Gender Differences In Mental Health Research Articles

DORMITORY ENVIRONMENT, LEARNING ENGAGEMENT, AND COLLEGE STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTH: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SURVEY DATA FROM 45 UNIVERSITIES IN CHINA

ABSTRACT In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research aimed to explore the relationship between dormitory environment, learning engagement, and mental health among college students, with a special focus on college students of different gender groups. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of students from 45 universities in China. For mental health, we tested students for depression using the 5-Item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The dormitory environment is exemplified by a typical four-person dormitory layout in China, which is assessed in four main areas: site location, functional layout, maintenance management, and view from the window. Meanwhile, we examined the relationship between mental health and the dormitory environment using learning engagement as a mediating variable. We found that the dormitory environment positively influences college students’ mental health through the mediating role of learning engagement. We found gender differences in mental health among Chinese college students. The mental health of male students was better than that of female students. More importantly, we found differences in the influence of dormitory environment on the mental health of college students in different gender groups. In the dormitory environment-learning engagement pathway, the influence was more pronounced for male students. In the learning engagement—mental health pathway, the total and indirect effects were more substantial for women than for men. As our study took place during the epidemic, the examination of the relationship between dormitory environment and college students’ mental health in this study will also inspire college administrators to pay more attention to the dormitory environment and support the development of public health policies to promote college students’ mental health. We encourage further research on the relationship between dormitory environment and college students’ mental health, which will promote the greening of college dormitories and improve college students’ mental health.

Inequality on the frontline: A multi-country study on gender differences in mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Healthcare workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, with prior data suggesting women may be particularly vulnerable. Our global mental health study aimed to examine factors associated with gender differences in psychological distress and depressive symptoms among HCWs during COVID-19. Across 22 countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, 32,410 HCWs participated in the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study between March 2020 and February 2021. They completed the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and questions about pandemic-relevant exposures. Consistently across countries, women reported elevated mental health problems compared to men. Women also reported increased COVID-19-relevant stressors, including insufficient personal protective equipment and less support from colleagues, while men reported increased contact with COVID-19 patients. At the country level, HCWs in countries with higher gender inequality reported less mental health problems. Higher COVID-19 mortality rates were associated with increased psychological distress merely among women. Our findings suggest that among HCWs, women may have been disproportionately exposed to COVID-19-relevant stressors at the individual and country level. This highlights the importance of considering gender in emergency response efforts to safeguard women’s well-being and ensure healthcare system preparedness during future public health crises.

An international comparison of gender differences in mental health among higher-education students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a multilevel design

BackgroundMental health problems are a common phenomenon among higher-education students. How these mental health problems manifest themselves appears to differ between male and female students. While the latter group bears a greater risk of developing internalizing problems, with depression being particularly prevalent, these problems manifest themselves in male students mainly via externalizing disorders, with alcohol abuse being the most prevalent. Available cross-national research on students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, to date, mainly focused on the prevalence of depressive symptoms, thereby ignoring a possible gendered impact of the pandemic.MethodsThe current study used the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, which collected data on students’ mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 26 countries, and multilevel modeling was applied.ResultsIt finds that, overall, female students reported more depressive feelings, and male students reported more excessive alcohol consumption. The strictness of the governmental containment measures explained a substantial amount of these gender differences in depressive feelings, but not in excessive alcohol consumption.ConclusionsOur study highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic had a gendered impact on students’ mental health. Studies that ignore the gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are therefore limited in scope.

Internet Usage: A Crutch for Postgraduate Students with Poor Mental Health

Background: The intricacies of developing internet systems endowed with serendipity and surprises and the relationships among internet users as individuals and collectives have attracted the attention of several researchers from various disciplines to examine the emergent phenomena. The present study seeks to understand internet usage in the realm of psychology, where it has a profound effect on the mental health of the individual. Numerous studies have indicated that internet usage results in poor mental health and that it is responsible for psychological problems. However, on the contrary, the present study seeks to examine if the internet is being used as a mental support system for those with issues of mental health. Aims: This study aims to understand the predictive value of mental health in calculating internet usage among postgraduate students. Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify whether mental health and internet usage vary with gender, to explore the relationship between mental health and internet usage, and to identify if internet usage may be predicted through mental health. Methods: The sample of the study consisted of N= 1040 drawn from postgraduate students studying in various universities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India. It is not only a gender representative but also a socio-economic representative of Indian society. The Mental Health Inventory and the Internet Addiction Scale were the tools used for the collection of data. Results: The results obtained were analysed using SPSS. The findings t (1035) = -3.43, p = 0.001 suggested a significant difference among the genders pertaining to mental health, and t (1031) = 7.72, p < 0.001 revealed gender difference in internet usage. Results of Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a negative and significant correlation with r = -0.212 (p <.01). Regression analysis depicted that internet usage could be predicted through mental well-being significantly at t (1035) = 11.96, F = 48.71, and p < 0.001. Conclusion: There is a significant gender difference in mental health and internet usage. Mental health and internet usage have a significant negative correlation. Internet usage can be predicted through the mental health of an individual.

