Psychological Health Issues Research Articles

Coping Strategies Adopted by Construction Employees to Deal with the Causes and Effects of Occupational Psychological Disorders: A Study in Ghana

Coping strategies adopted to deal with psychological health issues could have influences on the general health, productivity and task performance of the employee. This study sought to investigate the coping strategies adopted by construction employees to deal with the causes and effects of occupational psychological disorders such as burnout and workaholism. To achieve this aim, the methods of focus group discussions were first employed. A total of 16 semi-structured focus group discussions were held in Ghana, with 90 construction employees. The focus group study revealed 25 coping strategies adopted as efforts to mitigate the causes and 22 coping strategies adopted as responses to moderate the effects of occupational psychological disorders. A quantitative study involving 150 construction professionals and 150 construction trade workers were also conducted in Ghana to investigate the coping strategies that were highly adopted by the two construction working groups. The findings from the study revealed that the construction professionals adopted delegating complicated tasks and seeking medical attention as the most common coping strategies to manage the causes and effects respectively. The construction trade workers were also revealed to adopt withdrawing from work duties or changing jobs and taking in more caffeinated drinks as the most common coping strategies to manage the causes and effects respectively. Exploratory factor analysis was employed, and the findings were put into the main constructs. The causes focused coping strategies were categorized under avoidance, alteration, adaptation, and acceptance. The effects focused coping strategies were also categorized under healthy and unhealthy coping strategies. This study recommends appropriate coping strategies and interventions in the construction industry such as education of construction personnel on the consequences of various coping strategies.

Physical and Psychological Health Issues among the Night Shift Workers

Physical and Psychological Health Issues among the Night Shift Workers

I Serve 2: Identifying and caring for military-connected children in civilian primary care settings.

Military children make tremendous sacrifices in support of a parent(s) military service. More than two million children have a parent who is serving or has served in the Armed Forces. Research shows that military-connected children are at higher risk of physical, psychological, and behavioral health issues. While "resilient" is the word used to describe most military children, it is important to recognize the stresses/stressors of military life- that military children serve too-to support and care for them.

Living with mutilation: A qualitative study on the consequences of female genital mutilation in women's health and the healthcare system in Spain

IntroductionFemale genital mutilation is a health and human rights issue which extends to western countries. It is estimated that there are some seventeen thousand women and girls living in Spain who have either been mutilated or are at risk of being so. Healthcare professionals face the challenge of providing adequate care in response to this emerging problem. AimTo discover the repercussions of female genital mutilation on the health of sub-Saharan women residing in Spain, as well as the healthcare received. MethodsA life-history qualitative research design was utilized. The study population included 14 genitally mutilated women residing in the Region of Murcia who had given birth in Spain and been attended to by the national public healthcare system. ResultsWomen suffer physical, psychological, obstetric and sexual health issues as a result of female genital mutilation and despite having a favourable perception of the healthcare received during the pregnancy and the delivery, the provision of health education, detection and treatment of female genital mutilation by healthcare professionals was seen to be lacking. Conclusions and practical implicationsHealthcare policy must address insufficiencies in delivering adequate care to immigrant women who have been the victim of female genital mutilation by implementing the necessary resources and training for professionals to effectively meet the specific healthcare needs of this population and prevent this cruel practice from being perpetuated.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE PEDAGOGUE IN THE SPHERE OF EDUCATIONAL SPACE

