Women's Mental Health Research Articles

Preconception care to improve pregnancy outcomes in COVID-19 survival Women: A systematic review

Background: COVID-19 has had a dramatic and obvious influence on the mental health of women. Preconception care (PCC) has received a lot of attention as an alternate and supplementary strategy to combat the persistently poor pregnancy outcomes caused by Covid-19 worldwide. Objective: The purpose of the systematic review was to look for PCC interventions to help women have healthier pregnancies. Method: We searched PubMed, Medline, EmBase, the Cochrane library, and Google Scholar for the most recent studies on preconception treatment to enhance pregnancy outcomes in COVID-19 surviving women in March 2023 for this systematic review. The terms [preconception care] AND [pregnancy outcomes] AND [COVID-19 survival women] were used as search criteria. Only articles in the English language were included in searches. Results:1215 duplicate articles were removed from all databases that had been searched after the original search. Moreover, after looking at their titles and abstracts, 1575 publications were dropped from the study. Based on the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the primary author and co-author examined and chose the remaining 860 articles. Twelve papers that were deemed to be eligible for this study were included. A total of 2983 people took part in the chosen study. Iran (n=3) has published the majority of the chosen studies, followed by the US (n=2), India (n=2), Vietnam (n=2), Ethiopia (n=1), the Netherlands (n=1), and the UK (n=1). Conclusion: Preconception treatment improved the birth outcomes, according to the findings. It may be established that women's pregnancy planning is the real source of the mental health issues.

Socio-cultural practices and experiences of menstruation among adolescents and women of Kurichiya tribe of Wayanad: an ethnographic study

Background: Menstruation and related cultural practices are widespread in Indian communities, particularly in tribal settlements. Past studies have highlighted the negative impact of these practices on women's mental health and well-being. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the specific effects of these practices on women's lives. Methods: This study utilised an urban ethnographic research design to explore cultural practices and lived experiences within urban settings. It focused on Kurichiya settlements in Wayanad's Chennalode area, part of Kalpetta municipal town in Kerala's Wayanad district. Fourteen participants, women and adolescent girls aged 15 to 50, were involved in the study. Results: The qualitative analysis identified three core themes: cultural practices of menstruation, women’s menstrual experiences, and perspectives on menstrual practices. The examination of cultural practices revealed subthemes: menarche celebration and monthly period rituals. Women's menstrual experiences encompassed emotional experiences during menarche and each monthly period. Perspectives on menstrual practices highlighted effects on mental well-being and participant’s advocacy for change. Conclusions: The study portrayed how traditional practices affect daily life for Kurichiya women, causing emotional disruption. Despite some liberalisation, a full shift in these customs remains elusive in current times.

Women's self-care for Coronavirus prevention and the related factors in Iran: A cross-sectional study.

Promoting self-care can be an effective way to decrease the rate of transmission and expansion of the infection. However, there seem to be different related factors to self-care by gender. This study aims to assess women's self-care for COVID-19 prevention and some related factors in Tehran-Iran in 2021. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was performed on 403 women living in Tehran in 2021. Subjects of the study were recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. Data was collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire as well as a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess women's self-care for COVID-19 prevention (SCVP-38). The questionnaires were sent on the Google platform to the eligible participants. After completion of the forms, the created data in the Excel software in Google Drive were converted to SPSS 24 and then analyzed by using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression tests. The overall mean score of self-care was 71.84±17.81 percent. The highest and lowest scores were respectively related to using masks in public vehicles and not touching the face. Significant negative correlations were shown between the women's self-care on Corona prevention with stress, anxiety, concerns, and fear (P<0.001). Linear multiple regression showed two factors including women's age (p = 0.033) and their number of children (p = 0.042) predict the self-care, so that, for increasing each year to women's age, SCVP increases by 0.463 units, and with increasing each child, SCVP decreases by 3.608 units. We concluded that in the COVID-19 pandemic, women in Tehran are performing more than 70% of measures of self-care. Also, education about self-care is recommended for younger women with more children. Moreover, promoting the self-care program can improve women's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Involuntary temporary work and mental health medications: A longitudinal study in Denmark.