Heterogeneous gender gaps in mental wellbeing: Do women with low economic status face the biggest gender gaps?

Gender differences in depression are globally documented across a wide range of studies that analyse self-reports of depressive symptoms or clinical diagnoses. Extensive research fails to identify any single reason for this finding but given systematic variation in depressive symptomatology across social groups, gender differences must derive at least partly from environmental or social factors. Among the social factors that are considered most important are those relating to gender differences in socio-economic status and the underlying gender division of labor. In this study, we add to existing research by interrogating heterogeneity in gender differences in mental health. Studies that investigate environmental factors typically consider these only in relation to the average gender gap in depression. We use a novel sorting and classification method (Chernozhukov et al., 2018) that makes it possible to map the full distribution of gender differences in depressive symptomatology among comparable women and men. Although we cannot attribute causality, the method allows us to isolate those social factors that are distinctive to women who experience the largest gender gap in depressive symptoms compared to those who exhibit the smallest. The study analyses detailed nationally representative micro-data from South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty, which are higher still among women. As is common elsewhere, women report significantly more depressive symptoms than men, and low socio-economic status is correlated with poor mental health. However, women with low socio-economic status are not relatively more concentrated among women who face the largest gender gap in depressive symptomatology. These findings would not be consistent with the hypothesis that women have a greater tendency than men to ruminate over economic hardship and could rather point to resilience and a “steeling effect” among poor women.

Cross-lagged analysis of the relationship between risk perception, physical activity, and adolescent mental health

Background: According to a study of global adolescent mood problems during the pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 31% and depressive symptoms were 34% during the novel coronavirus pandemic, both significantly higher than before the pandemic. However, while physical activity has been clearly shown to be effective in moderating adolescent mental health problems, it is unknown whether physical activity is still effective for mental health under the risk perception of illness. Therefore, this study investigated the association between risk perception, physical activity, and adolescent mental health. Methods: Two questionnaires were administered to the same students in five high schools in December 2022 as well as in January 2023. <N=344>, which investigated the risk perception level, physical activity intensity, and mental health level of adolescents during the New Crown pandemic. Results: There were significant gender differences (p < 0.01) for adolescents' risk perceptions, with gender difference effects of 0.255 (d = 0.416) and 0.195 (d = 0.402) for the two measures, and gender differences in mental health, with gender difference effects of 0.159 (d = 0.262) and 0.179 (d = 0.278).

Gender differences in mental health following the transition into parenthood: Longitudinal evidence from the UK.

Previous studies have largely omitted a dynamic analysis of how the transition into parenthood shapes gender differences in mental health trajectories. This study adopts a life course approach to examine how transitioning into parenthood affects men's and women's mental health across multiple domains over time, using large-scale panel data from the 'UK Household Longitudinal Study' (2009-2020). Results from fixed effects models with discrete-time trends show that: (1) women's mental health is more largely affected by parenthood than men's; (2) women's overall mental health shows stable improvements following childbirth, while men's shows mostly insignificant changes; (3) role and social functioning are largely improved among women following childbirth, but only marginally among men; (4) emotional functioning and vitality demonstrate the counteracting effects of parenthood for both genders, with increases in feeling happy but a deterioration in feeling calm and having energy, particularly during care-intensive years; (5) women show larger variations by socioeconomic characteristics than men, with women from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and working full-time experiencing smaller mental health benefits from parenthood compared to less privileged women or having lower paid work constraints. Overall, transitioning to parenthood leads to distinct changes in mental health domains with heterogeneous effects across genders and socioeconomic groups.

