Discover mental health最新文献

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Dari-translated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) in university students in Herat, Afghanistan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2022 with 1000 undergraduate students at Herat University. Participants completed a self-reported Dari-translated DASS-42 questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to assess the scale's factor structure, and internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The test-retest reliability was also examined over a 2-3 week interval.

Results: The CFA results indicated a good fit for the three-factor model, with RMSEA = 0.04 and CFI = 0.919, confirming the construct validity of the scale. Internal consistency was high, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.867, 0.831, and 0.848 for depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficients for depression, anxiety, and stress were 0.956, 0.923, and 0.951, respectively. Additionally, DASS-42 showed significant correlations with other established mental health measures, indicating good convergent validity.

Conclusion: The DASS-42 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing depression, anxiety, and stress among university students in Herat, Brazil. This comprehensive validation addresses previous limitations and supports the use of the scale in both clinical and non-clinical settings for early detection and intervention. Future research should explore the scale's applicability in more diverse Afghan populations and incorporate longitudinal designs to validate its predictive validity further.

Background: Onychophagia, or chronic nail biting, is a common body-focused repetitive behaviour often associated with psychological stress, anxiety, and perfectionism. Medical students may be at increased risk due to sustained mental and emotional pressures.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of onychophagia, identify associated risk factors, and examine the relationship between perceived stress levels and the frequency or severity of nail biting among medical students at Tanta University in Egypt.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 undergraduate students using a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising sociodemographic data, onychophagia-related items, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).

Results: 57.3% of the students were actively practicing onychophagia, and it was reported more often among males (63.5%) than females (36.5%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.134). Among participants with onychophagia (n = 189), 18 (9.5%) were smokers, 63 (33.3%) reported a positive family history, and 30 (15.9%) reported fear of public spaces. These factors were significantly associated with nail-biting behaviour (p < 0.01 for all). No significant difference in Perceived Stress Scale scores was observed between students with and without onychophagia, and stress severity was not associated with the frequency or duration of nail-biting episodes.

Conclusion: Onychophagia was common among medical students and was significantly associated with smoking, positive family history, and fear of public spaces. Behavioural interventions are recommended among university students.

Phthalates, ubiquitous environmental contaminants, are widely used in daily life. Although their adverse health effects across developmental stages have been well-documented, their impact on elderly populations remains unexplored. This study investigated the association between phthalate exposure and mental health issues (depression, anxiety, and stress). A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 688 individuals aged ≥ 60 years in Thailand. Phthalate exposure was assessed using five urinary phthalate metabolites: mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), monoisobutyl phthalate, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), monoethyl phthalate, and monomethyl phthalate. Mental health status was evaluated using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), a self-administered questionnaire that assesses depression, anxiety, and stress, along with demographic data. Binary logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders was used to analyze associations with mental health risks. The detection rates for the phthalate metabolites ranged between 31.83 and 96.08%, with MEHP being most frequently detected. Depression emerged as the most prevalent mental health condition. Among healthy participants, those in the highest tertile of urinary MEHP and MnBP levels exhibited significantly increased odds of anxiety, with adjusted odds ratios 3.13 (95% CI 1.37-7.12) and 2.28 (95% CI 1.03-5.06), respectively. Both metabolites exhibited a dose-response relationship (p-for-trend = 0.002 and 0.034, respectively). The number needed to harm was 5.66 for MEHP and 8.09 for MnBP. Associations were not observed in individuals with underlying chronic diseases. Furthermore, no association with depression or stress was observed. In conclusion, exposure to both high- and low-molecular-weight phthalates was associated with an increased risk of anxiety among healthy older adults. However, causal inferences were not confirmed owing to the study design. Longitudinal research is warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms and inform mental health surveillance for older individuals.

Background: Adolescent mental health is a global concern, with the prevalence of psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and academic stress increasing significantly over the past decade. Schools, as the primary environment for adolescents, have strategic potential to serve as platforms for systematic, inclusive, and integrated interventions. Although numerous intervention programs have been implemented, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews that comprehensively map their forms, and implementation challenges.

Objective: To map the form of school-based psychological intervention aimed at improving the mental health of adolescents at the secondary education level.