Since the 1970s, most western countries have experienced an increase in jobs characterized by temporary employment working arrangements. Research links temporary employment to negative health outcomes. Yet, no study has analysed the effects on the mental health of workers in involuntary temporary employment. This study analyses the consequences of involuntary temporary employment for mental health. We distinguish between different lengths of exposure to involuntary temporary employment and assess the effects separately for women and men. We use a cohort design that combines data from the Danish version of the longitudinal European Labour Force Survey with administrative data about use of prescription drugs for anxiety and stress. Using a fixed effects approach, we identify the effects of involuntary full-time temporary employment on mental health over time. To further investigate causal effects, we also compare the outcomes of workers in involuntary full-time temporary employment with a control group that consists of workers who become employed in involuntarily full-time temporary job at a later point of time. For women in involuntary full-time temporary employment (for six quarters or more) the results show a deterioration in mental health as indicated by a 12.8 percentage point increase in drug use. Involuntary full-time temporary employment for one quarter results in a decrease in drug use by 1.1 percentage points, but no lasting effects. For men, we find no mental health consequences of involuntary full-time temporary employment. We conclude that involuntary full-time temporary employment for six quarters or more is likely to be harmful for women's mental health, while shorter periods of involuntary full-time temporary employment may have a minor positive impact. The implications suggest that it is advisable for labour market policy to make it easy for those in involuntary temporary employment to find permanent jobs, and that policy makers should consider adverse mental health problems when addressing policies affecting the prevalence of temporary employment.

Mental health status of pregnant women during COVID-19 in healthcare centers of Iran: A cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every single aspect of life. In addition to being a public health emergency, the COVID-19 outbreak impacted the mental health of individuals, especially pregnant women. This study aimed to examine the mental health status of pregnant women and also the effect of sociodemographic factors on their mental health status during COVID-19 in healthcare centers of Iran. This cross-sectional, analytical-descriptive study was conducted among pregnant women referring to healthcare centers in Shoushtar, Iran, in 2021. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected using the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the association between quantitative variables. A generalized linear model (GLM) was applied to estimate the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable (mental health). A total of 197 participants with a mean ± SD age of 27.85 ± 6.37 years took part in this study. The total mean score of mental health was estimated at 17.47±8.20. The highest mean ± SD score was, respectively, related to social dysfunction (6.63 ± 2.86), anxiety and insomnia (5.28 ± 3.53), and somatic symptoms (4.17 ± 3.27). Mental health disorder was significantly correlated with participants' age (R = .223, P = .00), number of pregnancy (gravida) (R = .272, P = .00), number of births (para) (R = 0.272, P = .00), and number of abortions (R = .172, P = .015). About 80% of pregnant women did not reveal impaired mental health conditions or psychological distress, while 19.3% showed scores that indicate probable mental health conditions. Social dysfunction was the most common mental health problem among pregnant women. It is necessary to pay more attention to the mental health status of pregnant women during a pandemic. Interventions such as practical strategies to promote social support and improve pregnant women's mental health during pregnancy are highly important.

The Impact of Negative Evaluations on Women's Mental Health on social media

This paper examines the impact of negative online reviews on the psychological well-being of women in the context of social media. Investigating various dimensions of mental health such as positive emotions, body image concerns, anxiety, and depression, this article uncovers the dual nature of social media as both an emotional support platform and a potential source of psychological challenges. This review underscores the multifaceted influences on mental health, encompassing not only emotional reactions but also aspects like self-esteem and anxiety. Findings reveal the crucial role of emotional support from friends and social networks in mitigating negative emotions and psychological stress. Additionally, different usage patterns across social media platforms can affect psychological states, with some platforms eliciting negative evaluations while others lean toward positive interactions. The necessity of developing strategies to promote women's mental health on social media is emphasized, including encouraging positive emotional expression and healthy usage habits. The reliance on self-report data could affect accuracy in previous studies. Future research should incorporate experimental designs and longitudinal methods to establish causal links across various platforms, ages, and cultures, providing a more comprehensive understanding of social media's impact on mental health.

REPRESENTASI PSIKOLOGI PEREMPUAN AKIBAT BUDAYA PATRIARKI DALAM CERPEN “PEREMPUAN ITU PERNAH CANTIK” KARYA MASHDAR ZAIDAL

Literary works are fictional writings that describe the reality of people's lives. In writing a work, the author expresses his thoughts based on experiences in society. The literary work in the form of a short story entitled "Perempuan Itu Pernah Cantik" by Mashdar Zaidal, which was studied using a literary sociology approach and descriptive qualitative methods, is very relevant to the mental impact of patriarchal culture on women in the real world. This short story describes the mental image of women due to the impact of patriarchal culture after marriage. Women before and after marriage have very different differences, starting from their physical appearance, level of self-confidence, and time for themselves because they are busy taking care of household work which is often ignored by their husbands. Patriarchal culture in Indonesia is clearly illustrated in the short story "Women Were Ever Beautiful" which slowly damages women's mental health, starting from lack of self-confidence, unstable emotions, feeling excessively anxious and so on.

