ArticleLiterature Review

Psychological aspects of COVID‐19

Wiley
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
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Abstract

Background COVID‐19 pandemic has affected the world from every aspect. Individuals are drained from social, financial, and emotional percussion of this pandemic. Psychosocial consequences are far greater than are being perceived. It is anticipated that once the pandemic is over the psycho‐emotional turbulence would shake the whole populations of affected countries. Aims and Objectives To review the psychological consequences of COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods A literature search was conducted on major databases from January 2020 to April 2020 with the search terms of Covid‐19, Corona virus, psychological, depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive behaviors, paranoia, parental relationship, marital life and maternal and fetal bond. Conclusion Patients with COVID‐19 infection are more likely to suffer from a myriad of psychological consequences, and this infection may have profound effect on parenting, relationships, marital life, elderly, and maternal‐fetal bond.

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... Covid-19 pandemic infection has massive psychosocial implications that could leads to mental health problems (Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020) such as fear, discrimination (Asmundson & Taylor, 2020a), anger, guilt, denial, stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, stigmatization, insomnia, and depressive symptoms (Jones et al., 2017) which in turn will increases the risk for acute complications of pre-existing chronic diseases (Torales et al., 2020). Stamu-O'Brien et al., (2020) on his paper explains that health anxiety is applicable to anyone. ...
... Covid-19 pandemic infection has massive psychosocial implications that could leads to mental health problems (Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020) such as fear, discrimination (Asmundson & Taylor, 2020a), anger, guilt, denial, stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, stigmatization, insomnia, and depressive symptoms (Jones et al., 2017) which in turn will increases the risk for acute complications of pre-existing chronic diseases (Torales et al., 2020). Stamu-O'Brien et al., (2020) on his paper explains that health anxiety is applicable to anyone. There are no single person in this world that immune to health anxiety and anyone could experience it in one form or another. ...
... There are no single person in this world that immune to health anxiety and anyone could experience it in one form or another. Moreover, Stamu-O'Brien et al., (2020) defines health anxiety as perceived changes of bodily sensations and this changes is may resulting in new illness or diseases. There are many sensations that may trigger health anxiety, among them are the ones related to infectious diseases (Asmundson et al., 2010;Asmundson & Taylor, 2020b). ...
Article
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The tourism industry suffered a significant loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in line with decreasing the COVID-19 impacts, recent tourism behavior may be the cause of a phenomenon called as overtourism. The aim of this study was to investigate the unique phenomena of overtourism in Indonesia after the COVID-19 pandemic through a social pyschological approach. By using a critical discourse analysis, this study finds that a negative emotion generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to “revenge tourism” caused by two years of isolation. After the transmission effect of COVID-19 is decreasing, people who experience psychological breakdown, vent their tourism interests simultaneously, which in turn causing overtourism. In the perspective of psychology, negative emotion that has been piled up during lockdown may be the reason of overtourism. Meanwhile, overtourism also has negative social impact. From social-psychology perspective, place attachment is one of the basic needs in all human. When the control over their environment was disrupted, this may lead to many problems. Uncontrolled overtourism causes environmental damage and reducing the quality of tourism. Thus, this study suggests that the government and stakeholders collaborate to mitigate tourism disasters to prevent the threat of overtourism to tourism sustainability.
... Psychiatric consequences of Coronavirus disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 are well-defined. COVID-19 can exacerbate pre-existing psychological disorders (1). Cytokine storm, immune responses, hypoxia, and hypoperfusion of the frontotemporal lobe can justify COVID-19 psychiatric manifestations (1)(2)(3). ...
... COVID-19 can exacerbate pre-existing psychological disorders (1). Cytokine storm, immune responses, hypoxia, and hypoperfusion of the frontotemporal lobe can justify COVID-19 psychiatric manifestations (1)(2)(3). Critical illness during COVID-19 is a significant risk factor for psychiatric consequences (3,4). On the other hand, a history of psychological conditions, especially mood disorders, is a predisposing factor for severe COVID-19, hospitalization, and mortality (5). ...
... jpc.tums.ac.ir March 2023;11(1) ...
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has different clinical manifestations that besides its iatrogenic intervention could affect brain cognitive function. Medication omission has serious effects on a patient’s clinical course changing the disease’s mortality and morbidity; herein possible role of the iatrogenic intervention that increased the risk of psychological disturbance including medication omission was reported. A 40-years-old man with a history of gout treated with allopurinol was admitted due to productive cough and hemoptysis. His physical exam and lung spiral chest CT scan revealed moderate to severe lung infiltrations in favor of COVID-19 which was confirmed with COVID-19 RT-PCR. Due to his clinical course tocilizumab, methylprednisolone pulse, and other conservative therapies were started while allopurinol was omitted. During his hospitalization anxiety and irritability appeared and progressed gradually making him refuse to get oxygen supplementation. Through immediate intervention and controlling his behavioral symptoms with psychotherapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, benzodiazepines, and initiation of allopurinol, the patient’s psychological disturbance were relieved. In the end, he died due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. COVID-19 and its iatrogenic interventions could trigger a psychiatric disturbance in patients with a variety of pathways. Corticosteroid therapy, non-hypnotic antihistamines, quarantine stress conditions, hypoxia, and medication omission are underlying factors for it. Reporting this medication omission would help physicians become familiar with this pharmacological phenomenon, its prevention, and the way to respond to it. On the other hand, researchers can study the etiology of this phenomenon to understand the mood-stabilizing role of allopurinol in additional studies.
... Two studies performed in Italy reported that up to 55% of the survivors have showed psychiatric sequels (PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) 1 and 3 months after the infection, especially in women, young individuals, and those with lifetime mental disorders (26,27). As documented in the literature (32)(33)(34)(35), individuals with psychiatric illnesses are at a higher risk of aggravating their condition with the pandemic, especially among survivors (32). In a study conducted in Spain, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is higher in patients with psychiatric symptoms (22). ...
... Two studies performed in Italy reported that up to 55% of the survivors have showed psychiatric sequels (PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) 1 and 3 months after the infection, especially in women, young individuals, and those with lifetime mental disorders (26,27). As documented in the literature (32)(33)(34)(35), individuals with psychiatric illnesses are at a higher risk of aggravating their condition with the pandemic, especially among survivors (32). In a study conducted in Spain, the prevalence of cognitive impairment is higher in patients with psychiatric symptoms (22). ...
... Some simplifications in the factorial analysis, useful for the result interpretation, may be poorly reproducible. Nonetheless, our observations are in line with previous studies (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(32)(33)(34)(35). ...
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Studies specifically designed to determine the profile of psychiatric symptoms among COVID-19 patients are limited and based on case series, self-report questionnaires, and surveys. The objective of the study was to identify and classify the neuropsychological symptoms of hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the first wave of the pandemic in one of the most important front-line tertiary hospitals from Spain, and to analyze its correlation with diagnosed mental disorders, as well as to explore potential risk factors associated with mental health problems. This observational, cohort study involved data from COVID-19 patients at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre (Madrid, Spain) from February to May 2020. First, patients underwent a semistructured phone interview (screening phase), based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Then the confirmation of the diagnosis (confirmation phase) was performed in patients who reported a mental disorder development or worsening. A factorial analysis was performed to identify groups of symptoms. A tetrachoric matrix was created, and factorial analysis, by a principal component analysis, was employed upon it. Factors showing values >1.0 were selected, and a varimax rotation was applied to these factors. Symptoms most frequently identified in patients were anosmia/ageusia (54.6%), cognitive complaints (50.3%), worry/nervousness (43.8%), slowing down (36.2%), and sadness (35.4%). Four factors were identified after the screening phase. The first (“anxiety/depression”) and second (“executive dysfunction”) factors explained 45.4 and 11.5% of the variance, respectively. Women, age between 50 and 60 years, duration in the hospital (more than 13 days), and psychiatric history showed significant higher levels (number of symptoms) in the factors. This study reports the factor structure of the psychiatric symptoms developed by patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 during the first wave of the COVID-19. Three item domains (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) were loaded together on one factor, whereas sleep disturbance stood up as a separate factor. Interestingly, the item anosmia/ageusia was not captured by any factor. In conclusion, an increase in neuropsychiatric morbidity is expected in the upcoming months and years. Therefore, screening for early symptoms is the first step to prevent mental health problems associated with this pandemic.
