Predictors Of Mental Health Research Articles

The Impact of Coping Strategies and Individual Resilience on Anxiety and Depression among Construction Supervisors

Psychosocial working conditions such as long work hours, low job control, and work–life imbalance faced by construction professionals in site management positions subject them to elevated work stress and poor mental health. This study explored the protective ability of resilience and coping strategies in mitigating mental ill-health among construction supervisors in Nigeria. By adopting a mixed methodology, validated psychometric instruments were used to collect data from 174 construction supervisors, and semi-structured interviews involving 13 participants were used to understand better how supervisors cope with stress. The quantitative data were analysed using mean and univariate logistic regression, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Univariate logistic regression revealed that individual resilience and problem-focused coping (PFC) strategies related to planful problem-solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support reduced anxiety symptoms. Aside from the coping skill considered in the quantitative survey, two additional skills adopted by the supervisors were deduced following thematic analysis. On average, the respondents’ depression, anxiety, and resilience levels were within the mild, minimal, and normal range, respectively. Resilience moderated the relationship between coping skills and anxiety by showing that a stronger relationship between the coping strategy and anxiety will be observed among people with a high level of resilience. Resilience, planful problem-solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support coping behaviours are significant predictors of mental health. This study highlights the need for resilience-building as an integral part of stress-reduction and management interventions aimed at construction supervisors in the construction industry.

Key Predictive Factors in the Mental Health of Chinese University Students at Home and Abroad.

The prevalence of reported mental health problems among university students has increased at alarming rates in recent years. While various negative life events (from personal events such as relationship breakdowns to more global events such as COVID-19 [SARS-CoV-2] pandemic) have been found to be important predictors of poor mental health in this population, some individuals have been found robustly to fare better than others in confronting such events. Identifying factors that predict these individuals' mental health, along with the specific coping strategies they utilize may have significant practical implications when confronted by adverse events such as COVID-19. This study investigated relationships between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 828 (453 females, 374 males, and one "Other") Chinese university students' mental health, and their internal strengths, personality characteristics, and demographic profiles. We also investigated whether students' use of specific coping strategies mediated these relationships. Stepwise multiple regression analyses (MRAs) and a path analysis revealed that students who resided in their home country, had higher levels of internal strengths, a lower level of neuroticism and a higher level of agreeableness and reported fewer negative mental health changes than did other respondents during COVID-19 in the second half of 2020. Self-regulation and withdrawal coping strategies were both important mediators of these relationships. These findings have important implications for universities in identifying and assisting students in the face of adverse events such as COVID-19.

How daily positive affect increases students' mental health, in mandatory quarantine, through daily engagement: the moderating role of self-leadership

The COVID-19 crisis has had significant impacts on mental health. Students are dealing with an uncertain context, not only due to COVID-19 but also because most of them have never been involved with the challenges of online school. The COVID-19 situation presents daily challenges that require students to respond adaptively. However, little is known about how students handle their daily emotions, in such challenging settings. Drawing on the broaden-and-built theory, we developed a multilevel model arguing that daily-positive affect would enhance daily engagement, and this would be positively related to students' end-of-the-day mental health. We also predict that the mediating path would be stronger for students with higher levels of self-leadership. To achieve the goals, we conducted a 5-day diary study (n = 64∗5 = 320). Results from multilevel modeling showed that positive emotions trigger academic engagement which, in turn, increases mental health, both at the within and between-person level. Results also demonstrated that self-leadership strengthened the positive mediating path, for students with higher levels of self-leadership. Positive affect appears to be a significant predictor of mental health in higher education settings. Moreover, developing self-leadership is an added value, that may be conceived as a personal resource, and may protect students from the uncertainty triggered by the COVID-19 crisis.

Perceived Stress, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health of the First-Year College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic

This study determined the relationship between the perceived stress and the mental health of the first-year college students in Adventist Medical Center College Iligan, Philippines for the Academic Year 2021-2022. This study also assessed the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between college students' perceived stress and mental health. The random sample of 208 first-year college students who were officially enrolled and those who took the online class modality for the first semester of 2021-2022. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design and descriptive-correlation design with the application of moderated regression analysis. Results showed that perceived stress is a significant predictor of mental health. At the same time, self-efficacy does not offer any moderated effect on the relationship between perceived stress and the respondents' mental health. Thus, the perceived stress harms the students' mental health.

