Respondents Mental Health Research Articles

Retrospectively reported childhood adversity is associated with asthma and chronic bronchitis, independent of mental health

Several researchers have raised the concern that the cross-sectional association of retrospectively reported childhood adversity with self-reported onset of asthma and chronic bronchitis in adulthood may be confounded, as well as mediated by an individual's mental health. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of retrospectively reported childhood adversity on self-reported onset of asthma and chronic bronchitis in adulthood, independent of potential confounding and mediating variables (including respondent's mental health). We used data collected in 2007–2008 within the framework of the Tromsø Study (N = 12,981), a representative study of adult men and women in Norway. The associations of childhood adversity with asthma and chronic bronchitis were assessed with Poisson regression models. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with bias-corrected bootstrapping. Childhood adversity was associated with a 9% increased risk of asthma (RR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.16) and a 14% increased risk chronic bronchitis (RR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.26) in adulthood, independent of age, sex, parental history of psychiatric problems/asthma/dementia, education, smoking, social support, and respondent's mental health. Controlling for indicators of respondent's mental health reduced the strength of associations of childhood adversity with asthma and chronic bronchitis; however, the associations were still present in the same direction (p < .05). These findings suggest that the association of retrospectively reported childhood adversity with asthma and chronic bronchitis is independent of respondent's mental health. We recommend controlling for indicators of the respondent's mental health to assess an unbiased association of retrospectively measured childhood adversity with self-reported asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans: a population-based, quasi-experimental study

Police kill more than 300 black Americans-at least a quarter of them unarmed-each year in the USA. These events might have spillover effects on the mental health of people not directly affected. In this population-based, quasi-experimental study, we combined novel data on police killings with individual-level data from the nationally representative 2013-15 US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to estimate the causal impact of police killings of unarmed black Americans on self-reported mental health of other black American adults in the US general population. The primary exposure was the number of police killings of unarmed black Americans occurring in the 3 months prior to the BRFSS interview within the same state. The primary outcome was the number of days in the previous month in which the respondent's mental health was reported as "not good". We estimated difference-in-differences regression models-adjusting for state-month, month-year, and interview-day fixed effects, as well as age, sex, and educational attainment. We additionally assessed the timing of effects, the specificity of the effects to black Americans, and the robustness of our findings. 38 993 (weighted sample share 49%) of 103 710 black American respondents were exposed to one or more police killings of unarmed black Americans in their state of residence in the 3 months prior to the survey. Each additional police killing of an unarmed black American was associated with 0·14 additional poor mental health days (95% CI 0·07-0·22; p=0·00047) among black American respondents. The largest effects on mental health occurred in the 1-2 months after exposure, with no significant effects estimated for respondents interviewed before police killings (falsification test). Mental health impacts were not observed among white respondents and resulted only from police killings of unarmed black Americans (not unarmed white Americans or armed black Americans). Police killings of unarmed black Americans have adverse effects on mental health among black American adults in the general population. Programmes should be implemented to decrease the frequency of police killings and to mitigate adverse mental health effects within communities when such killings do occur. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Institutes of Health.

Childhood adversities and chronic conditions: examination of mediators, recall bias and age at diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to (1) identify the influence of childhood socioeconomic status (CSES) on five chronic conditions: asthma, bronchitis, hypothyroid, migraine, and psychiatric disorders in later life; (2) determine the mediating role of childhood abuse (CA) in these associations, and (3) quantify recall bias due to respondent's mental health in these associations. 10,325 men and women from the Tromsø Study were followed for 13years, and Poisson regression models were used. Low CSES was associated with a 16-23% higher risk of chronic conditions, and CA was associated with a 16-58% higher risk of chronic conditions (p<0.05). A minor proportion of the association between CSES and CA (3.98%, p<0.05); CSES and chronic conditions (5.54-8.71%, p<0.05); and CA and chronic conditions (9.51-19.52%, p<0.05), were driven by recall bias due to the respondent's mental health. CA mediated the association between CSES and chronic conditions (9.58-25.06%, p<0.05). Low CSES and CA are associated with higher risk of chronic conditions in later life. A minor proportion of these associations are driven by recall bias.

The Impacts of Exposure to Environmental Risk on Physical and Mental Health in a Small Geographic Community in Houston, TX.

