International Journal of Social Psychiatry最新文献

Background: Healthcare professionals serving in the earthquake zone may experience mental problems due to the traumatic events they witnessed.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of working in earthquake-affected areas on compassion fatigue and coping strategies for earthquake stress in healthcare professionals compared to a control group.

Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted in three provinces in the northern region of Türkiye. The sample of the study consisted of 146 healthcare professionals working in earthquake-affected regions and 143 healthcare professionals not working in earthquake-affected regions. Data were collected using the 'Descriptive Information Form', 'Compassion Fatigue Short Scale (CF-SS)', and 'Coping with Earthquake Stress Scale (CESS)'. Descriptive statistics, t-test for independent samples, Pearson correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: Statistically significant differences were found between healthcare professionals working in earthquake-affected regions and healthcare professionals not working in these regions in terms of CF-SS total scores, 'occupational burnout' sub-dimension mean scores and 'seeking social support' mean scores among CESS sub-dimension mean scores (p < .05). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the mean scores of 'secondary trauma' sub-dimension of CF-SS and total-CESS, 'religious coping', and 'positive reappraisal' (p > .05). A high and positive correlation (r = .805; r = .847; r = .847; r = .695, p < .001) was found between total CF-SS scores and total religious coping, positive reappraisal and seeking social support scores of the participants. In addition, working in the earthquake zone negatively affects positive reappraisal and positively affects seeking social support as a significant predictor (β = .081, OR = 0.922, p < .05; β = .111, OR = 1.117, p < .05).

Conclusion: A significant positive relationship was observed between compassion fatigue and coping with earthquake stress. At the same time, it was determined that having worked in the regions affected by earthquakes had a strong positive effect on coping strategies with earthquake stress.

Objective: The transition from institutional psychiatric care to community-based mental health services has resulted in the rapid development of assisted living services (AL) for mentally ill. Focus of the current study is to add internationally comparable evidence-based knowledge on the rehabilitation of AL residents by examining progression and mortality in relation to the level of service provided in AL units.

Methods: This study utilized data gathered from a longitudinal study conducted in Finland during the years 2020 to 2022. A total of 340 health- and social care records of residents in AL services were examined over a 3-year study period. Progression (changes in AL service level) and mortality of AL residents were explored through the level of service provided in AL units, by applying the Simple Taxonomy for Supported Accommodation (STAX-SA). Progression was grouped into (1) progressed, (2) stable, and (3) regressed.

Results: During the 3-year study period progression was examined for 95.3% (n = 324) of the AL residents of which 18.8% progressed into less supported AL, 79.3% remained stable and 1.9% regressed into more supported AL. In the entire population (n = 340) mortality was 4.7%.

Conclusion: AL residents progressed into less supported AL services rarely although they had similarities in clinical characteristics. This might indicate that the development of AL services has evolved into a more custodial type rather than rehabilitation. Progress of rehabilitation in AL services should be investigated further by examining AL resident characteristics in relation to the level of service and level of support provided in AL services.

Aims: This study sought to examine how perceived social support changes over time for U.S. veterans and how social support relates to their mental health longitudinally.

Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of 783 low-income U.S. veterans in 2021-2023 were analyzed to examine changes and correlates of four different types of social support (Emotional/Informational Support, Tangible Support, Affectionate Support and Positive Social Interaction) over 1 year. Weighted logistic mixed models were conducted.

Results: The majority of veterans reported no change in their level of perceived social support, but about 18%-26% reported either an increase or decrease (about evenly split about increase/decrease) in their perceived level of one of the four types of social support. High levels of the four types of social support were associated with being married and a lower likelihood of screening positive for depression. Other differential associations were found between sociodemographic characteristics and some types of social support.

Conclusion: These findings confirm the value of assessing perceived social support among veterans with low socioeconomic status who may have mental health issues.

Background: In today's world, the challenges and achievements of LGBTQ+'s throughout their lives are increasingly gaining attention. However, the specific needs of LGBTQ+'s in the aging process and potential challenges they might face during this period are often overlooked.

Aims: This study aims to demonstrate LGBTQ+'s and heterosexual young's perspectives on old age.

Method: This descriptive, cross-sectional comparative study collected data from 230 LGBTQ+ and 201 heterosexual individuals. Data were collected using a digital survey comprising an 8-item Personal Information Form and a 17-item Questionnaire for Opinions Regarding Old Age.

