Lower Levels Of Mental Health Research Articles

Measuring Mental Health of Caregivers of Special Children: A Case of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan

The objective of this study was to assess the mental health of caregivers of special children in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan. The sample of 100 caregivers (50 special and 50 normal) was recruited. Mental Health Inventory was used to assess parents’ mental health, and demographic information was collected using demographic sheet. The results of the study showed that caregivers of special children reported a lower level of mental health ( t = 2.25, p = .02), psychological well-being ( t = 2.89, p = .00), general positive affect ( t = 2.52, p = .01), emotional ties ( t = 2.54, p = .01), and life satisfaction ( t = 2.54, p = .01) and higher level of depression ( t = 1.96, p = .05) and loss of emotional/behavioral control ( t = 2.28, p = .02) as compared with caregivers of normal children. However, insignificant differences were found in psychological distress ( t = 1.64, p = .10) and anxiety ( t = .59, p = .55) between both groups. Caregivers’ gender was found as a significant risk factor for their mental health. Likewise, in other areas, caregivers of special children in GB were also vulnerable to mental health problems, particularly females, so that it is essential to address their mental health problems. The results of the study revealed significant and valuable recommendations for mental health professionals.

The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers Program.

Background: American college students are presenting with increasingly lower levels of mental health and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Close to 30% of college students report having seriously considered suicide in their lifetime. It is critical to train peer gatekeepers to recognize and react to mental health emergency scenarios on college campuses. Aims: The Suicide Prevention for College Student Gatekeepers training program was designed to provide college students with information about the warning signs of suicide, as well as how to intervene when indicated. The program incorporates research specific to college students and suicide risk, utilizes a college student co-leader alongside a licensed psychologist, and maximizes discussion and role-play to support student learning and engagement. Method: The program was piloted with 65 undergraduate students and the results of the program are discussed. Results: Students who participated in the program reported increased feelings of suicide prevention competence both immediately after the training and at a 12-week follow-up. Additionally, students demonstrated increased knowledge about suicide and decreased stigma. Finally, students indicated high levels of acceptability of the program. Limitations: The lack of diversity and small sample size within this pilot should be addressed in future studies. Conclusion: This pilot study offers promising results for an efficient, college-student focused suicide prevention gatekeeper training program.

Prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence and its impacts on women’s mental health in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Objective:To assess the prevalence of domestic violence, associated risk factors, and its impacts on women’s mental health in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Pakistan.Methods:This is a sequential explanatory strategy that is a mixed-method research design was conducted at Department of Behavioral Sciences, Karakoram International University Gilgit from January 2017 to June 2018 on 160 married women. Quantitative data were collected using Karachi domestic violence screening scale and mental health inventory and qualitative data were collected through interview guides. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were applied to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results:Married women in GB reported higher levels of domestic violence (88.8%; psychological (69.4%), physical (37.5%) & sexual (21.2%). Abused women reported lower levels of mental health (t=3.19, p=0.00); psychological wellbeing (t=2.03, p=0.04), general positive affect (t=2.09, p=0.03), and life satisfaction (t=2.39, p=0.01) and higher levels of psychological distress (t=3.27, p=0.00), anxiety (t=3.06, p=0.00), depression (t=2.60, p=0.01), and loss of emotional/behavioral control (t=3.05, p=0.00) as compared to non-abused women. Risk factors behind domestic violence were identified as; poverty, the influence of in-laws, second marriage, stepchildren, forceful intimate relationships, husband’s irresponsibility, and addiction, and handicapped children.Conclusions:We found higher level of domestic violence, associated risk factors, and poor mental health of abused women in GB.