Flourishing or Languishing? Predictors of Positive Mental Health in Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students were burdened with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The objective of the present study was to investigate predictors of positive mental health among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an online survey from September 2021 to March 2022. We applied the snowball recruitment technique involving medical students from the University of Catania, Italy. We administered, anonymously, a questionnaire about demographic characteristics, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the short form of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC-SF). Participants showed moderate anxiety, depression, and stress levels, and more than half had positive mental health status overall. This finding was inversely related to age, depression severity, cyclothymic, and depressive temperaments. Our results showed that medical students with depressive and cyclothymic temperaments were more at risk of worsening mental health status during the pandemic. Our findings may allow for further developments about the impact of personological characteristics on students' mental health to enable more efficient support for the most vulnerable.

Quality of life, stress, occupation status of immigrants: predictors of psychological health condition among the gulf return migrants in India

Background: The instances of mental health problems are much more frequent among migrants who have faced adversity at the destination as they employed in precarious or insecure jobs. Those who returned as a failure, feeling valueless upon return and lack of suitable job at the place of origin triggered the feeling of distress among the returnees. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to examine the quality of life, occupational status and its impact on psychological health condition of the gulf return migrants in India.Methods: 330 gulf returnees were interviewed with the help of a structured interview schedule and in-depth interviews were also conducted. Binary logistic regression has been used to determine the significant predictors of self-rated psychological health condition among the return migrants. For this purpose, the self-reporting questionnaire used to understand the mental health status.Results: High prevalence (60%) of mental health distress among the returnees was observed. Factors such as age at the time of return, typology of returnees, feeling sick in the destination country, duration of stay in destination, occupational status after return and reasons for return were found to be significant predictors of mental health distress.Conclusions: The returnees deal with significant mental health distress. Special attention should be paid on this issue. Migrants should access post return counselling related to job market and mental health services in origin.

Quality of Life and Sexual Satisfaction in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing a Surgical Treatment and in Their Male Partners.

This study aimed to determine the quality of life and sexual satisfaction in a sample of 389 women with breast cancer who underwent a surgical treatment and 366 men who were these women's partners. The sample was recruited from the Portuguese League Against Cancer by 10 trained psychologists who assessed the quality of life and sexual satisfaction of the participants. Data on the sociodemographic variables, diagnosis and treatment in the female participants, relationship with their partner, anxiety and depression, and body image were also collected. It was found that 76.6% and 54.2% of the women had low physical and mental health, respectively, while 100% of partners had acceptable physical and mental health. The predictors of women's physical health were months since surgery, current treatment, completed treatments, satisfaction with the current relationship with their partner, lower anxiety and depression, and better body image. The predictors of women's mental health were months since diagnosis and treatment completion, satisfaction with partner support during the illness, lower anxiety and depression, and better body image. The predictors of both physical and mental health of partners were lower anxiety and depression. In addition, 88.4% of women and 100% of partners presented with sexual dysfunction. The predictors of women's sexual satisfaction were being older, satisfaction with their relationship with their partner before the illness, lower anxiety and depression, and better body image. The predictors of sexual satisfaction of the male partners were psychological/psychiatric support, satisfaction with their current relationship with their partner, and lower anxiety and depression. These findings suggest that interventions targeted at the quality of life of women and sexual satisfaction with a couple perspective are needed.

Positive Mental Health and Mental Health Literacy of Informal Caregivers: A Scoping Review.

Positive mental health and mental health literacy are two main concepts to ensure an individual and social state of mental health and well-being. A scoping review of the scientific literature published in the field of health sciences was conducted to identify the relationship between mental health literacy and the positive mental health of family caregivers. A research expression was used to search for articles in health databases, respecting the main topics of the Participants/Concept/Context (PCC) framework. A total of eight articles were included from the 2830 initially identified using the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) process. It was noticeable that none of the studies related positive mental health and mental health literacy of caregivers. Nevertheless, it was possible to identify predictors of mental health and self-efficacy, such as burden and a lack of information about and support in the process of care. Caregivers' quality of life, self-esteem and confidence are also important positive mental health predictors that are closely related to health literacy. The knowledge of these factors can contribute to the reduction in negative determinants of mental health of caregivers and the resolution of strategies to meet caregivers' needs.

