Higher Levels Of Psychological Symptoms Research Articles

Recurrent negative autobiographical memories and mental health

BackgroundRecurrent symptom-relevant negative autobiographical memories are common in patients with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, even among those without a trauma-related diagnosis. Recurrent negative autobiographical memories may also contribute to distress in non-clinical populations. MethodsTo examine the prevalence of recurrent negative autobiographical memories and associated psychological features, we recruited a student sample (n = 101) and a treatment-seeking sample of patients with emotional disorders (n = 123). We hypothesized that recurrent negative autobiographical memories would be associated with higher levels of psychological symptoms and rumination. We also conducted exploratory analyses of participants’ most bothersome memory. ResultsIn each sample, individuals who endorsed recurrent negative autobiographical memories had significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms as well as greater rumination. In the treatment-seeking sample, where memories also had to be identified by patients as symptom-relevant, those who endorsed memories also had significantly higher clinician-rated symptom severity for their primary diagnosis. The majority of participants in each sample endorsed moderate or greater re-experiencing (sample 1: 79 %, sample 2: 66 %) and avoidance symptoms (sample 1: 78 %, sample 2: 58 %) related to their most bothersome memory. ConclusionRecurrent negative autobiographical memories relate to mental health symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical samples. Further research should explore whether targeting such memories reduces distress or improves wellbeing in these populations.

Prevalence and predictors of persistent cognitive and psychological symptoms in non-hospitalized post-COVID-19 patients seeking care at an outpatient post-COVID-19 clinic.

There is still much uncertainty about why some people develop persistent cognitive and mental health problems after SARS-CoV-2 infection and require additional care while others do not. In this study, we investigated the cognitive and psychological outcomes of non-hospitalized post-COVID-19 patients referred to an outpatient post-COVID-19 clinic for persistent symptoms more than 3 months after infection. Additionally, we aimed to explore the influence of demographic, physical, and personal factors on these outcomes. This cross-sectional study was conducted at an outpatient post-COVID-19 clinic located at a prominent clinical teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Participants included non-hospitalized patients referred between 2020 and 2022, more than 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, experiencing persistent symptoms. Main outcome measures included levels of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) (Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Checklist 14), and cognitive symptoms (Checklist for Cognitive and Emotional Consequences). Data analysis employed Spearman correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. A total of 265 patients (61% female; mean age of 51.7 ± 13.7 years) were included in the study, with an average of 7.6 ± 4.5 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them, 104 patients (40%) reported high levels of anxiety, 111 patients (43%) showed high levels depressive symptoms, and 71 patients (31%) demonstrated high levels of PTSS. Additionally, 200 patients (79%) reported experiencing more than 2 cognitive symptoms. Bivariate analyses indicated associations between psychiatric history and increased cognitive and psychological symptoms. Multivariate analyses revealed positive associations between physical symptoms and cognitive and psychological symptoms, and catastrophizing thoughts were associated with higher anxiety levels (β = 0.217, p < 0.001). Conversely, positive refocusing was associated with lower depressive symptoms (β = -0.325, p < 0.001), PTSS (β = -0.290, p < 0.001), and cognitive symptoms (β = -0.220, p < 0.001). Among non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients seeking care for persistent symptoms, approximately one-third reported high levels of psychological symptoms, and more than three-quarter experienced cognitive symptoms. Physical symptoms, psychiatric history, and a tendency to catastrophize were identified as potential risk factors for persistent psychological and cognitive symptoms. Conversely, positive refocusing demonstrated a protective effect. These findings contribute to the understanding of long-term COVID-19 outcomes and emphasize the importance of integrating a biopsychosocial perspective into treatment approaches.

Individual Differences on Wellbeing Indices during the COVID-19 Quarantine in Greece: A National Study.

The impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown measures on people's physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their daily lives and functioning, has been extensively studied. This study takes the approach of investigating the consequences of COVID-19 on a national scale, considering sociodemographic factors. The main objective is to make a contribution to ongoing research by specifically examining how age, gender, and marital status influence the overall impact of COVID-19 and wellbeing indicators during the second lockdown period that was implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Greek population. The study involved a sample of 16,906 individuals of all age groups in Greece who completed an online questionnaire encompassing measurements related to personal wellbeing, the presence and search for meaning in life, positive relationships, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, to gauge the levels of the perceived COVID-19-related impact, a valid and reliable scale was developed. The results reveal that a higher perception of COVID-19 consequences is positively associated with psychological symptoms and the search for meaning in life, while being negatively correlated with personal wellbeing and the sense of meaning in life. In terms of individual differences, the findings indicate that unmarried individuals, young adults, and females tend to report higher levels of psychological symptoms, a greater search for meaning in life, and a heightened perception of COVID-19-related impact. These findings are analyzed in depth, and suggestions for potential directions for future research are put forth.

Evaluation of COVID-19-Related Anxiety and Mental Health Status during the Pandemic among Students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 2022

Background: COVID-19 has not only damaged the individual's physical health, but also the community’s mental health. The current study is conducted to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on mental health and anxiety level of the university students.&#x0D; Methods: In the current cross-sectional study, 216 students from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were collected using simple random sampling during COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. To determine anxiety symptoms relevant to COVID-19, Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) was used, and to assess the status of mental health, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used. Data were analyzed through SPSS software. Descriptive analysis statistics was performed using frequency percentages, and mean and standard deviation indexes. Furthermore, multiple linear regressions were calculated with psychological and physical symptoms of CDAS and mental health scores. The significance level of all statistical tests was 0.05.&#x0D; Results: 84.3% (182 participants) of the participants had medium and high levels of psychological symptoms of Corona disease anxiety, and regarding physical symptoms, approximately more than half of the participants (55.6%, 120 participants) experienced medium and high levels of anxiety. Both the psychological and physical symptoms of the disease anxiety were associated significantly with mental health (ß standard = 0.14, p value = 0.004), and psychological symptom variable was the stronger predictor (ß standard = 0.53, p value = 0.0001).&#x0D; Conclusion: The wide spread of anxiety during COVID-19 lockdown is a warning to health educators and policy makers that significant time, attempt, and funding of the services for mental health should be spent to control anxiety.

The Association Between Cognitive Functions and Psychological Factors in Patients with Severe COPD.

Patients with COPD experience anxiety, depression, and stress more frequently than in the age and gender-matched general population. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive functions and the psychological factors of anxiety, depression and stress among patients with COPD. Between January 2021 and January 2023, patients with severe COPD were recruited, along with age-matched controls. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a continuous reaction time test (CRT), and a driving simulator were used to assess cognitive impairment. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were used to explain the variance of the correlations. In total, 80 patients (mean age = 64yrs) and 22 controls (mean age = 61yrs) participated in the study. Patients reported significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms compared to the controls (p ≤ 0.001). We found no differences in anxiety (p = 0.31), depression (p = 0.66) and stress (p = 0.37) between patients with and without cognitive impairment. However, stress showed to be a significant predictor of decreased attention (higher stress score resulted in decreasing CRT-index, indication a reduced stability in reaction time) (p = 0.02). Psychological factors did not explain additional variance in cognitive functions beyond sociodemographic factors such as age and sex. Psychological symptom levels are higher in COPD than controls and perceived stress among patients with COPD appears to be associated with decreased attention. However, psychological factors in general did not appear to contribute to the variance in cognitive functions beyond sociodemographic, physical, and self-perceived symptoms.

Psychological effects of collective political traumas and post-traumatic growth

Purpose Collective political traumas emerge from human behavior as a result of political motivation. These events include destructive and intense violence that disrupt the biopsychosocial processes of people in general. A study was conducted on individuals involved in the conflict between the Kurds in southeastern Turkey and security forces. This study aims to determine whether perceived social support, assumptions about the world, psychological resilience and psychological symptoms predict post-traumatic growth (PTG). In addition, the study examines whether differences existed between the participants’ PTG and the four cited variables according to the type of trauma and major sociodemographic variables. Design/methodology/approach This study recruited 324 individuals who completed the PTG Inventory, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, World Assumption Scale, Brief Psychological Resilience Scale and Symptom Checklist-90-R Symptom Screening List. Data were analyzed using regression analysis, ANOVA and t-test for independent groups. Findings Analysis revealed that assumptions about the world, perceived social support and level of psychological symptoms significantly predicted PTG level. The level of psychological symptoms was significantly higher among individuals exposed than those not exposed to prison. Moreover, participants with low levels of education and income displayed low levels of social support and psychological resilience but high levels of psychological symptoms. When working with victims of collective political trauma, the fact that people who are exposed to prison and torture experience and those with low socioeconomic levels pose serious risks in terms of psychological problems must be considered. Originality/value This research is important because it collects data on the effects of collective political traumas.