The Negative Relationship Between Social Media and Body Image of Women

Nowadays, women are plagued by body anxiety, and social media is gradually destroying women's confidence and deepening women's body image. It's not just teenage women, adult women are also suffering from body images. On social media, women are always troubled by body image and attacked by the outside world. The purpose of this paper is to determine how social media affects women's body image and to identify the types of women who are most influenced by it. This article provides the background information about social media and body image, and also consider the factors that social media influence women in daily life. The paper finds that most of female is struggle with body image and suffer from the body sham. It is clear that social media and body image force many women struggle with poor mental health, and even affect their physical health, in the end of the article, the solutions about addressing the body image in social media, family and individual are provided. Through this article, women's mental health and body anxiety will be paid attention to, and hopefully more women will come out of body anxiety. Future research should focus more comprehensively on women's body image, such as life habits, age, interests and hobbies.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Correlates of Substance Use Disorders Among Black Sexual Minority Women.

This study examined the influence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on Black sexual minority women's mental health and substance use disorders in adulthood. Secondary data analysis was conducted using N = 149 Black sexual minority women's reports from the Generations Study. Study variables included psychological distress, chronic strains, stressful life events, ACEs, and substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder and drug use disorder. Quantitative data analysis consisted of descriptives and bivariate correlations. Participants' total ACE scores were positively significantly correlated with increased alcohol misuse, chronic life strains, and stressful life events. Exposure to household interpersonal violence and household mental illness during childhood were significantly correlated with alcohol misuse. Black sexual minority women with ACEs are at higher risk for mental health concerns throughout their lifespan and maladaptive coping strategies (e.g., substance use). Implications for counselors and therapists are provided.

Differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction by sex in the UK: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women's mental health, with most evidence focused on mental ill-health outcomes. Previous research suggests that differences in time-use might explain this disparity, as women generally spent more time doing psychologically taxing activities than men. We investigated (1) sex differences in the impact of the pandemic in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction and (2) whether time-use differences partly explained that differential impact. MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, we used the 1970 British Cohort Study, a birth cohort representing people born in Great Britain in 1970. Since 1970, information has been collected for all cohort members every 4–10 years (ten sweeps). Additional data were collected at three timepoints during the pandemic (May 2020, September–October 2020, February–March 2021) as part of the COVID-19 Survey. Response rates within the target population ranged between 23·6% (May, 2020) and 32·5% (March, 2021) in the COVID-19 Survey. We used non-response weights to restore sample representativeness to the target population (cohort members alive and residing in the UK during the pandemic). Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed at ages 26 (1996), 30, 34, 42, 46, 50, 50·5, and 51 years (2021) using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest life satisfaction) to 10 (highest life satisfaction). We used multiple-group piecewise latent growth curve models grouped by sex assigned at birth. Additional models were adjusted for self-reported number of hours spent working, volunteering, home-schooling children, taking care of children and other people, and doing housework during the pandemic. Participants provided verbal informed consent. Ethics approval was not sought as non-sensitive, open-access data with minimal risk of identification was used. FindingsWe analysed data from 6766 adults (3799 [56·2%] women and 2967 [43·8%] men). Compared with men, women had consistently higher levels of life satisfaction before the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted = 0·213, 95% CI 0·087 to 0·340, p=0·0009), and experienced a more accelerated decline with its onset (Δquad2,unadjusted = –0·018, –0·026 to –0·011; p<0·0001), even after accounting for time use (Δquad2,adjusted = –0·016, –0·031 to –0·001; p=0·0348). Results were robust to adjustment for concurrent financial and occupational situation (Δquad2,adjustedfull = –0·019, –0·035 to –0·004; p=0·0158). InterpretationOur study shows sex inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities. One of the limitations is that we relied on self-reported time-use and were not able to include factors like the so-called mental load (being responsible for organising or monitoring activities, regardless of being involved in their execution), which might partly explain these results. FundingEconomic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Society and Mental Health at King's College London.

