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Zhou L, Yu Y, Liu B, Zhou LF, Sheng J, Zhang XF, Deng XP, Ran MS. Non-suicidal self-injury among youth students during COVID-19 pandemic: the role of psychological factors in Jingzhou, China. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1446727. [PMID: 39234618 PMCID: PMC11371714 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1446727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among youth students, and the mediating role of psychological factors in the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and NSSI. Method An online survey was conducted at junior and senior high schools, as well as universities located in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, China between June 2021 and January 2022. The COVID-19 Impact Index was constructed using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) method. The bootstrapping method was used for mediation analysis. Results A total of 16025 youth participated in the study and 12507 youth (78.1%) finished the questionnaires. The COVID-19 Impact Index had a significantly positive effect on NSSI (r=0.16, p<0.001). The mediation analysis results showed that the COVID-19 Impact Index had a significant indirect effect on youth' NSSI (β=0.0918, 95% CI [0.0788, 0.1048]), and this indirect effect was mainly achieved through affecting youth' anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mediation effect of anxiety on NSSI was 0.0584, the direct effect was 0.0334, and the mediation proportion was 63.6%. The mediation effect of depression on NSSI was 0.0668, the direct effect was 0.0250, and the mediation proportion was 72.8%. The mediation effect of PTSD on NSSI was 0.0640, the direct effect was 0.0278, and the mediation proportion was 69.7%. All the mediation effects, direct effects and total effects were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion The higher the impact of the COVID-19 Impact Index, the higher the prevalence of NSSI among youth students. Anxiety, depression and PTSD had mediated the relationship between the COVID-19 Impact Index and NSSI. It is suggested that specific health policies, mental health services and interventions should be developed to reduce the NSSI and improve mental health status among youth students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lie Zhou
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ye Yu
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Li-Fang Zhou
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Juan Sheng
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | | | - Xiao-Peng Deng
- Mental Health Center of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Mental Health Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
- Jingzhou Rongjun Special Care Hospital, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Mao-Sheng Ran
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Psychiatry, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Lau WY, Ke GN, Yip TM, Wong RMM, Kamal KA, Lee SC, Carter S, Khairudin R, Grajfoner D. Socioeconomic impact and sufficiency of government financial support during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302979. [PMID: 38781248 PMCID: PMC11115252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This study examines the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sufficiency of government support. Based on an online survey with 920 respondents, the cross-tabulation and binary logistic regression results show: firstly, in terms of loss of income, male respondents are more likely to have a loss of income as compared to female counterparts, and secondly, among different categories of employment status, the self-employed respondents are the most vulnerable group, given that more than 20 percent of them experienced loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, respondents working in small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) and the informal sector are more likely to face loss of income as compared to respondents working in other sectors of employment. Likewise, respondents without tertiary education level are more likely to have a loss of income as compared to respondents with university certification. The baseline results highlight the insufficiency of government financial support programs based on the perspective of Malaysians from different demographic backgrounds. As a policy implication, the findings could guide the State in formulating the right policies for target groups who need more assistance than others in the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wee Yeap Lau
- Department of Decision Science, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Guek Nee Ke
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Tien Ming Yip
- Department of Decision Science, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rachel Mei Ming Wong
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | | | - Shen Ching Lee
- Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Stephen Carter
- Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Ke GN, Gow A, Wong RMM, Raman S, Mohammad Z, De-Lima N, Khairudin R, Lau WY, Kamal KA, Lee SC, Grajfoner D. Perceptions of risk and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among women and older adults. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301009. [PMID: 38630742 PMCID: PMC11023439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The world's health, economic, and social systems have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown measures being a common response strategy in most countries, many individuals were faced with financial and mental health challenges. The current study explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being, perception of risk factors and coping strategies of two vulnerable groups in Malaysia, namely women and older adults from low-income households (USD592). A purposive sample of 30 women and 30 older adults was interviewed via telephone during Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) regarding the challenges they faced throughout the pandemic. Thematic analysis was subsequently conducted to identify key themes. The themes identified from the thematic analysis indicated a degree of overlap between both groups. For women, seven themes emerged: 1) Psychological challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, 2) Family violence, 3) Finance and employment related stress and anxiety, 4) Women's inequality and prejudice, 5) Coping strategies, 6) Professional support, and 7) Women's empowerment. Similarly, there were six themes for the older adults: 1) Adverse emotional experiences from COVID-19, 2) Threats to health security, 3) Loss of social connections, 4) Government aid to improve older adults' psychological well-being, 5) Psychological support from family members and pets, and 6) Self-reliance, religion, and spirituality. The findings provide valuable information on the specific burdens faced by these groups, and support psychological interventions and mitigations that would be appropriate to improve well-being during the recovery phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guek Nee Ke
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Alan Gow
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Mei Ming Wong
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Shahirah Raman
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Zulaikha Mohammad
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Nicole De-Lima
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | | | - Wee Yeap Lau
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Applied Statistics, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Shen Chiang Lee
- Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Dasha Grajfoner
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- DOBA Business School, Maribor, Slovenia