A Questionnaire Analysis on the Status Quo of Contemporary College Students’ Ideological and Political Quality

This article compiles a questionnaire from the three dimensions of “political literacy”, “ideological ethics” and “mental health”. The survey finds that the university is living in the problems of large individual differences in political literacy, individual ideological and moral flaws, and low levels of mental health. The author proposes that in terms of concepts, the intensity of education in the critical period of ideological and political education for college students should be increased; in terms of ways, the educational function of ideological and political courses and the ideological and political theories teaching in all courses need to be integrated; in terms of content, the life and context of ideological and political education content should be promoted; in terms of methods, a diversified strategy system of ideological and political education that is experiential, verification, and generative should be adopted.

The Effectiveness of Group Counseling with Emphasis on Communication Skills on Midwifery Students’ Sense of Belonging in Clinical Settings

Background: It seems that by improvement of communication skills among midwifery students, their sense of belonging in the medical setting increases. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the effect of group counseling with emphasis on communication skills on midwifery students’ sense of belonging in clinical settings. Methods: This interventional study with the pretest-posttest control group design was conducted on 78 midwifery students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, in 2016. The participants were selected using the census method. Of the total study population, sixty students with low level of mental health were screened using Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire and randomly included in intervention and a control group. They filled out Belongingness Scale–Clinical Placement Experience (BES–CPE) as the pretest. The intervention consisted of eight group counseling sessions (two 2-hour sessions per week) with emphasis on communication skills that were held in their faculty. The final sample included fifty two students filling out the posttest instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22. Results: There was no significant difference in terms of demographic factors between two groups. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of total score (p <0.0001) as well as the self-esteem and self-efficacy subscales (p <0.05). Conclusion: Sense of belonging in clinical settings is required for midwifery students so that they can improve their communication skills in such settings. Therefore, it is recommended to include programs in midwifery curricula in order to improve students’ sense of belonging by enhancing their communication skills.

Working-time regulation, long hours working, overemployment and mental health

Using nationally representative panel data from Australia and Germany, this article investigates the relationships between working-time regulation, long working hours, overemployment and mental health, as measured by the Mental Component Summary score from the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Fixed effects and dynamic linear models are estimated, which, together with the longitudinal nature of the data, enable person-specific traits that are time invariant to be controlled for. Drawing on the Varieties of Capitalism literature it is hypothesized that the system of collective regulation of working time in Germany will be more effective in limiting the incidence of overemployment than the more individualized system of regulation in Australia so that the prevalence of working time related mental ill health is lower. Results do not support this hypothesis. Overemployment is similarly common in both countries and is also associated with lower levels of mental health in both countries.

Social Participation and Health Outcomes Among Caregivers and Noncaregivers in Great Britain.

This study investigates the relationship between social participation and health outcomes between caregivers and noncaregivers in Great Britain. Previous studies indicate that the impact of informal caregiving on the carer's health is complex, and the intensity of care provision has an adverse impact on the caregivers' health, while social participation could have a protective role in this respect. Using qualitative and quantitative data from Wave 8 of the 1958 National Child Development Study, the analysis shows that social participation has a positive effect on the carers' mental health and subjective well-being. Individuals who did not engage in social participation reported lower levels of mental health and control, autonomy, self-realization and pleasure (CASP) scores than those engaged in social participation. The qualitative results showed the barriers to social participation of caregivers to be time, energy, and finance. We discuss ways in which the government could address such barriers to improve the level of social participation among caregivers.

Assessing the mental wellbeing of next generation general practitioners: a cross-sectional survey.

