Mental Health Impact Of COVID-19 Research Articles

MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction: The novel coronavirus disease, which the World Health Organization (WHO) officially designated as COVID-19, originated in Wuhan, China, as a cluster of unexplained pneumonia cases. It has affected countries worldwide and has been classified as a pandemic. To deal with this global health crisis and to curtail the spread of the virus, stringent public health measures have been implemented. There is evidence of a positive correlation between widespread outbreaks of contagious diseases, symptoms of psychiatric illness, and psychological distress. Aim: Considering the need to develop a deeper understanding of COVID-19 to devise strategies to deal with and prevent impact of COVID-19 on mental health thereby present review is undertaken. Method: A narrative review was conducted in May 2020. Result: Findings are suggestive that healthcare workers engaged in providing care to patients affected by COVID-19 are at a risk of developing psychological issues such as vicarious traumatization. With regards to the public, certain populations, including individuals with preexisting mental health issues, are more vulnerable to adverse psychological impacts from COVID-19. To conclude it, the review findings highlight the hidden mental health impact of COVID-19 and allows health care workers in all specialty to watch for vulnerable patients, their family members, and colleagues who may adversely psychologically affected by COVID-19.

Fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression and suicide among elderly patients with chronic physical or mental diseases

Older age renders individuals vulnerable during public emergency crises. Considering that older adults are a highly heterogeneous and continuously growing demographic subgroup, this study aimed to assess the mental health impact of COVID-19 on two groups of older patients: a group of chronic physical disease and a group of chronic mental disease. A total of 102 patients completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, the Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and several questions regarding demographic characteristics. Suicidality was assessed by the 9th item of the PHQ-9. According to the results, older chronic disease patients showed higher levels of fear, whereas anxiety and depressive symptoms were present mainly in the group of older psychiatric patients. Suicidality was reported from a subtotal of 25.4% that was composed of 7.8% chronic disease patients and 17.6% psychiatric patients. Chronic physical disease and higher anxiety predicted more severe COVID-19-related fear.

COVID-19–RELATED HARDSHIP AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PUERTO RICAN CHILDREN: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES)

Research on the mental health impact of COVID-19 has called attention to the high levels of symptoms among children. Latinx children experience more COVID-19 related hardship (CRH; eg, child infection, parental job loss) and are disproportionately exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—a risk factor for negative mental health outcomes. ACEs are associated with alterations in physiology that may make children more vulnerable to future stressors. However, no study has investigated whether ACEs may exacerbate symptoms associated with CRH in Latinx children.

Mental health impact of COVID-19 on Saudi families and children with special educational needs and disabilities in Saudi Arabia: A national perspective.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic revealed a multidimensional impact on mental health due to health concerns, social distancing and lockdowns, job loss, and limits in institutional support. Accordingly, COVID-19 may disproportionally impact families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) due to the already high prevalence of mental health conditions in children with SEND and their parents. Hence, it is essential to determine the short-term impact of the pandemic on the mental health of families with SEND to identify their ongoing health, including psychological wellbeing and support needs. The current study examines the anxiety level and concerns of children with SEND and their parents living in Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA cross-sectional national study design was utilized as a part of an international consortium using an online Arabic survey. Data were collected from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development beneficiaries from May to July 2020. The sample consisted of 1,848 parents of children with SEND aged between 1 and 18 years (mean = 9.66; SD = 4.31). A descriptive and bivariant analysis is reported.ResultsParental worries on all those concerns when the pandemic started were significantly higher than before the pandemic, p < 0.050. Parental-perceived general anxiety had risen significantly across time, p < 0.001, and their perceived anxiety when the pandemic started exceeded their anxiety before the pandemic, p < 0.001. The general anxiety of children with SEND had risen significantly across time (from before the pandemic to when it had started to during the pandemic), p < 0.001. The children's general worries at the start of the pandemic had correlated significantly and positively with their anxiety, adaptive, maladaptive, and coping efficacies, and parental anxiety scores, p < 0.010 each.ConclusionAnxiety levels were high in SEND and their caregivers before and during COVID-19. At the start of the pandemic, the anxiety, adaptive, maladaptive, coping efficacies, and parental anxiety scores of children with SEND were significantly and favorably correlated. These findings support the notion of SEND-specific anxiety and patterns of coping in SEND and their caregivers. The notion also attests to the institutional support required for this specifically vulnerable population during epidemics.

