Psychological Help Research Articles

КОНКУРЕНТНИЙ АНАЛІЗ ІСНУЮЧИХ ПРОГРАМНИХ ЗАСТОСУНКІВ ДЛЯ ПОКРАЩЕННЯ МЕНТАЛЬНОГО ЗДОРОВ’Я

Formulation of the problem. In today's world, the issue of mental health is one of the most urgent. Lack of access to psychological help and support is a serious limitation for many Ukrainians, especially for those who live in remote regions or have limited op-portunities to receive qualified help. In this regard, the development of a mobile application to support mental health becomes an urgent task. Such an application can become an accessible and effective tool for improving the mental state of the Ukrainian population. The aim of the study. Defining the functional requirements for a mobile application to improve mental health and conducting a competitive analysis of existing applications. Defining functional requirements for a mobile application for improving mental health. 1. Bot "personal psychologist" 2. Self-assessment tests 3. Personal diary 4. Articles 5. Contacts of an online psychologist 6. "Psychologists nearby" map 7. Various practices 8. Change and develop useful skills The application can be personalized for each user's needs. Users can choose which features they want and customize them to suit their needs. A competitive analysis of mental health software applications. To carry out the analysis, we selected applications relevant in terms of subject mat-ter and functionality, which are available in Ukraine and abroad, and identified their ad-vantages and disadvantages. The following applications were taken for analysis: 1. Svitlo – Meditations in Ukrainian (Ukraine) 2. Silence - Meditations in Ukrainian (Ukraine) 3. BetterMe: Mental health (Ukraine) 4. VOS – Mental Health Plan (Ukraine) 5. PsychTests (Poland) 6. Happify (USA, New York) 7. My Mood Tracker: Mood Control (Poland) 8. Calm – Sleep, Meditate, Relax (USA) 9. Talkspace Therapy & Counseling (Poland) 10. Youper – CBT Therapy Chatbot (USA, San Francisco) Conclusions. The software applications analyzed in this work have a common goal – to help users maintain or improve their mental health through various methods, such as meditation, psychological tests, planning and keeping a mood diary, psychological support through a chatbot or interactive therapy, as well as games and activities to pro-mote positive thinking. They provide tools for self-improvement and development of posi-tive coping strategies with stress and negative emotions. However, they also have their differences: • Some of them specialize in specific aspects of mental health, such as meditation (Svitlo, Silence, Calm), help with depression (MoodTools), or psychological testing (PsychTests). • Some, like Talkspace and Youper, offer psychological support through a chatbot or other interactive tools. • Some apps, like Happify and BetterMe, focus on improving emotional well-being and psychological development. Among the selected applications, there is none that fully meets the requirements that we set for our application. Only meditative practices are available among the clear solutions. Therefore, the development of such an application will be relevant and useful for Ukrainian society.

Social Support, Stress, and Mental Health: Examining the Stress-Buffering Hypothesis in Adolescent Football Athletes.

Football sport participation has been linked to both positive and negative effects on overall health. Social support, a network that provides individuals with resources to cope effectively, may positively influence one's stress and mental health. However, little research has been conducted on adolescent football players. To examine the relationships among social support, psychological stress, and mental health in adolescent football athletes. Cross-sectional study. High school athletes during the precompetitive and postcompetitive football season in rural Alabama. Black and African American adolescent athletes (N = 93) competing for a school-sponsored football team. After a competitive season, participants completed a battery of social support, psychological stress, and mental health symptom measures using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Application and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. The T-score means, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were calculated. Social support was negatively correlated with psychological stress (emotional support, r = -0.386; family relationships, r = -0.412; peer relationships, r = -0.265) and mental health (depression, r = -0.367 and r = -0.323 for emotional support and family relationships, respectively), whereas psychological stress and mental health (depression, r = 0.751; anxiety, r = 0.732) were positively correlated. In regression analyses, social support measures (ie, emotional support, family relationships, and peer relationships) were used to predict psychological stress (F = 7.094, P < .001, R2 = 0.191), depression symptoms (F = 5.323, P < .001, R2 = 0.151), and anxiety symptoms (F = 1.644, P = .190, R2 = 0.052). In line with the stress-buffering hypothesis, social support in the form of family relationships and overall emotional support garnered through sport participation may reduce psychological stress and help to preserve the mental health of football athletes. These findings indicate that perceived social support may act as a positive resource for the coping of Black and African American adolescent athletes. Further research is warranted to understand the effects of stress and social support on the mental health of adolescents, particularly racial and ethnic minorities who are underrepresented in the athletic training literature.