Examining the relationship between sleep quality and depressive symptoms in Korean women engaged in soccer during the coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused sudden changes to daily lives, such as self-isolation and social distancing, and has negatively affected sleep quality and patterns. The resulting psychological discomfort has caused many Korean women to experience depressive moods. Vigorous physical activity is considered effective in improving sleep quality and alleviating depressive symptoms. As a form of vigorous physical activity, soccer could be used to improve women's mental health. This study aimed to ascertain the effects of playing soccer on sleep quality and depressive symptoms in women. Non-face-to-face questionnaires were administered using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to measure sleep quality and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to measure depressive symptoms, targeting 200 of 297 soccer-playing Korean women aged 20-50 years, from October 13, 2022, to January 15, 2023. A total of 172 questionnaires administered to soccer participants were used, while 28 with insincere and double or no-responses were excluded. Additionally, 124 samples of non-exercise participants were collected, with the help of "EMBRAIN," a Korean research and survey company. This study analyzed differences in sleep quality and depressive symptoms, and correlations and multiple regression analysis were performed. The soccer group was shown to have a high quality of sleep. In relation to the effect of sleep quality on depressive symptoms, subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping pills, and daytime functional disorder had a significant effect. In the relation to the effect of sleep quality on depressive symptoms, significant effect was found in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, and daytime functional disorder of soccer participants, and non-exercise participants displayed significant effect in subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, and the use of sleeping pills. This study examined the effect of soccer participation on sleep quality and depressive symptoms among women. Soccer, which requires high activity and teamwork levels, improves sociability in women by enhancing their sense of belonging, self-confidence, and team spirit.

COVID-19 lockdowns and working women's mental health: Does motherhood and size of workplace matter? A comparative analysis using understanding society

The COVID-19 pandemic had detrimental and unequal repercussions on mental health. To date there is little evidence exploring how motherhood and workplace size moderates this relationship for working women. This study aimed to estimate changes in working women's mental health at the start of each UK lockdown and estimate the effect of motherhood and workplace size on mental health. We used Understanding Society data from women in paid employment, who participated in at least: one pre-COVID-19 Wave (9 or 10/11) and one COVID-19 lockdown wave (Lockdown 1: April 2020, Lockdown 2: November 2020, Lockdown 3: January 2021). Primary outcome was probable psychological distress (i.e., score≥4 in the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12)). In Model 1, exposure was motherhood (binary), interacting with a variable that split time in the pre-pandemic and lockdown periods. In Model 2, workplace size (Micro:1–24, Medium: 25–199, Large: More than 200 employees) was added as an exposure (3-way interaction) to investigate moderation effects. We fitted mixed–effects logistic regression models, adjusting for age, ethnicity, UK country of residence, cohabitation, educational qualifications, working hours, furlough, subjective financial difficulty and previous health condition. In the adjusted Model 1, pre-pandemic, odds of GHQ-12 caseness were lower for mothers compared to non-mothers (OR:0.89 95%CI:0.77,1.03). However post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic, odds for mothers were higher than non-mothers, especially during lockdown 3 (Non-mothers: OR:1.93 95%CI:1.69,2.20; Mothers: OR:2.87 95%CI:2.36,3.49). In Model 2, workplace size did not modify the relationship. Pre-pandemic, there was no difference in the odds of GHQ-12 caseness by workplace size; however, the differences observed in Lockdown 3 between non-mothers and mothers, are mainly attributed to differences in medium-sized enterprises (Non-mothers: OR:1.95 95%CI:1.53,2.48; Mothers: OR:3.56 95%CI:2.54,4.99). Future policies should be designed to facilitate the working lives of mothers, but especially for medium-sized enterprises as extreme uncertainty appears to affect these employees more.

"There just isn't any other option-so we just have to put up with it": mental health in women's cycling and the necessity of structural change.

Historically, bicycle riding connoted freedom, independence, and enhanced mental and physical wellbeing for women. Persevering through criticism and moral panic, female cyclists have been competitive since the late 19th century-many earning substantial prize money and prestige. Unfortunately, this progress was not linear in its trajectory and contemporary professional women's cycling continues to be pervaded by structural and cultural challenges, which can have deleterious effects on athlete mental health. Notably, socioeconomic pressures endure, like unstable employment terms, limited team support, and role conflicts. Furthermore, sexual harassment, body shaming, and manipulation may characterize women's experiences with their coaches and teams. Sizable investment gaps between men's and women's teams and competitions often underpin these scenarios of disadvantage. Alongside hindering the development of women's cycling, these adverse circumstances may induce psychosocial risk factors. Within this context, by highlighting sport-specific and sex-specific considerations, the emerging subdiscipline of sports psychiatry can be valuable for protecting and promoting athlete welfare in women's cycling. Raising awareness about extant symptoms, vulnerabilities, contributing behaviours, and systemic issues, can bolster efforts to develop better conditions and care equivalence. To that end, this perspective article draws upon anecdotal and scholarly evidence to provide an overview of psychiatric concerns in women's professional cycling. This informs recommended strategies to improve mental health and advance equality within the sport, which should involve actions from several stakeholders, such as athletes, teams, and governing bodies.