A systematic review of the international evolution of online mental health strategies and recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health (MH). As a response to the pandemic, international agencies and governmental institutions provided an initial response to the population’s needs. As the pandemic evolved, the population circumstances changed, and some of these international agencies updated their strategies, recommendations, and guidelines for the populations. However, there is currently a lack of information on the attention given to response strategies by the different countries throughout the beginning of the pandemic.Objectives1) To evaluate the evolution of online MH strategies and recommendations of selected countries to cope with the MH impact of COVID-19 from the early stages of the pandemic (15 April 2020) to the vaccination period (9 June 2021) and 2) to review and analyse the current structures of these online MH strategies and recommendations.MethodologyAn adaptation of the PRISMA guidelines to review online documents was developed with a questionnaire for MH strategies and recommendations assessment. The search was conducted on Google, including documents from April 2020 to June 2021. Basic statistics and Student’s t test were used to assess the evolution of the documents, while a two-step cluster analysis was performed to assess the organisation and characteristics of the most recent documents.ResultsStatistically significant differences were found both in the number of symptoms and mental disorders and MH strategies and recommendations included in the initial documents and the updated versions generated after vaccines became available. The most recent versions are more complete in all cases. Regarding the forty-six total documents included in the review, the cluster analysis showed a broad distribution from wide-spectrum documents to documents focusing on a specific topic.ConclusionsSelected governments and related institutions have worked actively on updating their MH online documents, highlighting actions related to bereavement, telehealth and domestic violence. The study supports the use of the adaptation, including the tailor-made questionnaire, of the PRISMA protocol as a potential standard to conduct longitudinal assessments of online documents used to support MH strategies and recommendations.

COVID-19-related impact on mental health and career uncertainty in student-athletes-Data from a cohort of 7,025 athletes in an elite sport high school system in Sweden.

ObjectivesMental health consequences and behavior change has been described in elite athletes following the vast impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of sports. However, most study samples have been of limited size, and few studies have assessed student-athletes. This study aimed to analyze perceived mental health impact, measured as clinical degree of depression and anxiety, worry about one's sport and about one's career, and behavioral change with respect to video gaming behavior, in high-school athletes in Sweden.MethodsData on anxiety and depression as well as on perceived behavioral changes during COVID-19 were collected from students at sports high schools in Sweden (N = 7,025) in February 2021, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsSixteen and 14% met criteria of moderate/severe depression and anxiety, respectively. Many respondents reported feeling mentally worse during the pandemic (66%), and were worried about the future of their sport (45%) or about their own future in sports (45%). Increased gaming behavior during COVID-19 was reported by 29%. All mental health variables were significantly more common in women, except increased gaming (more common in men). Being worried about one's career was less common in winter sports, more common in team sports and more common in older student-athletes, and associated with both depression and anxiety in regression analyses.DiscussionSelf-reported mental health impact of COVID-19 is substantial in student-athletes, and even more so in women and in team sports. The lower impact in winter athletes suggests a moderating effect of the seasons in which the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.

COVID-19-Induced Inequalities and Mental Health: Testing the Moderating Roles of Self-rated Health and Race/Ethnicity.

This study examines the relationship among COVID-19-induced social, economic, and educational inequalities on mental health (i.e., anxiety and depression). This study also examines if levels of self-rated health (SRH) moderate the relationship (i.e., COVID-induced inequalities [CII] and mental health), as well as examines the racial/ethnic group differences among 567 young adults in the mid-Atlantic region. Using a moderation model, results indicate that CII were significantly related to depression (b = .221, t(554) = 4.59, p = .000) and anxiety (b = .140, t(555) = 3.23, p = .001). SRH and race/ethnicity also moderated both relationships. At above-average SRH (i.e., moderator), higher CII were also significantly related to lower anxiety (Asian young adults only) and lower depression (Asian and White young adults only). Overall, SRH and race/ethnicity are important factors in the mental health impact of COVID-19 on young adults.

Perceived Emotional Impact of COVID-19 and Depressive Symptoms among Male Same-Sex Chilean Couples: Direct and Indirect Dyadic Associations through Relationship Satisfaction

Stressors arising from the COVID-19 pandemic can spill over into the quality of couple relationships, with negative consequences on mental health. The mental health impact of COVID-19 might be particularly pronounced in disadvantaged populations such as LGBT people. This study aimed to examine direct and indirect dyadic associations between emotional impact of COVID-19 and depressive symptoms through relationship satisfaction in male same-sex couples. Using a cross-sectional design, 158 male same-sex Chilean couples completed self-report measures of the emotional impact of COVID-19, relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms. We used the actor-partner interdependence mediation model for indistinguishable dyads to explore the direct and indirect dyadic associations. Results indicated that each partner’s perceived emotional impact of COVID-19 was associated with his own higher depressive symptoms directly and indirectly, through his own lower relationship satisfaction. The other partner’s perceived emotional impact of COVID-19 was associated with one’s own higher depressive symptoms only directly. Our findings reinforce the notion that satisfactory couple relationships can act as a protective factor against depression in the LGBT population. Programs to promote adaptive coping strategies to deal with the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may have beneficial effects for the emotional adjustment of male same-sex couples, also by promoting relationship satisfaction.