... Specialists and government offices are cautioning about another emergency for example emotional well-being issues, despondency, uneasiness and ascend in self-destruction rates that will out-last the Covid pandemic and can endure up to weeks, months and even years. Patients who have COVID-19 infection are more likely to experience a wide range of psychological effects, and this illness may have a significant impact on aged, parenting, relationships, marriage, and family links [32]. Coronavirus pandemic has caused feeling of confinement due to social separating, feeling of dread toward disease and demise about themselves as well as friends and family, vulnerability about future, disturbances in everyday daily schedule, changes in dietary and rest propensities, denied get-togethers. ...
Preprint
The coronavirus pandemic corresponds to a serious global health crisis which not only changed the way people used to live but also how people behaved in their daily lives. Information from social and behavioural sciences can help in modifying human behaviour to comply with the recommendations of health officials, as the pandemic requires large-scale behaviour change and puts significant mental stress on individuals. The aim of this paper is to examine the changes in human behaviour brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a global health crisis and altered the way people live and interact. The collection of data has been done through online mode and the behaviour of the people is observed, and the results were finally analysed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) which is a multi-criteria decision-making method to rank the factors that had the greatest impact on the changes in human behaviour. During the study, parameters taken under consideration were the ones which were most likely to affect the human behaviour as an impact of COVID-19 lockdown on health, relationship with family and friends, overall lifestyle, online education and work from home, screen time etc. The paper explains each criterion and how it affected human behaviour the most.
... Therefore, we have developed a modified version of the COVID-19 phobia scale (MC19P-SE) for use in the Bangladeshi population and evaluated the validity and reliability of the modified scale. Furthermore, while various studies have looked at the detrimental psychological influence of COVID-19 on people's lives, nothing is known about whether COVID-related anxiety or fear might contribute to psychological experiences of having COVID-19 symptoms [29,30]. To our knowledge, no studies have looked at the potential connection between the onset of COVID-19 symptoms and virus-related anxiety. ...
... Social distancing and quarantine measures can exacerbate these feelings and lead to an increase in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. This is truer for vulnerable people such as those with COVID-19 [17]. ...
... Studies of medical staff in 57 countries have shown that epidemics of infectious diseases have a significant impact on the incidence of their psychological disorders (Fiest et al., 2021;Benros et al., 2013). In fact, the prevalence of viral infectious diseases such as Ebola, H1N1, HIV and acute respiratory syndrome have had a significant impact on the development of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress (Chew et al., 2020;Mohammed et al., 2015;Brietzke et al., 2020;Okusaga et al., 2011;Chong et al., 2018;Gale et al., 2018;Sherr et al., 2011;Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020). Research findings have shown that people with corona disease are likely to suffer from many psychological consequences (Fardin, 2020). ...
Article
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Many studies have shown that the Covid-19 pandemic is followed by psychological problems in students; However, the exact effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on student depression are not entirely clear. Accordingly, the present review study examines the relationship between the Covid-19 pandemic and the incidence of depression in students worldwide. During this library and documentary research, 95 sources including books, articles and online references were examined. The inclusion criteria were based on viral infectious diseases, Covid-19 and the incidence of depressive mental disorder. The validity of the sources was evaluated according to the indexes and the use of validation sites, and after ensuring their validity, information was collected. Finally, the information was categorized using descriptive statistics. The Covid-19 pandemic in different countries has had a significant effect on the incidence of depression in students, however, the severity of mental disorders associated with the Covid-19 pandemic in underdeveloped countries is significantly higher than in developed countries. The occurrence of psychological disorders during the corona pandemic period is completely different in students according to the length of the quarantine period, social restrictions, the field of study, age and gender, and economic and social level of students. The results of this study showed that the corona pandemic has been significantly effective in the incidence of depression in students worldwide, and therefore it is very important and vital to consider counselling and psychological support programs for students in universities.
... A presença da ansiedade diante da pandemia favorece a adesão às recomendações médicas, de higiene e medidas de segurança, sendo essencial para conter a propagação do vírus ou de alguma doença infecciosa. No entanto, se ela for elevada, pode gerar problemas de saúde, como aumento da glicose em pacientes diabéticos, redução da imunidade, distúrbios neurológicos e psicológicos, baixa qualidade de sono entre outros problemas na saúde mental (Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020). ...
Article
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INTRODUÇÃO: Com a pandemia da COVID-19, os profissionais de saúde tiveram que adotar estratégias de enfrentamento (coping) para lidar com o stress acarretado pela pandemia. OBJETIVO: Avaliar as estratégias de coping utilizadas pelos profissionais da saúde (médicos, dentistas, enfermeiros, técnicos em enfermagem) das 52 unidades de Saúde da Família do município de Piracicaba no início da pandemia. METODOLOGIA: Este é um estudo observacional de corte transversal de cunho quantitativo, em que foram utilizados 2 questionários autoaplicáveis: 1) sobre os dados sociodemográficos constituído de 8 questões abertas: idade, profissão, tempo no serviço público, escolaridade, grupo de risco, sexo, estado civil e número de filhos e 2) o Inventário de Coping de Folkman e Lázarus (1985) contendo 66 questões representando ações ou pensamentos específicos utilizados em uma situação de estresse. RESULTADOS: Participaram desta pesquisa 198 profissionais da saúde, após assinatura do termo de consentimento livre e esclarecido, em que 90,9% da amostra era do gênero feminino; 26,8% estavam no grupo de risco; 49% possuíam até o segundo grau de escolaridade. A categoria profissional predominante do estudo foi a dos agentes de saúde com 49,2%, seguido dos auxiliares de enfermagem (16%), enfermeiros (14%), médicos (8,3%), dentistas (6,8%), auxiliares de saúde bucal (4,7%) e outro (1%). A estratégia de coping mais utilizada foi a reavaliação positiva (0,749), seguida da resolução de problemas (0,692). Quanto ao grupo de risco, a fuga-esquiva foi a forma de enfrentamento mais utilizada (0,806). DISCUSSÃO: Houve poucos estudos referentes ao estresse em profissionais da saúde da assistência primária até o momento. Este estudo, como outros no contexto da pandemia de 2019, mostrou que a reavaliação positiva, a resolução de problemas e a busca de apoio social foram as estratégias mais utilizadas pelos profissionais da saúde e as mulheres foram as mais afetadas por serem maioria atuantes na área da saúde. CONCLUSÃO: Verificou-se que os profissionais da saúde utilizaram principalmente a reavaliação positiva e a resolução de problemas como formas de enfrentamento e que são necessárias medidas que ofereçam melhores condições de trabalho, treinamentos e valorização desses profissionais.
... People have less perception of immunity from food consumption, the younger people have lower levels of perception and have a lower healthy lifestyle. Stamu-O'Brien et al. [19] found that patients affected from COVID-19 infections showed more consequences of psychology and this infection will affect relationships and food habit consumption. Aladangady et al. [20] used the census survey method for consumer spending analysis and found that receiving the consumer spending data timely is very important for policy maker and marketer due to monthly spending being beneficial for real time evaluation, particularly during the government shutdown policy enforcement. ...
