Category: Mental Health Research

What is the Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in the COVID-19 Epidemic in China?

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Research Paper Title

Prevalence of psychological disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic in China: A real world cross-sectional study.

Background

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of psychological disorders and associated factors at different stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in China.

Methods

The mental health status of respondents was assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scale.

Results

5,657 individuals participated in this study. History of chronic disease was a common risk factor for severe present depression (OR 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.82-2.66, p < 0.001), anxiety (OR 2.41, 95% CI, 1.97-2.95, p < 0.001), and insomnia (OR 2.33, 95% CI, 1.83-2.95, p < 0.001) in the survey population. Female respondents had a higher risk of depression (OR 1.61, 95% CI, 1.39-1.87, p < 0.001) and anxiety (OR 1.35, 95% CI, 1.15-1.57, p < 0.001) than males. Among the medical workers, confirmed or suspected positive COVID-19 infection as associated with higher scores for depression (confirmed, OR 1.87; suspected, OR 4.13), anxiety (confirmed, OR 3.05; suspected, OR 3.07), and insomnia (confirmed, OR 3.46; suspected, OR 4.71).

Limitations

The cross-sectional design of present study presents inference about causality. The present psychological assessment was based on an online survey and on self-report tools, albeit using established instruments. The researchers cannot estimate the participation rate, since they cannot know how many potential subjects received and opened the link for the survey.

Conclusions

Females, non-medical workers and those with a history of chronic diseases have had higher risks for depression, insomnia, and anxiety. Positive COVID-19 infection status was associated with higher risk of depression, insomnia, and anxiety in medical workers.

Reference

Wang, M., Zhao, Q., Hu, C., Wang, Y., Cao, J., Huang, S., Li, J., Huang, Y., Liang, Q., Guo, Z., Wang, L., Ma, L., Zhang, S., Wang, H., Ahu, C., Luo, W., Guo, C., Chen, C., Chen, Y., Xu, K., Yang, H., Ye, L., Wang, Q., Zhan, P., Li, G., Yang, M.J., Fang, Y., Zhu, S. & Yang, Y. (2020) Prevalence of psychological disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic in China: A real world cross-sectional study. Journal of Affective Disorders. 281, pp.312-320. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.118. Online ahead of print.

Can a COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Improve Psychological Distress?

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

Downloading a government-issued COVID-19 contact tracing app may improve psychological distress in the outbreak among employed adults: a prospective study.

Background

Downloading of a COVID-19 contact tracing app may be effective in reducing anxiety about COVID-19 and psychological distress of users.

Therefore, the objective of this 2.5-month prospective study aimed to investigate the association of downloading of a COVID-19 contact tracing app, the COVID-19 Contact Confirming Application (COCOA), released by the Japanese government with fear and worry about COVID-19 and psychological distress in a sample of employed adults of Japan.

Methods

A total of 996 full-time employed respondents to an online survey on 22 to 26 May 2020 (baseline) were invited to participate in a follow-up survey on 07 to 12 August 2020 (follow-up). High level of worrying about COVID-19 and high psychological distress were defined by scores on a single-item scale and the K6 scale, respectively, both at baseline and follow-up. The app was released between the two surveys on 17 June. Participants were asked at follow-up if they downloaded the app.

Results

A total of 902 (90.6%) out of 996 baseline participants responded to the follow-up survey. Among them, 184 (20.4%) reported that they downloaded the app. Downloading of the contact tracing app was significantly negatively associated with psychological distress, but not with fear and worry about COVID-19, at follow-up after controlling for baseline variables.

Conclusions

The study provided first evidence that a COVID-19 contact tracing app may be beneficial for the mental health of employed adults using a government-issued tracing app under the COVID-19 outbreak.

Reference

Kawakami, N., Sasaki, N., Kuroda, R., Tsuno, K. & Imamura, K. (2020) Downloading a government-issued COVID-19 contact tracing app may improve psychological distress in the outbreak among employed adults: a prospective study. JMIR Mental Health. doi: 10.2196/23699. Online ahead of print.