Outcomes and predictors of functioning, mental health, and health-related quality of life in adults born with very low birth weight: a prospective longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundVery low birth weight (VLBW: ≤1500 g) is associated with multiple short and long-term complications. This study aimed to examine outcomes and predictors of functioning, mental health, and health-related quality of life in adults born with VLBW.MethodsIn this prospective longitudinal cohort study, 67 VLBW and 102 control participants were assessed using the Adult Self-Report of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment and Global Assessment of Functioning at 26 years, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Short Form-36 at 28 years of age. Associations between perinatal and childhood predictors and adult functioning were assessed using linear regression.ResultsCompared with controls, the VLBW group had lower mean raw scores on the Function and Symptom subscales of the Global Assessment of Functioning at 26 years, a higher sum score of symptoms of anxiety and depression due to more depressive symptoms, and poorer mental health-related quality of life at 28 years. The mean group differences ranged from 0.42 to 0.99 SD. Within the VLBW group, lower birth weight and gestational age, a higher number of days with respiratory support and poorer motor function at 14 years were associated with a higher sum score of symptoms of anxiety and depression at 28 years. Days with respiratory support and motor function at 14 years were also predictive of Global Assessment of Functioning scores at 26 years, and mental health-related quality of life at 28 years. Poorer motor and cognitive function at five years were associated with poorer physical health-related quality of life at 28 years. Parental socioeconomic status was related to mental and physical health-related quality of life.ConclusionIn this study, VLBW adults reported poorer functioning and mental health-related quality of life, and more depressive symptoms than their term born peers. Days with respiratory support and adolescent motor function predicted most of the adult outcomes. This study explicates perinatal and developmental markers during childhood and adolescence which can be target points for interventions.

From diagnosis to post-treatment: biopsychosocial predictors of sexual and mental health in prostate cancer survivors

The increasing incidence of prostate cancer, along with earlier detection and longer survival years has been raising clinician's questions on how to better treat this disease. Radical prostatectomy is one of the most common treatments, although it can have severe consequences, such as changes in sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction, thus affecting the quality of life and mental health. These difficulties can significantly decrease the adherence to treatment protocols and lead to drop-outs. Under the Horizon Europe funding programme for research and innovation, this multicentric project, combining the specialities of urology, psychology, and neuroscience, aims to investigate (1) the biopsychosocial predictors of mental and sexual health in prostate cancer and (2) the neural correlates of sexual functioning in prostate cancer, so as to develop a predictive model regarding post-treatment adjustment and sexual well-being. 300 Men with prostate cancer indicated to radical prostatectomy will be assessed before surgery and nine months afterwards. A subset of 250 individuals will participate in semi-structured interviews and complete self-report psychological measures so as to monitor sexual and mental health. The remainder will take part in a laboratory experiment, with neuroimaging techniques and other physiological measures, in order to identify the neural underpinnings of sexual response in relation to prostate cancer and radical prostatectomy. Results will contribute to the development of a mathematical algorithm, built by Machine Learning experts, that will help predict the biopsychosocial risk and protective factors for sexual health and mental well-being in men with prostate cancer. This study tackles an important health issue in an innovative way, by combining a longitudinal and a laboratorial/experimental design and integrating a wide range of procedures. Furthermore, the development of a prediction model that covers such broad sexual health determinants, is a promising tool that can help clinicians improve their intervention strategies. All the authors declate no known conflict of interest. This project is funded by Horizonte Europa (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000057), via the Support System for Scientific and Tecnological Research NORTE-45-2020-75, CCDRN.

From diagnosis to post-treatment: biopsychosocial predictors of sexual and mental health in prostate cancer survivors

