Mental health and wellbeing among Iranian medical students: a descriptive study

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110478
Author(s):  
Agaah Ashrafi ◽  
Murtaza Kadhum ◽  
Andrew Molodynski ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
National Initiatives ◽  
Very High

Background: The psychological wellbeing and stresses on medical students are currently under a global spotlight. Under a wider initiative supported by the British Medical Association (BMA), international surveys have been conducted to understand and begin to tackle these issues. Method: This study aimed at describing the mental wellbeing and levels of burnout of Iranian medical students. A total of 179 medical students from 19 different cities participated voluntarily in the survey by answering an online questionnaire between April and August 2020. We detected a trend toward higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders (namely depressive disorders) and substance misuse when compared to previous national studies. Results: About 6% of students screened positive for alcohol problems with the CAGE questionnaire. About 77% of medical students screened positive for mental health problems with the GHQ12 questionnaire. Very high rates of burnout were also reported. These findings emphasize the urgent need to define methods to screen at risk medical students and implement local and national initiatives to curtain their potential detrimental effects.

scholarly journals Mental health and wellbeing of Indonesian medical students: A regional comparison study

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110577
Author(s):  
Nabila Ananda Kloping ◽  
Theresia Citraningtyas ◽  
Rossalina Lili ◽  
Sarah Marie Farrell ◽  
Andrew Molodynski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Comparison Study ◽  
Regional Comparison ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Very High

Background: Our previous research found very high levels of burnout and mental health problems among medical students across Indonesia, in line with rates in many other countries. This study further analyses the data by comparing six different regions of Indonesia to determine any differences between them on such measures and to look for possible explanations. Results: Our sample of 1,729 students reported high levels of burnout and ‘mild’ psychiatric illness across all six regions. There were however significant differences between some regions. Sumatran students reported the lowest scores for both the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ12) scales. Sources of stress also varied among regions, with relationships and study the most reported. Further exploration of possible cultural differences is needed as well as prompt mental health support for medical students.

scholarly journals Evaluating Mental Health and Wellbeing of Postgraduate Researchers: Prevalence and Contributing Factors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Milicev ◽  
Stephany Biello ◽  
Maria Gardani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Uk

AbstractIntroduction: Recent research has revealed high rates of mental health issues in postgraduate researchers (PGRs). Mental ill-health is a barrier to life satisfaction and academic success. More knowledge is necessary to understand the extent and origins of mental health problems of PGRs in the UK. Aims: To assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, sleep problems, subjective mental wellbeing, and suicide behaviours of PGRs in the UK, as well as to explore the factors that underpin these outcomes.Methods: An online survey (N=479) was used to measure the mental health outcomes, and assess the influence of demographic, trait and academic variables, and social support. Results: In this sample the prevalence of mental ill-health was high, while wellbeing was lower than in the general population. Female, non-binary and non-heterosexual PGRs had poorer mental health than their male and/or heterosexual counterparts. Researchers in the field of Arts had higher levels of wellbeing, while those in the 5th year of study or above were at a higher risk of suicidal behaviours. Resilience, adaptive perfectionism, social support and positive evaluations of progress and preparation, departmental climate, and supervisory relationship were associated with positive outcomes, while maladaptive perfectionism and workaholism were linked to the negative ones. Resilience and workaholism were the only variables that played a role in all mental health outcomes.Conclusions: The current paper contributes new knowledge about the PGR wellbeing, the prevalence of mental health symptoms, and some of the factors that shape them. Our findings imply that institutional efforts to improve PGR mental health and wellbeing should include a variety of strategies to promote equality, diversity, resilience, integration and work-life balance of PGRs.

First the Pandemic then the Tsunami: COVID-19 and Its Impact on Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keng Chuan SOH ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Behavioural Patterns

Introduction: COVID-19 has undeniably and profoundly impacted everyday lives of the general public. One particular emphasis is the mental wellbeing of populations. This review serves to examine the mental health impact of the current pandemic. Methods: A review of the literature on PubMed was conducted, drawing from systematic reviews and large population studies about mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The content was synthesized with the writer’s experience of daily life across different perspectives. Certain demographic sub-groups were examined, such as those under home quarantine or isolation, those who had contracted COVID-19, those with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, as well as healthcare workers and medical students. Results: Psychological well-being was adversely affected by the pandemic, although there is some controversy about the magnitude of this impact which is likely in relation to the timeline of the pandemic’s progression. Behavioural patterns such as spending habits during lockdowns might provide an early indication of mental health problems. Those who had contracted COVID-19 were found to have heightened levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive symptoms. Healthcare workers and medical students have faced comparable levels of anxiety, depressed mood and insomnia. The final results of some of the systematic reviews are still pending. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted everyday life. If not already thecase, there is likely to be an anticipated tsunami of mental health concerns. This wouldmake a strong case for the anticipatory need of increased resource allocation to allowmental health services to meet this demand.

