Mental Health Indicators Research Articles

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Emergency Allotments and Food Security, Hospitalizations, and Hospital Capacity

Understanding how social policies shape health is a national priority, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the association between politically motivated changes to Nebraska's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy and public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study used synthetic control methods to estimate the association of Nebraska's decision to reject emergency allotments for the SNAP with food security and hospital capacity indicators. A counterfactual for Nebraska was created by weighting data from the rest of the US. State-level changes in Nebraska between March 2020 and March 2021 were included. Data were acquired from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey on individual food security and mental health indicators and from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on hospital-level capacity indicators. Data analysis occurred between October 2022 and June 2023. The rejection of additional SNAP funds for low-income households in Nebraska from August to November 2020. Food insecurity and inpatient bed use indicators (ie, inpatient beds filled, inpatient beds filled by patients with COVID-19, and inpatients with COVID-19). The survey data of 1 591 006 respondents from May 2020 to November 2020 was analyzed, and 24 869 (1.56%) lived in Nebraska. Nebraska's population was composed of proportionally more White individuals (mean [SD], 88.70% [0.29%] vs 78.28% [0.26%]; P < .001), fewer individuals who made more than $200 000 in 2019 (4.20% [0.45%] vs 5.22% [0.12%]; P < .001), and more households sized 1 to 3 (63.41% [2.29%] vs 61.13% [1.10%); P = .03) compared with other states. Nebraska's rejection of additional funding for SNAP recipients was associated with increases in food insecurity (raw mean [SD] difference 1.61% [1.30%]; relative difference, 19.63%; P = .02), percentage of inpatient beds filled by patients with COVID-19 (raw mean [SD] difference, 0.19% [1.55%]; relative difference, 3.90%; P = .02), and percentage of inpatient beds filled (raw mean [SD] difference, 2.35% [1.82%]; relative difference, 4.10%; P = .02). In this cross-sectional study, the association between social policy, food security, health, and public health resources was examined, and the rejection of emergency allotments in Nebraska was associated with increased food insecurity. Additionally, this intervention was associated with an increased rate of hospitalizations for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 causes.

Fit-for-work: mental health and alcohol indicators in male-dominated industries

PurposeRisky alcohol use can reduce productivity at work and impact employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Several risk factors converge in male-dominated industries, which can increase risky drinking and deteriorate mental health. This paper aims to explore the prevalence of risky drinking and psychological distress in a male-dominated industry compared with that in the general population.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from four manufacturing sites in Australia. In total, 450 workers were invited to participate in a survey that measured drinking behaviours using AUDIT-C and psychological distress using the K10, along with demographics including age, gender, job role and ethnicity. The observed outcome measures were compared with general population data available through publicly available data sets.FindingsSurveys were returned by 341 employees, of which 319 completed AUDIT-C. AUDIT-C and K10 scores were significantly correlated (R = 0.31, p < 0.0001). Hazardous drinking was more prevalent among workers than in Australian general population (66.1% vs 23.6%). Binge drinking was greater among workers than in the general population (25.4% vs 26.5%). The difference was higher among female workers than among male workers (35.1% vs 10.8%).Originality/valueThe findings of this study show a significantly greater risk of alcohol-related harm among workers in male-dominated industries compared with that in the general population. This risk is more pronounced among women, who also experienced greater rates of moderate and high psychological distress compared with those experienced by the general population. A fitness-for-work approach is proposed to minimise alcohol-related harm among workers in male-dominated industries. Moreover, male-dominated industries are proposed to consider the interconnectivity of other workplace health and safety factors.

Problematic Internet Use in adolescents: New psychometric evidence for the Spanish short form of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale.

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has become a worldwide problem in recent years. Among screening instruments for PIU, the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) is perhaps the most widelyused. Psychometric properties of the full CIUS are not convincing, however, and the short form (CIUS-S) has shown promising results, albeit limited to the English version, with little evidence in Spanish. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to study the psychometric properties of the CIUS-S scores in a large sample of Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of 1790 participants, 816 male (45.6%), 961 female (53.7%), and 13 other (0.7%) . Mean age was 15.70years (SD=1.26). The five-items one-dimensional model displayed appropriate goodness-of-fit indices. Strong measurement invariance model across age and partial across gender was found. Furthermore, the CIUS-S was positively associated with several indicators of poor well-being and mental health, and negatively associated with prosocial behavior, self-esteem, and feeling of belonging. Overall, the CIUS-S scores appear reliable and valid in its Spanish version for adolescent populations, supporting its aim to detect and prevent a problem that has become a major worldwide issue in the last years.