<h3>Objectives</h3> The increasing incidence of prostate cancer, along with earlier detection and longer survival years has been raising clinician's questions on how to better treat this disease. Radical prostatectomy is one of the most common treatments, although it can have severe consequences, such as changes in sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction, thus affecting the quality of life and mental health. These difficulties can significantly decrease the adherence to treatment protocols and lead to drop-outs. Under the Horizon Europe funding programme for research and innovation, this multicentric project, combining the specialities of urology, psychology, and neuroscience, aims to investigate (1) the biopsychosocial predictors of mental and sexual health in prostate cancer and (2) the neural correlates of sexual functioning in prostate cancer, so as to develop a predictive model regarding post-treatment adjustment and sexual well-being. <h3>Methods</h3> 300 Men with prostate cancer indicated to radical prostatectomy will be assessed before surgery and nine months afterwards. A subset of 250 individuals will participate in semi-structured interviews and complete self-report psychological measures so as to monitor sexual and mental health. The remainder will take part in a laboratory experiment, with neuroimaging techniques and other physiological measures, in order to identify the neural underpinnings of sexual response in relation to prostate cancer and radical prostatectomy. <h3>Results</h3> Results will contribute to the development of a mathematical algorithm, built by Machine Learning experts, that will help predict the biopsychosocial risk and protective factors for sexual health and mental well-being in men with prostate cancer. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study tackles an important health issue in an innovative way, by combining a longitudinal and a laboratorial/experimental design and integrating a wide range of procedures. Furthermore, the development of a prediction model that covers such broad sexual health determinants, is a promising tool that can help clinicians improve their intervention strategies. <h3>Conflicts of Interest</h3> All the authors declate no known conflict of interest. This project is funded by Horizonte Europa (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000057), via the Support System for Scientific and Tecnological Research NORTE-45-2020-75, CCDRN.

Common model of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women from seven high-income Western countries at the COVID-19 pandemic onset

ObjectiveIncreases in stress, anxiety, and depression among women pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported internationally. Yet rigorous comparison of the prevalence of maternal mental health problems across countries is lacking. Moreover, whether stress is a common predictor of maternal mental health during the pandemic across countries is unknown. Methods8148 pregnant women from Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States were enrolled in the International COVID-19 Pregnancy Experiences (I-COPE) Study between April 17 and May 31, 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, pandemic-related stress, pregnancy-specific stress, anxiety, and depression were assessed with well-validated instruments. The magnitude of stress and mood disturbances was compared across countries. A path model predicting clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression from maternal characteristics and stress was tested for all study participants and then examined separately in each country with >200 participants. ResultsCountries differed significantly in magnitude of pandemic-related pregnancy stress and pandemic-unrelated pregnancy-specific stress, and in prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression levels. A well-fitting common path model for the entire sample indicated that mood and anxiety disturbances were strongly predicted by pandemic-related and pregnancy-specific stress after accounting for maternal characteristics. The model was replicated in individual countries. ConclusionsAlthough pregnant women in high-income Western countries experienced different levels of stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, stress is a strong, common predictor of anxiety and depressive symptoms in these individuals. The common model can be used to inform research and clinical interventions to protect against adverse consequences of prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, and depression for mothers and infants.

The relationship between adult attachment and mental health: A meta-analysis.

Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding the correlations among interpersonal relationships, stress, and health. Moreover, adult attachment is an important predictor of mental health. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews that simultaneously examine the associations between adult attachment and both positive and negative indicators of mental health. Consequently, we meta-analyzed 224 studies examining the associations between adult attachment and mental health, using robust variance estimation with random effects. The results (k = 245 samples, N = 79,722) showed that higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively correlated with negative affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness) and they were negatively correlated with positive affect (e.g., life satisfaction, self-esteem). More specifically, there were moderate associations between attachment avoidance and negative mental health (r = .28) and positive mental health (r = -.24). Likewise, there were moderate associations between attachment anxiety and negative mental health (r = .42) and positive mental health (r = -.29). Furthermore, the association between the attachment dimensions and mental health outcomes was also moderated by several variables (e.g., gender, age). Finally, these associations remained statistically significant even when the attachment dimensions were mutually controlled using meta-analytic structural equation modeling. Overall, attachment anxiety had larger associations with mental health than did attachment avoidance. Thus, the current results support robust links between adult attachment and mental health. This may have implications for future research and mental health treatments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

THE IMPORTANCE OF POSITIVE FACTORS IN PROTECTING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR AMONG CITIZENS OF THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE COUNTRIES (CPLC)

