Association of socioeconomic and lifestyle-related risk factors with mental health conditions: a cross-sectional study

Patterns of unhealthy lifestyle and their associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese young adults: A latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

There is little evidence on the association between patterns of unhealthy lifestyle and mental health among young adults.

METHOD

This study included a total of 28,978 young adults aged 18 to 44 years old in Guangdong province in south China, which was conducted from September to December in 2022. We used latent class analysis to classify the patterns of unhealthy lifestyle among young adults and used multiple logistic regression to explore their associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms.

RESULT

The weighted prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms were 28.0 % and 19.5 %, respectively. The cumulative effect of unhealthy lifestyles on depressive and anxiety symptoms was significant. Five patterns of unhealthy lifestyle were classified. Compared to the relatively healthy lifestyle class, the class with more unhealthy lifestyles (OR = 6.54, 95 % CI: 5.70-7.51) and insufficient sleep (OR = 6.16, 95 % CI: 4.92-7.70) had higher risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Meaningfully, having adequate mental health literacy could reduce the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms from unhealthy lifestyle by half.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-section design study limited causal inferences, and the self-report information may lead to recall bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Unhealthy lifestyles have a negative impact on depressive and anxiety symptoms through independent, cumulative and combined effects, and they could be interrelated. Unhealthy lifestyle patterns differed in younger population by socio-demographic characteristics and mental health literacy. Health-care professionals and policymakers may provide programs to intervene multiple unhealthy lifestyles and improve mental health literacy by integrating healthy lifestyle education to promote youngers' mental health.

Associations of socioeconomic status and healthy lifestyle with incident early-onset and late-onset dementia: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Modifiable risk factor estimates are sparse for early-onset dementia incidence. This study aimed to estimate and compare the risk factor profiles of early-onset dementia and late-onset dementia, and to explore the complex relationships between socioeconomic status, lifestyles, and early-onset dementia risk.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we used data from the UK Biobank for analysis of early-onset dementia and late-onset dementia. For early-onset dementia analyses, data were collected on those aged younger than 60 years without prevalent dementia at baseline. For late-onset dementia analyses, data were collected on those aged 65 years or older at the end of follow-up. Participants with missing information on socioeconomic factors were excluded. Two models were used to test associations between early-onset dementia incidence and socioeconomic status. The first model tested associations between socioeconomic status and early-onset and late-onset dementia incidence, adjusting for covariates. Participant socioeconomic status was defined using education level, income, and employment status via latent class analysis. The second model additionally included a healthy lifestyle score, which was constructed using data on smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and the Healthy Diet Index. Incident early-onset dementia was defined as a dementia case diagnosed before 65 years of age. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for risk of dementia. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional-hazard regression models to estimate the HR for risk of both early-onset dementia and late-onset dementia.

FINDINGS

Between 2007 and 2010, 257 345 individuals were included in the analysis of early-onset dementia, and 294 133 older individuals were included in the analysis of late-onset dementia. During a mean follow-up of 11·9-12·5 years, 502 early-onset dementia cases and 5768 late-onset dementia cases were documented. Risk factor profiles were typically dissimilar between early-onset dementia and late-onset dementia. For instance, the age and sex adjusted HR for low socioeconomic status (vs high) was 4·40 (95% CI 3·43-5·65) for early-onset dementia and 1·90 (1·74-2·07) for late-onset dementia, yielding a ratio of HRs of 2·32 (1·78-3·02). After adjusting for various risk factors, participants with low socioeconomic status (vs high) had increased risk for early-onset dementia (3·38, 2·61-4·37), and overall lifestyle mediated 3·2% (1·8-5·7) of the association. Individuals with both low socioeconomic status and unhealthy lifestyles had a higher risk of early-onset dementia (5·40, 3·66-7·97). No significant interaction was observed between lifestyle and socioeconomic status. The association between socioeconomic status and early-onset dementia seemed to be more pronounced in individuals with type 2 diabetes (HR 11·21, 95% CI 2·70-46·57).

INTERPRETATION

Early-onset dementia and late-onset dementia might have different risk factor profiles; although risk factors were similar, the magnitude of associations between risk factors and dementia incidence was greater for early-onset dementia. Only a small proportion of the socioeconomic inequity in dementia risk was mediated by healthy lifestyles, which indicates that measures other than healthy lifestyle promotion to improve social determinants of health are warranted.