A prospective comparison of UK and Malaysian patients with irritable bowel syndrome in secondary care.

The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is now known to be similar in various geographical regions, but there has been no study directly comparing characteristics of patients with IBS between populations. To evaluate clinical and psychological differences between adults with IBS seen in secondary care in the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia. Age- and sex-matched patients with IBS from a single centre in the UK (Leeds) and two centres in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu), who fulfilled Rome III criteria, were recruited prospectively. Demographic characteristics and gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms were compared between both groups. A total of 266 (133 UK and 133 Malaysian) age- and sex-matched patients with Rome III IBS were recruited (mean age: 45.1 years Malaysia, vs. 46.5 years UK; 57.9% female). UK patients were more likely to consume alcohol than Malaysian patients (54.1% vs. 10.5%, p < 0.001). Compared with Malaysian patients, UK patients had more frequent abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, meal-related symptoms (p < 0.001 for all), higher symptom scores (mean 268.0 vs 166.0; p < 0.001), greater limitation of activities due to IBS (p = 0.007) and were more likely to report abnormal anxiety scores (p < 0.001). Higher perceived stress (mean 21.3 vs. 19.1, p = 0.014) and gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety scores (mean 50.8 vs. 43.0, p < 0.001) were also observed in UK patients. Finally, UK patients had higher somatoform symptom-reporting scores (mean 8.9 vs. 6.9, p < 0.001). IBS is more severe and is associated with a higher level of psychological symptoms in the UK compared with Malaysian patients in secondary care.

Assessment of mental health status among Chinese nursing staff in the intensive care unit: a network analysis.

Nursing is the key group to provide healthcare services, and it is easy for nursing staff to develop mental health problems. The study aimed to evaluate prevalence of psychological symptoms in nurses working in an intensive care unit (ICU) and the inter-relationship of associations of psychological symptoms using network analysis. This study is a cross-sectional design study. The Chinese version of the Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90) was used to measure the psychological status of ICU nurses. The network structure of psychological symptoms was characterised, and indices of 'Expected influence' were used to identify symptoms central to the network. Network stability was examined using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Multiple logistic regression analysis found those who had worked more than 15 years were less likely to experience positive psychological symptoms, whereas nurses working in emergency ICU and other ICUs, nurses working in departments with over 16 beds were more likely to develop psychological symptoms. In addition, 'Anxiety', 'Mental degeneration' and 'Depression' were central symptoms in the network. ICU nurses reported a high level of psychological symptoms, which may affect the quality of their work and worsen public health problems.

Demographic factors, partial social belonging and psychological resources associated with coping.

The present study investigates the role of perceived partial social belonging (PPSB) in determining societal and individual resilience and positive and negative coping indicators. It is assumed that most people aspire to belong and be integrated into their society. A sense of only partial belonging is therefore distressing for them. Two hypotheses are examined in the current study: (a) A higher level of PPSB will predict a lower level of resilience and a higher level of psychological symptoms. (b) PPSB will mediate the associations between three stress-evoking demographic characteristics (younger age, low income, and gender) and the lower psychological resilience and higher distress associated with these demographic characteristics. These hypotheses were examined using a sample of the Israeli Jewish public (N = 1,502) who responded to an anonymous questionnaire about the investigated issues. The data were collected by an internet panel company possessing a database of more than 65,000 residents, representing the varied components of the Israeli society. The findings supported our hypotheses: (a) PPSB negatively predicted societal and individual resilience and hope and positively predicted distress symptoms and sense of danger. (b) PPSB mediated the effects of the investigated demographic variables on these psychological variables. These results are discussed in association with the concept of belonging competencies. Our findings display that being unsure about one's belonging to a desired social group, has a major role in increasing psychological distress and sense of danger and in reducing hope and both individual and societal resilience.

