Health Intervention Programs Research Articles

Assessment and Prediction of Depression and Anxiety Risk Factors in Schoolchildren: Machine Learning Techniques Performance Analysis.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety symptoms in early childhood have a major effect on children’s mental health growth and cognitive development. The effect of mental health problems on cognitive development has been studied by researchers for the last 2 decades.ObjectiveIn this paper, we sought to use machine learning techniques to predict the risk factors associated with schoolchildren’s depression and anxiety.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 3984 students in fifth to ninth grades, aged 10-15 years, studying at public and refugee schools in the West Bank. The data were collected using the health behaviors schoolchildren questionnaire in the 2013-2014 academic year and analyzed using machine learning to predict the risk factors associated with student mental health symptoms. We used 5 machine learning techniques (random forest [RF], neural network, decision tree, support vector machine [SVM], and naive Bayes) for prediction.ResultsThe results indicated that the SVM and RF models had the highest accuracy levels for depression (SVM: 92.5%; RF: 76.4%) and anxiety (SVM: 92.4%; RF: 78.6%). Thus, the SVM and RF models had the best performance in classifying and predicting the students’ depression and anxiety. The results showed that school violence and bullying, home violence, academic performance, and family income were the most important factors affecting the depression and anxiety scales.ConclusionsOverall, machine learning proved to be an efficient tool for identifying and predicting the associated factors that influence student depression and anxiety. The machine learning techniques seem to be a good model for predicting abnormal depression and anxiety symptoms among schoolchildren, so the deployment of machine learning within the school information systems might facilitate the development of health prevention and intervention programs that will enhance students’ mental health and cognitive development.

Role of Primary Caregivers Regarding Unintentional Injury Prevention Among Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Low- and Middle-Income Country.

ImportanceUnintentional childhood injuries significantly strain healthcare resources, and their preventable measures can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality.ObjectivesTo investigate the role of primary caregivers in preventing unintentional injuries and to identify the groups that require special health intervention programs to reduce the burden of this public health concern.MethodologyA cross-sectional survey was conducted at three hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Parents of preschool children who visited pediatric clinics were invited to participate in the study by completing a self-administered questionnaire comprising questions about knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards preventing unintentional injuries among children.ResultsWith an 80% response rate, the overall mean knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) score was 27.40 ± 3.48. Only 14.3% of the participants had a high KAP score, while 83.6% and 2.1% of the respondents had moderate and low KAP scores, respectively. People of lower socioeconomic status, unemployed, less educated, and families with more than one preschool child were less knowledgeable and non-adherent to unintentional preventive injury. It was found that 21% of the children had suffered from an unintentional severe injury in the past, and the internet was the most frequent source of gaining knowledge among parents.ConclusionParental knowledge, attitude, practices, and adherence to child safety measures are sub-optimal in our cohort of studied participants. Raising awareness and providing the counseling are essential in reducing the burden of unintentional injuries.

P02-14 KaziBantu ‘healthy schools for healthy communities' - A holistic approach to enhance health literacy and physical activity in primary schools from low-resourced settings in South Africa

BackgoundThe disease profile of low- to middle-income countries is moving towards one seen in Westernised countries, where deaths are mainly attributed to chronic diseases. Children develop risk factors at a young age predisposing them to noncommunicable diseases in adulthood. Most of the risk factors are preventable through healthy lifestyles. Results from South Africa (SA) show that many children, particularly from marginalized communities, do not achieve the minimal requirements of physical activity (PA). Thus, more emphasis needs to be placed on primary prevention strategies, such as incorporating health promotion interventions within established educational and workplace structures. Primary schools present unique opportunities for holistic prevention interventions.MethodsUsing an ecosystem approach, an interprofessional team of PA researchers, public health specialists and digital innovators, together with partners from the ministry of education and ministry of health in SA, was set up to map and tackle the role of physical education (PE) in the SA school system. Experts identified actionable changes at the school, teacher and policy levels. First, a comprehensive health intervention was developed and implemented in primary schools in low resourced settings in the Eastern Cape of SA. The intervention was followed to learn and adapt. Finally, changes in the educational system will be scaled-up and sustained through governmental institutionalization.ResultsIn 1994 PE lost its stand-alone subject status and became part of Life Orientation. Ever since, non-specialist teachers lack the confidence and understanding to adequately teach the subject. The interdisciplinary team developed ‘the KaziBantu model (Healthy Schools for Healthy Communities)’, to promote PA and healthy lifestyles in public primary schools through two complementary programs: KaziKidz, a PE toolkit for schoolchildren, and KaziHealth, a workplace health intervention program for teachers. Furthermore, Short Learning Programs have been developed for continued professional development of life orientation teachers, thereby introducing lasting changes within the educational system.Discussion/ConclusionPE and health literacy are oftentimes neglected in the SA curriculum, especially in marginalized areas. System-wide changes initiated and sustained through local ownership are critical to ensure long-lasting impact. Our multilateral intervention aimed to achieve this to offer children and teachers a quality education.