Mental health of university students of Pakistan and Germany and the right to health care

Purpose Poor mental health in men and women is attributable to disparities in physical traits, social roles, power and health-seeking behaviours. This study aims to examine the gender differences in mental health among Pakistan and German university students and focuses on their right to seek mental health care. Design/methodology/approach Data on depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, as well as positive mental health (PMH), resilience, social support and life satisfaction, were gathered from Pakistani and German students. Findings In contrast to the Pakistani group, where no such gender differences were seen, women in Germany reported higher degrees of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as a lower level of overall good mental health. In comparison to German men and women, Pakistani women scored equally high on resilience. While gender had no bearing on life happiness in either Pakistan or Germany, women in both countries perceived more social support than men did. Research limitations/implications The study’s strengths include its large sample size and battery of mental health measures. The results of partial weak measurement Invariance (MI) on the stress subscale underlined the importance of using MI in cross-cultural studies. The validity of a direct comparisons on sum score between different language versions or country samples shall be cautious. Still, there are limitations. Firstly, the authors did not differentiate gender and biological sex, and there was no group of non-binary gender. Pakistani (N = 1,840) and German (N = 7,890) students were in unequal numbers. Again, only university students were sampled, so the results cannot be generalised to older (probably less educated) populations. Self-reported data that mainly obtained via online survey were the third limitation. This design is cost-effective and easy to administer for cross-cultural survey research. However, social desirability and memory bias are common in self-report inventories. Fourthly, although English is an official language in Pakistan and the medium of instruction in education, the authors recommend future study to use questionnaires that have been translated and validated into Urdu (Pakistan’s national language) and investigate gender differences in a general population. Fifthly, this is a cross-sectional survey; the authors were not able to explore the causality or risk factors that contribute to the poor mental well-being in Pakistan students in general or the relatively worse mental health in German women. Future studies may investigate the mechanism behind the phenomena observed in this study with longitudinal or experimental design. Last but not least, Germany and Pakistan differ in so many different aspects from culture, religions and history to social structure and economic status, which make it hard to claim whether the observed differences were due to national differences, cultural differences, economic differences, gender inequality differences or other effects. It would be helpful for future studies to include more country samples with clear definitions of different “culture” aspects for a better understanding of gender differences in other countries and in different mental well-being constructs. Practical implications The current study is the first attempt to compare the gender difference patterns in positive and negative mental health between European and South Asian counties and focuses on gender-specific approaches. Although Pakistani university students reported in general worse mental well-being, the differences between the two genders in mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, general PMH) were not as pronounced as in the German student sample. Gender comparisons in these mental health constructs would help to improve protective factors against mental illness and to develop appropriate management programmes based on cultural differences. The results suggest that the gender differences found in western countries cannot always be directly translated into the South Asian cultural framework. Our results also highlight the importance of improving the general situation of Pakistan (students) instead of focusing on one gender. At the same time, in Germany, prevention and intervention plans are more warranted for women. It could be that once the general situation in Pakistan is improved, the gender-related differences in mental health will be clearly observed. Originality/value These findings imply the significance of cultural context when inferring gender variations in mental health. Moreover, it supports the advancement of comprehensive policies to reduce gender-related mental health inequalities and focuses on the equal rights of men and women to get mental health care.

Gender Differences in Cortisol and Cortisol Receptors in Depression: A Narrative Review.

Stress is known to have a significant impact on mental health. While gender differences can be found in stress response and mental disorders, there are limited studies on the neuronal mechanisms of gender differences in mental health. Here, we discuss gender and cortisol in depression as presented by recent clinical studies, as well as gender differences in the role of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in stress-associated mental disorders. When examining clinical studies drawn from PubMed/MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine) and EMBASE, salivary cortisol generally showed no gender correlation. However, young males were reported to show heightened cortisol reactivity compared to females of similar age in depression. Pubertal hormones, age, early life stressors, and types of bio-samples for cortisol measurement affected the recorded cortisol levels. The role of GRs and MRs in the HPA axis could be different between males and females during depression, with increased HPA activity and upregulated MR expression in male mice, while the inverse happened in female mice. The functional heterogeneity and imbalance of GRs and MRs in the brain may explain gender differences in mental disorders. This knowledge and understanding will support the development of gender-specific diagnostic markers involving GRs and MRs in depression.

