Discover mental health最新文献

Background: Depression is a common mental illness that negatively affects quality of life and is often comorbid with chronic medical conditions. Limited evidence exists on its burden among patients with eye diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression in patients with eye diseases and explore contributing factors, highlighting the link between depression and ocular conditions.

Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 24 to April 24, 2023, at the Tertiary Eye Clinic of the University of Gondar Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital. A systematic random sample of 561 participants was recruited, and 557 completed the survey (99.3% response rate). Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Result: The prevalence of depression was 44.3% (95% CI: 40.3-48.5%). Factors significantly associated with depression included being widowed, poor social support, severe visual impairment, treatment duration > 4 years, diabetes mellitus, and current alcohol use.

Conclusion: Depression was highly prevalent among patients with eye diseases in this setting. Routine screening and psychosocial support should be integrated into ophthalmic care to improve patient outcomes.

Introduction: Mobile mental health apps provide a potential solution by offering tailored access to resources for mental health education, self-assessment, and self-care. However, mental health apps designed for the Ethiopian setting are scarce; therefore, this study assesses the usability and user experience of a locally adapted app addressing depression and anxiety.

Objective: To determine the usability of a newly developed 'Mental Health Solution App' among individuals with depression and anxiety in Ethiopia.

Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design was used to evaluate the usability and user experience of a culturally adapted version of the 'Mental Health Solution App' in Ethiopia. The study was conducted at Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital, and Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital from January 10 to February 20, 2025. The quantitative strand involved a cross-sectional survey using the Amharic version of the Mobile App Usability Questionnaire (MAUQ) (n = 370). The qualitative strand comprised in-depth interviews (n = 20) analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke's six-step framework. This design enabled triangulation of usability metrics with user narratives, offering a comprehensive understanding of app functionality, engagement, and contextual relevance.

Results: The survey involved 370 participants. Of these, 158 suffered from major depressive disorders, while 212 suffered from anxiety disorders. Usability testing of the Amharic 'Mental Health Solution App' showed high satisfaction, a mean score above 6.18 on a 7-point scale across ease of use (6.18 to 6.43), interface satisfaction (6.38-6.60), and usefulness (6.31-6.71). Four themes were identified (user experience, feature liking, benefit, and suggestions).

Conclusion: The Mental Health Solution App's usability in terms of ease of use, interface satisfaction, and usefulness was deemed very good. Mood tracking and crisis support were the app's most preferred features. However, it can be challenging to navigate emergency first aid during moments of distress. The findings indicate that a customized app designed for Ethiopian culture and language could help individuals suffering from depression and anxiety within an educated, urban cohort receiving mental health care in Ethiopia.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable (it is an app usability test).

Background: Adolescents and young adults in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), face multiple barriers to accessing quality mental health care, shaped by cultural expectations, systemic gaps, and widespread stigma. In Nigeria, little is known about how these factors intersect within psychiatric inpatient settings. This study explored the lived experiences of adolescents and young adults receiving inpatient psychiatric care to inform more culturally responsive, family-engaged, and psychologically supportive models of care.

Methods: Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 28 participants aged 13 to 28 years, all receiving care at a public psychiatric hospital in South-Eastern Nigeria. Participants were purposively sampled and represented a range of diagnostic categories. The hospital, serving a diverse catchment area, reflects a hybrid system of biomedical and traditional models of care. Interviews were conducted over nine months and analysed through iterative, reflexive engagement, supported by member checking to enhance credibility and contextual grounding.

Results: Participants described a range of emotionally charged experiences, with stigma emerging as a major theme. Several reported social withdrawal, strained family dynamics, and shifts in how they were perceived by others. Relationships with peers in hospital varied, offering both connection and tension. Personal coping strategies, such as prayer, art, music, and peer dialogue were commonly described. Despite these efforts, many expressed a desire for consistent psychological support and greater engagement from staff. Hospital environments were viewed as both protective and limiting, with concerns raised about overcrowding, lack of privacy, and emotional neglect.

Conclusion: While the findings cannot be generalised, they offer important insights into the mental health journeys of young people within a Nigerian inpatient setting. Participants called for greater emotional and relational support, staff communication, and culturally sensitive care. These perspectives highlight areas for further research and service improvement in youth mental health provision across similar contexts.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Its etiology involves a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors. The oxytocin (OT) system, central to social behavior and emotional regulation, has emerged as a key area of interest in ASD research. This review synthesizes current evidence, highlighting that dysregulation of OT and its receptor (OTR) signaling, often characterized by lower baseline OT levels and altered OTR expression due to genetic and epigenetic factors, contributes to the social and behavioral deficits observed in ASD. While aberrant OT/OTR signaling presents a potential target for therapeutic intervention, the narrative has evolved beyond simple peptide replacement. Critical analysis reveals that intranasal OT administration, as a standalone treatment, yields inconsistent results due to its non-specific delivery and inability to address core circuit-level dysfunctions established during neurodevelopment. Promising future avenues include the development of selective OTR agonists, epigenetic modulation to correct OTR expression, and the use of OT as a targeted adjunct to enhance behavioral therapy efficacy. This paper provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the integrative mechanisms linking OT/OTR signaling to ASD, evaluates the therapeutic potential of correcting this pathway, and emphasizes the necessity for personalized, biomarker-driven approaches to improve social cognition and neural connectivity in individuals with ASD.