General lifestyle factors explain young athletes’ mental health more than perceived coach autonomy support: a cross-sectional study on basketball players and gymnasts aged 10–22

ObjectivesThis study described differences in lifestyle factors (sleeping problems/fatigue, pressure/activation), perceived coach autonomy support and indicators of mental health (well-being and poor general mental health) across various age groups (children...

Improving older adults' autobiographical memory through video-conferencing intervention during COVID-19.

Autobiographical memory (AM) is valuable not only as an indicator of mental health and cognitive function, but also as a target of therapeutic intervention for older adults. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online psychosocial interventions and assessment services has sharply increased. Thus, the present study examined the effectiveness of videoconferencing AM (vAM) intervention using the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) method in addition to the traditional paper-and-pencil assessment among samples of community dwelling older adults. Twenty-seven older adults (aged 66-86years) participated in a vAM intervention composed of 4 weekly 90-min sessions. The primary outcome was AM specificity, with secondary outcomes as depressive symptom and cognitive function, measured before and after the intervention. In addition, daily emotions were measured through EMA over 4weeks of intervention. The EMA data were analyzed using a multilevel analysis. The results showed low dropout rates (7%) and high EMA response rates (85%). Autobiographical memory specificity increased (Cohen's d=0.678), and the level of depression declined significantly (Cohen's d=0.375) after the program. Additionally, measures assessing cognitive function, such as Seoul Verbal Learning Test and DSC (Digit Symbol Coding), showed significant improvements. The EMA results indicated a decrease in the intensity and proportion of negative emotions experienced during the program. This study is the first to utilize videoconferencing and EMA to deliver an AM intervention targeting older adults. The intervention was effective in improving mental health and cognitive function, including AM in older adults. Additionally, EMA was found to be a feasible tool for use in older adults.

Beyond human expertise: the promise and limitations of ChatGPT in suicide risk assessment.

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI, holds the potential for contributing to the field of mental health. Nevertheless, although ChatGPT theoretically shows promise, its clinical abilities in suicide prevention, a significant mental health concern, have yet to be demonstrated. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to compare ChatGPT's assessments of mental health indicators to those of mental health professionals in a hypothetical case study that focuses on suicide risk assessment. Specifically, ChatGPT was asked to evaluate a text vignette describing a hypothetical patient with varying levels of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. The ChatGPT assessments were compared to the norms of mental health professionals. The results indicated that ChatGPT rated the risk of suicide attempts lower than did the mental health professionals in all conditions. Furthermore, ChatGPT rated mental resilience lower than the norms in most conditions. These results imply that gatekeepers, patients or even mental health professionals who rely on ChatGPT for evaluating suicidal risk or as a complementary tool to improve decision-making may receive an inaccurate assessment that underestimates the actual suicide risk.

The Curvilinear Empathy–Secondary Traumatic Stress Relationship: The More Empathy, the Better?

Empathy refers to understanding other people’s feelings and seeing things from their point of view. In healthcare, it bridges the self and the other, which is crucial for an effective therapeutic relationship. Nevertheless, previous studies on the relationship between empathy and mental health have found contradictory results. This may be because they captured different aspects of a curvilinear relationship between empathy and mental health indicators (e.g., secondary traumatic stress (STS)). The present study explored the existence of a complex (curvilinear or nonlinear) relationship between empathy and STS among emergency medicine (EM) physicians. It also aimed to examine the moderating role of empathy in posttraumatic growth (PTG)–STS and burnout–STS relationships. A total of 120 EM physicians working in Turkey were reached through an online survey. Of the participants, 60 (50.0%) were female, and 66 (55.0%) had ten years or less of professional experience. The mean age was 35.10 (6.20) years. The findings here illustrate a curvilinear relationship between empathy and STS. While moderate empathy was optimal and related to less STS, empathy moderated the PTG–STS and burnout–STS relationships. Thus, moderate empathy seems beneficial for physicians. Moreover, mindfulness-based interventions and self-care promotion can help to prevent empathy-based stress at work. Future research should investigate the complex and dynamic relationship between empathy and STS over time and in diverse samples.