Psychological Distress and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Transwomen in Indonesia

Transwomen are one of the minority groups in Indonesia vulnerable to a high level of psychological distress. The level of psychological distress can indicate the need to seek psychological help. The most basic component of seeking help is attitude. Without a positive attitude, individuals are less likely to have the intention of seeking help and do seeking help. This study aimed to investigate the level of psychological distress, attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help, and the relationship between symptoms of psychological distress with attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help in 117 samples of transwomen in Indonesia. Results indicated that 72% of participants were classified as having a high level of psychological distress. A negative association between anxiety symptoms and psychological openness indicated that the more symptoms of anxiety that participants were experiencing, the less likely they were to open up about their psychological problems.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE SECTIONS OF THE POPULATION

Family members, parents and caregivers are an important source of protection and emotional support for children. Children separated from their loved ones, during a crisis event, find themselves in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people. They are often very frightened and unable to correctly assess the risk and dangers around them. Reuniting unaccompanied children, including teenagers, with their loved ones is an important first step. If the children are with their parents, you should try to support the adults in taking care of the children. People who may face discrimination and violence in a crisis situation. This category includes women or members of certain ethnic groups, in relation to whom there is an increased risk of discrimination or violence.Svitlana Roiz explains that during the sound of sirens, the child’s auditory channel of perception is under a special load, so it needs to be «occupied» with something. To do this, you can sing in chorus, shout slogans against Utiputin and the Russian army, listen to audio fairy tales and music with headphones, take a guitar with you and arrange a concert for everyone.In order to provide psychological support to citizens of Ukraine who suffer from the consequences of russia’s armed aggression, the free online psychological help platform «Tell me» works around the clock. The project is implemented with the support of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health and the Institute of Cognitive Modeling.In addition, the team of the Institute of Cognitive Modeling in cooperation with the Department of Medical Psychology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy of the Bogomolets National Medical University and specialists of the «Friend» project developed a psychological first aid bot. The bot also contains recommendations for maintaining psychological health.

상담자의 노인 상담에 관한 인식 연구

Although the number of older adults in need of psychological help is increasing due to the increase in their population in Korea, there is a shortage of counselors qualified to provide the appropriate services for them. In order to activate gerontological counseling, there is a great need to explore the counselors’ perception of counseling for the older adults. Accordingly, 75 counselors with at least two years of counseling experience after graduating from a master’s program were asked through an open-ended questionnaire about their perceptions of the characteristics, counseling process, and counseling outcomes for the older clients. The counselors responded to the questionnaire online and the response data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research Analysis. There were a total of 647 statements collected, they were classified into 61 subcategories, and the subcategories were integrated into 4 themes and 17 categories. The first theme was named ‘the characteristics of the older clients,’ and the counselors generally perceived them negatively such as stubborn people. The second theme was named ‘their need for counseling,’ and the counselors thought that the older clients would consider the counselor as a sympathizer to their problem but not a counseling expert. The third theme was named ‘the gerontological counseling process’, and the counselors recognized that the personality traits of older adults such as resistance to change and the age difference with the clients would make the counseling process difficult. The fourth theme was named ‘the gerontological counseling outcome,’ and the counselors recognized that the mental health problems of the older clients would be resolved to some extent even if the counseling outcomes for them were not great. The findings of this study confirmed that general counselors have negative stereotypes about older clients or aging. The authors raised the need for training to correct this negative perception of counselors and strengthen counseling competencies for the older adults in a super-aged society where gerontological counseling becomes more and more important in the last part of this paper.

