Gender differences in risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms after disaster among older people: Differential exposure or differential vulnerability?

Association of disaster-related damage with inflammatory diet among older survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Traumatic experiences from disasters have enduring effects on health, both directly and indirectly by influencing health behaviours. Among potential pathways, the impact of disaster-related trauma on dietary patterns has been understudied. This study investigated the relationship between disaster-related trauma and dietary inflammatory index (DII®), and how these relationships differed by gender and whether they prepare meal by themselves or not among older survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (n 1375). Dietary data were collected in 2020 using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, from which we derived a dietary inflammatory index (DII®) based on twenty-six food/nutrient items, where higher scores indicate pro-inflammatory (i.e. unhealthy) diet. We found that the experience of housing damage due to the earthquake and tsunami was associated with slightly higher DII scores (coef. = 0·38, 95 % CI -0·05, 0·81). Specifically, women who cooked by themselves tended to have higher DII when they experienced housing damage (coef. = 1·33, 95 %CI -0·63, 3·28). On the other hand, loss of friends was associated with a lower DII score (coef. = -0·28, 95 % CI -0·54, -0·01). These findings highlight the importance of providing support to groups who are at increased risk of deterioration in dietary quality in the aftermath of disasters.

Socio-economic factors associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents and young people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

This study assessed the association between sociodemographic factors and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among 18-24-year-olds during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a secondary analysis of data from 4508 individuals collected through an online survey conducted between June and January 2021. PTSS was measured as a dependent variable using the checklist for post-traumatic stress disorder in civilians. Age, birth sex, sexual, level of education, access to emotional and social support, and emotional distress were the independent variables. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the associations between the dependent and independent variables while controlling for the country related confounding variables. Females (AOR:2.023), sexual minority individuals (AOR:1.868), those who did not disclose their sexual identify (AOR:1.476), those with poor access to emotional and social support (AOR:4.699) and individuals with no formal education (AOR:13.908), and only primary level education (AOR:4.521) had higher odds of PTSS. The study highlights the multifaceted nature of PTSS during the pandemic and suggests the importance of promoting access of young people, especially females, sexual minority individuals and those with low educational status, to emotional/social support to mitigate the probability of PTSS, especially among sexual minority individuals.

Deepening Depression in Women Balancing Work-Life Responsibilities and Caregiving during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from Gender-Specific Face-to-Face Street Interviews Conducted in Italy

PURPOSE

This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, quality of life, and family functioning in a sample of the general female population, exploring difficulties encountered in managing family and work responsibilities and burden of care when taking care of a loved one. This study was, moreover, aimed at investigating factors capable of influencing severe depressive symptomatology in the context of socio-demographics, traumatic events, individual vulnerability, and family functioning.

METHOD

The sampling method used in this research was non-probability sampling. The survey took place during a Hospital Open Weekend (8-10 October 2021) organized by the National Gender Observatory on Women's Health "Fondazione Onda" on the occasion of the World Mental Health Day.

RESULTS

A total of 211 women were interviewed (mean age = 35.6, 53% living alone, more than 15% with financial difficulties, 47% exposed to the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake). More than 50% of the sample reported a higher complexity in managing their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to their previous routine, with no statistically significant differences between working women and non-workers, although the latter obtained higher scores for depressive symptomatology and poorer quality of life. Compared to non-caregivers, female caregivers (22.3%) in charge of the care of loved ones affected by physical (10.9%) or psychiatric disabilities (11.4%) complained of a poorer quality of life, especially in general health perception (p = 0.002), physical function (p = 0.011), role limitations related to physical problems (p = 0.017), bodily pain (p = 0.015), mental health (p = 0.004), and social functioning (p = 0.007). Women caring for people affected by mental disorders seemed to experience a more significant worsening in vitality (p = 0.003) and social functioning (p = 0.005). Approximately 20% of the total sample reported severe depressive symptomatology. Previous access to mental health services (O.R. 10.923; p = 0.000), a low level of education (O.R. 5.410; p = 0.021), and difficulties in management of everyday lives during the COVID-19 pandemic (O.R. 3.598; p = 0.045) were found to be the main variables predictive of severe depressive psychopathology. Old age, good problem-solving skills, and ability to pursue personal goals were identified as protective factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic underlined the need for support amongst emotionally vulnerable women with pre-existing mental health conditions, partly reflecting the cumulative effects of traumas.

Development of a Manual for Disaster Medical Support Using Korean Medicine for Disaster Survivors

Objective: Disasters adversely affect the mental health of disaster survivors, leading to depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Survivors complain of not only psychological symptoms but also physical symptoms such as insomnia, pain, and fatigue. Providing immediate and effective psychological support to all survivors is difficult because human and physical medical resources are limited. Therefore, the authors developed a manual for disaster medical support using Korean medicine (KM) for disaster survivors to provide prompt, effective, and long-term support that supplement existing psychological support. Methods: In this article, the authors introduce KM treatment protocols, which are unique elements of the manual. In addition, the authors have developed a step-by-step treatment protocol based on the stage and condition of survivors, as well as separate treatment protocols for psychological and physical symptoms. Results: The interventions include ear acupuncture, acupuncture, herbal medicine, breathing relaxation, stabilization techniques, emotional freedom technique, and self-care methods such as acupressure, exercise, and walking meditation. This manual has been certified as an official procedure of the Korean Society of Oriental Neuropsychiatry. Conclusions: The authors believe that this manual will enable KM doctors to be effectively utilized as medical resources at disaster sites. Furthermore, this manual would provide a good model that can be extended to countries that wish to use integrative medicine for disaster support to implement the commitments of the Declaration of Astana.

'Women in the front': Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Depression, anxiety, loneliness, and somatization in the Israel population

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a high level of psychological distress in the general population. The aims of this study were to examine the mental health of men and women in the general population in Israel during the first lockdown. The sample comprised 587 participants (426 females and 161 males), whose age ranged between 16 and 85. They completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), the Psychosomatic Symptoms Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC2). Psychological distress was expressed in our measures of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and somatization, in conjunction with high resilience. Women exhibited higher levels of these symptoms than men-but this fluctuates with age, and can match the levels of these symptoms reported by men. Specifically, no difference between the genders was found for loneliness, in age groups 24-39 and 56-85; and for depression, in age groups 40-55 and 56-85. For somatization, the difference is reversed for age group 56-85. In contrast, while women generally scored lower than the men for resilience, this was specifically for age group 16-23. Our findings suggest that young women report more mental health problems, and that men and women may be differentially vulnerable to disaster-related stressors, such as experienced during the pandemic.