FUNDING

The National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Hubei Province Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students' mental health and lifestyle factors

Objective: This study examines how mental health and health behaviors evolved among college students nationwide before and during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: Data collected from college students across various campuses in Fall 2019 (N = 33,372) and Fall 2020 (N = 34,168) as part of the Healthy Minds Study. Methods: The online survey was delivered via Qualtrics. Data was analyzed through an unpaired two-samples T-test and a two-proportion Z-test. Results: The results show a significant difference of depression and anxiety symptoms in college students during Fall 2020 compared to Fall 2019. Sleep patterns significantly shifted during the pandemic. Substance use, perceived need for counseling, and the amount of time students spent exercising all significantly differed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: In the context of declines in mental health among college students, college campuses should implement mental health support models addressing students' individual health risk and lifestyle behaviors.

Insomnia and depression levels among Malaysian undergraduate students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) during Movement Control Order (MCO)

Rapid outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has caused the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) which aimed to reduce the spread in Covid-19 infections. While some may find it easy to adjust to the new norm, others found it difficult to switch from their normal routines and habits as according to the MCO SOP. This resulted in a more frequent insomnia and depression that subsequently impacted their mental health. Insomnia and depression levels are examined in this study as they relate to the Covid-19 Pandemic and the MCO among Malaysian undergraduate health sciences students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM. Random sampling methods were utilised with consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were the instrument packages used in this investigation. An internet platform was used to distribute the questionnaire. Based on the results, it is concluded that depression and insomnia are significantly correlated, with a p-value of 0.05. This study also revealed the link between the severity of insomnia and the severity of depression among UPM students studying health sciences. The percentage of students with depression and insomnia was rather high (54.9% and 33.9%, respectively), and this occurred during the second wave of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia.

Clinical phenotype of obstructive sleep apnea in older adults: a hospital-based retrospective study in China

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in older people (aged over 65 years) is high. However, OSA in older populations has not received sufficient attention. This study examined the clinical phenotypic characteristics of older patients with newly diagnosed OSA.

METHODS

A total of 110 older patients (≥ 65 years) and 220 younger patients (< 65 years), matched by gender, body mass index (BMI), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), were enrolled in this retrospective study. Clinical manifestations, comorbidities, and polysomnographic results were compared between the two groups, and correlations between age ≥ 65 years and OSA comorbidities were explored.

RESULTS

Nocturia was more common in older patients with OSA, as with lower sleep efficiency, longer wake after sleep onset, increased stage N1 sleep, and decreased stage N3 sleep and average SpO2. The proportions of older OSA patients who had comorbid hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ischemic stroke were significantly higher than those of younger patients. The incidence of tonsillar enlargement and pharyngeal narrowing was lower in older patients. Age ≥ 65 years was an independent risk factor for patients with OSA to have hypertension (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.11-3.21), CAD (OR: 4.83, 95% CI: 2.29-10.21), and ischemic stroke (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.02 to 8.38).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of OSA in older adults was associated with significant abnormalities of sleep architecture, aggravated nocturnal hypoxia and increased risks of hypertension, CAD, and stroke, which can be distinguished as a unique clinical phenotype.

Depression prediction based on LassoNet-RNN model: A longitudinal study

Depression has become a widespread health concern today. Understanding the influencing factors can promote human mental health as well as provide a basis for exploring preventive measures. Combining LassoNet with recurrent neural network (RNN), this study constructed a screening model ,LassoNet-RNN, for identifying influencing factors of individual depression. Based on multi-wave surveys of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) dataset (11,661 observations), we analyzed the multivariate time series data and recognized 27 characteristic variables selected from four perspectives: demographics, health-related risk factors, household economic status, and living environment. Additionally, the importance rankings of the characteristic variables were obtained. These results offered insightful recommendations for theoretical developments and practical decision making in public health.

Psychological Distress in the Republic of Serbia, the Association of Social Characteristics and Substance Use on a National Representative Sample of Serbia

This study examined the association between social characteristics, substance use, and psychological distress in a national representative sample of adults in Serbia. It was a secondary analysis of the National Survey on Lifestyles in Serbia: Substance Abuse and Gambling 2018. The study included a total of 2000 participants aged 18 to 65 from the general population in Serbia. Psychological distress was examined using the Kessler 6 questionnaire. There were a total of 945 male participants (47.3%) and 1055 (52.8%) female participants. The average age was 37.83 ± 13.61 years. The prevalence of a high risk of psychological distress was 5.2% (103/2000), while the prevalence of moderate risk of psychological distress was 15.2% (303/2000). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being male, having poor self-rated health, having poor subjective financial status, binge drinking in the past year, and lifetime use of any illicit drug were associated with a higher likelihood of having a high risk of psychological distress. One in six adults in Serbia has a high risk of psychological distress, while one in twenty has a moderate risk. The findings of this study urge targeted actions to protect and improve the health of people in psychological distress and drug and alcohol users.

The relationship between unhealthy lifestyle patterns and depressive symptoms among residents in Beijing, China: A community-based cross-sectional study

Introduction

Depression is a prevalent mental disorder that has an irreversible impact on people's health status. Unhealthy lifestyles are modifiable and influence mental health significantly. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of different unhealthy lifestyles and their patterns on depressive symptoms.

Methods

The data for this study were obtained from the 2017 Community Diagnostic survey in Daxing District, Beijing. It was a cross-sectional study that included 6,252 samples. The Patient Health Questionnaire version 9 was used to measure depressive symptoms, and the self-administered questionaires were used to investigate five unhealthy lifestyles, including sleep deprivation, the inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, physical inactivity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. Respondents were assigned 1 point for each of their unhealthy lifestyles, and their overall unhealthy lifestyle scores were calculated. The total scores of unhealthy lifestyles ranged from 0 to 5. Descriptive analyses and Firth's logistic regression model were used to analyze the relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and depression symptoms.

Results

It was found that 12.1% of the participants had depressive symptoms. The respondents whose unhealthy lifestyle scores were 2 (OR1.45, 95%CI:1.01 to 2.12), 3 (OR2.29, 95%CI:1.57 to 3.42), 4 (OR 3.04, 95%CI:1.96 to 4.76), or 5 (OR4.08, 95%CI:2.09 to 7.78) were more likely to experience depressive symptoms in comparison with those whose unhealthy lifestyle scores were 0, and the OR increased with the unhealthy lifestyle scores. When the participants had 3 or more unhealthy lifestyles at the same time, different combination patterns of unhealthy lifestyles showed a different effect on depression. The OR was 3.01 (95%CI:1.45 to 5.95) for the combination of sleep deprivation-insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables-excessive alcohol consumption, and was 2.89 (95%CI:1.52 to 5.25) for the combination of sleep deprivation-insufficient intake of fruit and vegetables-physical inactivity-excessive alcohol consumption.

Discussion

The co-existence of multiple unhealthy behavioral lifestyles are associated with depressive symptoms. Among the five unhealthy lifestyles, sleep deprivation and the inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables may have a greater impact on depression.

Impact of intergenerational support and medical expenditures on depression: Evidence from rural older adults in China

Objective

Globally, depression has become a major health issue among older adults, who experience poor physical health and high medical expenditures. In Asian countries, older adults are greatly dependent on their children. This study assessed the impact of different types of intergenerational support and medical expenditures on depression among older adults in rural China.

Method

A three-phase balanced panel was constructed based on data from 1,838 rural older adults with comparable scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) from the China Family Panel Studies in 2012, 2016, and 2018. A fixed-effects model was used to analyze the impact of intergenerational support and medical expenditures on CES-D score and of intergenerational support on medical expenditures. The propensity score-matching model was used to test the regression results' robustness.

Results

The findings were as follows. First, different types of intergenerational support had a heterogeneous impact on depression among rural older adults. Emotional support had a significantly negative impact on CES-D score, although too much care-based support had a positive impact on CES-D score. Low-level economic support had no significant effect on CES-D score. Second, medical expenditures impacted depression; among these, non-inpatient medical expenditure had a significant and positive impact on CES-D score. Third, CES-D scores among rural older adults were associated with chronic diseases and per capita family income. Fourth, care-based support was associated with reduced non-inpatient medical expenditures, and the sub-sample regression results indicated that the impact was significant for older adults with no chronic diseases and those younger than 75 years.

Conclusion

Intergenerational emotional support and non-inpatient medical expenditures directly affected rural older adults' CES-D scores. The mediating role of medical expenditures between intergenerational support and CES-D score was not significant. Measures should be taken to encourage intergenerational emotional support and reduce the pressure on children's economic and care-based support. Further, the medical insurance reimbursement policy, as formal support, should be improved to alleviate depression among rural older adults when children's support is limited.

Psychedelics and health behaviour change

Healthful behaviours such as maintaining a balanced diet, being physically active and refraining from smoking have major impacts on the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other serious conditions. The burden of the so-called 'lifestyle diseases'-in personal suffering, premature mortality and public health costs-is considerable. Consequently, interventions designed to promote healthy behaviours are increasingly being studied, e.g., using psychobiological models of behavioural regulation and change. In this article, we explore the notion that psychedelic substances such as psilocybin could be used to assist in promoting positive lifestyle change conducive to good overall health. Psilocybin has a low toxicity, is non-addictive and has been shown to predict favourable changes in patients with depression, anxiety and other conditions marked by rigid behavioural patterns, including substance (mis)use. While it is still early days for modern psychedelic science, research is advancing fast and results are promising. Here we describe psychedelics' proposed mechanisms of action and research findings pertinent to health behaviour change science, hoping to generate discussion and new research hypotheses linking the two areas. Therapeutic models including psychedelic experiences and common behaviour change methods (e.g., Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing) are already being tested for addiction and eating disorders. We believe this research may soon be extended to help promote improved diet, exercise, nature exposure and also mindfulness or stress reduction practices, all of which can contribute to physical and psychological health and well-being.

Health-care professionals coping responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

Background

In the initial stage of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 creates a prodigious uncertainty not only in general population but also in health care professionals. This often leads to emotional distress in general public and particularly in health care professionals.

Objectives

During COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, the health care professionals experienced unusual stressors. This study aimed to examine the coping responses, optimism, pessimism and psychiatric morbidity of health professionals serving the COVID-19 patients.

Participants

Total 87, health care professionals take part in study, whom 36 were physicians and 51 nursing staff. Among these 44 were male, and 43 were female.

Method

Researchers used cross sectional research design in this study. Physicians and nurses completed self-reported questionnaires. Participants provided demographics data and recorded their responses to self-administered questionnaires. Researchers administered Brief coping orientation to problems experiences (COPE) for assessing the coping strategies, while they assessed psychiatric morbidity through general health questionnaires. Similarly, future expectancy of health care professional was assessed by using life orientation scale. Participants were recruited from quarantine words in two federal government hospitals providing health care services to COVID-19 patients in Pakistan.

Result

The result showed a significant relationship in optimism and problem focus coping style and avoidance coping style. Moreover, male health professionals score high on optimism as compared to female health professionals. While, avoidance coping style were seen higher in female health professional as compare to male. The result revealed that optimism and psychiatric morbidity were significantly positive in health professionals having problem focus and avoidance coping style.

Mental Health Crisis and Stress Coping among Healthcare College Students Momentarily Displaced from Their Campus Community Because of COVID-19 Restrictions in Japan

College students are one of the most affected groups by self-quarantine due to COVID-19, as they may live in loneliness and anxiety, increasing their risk of mental health crisis. This study aimed to identify risk factors for poor mental health and stress coping strategies among healthcare college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted over 7 consecutive days starting on 28 April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed socioeconomic characteristics and the General Health Questionnaire-12 score, self-reported health status, anxiety, and satisfaction with daily life, work, leisure, and new activities. Approximately 70% of 223 respondents had poor mental health. Less communication with friends was the main risk factor for mental health problems. Good health status and satisfaction with leisure and new activities were associated with reduced risk of mental health problems. Students with poor mental health tended to seek social support as a stress coping strategy. This study showed that the mental health of students declined during self-quarantine, and loneliness could be the major reason. There is a need for a new form of communication and learning that deals with the isolation and loneliness of students, especially for students living alone.

The Effects of Lifestyle Interventions on the Health-Promoting Behavior, Type D Personality, Cognitive Function and Body Composition of Low-Income Middle-Aged Korean Women

Low-income middle-aged women (LMW) who are vulnerable have various physical and psychosocial problems. They need lifestyle interventions to actively cope with these risk factors. This study used a randomized control group pretest-posttest design. LMW aged from 40 to 60 years were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 32). The lifestyle interventions for this study, which were implemented for eight weeks, included nutritional management, physical activity, stress management and cognitive function improvement based on King’s goal attainment theory. The measured outcomes were health-promoting behaviors, Type D personality, cognitive function and body composition. The experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group for health-promoting behaviors (effect size (ES) = 0.68~1.27, p < 0.001~0.014) and cognitive function (ES = 0.79~1.31, p < 0.001~0.005). The negative affectivity (ES = 0.70, p = 0.012) and the prevalence of a Type D personality (x² = 4.39, p = 0.047) and the systolic blood pressure (ES = 0.65, p = 0.019) decreased significantly in the experimental group compared with the control group. Lifestyle interventions for LMW were effective in improving health-promoting behavior, Type D personality traits and cognitive function.