Emotional Information Processing & Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Social Anxiety Disorder

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Research Paper Title

Emotional Information Processing and Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study.

Background

The aim of the study was to determine deficits in cognitive areas, including social cognition such as emotion recognition capacity, theory of mind, and electrophysiological alterations in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and to identify their effects on clinical severity of SAD.

Methods

Enrolled in the study were 26 patients diagnosed with SAD and 26 healthy volunteers. They were administered the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Reading Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. EEG monitoring was performed for electrophsiologic investigation.

Results

In the patient group, total reading the mind scores were lower (P = .027) while P300 latencies and emotion recognition latency during the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT) were longer (P = .038 and P = .012, respectively). The false alarm scores in the Rapid Visual Information Processing Task (RVP) were higher in the patient group (P = .038).

In a model created using multivariate linear regression analysis, an effect of ERT and RVP scores on LSAS scores was found.

Conclusions

The researches suggest the results of the study confirm that particularly impairment of cognitive functions such as sustained attention and emotion recognition may seriously affect the clinical presentation negatively. P300 latency in the parietal region may has the potential to be a biological marker that can be used in monitoring treatment.

Reference

Tetik, D., Gica, S., Bestepe, E.E., Buyukavsar, A. & Gulec, H. (2020) Emotional Information Processing and Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study. Emotional Information Processing and Assessment of Cognitive Functions in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. doi: 10.1177/1550059420981506. Online ahead of print.

Online & Offline Sexual Harassment and Anxiety & Depressive Symptoms

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Research Paper Title

Online and offline sexual harassment associations of anxiety and depression in an adolescent sample.

Background

The aims of this study were to study the prevalence of sexual harassment online and offline, to analyse the associations between subjection to sexual harassment and adolescents’ mental health and analyse if there are any significant differences between girls and boys. The researchers also examine if good peer-relationships interact with the associations between sexual harassment and mental health complaints.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 594 adolescents, age 12-20. Participants responded to a web survey including the self-assessment scales Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale and Beck Youth Inventories as well as subjection to online and offline sexual harassment and peer-relational quality. Linear regression analysis was used to study whether symptoms of anxiety and depression correlated to subjection to online and offline sexual harassment and peer-relational quality.

Results

The researchers found that 48.50% of girls and 28.19% of boys reported sexual harassment victimisation. Offline was the most frequently reported site of victimisation. Online harassment correlated significantly with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms in girls but not boys. Offline harassment as well as online and offline harassment correlated significantly with increasing symptoms for both genders. Participants who reported good peer-relationships had significantly less symptoms.

Conclusions

This study shows that sexual harassment remains a common plague for adolescents, especially for girls. Offline sexual harassment is the most common form of harassment for both genders. For girls, but not for boys, online sexual harassment correlated significantly with anxiety and depressive symptoms. A strong negative correlation between satisfaction to peer-relationships and mental health symptoms was found.

Reference

Stahl, S. & Dennhag, I. (2020) Online and offline sexual harassment associations of anxiety and depression in an adolescent sample. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1080/08039488.2020.1856924. Online ahead of print.

Should We Integrate Mental Health Support for those Diagnosed with Hearing Loss?

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Research Paper Title

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Adolescents With Hearing Loss.

Background

To develop and implement a universal screening protocol for depression and anxiety in adolescents serviced in an otology and audiology practice and to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in adolescents with hearing loss, while also comparing rates by degree of hearing loss and type of hearing device used.

Methods

A cross-sectional study set in a university tertiary medical centre. One hundred four adolescents 12- to 18-years-old who attended an otology clinic in a large metropolitan hospital in the southeastern United States.

Main outcome measure(s): Depression (PHQ-8), anxiety (GAD-7), degree of hearing loss, type of hearing loss, and type of hearing device utilised.