BackgroundFuture and practising GPs encounter various stressors, which can potentially impair mental wellbeing and develop into mental illnesses.AimTo assess mental wellbeing of young and future GPs by their level of training.Design & settingA cross-sectional anonymous survey of members of the Swiss Young General Practitioners Association (JHaS) was undertaken.MethodBasic characteristics and the current mental wellbeing were assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Specific stressors that can influence wellbeing were focused on. Participants were asked for ideas on how to improve wellbeing via open questions.ResultsResponse rate was 57% (n = 503). Mean value for mental wellbeing (WEMWBS) was 52.4 (maximum 70, standard deviation [SD] 7.2). Residents had a significantly lower level of mental health (51.0, SD 7.6) compared with GPs (54.2, SD 6.2). Overall, stress level was reported as high or very high by almost half of participants (49%). Forty-five per cent indicated a lack of private time; the highest proportion was among residents. Fifteen per cent (20% among residents) were at risk of burnout. Most frequent stressors were administrative tasks, high workload, and work demands. Support requests included improvement of work–life balance and reduction of administrative workload.ConclusionResidents had the lowest mental wellbeing, at a stress level similarly high to that of GPs. They most often indicated not having enough time for a private life and were most at risk of burnout. Improvement suggestions should be implemented to maintain mental health of young and future GPs. Particular attention should be paid to GPs in training, as owing to their reduced mental health, they may benefit most.

The Relationship Between Tendency to Computer Games and the Mental Health of Junior High School Students of Shahr-e Kord, Iran

Background and aims: Given that computer games have positive and negative functions and may affect the mental health of individuals, the present research aimed to study the relationship between the tendency to playing computer games and the mental health of junior high school students in Shahr-e Kord. Methods: The current cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 245 boy and girl junior high school students of Shahr-e Kord in 2016. The participants were selected using a random cluster sampling method. The required data were collected using questionnaires of demographic variables, the standard 28-item General Health Questionnaire, and an author-made questionnaire on the tendency to computer games. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed using descriptive and analytic tests in SPSS-18. Participation in the study was voluntary. Results: The results showed that 31.8% of the students aged 14 years old. In addition, the tendency to computer games was higher in girls (0.027) and their level of mental health was lower compared to boys (P=0.032). There was a significant relationship between the tendency to computer games and the age of the students (P=0.023). Eventually, age (P=0.025) and gender (P=0.09) represented a significant relationship with the mental health of the students. Conclusion: Based on the low level of mental health in girls, it is necessary to pay special attention to the symptoms of depression and anxiety and social functions in adolescents, control the time spent on playing the computer games, plan carefully for their leisure time, direct adolescents toward reading books, and promote their health using educational patterns.

Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Group Counseling on the Mental Health of Midwifery Students.

The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the effectiveness of solution-focused group counseling (SFGC) on promoting the mental health of midwifery students. The present study is an intervention-based study with a pretest, a post-test, and a control group. The statistical population included all of the midwifery students studying in the midwifery department of the Bam University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, who filled out the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in the screening phase. In the second phase, 40 individuals, having a low level of mental health based on the cutoff score of 23, were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups (intervention and control), each group with 20 participants. The intervention group participated in 5 sessions of 75 minutes for SFGC. Then, the post-test was held in both groups and the data analysis was conducted using the Mann-Whitney and the Kruskal-Wallis test with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). The significance level was considered as p < 0.05. The findings showed that the mean of the post-test mental health scores of the intervention group (14.5 ± 50.35) and of the control group (23.6 ± 35.83) showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the comparison between the mean scores of the mental health subscales (physical symptoms, stress, social performance, and depression) showed a statistically significant difference in these groups, and SFGC improved physical symptoms, stress, social performance, and depression in the members of the intervention group. Solution-focused group counseling may improve all levels of mental health. This type of counseling is recommended to be used to solve the psychological problems and to improve the mental health of students, as well as of the staff of the health system.

Care Burden and Mental Ill Health in Spouses of People With Parkinson Disease Dementia and Lewy Body Dementia.

