19 AMONG STUDENTS OF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN SAUDI ARABIA 2020-2021

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging infection causing a widely spread pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The continuous spread of COVID-19, strict isolation measure, delays in starting colleges, attending offline classes, facing challenges to conduct high school grades for medical students across the country is expected to influence the psychological health and academic yielding of the students of colleges of medicine in Saudi Arabia. Objectives: This study aims to assess the psychological and academic impact of COVID-19 among the students of colleges of medicine in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This cross-sectional study conducted from October 2020-March 2021 in which a survey conducted among medical students from 10 colleges of medicine in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was conducted using social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Twitter, as well as email. The survey requested demographic and socioeconomic information, in addition to 4-point Likert Scale to assess the psychological and academic impact. Results: There were 661 responses in total. Most of the participants were female 51% (n=332), from Majmaah University 20.6% (n=134), and from the sixth year 26.3% (n=171). Majority of the participants were between the ages of 18 and 23 years 59.6% (n=388). The prevalence of COVID-19 among the participants was only 11.06% (n=72). During the height of the pandemic, 39.6% of the participants (n=258) stated that their GPA had risen. The extent of psychological distress was calculated using a 4-point Likert Scale, and the majority of the students (n=328) had moderate psychological distress. Similarly, most of the students had moderate academic impact 34.87% (n=227) due to COVID-19. There were a significant association between the degree of psychological distress and gender with male students reporting more mild 7.2% and moderate distress 23% while female students reported more moderately severe 20.1% and the severe distress 4.3%. In addition, there were an association between the level of stress and the academic performance. Conclusion: The result suggest that the COVID-19 has a moderate psychological distress and also moderate academic impact among students of colleges of medicine in Saudi Arabia.

How Internal Medicine Residents Deal with Death and Dying: a Qualitative Study of Transformational Learning and Growth.

Dealing with death and dying is one of the most common sources of work-related stress for medical trainees. Research suggests that the degree of psychological distress that students and residents feel around providing care for terminally ill patients generally decreases as training progresses. However, there is a dearth of literature that directly addresses how trainees learn to manage emotions and process grief when patients die. To gain insight into medical resident experiences in caring for the dying, including the role of training level and use of support networks and coping strategies to manage personal reactions to patient death. A thematic analysis of focus group interviews was conducted, and patterns that reflected resident coping and managing experiences with patient death were identified. Internal medicine residents from all year levels and recent graduates from two large academic medical centers in the United Arab Emirates. Qualitative study using a phenomenologic approach. Residents undergo transformational learning and growth in their experiences with death and dying. Five major themes emerged: emotions, support, education and experience, coping strategies, and finding meaning. As residents progress through their training, they seek and receive support from others, improve their end-of-life patient care and communication skills, and develop effective coping strategies. This transformational growth can enable them to find meaning and purpose in providing effective care to dying patients and their families. Positive role modeling, faith and spirituality, and certain innate personality traits can further facilitate this process. Understanding the complex emotions inherent in caring for dying patients from the perspective of medical residents is a critical step in creating evidence-based educational innovations and policies that support trainees. Residency programs should work to foster reflective practice and self-care in their trainees and teaching faculty.

COMPARISON BETWEEN START BACK SCREENING TOOL AND DRAM FOR DETECTION OF PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN LOW BACK PAIN

ABSTRACT Objective: To correlate the results of the STarT Back Screening Tool and DRAM questionnaires, applied simultaneously, in a population with low back pain. Methods: Comparative cross-sectional study with 84 participants with low back pain assessed by both STarT Back Screening Tool (SBST) and DRAM questionnaires. The degree of correlation between the two questionnaires was analyzed through the evaluation of individualized data and using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: According to the DRAM, 19% of the patients were classified as “normal”, 32.1% as “at risk” and 48.8% as “distressed”. According to SBST, 59.5% of patients were classified as “low risk”, 31% as “medium risk” and 9.5% as “high risk”. Applying the Spearman's coefficient to evaluate the degree of correlation between the two questionnaires, a value of 0.4 was obtained. This shows that there is a positive, but weak, correlation (p &lt;0.001) between the two questionnaires. Conclusion: There is a positive correlation between the two questionnaires, but the DRAM showed a greater tendency to classify patients with some degree of psychological distress when compared to the SBST. Both questionnaires are effective in identifying these factors, but the data suggest that the DRAM may be more effective as a screening tool in patients with low back pain, in view of the higher number of patients identified. Level of evidence III; Diagnostic test study.