Determination of Factors Affecting Sleep Quality in Postoperative Patients and Improvement of Correctible Causes

Patients who had postoperative major abdominal surgery and major cardiovascular surgery were included in our study. A total of 103 patients were included in the study. Patients were evaluated with the Pitssburg sleep quality index questionnaire between five and seven days postoperatively. All questionnaires and scales were administered by the same researcher without specifying the participant's name in order to maintain consistency. After explaining the scope and purpose of the study, written consent of all participants was obtained. Pittsburg sleep quality index is a 19-item self-report scale that evaluates sleep quality and disorder. It consists of 24 questions, 19 questions are self-report questions, 5 questions are questions to be answered by the spouse or roommate. The 18 scored questions of the scale consist of 7 components. Subjective Sleep Quality, Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Habitual Sleep Efficiency, Sleep Disorder, Sleeping Drug Use, and Daytime Dysfunction. Each component is evaluated over 0-3 points. The total score of the 7 components gives the scale total score. The total score ranges from 0 to 21. A total score greater than 5 indicates "poor sleep quality". In our study, we aimed to investigate whether anesthetic agents, concomitant diseases, type of surgery, and some biochemical parameters affect sleep quality in postoperative patients. The diseases we investigated included hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, asthma, heart failure, cerebrovascular diseases, thyroid function disorders, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney diseases, and chronic kidney failure. We also evaluated the sociocultural levels of the patients as an important part of the study. Educational status of our patients, literacy rates and occupations were also important to us. In our study, we showed that anesthetic agents [hypnotic and opioid] had no effect on sleep quality, and sleep quality was worse in cardiovascular surgery cases, although it was not statistically significant. We showed that a long operation time (5 hours and more) impairs postoperative sleep quality, thyroid diseases affect sleep quality badly, and sleep disorders are more common especially in patients with COPD. We think that sleep has a very important place in accelerating the recovery process of postoperative patients and that sleep disorders should be questioned better and that postoperative patients with sleep disorders should definitely seek psychological and medical help.

Visitor characteristics and changes in mental health stigma after attending the Mind Space mental health experience exhibition.

Mind Space is an experiential mental health exhibition in Hong Kong, aiming to raise public awareness and provide education regarding mental health. This prepost study aimed to 1) examine the relationships between visitors' characteristics and their mental health stigma at baseline, and 2) provide a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of Mind Space in reducing stigma and promoting help-seeking attitudes toward mental health conditions. We analyzed data from all consenting visitors who attended Mind Space between September 2019 and December 2021. Visitors' attitudes toward mental health conditions and their willingness to seek professional psychological help were measured through online questionnaires before and after visits. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the demographic predictors of outcome variables at baseline. Changes in outcome variables after attending Mind Space were assessed using paired sample t-tests. A total of 382 visitors completed the baseline questionnaires, among which 146 also completed the post-test. At baseline, higher socioeconomic levels and personal contact with people with mental health conditions predicted more positive attitudes and understanding toward mental disorders. Tentatively, the results also showed that after attending Mind Space, a significant reduction in negative attitudes about mental illness (t=4.36, p=<.001; d=.361) and improvements in the propensity to seek professional help (t=-5.20, p<.001; d=-.430) were observed, along with decreases in negative attitudes toward stereotypes (t=4.71, p=<.001; d=.421) and restrictions (t=2.29, p=.024; d=.205) among healthcare professionals. Our findings highlight the need for mental health education for people with lower socioeconomic status and the importance of direct contact in public mental health education initiatives. The present study also suggests that Mind Space may be a useful model for public mental health education, but the exhibition requires further evaluation to ascertain if any reductions in stigma are maintained over time.

Family, partnership, life satisfaction and well-being, emotional burnout and depression of employees of anesthesiology and intensive care departments: a multicenter anonymous observational trial

INTRODUCTION: Currently, emotional burnout and its predictors are insufficiently studied among the staff of the departments of anesthesiology and intensive care. At the same time, burnout is associated with a decrease in the quality of medical care, patient safety, as well as the quality of life of the doctors themselves. An anonymous study was conducted in hospitals and clinics in Russia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of life satisfaction, well-being, emotional burnout and depression of the staff of the departments of anesthesiology — intensive care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Maslach Burnout Inventory, Projective psychological technique “unfinished sentences” (based on Sacks sentence completion test) — tested by G.G. Rumyantsev, Beck Hopelessness Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale (E. Diener, R.A. Emmons, R.J. Larsen, S. Griffin). Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) (R. Su, L. Tay, E. Diener). RESULTS: The average level of life satisfaction of anesthesiologists was 14.7 points, which corresponds to the level of dissatisfaction, resuscitators and nurses had 19 points and 17.7 points, respectively — below the average level. Average and high levels of burnout in all three subscales had: 32.77 % of anesthesiologists, 52.26 % of resuscitators, 33.7 % of nurses. Depression symptoms varying degrees was detected in 83.62 % of anesthesiologists, 80 % of resuscitators and 51.7 % of nurses. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary today not only to identify the first symptoms of burnout, but also to assess the level of satisfaction with the life and work of doctors, because they can directly affect the quality of medical care provided. It is probably that the even greater interest in the problem of doctor’s burnout and greater number of publications about this problem will become the element that encourages medical workers to seek psychological help.