Formal Social Control and Mental Health: Ethnic Variation among Black Women

The present study uses elements of the social stress and intersectionality theories to examine associations between forms of criminal justice contact and mental health among African American and Afro-Caribbean women. While mass incarceration disproportionately targets, detains, and affects Black populations, the experiences and consequences of criminal justice contact for Black women remain understudied. Utilizing the National Survey of American Life ( n = 3,011), this study examined ethnic-stratified associations between criminal justice contact and three mental health indicators among Black women—psychological distress, self-rated mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We assessed justice contact based on any contact (i.e., direct contact and/or family member incarceration), and then disaggregated contact into direct (i.e., personally experienced negative police interactions, arrests, and incarceration) and familial incarceration. Findings showed that any contact as well as direct forms of contact were associated with higher psychological distress for African American women and odds of PTSD for both groups. Furthermore, negative police interactions and family member incarceration were associated with psychological distress for African American women, while only familial incarceration worsened self-rated mental health for Afro-Caribbean women. This study yields important insights for research at the intersection of gender-ethnic status, spillover outcomes of formal social control, and mental health stratification.

Evaluating Correlations Between Premium Cigar Smoking and Mental Health and Substance Use Dependence Conditions Among U.S. Adults, 2010-2019.

Improved understanding of health conditions associated with premium cigar smoking can inform efforts to reduce cigar use. This paper extends findings commissioned for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report on premium cigars. We pooled 2010-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data to evaluate cross-sectional associations between premium cigar smoking and mental health and substance use conditions among U.S. adults. A series of logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race and ethnicity, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption compared odds of each condition associated with past-month premium cigar smoking relative to past-month nonpremium cigar smoking, never tobacco use, and current established cigarette smoking. Premium cigar smoking was associated with lower adjusted odds of past month serious psychological distress, past year major depressive episode, and cannabis and illicit drug dependence relative to nonpremium cigar and cigarette smoking; however, higher odds of alcohol and cannabis dependence were observed relative to never tobacco use, and lower odds of alcohol dependence were observed relative to current cigarette smoking but not current nonpremium cigar smoking. We observed considerable variation in both magnitude and direction of associations between premium cigar smoking and mental health and substance use indicators depending on the condition and reference group to which premium cigar smoking was compared. Premium cigar smoking frequently cooccurs with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, thus potential health correlates must be considered in appropriate context. We observed considerable variation in direction and magnitude of association depending on the health condition and reference population, as well as potential for reverse causality and residual confounding in this cross-sectional analysis. As the tobacco landscape continues to evolve, rigorous scientific studies that incorporate clear differentiation of cigar type, measures of cumulative use, and temporal data collection are necessary to fully evaluate the health effects of premium cigar smoking and effectively inform Food and Drug Administration regulation.

Mental health impact of cuts to local government spending on cultural, environmental and planning services in England: a longitudinal ecological study

BackgroundOver the past decade, there have been significant and unequal cuts to local authority (LA) budgets, across England. Cultural, environmental and planning (CEP) budgets have been cut by 17% between 2011 and 2019. This funding supports services such as parks, leisure centres, community development and libraries, all of which have potential to influence population mental health. We therefore investigated whether cuts to CEP services have affected mental health outcomes and the extent to which they have contributed to mental health inequalities between areas.MethodsUsing fixed effects regression applied to longitudinal LA-level panel data in England, we assessed whether trends in CEP spend were associated with trends in mental health outcomes, between 2011 and 2019. The exposure was CEP spend and the primary outcome was the LA-average Small Area Mental Health Index (SAMHI). Additionally, we considered subcategories of CEP spend as secondary exposures, and antidepressant prescription rate and self-reported anxiety levels as secondary outcomes, both aggregated to LA-level. We adjusted all models for confounders and conducted subgroup analysis to examine differential mental health effects of spending cuts based on the level of area deprivation.ResultsThe average decrease in CEP spend of 15% over the period was associated with a 0.036 (95% CI: 0.005, 0.067) increase in SAMHI score, indicating worsening mental health. Amongst subcategories of CEP spending, cuts to planning and development services impacted mental health trends the most, with a 15% reduction in spend associated with a 0.018 (95% CI: 0.005, 0.031) increase in the SAMHI score. The association between cuts in CEP and deteriorating mental health was greater in more affluent areas.ConclusionCuts to spending on cultural, environmental, planning and development services were associated with worsening population mental health in England. Impacts were driven by cuts to planning and development services in particular. Reinvesting in these services may contribute to improved public mental health.

