Examining social context and the pathways to mental wellness in young adults during social movement: A parallel mediation analysis

Exploring the impact of social protest on mental health: A study of the 2019 "Social Uprising" in Chile

Socio-political conflicts, especially if accompanied by violent events, can affect the mental health of the population. This study aimed to estimate the causal effect of social protest-related violence on depressive symptoms during the 2019 social uprising in Chile. We collected population-representative data from a nationwide longitudinal survey (n = 2918), the fourth wave of which took place during the months of the social uprising in Chile (November 2019 and March 2020). Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, while violence related to social protest was measured as the perception of destruction at the neighbourhood level. To assess the casual relationship between destruction perception and depressive symptoms, we utilized an instrumental variable regression model. Our analysis controlled for relevant sociodemographic factors, participation in social protest, and history of mental health treatment. Results showed that perceived neighbourhood destruction during the 2019 social uprising significantly increased PHQ-9 score by 3.702 points, prevalence of moderate to severe depressive symptoms by 18.7%, and likelihood of having a Subthreshold or Major Depressive Episode by 15.2% (p < 0.01). The impact of perceived destruction on depressive symptoms varies by gender, with a significant effect found in men (an increase in depression indicators of 5.769 points, 26.8% and 23.0%, respectively, p < 0.05) but not in women. Stratified regression models by age demonstrate a positive association between the perception of neighbourhood destruction and depressive symptoms across all age groups, with a stronger effect observed among young adults. We found a casual effect of violence related to social protest on depressive symptoms. These findings have implications for the planning of social policies aimed at protecting the mental well-being of the population in times of increasing socio-political turmoil.

Empatía, redes sociales e indicadores de salud mental durante las crisis sociales en Colombia

Múltiples estudios sugieren que las crisis sociales exacerban los problemas de salud mental en la población. Sin embargo, el funcionamiento empático y la disponibilidad de información en redes sociales puede mediar su impacto. Colombia atravesó recientemente dos crisis sociales: la pandemia por COVID-19 y la huelga nacional del 2021. Se analizó la relación entre empatía, uso de redes sociales y salud mental durante estas crisis. 314 participantes respondieron en línea los cuestionarios Índice de Reactividad Interpersonal, Tiempo de uso de redes sociales, Escala de Estrés Traumático Secundario, Escala para el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada GAD-7 y el Índice de Bienestar WHO-5. Los resultados indicaron mayor uso de redes durante las crisis; mayor reporte de ansiedad y de estrés traumático entre más tiempo de uso de redes; peores indicadores generales de bienestar y de salud mental entre mayor uso de redes; relación negativa entre salud mental y medidas de empatía y peores indicadores de salud mental en personas con un menor nivel educativo que más usaron redes y con índices altos de malestar personal y fantasía empática. En conclusión, las habilidades empáticas influyeron sobre la relación entre el uso de redes sociales y salud mental durante las dos crisis sociales.

The relation of unrest-related distress with probable depression during and after widespread civil unrest

BACKGROUND

This study investigated whether subjective unrest-related distress was associated with probable depression during and after the 2019 anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong.

METHODS

Population-representative data were collected from 7157 Hong Kong Chinese in four cross-sectional surveys (July 2019-July 2020). Logistic regression examined the association between subjective unrest-related distress and probable depression (PHQ-9 ⩾ 10), stratified by the number of conflicts/protests across the four timepoints.

RESULTS

Unrest-related distress was positively associated with probable depression across different numbers of conflicts/protests.

CONCLUSION

Unrest-related distress is a core indicator of probable depression. Public health interventions should target at resolving the distress during seemingly peaceful period after unrest.

Psychological Capital and Family Satisfaction among Employees: Do Occupational Stressors Moderate the Relationship?

The COVID-19 pandemic has created more occupational stressors, particularly work–family interface issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderating role of occupational stressors in the relationship between a personal resource (psychological capital) and family satisfaction. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 787 employees (367 males, 420 females) from the Greater Bay Area of China between October and November 2020. Participants completed an online survey which included the Chinese version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, measures of occupational stressors from the Work Stress Management DIY Kit and a measure of family satisfaction. Latent moderated structural equation modeling revealed that family satisfaction was positively associated with psychological capital and negatively associated with occupational stressors. Furthermore, occupational stressors weakened the positive association between psychological capital and family satisfaction. These findings provided empirical evidence for the work–home resources model and may suggest that it would be beneficial to boost psychological capital and reduce occupational stressors of employees.