Introduction: When it comes to mental health, traditional research has been revolving around risk factors and their repercussions on mental health. On the other hand, understanding positive factors underlies prevention strategies of self-improvement of these skills, and social and clinical interventions necessary to maintain good health and well-being. Social support, self-esteem and resilience have been the focus of several studies of this scope, having been associated with better mental health outcomes and lower suicidal behaviors. Objectives: With this study, our objectives are to assess the importance of social support, self-esteem and resilience in protecting mental health and suicidal behavior, to determine differences between countries of residence, to assess levels of association between variables, as well as determining the effect of sociodemographic variables, country of residence, social support, self-esteem and resilience in predicting mental health and suicidal behavior. Method: In this study participated 1006 citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLC), between 18 and 80 years of age (mean = 41.76; SD = 14.19). 40.7% of the participants lived in Brazil, 29.9% lived in the ACPOL and 29.4% were from Portugal. For this study, we included a sociodemographic questionnaire that asked about the participants’ age, country of residence, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, professional status, educational attainment, socioeconomic status and marital status. To identify the presence of psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, or somatization) and thus measure participants’ mental health, we utilized the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). To assess suicidal behavior, we included the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised (SBQ-R). To check for social support (family, friends and significant others), the Portuguese version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was utilized. To measure self-esteem, we utilized the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). To measure resilience, we utilized the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale–10 (CD-RISC-10). A website was created for the purpose of the investigation, to disseminate the questionnaire online through mailing lists and social media, from May to October 2021, using a convenience sample method. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the CPLC countries for social support, self-esteem, resilience, mental health, and suicidal behavior. The positive factors were negatively correlated with mental health and suicidal behavior. When added to sociodemographic variables, social support, self-esteem, and resilience are good predictors of both mental health and suicidal behavior. Conclusion: We concluded that, as previously shown in other studies, social support, self-esteem, and resilience all constitute protective factors for mental health and suicidal behaviors. Self-esteem took on an especially relevant role, possibly due to its moderating effect in positive life outcomes, less prevalence of psychological symptomatology and general mental well-being, since a strong sense of self-esteem is also linked to better locus of control and higher personal psychological resources to handle adversity.

Stress Management Strategies Used by Nurses to Regain Energy at Work Place

Background: Nursing is known to be stressful. Stress detrimentally can influence job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and physical health. There is a need for increased understanding of the stress that nurses experience and how best to manage it. The best coping predictors of mental health were escape–avoidance, distancing, and self-control. Other significant predictors of mental health were support in the workplace, the number of years worked in the unit, and workload. Method: Quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to determine the stress level and coping strategies at tertiary care hospital. 120 nurses working at gastro, medical and surgical wards were selected as sample. Data was collected through the standardized well adopted 31 item questionnaires. Results: results revealed that only (62) 57% nurses are suffering from stress and the used different strategies to manage the stress such as Prayers 55%, Sleeping 9%, exercise 2%, Spending times with friends 5%, Silence during problem 2%, Plan for tour 8%, Music therapy 10%, Walking 1%, Painting 3%, Set prioritises to avoid stress7%. Conclusions: Thus, the process of identifying nurses’ coping with job stress which is linked with the deep and authentic experiences of nurses in relation to job stress, the hidden and visible factors, strategies and methods of nurses’ coping, and also the factors and conditions affecting the coping process of nurses, provide backgrounds and necessary knowledge in order to adopt strategies that reduce or control occupational stress and stressors.

Longitudinal development of depression and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Findings from a population-based probability sample survey.

The stress response to the COVID-19 pandemic might differ between early and later stages. Longitudinal data on the development of population mental health during COVID-19 pandemic is scarce. We have investigated mental health trajectories and predictors for change in a probability sample of the general population in Germany at the beginning and after 6 months of the pandemic. We conducted a longitudinal survey in a population-based probability sample of German adults. The current study analyzed data from a first assessment in May 2020 (T1; N = 1,412) and a second in November 2020 (T2; N = 743). Mental health was assessed in terms of anxiety and depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). Mental health outcomes at T1 were compared with PHQ-4 norm data. Trajectories over time were investigated based on outcome classifications of PHQ-4 scores. Predictors of mental health outcomes and change were identified using multiple regression analysis. In spring 2020, participants showed significantly higher PHQ-4 scores as compared to the norm data, however, overall anxiety and depression remained low also 6 months later. 6.6% of respondents showed a mental health deterioration in autumn 2020, entering subclinical and clinical ranges, outweighing the proportion of people with improved outcomes. Sociodemographic variables associated with mental distress at T1 were mainly not predictive for change at T2. Even under prolonged pandemic-related stress, mental health remained mainly stable in the general population. Further development of the considerable subgroup experiencing deterioration of depression and anxiety should be monitored, in order to tailor prevention and intervention efforts.

Rurality as a predictor of perinatal mental health and well-being in an Australian cohort.