Disruptions to the social determinants of health and mental health indicators during the pandemic in eight countries

IntroductionThe social determinants of health (SDoH) shape both the risk of mental disorders and access to treatment. There is ample evidence detailing the decline in mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there is a gap in our understanding of the association between disruptions to SDoH and adverse psychological indicators in different contexts. MethodsData were collected through a multi-country, random, anonymous, opt-in, cross-sectional online survey in eight geographically diverse countries—Brazil, China, Germany, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States. We documented the relationship between experiencing self/family job loss, financial problems, and food/supplies shortages and adverse mental health indicators—depression symptoms and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ResultsAlmost one-third of respondents who experienced at least one disruption had depression symptoms (32.3%, 95% CI: 30.3%–34.4%). This was consistent across countries, except Indonesia. Reporting at least one Covid-19 related SDoH disruption had 1.26 (95% CI: 1.14-1.39) times the risk of depression symptoms compared to respondents reporting no Covid-19 related SDoH disruptions. Across countries, experiencing at least one Covid-19 related SDoH disruption had significantly increased risk of depression symptoms, except for China, Egypt, and Indonesia. The prevalence of probable PTSD among respondents who reported at least one SDoH disruption was 8.4% (95% CI: 7.3%–9.5%). The prevalence was comparably elevated within countries, except for China. Reporting at least one SDoH disruption was associated with greater odds of probable PTSD in the overall adjusted model (OR=2.87, 95% CI: 2.31-3.59) and in the models for countries except for China and Indonesia. ConclusionDisruptions to SDoH due to the pandemic were associated with an elevated burden of symptoms of depression and probable PTSD across geographically diverse countries, with a few exceptions particularly in China. This highlights the need to account for the broader consequences of mitigation policies that potentially have an impact on the health of populations.

Psychological Well-Being and Mental Health in Youth: Technical Adequacy of the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving.

Well-being is a crucial construct in young people's lives that directly affects their overall quality of life, academic performance, and social relationships. Although there is an emphasis on the significance of positive psychological states in mental health, few have focused on positive states, and psychological well-being is often conceptualized using negative indicators of mental health. The present study aims to fill the gap in the literature by testing the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving for Youth (CIT-Y) and exploring the relationship between psychological well-being and mental health problems among Turkish young people. The study involved 459 youths from a state elementary school in a city in Türkiye, with 48.8% (224 females and 235 males) of them being female and aged between 11 and 15 years (M = 12.85, SD = 0.73). Findings from the study suggest that the CIT-Y is a reliable and valid measure for assessing psychological well-being in Turkish young people. Additionally, the results show that young people with internalizing and externalizing problems report fewer positive psychological states compared to those without such problems. This emphasizes the significance of well-being domains, including loneliness and respect, in comprehending mental health issues among young people. These findings can aid mental health providers in designing interventions to enhance the psychosocial adjustment of students by providing resources to cultivate mental health and well-being.

Longitude-based time zone partitions and rates of suicide

BackgroundIncreasing evidence suggests that conditions with decreased morning and increased evening light exposure, including shift work, daylight-saving time, and eveningness, are associated with elevated mortality and suicide risk. Given that the alignment between the astronomical, biological, and social time varies across a time zone, with later-shifted daylight exposure in the western partition, we hypothesized that western time zone partitions would have higher suicide rates than eastern partitions. MethodsUnited States (U.S.) county-level suicide and demographic data, from 2010 to 2018, were obtained from a Centers for Disease Control database. Using longitude and latitude, counties were sorted into the western, middle, or eastern partition of their respective time zones, as well as the northern and southern halves of the U.S. Linear regressions were used to estimate the associations between suicide rates and time zone partitions, adjusting for gender, race, ethnicity, age group, and unemployment rates. ResultsData were available for 2872 counties. Across the U.S., western partitions had statistically significantly higher rates of suicide compared to eastern partitions and averaged up to two additional yearly deaths per 100,000 people (p < .001). LimitationsEcological design and limited adjustment for socioeconomic factors. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study of the relationship between longitude-based time zone partitions and suicide. The results were consistent with the hypothesized elevated suicide rates in the western partitions, and concordant with previous reports on cancer mortality and transportation fatalities. The next step is to retest the hypothesis with individual-level data, accounting for latitude, photoperiodic changes, daylight-saving time, geoclimatic variables, physical and mental health indicators, as well as socioeconomic adversity and protection.