Screening for anxiety and depression in the general population: Adaptation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 in Russia

The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is one of the most well-known and widely used instruments for assessing anxiety and depressive symptoms.Objective. The aim of this study was to adapt the Russian-language version of the PHQ-4 in the general population.Material and Methods. Data collection was carried out with the help of the service «Anketolog». The participants were 2,000 Russians (1,000 men and 1,000 women) aged 18 to 60 years (M = 38.78; SD = 9.25).Results. The psychometric analysis confirmed the internal reliability and discriminative validity of the adapted questionnaire. The proof of the factor validity of the Russian version of the PHQ-4 was the identification of a two-factor structure describing the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and factor invariance by age, level of education, marital status, parental status, financial status and place of residence. Among the Russians, 44.9% had clinically significant anxiety symptoms and 42.9% had clinically significant depressive symptoms. Russians with anxiety and depressive symptoms more often sought counseling from a psychologist, coach, psychiatrist and neurologist, underwent psychopharmacological treatment in connection with psychological requests, contacted support groups and a psychological help hotline, used online products of automated or semi-automated psychological support, read psychological literature and used psychoactive substances.Conclusion. The psychometric properties of the Russian-language version of the PHQ-4 turned out to be similar to the psychometric characteristics of the original version of the questionnaire, and therefore the adapted questionnaire can be recommended for screening anxiety and depression in the general Russianspeaking population.

Mental health stigma and internship nursing students’ attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSelf-stigma and negative attitudes toward mental illness have been identified as significant barriers that hinder individuals from seeking psychological assistance, leading to adverse consequences in their lives.AimThis study aimed to assess mental health stigma and internship nursing students’ attitudes toward seeking professional help.MethodsA cross-sectional design was conducted in the current study including a purposive sample of 228 participants of internship nursing students using a Socio-demographic data sheet, Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale (SSOSH), and Attitude toward seeking professional psychological help scale (ATSPPH). The data acquisition period spanned from August to November 2022.ResultsThis study revealed significant insights into the attitudes of internship nursing students toward seeking professional psychological help. Gender emerged as a notable factor, with males exhibiting higher levels of self-stigma compared to females (mean = 2.872). Attitudes towards seeking professional help varied significantly based on age, gender, residence, and marital status. Specifically, participants aged 23 years, females, rural residents, and married individuals demonstrated the highest Mean scores reflecting attitudes that lean more positively towards seeking help. Furthermore, a significant negative correlation (r = -0.372, p < 0.01) was observed between self-stigma and attitudes toward seeking professional help.ConclusionThis study concluded that more than three-fifths of internship nursing students hadn’t stigma towards seeking professional psychological help while the vast majority had a positive attitude towards seeking professional psychological help. However, the majority of students reported that financial barriers, specifically the high cost of therapy, prevent them from seeking psychological help. This highlights the need for more affordable mental health services for this population.

Art Therapy of the Ukrainian War. History. Beginning

Since February 24, 2022 Ukraine experiences the hardships of war and martial law due to the Russian aggression. Taking into account the complicated situation of the last two years, the need in art therapy measure for the majority of Ukrainians is on the rise: equally to those in the war zone, living in the occupied territories, displaced or those who lost their home and livelihood. According to the psychotherapists, all those living in the situation of war for more than six months becomes traumatized. In this sense, art therapy becomes a powerful tool that provides psychological and spiritual help and may lead to recovery. Two previous years proved the need of collaboration between the artists, cultural historians, and psychologists in order to correct with the means of art practices the consequences of the trauma experienced by the Ukrainian population. At present, creative events for the soldiers, as well for the families of the fallen heroes are a powerful and effective instrument of therapy