Prevalence of Burnout among Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have found that there has been a lot of teacher overload. One of the additional burdens has been that they have had to teach online. In addition, when they returned to face-to-face classes, they had to follow all the hygiene rules so that the COVID-19 virus would not spread. It is therefore not surprising that, during this pandemic period, high levels of psychological symptoms have been reported among teachers. Among this symptomatology, burnout has been very frequent among teachers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the overall prevalence of burnout among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a search was conducted for cross-sectional studies listed in PubMed from 1 December 2019 to 14 February 2022 that reported on the prevalence of burnout among teachers. A total of nine studies from eight different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America, were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of burnout among teachers was 52% (95% CI 33-71%), which is higher than burnout rates reported for health professionals. There was significant heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 99%, p-value < 0.001), and the prevalence of burnout was higher in women and school teachers (compared to university educators), and lower in American studies. This meta-analysis concludes that teachers worldwide experienced a high rate of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has implications not only for the teachers themselves, but also for the quality of the education they were able to provide. This education has an influence on the student population. The possible long-term effects are yet to be determined.

Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Freelance Professional Musicians

With the onset of public life restrictions in the COVID 19 pandemic in March 2020, freelance professional musicians were exposed to significant pandemic-related restrictions in exercising their profession. Due to the particular working conditions, this professional group was already considered high at risk in terms of mental health before the pandemic. The present study investigates the level of mental distress among professional musicians during the pandemic in relation to basic mental health needs and help-seeking behaviour. In July and August 2021, psychological distress was measured in a nationwide sample of N=209 professional musicians using the ICD-10 Symptom Checklist (ISR). In addition, the extent to which the musicians' basic psychological needs are met and whether they would seek professional psychological help was determined. Compared to various control groups before and during the pandemic, professional musicians showed significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms than the general population before and during the pandemic. Regression analyses support the assumption that pandemic-related changes in the basic psychological needs of pleasure or displeasure avoidance, self-esteem enhancement or self-esteem protection and attachment have a significant influence on the expression of depression symptoms. The musicians' help-seeking behaviour, on the other hand, decreases with an increase in depression symptoms. Due to the high overall psychological stress among freelance musicians, there is a need for action, especially in the provision of specially adapted psychosocial support services.

Differentiation of self, anxiety, triangling and distress: A test of Bowen theory.

Based in Bowen theory (Kerr, 2019; Kerr & Bowen, 1988), this study examined differentiation of self as a moderator of the relationship between anxiety and current triangling among a sample of adolescents. It also explored the relationship between specific triangle subtypes and psychological symptoms. We hypothesized that higher levels of anxiety would be associated with higher levels of triangling, and that this relationship would be weaker for participants who report higher levels of differentiation of self. Additionally, we hypothesized that psychological symptoms would be significantly lower for those who indicated a balanced triangle configuration to characterize their family structure (as compared to those selecting scapegoating, cross-generational coalition or mediator patterns). Results partially supported our hypotheses; differentiation performed as a moderator in two analyses, but not in others. Higher levels of psychological symptoms were associated with experience with mediator and cross-generational triangling.

The relationship of psychological status and sociodemographic factors with bruxism among undergraduate dental students: A national survey.

Although its etiology is not fully known, the accepted view is that bruxism is a multifactorial disorder. This study aims to evaluate the prevalance of self-reported bruxism and to investigate its relationship with psychological and sociodemographical factors amongst undergraduate dental students in Zonguldak, Turkey. 250 dental students were asked to fill the bruxism questionnaire - to detect the prevelance of bruxism; personal information form - to determine sociodemographic variables; and symptom checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) - to asses psychological state. Data were analyzed statistically by Kolmogorov Smirnov, Shapiro Wilk, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis tests through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The prevalance of self-reported bruxism was 40%. 46% of the students showed higher levels of psychological symptoms. SCL-90-R subscales showed statistically significant differences in students with bruxism compared to those without bruxism (P < 0.05). It was observed that bruxism was associated with gender (P < 0.05) and both bruxism and psychological symptom levels were statistically higher in females (P < 0.05). The findings revealed that, although bruxism was common among dental students, gender and psychosocial factors are also mostly associated with the etiology of bruxism. In this context, during the challenging dentistry education period, it is important to direct students who are found to have high levels of psychological symptoms to psychological counseling and guidance services.