Results

Twenty-five percent of adolescents scored above the clinical cutoff on at least one of the depression and/or anxiety measures, with 10% scoring in the elevated range on both measures. Specifically, 17% scored above the cutoff on the PHQ-8 and 16% scored in the clinically significant range for the GAD-7. An additional 30 and 21% scored in the at-risk range for depression and anxiety, respectively. Older adolescents were more likely to score within the elevated range for depression (r = 0.232, p = 0.026). Also, adolescents with severe to profound hearing loss had higher rates of depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

Integration of mental health screening is needed in otology and audiology practices both to identify those who require psychological support and to provide appropriate treatment to reduce long-term impact of hearing loss on quality of life and mental health functioning in adolescents.

Reference

Cejas, I., Coto, J., Snachez, C., Holcomb, M. & Lorenzo, N.E. (2020) Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Adolescents With Hearing Loss. Otology and Neurotology. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003006. Online ahead of print.

What is the Impact of Military Service Exposures & Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans?

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Research Paper Title

The Impact of Military Service Exposures and Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans.

Background

The researchers examine the impact of exposure to the dead, dying, and wounded (DDW) during military service on the later-life depressive symptom trajectories of male United States veterans, using psychological resilience as an internal resource that potentially moderates negative consequences.

Methods

The Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014) and linked Veteran Mail Survey were used to estimate latent growth curve models of depressive symptom trajectories, beginning at respondents’ first report of resilience.

Results

Veterans with higher levels of resilience do not have increased depressive symptoms in later life, despite previous exposure to DDW. Those with lower levels of resilience and previous exposure to DDW experience poorer mental health in later life.

Conclusions

Psychological resilience is important for later-life mental health, particularly for veterans who endured potentially traumatic experiences. The researches discuss the importance acknowledging the role individual resources play in shaping adaptation to adverse life events and implications for mental health service needs.

Reference

Urena, S., Taylor, M.G. & Carr, D.C. (2020) The Impact of Military Service Exposures and Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans. Journal of Aging and Health. doi: 10.1177/0898264320975231. Online ahead of print.

Schizophrenia: Clozapine Treatment & Haematological Changes

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Research Paper Title

Clozapine Response in Schizophrenia and Hematological Changes.

Background

Clozapine is the only effective medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. The present study explored whether its effectiveness is related to changes in haematological measures after clozapine initiation.

Methods

Patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia commenced on clozapine between January 2007 and December 2014 by the United Kingdom’s largest mental health trust were identified from electronic patient records. Haematological data from these patients were obtained from a monitoring registry. White blood cell, neutrophil, and platelet count were assessed at baseline and during the early phase of clozapine treatment. Clozapine response at 3 months was defined as “much,” or “very much” improved on the seven-point Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) subscale.

Results

In the total sample (n = 188), clozapine initiation was associated with a significant transient increase (peaking in weeks 3 to 4) in white blood cell, neutrophil, and platelet count (P < 0.001). There were 112 (59.6%) patients that responded to treatment; however, none of the haematological factors assessed at baseline, nor changes in these factors, were directly associated with treatment response.

Conclusions

Clozapine treatment is associated with transient haematological changes during the first month of treatment; however, there was no evidence that these were related to the therapeutic response.

Reference

Blackman, G., Lisshammer, J.E.L., Zafar, R., Pollak, T.A., Prutchard, M., Cullen, A.E., Rogers, J., Carter, B., Griffiths, K., Nour, M., David, A.S., McGuire, P., Stewart, R. & MacCabe, J. (2020) Clozapine Response in Schizophrenia and Hematological Changes. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 41(1):19-24. doi: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001329.

Is Psychological Resilience Important for Later-Life Mental Health?

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Research Paper Title

The Impact of Military Service Exposures and Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans.

Background

The researchers examine the impact of exposure to the dead, dying, and wounded (DDW) during military service on the later-life depressive symptom trajectories of male United States veterans, using psychological resilience as an internal resource that potentially moderates negative consequences.

Methods

The Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014) and linked Veteran Mail Survey were used to estimate latent growth curve models of depressive symptom trajectories, beginning at respondents’ first report of resilience.