Two Years of COVID-19 in Austria-Exploratory Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Outcomes and Coping Behaviors in the General Population.

Since the long-term mental health impact of COVID-19 is not yet fully understood, the present study explored changes in mental health outcomes and pandemic-related coping behaviors across four pandemic stages. The main objective was to gain insights into the dynamics of mental health and coping, considering different pandemic features at different assessment waves. The final sample consisted of N = 243 adults from the Austrian general population. Data were collected at four timepoints (between June 2020 and December 2021) via LimeSurvey, an open-source online survey tool. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder (AD), anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated instruments: Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5), AD-New Module 8 (ADNM-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ4). We also administered the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS) to address pandemic-related coping behaviors. Cochran’s Q test and repeated measures ANOVAs were applied to assess changes over time. The results indicated that prevalence rates of AD (χ2(2) = 16.88, p = 0.001), depression (χ2(3) = 18.69, p < 0.001), and anxiety (χ2(3) = 19.10, p < 0.001) significantly changed across four assessment waves. Changes in mean scores of the assessed mental health outcomes were also observed. For pandemic-related coping, we found differences in the subscales: healthy lifestyle: F(3, 651) = 5.11, prevention adherence: F(2.73, 592.35) = 21.88, and joyful activities: F(3, 651) = 5.03. Taken together, our study showed a higher mental health burden in wintertime than in summertime, indicating an increased need for psychosocial support in times of stricter measures, higher incidences, and higher death rates. Furthermore, the observed decrease in adaptive coping behaviors suggests that easy-to-implement coping strategies should be actively promoted in order to maintain mental health during and in the aftermath of pandemics.

COVID-19, adversities and depression among older adolescents in urban slums of India.

PurposeWe report findings from a survey on the mental health impact of COVID-19 factoring environmental adversities among older adolescents (15–19 years) living in urban slums in India.MethodsWe report survey results of 3490 older adolescents. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depression, slum adversity questionnaire for slum conditions, and for COVID-19 infection we recorded self-reported positivity status. Sociodemographic details were also collected. Additional sub-group analyses of sample who had depression and tested positive for COVID-19 infection was conducted. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to identify factors and COVID-19 infection that were associated with depression.ResultsAdolescents with adversities were three times more likely to report depression. Adolescents who reported COVID-19 infection were about two times more likely to have depression. Sub-group analyses showed that adolescents having experienced adversities and girls were more likely to report depression following COVID-19 infection.ConclusionsThere is a need for an intersectional research framework that incorporates stress arising out of a pandemic, social disadvantage, and systemic inequities. Such a framework will help to assess mental health issues of developmentally vulnerable groups residing in disadvantageous conditions.

Leveraging anthropological expertise to respond to the COVID-19 global mental health syndemic.

This commentary asks anthropologists to work within communities to actively address the global mental health impact of COVID‐19 and contribute to the pandemic response. Multiple social and physical losses, worsened by numerous factors, have produced syndemic traumatic stress and suffering across populations, highlighting persistent inequalities further amplified by the effects of COVID‐19. Specifically, anthropologists can work to contribute to the development of mental health programs; confront the racialization of COVID‐19 alongside marginalized communities; support real‐time policy making with community responses; and innovate transparent collaborative research methods through open science. This pandemic can serve as an opportunity to prioritize research endeavors, public service, and teaching to better align with societal needs while providing new opportunities for synergy and collaborations between anthropologists in and outside the academy. Anthropologists collaborating directly with mental health clinicians and the public can contribute to knowledge specifically through direct program development and implementation of interventions designed to improve mental well‐being. Innovating to find impactful solutions in response to the unprecedented mental health challenges exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic has the potential to promote more equitable recovery around the world.