Effect of oral health intervention program on the self oral care of children attending childcare facilities: a quasi-experimental study

This study aimed to conduct a quasi-experimental study for assessing the effects of an oral health intervention program (OHIP), on the self-management of oral health in children attending childcare centers. The participants recruited were 83 children from two childcare centers, who were allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received the OHIP. At baseline, a self-reported survey of parents was conducted. In addition, the oral status of the children at baseline and at 5 weeks was evaluated. Their brushing behavior was assessed once a week and every day during the OHIP intervention period and at home, respectively. After the follow-up at 12 weeks, dental plaque index (PI) was measured and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed. The PI of the intervention group significantly decreased at week 5, compared to the baseline (1.90 ± 0.53, p < 0.001). Despite a substantial increase in week 12 (2.67 ± 0.08, p < 0.001), the PI was significantly lower than that of the control group (3.37 ± 0.60). The OHIP was effective in reducing the PI and modifying the brushing behavior among children. It is necessary to develop and expand a systematic oral health education program to promote self-management of oral health in children.

Prognostic values of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular events in South African health promotion.

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increasing at an alarming rate among the South African population. This study aimed to determine the prognostic value of modifiable CVD risk factors for fatal and non-fatal events to inform cardiovascular health promotion practices in the South African public health system.MethodsData was collected from individuals participating in the South African leg of a multi-national prospective cohort study. Binary logistic regression was applied to estimate odds of total, non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events.ResultsBinary logistic regression analyses identified age as a predictor of non-fatal and fatal CV events, with ORs of 1.87 to 3.21, respectively. Hypertension increased the odd of suffering a non-fatal CV event by almost two and a half (OR = 2.47; 95% CI = 1.26, 4.85). Moreover, being physically active reduced the odd of non-fatal CVD events by 38% (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.83 for 1 Standard deviation increase of the weighted physical activity index score (WPA)). On the one hand, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was associated with a higher fatal cardiovascular disease risk OR = 2.45 (95% CI = 1.36, 4.42) for a standard deviation increase.ConclusionsElevated blood pressure, GGT, and physical activity have significant prognostic values for fatal or non-fatal CV events. These findings emphasise the importance of highlighting hypertension and physical activity when planning cardiovascular health education and intervention programmes for this population, with attention to the monitoring of GGT.

Housing conditions and psychological distress among higher education students: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Housing has been identified as one of the most important areas related to individual well-being in emerging adults attending a tertiary educational institution. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review is to explore the relationship between students’ housing conditions and students’ psychical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Outcomes were categorised into 10 categories: 1. homesickness and adaptation to college life; 2. overall health and distress; 3. sleep; 4. depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions; 5. alcohol abuse; 6. substance abuse; 7. tobacco use; 8. internet addiction; 9. eating disorders; and 10. sexual behaviours. Student housing conditions play an important role in a variety of health and health-related problems. These findings underscore the relationship between housing conditions and different facets of students’ mental and physical wellbeing, emphasising the importance of addressing housing conditions in mental health prevention and intervention programmes.

Mental health intervention program during the COVID-19 for Mexican adults

Introduction: The current pandemic caused by COVID-19 is a public health emergency with serious economic, educational, and social consequences. Its consequences are not only manifested in physical aspects, it is increasingly evident that this crisis is producing alterations in the mental health of the population, which is why it is of utmost importance to analyze the repercussions that COVID-19 could cause on mental health and the measures for its prevention and control, as well as the strategies to favor it.