COVID-19 related psychological distress and fears among mothers and pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.

ObjectivesThis study objectives were to investigate maternal psychological distress, mothers’ fear of their children contracting COVID-19, mothers’ perceptions of the information available regarding children and COVID-19, changes in children’s behavior during lockdown, and concerns of pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed women aged 18 years and older who either had children under 10 years of age or were pregnant at the time of the survey. The outcomes included psychological distress, mothers’ fear of their children contracting COVID-19, change in children’s behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown and pregnant women’s concerns. Multivariable ordinary least squares regression models were employed to examine the adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and psychological distress, as well as fear of COVID-19.ResultsOf 628 women, 11.8% (n = 74) were pregnant at the time of survey. Most of the pregnant women (89.2%, n = 66) had some degree of concerns about their unborn babies getting infected during delivery in the hospital. Among mothers of children under 10 years of age (n = 564), half (n = 282) reported change in their children’s behavior during the lockdown. Most mothers and pregnant women (94.9%, n = 569) had some degree of psychological distress. Mothers and pregnant women with a college degree had significantly lower psychological distress (β = -1.346; p = 0.014) than women with a high school education or less. Similarly, mothers and pregnant women with monthly family income ≥ US$ 1,333 had lower psychological distress than those with < US$ 1,333. Women with pre-existing chronic physical (β = 2.424; p < 0.001) or mental (β = 4.733; p < 0.001) conditions had higher psychological distress than those without these conditions. Having children in the house was a contributory factor for higher psychological distress. For example, mothers with one child (β = 2.602; p = 0.007) had significantly higher psychological distress compared to expectant mothers without children in the house.ConclusionsMost mothers and expectant mothers in our study had moderate to high levels of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Education, family income and chronic mental and physical conditions were associated with high psychological distress in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19.

Sleep quality and psychological status of health professionals in Egypt during COVID-19 era

Background: Good quality sleep is crucial for human well-being. COVID-19 pandemic affected tremendously the quality of life in human specially the health professionals dealing with the patients with COVID-19 in difficult and unusual circumstances. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the sleep quality among the Egyptian health professionals during the peak of the COVID-19 time and the degree of the psychological distress they have experienced using validated tools and to investigate the link between both. Patients and methods : this is a cross sectional study. an online survey was distributed through the social media and online platforms to be filled by Egyptian health professional . The survey included the socio-demographic information, work details, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality (PSQI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) amid of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results : 146 health professionals responded to the online questionnaire which included some epidemiological data, the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). 60% were females and mean age was 37.47 years. The mean PSQI and the GHQ-12 were 7.8 and 14.55 respectively. More than half of the respondents had some degree of psychological distress and about 67% of them had a poor sleep quality. Moreover, there was a positive association between the GHQ and the PSQI. Conclusion: Sleep quality among the health professionals was affected and linked to the degree of the psychological distress they experience. This warrants the importance of the psychological support that the health professionals needs especially in the current global situation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT04395300. Registered 19 May 2020. Retrospectively registered,https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04395300

Psychological distress and trauma in doctors providing frontline care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and Ireland: a prospective longitudinal survey cohort study

ObjectivesThe psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctors is a significant concern. Due to the emergence of multiple pandemic waves, longitudinal data on the impact of COVID-19 are vital...