Results: Compared to others, LGBTQ+'s consider old age to be a more problematic period. In this study, it was determined that LGBTQ+'s perceive old age as a bigger problem compared to those in the heterosexual group. It was determined that the possible difficulties that LGBTQ+'s expect to face in old age are mostly related to basic needs such as the need for care and lack of social support. In the heterosexual group, concerns about age-related physical changes such as loss of youth were observed more frequently.

Conclusion: It is recommended that studies to be conducted and services to be offered in this area should be of nature that would ensure safety of LGBTQ+'s, protect their basic humanitarian rights and respond to their needs.

Background: There is theory and evidence supporting a relationship between neighborhood cohesion and mental health among adult people. However, most studies have used a cross-sectional design, and longitudinal studies have provided mixed support for this hypothesis. Moreover, while neighborhood cohesion is assumed to be a consistent predictor of mental health, the possibility of a reciprocal relation has been overlooked.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to investigate the within-person reciprocal associations between neighborhood cohesion and adult mental health.

Methods: This study used data from Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study including waves 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 (n = 81,895). A short version of Buckner's Neighborhood Cohesion Instrument was used, along with two well-established measures of mental health: the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the mental component summary score of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey.

Results: Hierarchical Bayesian continuous time dynamic modeling revealed significant reciprocal within-person cross-effects (i.e. deterministic effects) between neighborhood cohesion and adult mental health, a larger standardized effect of mental health on neighborhood cohesion than than vice versa. Moreover, peak standardized cross-lagged effects were found for a time interval of approximately 1 year. Finally, the combined stochastic and deterministic interpretation revealed effects of neighborhood cohesion on mental health that were opposite to what was expected, suggesting a faster dissipation of some initially correlated change.

Conclusion: Although neighborhood cohesion has traditionally been conceptualized in terms of its contribution to mental health, there is greater support for the view that mental health precedes neighborhood cohesion rather than the reverse.

Background: Associations between employment status and mental health are well-recognised and such associations may have multiple modifying factors which may also contribute to variations in results.

Aims: We aimed to investigate associations between non-employment and CMD subcomponents and the extent of their variation across age groups using nationally representative data in Britain.

Method: We used a series of national mental health surveys of adults living in private households: the British National Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity of 1993, 2000, 2007 and 2014. Employment status was the primary exposure of interest. Presence or absence of each fourteen symptoms of common mental disorder (CMD), as the primary outcome, was ascertained identically in all surveys from the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Odds ratio for the association between exposure and outcome and population attributional fractions (PAFs) for each association was calculated.

Results: Within the highest-risk 45 to 54 years age group, all odds ratios were statistically significant and strongest associations were observed with panic symptoms (OR = 2.33), followed by depressive symptoms (1.90), worry about physical health (1.84), depression (1.82), forgetfulness (1.82) and somatic symptoms (1.70). In the 55 to 64 years age group, highest population attributable fractions were observed for non-employment as a hypothetical risk factor for panic symptoms (51.7%), phobias (44.2%), forgetfulness (39.5%), depressive symptoms (38.5%), worries about physical health (37.9%) and somatic symptoms (36.0%).

Conclusions: The particularly high impact in middle-aged, pre-retirement groups of non-employment on CMD suggests a policy focus on alleviating stressors and providing support for those made redundant and/or compelled to take unwanted early retirement.

Background: Historically, perinatal depression has predominantly focussed on the mother-baby dyad, often neglecting the crucial role of fathers.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms in the immediate puerperium (PDS) in both mothers and fathers, individually and concurrently.

Method: This study employed a cross-sectional design. The presence of PDS was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), with a cut-off score of ⩾11 for mothers and ⩾9 for fathers. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors independently associated with PDS. Robustness of findings was verified through sensitivity analyses among participants without prior psychiatric conditions.

Results: Among 1,502 partnered mothers and fathers aged ⩾18 years who met the inclusion criteria, PDS were present in 13.0% of mothers, 10.5% of fathers and 3.5% of both parents. Mother-baby skin-to-skin contact and the father's pregnancy planning were associated with a lower likelihood of PDS in mothers. For fathers, financial difficulties increased the likelihood of experiencing PDS threefold. The presence of PDS in mothers quadrupled the likelihood of PDS in fathers, and vice versa; their EPDS scores demonstrated a moderate correlation (r_s = .38). Among participants without prior psychiatric conditions, the odds of co-occurring PDS nearly tripled if the mother had a history of abortion or miscarriage. Fathers who had increased potentially addictive behaviours showed a six-fold increase in the likelihood of experiencing PDS.