Method: This study design followed a scoping review approach based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework. A literature search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL databases for studies published between 2005 and 2025. Inclusion criteria were established based on the Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework, and article selection was reported using a PRISMA Flow Diagram. Data extraction and thematic analysis were conducted independently by two authors with experience in the field of mental health.

Results: Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria. Interventions were predominantly structured and delivered in school settings by trained teachers, counselors, psychologists, peer coaches, or trained non specialist personnel across multiple sessions integrated into school timetables. Approaches covered cognitive behavioral components, mindfulness and yoga, hope enhancement and life coaching, and resilience training. Outcomes most commonly addressed internalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and academic stress, while a subset also assessed positive psychological constructs including well-being, hope, resilience, and social support. Implementation features such as school readiness, facilitator training and supervision, curricular fit, and scheduling feasibility were frequently noted in relation to variability in reported outcomes. Target populations ranged from universal cohorts to indicated groups with elevated symptoms, underscoring the importance of contextual adaptation.

Conclusion: School-based psychological interventions can be an effective strategy for improving adolescent mental health if they are evidence-based, contextually tailored, and supported by sustainable policies. Future research should expand geographic coverage, develop longitudinal designs, and explore scalable digital interventions.

Discrimination against Persons with disabilities (PWDs), a pervasive issue that predates COVID-19, was reportedly magnified and manifested in both overt and subtle ways during the pandemic with implications for the mental health (MH) of PWDs. Nonetheless, far less work has focused on how experiences of discrimination affected the MH of PWDs during the pandemic in Canada. By utilizing data from the 2022 Canadian General Social Survey (N = 13,347), a subset of PWDs, for cross-sectional analyses of the impact of discrimination on mental health (MH) of PWDs, the results indicate that individuals who experienced discrimination based on their physical/mental disability status, physical appearance, and sex, all significantly reported lower odds of High Self-rated Mental Health (HSRMH) relative to those who did not experience these forms of discrimination. Those with multiple disability counts further reported lower odds of HSRMH relative those with only one disability count. On the contrary, having strong social connections, correlated more with HSRMH. Moreover, age, marital status, educational attainment, immigration status, and province of residence significantly predicted the MH of PWDSs in the study context. Thus, disability-related discrimination adversely affects the MH of PWDs in Canada, particularly, those with multiple disabilities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of work-life balance of municipal employees, to examine some variables that are thought to be related to it, and to evaluate their mental state. This study is the first known study to assess the work-life balance and mental health of municipal employees.

Material and method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 1,104 municipal employees between May and June 2023. The Work-Life Balance Scale (WLBS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used in the study. Data were analyzed using the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. The higher the score on the WLBS, the more negative the balance between work and life.

Results: The mean WLBS score of the employees was 42.65 ± 9.63. In our study, the prevalence of suspected depression was 38.8%, of suspected anxiety 38.1% and of suspected stress disorders 22.6%. Work-life balance was found to be worse among those with an educational level of secondary school or higher, those with a working spouse, those who did not receive social support from their environment, those who could not spend time on social activities outside work, and those with suspected anxiety and stress disorders.

Conclusion: It can be said that work-life balance among municipal employees is at a moderate level. Educational status, social support, time spent outside work, and the presence of suspected anxiety and stress disorder according to DASS-21 were found to be important predictors of work-life balance. More comprehensive studies are needed to uncover the relationship between work-life balance and mental status.

This paper presents an embodied framework of Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS) grounded in the lived experience of a Black African immigrant woman navigating structural racism, microaggressions, and cultural displacement in Canadian academic and professional spaces. Drawing on African feminist epistemologies, polyvagal theory, and African-centered decolonial thought, it conceptualizes RBTS as a culturally situated, embodied response to chronic racial harm. Through narrative reflection and Shona proverbs, the paper explores the emotional and physiological toll of racism while illuminating the protective role of cultural identity, ancestral wisdom, and community. The framework traces recursive phases of RBTS, beginning with migration hope and internalization, followed by overperformance, leadership challenges, inclusive exclusion, emotional labour, and psychological overload, and culminating in a reawakening through Black joy. This concept is introduced not as a fleeting emotion but as a radical, intentional, and culturally grounded practice of healing and resistance. It affirms Africentric knowledge, relational care, and collective affirmation as vital tools for reclaiming wellness. This contribution deepens global understandings of oppression-based trauma by centering embodied knowledge and advocating for culturally affirming mental health supports, community-led healing spaces, and systemic transformation.