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Prati G, Mancini AD. Happiness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: A population-based longitudinal study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : IJDRR 2023; 91:103711. [PMID: 37123218 PMCID: PMC10122958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The aims of the present study were to investigate (1) whether the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictive measures to control its spread were associated with changes in happiness before and after the pandemic and (2) whether household size, living with a partner/spouse, living with at least one son/daughter, financial support, income loss, and job loss following the pandemic were associated with happiness after controlling for previous levels of happiness. We use data from the Italian Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW). Specifically, we used longitudinal data from 2283 respondents who participated in the SHIW 2016 and SHIW 2020. Results revealed a small but significant increase in happiness from 2016 to 2021. In addition, living with a partner/spouse predicted higher happiness with a medium effect size, and total income loss predicted lower happiness with a small to medium effect size. Household size, living with at least one son/daughter, financial support, partial income loss, and job loss following the pandemic were unrelated to happiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Prati
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna (Italy), Piazza Aldo Moro, 90, 47521, Cesena, FC, Italy
| | - Anthony D Mancini
- Department of Psychology, Pace University, Marks Hall, Rm 33, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville, NY, 10570, USA
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Veeroja P, Goodall Z, Guity-Zapata NA, Stone W. Private renters in shared housing: investigating housing conditions and mental well-being in Australia during COVID-19. JOURNAL OF HOUSING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT : HBE 2023; 38:1-22. [PMID: 37360071 PMCID: PMC10199738 DOI: 10.1007/s10901-023-10038-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Lockdowns were the major policy response to COVID-19 containment in many countries, and subsequently many people spent abnormal amounts of time at home. Research has found that housing conditions affected more peoples' mental health during the COVID-19 crisis than prior to it, and vulnerable groups were especially affected. One group that may be particularly vulnerable is private renters in shared housing. Using a socio-economic lens, our research examined to what extent mental well-being outcomes were associated with housing conditions in shared housing under COVID-19 restrictions in Australia. Data about private renters were obtained from the Australian Rental Housing Conditions Dataset (n = 1908), collected in mid-2020 during the easing of the first lockdown restrictions. Respondents living in shared arrangements reported higher levels of worry and anxiety (8.5-13.2%) and loneliness and isolation (3.7-18.3%) compared to other household types. Binary logistic regressions showed that COVID-19-related mental and financial well-being variables were the main contributors in COVID-19-related worry/anxiety and loneliness/isolation models. Accumulated housing problems were the only housing condition measure that was significant in the worry/anxiety model. Participants who had more than two people living in a household felt 1.4 times lonelier/isolated compared to those who lived with four or more people. Males and participants who reported good mental health were less likely to feel COVID-19-related worry/anxiety and loneliness/isolation. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of measures for mental health and income during a pandemic and concludes with recommendations of support for shared housing renters during and beyond crisis events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piret Veeroja
- Centre for Urban Transitions, School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zoë Goodall
- Centre for Urban Transitions, School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nestor Agustin Guity-Zapata
- Centre for Urban Transitions, School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Wendy Stone
- Centre for Urban Transitions, School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
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Ma L, Huang Y, Liu T. Unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: Role of the neighborhood environment. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2022; 87:104162. [PMID: 36092492 PMCID: PMC9443661 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2022.104162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people's mental wellbeing. Few studies have investigated how the neighborhood environment might help to moderate the mental health impact in a natural disaster context. We aim to investigate the unequal impact of the pandemic on mental health between different population groups, and the role of the neighborhood environment in alleviating this impact. We collected survey data (n=2,741) on mental health, neighborhood environment, and pandemic-related behaviors in Beijing metropolitan region between July 10 and 28, 2020, and then applied the partial proportional odds model. Overall, we found that the pandemic has disproportionately affected the lower-income people. The lower-income residents experienced a greater psychological impact than the higher-income residents. We further found that distance to an urban park was a key built environment variable that moderates mental health impact. Residents who lived near urban parks were 4.2 to 4.6% less likely to report an increase in negative emotions, and therefore are more resilient to the mental health impact. In addition to the built environment, a cohesive neighborhood environment may have also helped to mitigate the negative mental health impacts. These findings can inform planning policies that aim to promote healthy and resilient communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yan Huang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
