Revista de psiquiatria y salud mental最新文献

University students are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues, with anxiety and depression identified as the most common conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, self-isolation, and difficulties linked to online teaching and learning have increased their burden of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Thus, the urgent need to intervene in favour of these vulnerable subjects, together with the difficulties in delivering in-person interventions because of lockdowns and restrictions, has led to prioritize digital mental health strategies. This study aimed at systematically reviewing the existing literature on digital mental health interventions targeting anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 emergency. Systematic searches of Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo databases identified eight randomized controlled trials. Regarding anxiety symptoms, digitally delivered cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, and mind-body practice techniques emerged as valid strategies, while digital positive psychology and mindfulness-based interventions showed mixed results. On the other hand, digitally delivered dialectical behaviour therapy and positive psychology interventions have shown some efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms. Overall, the available literature, albeit of low quality, seems to support the role of digital interventions in promoting the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health issues in healthcare workers which in turn impacts their quality of life.

Objective

This review aimed to (i) analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of healthcare professionals and (ii) identify the associated factors with quality of life.

Materials and methods

We conducted a systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines previously registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021253075). The searched in Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases included original articles published till May 2021.

Results

We found 19 articles and 14,352 professionals in total, the median age ranged from 29 to 42.5 years and 37% of the studies used the WHOQOL-BREF instrument to assess the outcome. The report was heterogeneous, 7 studies described global scores and 9 by domains. Depression, anxiety and stress were commonly reported factors affecting professional's quality of life and this was significantly lower among professionals working with COVID-19 patients compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion

COVID-19 frontline workers perceived lower quality of life, which was mainly associated with psychological states such as the aforementioned besides to working conditions like not being previously trained in COVID-19 cases. On the other hand, social support, resilience and active coping could improved their quality of life.

Introduction

Emerging evidence suggests that mental health symptoms in COVID-19 survivors are higher than expected, possibly indicating that such symptoms are more likely to develop post-infection than just persist as a residual component of the acute phase. It is thus imperative to investigate the potential development of a post-COVID mental health syndrome in the longer-term and identify its risk factors.

Material and methods

A prospective study investigated mental health symptoms associated with COVID-19 and its determinants over a 12-month period following the disease onset in all consecutive adult inpatients and outpatients with COVID-19 attending a tertiary referral hospital from March to May 2020.

Results

A total of 479 patients (female, 52.6%) were followed-up for 12 months after COVID-19 onset. Of them, 47.2% were still presenting with at least one symptom. While most symptoms subsided as compared to COVID-19 onset (all p < 0.001), a significant increase was observed only for symptoms of psychiatric disorders (10.2%) and lack of concentration and focus (20%; all p < 0.001). Patients presenting with symptoms related to multiple body systems 12 months after contracting COVID-19 (all p ≤ 0.034) were more likely to suffer from mental health domain-related symptoms at follow-up. Also, a higher risk of presenting with lack of concentration and focus 12 months post infection was found in those suffering of psychiatric symptoms at COVID-19 onset (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Findings of this study may have important public health implications, as they underlie the increased need for mental health support in COVID-19 survivors.

Introduction

The COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown may have an impact in mental health among youth, but reports of psychiatry emergency department encounters in young Spanish population are scarce. The aim of this study is to characterize the reasons for psychiatric urgent care of youth during COVID-19 pandemic in our hospital.

Material and methods

This cross-sectional study compare visits to the psychiatry emergency department and their characteristics in young patients in the province of Lleida before and after the pandemic with special attention to the two states of alarm and suicidal behavior. Information regarding sociodemographic status, chief complaints, diagnosis, characteristics of suicidal behavior, and other data were obtained from the electronic medical records.

Results

Within the total psychiatric emergency attendances, youth patients increased a 83.5% in the second state of alarm (p = 0.001). In this period patients were younger (p = 0.006), had less psychiatric history (p = 0.017) and their living conditions changed with an increase of those living with relatives (p = 0.004). Suicidal ideation care increased without statistical significance (p = 0.073). Multiple logistic regression identifies independent risk factors for suicidal behavior being female (OR: 2.88 [1.39–5.98]), living with relatives (OR: 3.49 [1.43–8.54]), and having a diagnosis of depression (OR: 6.34 [3.58–11.24]).

Conclusions

The number of young people seen in psychiatric emergencies during the chronic stage of the pandemic increased, and these were getting younger and without previous psychiatric contact. The trend to higher rates of suicidal ideation indicates that youth experienced elevated distress during these periods, especially women, living with relatives and presenting depression.

Introduction

COVID-19 has spread worldwide since its appearance at the end of 2019. In Spain, 99-day long home confinement was set from March 15th 2020. Previous studies about events requiring situations of isolation suggested that mental health problems may occur among the general population and, more specifically, vulnerable groups such as individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). This study aims to assess the psychological effect of confinement in patients with mental illness admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit.

Method

In this longitudinal study, IDER (State-Trait Depression Inventory) and STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) questionnaires were used at two different times (at the beginning and after the lockdown) of the pandemic to evaluate the depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively, in a population of patients who had been previously admitted to the Psychiatry Unit of the Basurto University Hospital.

Results

95 participants completed the IDER questionnaire in the first measurement, with a mean score of 24.56 (SD = 8.18) for state and 23.57 (SD = 8.14) for trait. In the case of STAI, the mean score was 27.86 (SD = 15.19) for the state and 30.49 (SD = 14.71) for the trait. No differences between the first and the second time were found in anxiety and depression levels. People with personality disorders presented high levels of anxiety.

Conclusions

Individuals with a personality disorder showed the highest scores in anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, strict confinement did not affect this population, despite the literature that evidences that the pandemic has worsened people's mental health with SMI.