Article
Full-text available
Consumer spending fell drastically during the crisis of COVID-19 spreading. Fear of social distancing practices and outright closures for many industries led to a reduction of overtime, and unemployment and resulted in less income but higher prices. Consumer spending is the total money spent on foods and services by individuals for personal use and enjoyment. The research objective was to explore the variables of consumer adjustment in spending habits and saving patterns due to the COVID-19 crisis and to find out the associated consumer behavior patterns in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province of Thailand. The research design is quantitative method by using questionnaire as a tool. The four hundred participants provided valuable insights in consumer spending patterns. The research finding are the consumers in our research strongly agreed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and consumer spending. Consumer goods were still purchased as usual but some time at a lower volume but certainly at lower quality. Hording reminded them of war time situations. The government relief program has positive effect on consumer spending by cost-of-living reduction. The only way out for low-income earners was an adjustment in spending. Due to crisis, consumers managed expenses by spending as needed.
... Aspects related to marketing and the social responsibility of organizations were also studied [4,5]. Much research has been carried out in which behavioral, environmental, psychological, and social issues have been discussed [6][7][8][9]. Hospitals have had to change the management of their inventories and models have been proposed in the literature to avoid shortages and supply medicines to patients on time [10]. ...
Article
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Many studies have been performed in different regions of the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, we perform a statistical study related to the number of vaccinated cases and the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in ten South American countries. Our objective is to group countries according to the aforementioned variables. Once the groups of countries are built, they are characterized based on common properties of countries in the same group and differences between countries that are in different groups. Countries are grouped using principal component analysis and K-means analysis. These methods are combined in a single procedure that we propose for the classification of the countries. Regarding both variables, the countries were classified into three groups. Political decisions, availability of resources, bargaining power with suppliers and health infrastructure among others are some of the factors that can affect both the vaccination process and the timely care of infected people to avoid death. In general, the countries acted in a timely manner in relation to the vaccination of their citizens with the exception of two countries. Regarding the number of deaths, all countries reached peaks at some point in the study period.
... COVID-19 pandemic has smashed the world in every aspect. It is expected that the post pandemic environment effects the psychoemotional disorders in the whole world [1]. ...
Article
The threat of Covid-19 pandemic was very severe and entire world was placed on lockdown and government imposed social restrictions, quarantine, and self-isolation had detrimental impact on peoples psycho-social health due to increased loneliness, distrust, and reduced social interaction. It interfered with daily functioning and disturbed plan for the future. They confronted with number of new challenges, experienced lack of emotional support, making arrangement for hospital stays and appointments all these made vulnerable. The Covid pandemic made individual to perceive fear, stress, anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction. Poor psycho-social aspects is all about not feeling optimistic about self, not being able to form good relations and unable to be flexible to cope up (WHO, 2022). The main focus of the study was to swot on “Study on psycho-social problems of covid-19 affected young adults living in Madakasira town of Anantapuram district Andhra Pradesh”. Purposive random sampling technique was selected for the study. The respondents were selected from Madakasira urban area of Anantapuram district, Andhra Pradesh. Male and Female who are in the age group of 18-35 years affected with covid-19 will be selected for the study. The group consists of 30 covid-19 affected young adults of 15 males and 15 females from Madakasira town for the study. Covid-19 psycho-social problems questionnaire was developed by the researcher with the guidelines of subject experts it was pre-tested to other sample before going to actual sample. The study found that effects of pandemic on one's psycho-social health people's behavior may greatly affect the pandemic's dynamic by altering the severity, transmission, disease flow, and repercussions. The situation requires raising awareness in public, which can be helpful to deal with the calamity. With adequate support and timely intervention, young people experiencing psycho-social distress may be able to bounce back as individual to recover from the Covid‑19 crisis. Psychosocial preparedness by setting up mental organizations specific for future pandemics is certainly necessary.
... Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been increases in the rates of obesity, depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among many populations throughout the United States and globally (Aknin et al., 2022;Chugh, 2020;Dagklis, 2020;Jones et al., 2021;Khan & Smith, 2020;Maben, & Bridges, 2020;Sani, 2020;Şimşir et al., 2022;Stamu-O'Brien, 2020;Wand, 2020). Additionally, there have been increases in reported loneliness, stress, violence against women, and child abuse (Chaudhury & Banerjee, 2020;Sánchez, 2020;& Storz, 2020), as well as a predicted increase in severity with those with addictive disorders (Marsden, 2020). ...
Article
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Researchers are beginning to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on island populations, but little is known about the experiences of the residents of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in the Northeast region of the United States. In this study, islanders (N=41) provide insight into how spending time in nature influenced their well-being, especially their mental well-being, during this unprecedented time. For the majority of participants, the influence of nature on their well-being increased during the pandemic. Additionally, participants shared benefits of island living such as isolation from the mainland, as well as challenges such as food and supply shortages. Results from this study indicate that further research is needed around the importance of nature on well-being, especially mental health, for island residents.
... Starting in 2020, the world has been witnessing the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected people's economic [1], physical [2], psychological [3], mental [4], and social [5] life aspects [6]. Many countries have taken rigorous measures: cities began locking down, international travelling was completely banned, and there was an urgent direction and tendency to contain the virus using currently available technologies. ...
Article
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COVID-19 is highly contagious and spreads rapidly; it can be transmitted through coughing or contact with virus-contaminated hands, surfaces, or objects. The virus spreads faster indoors and in crowded places; therefore, there is a huge demand for contact tracing applications in indoor environments, such as hospitals and offices, in order to measure personnel proximity while placing as little load on them as possible. Contact tracing is a vital step in controlling and restricting pandemic spread; however, traditional contact tracing is time-consuming, exhausting, and ineffective. As a result, more research and application of smart digital contact tracing is necessary. As the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable sensor device studies have grown in popularity, this work has been based on the practicality and successful implementation of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and radio frequency identification (RFID) IoT based wireless systems for achieving contact tracing. Our study presents autonomous, low-cost, long-battery-life wireless sensing systems for contact tracing applications in hospital/office environments; these systems are developed with off-the-shelf components and do not rely on end user participation in order to prevent any inconvenience. Performance evaluation of the two implemented systems is carried out under various real practical settings and scenarios; these two implemented centralised IoT contact tracing devices were tested and compared demonstrating their efficiency results.
... Furthermore, prolonged periods of isolation have been found to cause more negative effects on mental health, such as worsening post-stress disorders, boredom, loneliness, and depression [36]. It has also been reported that young people who overthink about the problems associated with the COVID-19 virus and the pandemic are at high risk of psychological problems [37]. ...
Article
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Studies about personality traits have shown a link between emotional stability and coaches’ success. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of university education period on the big five personality traits in sports training students according to gender and the type of sports practice chosen for their vocational training process as sport coaches. Method: A total of 146 Sports Training students completed the adapted NEO-FFI reduced version assessment twice: first semester in August 2018 and at the beginning of the eighth semester in February 2022 (COVID-19 pandemic appeared during this period). Results: Comparing the scores obtained for the different personality traits, it was observed that the level of neuroticism increased in the last semester (Mpost = 8.12 vs. Mpre = 5.77), while the level of extroversion (Mpost = 14.40 vs. Mpre = 15.97) and consciousness (Mpost = 18.14 vs. Mpre = 19.18) decreased. On the other hand, female students showed higher scores in kindness (15.90 ± 0.87) than men (13.58 ± 0.56) (p = 0.029) at the end of their academic semester. Finally, analysing sport discipline chosen by students, team sports showed a higher score in trait neuroticism (post = 10.47 ± 1.43 vs. pre = 7.73 ± 1.11, p = 0.047) and lower scores in extroversion (post = 13.33 ± 1.01 vs. pre = 16.27 ± 1.17, p = 0.009) than individual sports at the end of the academic semester. Conclusions: Academic stress during the last semester of their bachelor’s degree, as well as the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic could be factors that influenced students’ personality traits concerning neuroticism, extroversion, and consciousness or responsibility.