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Li M, Chen L. The positive effects of positive coping on mental health in college students during the COVID-19 campus lockdown. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1267347. [PMID: 38074762 PMCID: PMC10703152 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1267347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Isolation has been an effective method to control the spread of COVID-19 over the past 3 years. However, lifestyle changes may have a negative impact on mental health. To examine the effects of positive coping on mental health in college students during the COVID-19 campus lockdown, this study conducted an online cross-sectional survey. Methods In October 2022, following a prolonged campus lockdown of nearly 3 years, 313 university students from a university in Shandong Province, China, were invited to complete an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised a self-administered general situation questionnaire, the Simple Coping Style Scale, and the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale. Results (1) The analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of coping Style on depression [F(4,300) = 2.446, p = 0.047] during the COVID-19 campus lockdown. A post-hoc test indicated that college students who engaged in study (p = 0.012) or sports (p = 0.027) during their free time had significantly lower depression scores than those who used the Internet. (2) Independent sample t-tests showed significant differences in positive and negative coping styles among college students in terms of depression (t = 6.891, p < 0.001) and anxiety scores (t = 7.745, p < 0.001). (3) Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between positive coping style and anxiety (r = -0.378, p < 0.001), and between positive coping style and depression (r = 0.427, p < 0.001). Positive correlations were also found between the negative coping style and anxiety (r = 0.155, p = 0.007), and between the negative coping style and depression (r = 0.190, p < 0.001). Discussion The study suggested that fostering positive coping in students can mitigate mental health issues during crises, providing a blueprint for university mental health initiatives during epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lijun Chen
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Mahmood QK, Jalil A, Farooq M, Akbar MS, Fischer F. Development and validation of the Post-Pandemic Fear of Viral Disease scale and its relationship with general anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional survey from Pakistan. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1739. [PMID: 37674186 PMCID: PMC10483759 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16667-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the worldwide reach of COVID-19, media coverage has amplified the psychological and social effects of this pandemic causing a widespread fear. Despite substantial research on the short-term psychological impact of COVID-19, its long-term consequences on mental health remain relatively unexplored. This research aims to develop and validate a Post-Pandemic Fear of Viral Disease (PPFVD) scale and to see its relationship with general anxiety disorder among the Pakistani population. METHODS A cross-sectional online-based survey was conducted with 457 respondents in August and September 2022. We adopted the modified fear of coronavirus scale (FCV-19 S) consisting of seven items and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) questionnaire to measure anxiety disorder. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied using the maximum likelihood estimation method. Scale dimensions and item reliability were tested for their validity and goodness of fit. SPSS and AMOS were used for data management and analyses. RESULTS All inter-item correlations were found to be significant and ranged between 0.30 and 0.70. The value of Cronbach's alpha was 0.887, indicating good reliability. Corrected item-total correlations ranged between 0.632 and 0.754. Factor loadings ranged from 0.664 to 0.810, indicating a good internal consistency. Overall, these results clearly demonstrate that the one-factor solution model for PPFVD presents a good fit to the data. The composite reliability (CR = 0.747) was also good. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of people globally. This measurement scale can be trusted and used to test the PPFVD in the post-pandemic situation. Prospective research might validate this instrument in newly emerging scenarios and test it with diverse ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aisha Jalil
- School of Integrated Social Sciences, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farooq
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Florian Fischer
- Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Ke GN, Utama IKAP, Wagner T, Sweetman AK, Arshad A, Nath TK, Neoh JY, Muchamad LS, Suroso DSA. Influence of mangrove forests on subjective and psychological wellbeing of coastal communities: Case studies in Malaysia and Indonesia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:898276. [PMID: 36438217 PMCID: PMC9686422 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.898276] [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: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mangrove forests possess multiple functions for the environment and society through their valuable ecosystem services. Along with this, the mangrove forests have large and diverse social values, in combination contributing to the health and wellbeing of the surrounding communities. This study aims (i) to assess the benefits of mangrove forests and their impact on subjective and psychological wellbeing of coastal communities and (ii) to understand the challenges coastal communities face that limit sustainable wellbeing. We have used a mixed methodological approach, combining workshop, interview, and survey, to obtain qualitative and quantitative information from two coastal communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. For quantitative data, 67 participants from both coastal communities participated using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. To obtain opinions from key informants in Malaysia and Indonesia, we organized two stakeholders' workshops and community interviews. When merging these interviews and workshops, we identified the following three themes related to the perception of mangrove forest benefits: (1) the advantage of living in a natural countryside; (2) the natural resources supporting employment, income, and family security; and (3) the increase in subjective and psychological wellbeing. The mean score of wellbeing for Indonesian participants (28.6) was slightly higher than that for Malaysian participants (26.2) and was significant. Overall, the respondents felt happy because the combination of job security and leisure activities supports feeling content and satisfied. The analyses also suggest that the combination of exposure to coastal environments and stress reduction promotes good mental health; however, diagnostic health data are lacking. The lower score of mental wellbeing in Malaysia is attributed to respondents involved in risky fishing activities and local regions with excessive tourism. The findings from this study imply that coastal mangrove forest management plays an important role in the living conditions of coastal communities and their subjective and psychological wellbeing. Hence, restoration and sustainability of mangrove ecosystem are important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guek-Nee Ke
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia,*Correspondence: Guek-Nee Ke
| | | | - Thomas Wagner
- The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Aziz Arshad
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Tapan Kumar Nath
- School of Environment and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Malaysia
| | - Jing Yi Neoh
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Lutfi Surya Muchamad
- Department of Naval Architecture, Institute Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
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