Background: Diabetes distress, the emotional burden and stress related to managing type 2 diabetes mellitus, has been linked to poor self-management and adverse health outcomes. In Palestine, particularly in the North of West Bank, adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus face unique social and economic challenges that may exacerbate diabetes distress, impacting their ability to maintain effective diabetes management. Addressing diabetes distress is crucial for improving health outcomes and quality of life in this population, yet research on its prevalence and associated factors in the North of West Bank is limited. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of diabetes distress and identify its associated demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the North of West Bank, Palestine.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 404 adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus in various healthcare centers across the North of West Bank. Participants completed the Diabetes Distress Scale-17 and a sociodemographic questionnaire, and additional clinical data such as HbA1c levels. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to identify associations between diabetes distress and demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors, with a focus on assessing the impact of these variables on distress levels.

Results: Of the 423 eligible individuals approached, 404 participants were included in the final analysis (response rate: 95.5%). The median age was 55 years (IQR: 49-63), with a nearly equal gender distribution. Poor glycemic control (HbA1c > 6.4%) was observed in 76.0% of participants, and 74.3% reported one or more comorbidities. High and moderate levels of diabetic distress were reported by 29.0% and 25.2% of participants, respectively, with emotional and regimen-related distress being the most prevalent domains. Significant factors associated with higher distress included comorbidities, smoking, urban residence, unemployment, living with family, and residence in Nablus. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that absence of comorbidities, younger age, living alone, and non-urban residence were protective factors against high distress (p < .05). The model explained 20.1% of the variance in distress levels (Nagelkerke R² = 0.201).

Conclusion: Diabetes distress is common among adults with type 2 diabetes and is significantly influenced by clinical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Routine screening and targeted psychosocial interventions are essential, especially for high-risk groups, to improve both psychological well-being and diabetes outcomes.

Background: Adolescent substance use is a rising public health concern in Ghana, with limited evidence on youth perspectives regarding service availability and access.

Objectives: This study explores the adolescents' perspectives on the barriers to accessing substance use services in Northern Ghana.

Design: A qualitative exploratory design was employed.

Setting: This study was conducted in public senior high school in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana.

Participants: Fifteen students aged 12 to 19 years were purposively selected with diversity in age, sex, religion, and residency status.

Data collection: Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke's framework. Trustworthiness was ensured through member checking, peer debriefing, and audit trails.

Results: The study identified several barriers grouped under four themes as follows: stigma, fear and confidentiality concerns, accessibility and affordability challenges, service relevance and adolescent-focused, and peer factors.

Conclusion: This study found that adolescents in Northern Ghana face significant barriers to substance abuse service use, shaped by four key themes: stigma and confidentiality concerns, accessibility and affordability challenges, lack of adolescent-friendly services, and peer influence. These barriers, rooted in systemic, structural, and sociocultural contexts, foster mistrust, limit access, and discourage help-seeking. Addressing them requires adolescent-responsive interventions that prioritize confidentiality, affordability, accessibility, and supportive care aligned with young people's lived experiences.

Addressing the mental wellbeing of higher education students is urgent, given rising distress rates and significant help-seeking gaps. Students face various life challenges ranging from academic pressure and career concerns to global issues like climate change, all of which may negatively impact their mental wellbeing. While appropriate self-care can mitigate these challenges, understanding the strategies students use independently is key to developing accessible support. This article analyses contemporary triggers for mental distress and the corresponding self-care strategies adopted by students, based on data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. We then discuss how these findings can inform the design of future digital mental wellbeing solutions. We conducted an online study with 810 participants, utilizing computational methods to analyse open-ended data. We present insights into prevalent challenges and self-care strategies, deriving direct implications for design. Finally, we discuss how technology designers can contribute to effective mental wellbeing solutions based on our findings.

Aim(s): This study aimed to explore the prevalence of mental health symptoms in current and former elite kickboxers and to establish whether these mental health symptoms were associated with severe musculoskeletal injuries and/or concussions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by utilizing an electronic questionnaire among current and former elite kickboxers from the highest and second highest international level. Validated screening questionnaires from the International Olympic Committee Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 (SMHAT-1) were used to asses mental health symptoms.

Results: The most prevalent mental health symptoms among current elite kickboxers (N = 45) were psychological distress (57%) and disordered eating (63%). Among former elite kickboxers (N = 29), the most prevalent mental health symptoms were 36% for psychological distress and 43% for alcohol misuse. Additionally, no statistically significant associations were found between mental health symptoms and severe musculoskeletal injuries and/or concussions among current and former elite kickboxers.

Conclusions: The substantial prevalence rates of mental health symptoms among current and former elite kickboxers emphasize the need for increased attention in this area. No associations were found between the potential contributing factors and mental health symptoms among current and former elite kickboxers. While further research is needed, raising awareness as well as developing preventive and supportive measures to assist elite kickboxers with personal and career development should be prioritized, both inside and outside the ring.