Perinatal emotional well-being is more than the presence or absence of depressive and anxiety disorders; it encompasses a wide range of factors that contribute to emotional well-being. This study compares perinatal well-being between women living in metropolitan and rural regions. Prospective, longitudinal cohort. Eight hundred and six women from Victoria and Western Australia recruited before 20 weeks of pregnancy and followed up to 12 months postpartum. Rurality was assessed using the Modified Monash Model (MM Model) with 578 in metropolitan cities MM1, 185 in regional and large rural towns MM2-MM3 and 43 in rural to remote MM4-MM7. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) was administered at recruitment to assess depression, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured using the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale and the State and Trait Anxiety Scale, respectively. Other measures included stressful events, diet, exercise, partner support, parenting and sleep. The prevalence of depressive disorders did not differ across rurality. There was also no difference in breastfeeding cessation, exercise, sleep or partner support. Women living in rural communities and who also had depression reported significantly higher parenting stress than metropolitan women and lower access to parenting activities. Our study suggests while many of the challenges of the perinatal period were shared between women in all areas, there were important differences in parenting stress and access to activities. Furthermore, these findings suggest that guidelines and interventions designed for perinatal mental health should consider rurality.

Too many lemons to make lemonade? Disentangling mental health during the third wave of COVID-19 infections in Spain

The study aimed to analyze the longitudinal change in mental health during the third wave of COVID-19 infections in Spain. Negative (e.g., emotional distress) and positive (e.g., positive functioning variables) outcomes were analyzed. Protective factors (e.g., resilience) as predictors of psychological adjustment (i.e., positive mental health, openness to the future, and low burden due to COVID-19) after ten months of the pandemic were also examined. The sample consisted of 164 participants, and self-reported questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the lockdown (March 2020), at the end of the lockdown (June 2020), and during the third wave (January 2021). Linear mixed models showed that individuals’ emotional distress increased, and positive functioning variables (i.e., meaning in life, gratitude, resilience, and life satisfaction) decreased over time, but an increase was observed in some dimensions of posttraumatic growth. Regression analyses showed that resilience scores at all three data collection time points were significant predictors of positive mental health, openness to the future, and burden during the third wave. Mediation analyses showed that positive mental health and openness to the future were mediators of the effect of resilience on burden. The prolonged situation of the COVID-19 crisis had an important impact on positive and negative mental health. However, resilience may help to build up resources that can act as a buffer against adverse psychological effects.

The relationship between serum fatty acids and depressive symptoms in obese adolescents.

Depression and obesity are highly prevalent and are considered inflammatory pathologies; in addition, they are also associated with dietary patterns including types of fatty acids (FA). Changes in the FA composition in the brain are determined by changes in the content and quality of dietary and serum FA. The aim of this study was to verify the relationships between serum-free FA, inflammatory processes and depressive symptoms in obese adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study that analysed a database composed of 138 post-pubertal adolescents. Data regarding the depressive symptoms, body composition, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, FA profile, leptin concentration, as well as adiponectin, IL-A, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, C-reactive protein and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels of the subjects were collected. A total of 54·6 % of the adolescents presented with depressive symptoms, and there were positive correlations between depressive symptoms and serum saturated fatty acids (SFA) content, body fat, and inflammatory adipokines, such as leptin, IL-6, and the leptin/adiponectin ratio. Moreover, the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms, suggesting that eicosatrienoic acid (C20:2n6) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6) are independently associated with depressive symptom scores and can be critical predictors of poor mental health in humans. These results point to the relationship between SFA and depressive symptoms in obese adolescents. However, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the causality between dietary SFA and depression in obese individuals.

The Relationship between Mobile Phone Dependence and Mental Health among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Academic Burnout and the Moderating Role of Coping Styles

To investigate the relationships between adolescent mental health and mobile phone dependence (MPD), academic burnout, and coping styles as well as the underlying mechanisms, this study surveyed 1191 adolescents, using the mobile phone dependence indicator scale, adolescent academic burnout questionnaire, simplified coping style questionnaire, and SCI-90 self-report mental symptom inventory. The analysis results by structural equation modeling techniques are that: (i) MPD is a significant negative predictor of adolescent mental health; (ii) Academic burnout partially mediates the relationship between MPD and adolescent mental health; (iii) Negative coping styles moderate the second half of the mediating path; the mediating effect was more significant among adolescents with higher levels of negative coping than those with lower levels of negative coping. The findings of this study offer implications for the protection and promotion of adolescent mental health in the mobile internet era.