For Whom and for How Long Does the “Be a Mom” Intervention Work? A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring the Mid-Term Efficacy and Moderators of Treatment Response

This study explored clinical and sociodemographic moderators of treatment response to “Be a Mom”, an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) intervention, from baseline to postintervention, in women at high risk for postpartum depression (PPD). The study also assessed the stability of women’s treatment gains from baseline to 4-months postintervention (follow-up). This open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT) involved a sample of 1,053 postpartum Portuguese women identified as being at high risk for PPD (i.e., having a score of 5.5 or higher on the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised); participants were allocated to “Be a Mom” intervention group or a waiting-list control group, and completed self-report measures at baseline, postintervention, and a 4-month follow-up (554 women completed follow-up assessments). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and flourishing/positive mental health was assessed with the Mental Health Continuum. Regression models and linear mixed models were used to examine moderators of treatment and the mid-term efficacy of the “Be a Mom” intervention, respectively. The results revealed that treatment completion, higher depression scores at baseline, and higher income levels were linked to greater symptom reduction and positive mental health enhancement. Moreover, the efficacy of the “Be a Mom” intervention was supported at the 4-month follow-up. The “Be a Mom” intervention appears to be an effective iCBT tool for reducing psychological distress and enhancing positive mental health in women at risk for PPD, with therapeutic improvements maintained over a 4-month period.

Prevalence of mental illness among women in an urban slum area of Jaipur: A cross- sectional study

Gender has been described as a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. Depression is not only the most common women's mental health problem, but may be more persistent in women than men.To assess the burden of depression, anxiety and stress among women residing in urban slums of Jaipur and also to assess the factors affecting them. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban field practice area among women aged 18-59 years with calculated sample size of 503. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21 questionnaire was used to capture the primary outcomes—depression, anxiety, and stress. Data was analyzed using SPSS and MS Excel. The statistical significance was evaluated at 95% confidence level. The difference in proportions was compared using Chi-square test and p-value &amp;#60;0.05 was considered significant. In our study, the overall, the prevalence of anxiety, stress and depression was 38.22%, 9.11%, and 18.61%, respectively which ranged from mild to extremely severe. There were meaningful correlations between probable factors like physical inactivity, poor sleep and generalized pain and DASS scores obtained by the participants. The study showed that the prevalence of anxiety was higher compared to other DASS symptoms. The DASS symptoms were poorly associated to demographic characteristics of the study participants although amongst the separated and widowed females there was significant statistical association.

Emotional Distress Caused by the Measures Taken in Assisted Reproductive Treatments during the COVID-19 Confinement in Spain.

Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between April and May 2020. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was applied by telephone in a Spanish adapted version. The research also included social, personal, and work aspects which may be involved in the challenging situation. A total of 115 patients participated in the study (73.7%). Women showed a mean in trait anxiety of 17.79 (SD = 8.80) and a mean in state anxiety of 19.95 (SD = 9.08). Neither the type of treatment nor the time of infertility were predictors of trait anxiety or state anxiety. Greater age pressure and more worry were associated to greater trait and state anxiety (p < 0.001). The most common emotional reactions to discontinuation of fertility treatments were sadness and anxiety. Discontinuation of fertility treatments due to confinement restrictions had a negative impact on the mental health of women who were following a process of assisted reproduction treatment, increasing their levels of emotional distress and anxiety.

Impact of COVID-19 on the sexual function and self-esteem of young Brazilian undergraduate students

Introduction: Satisfactory sexual function contributes considerably to women's physical and mental health and is affected by several factors, including chronic stress. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, these stressors have been intensified by fear of contamination and morbidity and mortality, deaths, and long-term social isolation. Objective: To evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sexual function and self-esteem of young women attending university in Brazil and also investigate the importance of social isolation in these conditions. Methods: This longitudinal study included 90 students with active sexual life who answered questionnaires before (in person) and during (virtually) the pandemic. The instruments used were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: Only 67 women answered all questionnaires sent during the pandemic and had a mean age of 22.9 (±2.99) years; most of them were eutrophic, healthy students and, had a fixed partner. The total FSFI score allowed us to classify women without sexual dysfunction and was not modified during the pandemic. On the other hand, the self-esteem found was slightly lower than that considered healthy and did not change during the pandemic. Women who maintained social distancing showed a statistically significant reduction in sexual function when compared to those who did not (p=0.003). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic did not influence young women’s sexual function or self-esteem attending university in Brazil. However, the behavior of social isolation during the pandemic impaired the sexual function of these women.