Living with epilepsy: patient knowledge and psychosocial impact

Background. People living with epilepsy (PLWE) often face psychological comorbidities and social challenges due to low levels of knowledge and awareness about epilepsy, as well as personal experiences with the condition. This can result in a low quality of life for PLWE.Objective: to investigate the psychosocial impact of epilepsy on patients residing in rural regions of South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces).Material and methods. A non-experimental quantitative research was conducted, which involved 162 respondents living with epilepsy. Most were males, and the majority were between 18 and 35 years old in both provinces combined. The participants were offered a questionnaire divided into three sections comprising sociodemographic aspects, questions that assessed knowledge, and questions on the psychosocial impact of epilepsy.Results. I t was shown that while PLWE have a solid understanding of epilepsy as a medical condition, they may not fully comprehend its effects on daily life. For example, many respondents felt shameful after having a seizure and difficulties in forming relationships, and a significant proportion stated that they were never married because of epilepsy. The study highlights the significant psychosocial impact of epilepsy on PLWE, including depression, difficulties in forming and maintaining social connections, and a lack of marital experience.Conclusion. To improve PLWE’s quality of life, the psychological help is recommended through healthcare facilities or local support groups.

Therapeutic Chatbots as Cognitive-Affective Artifacts

Conversational Artificial Intelligence (CAI) systems (also known as AI “chatbots”) are among the most promising examples of the use of technology in mental health care. With already millions of users worldwide, CAI is likely to change the landscape of psychological help. Most researchers agree that existing CAIs are not “digital therapists” and using them is not a substitute for psychotherapy delivered by a human. But if they are not therapists, what are they, and what role can they play in mental health care? To answer these questions, we appeal to two well-established and widely discussed concepts: cognitive and affective artifacts. Cognitive artifacts are artificial devices contributing functionally to the performance of a cognitive task. Affective artifacts are objects which have the capacity to alter subjects’ affective state. We argue that therapeutic CAIs are a kind of cognitive-affective artifacts which contribute to positive therapeutic change by (i) simulating a (quasi-)therapeutic interaction, (ii) supporting the performance of cognitive tasks, and (iii) altering the affective condition of their users. This sheds new light on why virtually all existing mental health CAIs implement principles and techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — a therapeutic orientation according to which affective change and, ultimately, positive therapeutic change is mediated by cognitive change. Simultaneously, it allows us to conceptualize better the potential and limitations of applying these technologies in therapy.

Exploring suicide ideation in university students: sleep quality, social media, self-esteem, and barriers to seeking psychological help.

The purpose of the current study is to analyze how variations in suicidal ideation scores can relate to sleep quality, social media consumption, self-esteem, and perceived barriers to seeking psychological help in a sample of university students in Honduras. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. Self-reported data was collected from a non-random sample of 910 university students in Honduras; their average age was 24.03 years (SD=6.05). Most respondents were women (67%) with men accounting for 33% of the sample. Measurements included item 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, Barriers to Seeking Psychological Help Scale for College Students, and a self-reported questionnaire on social media. In response to the query, "Over the past two weeks, how frequently have you experienced thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself?" 54% (n=495) of participants indicated "not at all" 18% (n=168) reported "several days" 14% (n=129) responded "more than half of the days" and 13% (n=118) stated "nearly every day". The results from the ordinal logistic regression model indicate that sleep quality and self-esteem serve as protective factors associated with decreased suicide ideation. At the same time, a higher number of social media platforms used per week and perceived barriers to seeking psychological help increase suicide ideation. Altogether, these variables explained 19% of the variance in suicidal ideation scores. Suicidal ideation is highly prevalent among the sampled university students.