... 7 A recent poll has shown that a significant number of Americans live in fear of the disease and COVID-19's consequences. 8 Some research indicates that family members who lost family or friends owing to COVID-19 can display acute post-traumatic stress disorder in which emotional numbness and insomnia are prevalent, 9 and this condition may trigger the onset of depression. According to the report, long working hours, untimely emergency calls, a quarantined state, and separation from family and friends due to professional commitments put healthcare providers under extreme stress, anxiety, and frustration. ...
Article
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Background Mental disorders are among the leading causes of the global health-related burden, and depression is one of the most disabling mental disorders. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment where many determinants of mental health are exacerbated. Many studies have been registered and conducted over the past 16 years, but how to choose the proper design for depression clinical trials remains the main concern. This study aimed to characterize the current status of global depression clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods We examined all the trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov from 2007 to 2021. Results Overall, 7623 depression clinical trials were identified for analysis. Of those trials, 6402 (83.98%) were intervention trials and 1212 (15.90%) were observational trials. The majority of intervention types were behavioral (35.2%) and drug (28.55%), with very few procedures, dietary supplements, and diagnostic test studies. In addition, 55.53% of trials enrolled <100 participants. The proportions of trials registered in North America were higher than on other continents. Furthermore, the trials that involved only females (12.6%) were more than only males (0.87%) from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion Depression clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov were dominated by small sample size trials, and there is a lack of trials related to COVID-19. The choice of study design is crucial, and properly designed trials can help improve study efficiency and reduce the likelihood of study failure. Given the increased number of RCT trials, the trial quality is gradually improving over the years. In addition, depression trials concentrating on children and older adults need more scientific attention. Further studies related to COVID-19 are needed, given the great damage that causes to people’s physical and mental health.
... The impacts of the pandemic are still undetermined, with psychosocial consequences possibly greater than are being perceived 17 . Analysis of previous epidemics/pandemics 18 suggests that families, especially mothers, may be at greater risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms in this context. ...
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A pandemia de Covid-19 afetou todas as esferas da nossa vida. Mulheres no período perinatal têm necessidades únicas, demandando diretrizes de saúde e segurança devido aos riscos do isolamento social. Objetivou-se conhecer a vivência de mulheres na gestação ou puerpério no contexto da pandemia durante atendimento em hospital de referência. Estudo qualitativo pautado em referenciais da integralidade do cuidado e cotidiano. Participaram 18 mulheres, gestantes e puérperas. Três temas emergiram: repercussões na gestação e puerpério; repercussões na vida prática; e estratégias de enfrentamento criadas pelas mulheres. Os relatos desvelam diferentes repercussões da pandemia na vida das mulheres e de suas famílias, bem como estratégias e cuidados usados para mitigar os efeitos adversos. Sugere-se o direcionamento de medidas preventivas e políticas públicas que priorizem mulheres grávidas e puérperas, reconhecendo e acolhendo questões subjetivas envolvidas nesse momento na vida da mulher.
... The impacts of the pandemic are still undetermined, with psychosocial consequences possibly greater than are being perceived 17 . Analysis of previous epidemics/pandemics 18 suggests that families, especially mothers, may be at greater risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms in this context. ...
Article
Full-text available
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our lives. Women in the perinatal period have unique needs, demanding health and safety guidelines regarding the risks associated to social isolation. The objective was to know the women’s experience during pregnancy or puerperium in the pandemic while being cared at a hospital. Qualitative study referenced on concepts of integrality of care and daily life. Eighteen pregnant and postpartum participated. Three themes emerged: Repercussions on pregnancy and puerperium, repercussions on practical life, and coping strategies created by women. The reports reveal different repercussions of the pandemic in the lives of women and their families, also the strategies and precautions used to mitigate its adverse effects. We suggest directing preventive measures and public health policies to prioritize pregnant and postpartum women, recognizing and embracing subjective issues involved at this moment in women’s lives.
... [9] Post-COVID-19 anxiety disorder is a health condition that usually requires long-term treatment, which has a long-term negative impact on the physiological and psychological health of patients. [10] With the steady increase in the number of patients with COVID-19, the negative impact of post-COVID-19 anxiety disorders on individuals, families, and the society is emerging, [11] and has become a health problem that cannot be ignored. Thus, post-COVID-19 anxiety disorder has become a hot topic in the COVID-19 discourse globally. ...
Article
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Background: Anxiety disorders pose a significant threat to the clinical rehabilitation of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Tai Chi is a therapeutic exercise that can be used to treat anxiety disorders. We aim to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for treating patients with anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19. Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Wan Fang, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry databases will be searched for reports of randomized controlled trials on Tai Chi for the treatment of anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19, published from December 1, 2019, to August 22, 2022. Two researchers will screen the articles and extract the relevant information. Results: The results will provide a systematic overview of the current evidence on the use of Tai Chi to treat anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19 among patients. Conclusion: The conclusions of this study will help clarify whether Tai Chi is effective and safe for treating anxiety disorders caused by COVID-19.
... Following these major societal changes, we now consider specific individual differences that cut across countries and societies. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all segments of the population, but its impact depends substantially on individual factors that are common across countries and cultures (Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020). Here, we consider the following factors: gender, occupation (e.g., students, health-care workers), socioeconomic status, and preexisting medical conditions (e.g., physical or mental illness). ...
Article
The extent of the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is recognized ubiquitously. However, these effects are subject to many modulatory factors from a plethora of domains of examination. It is important to understand the intersection of societal and individual levels for global stressors compared with local phenomena and physical-health outcomes. Here, we consider three perspectives: international/cultural, social, and individual. Both the enduring threat of COVID-19 infection and the protective measures to contain contagion have important consequences on individual mental health. These consequences, together with possible remedial interventions, are the focus of this article. We hope this work will stimulate more research and will suggest factors that need to be considered in the coordination of responses to a global threat, allowing for better preparation in the future.
... Despite the short time since the beginning of the pandemic, there is already evidence not only of the impact of the virus on physical health (Harapan et al., 2020;Chams et al., 2020), but also on mental health. Although evidence of psychiatric and neurological sequelae, such as intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, and dementia, has already begun to be found (Taquet, Geddes, Husain, Luciano, & Harrison, 2021), the main effects on mental health have been due to indirect effects of the pandemic, such as social isolation, anxiety and uncertainty about the risk of infection (Pera, 2020;Stamu-O'Brien, Carniciu, Halvorsen, & Jafferany, 2020;Urzúa, Vera-Villarroel, Caqueo-Urízar, & Polanco-Carrasco, 2020). In general population, several reviews show evidence of the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health: higher degrees of psychological distress and anxiety, presence of depressive symptoms, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress, lower psychological well-being, mood changes, and low self-esteem, among others (Gawai et al., 2020;Pera, 2020;Salari et al., 2020;Xiong et al., 2020;Vindegaard & Benros, 2020). ...
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Introduction There are few reports on mental health among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population in the context of COVID-19, especially in South America. Objective To describe the prevalence of symptoms associated with mental health disorders, as well as to analyze the risk of their occurrence, in different groups of the Chilean LGBT population in the context of COVID-19. Method A total of 1,181 LGBT people, ranged from 18 to 64 years participated in an online survey, using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-DASS-21. The central tendency measures were analyzed, then cut-off points were used to establish prevalence according to sex and sexual orientation. Finally, the probability of symptoms was analyzed using odds ratio. Results Lower levels of mental health were identified among the bisexual and other sexual orientations (pansexual, demisexual, asexual, etc.) population as compared with gays and lesbians, finding a greater presence of depressive symptoms (p = .000), anxious (p = .000) and related to stress (p<.001). Similarly, bisexual women are more likely to present symptoms associated with mental health disorders than men, as lesbians do, as compared with gays in the case of anxiety. Gays are at a higher risk of stress than lesbians. Discussion and conclusion Even though the pandemic affected the entire population, results give evidence of disparities among the various LGBT communities, showing the need to focus on preventive interventions and the implications of increased risk in bisexual population, particularly women, who are affected by various cross discriminations.