New Media Use and Mental Health of Married Women: Mediating Effects of Marital Quality.

While previous studies have investigated the influence of new media on mental health, little is known about its effects on the mental health of married women. This is a crucial research area, given that married women commonly encounter distinct mental health difficulties. Also, current research fails to provide comprehensive, population-based studies, with most relying on cross-sectional designs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between new media use and mental health among married women in China, utilizing a nationally representative longitudinal dataset. We utilized a balanced panel dataset from 2016 to 2020 to establish a causal connection between internet use and the mental health of these women. Our findings indicate that internet use has a positive impact on the mental health of married women in China. Additionally, a structural estimation model (SEM) with 2020 wave data was utilized to investigate various new media use effects and explore mediating pathways of marital satisfaction. Consistently, there were negative findings between new media use, marital satisfaction, and depression. Furthermore, it was determined that new media usage had a significant negative impact on married women's overall satisfaction with their spouses' housework contribution, which, in turn, negatively affected marital satisfaction as a whole. The pathways that mediate the effect of marital satisfaction on depression differ across general internet use, streaming media use, and WeChat use. Examining various theoretical perspectives, we interpreted the indirect impact of new media use on mental health through marital satisfaction as passive mediation.

The physiological functions and therapeutic potential of exosomes during the development and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a very common disease of gynecological endocrine, accompanied by irregular menstruation, hyperandrogenism, metabolic abnormalities, reproductive disorders and other clinical symptoms, which seriously endangers women's physical and mental health, but its etiology and pathogenesis are not completely clear. Recently, the contribution of exosomes to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases in the biomedical field has attracted much attention, including PCOS. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, containing various biologically active molecules such as cell-specific proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. They are important signaling regulators in vivo and widely participate in various physiopathological processes. They are new targets for disease diagnosis and treatment. Considering the important role of non-coding RNAs during the development and treatment of PCOS, this article takes exosomal miRNAs as the breakthrough point for elucidating the physiological functions and therapeutic potential of exosomes during the development and treatment of PCOS through analyzing the effects of exosomal miRNAs on ovarian follicle development, hormone secretion, oxidative stress, inflammatory response and insulin resistance, thus providing new research directions and theoretical basis for PCOS pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis and prognosis improvement.

Evaluating a multi-behavioural home-based intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in postnatal women : The food, move, sleep (FOMOS) for postnatal mental health randomised controlled trial protocol

BackgroundPostnatal depression (PND) is a leading cause of illness and death among women following childbirth. Physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, poor sleep, and sub-optimal diet quality are behavioural risk factors for PND. A feasible, sustainable, and scalable intervention to improve healthy behaviours and reduce PND symptoms among women at postpartum is needed. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a multi-behavioural home-based program Food, Move, Sleep (FOMOS) for Postnatal Mental Health designed to improve PND symptoms in women at postpartum. MethodsThis randomised clinical trial will recruit 220 Australian women (2–12 months postpartum) experiencing heightened PND symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≥ 10). Participants will be randomised to FOMOS or wait-list control receiving standard clinical care. FOMOS is a 6-month mobile health (mHealth) intervention targeting diet quality, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, and mental health. The intervention, informed by the Social Cognitive Theory and incorporating behaviour change techniques defined in the CALO-RE taxonomy and Cognitive Behavioural Treatment of Insomnia, provides exercise equipment, and educational/motivational material and social support via mHealth and social media. Data collection pre-intervention and at 3, 6 and 12 months will assess the primary outcome of PND symptoms and secondary outcomes (diet quality, physical activity, sitting time, sleep quality) using self-report and device measures. Process evaluation will explore acceptability, appropriateness, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability via analytic tools, record keeping, interviews, and surveys. DiscussionIf effective, FOMOS could be a feasible and potentially scalable management strategy to support improvement of health behaviours and mental health for women with PND symptoms. Trial registrationhttps://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12622001079730p