Developing scale of attitudes toward internet psychological support

Aim of the studyThe interest in remote psychological services is currently increasing. Changing the way psychological help is provided requires considering new issues, including patients’ attitudes toward this form of help. The aim of the study was to construct and determine the psychometric properties of a tool for assessing attitudes toward psychological help provided via the Internet among healthy and clinical group.Subject or material and methods154 items were selected from the original pool of 330 items. A pilot study was carried out on a group of 100 students (60% females, MAge = 23.3). The final version of the tool included 43 items whose discriminant power is higher than 0.5. Cronbach’s α for the final version of the tool was .975. 10 scales were distinguished and a reliability test (α = .966) was carried out on 100 healthy people.ResultsAs a result of a factor analysis performed on the data obtained from a study of healthy people (N = 100; 74% females; MAge = 29.5) and clinical group (N = 466; 54% females; MAge = 40.6), a final three-factor structure of the tool with appropriate reliability and differential validity was obtained.DiscussionThe final version of the SPWPPO-2 questionnaire consists of 43 items. A tool that meets the criteria of psychometric goodness was obtained. It can be used in research on general and clinical populations and also in practice.ConclusionsThe tool is useful in research and clinical areas. It can be used by mental health professionals to assess attitudes toward online psychological support for patients and potential patients.

Variables Predicting Psychological Help Seeking Attitudes: Self-Stigma, Mental Health Literacy, and Depression/Anxiety

Introduction Psychological help-seeking attitudes are influenced by various factors, including self-stigma, mental health literacy, and levels of depression and anxiety. Several studies have examined the relationships between these variables and help-seeking attitudes, shedding light on the predictors of seeking psychological help. Self-stigma, or the internalization of negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help, has been found to significantly impact help-seeking attitudes. Individuals who experience higher levels of self-stigma are more likely to hold negative attitudes towards seeking help. Additionally, mental health literacy, which refers to knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, has been identified as another important predictor of help-seeking attitudes. Individuals with higher mental health literacy are more likely to have positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Depression and anxiety, two common mental health concerns, have also been found to influence help-seeking attitudes. Research has shown that individuals with higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms are more likely to express intentions to seek counseling for psychological and interpersonal concerns. These mental health concerns can serve as motivators for individuals to seek professional help. Furthermore, cultural and demographic factors can also play a role in shaping help-seeking attitudes.ObjectivesThis study was planned to examine the variables predicting psychological help seeking attitudes: self-stigma, mental health literacy, and depression/anxietyMethodsThe sample of the study was determined by purposive sampling method. The study was conducted with individuals who willing to participate the study and above 18 years age.Individuals who saw the online advertisement and click on the study’s link were be brought to the study’s home page on Online Surveys. Should they wish to proceed, they will be brought to an information page detailing the purpose of the study, how their confidentiality and anonymity will be preserved and how their data will be treated.Socio-Demographic Data Form, Mental Health Literacy Scale, Self-Stigma of Seeking Psychological Help Scale and Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale were used. Data analyses was planned to run via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version, 27.0.ResultsThe analysis of the data is still ongoing in detail by the researchers. The findings and relational implications of the study will be presented.ConclusionsIn conclusion, self-stigma, mental health literacy, and levels of depression and anxiety are important variables that predict psychological help-seeking attitudes. Understanding these factors can inform the development of interventions and strategies to promote help-seeking behaviors and reduce barriers to seeking psychological help.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Premenstrual Syndrome and the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Among College Students in Oman.

This study examines the relationship between premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the attitude toward seeking professional psychological help among Omani college students. This study used a cross-sectional design with a convenience sampling approach. The date was issued between January and March 2024. A sample of 601 undergraduate female students completed the study questionnaires, including (1) a sociodemographic questionnaire, (2) the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale and (3) the attitude toward seeking professional psychological distress scale. The study included 601 eligible participants of age 18-29 years who were mostly single (83.7%) and living on campus (68.6%). PMS prevalence was high at 87.9%, with a mean score of 109.4, indicating low severity for most (62.1%). Participants generally had positive attitudes toward seeking psychological help (41.6% high willingness). A linear regression showed a positive link between PMS severity and help-seeking attitudes. This study highlights a significant association between the experiences of PMS and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help among Omani female undergraduate students. With a high prevalence of PMS reported, the findings suggest that cultural factors and support systems play crucial roles in shaping these attitudes. The positive inclination toward seeking help indicates a growing awareness of mental health issues within this demographic. Enhancing mental health services and fostering supportive environments in educational settings can further empower students to address PMS-related challenges.