To explore and compare levels of mental health, care burden, and relationship satisfaction among caregiving spouses of people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia in Parkinson disease (PD-MCI or PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Spouses (n = 136) completed measures of mood, stress, resilience, general health, quality of life, care burden, and relationship satisfaction, as well as sociodemographic factors. Additionally, data on motor and neuropsychiatric symptom severity of people with PD-MCI, PDD, or DLB were obtained in a subsample. Most spouses were married women (>85%) who provided a median of 4 years of care and 84 hours of weekly care. Among these, relationship dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, care burden, and feelings of resentment were common. Spouses of people with PDD and DLB had significantly higher rates of burden, resentment, and depression compared to spouses of people with PD-MCI. Furthermore, unique group differences emerged whereby spouses of people with PDD had significantly longer duration of care provision, higher stress, more relationship dissatisfaction, and fewer positive interactions, compared to PD-MCI group, whereas anxiety and lower levels of mental health were prominent in spouses of people with DLB, compared to PD-MCI group. Despite this, the majority of spouses reported good quality of life, resilience, and satisfaction with the caring role. Both PDD and DLB significantly contribute to poorer mental health and higher levels of care burden in spouses. Clinicians should actively screen the risk of burden, stress, depression, and anxiety among caregiving spouses of people with these conditions.

Mental Health and Proximal Stressors in Transgender Men and Women.

This paper explores the subjective perception of some personal and interpersonal aspects of the lives of transgender people and the relationship they have with their mental health. One hundred and twenty transgender people (60 men and 60 women) participated in semi-structured interviews. Following quantitative methodology, analysis highlighted that social loneliness is the main predictor of lower levels of mental health (anxiety and depression) for both genders and recognized romantic loneliness as the strongest factor among transgender men. In both cases, higher levels of loneliness were associated with lower levels of mental health. The results have guided us to improve institutional and social responses and have provided an opportunity to promote the mental health of transgender people.

The mental health impacts of health and human service work: Longitudinal evidence about differential exposure and susceptibility using 16 waves of cohort data.

The health and human care workforce comprise a substantial and increasing proportion of the employed population in high income countries. This diverse workforce is comprised of high skilled workers, such as doctors and nurses, as well as lower skilled workers such as carers and support workers. This paper assessed psychosocial working conditions among health and human care workers compared to other workers. We also examined the effects of psychosocial working conditions on mental health. The data source was 16 waves of the Household Income Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The exposure was a multidimensional, previously validated psychosocial job quality index. The outcome was changes in the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5). The effect modifier was a multicategory health and human care occupational variable. Random and fixed effects linear regression models were used to unpack between- versus within- person differences. Time varying confounders were controlled for. We found evidence of effect modification. Carers and support workers experienced a 4.90-point decline (95% CI −6.23 to 3.57) on the MHI-5 when reporting 3 or more job stressors compared to no stressors. These workers also reported lower levels of mental health than other occupational groups and had greater exposure to poor psychosocial working environments. Health workers also reported substantial declines on the MHI-5 when exposed to 3 or more job stressors (−3.50, 95% CI −5.05 to −1.94). Understanding the quality of employment in this workforce, and consequent impacts of this employment on mental health is critical to ensuring sustainable individual, organizational and client-related outcomes.

20 Years in the world of work: A study of (nonstandard) occupational trajectories and health

Longitudinal research emphasizes that nonstandard (i.e., temporary contracts, part-time and multiple jobs) and discontinuous occupational trajectories (i.e., intermittent unemployment or inactivity) are associated with lower levels of mental health. A branch of this research highlights, over many years of observation the importance of the time of exposure to nonstandard occupational trajectories as a social determinant of health. However, the timing of the observed period and the multidimensionality of nonstandard occupational trajectories have been highly neglected.In this study, we analyze the Swiss Household Panel data, which used a life history calendar to collect occupational trajectories across the lifespan. The data included the trajectories of 5690 initially healthy Swiss residents and were used to reconstruct the occupational trajectories during the first 20 years in the world of work. A sequence analysis revealed eight distinct types of occupational careers based on three dimensions: type of contract, labor market status and number of simultaneous jobs. The results show that discontinuous occupational trajectories (characterized by continuous jumps between temporary work, long periods of unemployment, social help, inactivity or part-time work) are associated with higher depressive symptoms, lower life course mental health and lower self-reported health during an individual's first 20 years in the world of work.

