The mental health needs of women in natural disasters: A qualitative study with a preventive approach

Determinants of the desire to avoid pregnancy after the disaster of the century in Türkiye

BACKGROUND

After natural disasters, the occurrence of mental health problems and adverse effects on reproductive health in women of reproductive age can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including the deterioration of health facilities, a shortage of qualified health professionals, a lack of socio-economic stability, and a paucity of familial and community support.

METHODS

The descriptive correlational study was conducted through social networks with 405 women who had experienced the disaster of the century 8 months after (between November and December 2023) the earthquake. The snowball sampling method was used to obtain the research data. The questionnaire form, developed for the purpose of data collection, was disseminated to women who consented to participate in the study through social networks. The data were evaluated using a variety of statistical techniques, including number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

According to the results of linear regression analysis, these were found to be predictors of the desire to avoid pregnancy: having housing problems (β-coefficient 0.173; p = .008), having a damaged home (β-coefficient. 276; p = .009), sleep patterns (β-coefficient 0.433; p = .022), eating habits (β-coefficients 0.248, 0.044), use of psychiatric medication (β-coefficient 0.436, p = .003), and problems related to the food and water supply (β-coefficient 0.127, p = .003). In addition, a structural equation model (SEM) was established to examine the relationship between these variables and mental well-being and pregnancy avoidance. Only the model constructed with mental well-being demonstrated significance in the SEM analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that women's mental health is negatively affected in unpredictable emergencies such as earthquakes and that poor mental health negatively affects pregnancy planning. The findings of the study may help to guide health professionals working in the field of women's health to protect women's mental health in emergency situations, to provide counseling about pregnancy planning, and to provide social and psychological support programs.

Long-COVID and comorbid depression and anxiety two years into the COVID-19 pandemic

Long-COVID, or the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms for months after initial infection, has been shown to impact the lives of those affected. The current study sought to investigate the relationships between long-COVID, COVID-19 related stress, depression, anxiety, and comorbid depression and anxiety outcomes. Data were collected in Winter 2021-2022 from a population of adults enrolled in at least one course across multiple City University of New York (CUNY) campuses. Frequencies and chi-square tests were computed to assess for demographics and relationships to probable diagnoses of depression and anxiety, and binary logistic regressions were computed to assess for the odds of probable comorbid depression and anxiety based on demographics, stressors, and long-COVID. Women participants reported higher odds of probable depression outcomes, and stressor levels were significant correlates of probable anxiety outcomes. Women participants, 3.2 [1.5-6.9], as compared to men, lower-SES participants, 2.16 [1.1-4.2], as compared to higher-SES participants, participants with higher COVID-19 related stress levels, 4.8 [2.0-12.0], as compared to those with low levels, and participants with long-COVID, 3.7 [1.9-7.0], as compared to those without, all had higher odds of probable comorbid depression and anxiety. Findings highlight the importance of social location, stress, and long-COVID, in tandem, as correlates of psychological health during the shifting pandemic.

Psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire for measuring factors related to mental health of women in an earthquake

The current study was performed with the aim of the psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire for measuring factors related to women's mental health in an earthquake. This descriptive instrumental study was carried out on a population of 378 women with an earthquake experience in Kerman Province, Iran, in 2017-2018. The formal validity, content validity, criterion validity, factor analysis, and reliability of the questionnaire were measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Moreover, descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to report data. In the content validity stage, 34out of 85 items of the questionnaire were eliminated. In the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) stage, 2 items out of the remaining 51 items were removed due to weak factor loading and 49 items were defined in 6 factors. The convergent and divergent validities of the questionnaire were confirmed in relation to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) (r = -0.23; P = .030) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF ‎(WHOQOL-BREF) (r = 0.32;P = .001). Using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, the reliability of the questionnaire‎was obtained to be 0.91. The reliability and validity of the study questionnaire were at an appropriate level, and thus, it can be used to perform extensive surveys among women who have ‎experienced earthquake.

Wellbeing recovery inequity following the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence: repeated cross-sectional studies

OBJECTIVE

To track population mental wellbeing following the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes and after-shocks.

METHODS

The Canterbury Wellbeing Survey, a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected adults aged ≥18 years resident in Christchurch, was repeated biannually from April 2013 until June 2017 and annually thereafter. The self-reported 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) has been elicited from April 2013. Regression analysis was employed to model WHO-5 score patterns over time and between important socio-demographic groups.

RESULTS

Between 1,137 and 1,482 adults participated in each survey, totalling 14,100 overall. The mean WHO-5 significantly increased (p<0.001) from 52.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.1, 53.8) in the April 2013 survey to 60.8 (95%CI: 59.7, 61.9) in the June 2019 survey. A significant and sustained household income group disparity existed (p<0.001), even when adjusting for age, gender and ethnic differences.

CONCLUSIONS

The disaster appeared to affect the mental wellbeing of all, and recovery was incremental and prolonged, taking a number of years. Those within the lowest household income group had lower mean WHO-5 scores than their wealthier counterparts at every measured time point. Implications for public health: Recovery takes time, and pre-existing inequities persist despite the implementation of recovery processes aimed at mitigating these risks.

Behavioral Responses in Youth Exposed to Natural Disasters and Political Conflict

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this review was to focus solely on youths' behavioral responses to natural disasters and political conflicts in order to fully understand their impact and scope.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies in the field of trauma have shown that theoretical conceptions have moved away from a narrow focus on the individual and towards wider ecological perspectives and from a narrow focus on negative responses to trauma exposure towards positive prosocial responses. Although there is a distinction between youths' behavioral responses towards natural disasters vs. towards political conflicts, in both of these adverse situations, behavioral responses exist alongside emotional responses. Adolescents exposed to either type of adverse scenario are often able to turn their negative experiences into positive ones, take greater responsibility for themselves and others, contribute to recovery processes, and engage in prosocial behaviors. These responses must be investigated in the context of the trauma field's recent understandings regarding psychological, biological, environmental, and cultural factors.

Prioritization of factors related to mental health of women during an earthquake: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

According to the fact that women account for the highest rate of victims of mental health loss during disasters, prioritization of their requirements is of remarkable significance. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the aim to prioritize factors related to women's mental health during an earthquake.

METHODS

This study was conducted using the Delphi method in 2017. Participants consisted of experts including psychologists, counselors and psychiatrists, social medicine specialists, and psychiatric-mental health nurses with experience in service and disaster awareness, especially earthquake. They were selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The Delphi method was used in 2 rounds with 21 components and the final attendance of 19 participants and the collective agreement of 75%.

RESULTS

Of the 21 factors related to women's mental health during the earthquake, the following components were, respectively, preferred by the participants: psychological well-being training, group relationships and support of women in emergency situations, fair treatment in the provision of rights and services to women, crisis awareness and management of behavior and difficult conditions, and social security during disasters with the total mean standard deviation (SD) of 13.4 (2.4), 13.0 (2.4), 12.7 (2.5), 12.5 (2.4), and 12.3 (2.2), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Training in the field of psychology and disasters, and social and cultural factors were prioritized among factors related to women's mental health during an earthquake. Therefore, the results of this study can be applied by the planners and executives of mental health, women and disasters, and the women's community itself.