Previous research has shown that communities with low average socioeconomic status (SES) and majority minority populations are more likely to be exposed to industrial buildings, waste facilities, and poor infrastructure compared to white communities with higher average SES. While some studies have demonstrated linkages between exposures to specific environmental contaminates within these communities and negative health outcomes, little research has analyzed the effects of environmental contaminants on the mental and physical health of these populations. A cross-sectional survey collected data from residents of Manchester, a small neighborhood in Houston, TX, that is characterized by industrial sites, unimproved infrastructure, nuisance flooding, and poor air quality. Our study (N = 109) utilized the 12 item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF12v2) to assess the general mental and physical health of the community. The community as a whole had reduced physical health scores compared to U.S. national averages. The time residents had lived in the neighborhood was also correlated with a reported reduction in physical health scores (r2 = 0.136; p-value <0.001). The association between time lived in the neighborhood and poorer health scores remained after adjusting for age, race, and gender (coef = -0.27, p-value <0.001). Mental health scores were within national averages and time spent living in the neighborhood did not appear to negatively impact respondent's mental health scores. These findings point to the need for more research to determine the potential for additive physical and mental health impacts in long-term residents in neighborhoods characterized by environmental justice issues.

Some Variables Related to Mental Health of Rural Girls in Amriya District Alexandria Governorate

This research amied to study some variables related to mental health of rural girls in Amriya distrit- Alexandria governorate. The study was carried out through achieving the following sub- goal: Assessing some characteristics of the respondents. Measuring the mental health level of the respondents. Studying the correlation between some independent variables and mental Health level. Data were collected by questionnaire through personal interviews with a random sample consisting of 150 rural girls from some villages in Alexandria governorate. Alpha chroni bach factor, pearson correlation, chisquare, multiple regression models, and percentages were used in analyzing the data. The results indicated the following: 1. Mental Health level of respondents was medium (82%)but was low and high for 10.7%, 7.3% of respondents,respectively. 5. There was a positive significant relation between socialization style, family climate, food habits, general Health level, exposure to the media level, and level of respondent's mental health. 3. According to step- wise multiple regression analysis the style socialization, general health level and exposure to the medial level together explained about 30,4% of variances in the level of respondent's mental health.

대학생의 보건교육 요구도 및 정신건강보건교육

본 연구는 대학생의 보건교육에 대한 실태분석을 통하여 보건교육의 실태와 요구도와의 괴리를 분석하고, 특히 정신보건교육의 중요성을 강조하고자, 정신보건교육의 요구도에 영향을 미치는 요인을 응답자의 정신건강상태를 통하여 찾아보고자 하였다. 분석 결과 정신보건교육과 지역사회보건 분야에서의 교육 요구도는 이미 이에 대한 교육을 받은 응답자가 교육을 받지 않은 응답자보다 더 중요하게 여기는 것을 볼 수 있으며, 정신보건교육 요구도에 영향을 미치는 정신건강상태를 분석한 결과 주위 환경에 많은 신경을 쓰고 있는 응답자일수록 정신건강보건교육의 요구가 높은 것을 볼 수 있었다. 본 연구 결과를 토대로 현재 대학생을 대상으로 실시하는 보건교육의 컨텐츠 중 정신보건교육의 중요성을 강조하고, 향후 정신보건교육의 컨텐츠 강화 및 실효성 있는 교육이 될 수 있도록 개선해야 함을 의미한다. This study indicates that looking for what was main causes of needs in mental health education, searching through respondent's mental health statue. Respondent who received health education more emphasize than respondent who did not received health education in mental health education and community health education field. Analyzing health status which affected mental health education needs, respondent who concerning lots of the surrounding environment need more health education other than who did not care their surroundings. Such results, we needs highlight more mental health education among health education contents and also, we should provide effectiveness education to university students for improving their health status.

Partners in adversity: I. Study design and context.

This paper presents results from a longitudinal study of three groups of married women undertaken in Edinburgh. Each study group was identified through their common experience of a particular stressful situation. Recruitment to the two principal study groups required that a marital partner had either recently died or had recently experienced a myocardial infarction (MI). The third group consisted of those women recently entering a Women's Aid refuge. Interviews were completed with 64 bereaved women, 143 women shortly following their partner's MI and 32 women entering a refuge. Where possible, follow-up interviews were undertaken about three months following the first interview. Detailed assessments were made of the 'target' stressful experiences, of any others that had occurred, and of the course and nature of the respondent's mental health during the study period. Additional assessments included measures of style of coping and of the support resources available and utilized. This report presents details of the design and methodology of the study and of the respondents' experiences of the specific stressors that recruited them to the study. It also provides the background to an examination and analysis of the sequencing of adverse experiences reported in the companion paper.