Homofobia internalizada, conectividad comunitaria y salud mental en una muestra de individuos LGB brasileños

Lesbianas, gays y bisexuales (LGB) pueden presentar menores niveles de salud mental que sus pares heterosexuales. Algunos factores pueden impactar la salud mental de LGBs, dentro de ellos la homofobia internalizada (HI) y la conectividad comunitaria (CC). Este estudio investigó índices de HI y conectividad a la comunidad LGB en una muestra de LGB brasileros. Específicamente, se tuvo como objetivo verificar los posibles efectos moderadores de la CC en la relación entre HI y resultados negativos de salud mental. Participaron de este estudio 715 LGBs con edades entre 18 y 70 años (M = 24.14; DP= 7.18), los cuales respondieron a instrumentos para evaluación de salud mental, HI y CC. Fueron realizados MANOVAS y path analysis com el fin de testear el modelo propuesto. Las lesbianas presentaron los menores índices de HI, y gays los menores índices de depresión y ansiedad, y bisexuales los menores índices de CC. No fueron encontradas relaciones significativas entre las variables en el path analysis. Esto puede haber sucedido en consecuencia del contexto de políticas públicas del país, de características de la muestra y debido a limitaciones del propio estudio.Palabras-clave: homofobia internalizada, conectividad comunitaria, Salud mental

Quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate certain social and psychological parameters and to compare them with basic demographic information, such as the gender and the education, of patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study of Type 2 diabetic patients was conducted. In total, 200 patients with T2DM were enrolled in the study. Psychological factors were assessed with questionnaires, including the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R), the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) and the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ). The associations of psychological with socio-demographic factors were assessed through logistic regression analyses.FindingsWomen patients had higher levels of heart-focused anxiety psychopathology than men, and therefore, women tend to avoid activities that burden the heart. Men patients had a significantly higher index of physical functionality than women. No differences were recorded by the SCL-90R questionnaire between men and women. For the patients with elementary education, lower levels of mental health (SF-36-MCS) were observed.Originality/valueThe chronicity of the disease aggravates the psychopathology of the patients thereby creating adverse impact not only on health but also on efforts for compliance. A personalized approach by the health professionals could contribute in addressing the psychological factors that accompany T2DM.

Impact of eual rientation ocial upport and Family upport on Minority tress in L People

Abstract Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals may have lower levels of mental health compared to heterosexual people. This study examined the impact of sexual orientation on the components of minority stress (victimization, internalized homophobia and concealment of sexual orientation), and the moderating role of social and family support in the relationship between sexual orientation and minority stress components. A total of 715 LGB people participated in this study, of which 29.1% reported being lesbian (n = 208), 32.2% gay (n = 230) and 38.8% bisexual (n = 277). Their ages ranged from 18 to 70 years (M = 24.14, SD = 7.18). The questionnaire was disseminated through social networks and answered on an online platform. A path analysis with moderation effects was conducted to test the interactions between the variables sexual orientation, victimization, internalized homophobia and concealment of sexual orientation. No relationship was found between the variables cited, which can be explained by the sociodemographic characteristics (race/ethnicity, income, education) of the participants. These results may be associated with a response bias due to the profile of the participant sample of the present study.