... The world population is seeing unprecedented changes in their daily lives due to the pandemic that affected work, social life, lifestyle, income, and health. These changes that swiped around the world are stressful and cause strong emotions in adults and children (2)(3)(4)(5). On top of these stressors, when a person realizes the diagnosis of COVID-19, the increment of all these stress factors and mixed emotions are believed to be exponential for the person as well as their family members and friends. ...
Article
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A positive COVID-19 infection may impact physical, mental, and social health. Different factors may influence these impacts on different levels due to personal circumstances. This study aimed to explore the impact of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis on the physical,mental, social, psychological health, and lifestyle practices of an individual in the United Arab Emirates. A sample of 28 participants was interviewed using online interviews. An interview guide was created based on the coping strategy model and conceptual framework of coping strategies. All interviews were recorded; then transcribed after obtaining written consent from participants. The NVivo software was used for thematic analysis based on both identified coping models. Major themes included the physical effects, social effects, psychological effects, spiritual effects, and lifestyle effects. Emerging themes include coping mechanisms, trust in authorities and the health care system, appreciation of the role of the government, conspiracy theories, and media roles. This study indicates that people diagnosed with COVID-19 have perceived very good support in terms of their physical health from the government and health authorities, but require social, psychological, and educational support during the infection period and post-recovery.
... Many factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the fast spread of news on the internet, including social media, and its potential to induce fear (55), the presentation of the information related to the virus itself, the imposition of national and regional lockdowns, and the involvement of politics have been reported to produce detrimental effects, including in university-age students (42,(56)(57)(58). Such situations and conditions also have the potential to adversely impact other areas of life, including relationships (e.g., increased abuse within the family) (59)(60)(61)(62)(63) and the economy and finances (e.g., loss of job, loss of businesses) (64), which have also been shown to potentially contribute to decreased mental well-being (65,66). In relation to university students specifically, this population also faced additional possible stressors related to education including, but not limited to, the transitioning of classes from in-person attendance to online formats and isolation from friends and peer support (36,(67)(68)(69). ...
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Background Mental health issues have continued to rise globally, including among university students. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the previously existing and concerning problem. Given that coping mechanisms have been proposed to mediate the relationship between stressors and mental health, the aim of our cross-sectional study was to investigate the mediation of coping mechanisms on the relationship between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health. Methods University students (≥18 years old; N = 676; 31% male, 69% female) were administered an anonymous survey addressing current demographics, COVID-19 pandemic-related demographics, personal experiences, sources of stress and perceived effect on mental health, politics, sources of news/information, and various pre-validated scales addressing mental health (DASS-21), the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (IES-R) and coping strategies utilized (Brief COPE). Results Our results indicate a substantial proportion of our sample reporting scores in the severe and extremely severe DASS-21 categories, in addition to ~50% reporting a perceived deterioration in mental health relative to pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a substantial proportion of students reported IES-R scores at levels where PTSD is of clinical concern. Alarmingly, a significant proportion of females (~15%) reported scores reflecting potential long-term PTSD-related implications. Females tended to be more severely impacted in all mental health measures. Mediation analysis indicated that while dysfunctional coping mediated the relationship between the impact of the event (COVID-19 pandemic) and all three mental health outcomes, overall, this was not the case with the positive coping strategies. Conclusion Our study appears to indicate a reduced buffering influence on negative mental health outcomes by the positive coping mechanisms investigated in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and secondary interventions implemented. While the findings of this study pertain specifically to university students, they corroborate the existing extensive body of research (from physiological to behavioral, preclinical to clinical) pertaining to the response associated with major stressful events at every level of society. In this regard, the findings imply the necessity for health and other authorities, tasked with safeguarding public well-being, to avoid reactive interventions that do not appropriately balance the risks and benefits, potentially exacerbating pre-existing psychopathologies and compromising social order.
... An increasing number of studies has investigated the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults, adolescents and children (Mukaetova-Ladinska and Kronenberg 2021; Stamu-O'Brien et al. 2020). ...
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The COVID-19 pandemic has upset everyone’s normal daily activities, generating psychiatric disorders and changing consumers’ preferences. Among others, the agri-food sector has experienced strong changes and, during the lockdown period, Italian consumers modified their purchasing habits in response to the fear and uncertainty generated by the spread of the virus. In order to find out the main consequences of the shock suffered during the period and to understand which factors have affected purchasing choices, an online survey was conducted on 286 Italian consumers. The results show that ethnocentrism has been the factor that most has influenced consumers’ behavior during the lockdown period and that consumers will continue to prefer national agri-food products when pandemic will be over, constituting a deep change to future eating habits.
... COVID-19 pandemic has changed family life all over the world. As a result, different psychological concerns over parenting have arisen(Stamu-O'brien et al., 2020). Parents with school-age children are one of the examples who experienced the impacts of the pandemic within their family routines and relationships(Prime et al., 2020). ...
Thesis
This thesis examined the antecedents of parental rejection in everyday life and stressful conditions. Study 1 examined the role of parents' education, depression, and socialization goals; marital conflict, and social support along with child age, for both parents, by considering the moderating role of child gender and negative affect for parental rejection. Moreover, the dyadic link among parents in terms of socialization goals, authoritative parenting beliefs were tested for parental rejection. Study 2 examined the differences in perceived rejection before and amid the Corona Virus Disease- 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic by considering the role of pandemic-related risk and protective factors through the mediating role of mothers' psychological distress. Study 1 showed that education level and social support was associated with less maternal rejection, whereas hierarchical relatedness goals was associated with increased maternal rejection. Moreover, social support for mothers was associated with less rejection, especially for girls with high negative affect. For fathers, depressive symptoms and children's negative affect were associated with paternal rejection. Autonomy supporting goals was associated with less perceived rejection by their sons. In cases of high marital conflict, fathers were perceived as less rejecting parents by their daughters and children who have less negative affect. Dyadic analysis showed that fathers' authoritative parenting beliefs mediated the link between autonomy supporting goals and parental rejection for both parents. Study 2 showed the mediating role of maternal psychological distress for pandemic-related anxiety, chaos in the family environment but not for decrease in income in predicting maternal rejection. Neither marital satisfaction nor social support had a protective role for mothers.
... Moreover, fear of illness and death is the central feature of health anxiety, which is a vital variable in pandemic contexts (Stamu-O'Brien et al., 2020). Health anxiety is an excessive worrying about one's health, characterized by the interpretation of bodily sensations or changes as symptoms of a serious disease (Asmundson et al., 2010). ...
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Background Despite health anxiety (HA) is associated with higher incidence of anxiety disorders, no studies have examined the association between this variable and the increased levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) reported during COVID pandemic. Methods This study was conducted online between April and May 2020. Data were collected from 468 men and women from the Spanish general population. Sociodemographic and COVID-19-related data, health anxiety, PTSS, fear of becoming infected, social support, sleep problems and past/current psychological/psychiatric history were assessed. The mediating effect of HA when predicting PTSS was explored with mediational analyses. Moderated mediational analyses were also performed to test if receiving psychological treatment during pandemic changes the mediating effect of HA. Results Prevalence of PTSS was higher in high-scorers in HA (p<.01). High HA was also more likely to be reported by women, individuals with sleep problems, frequently fear of getting infected, and those who have previously received psychological treatment (p<.01). HA mediates the relationship between PTSS and the following predictors of PTSS: sleep problems, psychiatric history and fear of getting infected. Being under psychological treatment did not moderate the mediating effect of health anxiety. Limitations Further longitudinal studies with bigger sample sizes are needed to examine the causal relationship between HA and PTSS after COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Our findings suggest that HA could influence the psychological consequences of the pandemic. Screening of HA could be useful to identify people with heightened risk of developing PTSS during pandemic.