Conclusions: Identifying depressive symptoms in both parents and incorporating fathers into clinical practice, research and health policy could enhance mental health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Background: For the first time, Nigeria has enacted a new mental health law that regulates the use of coercive measures in mental health care.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the extent to which the Nigerian public accepts the use of coercive measures in the treatment of people with mental health conditions and to understand the impact of stigma and other sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 615 adult respondents from Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. The study instrument included a case-specific vignette, a social distance scale, and a brief sociodemographic form. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted with SPSS v.25 software.

Results: More than half of the study respondents agreed that the vignette character should be forced to go to the hospital if he refuses to go (65%, n = 400), and he should be forced to take medications at the psychiatric hospital (55.1%, n = 339). The least accepted coercive measure was Isolation (28.8%, n = 177). There were significant associations between social distance and the acceptance of involuntary admissions, forced medication, mechanical restraints, and isolation (p < .05). Social distance score was highest among respondents who agreed that the vignette character should be isolated (24.023 ± 5.503; F = 24.672, p < .001).

Conclusions: The study highlights variations in public attitudes toward coercive psychiatric measures, within the Nigerian context compared to other countries. The lower acceptance rates for isolation as a coercive measure underscore the cultural importance of social interaction in Nigeria. The relatively recent implementation of Nigeria's Mental Health Act also suggests a potential gap in public knowledge regarding the criteria for coercive measures. Future research should aim to include diverse populations and consider longitudinal approaches to assess changes in public attitudes as awareness of mental health legislation increases.

Background: The mental health and capacity to govern of democratically-elected politicians have become burgeoning topics of interest. Notably, in fulfilling demanding and high-stress roles, political officeholders could encounter distinctive risk factors, yet existing research literature about these subpopulations remains underexplored.

Aims: This scoping review aimed to systematically examine the breadth of available evidence on mental health issues and risk factors affecting democratically-elected politicians internationally and to identify future research needs.

Methods: Using pre-defined eligibility criteria based on JBI guidelines, a systematic keyword search was conducted in May 2024 of MEDLINE, Scopus, and APA PsycNet, supplemented by snowballing techniques. Only those studies reporting primary, empirical evidence on mental ill-health or risk factors with psychological correlates from serving politicians in "Full" or "Flawed" democracies (per Democracy Index) were included from 1999 to 2024. Titles and abstracts were screened and the full-texts of potentially eligible literature were assessed before extraction and synthesis.

Results: Eighteen sources met the eligibility criteria, cumulatively encompassing ~3,500 national, state, and municipal politicians across seven democracies (Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Cross-sectional surveys were predominantly utilized, with lesser use of mixed-methods approaches, qualitative interviews, and longitudinal cohorts. Violence emerged as a key concept, with twelve sources (66.7%) underlining its psychological toll and certain data indicating a disproportionate impact on female officeholders. Furthermore, four sources (22.2%) explored general psychopathology trends, revealing varying but sizeable mental ill-health and high-risk alcohol consumption rates, and two studies (11.1%) demonstrated adverse effects from specific occupational conditions.

Conclusions: Current literature suggests that democratically-elected politicians can face complex mental health challenges. However, significant research gaps remain, including a paucity of prevalence estimates, longitudinal data, and intervention studies. Equally, the underrepresentation of most democratic countries accentuates the need for a more diverse evidence-base to better support the mental wellbeing of politicians worldwide.

Introduction: Mental health is essential for overall well-being, but it is affected by disorders such as depression and anxiety, which are highly prevalent both globally and regionally. The prevalence of these disorders has risen due to factors such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, lack of adequate investment in mental health care, and the implementation of low-impact strategies.

Objective: To establish the social determinants of health associated with the self-perception of sadness, depression, and/or anxiety in people in Colombia. Materials and methods: Using the DESOSA81 tool, a quantitative, cross-sectional study with a correlational phase was conducted with 2,725 participants from the five regions of the Colombian mainland. Data were collected through a digital survey and analyzed using Jamovi software to perform univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses (logistic regression).

Results: Heterogeneity was found in the predictive determinants between regions. The Amazon presented the regression model with the highest prediction (R2N = 0.650), while Orinoco had the lowest (R2N = 0.503).

Conclusion: Among the social determinants associated with a greater risk of sadness, depression, and anxiety, those found to have a significant influence on emotional self-perception are female gender, stress, support networks, and social cohesion. Stress management and interpersonal relationship programs, comprehensive family care strategies, and community support should be strengthened. Furthermore, public policies should adopt comprehensive approaches that go beyond the biomedical paradigm.