Racial and ethnic differences in perseverative cognition at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

RationaleCoronavirus (COVID-19) disproportionately affects people of color (e.g., Black and Latinx individuals) in the U.S., increasing their morbidity and mortality relative to White people. Despite this greater threat to their well-being, the mental health impact of COVID-19 on people of color remains poorly understood. Perseverative cognition (PC; i.e., excessive worry and/or rumination), is a common psychological response to such threats that independently associates with poor mental and physical health. ObjectiveTo examine patterns of PC across race/ethnicity when the COVID-19 pandemic began. MethodsThis study surveyed 6,514 respondents from the NORC AmeriSpeak panel, a probability-based representative national sample of U.S. adults between 3/18/20-4/18/20. We employed traditional statistical analyses and natural language processing of open-ended data to examine pandemic-related worries. ResultsWeighted regression analyses with relevant covariates revealed group differences across specific domains of COVID-related worry. Relative to White respondents, Hispanic/Latino respondents reported more worries about social disarray, meeting basic needs, experiencing economic impacts, obtaining healthcare, and contracting COVID-19. Black respondents reported more worry about economic impacts relative to Whites. Additional group differences in worry emerged in open-ended data: Black respondents perseverated about death from COVID-19, whereas Hispanic/Latino respondents reported concerns about COVID-19 spread, and people refusing to uphold mitigation mandates. In contrast, White respondents expressed worry over compromised immune systems and economic collapse. ConclusionsResults identify significant group differences in COVID-19 related PC, suggesting that people of color faced greater threat to mental well-being at the onset of the pandemic, and may be at greater risk for downstream PC-related physical health consequences.

Social Capital as Protection Against the Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The corona pandemic has a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of the Dutch population. Based on a large-scale panel survey (N = 22,696) on the social impact of COVID-19, this article firstly examines which social groups are most susceptible to the mental health consequences of the pandemic. Secondly, we examine whether social capital provides protection against this impact. We find that the mental health impact of COVID-19 is considerable and that it increased over the course of 2020. Women, young people, respondents with low incomes and/or poor self-perceived health, experience relatively more fear and stress due to the pandemic. We do not find a difference between respondents with or without a migration background. Social capital (received support, trust in people and in institutions) has the expected effect: the more support and trust, the less fear and stress. There is a mediation effect. Older people, respondents with high incomes and/or good health experience less fear and stress, partly because they have more social capital. This is different for females. They would experience even more fear and stress, compared to men, were it not for the fact that they have more social capital. Hence we conclude that social capital indeed provides some protection against the negative mental health consequences of COVID-19.

Mental health impact of COVID-19 on family doctors in Canada: one year after.

Context: A year after the pandemic outbreak, primary care providers continue to face extreme psychological pressure. This study gauges the mental health and burnout levels of family physicians during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Objective: Assess the levels of personal, professional and patient-related burnout of family physicians (FPs) in the response to the pandemic and explore demographic and work-related factors that may influence burnout levels. Study Design: Online, self-report survey administered between April 7 and May 10, 2021. Setting or Dataset: The College of Family Physicians of Canada's (CFPC) list of all active members was used to reach family physicians in diverse practice settings in all Canadian provinces and territories. Population studied: All active CFPC family physician (FP) members were included. Family medicine trainees and members with primary addresses outside Canada were excluded. Most FPs in Canada are CFPC members; 39,991 FPs received survey invitations; 3,409 replied, for an overall response rate of 9%. Outcome Measures: The study used the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) which measures the level of personal, work-related and patient-related burnout. As well, question asking about FP's overall sense of well being and personal wellness which were asked in a previous survey, a year prior, were incorporated to allow for longitudinal comparison. Results: 15% of FPs reported feeling burned out and thinking of, or have taken, a break from work, three times more than last year. More than one-fifth of FPs currently experience high or severe personal (22%) and work-related (21%) burnout, while 13% report the same levels of patient-related burnout. Female FPs report higher levels of personal burnout (26%, 17%) and work-related burnout (23%, 16%) than male FPs. Generations Y (30%) and X (25%) are experiencing higher levels of personal burnout than Baby Boomers (14%) and Traditionalists (2%). Conclusions: Roughly 1-in-4 FPs in Canada are currently experiencing high or severe personal and work-related burnout. Compared with the survey results a year prior, the numbers are climbing rapidly, reflecting the serious challenges FPs facing during the pandemic. This study was designed to contribute to a better understanding of the extent of the problem, contributing factors and to assist in considering approaches to build effective support systems to improve the mental health of FPs.

Fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and social support among college students

Objective The present study prospectively examined the association between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety and whether social support moderated this association among college students. Participants 1,539 students from 11 universities in the United States completed two online surveys, one prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and one during the pandemic. Methods Hierarchical linear regressions assessed the impact of COVID-19 fears and social support on anxiety, after accounting for pre-pandemic anxiety and demographics. Results Results supported that adding fear of COVID-19 to the regression model resulted in a significant increase in variance explained over demographics and pre-pandemic anxiety. Social support did not moderate the association between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety. Conclusion These data underscore the mental health impact of COVID-19 on students and the urgency with which campus-wide initiatives are needed to support students during this unprecedented time.