The connection between professional burnout of medical workers and the self-help methods during the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionMany medical workers suffered from severe professional burnout while working in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, but few of them had the opportunity to find psychological help.ObjectivesThe aim of the research was to study the relationship between emotional burnout and self-help strategies in medical professionals during the pandemic.MethodsThe Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure the level of professional burnout. It was filled out by medical workers from January 2021 to November 2022.The sample consisted of 314 medical workers (57 men and 255 women), whose average age was 36.97±11.93. According to the level of education, the sample included specialists with secondary general education (4.14%), with secondary special education (19.4%), with incomplete higher education (11.46%), with higher education (59.87%) and PhD (5.1%). 35 people (11%) of the surveyed medical workers worked in the red zone.ResultsWhen medical workers experience severe Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization, they often try to help themselves by drinking alcohol (r=0.156; p=0.005; r=0.184; p=0.001), eating (r=0.227; p=0.000; r=0.151; p=0.007), taking medications (r=0.204; p=0.000; r=0.212; p=0.005), solitude (r=0.204; p=0.000; r=0.133; p=0.019), watching TV series (r=0.173; p=0.002; r=0.146; p=0.01). With an increase in the Reduction of professional skills, medical workers also eat more (r=-0.148; p=0.009) and try to learn something new, engage in self-development (r=-0.137; p=0.015). It is important to note that the desire to seek psychological help is associated only with Emotional Exhaustion (r=0.121, p=0.032), that is, he/she may be aware at an early stage of professional burnout, when the symptoms of depersonalization and reduction of professional skills have not yet occurred.ConclusionsThus, all the considered self-help methods are already used with pronounced symptoms of professional burnout, but do not lead to its pronounced decrease. It is important to note that seeking psychological help is possible with awareness of emotional exhaustion, but not with depersonalization and reduction of professional skills.Disclosure: Research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00624.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Addressing Mental Health Challenges Among Overseas Chinese Students: Fostering Belonging and Community Support

This article discusses the mental health problems of overseas Chinese students, and by citing a number of studies and cases, it reveals the serious challenges faced by this group. The article first identifies a series of factors that contribute to the mental health problems of overseas Chinese students, such as the New Crown Epidemic, racial discrimination, and economic pressures, and discusses their difficulties in seeking psychological help. The article then focuses on the importance of building an active community to foster a sense of belonging, and proposes a series of interventions, including the creation of community exchange platforms, the provision of counselling services, and the encouragement of participation in activities. Finally, the article calls for increased attention and research on the mental health issues of overseas Chinese students and suggests directions for future guidance.

Screening the dysfunctional grief and its associated factors due to a death from covid-19 in Tunisia

IntroductionIn Tunisia, the 2019 corona virus pandemic was a challenging health situation, with more than 28 000 confirmed deaths in May 2022. The pandemic was responsible for people losing their beloved ones in a sudden and brutal ways. Even though the numbers of bereaved people had been escalating, little attention was paid toward their mental health. Grief is a normal response to losing someone close. However, recent studies have shown that the covid-19 grief is more severe than other causes of grief. It not only causes a negative impact on the bereaved life aspects but also creates severe consequences in the society. Screening a possible dysfunctional grief is a major need to prevent serious outcomes.ObjectivesTo identify the prevalence of covid-19 dysfunctional grief and find out the possible associated risk factors to it.MethodsA cross sectional online survey designed using Google Forms and distributed on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) was conducted from 16 February 2022 to 05 May 2022. The participants provided information related to socio-demographic data. Covid-19 grief scale was assessed using the pandemic grief scale, which was translated into Arabic but not validated.ResultsA sample of 106 participants were recruited to this study .The sample was composed of Approximately 72% female and 28 % males, most of them were aged between 26 and 35 years old (37.7% ) . Overall, individuals who lost a loved one more than 06 months period were more frequent (81%). 91.7 % of the sample scored above the cut score of 7 on the PGS.Covid-19 grief was higher among those who sought psychological help (p = 0.02). In this sample, there was no associated risk factors between different socio-demographic characteristics and dysfunctional grief, as well as no correlation were found between period of time since the loss and dysfunctional grief ( rho = 0.186, p = 0.56) .ConclusionsAlthough our study did not find a significant high prevalence of dysfunctional grief giving the small number of participants. More studies and screening must be conducted to identify those at risk of developing dysfunctional grief to prevent the serious individual and general outcomes.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared