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Turchi GP, Bassi D, Cavarzan M, Camellini T, Moro C, Orrù L. Intervening on Global Emergencies: The Value of Human Interactions for People's Health. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:735. [PMID: 37754013 PMCID: PMC10525546 DOI: 10.3390/bs13090735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Literature about global emergencies and their impact on people's health underlines the need to improve the social cohesion of human community and the availability of tools to support people and foster community interactions. This paper illustrates research aimed at describing and measuring human interactions in the Veneto community and its changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 50,000 text occurrences from social media and newspapers about these topics were analyzed between December 2021 and January 2022. People present themselves as members of different teams, pursuing conflicting aims, and attributing the decision-making responsibility of emergencies management exclusively to governments, without considering themselves as active parts of the community. This delegation process on citizens' behalf can affect their health: by taking minor responsibility in handling the repercussions of these events on the community and by arguing over the most effective way to deal with them, they risk freezing and waiting for action by third parties, thus leaving mutual interactions and the promotion of their own health at a standstill. Local institutions can use these data to shape prevention policies to manage the community's emergencies and use them as opportunities to promote public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Piero Turchi
- Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology Department, University of Padova, 35139 Padua, Italy; (D.B.); (M.C.); (T.C.); (C.M.); (L.O.)
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Mojsa-Kaja J, Szklarczyk-Smolana K, Niedzielska-Andres E, Kurpińska A, Suraj-Prażmowska J, Walczak M. COVID-19-related social isolation and symptoms of depression and anxiety in young men in Poland: Does insomnia mediate the relationship? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285797. [PMID: 37200255 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The need for physical distancing due to COVID-19 mitigation efforts forced prolonged social isolation, which may affect sleep and lead to mental health problems. Previous research has shown that young adults are particularly vulnerable to psychological stress caused by social isolation, the negative psychological impact of the pandemic, and greater frequency and severity of sleep problems. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to examine whether insomnia could constitute a mediation mechanism that explains the relationship between social isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health outcomes (depression and anxiety) reported up to 1.5 years later. The study was conducted among young (M±SD; 24.08±3.75) men (N = 1025) in Poland. Data were collected by means of self-report questionnaires, including The Social Isolation Index, The Athens Insomnia Scale, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II). The results show that insomnia mediates the relationships between social isolation and both anxiety and depression. The current findings emphasize the role of insomnia in the relationships between social isolation experienced during COVID-19 and negative emotional states. From a clinical perspective, the results suggest that implementing therapeutic components that address social isolation in insomnia treatment programs may prevent the development of depression and anxiety symptoms among young men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Mojsa-Kaja
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Klaudia Szklarczyk-Smolana
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Niedzielska-Andres
- Chair and Department of Toxicology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Kurpińska
- Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Maria Walczak
- Chair and Department of Toxicology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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Globevnik Velikonja V, Verdenik I, Erjavec K, Kregar Velikonja N. Influence of Psychological Factors on Vaccination Acceptance among Health Care Workers in Slovenia in Three Different Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1983. [PMID: 36560393 PMCID: PMC9782158 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10121983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among healthcare workers (HCWs) is very important to control the pandemic and to ensure the safety of HCWs and patients. As psychological factors may affect the decision to be vaccinated, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of psychological factors on vaccination acceptance in different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was conducted among HCWs in Slovenia at the beginning of the pandemic (N = 851), one month later (N = 86), and one year later (N = 145) when vaccines were already available. The results showed that the influence of psychological factors (anxiety, psychological burden, perceived infectability, and germ aversion) was specific for each survey period. At the beginning of the pandemic, vaccination intention was positively associated with anxiety. In the third survey period, anxiety was not exposed as a predictive factor for vaccination intention. However, comparison of vaccination status among groups with different levels of anxiety revealed an interesting distinction within those in favour of vaccination; in the group with minimal levels of anxiety, there was a relatively high share of respondents that were already vaccinated, whereas in the group with severe anxiety, most individuals intended to be vaccinated but hesitated to take action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vislava Globevnik Velikonja