The article examines the features of the teacher’s character, which are important for the preservation and maintenance of psychological health. This is an ability to accept oneself in the manifestation of the positive and negative features of the character and to accept others as they actually are. It is also an ability to concentrate on positive emotions; emotional and volitional self-regulation; to give oneself the right to have a mistake and to refuse.A person’s psychological health is a prerequisite for one’s active life, self-determination and self-realization, the development of creative potential and positive-constructive thinking about oneself and the world around. Psychologically healthy people, in our opinion, are people who aspire to self-knowledge, are in harmony with themselves and the outside world, feel the inner need for creative activity. Consequences of disadvantage of psychological health are manifestations of the syndrome of professional burnout, psychosomatic illness, conflicts and tension with relatives and others. That’s why the issue of maintaining the psychological health of the teacher should be one of the priorities in the field of educational space.A number of studies by A. Ellis, O. N. Kuznetsova, N. D. Lakosina, V. I. Lebedev, A. Maslow, G. S. Nikiforov and others are devoted to the issue of psychological health. Such scientists as R. Berne, V. S. Muhina, M. Rozenberg, І. І. Chesnokova consider self-knowledge, highlighting the specific features of this process. The research of V. Stepanov and A. Varlamov is devoted to the study of creative self-knowledge.The purpose of the article is to consider the features of the teacher’s character, which are important for preserving and maintaining his psychological health.Particularly important in the profession of a teacher is the development of creativity- oriented knowledge of oneself and the world. The teachers with a high level of creative activity of self-knowledge have formed the important characteristics of the individual such as the adoption of oneself and others as they actually are, personal reflection and emotional and volitional self-regulation, a conscious positive attitude to mistakes and failures as a life experience.

Popularization of Science in Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle: A Successful Example of Science Communication in Iran

Background: Today, more than ever before we need to encourage people for behavior change toward healthy behaviors and active lifestyle. Using the power of branding, we launched a health campaign to send out health messages to the population. Objectives: The aim of this report was to present data from a new experience in science communication of health concerns for adults. Methods: The “health and life” campaign covered different areas of physical, psychological, social and environmental health issues to promote an active lifestyle. Generally, in monthly sessions, we presented 45 - minute talks by health experts on a specific health topic (e.g., smoking, healthy diet) and people with an interesting experience related to the topic were given a time to talk about their story. Participants and lecturer’s information were gathered between January 2013 and July 2017 by on-site registration. Results: Until July 2017, a total of 54 events have been held with a total number of 41566 audiences. Preliminary results indicated that 86-92 % of participants have reported a high level of satisfaction about the quality of health talk program. Conclusions: Through this paper, we presented a new health campaign (health and life campaign) that uses social marketing strategies to promote healthy lifestyle among a wide range of population.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adulthood Aggression and Self-Esteem-A Study on Male Forensic Clients

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, including abuse and neglect. The long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) occurring during childhood or adolescence; may lead to a wide range of physical and psychological health issues throughout a person’s lifespan. Children with ACEs, develops poor relation skills and low self-esteem, which may increase the likelihood of interpersonal problems and physical aggression in adult life. The current study examined the correlation among adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), self-esteem, and aggressive behavior. M aterials and Methods: The sample included 350 adult male clients, accused of physical aggression in forensic setting. All participants completed interviews, focusing on different types of maltreatment prior to age 18, using the modified standardized Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questioner (ACE-IQ) and self-esteem level by Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. R es ults: The most commonly reported adverse experience was family dysfunction, mainly violence in the family that caused problems. Strong correlations were shown to exist between various ACEs and aggressive behavior. Negative correlation detected between self–esteem and all categories subjected for ACE except sexual abuse and community violence (P=0>.05). C onclusion: Much attention has been focused on adverse childhood experiences as risk factors for a spectrum of violence-related outcomes during adulthood.

Intergenerational Transmissions of Mother-Child Loneliness: A Moderated Mediation Model of Familial Social Support and Conflict Avoidance

ABSTRACTLoneliness is a psychological health issue related to deleterious physical health outcomes such as mortality and chronic disease. The aim of this research was to examine intergenerational transmissions of loneliness from mothers to adult child via a moderated mediation model of perceived familial social support and conflict avoidance. Surveys were collected from 146 (N = 292) mother-child dyads on self-reports of loneliness, familial social support, and mother-child conflict avoidance. The results showed that child perceptions of familial social support mediated the relationship between mother-child loneliness. Moreover, child reports of mother-child conflict avoidance moderated the path from familial social support to child loneliness. Specifically, children reported significantly higher levels of loneliness when they perceived low levels of familial social support and high levels of conflict avoidance. These findings expand research on the role of communicative mechanisms in parent-child transmissions of loneliness. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.