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Wang H, Luo P, Wu Y, Zeng X. Factors and optimizations of healthcare workers' perception in alternative care facilities. Front Public Health 2022; 10:891503. [PMID: 35968426 PMCID: PMC9364931 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.891503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diverse measures have been carried out worldwide to establish Alternative Care Facilities (ACFs) for different ends, such as receiving, curing or isolating patients, aiming to cope with tremendous shock in the urban medical system during the early passage of the COVID-19 epidemic. Healthcare workers always felt anxious and stressed during multiple major public health emergencies in medical facilities. Some active measures to improve healthcare workers' perceptions, such as temporary training, workflow improvement, and supplementary facilities, were proved insufficient in several past public health emergencies. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the contributing factors of the healthcare workers' perceptions of the ACFs in this pandemic, which can help find an innovative path to ensure their health, well-being and work efficiency. Method This paper conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with the world's first batch of healthcare workers who have worked in ACFs through a qualitative study based on Grounded Theory. The healthcare workers interviewed from Heilongjiang, Shandong, Fujian, and Hubei provinces, have worked in one of the four different ACFs built in Wuhan. The results are obtained through the three-level codes and analyses of the interview recordings. Results The factors affecting the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs during the epidemic situation can be summarized into five major categories: individual characteristics, organization management, facilities and equipment, space design, and internal environment. The five major categories affecting the composition of perception can be further divided into endogenous and exogenous factors, which jointly affect the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs. Among them, individual characteristics belong to endogenous factors, which are the primary conditions, while other categories belong to exogenous factors, which are the decisive conditions. Conclusion This paper clarifies factors affecting the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs and analyzes the mechanism of each factor. It is posited that the passive strategies are a promising solution to protect healthcare workers' health, improve their work efficiency, and help reduce the operation stress of ACFs. We should train multidisciplinary professionals for future healthcare and enhance collaborations between healthcare workers and engineers. To sum up, this paper broadens new horizons for future research on the optimization of ACFs and finds new paths for alleviating healthcare workers' adverse perceptions of ACFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Peng Luo
- School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Yimeng Wu
- College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianqi Zeng
- School of Architecture, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cold Region Urban and Rural Human Settlement Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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Morganti A, Brambilla A, Aguglia A, Amerio A, Miletto N, Parodi N, Porcelli C, Odone A, Costanza A, Signorelli C, Serafini G, Amore M, Capolongo S. Effect of Housing Quality on the Mental Health of University Students during the COVID-19 Lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:2918. [PMID: 35270609 PMCID: PMC8910332 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 outbreak imposed rapid and severe public policies that consistently impacted the lifestyle habits and mental health of the general population. Despite vaccination, lockdown restrictions are still considered as potential measures to contrast COVID-19 variants spread in several countries. Recent studies have highlighted the impacts of lockdowns on the population's mental health; however, the role of the indoor housing environment where people spent most of their time has rarely been considered. Data from 8177 undergraduate and graduate students were collected in a large, cross-sectional, web-based survey, submitted to a university in Northern Italy during the first lockdown period from 1 April to 1 May 2020. Logistic regression analysis showed significant associations between moderate and severe depression symptomatology (PHQ-9 scores ≥ 15), and houses with both poor indoor quality and small dimensions (OR = 4.132), either medium dimensions (OR = 3.249) or big dimensions (OR = 3.522). It was also found that, regardless of housing size, poor indoor quality is significantly associated with moderate-severe depressive symptomatology. Further studies are encouraged to explore the long-term impact of built environment parameter modifications on mental health, and therefore support housing and public health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Morganti
- Design & Health Lab, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy or (A.M.); (A.B.); (S.C.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andrea Brambilla
- Design & Health Lab, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy or (A.M.); (A.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Andrea Aguglia
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Norberto Miletto
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicolò Parodi
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Porcelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Anna Odone
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Costanza
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), 1205 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Carlo Signorelli
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (A.A.); (A.A.); (N.M.); (N.P.); (C.P.); (M.A.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefano Capolongo
- Design & Health Lab, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy or (A.M.); (A.B.); (S.C.)
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