- Division for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Šlajmerjeva 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Novo Mesto, 8000 Novo Mesto, Slovenia
| | - Ivan Verdenik
- Division for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Šlajmerjeva 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Novo Mesto, 8000 Novo Mesto, Slovenia
| | - Karmen Erjavec
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Novo Mesto, 8000 Novo Mesto, Slovenia
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Barchielli B, Cricenti C, Gallè F, Sabella EA, Liguori F, Da Molin G, Liguori G, Orsi GB, Giannini AM, Ferracuti S, Napoli C. Climate Changes, Natural Resources Depletion, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Russian-Ukrainian War: What Is the Impact on Habits Change and Mental Health? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11929. [PMID: 36231229 PMCID: PMC9565033 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Climate Change, Natural Resources Depletion, COVID-19, and Wars are some of the great challenges of our time. The consequences will affect psychological well-being and could have a harmful impact on mental health. This study aimed to assess the level of preoccupation and fears surrounding issues of the 21st-century and the implication for psychological well-being of the general population from Central/Southern Italy among different age groups. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, topics formulated ad-hoc about preoccupation, fears, habits, and willingness to change habits in the future related to the 21st-century challenges, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) was administered online. A sample of 1831 participants (61% F; mean age 47.71 ± 17.30) was obtained. Results showed that young adults and older adults, respectively, reported greater and less psychological well-being. Young adults reported higher scores for preoccupation, changing habits, and willingness to change habits in the future, while older adults reported the lowest scores except for changing habits, also controlling for gender. Results for this variable, as well as correlations between the many variables described, rely on the specificity of age, and 21st-century challenges. Moreover, the main fears related to the 21st-century concerns were different based on both age and gender. In conclusion, the various stresses of the 21st-century discussed in this study have a relationship with personal well-being, and it is important to consider potential global mental health issues resulting from these stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Barchielli
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Clarissa Cricenti
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gallè
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Elita Anna Sabella
- Inter-University Research Centre “Population, Environment and Health”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Cesare Battisti 1, 70122 Bari, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Liguori
- Family Psychotherapy Academy, Via Raffaele Morghen 181, 80129 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Da Molin
- Inter-University Research Centre “Population, Environment and Health”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Cesare Battisti 1, 70122 Bari, Italy
| | - Giorgio Liguori
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Battista Orsi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Giannini
- Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Napoli
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035/1039, 00189 Rome, Italy
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Marshall AT, Hackman DA, Kan E, Abad S, Baker FC, Baskin-Sommers A, Dowling GJ, Gonzalez MR, Guillaume M, Kiss O, McCabe CJ, McCandliss BD, Pelham WE, Tapert SF, Van Rinsveld A, Sowell ER. Location matters: Regional variation in association of community burden of COVID-19 with caregiver and youth worry. Health Place 2022; 77:102885. [PMID: 35963164 PMCID: PMC9359938 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Our study characterized associations between three indicators of COVID-19's community-level impact in 20 geographically diverse metropolitan regions and how worried youth and their caregivers in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development℠ Study have been about COVID-19. County-level COVID-19 case/death rates and monthly unemployment rates were geocoded to participants' addresses. Caregivers' (vs. youths') COVID-19-related worry was more strongly associated with COVID-19's community impact, independent of sociodemographics and pre-pandemic anxiety levels, with these associations varying by location. Public-health agencies and healthcare providers should avoid adopting uniform "one-size-fits-all" approaches to addressing COVID-19-related emotional distress and must consider specific communities' needs, challenges, and strengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Marshall
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Daniel A Hackman
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eric Kan
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shermaine Abad
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Fiona C Baker
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | | | - Gayathri J Dowling
- Division of Extramural Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Mathieu Guillaume
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Orsolya Kiss
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Connor J McCabe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - William E Pelham
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Susan F Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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