Factors contributing to psychological distress in the working population, with a special reference to gender difference

Background

Psychological distress refers to non-specific symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, and it is more common in women. Our aim was to investigate factors contributing to psychological distress in the working population, with a special reference to gender differences.

Methods

We used questionnaire data from the nationally representative Finnish Regional Health and Well-being Study (ATH) collected in the years 2012–2016 (target population participants aged 20 +, n = 96,668, response rate 53%), restricting the current analysis to those persons who were working full-time and under 65 of age (n = 34,468). Psychological distress was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) (cut-off value <=52). We studied the following factors potentially associated with psychological distress: sociodemographic factors, living alone, having children under18 years of age, lifestyle-related factors, social support, helping others outside of the home and work-related factors. We used logistic regression analysis to examine association between having work-family conflict with the likelihood for psychological distress. We first performed the models separately for men and women. Then interaction by gender was tested in the combined data for those independent variables where gender differences appeared probable in the analyses conducted separately for men and women.

Results

Women reported more psychological distress than men (11.0% vs. 8.8%, respectively, p < 0.0001). Loneliness, job dissatisfaction and family-work conflict were associated with the largest risk of psychological distress. Having children, active participation, being able to successfully combine work and family roles, and social support were found to be protective factors. A significant interaction with gender was found in only two variables: ignoring family due to being absorbed in one’s work was associated with distress in women (OR 1.30 (95% CI 1.00–1.70), and mental strain of work in men (OR 2.71 (95% CI 1.66–4.41).

Conclusions

Satisfying work, family life and being able to successfully combine the two are important sources of psychological well-being for both genders in the working population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10560-y.

Impacts of anxiety and socioeconomic factors on mental health in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population in Japan: A web-based survey

Owing to the rapid spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic worldwide, individuals experience considerable psychological distress daily. The present study aimed to clarify the prevalence of psychological distress and determine the population most affected by risk factors such as the pandemic, socioeconomic status (SES), and lifestyle-related factors causing psychological distress in the early phases of the pandemic in Japan. This study was conducted via a web-based survey using quota sampling to ensure representativeness of the Japanese population aged 20–64 years. A cross-sectional study of 11,342 participants (5,734 males and 5,608 females) was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that included the Japanese version of the Kessler 6 Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and questions related to the pandemic, SES, and lifestyle. The prevalence of psychological distress, represented by a K6 score of 5 or more, was 50.3% among males and 52.6% among females. Both males and females with annual household incomes less than 2 million yen and males aged in their twenties had significantly higher K6 scores than those with annual household incomes above 2 million yen and males aged over 30 years. Binary logistic regression analyses found pandemic-related factors such as medical history, inability to undergo clinical tests immediately, having trouble in daily life, unavailability of groceries, new work style, and vague anxiety; SES-related factors such as lesser income; and lifestyle-related factors such as insufficient rest, sleep, and nutritious meals to be significantly related to psychological distress. Psychological distress was more prevalent among people with low income and in younger generations than among other groups. There is an urgent need to provide financial, medical, and social support to those affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms and its determinants among adults in mainland China: Results from a national household survey

BACKGROUND

Depression have become a widespread health concern in Chinese society.

METHODS

We analyzed the factors influencing the risk of depression among residents aged 16 and over using data from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), in which depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D20) scale. A total of 26,464 individuals were sampled in a weighted manner to represent the entire country. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to explore the risk factors for depression and the odds of depression in people with different characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 76.6% of adult residents were mentally healthy. Females had higher rates of depression than males (OR=1.515). There was an "inverted U-shaped" distribution between age and risk of depression. Higher levels of education and better physiological health were associated with a lower risk of depression. Self-evaluated income and social status were not linearly related to the risk of depression but rather had a "U-shaped" distribution. For social capital, better social relationships and a higher level of social trust were associated with a lower risk of depression. Nonsmokers had a lower risk of depression than smokers (OR=0.818).

LIMITATIONS

All items were self-reported and some results depend on single item responses. This is a cross-sectional survey so that causative interpretations cannot be drawn.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest potential public health measures whose efficacy needs to be tested and confirmed.