Influence of Psychological Distress in Patients with Hypoallergenic Total Knee Arthroplasty. Treatment Algorithm for Patients with Metal Allergy and Knee Osteoarthritis.

The outcome in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) depends on multiples factors, among them is the psychological condition. In addition, up 15 to 30% of the patients that undergo TKA show little or no improvement after surgery, which implies the diagnosis of a painful TKA is a challenge for the orthopedic surgeon, who must rule out a possible metal allergy (MA). It is considered an exclusion diagnosis. Due to the complex relationship between psychological condition and MA, and according to the worse results in patients treated with a hypoallergenic TKA, we asked: (1). What degree of psychological distress (PD) is present in patients who have a hypoallergenic TKA, and how does it influence the results of quality of life (QoL) and functional capacity. (2). Can we develop a new algorithm for patients with a possible MA that improves the outcomes? A pragmatic clinical study was carried out that included patients who underwent hypoallergenic TKA during three consecutive years. Quality of life and functional capacity were measured with (Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) WOMAC index, the Short Form 12 questionnaire (SF-12) questionnaire, and the The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire essentially consists of two pages: the EQ-5D descriptive system and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ VAS) (Euro-QoL-5D L-VAS (EQ5D)), in all patients. To assess PD, a Psychological Distress Score was developed. SPSS software was performed to statistical analysis, and Student´s test for independent variables with a p < 0.005 as statistically significant. A total of 72 anallergic TKAs in 64 patients were treated during this period; 31.3% of these patients showed features of PD before the surgery. According with the severity of the PD, 60% were classified as severe, 10% as moderate and 30% as mild. Patients with PD had statistically significant worse results on the final WOMAC, SF-12, and EQ5D questionnaires. The final scores of the physical subscale of the SF-12 and EQ5D showed better results in patients diagnosed by psychiatrist. Up to one third of the patients with hypoallergenic TKAs have PD, and their results are clearly inferior to those patients with MA without PD. When PD was diagnosed according with Psychological Distress Score, patients should be carefully assessed in order to determine if a specialist referral is recommended. According with our results, PD should be assessed either by the PCP or by us. If the PD is confirmed, a psychiatry referral is then requested for better preoperative management and treatment. We believe that this approach would lead to better TKA outcomes.

Implementation of virtual mentoring to optimize collection of patient-reported data in the COVID-19 era: A prospective cohort study with adaptive design.

e24091 Background: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, all patients attending ambulatory clinic at cancer centers in Ontario, Canada completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), as per governmental cancer agency mandate. At our center, completion was via touch pad, with assistance by clinic volunteers. As of mid-March 2020, clinic appointments were conducted virtually whenever possible, and touch pads removed from clinic. Our purpose here was to explore how these changes impacted the collection of patient-reported outcomes, in particular the recognition of severe symptoms. Methods: We performed a prospective cross-sectional cohort study to test the feasibility of remote completion of the ESAS by patients scheduled for appointments at a weekly surgical oncology clinic at a major cancer center. Patients were identified serially based on date of clinic appointment. Patients in the initial study cohort were asked to complete and return the ESAS virtually (V). Given low completion rates, the ensuing study cohort was asked to complete a hard-copy (HC) ESAS. For the final cohort, we used an adaptive approach, providing remote, personal mentoring by a member of the health care team to support virtual ESAS completion (virtual-mentored, VM). Results: Between May-July 2020, a total of 174 patients were included in the study: 53% were female, and median age was 62 (19-90) yrs. Age, gender and tumor site did not differ between the three cohorts. For the V cohort, 20/43 patients successfully completed and returned the ESAS electronically (completion rate 44%). For the HC cohort, 49/50 completed the form (98%). For the VM cohort (n=78), the completion rate was 74%. Questionnaire completion was not predicted by age, gender or tumor site, although patients who completed the ESAS were more likely to be under active investigation/treatment vs. surveillance (p=.04). Of the 127 ESAS forms completed in all patient cohorts, 117 reported at least 1 symptom score ≥1. There were no significant differences in individual symptom scores (e.g. tiredness, wellbeing-see Table) reported between cohorts. Of all completed forms, 42% had a depression score ≥2 and 27% an anxiety score ≥4, indicating significant psychosocial distress. Conclusions: We have identified significant barriers to the virtual completion of ESAS forms, with lack of predictive variables. The severe degree of psychological distress reported by ̃50% of respondents demonstrates the need for ongoing regular collection and review of these data.[Table: see text]

Factors affecting antidepressant use by patients requiring home parenteral nutrition.