Modeling the theory of planned behavior to predict adults’ intentions to improve oral health behaviors

BackgroundThe present study aimed to apply the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to identify predictors of adults’ intentions to improve oral health behaviors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,328 adults living in the Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. A 64-item questionnaire that evaluated behavioral intention, oral health knowledge (OHK) and TPB constructs (attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms) was distributed. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to describe the data and examine the associations among the variables. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsThe analysis revealed that the TPB model explained 72% of the variance in oral health behavioral intentions (OHBI), indicating a good model fit. The TPB constructs of attitudes (β = 0.299), subjective norms (β = 0.035), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.144) were significant predictors of OHBI, whereas OHK was not. Attitude was the strongest predictor of intentions to improve oral health behaviors.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that this model could be a helpful framework for designing oral health promotion and intervention programs. Such programs should focus on changing adults’ attitudes, positive influences from close relationships, and improving self-efficacy of OHB to improve their oral health behavior.

Factors affecting overweight and obesity among urban adults: a cross-sectional study

&#x0D; &#x0D; Background: the prevalence of overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate in the developing countries. The present cross-sectional study assesses the prevalence of overweight and obesity along with their associated variables among urban adult individuals belonging to the Bengalee Hindu Caste Population (BHCP).&#x0D; Methods: the study has been carried out among 600 adult individuals belonging to the BHCP in the age group of 20-60 years and residing in the district of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India. Height and weight, along with a number of socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle variables were recorded. International cut off points of the body mass index were used to assess overweight (BMI ≥ 23.00 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 25.00 kg/m2). The statistical tests (ANOVA, chi-square and multinomial logistic regression) were done using SPSS (version 15.00).&#x0D; Results: the prevalence of overweight and obesity were observed to be high among both the male (23.67% and 9.67%) and the female (20.33% and 29.33%) individuals. The sex difference was observed to be significant in case of obesity (p&lt;0.01) and combined overweight-obesity (p&lt;0.01). The multinomial logistic regression indicated that age and monthly income had significant effects on overweight (p&lt;0.05). Sex, age, monthly income, marital status, education and alcohol intake were observed to have significant effects on obesity (p&lt;0.05). Sex, age, monthly income and monthly income and marital status also showed significant effects with combined overweight-obesity (BMI ≥ 23.00 kg/m2) (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusions: the prevalence of overweight and obesity exhibited an increasing trend among urban adults of the BHCP. Sex, age, marital status and monthly income were observed to have more influence on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among them. There appears to be an urgent need for the development of health strategies and intervention programmes for combating the consequences of overweight and obesity.&#x0D;

Completing a worksite health risk assessment correlates with continuing employment, lower health care costs and utilization.

Companies that understand the collective health risks of their employees, as well as worker productivity as it relates to health risks can provide more effective and necessary interventions. Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are an important source of information for understanding overall health risks of a company's employees. However, HRA data tend to represent only a subset of employees, thereby providing employers an incomplete picture of employee health risks. The current study identifies the representativeness of those completing a worksite HRA by selected demographics, health care costs, and health risks in a large US company. A retrospective analysis of employees in a large US company during 2017-2019, with statistically significant results reported, adjusted for sex, age, and year. The percentage of employees completing the HRA increased from 23.9% in 2017 to 28.4% in 2018 to 32.3% in 2019. These employees were more likely women, middle aged, have lower health care costs, remain employed from year to year, and have better health behaviors and biometric scores. If all employees looked like employees completing the HRA, total medical costs would be 17% lower. If all employees looked like employees completing the HRA who had a health perception rating (1-10 [excellent]) of 7-8 (57.4%) or 9-10 (25.2%) vs. 1-6, total medical costs would be 21.9% and 25.6% lower, respectively. A minority of employees completed the worksite HRA. Basing overall employee health risks on the HRA underestimates health risks and can result in a poorly representative health intervention program. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(4):449-57.

Screening for type 2 diabetes and hypertension in seafarers' medical examinations.