Team sports as a protective factor against mental health problems and suicidal ideation in adolescents

Introduction. Adolescents who practice sports have better mental health indicators. Objective. To analyze the association between different types of physical activity (systematized exercise, individual, and collective sports), mental health, and suicidal ideation in adolescents. Method. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 666 Brazilian adolescents (14-19 y.o.) attending high schools and selected using random cluster sampling. The mental health indicators analyzed were evaluated through the Self Reporting Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, including suicidal ideation. We also obtained physical activity information through questionnaires. Results. There was a higher prevalence related to mental disorders (54.2% vs. 32.5%), difficulties related to mental health (79.6% vs. 48.4%), and suicidal thoughts (22.9% vs. 11.4%) in girls than in boys (p () .001 for all). The boys engaged in more team sports (41.0 vs. 23.8), whereas girls performed more exercise (45.1 vs. 26.5; p () .001). Discussion and conclusion. The practice of team sports helps develop the collective spirit, stimulates social interaction, and develops reasoning and emotional intelligence. Boys who play team sports have fewer symptoms of common mental disorders, lower mental health problems, and less suicidal ideation than physically inactive boys.

Changes in anxiety and depression among public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health indicators, leading to an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression in both the general population of adults and children and many occupational groups. This study aims to examine changes in anxiety and depression among a cohort of public health workers in the U.S. during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify potential risk factors. Longitudinal data were collected from a sub-sample (N = 85) of public health workers in 23 U.S. states who completed two surveys in 2020 and 2021. Information on background characteristics, personal well-being, and work environment as well as validated scales to assess generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depressive disorder, and burnout was collected. Data were analyzed using Stata Version 17, and significant differences were determined using Pearson's Chi2 and Fisher's Exact tests. The proportion of those reporting GAD (46.3% to 23.2%) or depression (37.8% to 26.8%) improved from Survey 1 to Survey 2 overall; symptoms of anxiety saw the largest improvement. Persistent depression was associated with sustained burnout, changes in social support, and days worked per week. Public health workers experienced elevated levels of anxiety and depression during the initial pandemic response, but a reduction in these symptoms was observed in the subsequent year after vaccines had become widely available. However, unmet needs remain for ongoing workplace mental health supports to address burnout, as well as for additional emotional supports outside of work for public health professionals.

Comparison of prevalence and mental health problems across symptom frequency of self-reported symptoms of binge-eating disorder in a community sample of adolescents.

Binge-eating disorder (BED) and subthreshold BED (SBED) are prevalent in adults and associated with mental health problems including depression, non-suicidal self-injury, lower quality of life, and suicidality. There is solid evidence that binge-eating behaviors are also prevalent in adolescence, but knowledge about mental health in community adolescents with BED of different frequency thresholds is more limited. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and mental health problems associated with SBED of low frequency and/or limited duration compared with BED in a Danish community sample of adolescents. We included 2509 adolescents who completed the online survey of the 16-17-year follow-up of the Copenhagen Child Cohort (CCC2000), including items on BED symptoms approximating the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria, and items on mental health and quality of life. The 1-year prevalence of SBED was 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0%-3.3%) with a male:female ratio of 1:3.7; comparable to previous findings on BED in the same sample. SBED was also comparable to BED concerning cross-sectional associations with overall mental health problems, lower health-related quality of life, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, whereas no associations were seen with non-suicidal self-injury after Holm-Bonferroni correction. In both groups, thoughts and behaviors concerning food and weight interfered significantly with daily life. SBED and BED were equally prevalent in this adolescent community sample, and similarly associated with indicators of poor mental health. The findings indicate that community adolescents reporting symptoms approximating clinical criteria of BED need intervention irrespectively of symptom frequency or duration. This study adds knowledge to the field by comparing BED of low frequency and/or limited duration ("subthreshold BED," SBED) with full-syndrome BED in adolescents and showing that SBED in adolescence is both prevalent and associated with poor mental health to a similar extent as that of BED. Findings indicate that self-reported symptoms according to clinical criteria of SBED and BED alike constitute a public health problem and point to youngsters in need of intervention.