... Esto es definido como percepción a los cambios de sensaciones corporales con la interpretación de que la enfermedad está establecida. Se define como la sensación de miedo que se produce cuando se enfrenta a amenazas o situaciones estresantes (15,16) . Es un trastorno emocional que afecta a las personas y se caracteriza por la presencia de sentimientos de tensión y pensamientos de preocupación que se dan por la pandemia COVID-19 (17) . ...
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Objetivo: Fue determinar la ansiedad por coronavirus en personas adultas que acuden a un Centro de Salud en Los Olivos. Materiales y métodos: El enfoque metodológico de este estudio fue cuantitativo y su diseño descriptivo-transversal. La población estuvo conformada por 150 personas adultas. La técnica utilizada fue la encuesta y el instrumento de medición fue la Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), la cual presenta 5 enunciados o ítems, que evalúan la ansiedad por coronavirus a través de síntomas. Resultados: En cuanto a la edad del participante, la mínima fue 30 y la máxima 59 años, siendo la edad media 38,63 años. En relación a la ansiedad, predomino el valor final sin ansiedad disfuncional con 94% (N=141), seguido de la ansiedad disfuncional en un 6% (N=9). En cuanto a la sintomatología, en mareo predominio sin ansiedad disfuncional con 89,3% (N=134), en trastorno del sueño sin ansiedad disfuncional con un 81,3% (N=122), en inmovilidad tónica sin ansiedad disfuncional con un 90,7% (N=136), en pérdida de apetito sin ansiedad disfuncional con un 92,7% (N=139) y en malestar abdominal sin ansiedad disfuncional con un 90% (N=135). Conclusiones: En cuanto a la ansiedad por coronavirus, predomino sin ansiedad disfuncional seguido de ansiedad disfuncional. De acuerdo a la sintomatología, en todas predomino el valor final sin ansiedad disfuncional.
... Diffé rentes é motions peuvent être observé es lorsqu'un individu est mis en quarantaine, telles que [1,2] : de la confusion ; de la colè re ; des symptômes de stress post-traumatique ; une thymie fragilisé e ; de l'irritabilité ; des symptômes dé pressifs ; du stress ; de l'insomnie ; de la peur. ...
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Introduction: The health crisis linked to the COVID-19 epidemic has required lockdown measures in France and changes in practices in dialysis centers. The objective was to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms during lockdown in hemodialysis patients and their caregivers. Methods: We sent, during lockdown period, between April and May 2020, self-questionnaires to voluntary subjects (patients and caregivers), treated by hemodialysis or who worked in hemodialysis in one of the 14 participating centers in France. We analyzed their perception of dialysis sessions (beneficial or worrying), their stress level (VAS rated from 0 to 10), their anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital anxiety and depression scale). Factors associated with stress, anxiety and depression were analyzed with multiple linear regression models. Results: 669 patients and 325 caregivers agreed to participate. 70 % of participants found it beneficial to come to dialysis during confinement. The proportions of subjects with a stress level ≥ 6 linked to the epidemic, confinement, fear of contracting COVID-19 and fear of infecting a loved one were respectively 23.9%, 26.2%, 33.4% and 42%. 39.2% presented with certain (13.7%) or doubtful (19.2%) anxious symptoms. 21.2% presented a certain (7.9%) or doubtful (13.3%) depressive symptomatology. Age, gender, history of psychological disorders and perception of dialysis sessions were associated with levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Conclusion: During the lockdown period, in France, the majority of hemodialysis patients and caregivers found it beneficial to come to dialysis. One in three subjects had anxiety symptoms and one in five subjects had depressive symptoms.
... However, it does come with significant sociological, psychological and economic challenges. Not only do Covid-19 patients and front-line healthcare professionals have an increased risk of mental health problems resulting in a profound effect on their daily life [1,2], but there is also a decrease in positive emotions and life satisfaction among the general population, as well as the elderly population that may impact their mental health resulting in an increased risk of development of psychiatric disorders [3,4]. Like our history of success in combating highly infectious viruses to save a life, developing a highly efficacious and safe vaccine in which known risk is weighed against potential benefit is one of the most effective strategies [5]. ...
Article
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A year after the initial outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, several Phase III clinical trials investigating vaccine safety and efficacy have been published. These vaccine candidates were developed by different research groups and pharmaceutical companies with various vaccine technologies including mRNA, recombinant protein, adenoviral vector and inactivated virus-based platforms. Despite numerous successful clinical trials, participants enrolled in these trials are limited by trial inclusion and exclusion criteria, geographic location and viral outbreak situation. Many questions still remain, especially for specific subgroups, including the elderly, females with pregnancy and breastfeeding status, and adolescents. At the same time, vaccine efficacy towards asymptomatic infection and specific viral variants are still largely unknown. This review will cover vaccine candidates with Phase III clinical trial data released and discuss the scientific data available so far for these vaccine candidates for different subgroups of people and different viral variants.
Article
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The Covid-19 has spread rapidly, becoming a global health crisis. In crises, especially in public health problems such as a pandemic, it is important to reach the target audience effectively. In this process, the use of visuals helps to convey risk messages effectively. To control the pandemic and prevent its spread, individuals’ risk perception, self-efficacy and behaviors towards the pandemic are of great importance. The aim of this study is to measure how the visuals those individuals are exposed to about the Covid-19 pandemic affect their perceived risk level and self-efficacy, and how these relationships direct their behavior towards the pandemic. For the implementation of the study, data were collected from 410 people working in public institutions, in Türkiye. Structural equation modeling, t-test and Anova techniques analyzed the data collected in the survey conducted in the survey model. According to the research results, gender and educational status significantly affect employees’ attention to visuals and risk perception. According to the results of the research model, the research factors affect each other positively. Individuals’ interest in visuals increases their perceived risk and self-efficacy perceptions. Perceived risk and self efficacy for the epidemic, on the other hand, affect their behavior towards the epidemic.