Unmet needs of family dementia caregivers of persons with dementia : Primary medical care

Results of current research studies revealed that providing informal care for people with dementia (PwD) is associated with caregivers' burden and avariety of health impairments. In order to provide optimal support for family caregivers of PwD, general practitioners and specialists should be able to identify caregivers' unmet needs in primary care. The present article provides an overview of unmet needs of family caregivers that are relevant for general practitioners as well as specialists in neurology, psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychosomatics. The present overview is based on current reviews on unmet needs of caregivers of PwD and on results of the general practitioner-based, cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial DelpHi-MV (Life- and person-centred help in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany; Identifier: NCT01401582). The article provides an overview of unmet needs of family caregivers for PwD, especially in the domains of social integration, psychological and physical health, legal and financial issues, as well as available and valid measurements. The article illustrates the importance and the possibilities for general practitioners and specialists to identify caregivers' unmet needs. The question to what extent unmet needs' assessments for family caregivers of PwD could be implemented and financed in routine care is still under debate.

The relationship between semantic access and introspective awareness

There have long been speculations about the relationship between consciousness and language. This study aimed to determine whether an individual’s level of introspective awareness, based on self-report, relates to accessibility of their semantic system as evaluated by the N400. Thirty-five university students completed the study. All were right-handed, with normal or corrected-to-normal vision, without known neurological or psychological health issues. They first performed on a lexical decision task while their brain electrophysiological responses were recorded. Then, they provided assessment ratings about their levels of introspective awareness. Analysis revealed moderate to strong correlations (Pearson’s rs = 0.49–0.62) between awareness self-ratings and ease of semantic access as indexed by the N400. Correlation between the self-report measure and the objective neurophysiological measure suggests that subjective assessment of awareness may deserve more credibility, which in addition to reflecting subjective perception and evaluation about one’s own higher order mental functioning, may also interact with the neurophysiological processes contributive and subject to such awareness. Implications for future research on the role of semantic network in the mechanism of introspective awareness are discussed.

До питання психічного здоров’я студентської молоді

До питання психічного здоров’я студентської молоді

Courage to care for our United States veterans: A constructivist way of teaching and learning for future nurses.

The knowledge and skills in providing veteran centered care is essential. The purpose of this retrospective evaluation is to examine a faculty's reflections on a BSN psychiatric mental health curriculum initiative that provides knowledge and skills regarding veterans care through several avenues to senior nursing students. This qualitative study use self-reflections through a constructivist view of teaching and learning as the framework. Open discussions in didactic about the unique psychological health issues of veterans formed a foundational knowledge for the students. The seminar time was used to discuss real veteran case situations. Simulation provided opportunities to address veteran resources. Problem based projects use available evidence to solve veteran health issues. The educators show their commitment to the compassionate and caring ideals of our profession by fostering an educational environment where future nurses can truly learn about veteran centered care.

Australian homeless persons' experiences of social connectedness, isolation and loneliness.

Both loneliness and a lack of social integration are associated with serious physical and psychological health issues. One population highly susceptible to social isolation and loneliness are individuals who are homeless, who also experience high rates of mental disorder and relationship breakdown. Despite this, little research has explored how social networks, isolation and loneliness are experienced for those with a history of homelessness. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to get a nuanced understanding of how social networks and isolation are experienced and understood by individuals experiencing homelessness. Sixteen participants who were either homeless (n=11) or previously homeless (n=5) in Sydney, Australia, completed one-off interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants constructed their social networks as being both constrained and enabled by marginalisation. They experienced rejection from the non-homeless: the loss of critical network members, including rejection from family and a lack of companionship, and low quality and precarious relationships within the homeless community. These accounts were best conceptualised through loneliness theory. Participant's accounts signal that the homeless will likely continue feeling isolated if mainstream attitudes towards homelessness remain stigmatising and discriminatory.