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-saving therapy for patients with chronic intestinal failure but can be associated with a degree of psychological distress. The factors associated with the need for antidepressants (ADs) in this cohort have not yet been described. The study involved prospective data collection from patients attending an HPN clinic at a national intestinal failure referral center. Patients requiring HPN as a result of active malignancy were excluded. Patients were divided in 2 groups according to AD usage; demographic, anthropometric, socioeconomic characteristics, and intravenous supplementation (IVS) regimens were compared between groups. A total of 184 patients were recruited between July 2018 and April 2019, with an overall prevalence of AD use of 41.7% (70/168 patients). Daily mean IVS volume was significantly higher among patients taking AD ("AD" group; 2125.48 ± 991.8 ml/day, "no-AD" group; 1828.54 ± 847.0 ml/day, P = .039), with the proportion of patients needing high-volume IVS (≥3000 ml/day) being 3 times higher in the AD group (20.0%(14/70 patients) vs 6.1% (6/98 patients), P = .006). The average energy IVS infusion per day was similar between the groups. This is the first study to demonstrate that AD use correlates with higher IVS volume rather than energy requirements in HPN patients, suggesting that high IVS volume requirements may be better associated with the patient's disease burden. Early and tailored mental health intervention may be beneficial in those with high IVS volume requirements.

Psychological Distress and Trauma in Doctors Providing Frontline Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Prospective Longitudinal Survey Cohort Study

Background: The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctors is a significant concern. Due to the emergence of a multiple pandemic waves, longitudinal data on the impact of COVID-19 is vital to ensure an adequate psychological response. The primary aim was to assess the prevalence and degree of psychological distress and trauma in Emergency Medicine (EM), Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) doctors during the acceleration, peak and deceleration of the COVID-19 first wave. Personal and professional factors associated with psychological distress are also reported. Methods: A prospective online three-part longitudinal survey of frontline doctors across the UK and Ireland, administered at the acceleration, peak and deceleration of the COVID-19 first wave. Primary outcome measures were psychological distress and trauma, measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12 and the Impact of Events-Revised. Findings: Acceleration survey response rate was 15.9% (n=5440), of an estimated 34,188 doctors. Peak and deceleration response rates were 71·6% (n=3896) and 56·6% (n=3079) respectively. Prevalence of psychological distress was 44·7% (n=1334) during the acceleration, 36·9% (n=1098) at peak and 31·5% (n=918) at the deceleration phase. The prevalence of trauma was 23·7% (n=647) at peak and 17·7% (n=484) at deceleration. The prevalence of probable post-traumatic stress disorder was 12·6% (n=343) at peak and 10·1% (n=276) at deceleration. Worry of family infection due to clinical work was most strongly associated with both distress (R2 = 0·06) and trauma (R2 =0·10). Interpretation: Findings reflect a pattern of elevated distress at acceleration and peak, with some natural recovery. It is essential that policymakers seek to prevent future adverse effects through (a)provision of vital equipment to mitigate physical and psychological harm (b)increased awareness and recognition of signs of psychological distress and (c)the development of clear pathways to effective psychological care. Funding: Funding received from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.Declaration of Interests: Many of the authors have been working as frontline clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have no competing interests to declare.Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Bath (UK) and Children’s Health Ethics Committee (Ireland). Regulatory approval was obtained from the Health Regulation Authority (UK), Health and Care Research Wales. Participants provided electronic informed consent for each survey.