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Background: Covid-19 pandemic is a critical condition that everyone's life changed due to restrictions of movement and social contacts. It is considered as one of the most vulnerable categories to develop psychological stress and other stigma perspective symptoms. Purpose of the study was to assess psychological aspects, coping strategies and perceived social stigma associated with COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects and Method: Design: A descriptive correlational research design. Setting: using a multi�stage sampling technique, random selection of two districts in the Menoufia Governorate, Egypt: Mitt Khalaf outpatient clinics and Shintna outpatient clinics. Subjects: A convenience sample of 120 COVID-19 patients, were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The instruments of data collection: Five instruments used for collecting data: Structured interviewing questionnaire, The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Coronavirus anxiety scale, Brief -COPE Inventory scale and Covid- 19 Infection Stigma Scale. Results: The current study findings showed that, 43.3% of COVID-19 patient's, were between 35 to 49 years with mean of 39.4 ± 5.1 years and 43.3% of them had university education. Majority of COVID-19 patients suffered from high fear state (45%). While 41.7 % of them had high anxiety. More than 85% of patients showed stigma either sever stigma (45%) or moderate stigma (40.8%) and 14.2% of patients showed no/mild social stigma, meanwhile , there is no statistically significant correlation between the COVID-19 patient's personal characteristics and their total stigma score and between COVID-19 patient's personal characteristics and their total coping strategy score (p >0.05) Conclusion: Majority of COVID-19 patients suffered from high level of fear, anxiety and social stigma and majority of them using coping strategy and the first coping strategy style used by COVID-19 patients was the religious CS. Recommendations: providing health care support, such as a phone hotline for consultation and communication, and psychological counseling to individuals who were thought to be infected with COVID-19. Key words: COVID-19 pandemic, Psychological aspects, Coping strategies and Perceived social stigma © 2024 Mervat Moustafa Arrab, Thi
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Background and Objectives: Investigating the level of anxiety and suicidal thoughts in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic can play an important role in helping them clinically to prevent the development of psychological symptoms in them. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and suicidal ideation in nurses working in COVID-19 wards compared to nurses from other departments. Methods: In this analytical cross-sectional study, participants were 347 nurses from two hospitals (Shahid Beheshti and Kamkar) in Qom, Iran in 2021. Nurses were divided into two groups working in COVID-19 and non-COVID wards. The data collection tools were a demographic form, Beck’s anxiety inventory, and the Beck scale for suicidal ideation. The data was analyzed in SPSS software version 22 using independent t-test or ANOVA for quantitative data and chi-square test for qualitative data. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: Among participants, 139(40.1%) were in the COVID group and 208(59.9%) were in the non-COVID group. Nurses in the COVID group had significantly higher anxiety scores than nurses in the non-COVID group (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between COVID and non-COVID groups in suicidal ideation (P=0.979). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of anxiety among nurses working in COVID-19 wards compared to nurses from other wards. Therefore, it is recommended to use psychological treatments to reduce the anxiety and suicidal thoughts of these nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article
Early detection and access to interventions for developmental delays in young children have been shown to improve health, social, and academic outcomes later in life. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors associated with caregivers' perception of child developmental concerns in low-income communities. A countywide survey was conducted in Los Angeles County (LAC), California, among 4,863 participating Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) families with children ages 1–4 years. Proportional odds ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between the severity of reported developmental concerns and respondent characteristics. Results indicate that demographic characteristics, support systems, health care visits during COVID-19, and maternal symptoms of depression are associated with higher odds of reporting more severe developmental concerns among the WIC population. Advancing policies, programs, and research that aim to improve early detection and access to childhood professionals for all families will be essential to allow all children in low-income households to optimize their development.
Chapter
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on people all over the world, in terms of both physical and mental health. Psychodermatology has become increasingly relevant in this pandemic, as the psychological effects of the virus and the resulting social isolation have had a considerable effect on skin health. Vaccines are providing a way to combat the virus, but some individuals are hesitant due to concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, and whether existing skin conditions may be exacerbated. It is therefore essential to understand and address the connection between mental health and skin health during this pandemic.
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Aims: To assess anxiety, depression, perceived stress, couple satisfaction and life satisfaction of parents of healthy newborns in two cohorts in 2015 and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: A prospective follow-up study. Methods: We enrolled 60 parents of healthy newborns (n = 30 dyads) in 2015 and 60 parents (n = 30 dyads) in 2020. Both parents completed six valid and reliable questionnaires independently 1-2 days and 12 months after delivery: Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Couple Satisfaction Index and Life Satisfaction Scale-4. Results: Anxiety was more common but couple satisfaction better in both parents during the COVID-19 pandemic than in 2015. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress were similarly low, and life satisfaction was similarly high in both cohorts, indicating ample parental resilience. There was a moderate positive association between previous mental health disorders and parental anxiety after delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Most COVID-19 and work-related well-being research is centred around the adverse effects on employees’ psychological well-being and is not focused on the work-related well-being of those infected by SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, COVID-19 and work-related well-being research is generally aimed at healthcare workers. The current study focused on investigating the difference in the level of burnout, anxiety, depression and stress between previously infected and uninfected participants. This study used a cross-sectional survey design and non-probability quota sampling to collect data. A retrospective pre-post design was used to determine the difference between the level of burnout of the participants before and after infection. Working adults in South Africa were targeted and divided into those previously infected (n = 245) and those not yet infected with COVID-19 (n = 221). Participants completed questionnaires relating to burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. A comparison of means revealed a significant increase in burnout after being infected. Infected participants had significantly higher burnout, anxiety, depression, and stress levels than their non-infected counterparts. Emotional exhaustion, withdrawal, and stress were the most prevalent psychological ill-health problems. The results of this study indicated that a SARS-CoV-2 infection has a detrimental impact on participants’ psychological well-being and mental health compared to their own initially reported levels of burnout before infection, as well as compared to the levels of burnout, depression, anxiety and depression of the non-infected participants. Based on the findings, specific recommendations to industrial psychologists were made to manage the psychological impact of COVID-19 on employees.
Research Proposal
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The conflict against COVID-19 is active and escalating. To aid in the outbreak management of COVID-19, it is imperative to assess the public's awareness of the virus at this crucial time. Assessing the Psychological Aspects Among Persons Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic on a local scale would determine their readiness to accept changes in psychological aspects that measures for a long-time span, and consequently introduce further control measures ensuring the safety of the survivors and the general public as a whole, and the psychological aspects of persons who tested positive would provide the baseline data to determine the type of intervention to implement. The majority of COVID-19 survivors in Barangay Muñoz, Catbalogan City, lacked correct and relevant information regarding the consequences of the infectious virus and safety procedures, which negatively impacted the psychological well-being of those who tested positive. In some way, the respondents demonstrated a willingness to commit the necessary health measures to prevent infection, especially given the severity of the psychological effects; mental and emotional health concerns for the children and family are high, which prompted a positive attitude to face the challenges of combating COVID-19 (coronavirus). However, the majority of the population was closed-minded and unwilling to understand the situation of those who tested positive, which led to the development of social issues that affect a person's well-being in regards to COVID-19 (coronavirus). False information in the community may be the reason for this resistance. The majority of informants adhere to fundamental health protocols, such as wearing masks outside the home and sanitizing their hands, but less so with face shields.
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Healthcare workers’ voice is of importance in decreasing medical accidents and improving the efficacy of hospital units. To investigate the impact and the underlying mechanisms of supervisors’ negative mood on healthcare workers’ voice behavior, based on the mood contagion perspective, we designed a cross-sectional study, with 299 healthcare workers from mainland China completed the questionnaires. The results indicated supervisors’ negative mood was positively related to healthcare workers’ negative mood, which further led to less constructive voice and more defensive voice. Moreover, the healthcare worker’s emotional intelligence aspect of self-emotion appraisal moderated this relationship, but not others-emotion appraisal. We believe healthcare workers’ supervisors should pay attention to their negative mood expression and regulation. In the hope of reducing being influenced by supervisors’ negative mood, training about noticing and recognizing their own emotions are needed for healthcare workers.
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This study explored possible changes in family functioning from the perspective of parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-four parents/guardians of children under 18 years completed a semi-structured interview, average length 47 min. Interviews focussed on changes in different aspects of family functioning including family roles, routines, and rules; parenting practices; communication and relationships; and strengths, challenges, and tensions. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis applied in an idiographic and inductive manner to reduce the loss of individual experiences and perspectives. Four superordinate themes were identified: shifting family roles and boundaries throughout the pandemic; impacts on routines and relationships; opportunities and resourcing; and, experiences of support and unity. Gender differences were evident across some themes, particularly changing roles, workload and work-home boundaries. Challenges and tensions were frequently highlighted, particularly by “vulnerable” family groups such as those with children with disabilities. Parents also described a renewed sense of family and community that underpinned adaptive coping responses. The results highlight the importance of family connectedness in times of need.