The Mediating Role of Resilience and Extraversion on Psychological Distress and Loneliness Among the General Population of Tyrol, Austria Between the First and the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: During the first 3 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal state of Tyrol, Austria had one of the strictest curfews in Austria and worldwide. The aim of the current study was to investigate the assumingly protective role of resilience and extraversion and its impact on mental health following such an uncertain and unpredictable situation. Methods: Between the first and the second wave of the pandemic, adult residents of Tyrol were invited to participate in an online survey. Next to the assessment of sociodemographic and COVID-19-related variables the Brief-Symptom-Checklist, the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, the Resilience Scaled, and the Big Five Inventory were used to assess psychological distress, loneliness, resilience, and extraversion. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the role of resilience and extraversion in the context of age-, sex-, and partnership- related differences in psychological distress and loneliness. Results: One hundred and forty-five participants took part in the survey (68.2% female). Overall, psychological distress and severe loneliness were more often detected in women and singles. They also were less resilient, while men and singles presented with a lower degree of extraversion. Study participants under the age of 30 experienced severe loneliness more frequently than older people, whereas psychological distress, resilience, and extraversion were comparable between age groups. Resilience significantly mediated the relationship between both study participants' sex and partnership situation on one hand and psychological distress and severe loneliness on the other. In addition, extraversion significantly mediated the relationship between participants' partnership situation and psychological distress. Discussion: Our findings suggest that women, singles, and young people may be particularly affected by the measures and sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions promoting resilience and extraversion among these groups are urgently needed to foster mental health. Ideally, they can be utilized at home in case of renewed mobility restrictions or quarantine in the future.

Coping Mechanisms: Exploring Strategies Utilized by Japanese Healthcare Workers to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major problem affecting the mental health of millions of people, including healthcare workers. In this study, we analyzed risk factors and coping mechanisms that could reduce the risk of poor mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted for 7 days from 30 April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed various outcome measures, including the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), health status, satisfaction with daily life activities, work, leisure, and new activities, and anxiety over COVID-19. Data from 661 participants were analyzed, and 440 participants (66.6%) showed poor mental health (GHQ-12 ≥ 4). Also, our result showed that female gender, lower levels of communication with friends, and high anxiety were associated with poorer mental health. In contrast, good health status, high work satisfaction, and high satisfaction from new activities were associated with buffering mental health problem. Most participants chose an escape-avoidance coping strategy, and participants with worse mental health were more likely to adopt seeking social support as a coping strategy. These results may support healthcare workers to cope with mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health of the Participants of the Third Age University Program: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Population aging is a progressive demographic phenomenon observed in all countries worldwide. The progressive global process of population aging poses many threats, especially in the context of the mental health of the elderly. Third Age Universities are an essential preventive measure shown to improve the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of the elderly.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to analyze the mental status of older persons attending Third Age Universities in Poland, with particular emphasis on sociodemographic sources of variance in psychological indices.

METHODS

The study included a group of the Third Age University program participants from Poland. A total of 247 persons were enrolled, among them 215 women and 32 men. The study was carried out as a diagnostic survey, using the following validated psychometric scales: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and SMAST-G-Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test-Geriatric Version.

RESULTS

The vast majority of the respondents did not screen positively for possible bipolar disorder. However, more than 90% of the participants presented with the symptoms of mild depression, and more than one-third had manifestations of non-psychotic mental morbidity. Nearly half of the respondents had complaints associated with insomnia, and in more than one-fourth, SMAST-G score raised suspicion of problem alcohol drinking. Retired participants were shown to present with significantly higher levels of anger control than the occupationally active respondents. Respondents with poor economic status had significantly higher levels of symptoms for non-psychotic mental disorders. Men significantly more often than women showed symptoms raising suspicion of alcohol-related problems.

DISCUSSION

In conclusion, the study group was characterized primarily by the mild depressive and anxiety symptoms. The mental health of the Polish participants of the Third Age University program was significantly modulated by their socio-occupational and marital status, and financial condition. The study showed that persons with likely problem alcohol drinking differed from other respondents in terms of the occurrence of possible bipolar disorder, depression, and non-psychotic symptoms of mental disorders, state and trait anxiety levels and anger control. There is a need for further research in the field of mental health status in the Third Age Universities seniors to determine the prevalence of these phenomena on a national scale.