The aims of the study are: 1) to replace the urine glucose test for diabetes with more than 50% false negatives, with an accurate screening for type 2 diabetes and hypertension in the mandatory biannual fit-for-duty medical examinations of seafarers; 2) to produce data driven "Green Ship" health pro-motion in the ships. A new health promotion and disease prevention public health intervention programme integrated in the fit-for-duty medical examinations for seafarers is being developed. The lack of an accurate diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is replaced by accurate HbA1c and/or fasting glucose tests and the test for hypertension in various disease stages is based on the International Associations' Guidelines. A "Green Ship" health promotion programme is proposed for all on board, not only for diseased crew members. A protocol for an accurate biannual screening for diabetes and hypertension is presented. Educational programmes for medical doctors and seafarers on the management of hypertension and diabetes on board will be developed. Presuming that all crew members are potentially on their way to be pre-diseased or are diseased, the "Green Ship" health promotion programme is implemented for the whole crew. The International Labour Organization and the National Maritime Authorities are prompted to revise the International and the National Guidelines for Seafarers Medical Examinations, respectively. Con-certed actions are requested to implement public health promotion projects in shipping. Maritime medical doctors are prompted to use health dialogues and to report the clinical data in the Excel file. Sustainability is obtained by complying with the Sustainable Development Goals (3, 4, 8, 10, and 17).

Health literacy, health literacy interventions and decision-making: a systematic literature review

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between elderly people's health literacy skills and those people's decision to make use of digital health service platforms. Despite the substantial influence of digitisation on the delivery of healthcare services, understanding how health intervention strategies might help empower elderly people's health literacy skills is critical.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the existing trends in research on the convergence of health literacy, health intervention programmes and digital health service platforms by reviewing 34 studies published between 2000 and 2020.FindingsThe findings of the review indicate three primary themes (health literacy skills, health management competency and attitude/confidence), which provide a summary of the current literature, and in all three the results show that health intervention programmes help to enhance health literacy skills of elderly people. Based on the review results and by organising the fragmented status quo of health intervention research, the authors develop a comprehensive research model and identify future research directions for research in this domain.Practical implicationsThe findings will be useful to health professionals in two ways: (1) the findings provide practical information about the growing need to implement health literacy intervention programmes to satisfy elderly people's appetite for accessing health services due to cognitive and physiological impairments, and (2) the finding help them to understand that with digital health platforms, elderly people have quicker access to health services, improving the quality of care provided to them.Originality/valueThis paper presents a comprehensive research model for analysing the impact of health literacy skills on older people's ability and intention to access digital health information sources, considering various health intervention approaches.

Bullying Victimization and Mental Health among Migrant Children in Urban China: A Moderated Mediation Model of School Belonging and Resilience.

School bullying victimization among children is a significant public health issue that may negatively influence their mental health. However, few studies have been conducted on the bullying of migrant children in urban China. A positive psychological perspective has rarely been adopted in examining the mechanisms through which bullying victimization influences mental health, and the protective factors remain understudied. This research investigates the factors that may contribute to reducing the negative effects of bullying victimization on mental health, focusing on the protective roles of school belonging and resilience in the association between bullying victimization and mental health. Data were collected from 1087 school-aged migrant children in Shanghai and Nanjing, China. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct moderated mediation analyses to test the hypothesized models. The results of moderated mediation modeling revealed that bullying victimization (β = −0.386, p < 0.001) was negatively linked with mental health through decreased school belonging (β = 0.398, p < 0.001). Moreover, resilience buffered the indirect negative effects of bullying victimization on migrant children’s mental health via school belonging (β = −0.460, p < 0.01). Specifically, lower resilience was clearly associated with stronger indirect effects. Our findings suggest that school belonging and resilience must be incorporated into mental health prevention and intervention programs targeting migrant children with bullying victimization experiences.

Machine learning techniques for predicting depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional regional study

Background: Maternal depression and anxiety are significant public health concerns that play an important role in the health and well-being of mothers and children. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequential lockdowns and related safety restrictions worldwide negatively affected the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: This regional study aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) model for the prediction of maternal depression and anxiety. The study used a dataset collected from five Arab countries during the COVID-19 pandemic between July to December 2020. The population sample included 3569 women (1939 pregnant and 1630 postpartum) from five countries (Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain). The performance of seven machine learning algorithms was assessed for the prediction of depression and anxiety symptoms. Results: The Gradient Boosting (GB) and Random Forest (RF) models outperformed other studied ML algorithms with accuracy values of 83.3% and 83.2% for depression, respectively, and values of 82.9% and 81.3% for anxiety, respectively. The Mathew’s Correlation Coefficient was evaluated for the ML models; the Naïve Bayes (NB) and GB models presented the highest performance measures (0.63 and 0.59) for depression and (0.74 and 0.73) for anxiety, respectively. The features’ importance ranking was evaluated, the results showed that stress during pregnancy, family support, financial issues, income, and social support were the most significant values in predicting anxiety and depression. Conclusion: Overall, the study evidenced the power of ML models in predicting maternal depression and anxiety and proved to be an efficient tool for identifying and predicting the associated risk factors that influence maternal mental health. The deployment of machine learning models for screening and early detection of depression and anxiety among pregnant and postpartum women might facilitate the development of health prevention and intervention programs that will enhance maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries.