Effects of Social Network Sites (SNS) on the Psychological Health of College Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan

The increasing trend of technological development and its acceptance by the users is a hallmark of this age. The proliferation of the most innovative technologies and its consequent convenience of information and communication via the internet have malformed the center and the fringe almost in the same manner. The social network sites (SNSs) are also attracting individuals because of their affordance and reach. The SNSs helped to connect people, groups and communities, with shared interest on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and Snap chat, etc. Heavy exposure to the SNS among the youth has now become ‘virtual addiction’ that at times brings about psychological health issues. Researchers have observed a correlation between stress, depression, low self- esteem, loneliness, and social network addiction and emphasized that such dependence affects the health and psychological status of a person. This paper is also an attempt to identify such correlations by conducting a study examining varying degrees of effects on heavy and light users both male and female in academic institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The result showed a significant difference between heavy and light users for the stress levels. Females also experienced more stress than their male counterparts .it was found that female respondents were feeling more loneliness and their self-esteem got more affected as compared to males by their online activity.

Spectrum of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients with Head Injury in a Nigerian Population

Head injury is a pressing public health concern the world over. Head injury and associated traumatic brain injury (TBI) usually result in neurocognitive impairments and psychological health issues especially when underlying chronic sequalae are not promptly diagnosed and managed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been found to be the most sensitive imaging modality for the evaluation of lesions secondary to head injury. This study examined the spectrum of MRI findings in head injury cases in a population within South western Nigeria. A prospective study of MRI findings in 163 patients who presented to the radiology department of a foremost teaching hospital in South-western Nigeria with clinical history of head injury was undertaken for a period of 2 years (from January 2015 to December 2016). The following data were obtained and studied: demographic data, clinical history and MRI findings. The MR images were obtained with a 1.5Tesla Siemens MR Scanner. Both T1-weighted and T2-weighted MR imaging protocols were performed for all the patients. The MR images were acquired by the radiographers and interpreted by consultant radiologists. 121 (74.23%) of the subjects were males while 42 (26.76%) were females. Road traffic accident (RTA) (n = 87, 53.37%) was the major cause of head injury sustenance in more than half of the entire cases evaluated. The most common MRI findings are subdural haematoma (n = 41, 25.14%); cerebral contusion (n = 27, 16.56%); subarachnoid haemorrhage (n = 19, 11.65%); cerebral infarction (n = 12, 7.36%); skull fracture (n = 11, 6.74%); cerebral atrophy (n = 10, 6.13%) and multiple sclerosis (n = 7, 4.30%). The least common findings are leucoencephalopathy (n = 5, 3.06%) and retained bullet (n = 5, 3.06%). Magnetic resonance imaging is a paramount imaging modality in the diagnosis of lesions secondary to head injury. Thus the need to make MRI facilities more available in healthcare settings of developing countries, like Nigeria, is re-emphasised.

Physical Correlates of Torture Exposure in Karen Refugees

ABSTRACTWe explored associations between torture history and physical health symptoms of 111 Karen refugees newly arrived to the United States. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of electronic health data collected at the initial refugee health-screening exam. Unique to this analysis was the exploration of relationships between torture exposure, war trauma, and presenting physical and psychological health issues. We identified no unique effects of torture on physical health above and beyond trauma exposure. Overall, in our sample we found a high prevalence of underlying infectious conditions, pain, and hypercholesterolemia, regardless of torture exposure. We discuss effects of war trauma and torture experiences on physical exam findings and implications for future research.