Gender Based Differences in Mental Health Outcomes among Young Adults in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh

Background: According to WHO “ Health is a state of physical, mental & social wellbeing” but mental healthneeds are neglected due to the low availability of services & less community participation. Young adults are moreprone to get mental health problems due to transition both physically & mentally. Females have more mooddisorders & males have substance use disorders, gender disparities in mental health are not clear, so we aimed toinvestigate the gender differences in mental health outcomes.Objective: To assess individual & social factors responsible for mental health problems & to estimate the level ofawareness regarding mental health services available in the community.Materials & methods: This cross-sectional survey was carried out among young adults (18-25 years). Participantswere given (GHQ-12), a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data was stored & tabulated in MicrosoftExcel. Mean, Percentages, and Chi-square tests were used to find the association & differences between variousfactors using Microsoft Excel.Results: Out of 240 students only 29% were found to have awareness regarding mental health services at acommunity level. Female students were found to have higher stigma rather than males which is statisticallysignificant (chi square-6.285, p-value-0.018).Conclusion: Males & females have mental health issues but there are no significant gender differences. Femaleswere found to have more stigma. Mental health awareness programs at institutes can promote good mental health.

Gender differences in Syrian refugees in Jordan: Psychological, self-esteem, family function, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

The current study examined gender differences in mental health, self-esteem, family function, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction between men and women living in a refugee camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. A snowball method used by local female and male students trained to collect data according to culturally competent methods. The following research instruments were deployed: Symptoms Checklist-SCL90, Self-esteem Scale, the McMaster Family Assessment Device, Marital Satisfaction Scale, and life Satisfaction Scale. A sample of 290 adults (196 women and 94 men) living in a refugee camp in Jordan participated in the study. Findings revealed that marital satisfaction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction were significantly different between males and females, indicating less subjective well-being for women. Many of the mental health symptoms in this study were more common for women than men; particularly noteworthy were somatization, obsessive compulsive behavior, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, psychoticism, and higher scores on the Global Severity Index (GSI). While some stressors are not gender-specific, there are unique factors that women face which place them at increased risk of mental health problems. Implications for practice include a greater understanding of the challenges and resilience mechanisms that are related to gender and culture.

Mental Health Profiles of Danish Youth Soccer Players: The Influence of Gender and Career Development

The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate gender differences in mental health among Danish youth soccer players, (b) to discover the mental health profiles of the players, and (c) to explore how career progression and mental health are related. A total of 239 Danish youth elite soccer players (M = 16.85, SD = 1.09) completed an online questionnaire assessing mental well-being, depression, anxiety, along with other background variables. Female players scored significantly lower on mental well-being and had four times higher odds of expressing symptoms of anxiety and depression than males. Athletes’ mental health profiles showed that most athletes experience low depression while having moderate mental well-being. Depression, anxiety, and stress scores generally increased when progressing in age, indicating that the junior–senior transition poses distinct challenges to players’ mental health, especially for female players. Different strategies to foster players’ mental health depending on their mental health profiles are proposed.

Age and gender differences in mental health and addictions of individuals experiencing homelessness in Spain: a 15-year retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Studies in Europe and North America have shown that the mental health of individuals experiencing homelessness (IEHs) is worse than that of the general population. The objective of this study was to analyze the mental health of IEHs in Spain. A retrospective cohort study (observational study) of the health of 3,854 IEHs was conducted, according to age and gender, using diagnoses registered in the health service, over the 15 years between 2006 and 2020. Of this population, 31.6% were diagnosed with some sort of substance use disorder (SUD), mainly alcohol-related (18.1%), 20.1% had a mental disorder not related to drugs, and 11.5% had a dual disorder. Younger people had more mental health problems. This study—the first large study of IEHs in Spain—highlights significant differences in mental health and addictions according to gender and age. In general, Spanish IEHs have better mental health for all of the analyzed diagnostics than other populations internationally.

Gender Differences in Mental Health of International Graduate Students

The study investigated the mental health concerns, mental health states, and help-seeking behaviors of international graduate students by gender. Ninety-two respondents accomplished an online survey. The males’ main concerns were academics and finances while it was academics and other relationships for females. There is no significant gender difference in mental health states although, there are more males with 3-5 depression symptoms and moderate-severe anxiety. Both males and females were willing to seek help for their mental health concerns. Both males and females suggested the provision of university mental health services. Further, males added the need for better teacher/adviser-student relations while females added having social events. The depression and anxiety symptoms were higher for male master’s students and for female students who resided off-campus and have a family member/friend diagnosed with a mental health problem. Provision of appropriate university services to attend to the mental health needs of international students is necessary.