Differentials in Contraceptive Use Among Selected Minority Ethnic Groups in Nigeria.

Ethnicity is one of the critical factors that shape contraceptive use in Nigeria. While there are growing disparities in contraceptive uptake among women of reproductive age in the three major ethnic groups (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba), not much is known about differentials in contraceptive use among the minority ethnic groups. This study examined differentials in contraceptive use among a sample of 1,072 respondents comprising the Ebira (352), Igala (358) and Okun (361) ethnic groups in Nigeria. Questionnaire was administered to respondents proportionately in the selected minority ethnic groups with six key informant interviews and 12 focus group discussions to generate quantitative and qualitative data among ever-married women. Quantitative data were analyzed at bivariable and multivariable levels. The qualitative data were content-analyzed. Differentials in contraception are shaped by ethnic affiliations and socio-demographic characteristics of couples. The use of modern contraceptives was low among the Ebira (25.7%) and Igala (24.1%) ethnic groups, but high among Okun (67%) women of reproductive age. The odd of using a modern contraceptive is significantly higher among the Okun women (UOR = 5.618, 95% CI 4.068–7.759) than the Ebira and Igala. There is no significant difference between the Ebira and Igala minority ethnic groups on modern contraceptive use. Ethnicity as a factor is not a stand-alone predictor of the use of modern contraception among the study groups, other socio-economic variables such as residence, religion, income and marital status were significant predictors of modern contraceptive use among minority ethnic groups. We suggest introducing reproductive health intervention programmes targeted at sensitizing the minority ethnic groups on effective modern contraceptive use while addressing their specific modern contraceptive need in Nigeria.

The impact of a health systems strengthening initiative on child morbidity: The case of the Ghana Essential Health Interventions Program in rural northern Ghana.

BackgroundImproving child and maternal health remains a core objective of global health priorities, extending from the millennium development goal (MDG) era to the current focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). This paper analyses the childhood morbidity effects of the Ghana Essential Heath Interventions Program (GEHIP), a community-based health systems strengthening in rural northern Ghana. GEHIP was a five-year embedded implementation science plausibility trial that implemented a set of health systems strengthening strategies and tested the proposition that their combined effect at the district, subdistrict and community levels could foster effective community engagement and thereby improve maternal and child health outcomes.MethodsA two stage random sample survey of reproductive-aged women residing in treatment and comparison districts at the GEHIP baseline and end line was used for Heckman Difference-in-differences (DiD) regression models for estimating the incremental effect of GEHIP exposure on three child morbidity conditions (diarrhea, fever and cough), as recalled by maternal respondents in the course of survey interviews.ResultsAfter controlling for child age and gender, maternal age, education, marital status, health insurance status, religion, ethnicity, occupation and household wealth index, regression results show that GEHIP had a statistically significant 45% reduction in fever (OR = 0.55, CI = 0.31–0.98) and 47% reduction in cough (OR = 0.53, CI = 0.30–0.94), over and above temporal reductions that prevailed in study districts. Although not significant, GEHIP also had 38% reduction in the incidence of diarrhea.ConclusionPrevious research has shown that GEHIP had a pronounced positive effect with a reduction in mortality. Our results show that household location in GEHIP districts also led to a significant reduction in morbidity due to cough and fever among under-five children. This association is a likely outcome of GEHIP’s impact on the accessibility of primary health care services. Results lend further support to the growing body of evidence that strengthening health systems in rural Africa through the provision of community-based strategies enhances prospects for achieving the United Nations child health SDGs.

Prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders among children and adolescents in Blantyre-Urban, Malawi.