Results

Veterans with higher levels of resilience do not have increased depressive symptoms in later life, despite previous exposure to DDW. Those with lower levels of resilience and previous exposure to DDW experience poorer mental health in later life.

Conclusions

Psychological resilience is important for later-life mental health, particularly for veterans who endured potentially traumatic experiences. The researchers discuss the importance acknowledging the role individual resources play in shaping adaptation to adverse life events and implications for mental health service needs.

Reference

Urena, S. Taylor, M.G. & Carr, D.C. (2020) The Impact of Military Service Exposures and Psychological Resilience on the Mental Health Trajectories of Older Male Veterans. Journal of Aging and Health. doi: 10.1177/0898264320975231. Online ahead of print.

Are Social Network Connections Essential for Individuals’ Mental Health & Social Development?

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Research Paper Title

Social Network Mediation Analysis: A Latent Space Approach.

Background

A social network comprises both actors and the social connections among them. Such connections reflect the dependence among social actors, which is essential for individuals’ mental health and social development.

In this article, the researchers propose a mediation model with a social network as a mediator to investigate the potential mediation role of a social network.

In the model, the dependence among actors is accounted for by a few mutually orthogonal latent dimensions which form a social space. The individuals’ positions in such a latent social space are directly involved in the mediation process between an independent and dependent variable.

After showing that all the latent dimensions are equivalent in terms of their relationship to the social network and the meaning of each dimension is arbitrary, the researchers propose to measure the whole mediation effect of a network.

Although individuals’ positions in the latent space are not unique, they rigorously articulate that the proposed network mediation effect is still well defined. They use a Bayesian estimation method to estimate the model and evaluate its performance through an extensive simulation study under representative conditions.

The usefulness of the network mediation model is demonstrated through an application to a college friendship network.

Reference

Liu, H., Jin, I.H., Zhang, Z. & Yuan, Y. (2020) Social Network Mediation Analysis: A Latent Space Approach. Psychomtrika. doi: 10.1007/s11336-020-09736-z. Online ahead of print.

Mental Health Providers & Burnout

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

Predictors and Consequences of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Provider Burnout: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background

In the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), mental health providers (MHPs) report the second highest level of burnout after primary care physicians. Burnout is defined as increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation and decreased sense of personal accomplishment at work.

Therefore the aim of this study is to characterise variation in MHP burnout by VHA facility over time, identifying workplace characteristics and practices of high-performing facilities.

Methods

Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the researchers will evaluate factors that influence MHP burnout and their effects on patient outcomes. They will:

  • Compile annual survey data on workplace conditions and annual staffing as well as productivity data to assess same and subsequent year provider and patient outcomes reflecting provider and patient experiences.
  • Conduct interviews with mental health leadership at the facility level and with frontline MHPs sampled based on our quantitative findings.
  • Present their findings to an expert panel of operational partners, Veterans Affairs clinicians, administrators, policy leaders, and experts in burnout.
  • Reengage with facilities that participated in the earlier qualitative interviews and will hold focus groups that share results based on our quantitative and qualitative work combined with input from our expert panel.
  • Broadly disseminate these findings to support the development of actionable policies and approaches to addressing MHP burnout.

Results

This study will assist in developing and testing interventions to improve MHP burnout and employee engagement. Their work will contribute to improvements within VHA and will generate insights for health care delivery, informing efforts to address burnout.

Conclusions

This is the first comprehensive, longitudinal, national, mixed methods study that incorporates different types of MHPs. It will engage MHP leadership and frontline providers in understanding facilitators and barriers to effectively address burnout.

Reference

Zivin, K., Kononowech, J., Boden, M., Abraham, K., Harrod, M., Sripada, R.K., Kales, H.C., Garcia, H.A. & Pfeiffer, P. (2020) Predictors and Consequences of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Provider Burnout: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Research Protocols. 9(12), pp.e18345. doi: 10.2196/18345.