Development of a prototype for high-frequency mental health surveillance in Germany: data infrastructure and statistical methods.

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of associated non-pharmaceutical containment measures, the need for continuous monitoring of the mental health of populations became apparent. When the pandemic hit Germany, a nationwide Mental Health Surveillance (MHS) was in conceptual development at Germany's governmental public health institute, the Robert Koch Institute. To meet the need for high-frequency reporting on population mental health we developed a prototype that provides monthly estimates of several mental health indicators with smoothing splines. We used data from the telephone surveys German Health Update (GEDA) and COVID-19 vaccination rate monitoring in Germany (COVIMO). This paper provides a description of the highly automated data pipeline that produces time series data for graphical representations, including details on data collection, data preparation, calculation of estimates, and output creation. Furthermore, statistical methods used in the weighting algorithm, model estimations for moving three-month predictions as well as smoothing techniques are described and discussed. Generalized additive modelling with smoothing splines best meets the desired criteria with regard to identifying general time trends. We show that the prototype is suitable for a population-based high-frequency mental health surveillance that is fast, flexible, and able to identify variation in the data over time. The automated and standardized data pipeline can also easily be applied to other health topics or other surveys and survey types. It is highly suitable as a data processing tool for the efficient continuous health surveillance required in fast-moving times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maltreatment experiences and mental health indicators among elite athletes

This study explored the relationships between athletes’ experiences of maltreatment and mental health indicators. Canadian National Team athletes completed an online, anonymous survey that assessed reported experiences of maltreatment (psychological, physical, sexual harm and neglect), and mental health indicators of well-being, eating disorders and self-harming behaviours. All forms of maltreatment had a significant, positive correlation with eating disorder and self-harming behaviours, and a negative correlation with well-being. The relationships between maltreatment and mental health indicators differed based on identity characteristics of the athletes. Further work is needed on the prevention and intervention of maltreatment in sport to reduce the behaviours associated with negative health outcomes.

The Effects of Social Determinants and Resilience on the Mental Health of Chilean Adolescents.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of social determinants (i.e., gender, educational vulnerability, and socioeconomic status) and resilience on the mental health of Chilean adolescents in pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic contexts. The study included a group of 684 students, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years, who were attending educational institutions in the city of Arica. The Child and Adolescent Assessment System (SENA) was used to measure mental health problems, the Brief Resilience Scale for Children and Youth (CYRM-12) was used to measure resilience, and the Vulnerability Index of Educational Institutions was used to measure educational vulnerability. The results suggest increases in depressive, anxious, and social anxiety symptomatologies over time (wave by year, 2018, 2020, and 2021). In addition, multiple linear regression models showed predictive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender, vulnerability index, socioeconomic status, and resilient behaviors on mental health problems. The worsening of mental health indicators over time requires the greater coordination and integration of mental health experts in the most vulnerable educational centers.

Solastalgia mediates between bushfire impact and mental health outcomes: A study of Australia's 2019–2020 bushfire season

In 2019–2020, Australia experienced an unprecedented bushfire season that caused widespread environmental destruction across the continent, and especially to its south-east corner. Over two studies, we examine mental health outcomes of individuals impacted by bushfire, drawing on the concept of solastalgia – the sense of distress arising from unwanted environmental change – as a potential explanation for the mental health consequences of bushfire. In Study 1, we surveyed 2084 residents from the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding regions directly after the bushfire season. Participants were asked about exposure to the 2019–2020 bushfires, and to a previous regional fire of significance, experience of solastalgia, and five mental health indicators. In Study 2, we broaden our focus to all of Australia, and administer our measures with a nationally representative sample six months after the conclusion of the bushfire season (N = 1477). In both studies, we find the severity of reported bushfire impact is significantly associated with mental health, such that greater impact predicts poorer outcomes. Moreover, we find the experience of solastalgia mediates the relationship between bushfire impact and mental health and wellbeing. Experiencing solastalgia is a partial, but important, mechanism for understanding the impact of bushfire exposure on mental health and wellbeing. Importantly, people not directly impacted by a bushfire event also experience solastalgia and subsequent poorer mental health outcomes following bushfires. We suggest that future measurements of the impact of abrupt environmental change events, including bushfires, consider the role of solastalgia and localised environmental contexts in shaping the mental health impacts to the population.