Психологическая диагностика послеродовой депрессии у матерей преждевременно рожденных детей

The article reports the results of the study of emotional interaction between mothers and their prematurely born children. In particular, it discusses the tools to diagnose the probability of postnatal depression in mothers of prematurely born children. The article provides a review of international research of the last six years on the impact of maternal depression and anxiety on the interaction with a premature baby. It also focuses on the degree of psychological distress, anxiety and stress reactions associated with. The theoretical analysis of the issue in question has shown the need for early diagnosis of postnatal depression in mothers of prematurely born children. A survey of 234 mothers of prematurely born children showed that they could develop postnatal depression at different stages of the study. The reason lies in the approaches to diagnosis. At the first stage, diagnosis was carried out within a group at the first meeting of mothers of preterm babies with a psychologist. At the second stage the sample was diagnosed by an already familiar psychologist. The differences in data on a sample of mothers of prematurely born children were identified with the most well-known and popular methods: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (J. L. Cox, J. M. Holden, R. Sagovsky) and the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (A. T. Beck). The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale was found to be more sensitive than the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

Factors affecting antidepressant use by patients requiring home parenteral nutrition

Rationale: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-saving therapy for patients with chronic intestinal failure. However, HPN is associated with impaired quality of life and a degree of psychological distress, although the factors associated with the need for antidepressants in this cohort have not yet been described.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychological Distress, Physical Activity, and Symptom Severity in Parkinson's Disease.

Background:The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has many consequences for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Social distancing measures complicate regular care and result in lifestyle changes, which may indirectly cause psychological stress and worsening of PD symptoms.Objective:To assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased psychological distress and decreased physical activity in PD, how these changes related to PD motor and non-motor symptom severity, and what frequency and burden of COVID-related stressors were.Methods:We sent an online survey to the Personalized Parkinson Project (PPP) cohort (n = 498 PD patients) in the Netherlands. In the survey, we distinguished between COVID-related stressor load, psychological distress, PD symptom severity, and physical activity. We related inter-individual differences to personality factors and clinical factors collected before the pandemic occurred.Results:358 PD patients completed the survey between April 21 and May 25, 2020 (response rate 71.9%). Patients with higher COVID-related stressor load experienced more PD symptoms, and this effect was mediated by the degree of psychological distress. 46.6% of PD patients were less physically active since the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduced physical activity correlated with worse PD symptoms. Symptoms that worsened most were rigidity, fatigue, tremor, pain and concentration. Presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression) before the pandemic, as well as cognitive dysfunction and several personality traits predicted increased psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion:Our findings show how an external stressor (the COVID-19 pandemic) leads to a worsening of PD symptoms by evoking psychological distress as well as lifestyle changes (reduced physical activity).

Paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana: Pattern, household cost, and distress.

Maxillofacial fractures in the paediatric population are peculiar in risks, management, and potential complications. To determine the pattern, psychological distress to parents, and economic cost of paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana. This study combined a retrospective evaluation with a cross-sectional cost-of-illness (COI) analysis to describe the pattern and economic cost of paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana. The DASS 21 was used to assess psychological distress to parents. Descriptive summaries were generated, and cross-tabulations done, with consequent tests of associations. In all, 253 patients were included in the study, with 68 households responding to the COI evaluation. Consisting of 179 (70.8%) males and 74 (29.2%) females, the ages ranged from 10months to 17years (mean age of 9.0±5.0years). Maxillofacial fractures frequently resulted from falls (56.5%), while traffic injuries accounted for 27.3%. The average household cost for paediatric maxillofacial fractures in Ghana was US$ 148.77, with the direct cost component accounting for 76% of this amount. At least half of the parents had some degree of psychological distress from the injury sustained. Knowledge of the pattern and disease burden of maxillofacial fractures in children is vital in informing preventive strategies, especially for evolving health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.