Sexual abuse, psychological symptoms and hopelessness among runaway female adolescents in Turkey

ABSTRACT This seminal study from Turkey investigates sexual abuse (SA) victimization, psychological symptoms, and hopelessness in female adolescents with runaway behavior. A total of 76 female adolescent participants aged 15–18 completed the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Among these adolescents, 63.1% (n = 48) were victims of SA, 61.8% (n = 47) had a Global Severity Index (GSI) T-score of 63 or above, and 68.4% (n = 52) had moderate–severe hopelessness. Although there was no significant difference, the SA rate was higher in those who had experienced SA before running away. ‘Intrafamilial relationship problems’ and ‘SA-related factors’ were the most frequently reported reasons for runaway behavior. Victims of SA had significantly higher scores in all BSI subdimensions and global symptom severity than those previously not SA victims. The results suggest that high levels of psychological symptoms, hopelessness, history of SA, and poor parent–child relationships are possible factors that can describe female adolescents who have run away from home. Psychosocial prevention programs involving adolescents and parents are needed to prevent at-risk female adolescents from running away from home.

Mental Health of Staff at Correctional Facilities in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundAlthough United States (US) correctional workers (correctional officers and health care workers at correctional institutions) have experienced unprecedented stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, to date, there are no systematic data on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on correctional workers.ObjectiveTo determine the perceived mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on correctional workers and to explore the relationship between workers' mental health, social demographics, and environmental/work factors. In particular, the study sought to examine if occupational role (correctional officers vs. health care workers) or sex were associated with mental health status.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted in 78 correctional sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New York from November 1 to December 1, 2020. There were 589 participants, including 103 correctional officers and 486 health care workers employed at the correctional facilities. Measurements included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Adult PROMIS Short Form v.1.0—Sleep Disturbance, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Maslach Burnout Inventory 2-item, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 2-item.ResultsApproximately 48% of healthcare workers and 32% of correctional officers reported mild to severe depressive symptoms, 37% reported mild to severe anxiety symptoms, 47% of healthcare workers and 57% of correctional officers reported symptoms of burnout, and 50% of healthcare workers and 45% of correctional officers reported post-traumatic stress symptoms. Approximately 18% of healthcare workers and 11% of correctional officers reports mild to moderate sleep disturbance. Health care workers had significantly higher depression and sleep disturbance scores than did correctional officers, while correctional officers had significantly higher burnout scores. Female correctional workers scored significantly higher on anxiety than their male counterparts. Increased workload, workplace conflict, younger age of employees, trust in institutional isolation practices, and lower work position were associated with increased burnout. Despite experiencing high mental health burden, correctional workers showed high resilience (60%).ConclusionWe found a high level of psychological symptoms among health care workers in correctional settings, and this population may experience unique challenges, risks and protective factors relative to other health care workers outside of correctional settings. Understanding these factors is essential for developing effective interventions for correctional workers.

On the Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence and Quality of Life Among Menopausal Women

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and quality of life (QOL) among menopausal women. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 202 postmenopausal women admitted to different healthcare centers. The primary data collection tools were the revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL). Results: The participants encompassed 202 postmenopausal women with the mean age of 52.14 ± 5.93 years. The analysis revealed that 70.8% of women were 45 - 55 years, 29.2% of women were 56 - 65 years, and 62.7% of the participants had more than two children. Compared to the non-smoking participants, the smoking women reported more injury violence (P = 0.008). In this study, the effect of the husband and wife’s level of education on IPV was not significant. The menopausal women or their spouses experienced more psychological (P = 0.008) and injury (P = 0.01) violence following their second marriage. The present findings suggested that three types of violence, including psychological (P &lt; 0.001), physical (P = 0.003), and injury (P &lt; 0.001), reported higher levels of psychological symptoms. The women experiencing psychological (P &lt; 0.001) and sexual (P = 0.012) violence reported more severe physical problems than those with no history of violence in menopause. Conclusions: This study provided more profound insights into the relationship between menopause-related quality of life and types of violence among menopausal women. The quality of life in postmenopausal women is significantly declined under domestic violence. Healthcare providers are recommended to be trained on detecting and managing IPV and the corresponding physical and psychological problems.