The high global prevalence of mental disorders justifies the need to quantify their burden in the sub-Saharan Africa where there is a dearth of information. These mental disorders are linked to different socio-demographic factors. To determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with mental disorders among children and adolescents in Blantyre City, Malawi. Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years were interviewed to determine their socio-demographic characteristics and assess their mental health status using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS). Associations between mental disorders and socio-demographic characteristics were tested using Chi-square and logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of symptoms of psychopathology on the SDQ was 7.3% (95%CI 4.8-10.5%) while for the K-SADS was 5.9% (95% CI 3.7%-8.9%). The prevalence of mental disorders across the age ranges of 6 to 12 years and 13 to 17 years was 5.4% and 7.9 % respectively. Males had a higher prevalence (7.1%) compared to females (4.7%). Conduct disorder was most prevalent (3.4%), followed by either type of ADHD-Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders (2.0%). Having a single parent (p<0.001), staying with a non-biological guardian (p<0.030), engaging in paid work (p<0.039), not attending school (p<0.019) and having teacher difficulties(p<0.028) were positively associated with a mental disorder. The socio-demographic factors associated with the risk of developing mental disorders may be important targets for mental health intervention programs.

Efficacy of a Workplace Intervention Program With Web-Based Online and Offline Modalities for Improving Workers' Mental Health

ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the efficacy of the Workplace Web-based blended psychoeducation mental health intervention program. Of particular interest is the short-term effect of the intervention on workplace burnout, stress, quality of life, and the mental health literacy of workers.Methods and MaterialsThe study focused on employees (n = 456) in specific industries with high levels of work-related stress, adopting a phase III wait-listed cluster randomized controlled trial. Work-related burnout was assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and stress was measured using the stress subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS). Quality of Life was evaluated by the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) and Mental Health Literacy was assessed using the Australian National Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Survey. Data were analyzed as a trial with intention-to-treat analysis and adjustment for the clustering effect of work sites.ResultsSignificant differences between intervention and control groups were found on all outcome measures except the self-rated quality of life. The intervention group displayed a significant reduction in the weighted mean score of about 1.0 units (s.e. = 0.4) on the stress scale (p = 0.015) and an increase in the weighted mean score of 1.9 units (s.e. = 0.9) in the professional accomplishment domain of the MBI (p = 0.035). Significant increases were found in the weighted mean scores in the intervention group for correct recognition of the mental problems, help-seeking, and stigmatization, in comparison to the control group who scored 0.2 (s.e. = 0.1), 0.9 (s.e. = 0.2), 1.8 (s.e. = 0.4), respectively.ConclusionsThe results obtained from a comparison of the outcome measures between the intervention and control groups were statistically significant, indicating that the intervention group performed better on most measures. The study demonstrates that, in the short term. the on-and-offline modalities of the Web-based blended psychoeducation intervention program is efficacious in reducing workplace burnout and stress and promoting mental health literacy at the workplace.

Gender-based violence among female students and implicatons for health intervention programmes in public universities in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Gender-based violence among female students and implicatons for health intervention programmes in public universities in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Resilience based intervention to promote mental health of college students: A preliminary feasibility study from India

PurposeMental health promotion of college students plays a critical role in helping students overcome the challenges and enhancing their well-being and resilience. A community-based approach to resilience has been identified as a step towards addressing their mental health needs. Additionally, culturally-adapted mental health intervention programs are effective in bringing positive outcomes. There is a lack of efforts to enhance the resilience of the college students in the Indian context. The current pilot study aimed to describe the cultural adaptation of resilience- based intervention for college students and examine the feasibility,acceptability and effect in enhancing resilience, coping, self-esteem and positive emotions and reducing anxiety, stress and negative emotions. MethodThe sample was comprised of 81 students belonging to 2nd year architectural engineering, chosen by random selection of a college, the year and branch of engineering in this order. The study adopted an uncontrolled single group design with pre-test, post-test and 3 months follow-up assessments. Thirty-five students attended the minimum desired number of sessions, which is 4 out of 6. The tools used for assessment were Socio-demographic Data Sheet, The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Coping Checklist, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and Psychological Well Being scale and a feedback for assessing the feasibility and acceptability ResultsThe results indicate reasonable retention of recruitment, and feasibility of the intervention. The program was viewed as acceptable and useful by the students. Preliminary evaluation of the outcome measures indicated significant improvements in few variables such as resilience, problem solving coping and negative affect. The intervention had a medium magnitude of change on these variables. ConclusionThe current study supports the feasibility and appropriateness of culturally-adapted resilience-based intervention program. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the effect of resilience-based program in college setting. to promote the mental health of the youth. Future studies might look at conducting well designed, controlled studies and examine their role in the prevention of mental health problems.