Correlation research between psychological health status and pressure perception and sleep quality of community residents

Objective To explore the correlation between psychological health status and pressure perception, sleep quality of community residents. Methods By multistage sampling method, 1 471 community residents of Lixia District in Ji′nan were surveyed by pressure perception scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Kessler psychological scale. Results The score of psychological health acquired (19.29±6.62), and 66.2% community residents existed different level psychological health issues, community residents with different educational background, occupation, family monthly income had statistical significance of differences in psychological health (t=5.345, 2.765, 8.245, -2.808; P<0.05). The total score of community residents pressure perception was (17.06±5.47)and the total score of sleep quality index was (4.73±3.09); the pressure perception had positive correlation with psychological health and sleep quality (r=0.627, 0.332; P<0.01); the total score of sleep quality had positive correlation with psychological health (r=0.441, P<0.01). The hierarchical regression analysis showed the sleep quality played a part of mediation between pressure perception and psychological health, which mediation effect was 0.15, and the relative intermediary effect was 24.2%. Conclusions The pressure perception can impact psychological health directly, and also can indirectly affect psychological by sleep quality. Sleep quality can release pressure perception caused negative effects of psychological health and protect community residents′ psychological health. Key words: Psychological health; Sleep quality; Pressure perception; Community resident

Exercise in Eating Disorders Treatment: Systematic Review and Proposal of Guidelines.

Although exercise is an effective intervention for many psychological health issues, it has often been overlooked as a potential adjunct to eating disorder (ED) treatment. Thus, our objective was to summarize the literature by synthesizing themes identified in clinical studies and explicit guidelines or recommendations for the use or management of exercise in ED interventions into a proposed set of guidelines for the use of exercise in ED treatment. A literature search in exercise science, health psychology, and the ED literature was conducted. The focus was to obtain articles that reported on therapeutic effects and/or guidelines for the therapeutic use of exercise in individuals with ED. Our review identified 11 core themes describing techniques that have been successful in using exercise therapeutically in ED treatment. These 11 guidelines are as follows: employ a team of relevant experts, monitor medical status, screen for exercise-related psychopathology, create a written contract of how therapeutic exercise will be used, include a psychoeducational component, focus on positive reinforcement, create a graded exercise program, begin with mild-intensity exercise, tailor the mode of exercise to the needs of the individual, include a nutritional component, and debrief after exercise sessions. Our review identifies specific guidelines that may enhance ED treatment outcomes. It is the first to summarize divergent literature and synthesizes previous successes that may guide the use of therapeutic exercise in some, but not all ED patients. This review provides a practical set of guidelines for the clinical management and therapeutic use of exercise in ED treatment by focusing on empowering individuals with exercise as a tool for healthy living.

Pregnant women’s experience of depression care

Purpose – Up to 25 per cent of women will experience depression during their pregnancy. Perinatal mental health problems are a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, however care provided to women is often a low priority. The purpose of this paper is to explore women’s perspective of care from GPs and midwives, when they experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy. Design/methodology/approach – Women, with self-reported symptoms of depression, were invited to post comments in response to a series of on-line questions posted on two discussion forums over a nine month period. The questions were related to the care women received from GPs and midwives. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings – In total, 22 women responded to the on-line questions. A number of themes were identified from the data including women’s disclosure of symptoms to GPs and midwives; lack of knowledge of perinatal mental health among health providers; attitudes of staff and systemic issues as barriers to good care; anti-depressant therapy and care that women found helpful. Research limitations/implications – Women often face significant emotional and psychological health issues in the transition to motherhood. This small study indicates women often experience difficulties in interacting with their GP and midwife in seeking help. This research has identified some contributing factors, however more rigorous research is needed to explore these complex issues. Originality/value – This paper highlights service provision in the care of women with depression in pregnancy.

Health Survey for Adolescents – A brief, Non Obligatory Questionnaire Used as a Screening Tool for the Identification of “At Risk” Adolescents in a Paediatric Inpatient Setting, at a Tertiary Health Care Centre in Singapore

We aimed to study the outcome of a quick, optional and confidential screening tool aimed at identifying youth facing one or more of a multitude of psychological, psychiatric and medical health issues. This survey was targeted at the inpatient paediatric population aged 10 years and above, at the National University Hospital, Singapore.