Cyber Counseling Berbasis Seni sebagai Penawar Gejala Trauma Dampak Pandemi Covid-19

An increasing number of people affected by COVID-19 is likely to lead to increased levels of emotional trauma and mental illness. This article systematically reviews available data on the benefits of interventions to reduce the adverse mental health sequelae of infectious disease outbreaks and offers guidance for mental health services' responses to infectious disease pandemics. Increasing public mental health literacy is very important to prevent a mental health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of art-based cyber counseling to reduce symptoms of trauma due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The research method used Literature Review, by collecting data from national and international journal articles. Art-based counseling and cyber counseling interventions are reported to be effective against the mental health impact of COVID-19. Art-based counseling and cyber counseling interventions are reported to be effective against the mental health impact of COVID-19. The art-based cyber counseling service strategy is an effective choice to increase mental health response capacity for current and future infectious diseases. however, the usefulness and limitations of providing cyber health counseling must also be recognized.

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.

Well-being of Canadian Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional results from the COVID-19 Veteran well-being study

ABSTRACT Background The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionally affected different population groups. Veterans are more likely to have pre-existing mental health conditions compared to the general Canadian population, experience compounded stressors resulting from disruptions to familial, social, and occupational domains, and were faced with changes in health-care delivery (e.g. telehealth). The objectives of this study are to assess (a) the mental health impact of COVID-19 and related life changes on the well-being of Veterans and (b) perceptions of and satisfaction with changes in health-care treatments and delivery during the pandemic. Methods A total of 1136 Canadian Veterans participated in an online survey. Participants completed questions pertaining to their mental health and well-being, lifestyle changes, and concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as experiences and satisfaction with health-care treatments during the pandemic. Results Results showed that 55.9% of respondents reported worse mental health functioning compared to before the pandemic. The frequency of probable posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use disorder, and suicidal ideation were 34.2%, 35.3%, 26.8%, 13.0%, and 22.0%, respectively. Between 38.6% and 53.1% of respondents attributed their symptoms as either directly related to or exacerbated by the pandemic. Approximately 18% of respondents reported using telehealth for mental health services during the pandemic, and among those, 72.8% indicated a choice to use telehealth even after the pandemic. Conclusions This study found that Veterans experienced worsening mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of telehealth services was widely endorsed by mental health treatment-seeking Veterans who transitioned to virtual care during the pandemic. Our findings have important clinical and programmeadministrator implications, emphasizing the need to reach out to support veterans, especially those with pre-existing mental health conditions and to enhance and maintain virtual care even post-pandemic.

Impact of COVID-19 Risk Communication on Knowledge and Mental Status of Food Handlers’: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Setting

Introduction: The mental health impact of COVID-19 among food handlers working in food establishments/canteens of Dedicated COVID Health Centers and Hospitals are unrecognized. Aim/Objectives: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted among all the food handlers working in food establishments/canteens of a tertiary care hospital in central India using a pre-designed, pre-tested proforma that included Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21). Results: Out of 76 study subjects, 9 (11.8%) had some form of mental illness; 7(9.2%) had depression, 3(3.9%) had anxiety and 1(1.3%) had stress. It was observed that study subjects traveling to the worksite in their own vehicle (OR=5.75, 95% CI=1.29- 25.72), difficulty with transport during lockdown (OR=14.75, 95%CI=3.07-70.92) and those with active complaints (OR=16.25, 95%CI=2.25-117.10) were at increased risk of some form of mental illness in comparison to their counterparts (p&lt;0.005). The study subjects who received training or attended sessions had significantly better knowledge on COVID-19 prevention and control measures than those who didn’t (t=2.448, mean difference= 0.82, 95%CI= 0.13-1.51). Conclusion: It has to be reiterated that effective risk communication and periodic reinforcement of the non-pharmacological measures focusing food handlers to curb the spread of infection has to be continued in the fight against COVID-19.

Planning for the Mental Health Surge: The Self-Reported Mental Health Impact of Covid-19 on Young People and Their Needs and Preferences for Future Services

We investigated young people’s mental health (MH) and preferences for future MH services early in the Covid-19 pandemic to support user-centered service planning and delivery. We administered a webbased survey to young people living in Ontario. Logistic regressions identified predictors of worsening MH and service preferences among a sample of 1341 participants. 61.1% reported worse MH since the pandemic. Worsening MH was significantly associated with one MH and five sociodemographic factors. Participants’ MH and service preferences aligned well with clinical practice guidelines in that those with a greater self-reported MH need preferred more intensive MH services.