COVID‐19 exposure, pandemic‐related appraisals, coping strategies, and psychological symptoms among the frontline medical staff and gender differences in coping processes

This study sought to explore the effects of COVID‐19 exposure, pandemic‐related appraisals and coping strategies on psychological symptoms among the front‐line healthcare workers based on the transactional theory of stress and coping. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a Wuhan hospital designated for inpatients with COVID‐19, assessing COVID‐19 exposure (whether or not exposed to confirmed patients at workplace), psychological symptoms, appraisals, and coping strategies in 311 participants. Results revealed that the pandemic markedly affected healthcare workers' mental well‐being through appraisal and coping, with 38.9% reporting high levels of psychological symptoms. Primary appraisal related closely with COVID‐19 exposure, especially in female, while secondary appraisal was associated with problem‐focused coping. Both problem‐focused and emotion‐focused coping had a protective effect against psychological symptoms, but also showed gender differences in its relations with other variables. These findings could potentially benefit to enrich relevant theories, and to develop psychological programs for future epidemics.

Somatic distress, mental health and psychological resilience among cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic

We aimed to investigate the somatic distress and psychological symptoms levels of cancer patients, and analyze the influencing factors on somatic distress during COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study included 216 eligible cancer patients. The Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist for DSM-5, The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, the Brief Resilience Scale, the Stressful Life Events List due to Pandemic were administered to the participants. The moderate to severe somatic distress rate was % 38 and probable PTSD rate was 20.4%. Depression, anxiety and stress symptoms were 36.1%, 49.1% and 45.4%, respectively, from mild to extremely severe. There were substantial association between somatic symptoms severity and high PTSD, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms levels. Low education, high anxiety levels, high experience stressful life events, and low psychological resilience predicted high somatic distress. This study demonstrates the high risk of somatic distress, PTSD, depression, anxiety and stress in patients with cancer during the pandemic. In addition, somatic distress may indicate high levels of psychological symptoms, high experience stressful life events, and low psychological resilience. It underscores the need to assess psychological status during the pandemic, especially those with high level somatic symptoms.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients Seeking Treatment for Common Mental Disorders Presenting With Workplace Bullying Experiences.

BackgroundTargets of workplace bullying tend to develop severe mental health complaints, having increased risk of sick leave and expulsion from the workplace. Hence, these individuals are likely to be overrepresented among patients seeking treatment for common mental disorders (CMD). This study investigated the prevalence of exposure to workplace bullying in a patient group seeking treatment for CMD. Further we explored if exposed and non-exposed patients differed on clinical and work-related characteristics.MethodsThe sample comprised of 675 patients from an outpatient clinic in Norway and consisted of 70% women and had a mean age of 39 (SD = 10.5) years. The study had a cross-sectional design and differences between the patient groups were analysed using chi-square, Mann–Whitney U-tests and independent sample t-tests.ResultsThe prevalence of exposure to bullying was 25.8%. The patients exposed to bullying reported significantly more major depressive disorders (MDDs) measured with the MINI psychiatric interview, higher levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, subjective health complaints, alcohol use, and lower resilience as measured with questionnaires. Twice as many were on full-time sick leave, reported lower work ability, lower return to work self-efficacy, and lower job satisfaction. A majority preferred another job than the one they have today over returning to their current employment.ConclusionVictims of workplace bullying are a vulnerable group at risk of expulsion from working life, being overrepresented among patients seeking mental health treatment for CMD. One in four patients represented with such experience have higher levels of psychological symptoms and are more often diagnosed with depression as compared to other patients. Thus, this is a problem that should be addressed in clinical settings. If not addressed there is an increased risk of sick leave and permanent exclusion from working life.

An Investigation of Cyberloafing in Relation to Coping Styles and Psychological Symptoms in an Educational Setting.

Cyberloafing, the intentional use of the Internet for personal purposes during class hours, has received the scholars' attention due to the increased access to digital devices in educational settings. Considering the possible negative consequences of misuse of the Internet on health and well-being, the current study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this relationship by examining in detail the role of coping strategies. The sample consisted of 272 undergraduate students. The participants were asked to fill out items measuring cyberloafing behaviors, coping strategies (emotion-focused and problem-focused), and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, anger, and somatization). The results revealed that cyberloafing is positively related to psychological symptoms. Furthermore, it is observed that cyberloafing moderates the relationship between emotion-focused coping and psychological symptoms such that at high levels of cyberloafing, emotion-focused coping is associated with higher levels of psychological symptoms. These findings contribute to the existing literature on students' psychological well-being in terms of highlighting its relation with coping strategies and problematic Internet use.