Gender Differences in Mental Health of International Graduate Students

Gender Differences in Mental Health of International Graduate Students

Gender Differences in Mental Health, Quality of Life, and Caregiver Burden among Informal Caregivers during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Representative, Population-Based Study

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the mental health, quality of life, and caregiving burden between male and female informal caregivers of older adults (≥60 years) during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Methods: The sample consisted of 301 female and 188 male informal caregivers of older adults in need of care (≥60 years). Data were used from a cross-sectional study in March 2021 that questioned a representative sample of adults aged 40 years and older from Germany. Information on informal care provision, mental health (depressive and anxiety symptoms), caregiving burden, and quality of life was assessed for the period between December 2020 and March 2021. Regression analyses, adjusted for (1) the sociodemographic background and health of the caregivers, (2) the caregiving time and caregiving tasks, and (3) the perception of impairment and danger posed by the pandemic, were conducted. Results: Findings of the fully adjusted model indicated a higher level of anxiety and lower quality of life among female caregivers, compared to male caregivers. Gender differences in depression and caregiver burden were not significant in analyses that controlled for care tasks and time. Moderator analyses indicated that gender differences in caregiver’s anxiety levels were influenced by the danger perceived to be posed by the pandemic: among men the danger to the care recipient, and among women the danger to themselves, increased anxiety. Conclusion: Female informal caregivers were more negatively affected than male informal caregivers during the pandemic, as indicated by higher levels of anxiety and lower quality of life. Gender differences in anxiety depended on the perceived danger posed by the pandemic. Thus, policy and pandemic measures should focus on gender-specific support of female caregivers who seem to be particularly vulnerable during the pandemic. More caregiver-specific support and information around protecting themselves and their care recipients are recommended. Also, further research on gender differences in care performance and their relation to psychosocial health outcomes is recommended.

Factors affecting mental health and happiness in the elderly: A structural equation model by gender differences.

PurposeThere are few studies on the gender differences in mental health, happiness, and their related factors among the older population through the structural equation model (SEM) in Iran. We conducted this study to evaluate the factors affecting mental health and happiness in the elderly using an SEM by gender differences.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted on 739 elderly people in 2019 in Karaj, Iran. Sociodemographic, Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised (SCL90‐R), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory were applied to evaluate the relationships between happiness, mental health, and sociodemographic factors by using statistical path analysis with Lisrel 8.8 and SPSS‐17.ResultsOverall, 55.5% of the participants in the study were female. The SCL90 (p value = .000) and happiness (p value = .000) scores showed significant differences between men and women. Fit indices confirmed the high model fitness, desirability, and logical relationships between the variables according to the conceptual model in both men (X2 = 3.2, df = 1) and women (X2 = 5.4, df = 2) groups. According to the path analysis, among the variables that affected happiness just through the direct path, education had the most positive causal relationship in men (B = .13) and women (B = .16), but mental health problems in men (B = −.33) and women (B = −.26), as well as the distance from home to the healthcare center in men (B = −.13) and women (B = −.11), had the most negative causal relationship with happiness respectively. Age was the only variable that was negatively related to happiness through direct and indirect paths in the women (B = −.188).ConclusionWe provided an empirical model that illustrates the relationships between happiness, mental health, and related factors in the older population. Gender differences in path analysis showed that age negatively affects the happiness of older women but not men.

A gender comparison of psychological distress among medical students in Nigeria during the Coronavirus pandemic: a cross-sectional survey.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as a large scale stressor could have negative effects on the mental health of medical students. Since gender differences in mental health may exist, it is important to see if a large scale stressor like the pandemic may be associated with variances in the psychological distress between both genders. To assess and compare the psychological distress of male and female medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 1010 medical students from three universities in southwestern Nigeria within the first six months of the first reported case of the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents were purposively selected. Data was obtained online on participants' demographic and psychological distress using the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). Data was analyzed using the SPSS version 21, student t and chi-square tests were used to assess gender differences, and multivariate regression to assess the predictors of psychological distress among both genders. p values less than 0.05were considered statistically significant. Overall, female participants (OR=1.455, 95% CI= 1.095-1.936) were twice more likely to have experienced psychological distress than males during the COVID-19 pandemic. Age (OR=0.922, 95% CI= 0.867-0.979), being in pre-clinical years (OR= 1.394, 95% CI= 1.004-1.938), having a family income less than 100,000 naira (OR= 1.379, 95% CI=1.442-6.723) a previous history of mental illness (OR=3.077, 95% CI= 1.430-6.615) and having a relative/acquaintance diagnosed with COVID 19(OR=1.646, 95% CI= 1.062-2.551) were independently associated with psychological distress among the respondents. When comparing both genders, among females, age (OR=0.886, 95% CI= 0.803-0.978), family income less than 100,000 naira (OR=1.898, 95% CI= 1.306-2.759) and a previous history of mental illness (OR=5.266, 95% CI= 1.894-14.635) were associated with psychological distress, while, being in pre-clinical years (OR= 1.713, 95% CI= 1.052-2.790) was associated with psychological distress among males. Females had more psychological distress compared to male students. It is recommended that gender-specific interventions addressing psychological distress among medical students are instituted.