Article
Background/Aim: Depression and anxiety during pregnancy can lead to pregnancy-related maternal or fetal complications if they are severe or persistent. Therefore, it is important to identify pregnant women who are significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, take the necessary measures or implement rehabilitation programs. This study aimed to determine the feelings, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, concerns and levels of general depression and anxiety in pregnant women caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the factors that cause mental health disorders. Methods: A total of 85 pregnant women who were followed up in the Gynecology and Obstetrics clinics of our hospital and who were never infected with COVID-19 were included in this cross-sectional study. Pregnant women were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Short Form 12-Item Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaires. Results: According to the BDI, 9.4% of the pregnant women had moderate depression, while none had severe depression. According to BAI, 12.9% had moderate anxiety, and 4.7% had severe anxiety. BDI (P=0.001) and BAI (P=0.022) scores were significantly higher, and SF-12 physical role (P=0.004) and SF-12 social functioning (P=0.02) scores were significantly lower in those with a high level of anxiety for their unborn baby. Conclusion: Our findings show that depression and anxiety levels in pregnant women have been high during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that pregnant women are concerned about their own and their babies’ health. Anxiety and depression levels affect the attitude and belief of pregnant women, and all these mental health deteriorations decrease their quality of life.
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This perspective article aims to present insights into an initiative to provide free psychological support to students at the University of Gdańsk (UG) – one of the first universities in Poland to offer such help – during the first major COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March 2020. We begin by introducing key psychological consequences of the pandemic, with particular emphasis on university students, according to Pandemic Management Theory (PMT). Next, we highlight the most significant challenges reported to us by the students in response to the support initiative and applied psychological interventions (including psychoeducation, relaxation, arranging day plans, taking care of relationships, and “just” talking). We conclude by reflecting on the challenges for mental health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the outcome of our initiative – the creation of the Academic Psychological Support Centre at the University of Gdańsk. These insights and lessons learned from developing our practice can help enhance the effectiveness of future psychological support programs through the pandemic and beyond.
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Recently, more than 300 Chinese patients with psychiatric disorders were diagnosed with the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Possible reasons quoted in the report were the lack of caution regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in January and insufficient supplies of protective gear. We outlined major challenges for patients with psychiatric disorders and mental health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak, and also discussed how to manage these challenges through further mental health service reform in China.
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The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) has led to a serious outbreak of often severe respiratory disease, which originated in China and has quickly become a global pandemic, with far-reaching consequences that are unprecedented in the modern era. As public health officials seek to contain the virus and mitigate the deleterious effects on worldwide population health, a related threat has emerged: global media exposure to the crisis. We review research suggesting that repeated media exposure to community crisis can lead to increased anxiety, heightened stress responses that can lead to downstream effects on health, and misplaced health-protective and help-seeking behaviors that can overburden health care facilities and tax available resources. We draw from work on previous public health crises (i.e., Ebola and H1N1 outbreaks) and other collective trauma (e.g., terrorist attacks) where media coverage of events had unintended consequences for those at relatively low risk for direct exposure, leading to potentially severe public health repercussions. We conclude with recommendations for individuals, researchers, and public health officials with respect to receiving and providing effective communications during a public health crisis.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new respiratory disease that is spreading widely throughout the world (1). There is no valid information available on pregnant women and their complications. But given previous epidemics (SARS and MERS), as well as mental and physical changes during pregnancy (2), pregnant women are more likely to be exposed. On the other hand, the Coronavirus epidemic has created stress and anxiety for pregnant women in different parts of the world. Concern and stress in pregnancy are associated with side effects such as preeclampsia, preterm labor, depression, low birth weight, increased nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, preterm labor, low birth weight, low APGAR (3-5). In the Coronavirus pandemic, pregnant women cited the following causes of their concerns: - Many pregnant women have had a birth plan before pandemic, but are currently worried about how their families (mothers) will be present, given the urban and quarantine constraints, moreover, even if there is no inter-urban restriction, they may be worried about their families being transferred in transit. - Many pregnant women do not go to work due to concerns that they may be exposed to Coronavirus due to the hospital environment or the route of the hospital and may be postterm. Or even vice versa, because of stress and worry they want an early termination and elective cesarean section. - Many pregnant mothers are employed, constantly using sodium hypochlorite and alcohol detergents to control and prevent the virus, which can lead to poisoning. Some other pregnant mothers, on the other hand, become obsessed with stress and anxiety and are more likely to use these detergents. Some mothers are worried about their fetal or their neonate being born. Also, some mothers worry about postpartum such as breastfeeding, neonatal care (postpartum vaccination, screening). Increasing mothers 'awareness about the transmission of Coronavirus, risk factors, red flags , as well as providing tele counselling for pregnancy care and tele-triage help reduce anxiety and worry. It is also recommended that in cities where home birth and home services are available after birth and home care services, the medical team should provide these services at home while maintaining safety.
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The current study examined whether maternal prenatal attachment is associated with the mother-infant relationship. One hundred pregnant women and their infants at 12 weeks participated in the study. The sample was part of the Umeâ Child and Family Development project and was randomly recruited by midwives or health visitors. The expectant women completed a self-administered questionnaire, the PAI (the Prenatal Attachment Inventory) measuring prenatal attachment towards their unborn baby. At about 12 weeks postpartum, mothers and their infants were observed and videotaped during an en face interaction. The results revealed that maternal prenatal attachment towards the unborn baby is a good predictor of the early mother-infant relationship. Mothers who were high on the PAI-factor fantasy, for example, in general showed more involvement while interacting with their babies. Mothers rated highly on PAI-factors such as interaction and affection stimulated their infants by using more proximal stimulation, while those rated highly on differentiation of self with the unborn baby used more distal stimulation. Maternal responsive behaviour was only predicted by infant attentive behaviour. This study demonstrated that maternal prenatal attachment during the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with the postnatal maternal involvement, and can serve as an important diagnostic aid in identifying those women for whom the mother-child interaction is likely to be sub-optimal.
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The high rate of hand problems associated with the hand hygiene of medical professions is due to a combination of damaging factors: (1) the removal of barrier lipids by detergent cleaning and alcohol antisepsis followed by a loss of moisturizers and stratum corneum water and (2) the overhydration of the stratum corneum by sweat trapped within gloves. Together the facilitate the invasion of irritants and allergens which elicit inflammatory responses in the dermis. Among the lipids and water-soluble substances removed are natural antibacterials. Their loss leads to increased growth of transient and pathogenic micro-organisms which jeapordizes the very intention of skin hygiene. The kinetics of damage and its repair, and epidemiological evidence suggest that modern synthetic detergents as used in foaming liquid cleansers are the major offender. Conversely, the replacement of detergents with non-detergent emulsion cleansers has been shown to be effective in reducing the prevalence of hand problems among hospital staff. Presently recommended hand antisepsis reduces the risks to patients, but puts the burden on the health care provider. Rather than fighting micro-organisms at the expense of the skin's health, the skin and its own defences should be considered a collaborator in combating infectious diseases.
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Hand dermatitis is a significant problem among inpatient nurses. Accurate population-based data on the prevalence and risk factors for hand dermatitis in this group are lacking. To determine the prevalence of hand dermatitis in inpatient nurses at a US hospital. Each nursing unit in a single hospital was visited twice by a single physician. All nurses working at the time of each visit were questioned and examined. No nurses were enrolled twice. Fifty-five percent (92 of 167) of the nurses had hand dermatitis. Among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, the prevalence was 65% (35 of 54); among non-ICU nurses, the prevalence was 50% (57 of 113). In nurses with self-reported atopic dermatitis, the prevalence was 71% (12 of 17); in nurses without self-reported atopic dermatitis, it was 53% (80 of 150). Data collection on variables such as hand hygiene and glove use relied on subject recall and was considered unreliable. There was a low prevalence of atopic patients. Hand dermatitis affects over 50% of inpatient nurses. Hand dermatitis appears to be more common in the ICU setting and in nurses with a self-reported history of atopy.
The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease
  • S Taylor
Taylor S. The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease. Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2019.23-39.