Mental health and traffic behavior among drivers in Republic of Srpska

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Introduction. Mental health is related to risky driving behavior and traffic accidents. The aim of this study is to investigate both social and demographic characteristics of drivers, as well as the connection between mental health and risky driving behavior among drivers in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods. The study was part of the population health survey conducted in the Republic of Srpska in 2010. The survey included 1866 households and a total of 4178 adults were interviewed (1688 drivers and 2490 non-drivers). The Chi-square test and independent samples t-test were used for data analysis. Results. Among 4178 respondents, 59.6% were non-drivers and 40.4% were drivers. There were significantly higher percentage of male drivers (73.3%), adults aged 25-54 years (66.1%), who lived in rural areas (55.3%) and were in employment (50.1%). Significantly higher percentage of drivers (58.2%) were present in the category with score values 58 to 78 on the mental distress scale, while most non-drivers were found in the category with mental distress score values 58 and lower (43.2%), p &amp;amp;lt; 0.001. Also, a significantly higher percentage of non-drivers (91.5%) were found in the category with the lowest level of mental vitality (&amp;amp;ge; 62.5), while the percentage of drivers increased in categories with higher scores on the mental vitality scale (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.001). Persons driving under the influence of alcohol had lower values on the mental distress scale (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.05, eta square = 0.005), while those who tended to use mobile phones while driving achieved higher scores on the mental vitality scale (p &amp;amp;lt; 0.001, eta square = 0.15). Conclusion. Study results have revealed significant differences in the level of mental health between drivers and non-drivers. People who drive under the influence of alcohol have a lower level of mental health, taking into account the results on the mental distress scale, while those who use mobile phones while driving have a higher level of mental vitality. In subsequent research, it is necessary to thoroughly examine the influence of mental health on tendency towards risky driving behavior.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Health Effects of Late-Career Unemployment.

Objective: Job loss has a demonstrated negative impact on physical and mental health. Involuntary retirement has also been linked to poorer physical and mental health outcomes. This study examined whether late-career unemployment is related to involuntary retirement and health declines postretirement. Method: Analysis was conducted using the 2000-2012 U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) survey data with unemployment months regressed with demographic and baseline health measures on physical and mental health. Results: Individuals with late-career unemployment reported more involuntary retirement timing (47.0%) compared with those reporting no unemployment (27.9%). Late-career unemployment had no significant effect on self-reported physical health (β = .003, p = .84), but was significantly associated with lower levels of mental health (β = .039; p < .01). Conclusion: Self-reports of late-career unemployment are not associated with physical health in retirement, but unemployment is associated with involuntary retirement timing and mental health declines in retirement. Unemployment late in the working career should be addressed as a public mental health concern.

Chronic traumatic ankle and foot osteomyelitis: a nationwide case-control study

BackgroundOsteomyelitis (OM) is an atypical consequence of ankle-foot trauma which is associated with long-term mental and physical morbidity and persistent pain. This study aimed to assess the health status of OM patients with war-related ankle-foot injuries.MethodsA total of 1129 veterans with ankle-foot injuries participated in a case-control study (2014–2016). Thirty patients with chronic OM of the ankle-foot were compared with 90 non-OM participants as the control group. Quality of life (QOL), life satisfaction and the ability to perform basic and instrumental activities of daily living were measured using the following questionnaires: short-form health survey (SF-36), satisfaction with life scale (SWLS), activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), respectively. OM patients were categorized according to their risk factors as A, B and C hosts using a modified version of the Cierny and Mader classification system. The one sample t-test, 2-independent sample t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were applied to analyze the data.ResultsAnkle-foot pain leading to surgery (P < 0.001) and orthosis usage (P = 0.039) were more common in OM patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the prevalence of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases or kidney failure and other related diseases. OM patients showed a significantly lower level of mental health compared to non-OM respondents (P = 0.025). Approximately, 70.0% of ankle-foot injured veterans were dissatisfied with their life, and there was no difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Mobility was significantly lower in the OM patients than in the control group (P = 0.023). Life satisfaction (P = 0.001) and the ability to perform daily activities were the determinants for poor physical (P = 0.018) and mental (P = 0.012) health-related quality of life. According to the Cierny and Mader classification system, they were all included in the type C host classification, with one major and/or three or more minor risk factors.ConclusionsA low level of quality and satisfaction of life and ability to perform activities of daily living were observed in OM patients with war-related ankle-foot injuries. Surgeries of the ankle and foot due to pain were much more common in OM patients than in non-OM participants. Since all the participants were classified as the C-host, health policy planning seems to be necessary.