Early Mental Health and Quality of Life in Discharged Patients With COVID-19.

Aim: This study aimed to analyze the early mental health (MH) and quality of life (QoL) of discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which can provide a scientific basis for the further development of intervention programs.Methods: In total, 108 subjects participated in this study, including an experimental group (90 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from March to April 2020 and hospitalized in Wuhan China Resources & WISCO General Hospital, Wuhan, China, 83.3%) and a control group (18 healthy participants, 16.7%). Their MH and QoL were measured through the 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-12v2), the Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), the Self-rating depression scale (SDS), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The results of questionnaires were compared between these two groups.Results: (1) Comparison of anxiety status: among 90 discharged patients with COVID-19, 30 patients (33.3%) had a state of anxiety. Compared with healthy participants and the general population, patients with COVID-19 in the early stages of discharge had a higher incidence of anxiety and more severe anxiety symptoms (P < 0.05). (2) Comparison of depression status: among 90 discharged patients with COVID-19, 29 patients (32.2%) had a state of depression. Compared with healthy participants and the general population, patients with COVID-19 in the early stages of discharge had a higher incidence of depression and more severe depression symptoms (P < 0.05). (3) Comparison of QoL: 78 patients (86.7%) presented a decrease in physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and 73 patients (81.1%) presented a decrease in psychology-related QoL. The SF-12v2 physical component summary (PCS) and the SF-12v2 mental component summary (MCS) of patients were significantly lower than those of healthy people, especially in physical function (PF), vitality (VT), social function (SF), and mental health (MH) (all P < 0.05). (4) Gender differences in mental health and the QoL among patients with COVID-19: women had more severe anxiety/depression symptoms than men (P < 0.05). The scores of women in all dimensions of SF-12V2 were lower than those of men, and there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in PCS, PF, general health (GH), VT, and role-emotional (RE) (P < 0.05).Conclusion: During the early phase after being discharged, patients with COVID-19 might experience negative emotions, such as anxiety or depression, and also problems with reduced QoL, especially among female patients. Therefore, an intervention plan should focus on strengthening psychological condition and improving physical function, and gender-specific rehabilitation programmes should be adapted to improve psychological status and QoL.

The Long-Term Impact of Childhood Disability on Mental Health in Mid- to Late-Adulthood

For decades, life course and stress process scholars have documented that negative, stressful experiences in childhood have consequences for health across the life course. One aspect of the childhood adversity that deserves more research attention is childhood disability. Children with disabilities experience higher levels of psychological distress compared to their peers and having a disability can negatively impact traditional markers of the transition to adulthood (e.g., education, employment, family status). At present, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of childhood disability on mental health over multiple years of adulthood. This study applies random effects models to nationally representative data from five waves (2008-2016) of the Health and Retirement Study (n=15,380; n=590 with a childhood disability), to examine how experiencing disability before the age of 16 shapes depressive symptoms over multiple years of adulthood. Given known gender differences in mental health, the models are stratified by gender to examine how the association between childhood disability and adult mental health varies by gender. Preliminary results suggest that experiencing a childhood disability is associated with different patterns of depressive symptoms in adulthood. Men who experienced childhood disability report more depressive symptoms in adulthood, net of sociodemographic, adult health, and childhood disadvantage covariates. Women who experienced childhood disability report more depressive symptoms in adulthood, net of all covariates except for childhood depression. Next steps are to conduct age-based growth curve models using Stata’s mixed function to estimate whether childhood disability influences baseline and growth of depressive symptoms in adulthood.