Do Older Australians Truly have Low Rates of Anxiety and Depression? A Critique of the 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 623-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

This paper sets out to critically evaluate reports from the Australian-wide National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of very low rates of ICD-10 anxiety and depressive disorders in community resident older Australians. Data from the National Survey, which relied on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) were re-computed and re-analysed to address concerns about population sampling, interview response patterns and alternate measures of mental health. Rates of anxiety and depressive disorders fell to low levels after 65 years and continued to fall thereafter. This is at odds with findings from gerontological surveys that used assessment tools better suited to frail older people. Scores on mental health scales, together with diagnostic algorithms that obviated CIDI skip patterns, showed much less change in mental wellbeing across generations. It is argued that sampling and case ascertainment bias combined to reduce rates of anxiety and depression in very old people, especially when adjustments are made for the high morbidity levels encountered in aged residential facilities. Functional mental disorders almost certainly rise in frequency in advanced old age, often in conjunction with dementia.

The Unmind Index: development and UK validation of a new digital assessment of mental health and wellbeing (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Sierk ◽  
Eoin Travers ◽  
Marcos Economides ◽  
Bao Sheng Loe ◽  
Luning Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Sleep Study ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Aggregate Information

BACKGROUND Unmind is a workplace digital mental health platform, with tools to help users track, maintain, and improve their mental health and wellbeing (MHWB). Psychological measurement plays a key role on this platform, providing users with insights on their current MHWB, the ability to track it over time, and personalised recommendations, while providing employers with aggregate information about the MHWB of their workforce. OBJECTIVE Due to the limitations of existing measures for this purpose, we aimed to develop and validate a novel wellbeing index for digital use, to capture symptoms of common mental health problems and key aspects of positive wellbeing. METHODS In Study 1A, questionnaire items were generated by clinicians and screened for face validity. In Study 1B, these items were presented to a large sample (N = 1,104) of UK adults and exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the item pool and identify coherent subscales. In Study 2, the final measure was presented to a new nationally representative UK sample (N = 976), along with a battery of existing measures, with 238 participants retaking the Index after one week. The factor structure and measurement invariance of the Unmind Index was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity by estimating correlations with existing measures, and reliability by examining internal consistency and test-retest intraclass correlations. RESULTS Studies 1A and 1B yielded a 26-item measure with 7 subscales: Calmness, Connection, Coping, Happiness, Health, Fulfilment, and Sleep. Study 2 showed that the Unmind Index is fitted well by a second-order factor structure, where the 7 subscales all load onto an overall MHWB factor, and established measurement invariance by age and gender. Subscale and total scores correlate well with existing mental health measures, and generally diverge from personality measures. Reliability was good or excellent across all subscales. CONCLUSIONS The Unmind Index is a robust measure of mental health and wellbeing that can help to identify target areas for intervention in non-clinical users of an MHapp. We argue that there is value in measuring mental ill health and mental wellbeing together, rather than treating them as separate constructs.

scholarly journals Association between blue and green space availability with mental health and wellbeing

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Song ◽  
Richard Fry ◽  
Amy Mizen ◽  
Ashley Akbari ◽  
Benedict Wheeler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

IntroductionGreen-blue spaces (GBS), such as parks, woodlands, and beaches, may be beneficial for population mental health and wellbeing. However, there are few longitudinal studies on the association between GBS and mental health and wellbeing, and few that incorporate network analysis as opposed to simple Euclidian proximity. Objectives and ApproachWe are examining the association between the availability of GBS with wellbeing and common mental health disorders. We will use geographic information systems (GIS) to create quarterly household level GBS availability data using digital map and satellite data (2008-2018) for over 1 million homes in Wales, United Kingdom. We will link GBS availability to individual level mental health (1.7 million people with General Practitioner (GP) data) and data from the National Survey for Wales (n = 24,000) on wellbeing (Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS)) using the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) databank. ResultsWe created an historic dataset of GBS availability using road network and path data to create quarterly household level GBS exposures (2008-2018). We tested Residential Anonymised Linking Fields (RALFs) and accurately linked 97\% of individuals and their health data to their home and GBS exposure. The 1.65 million exposure-health data pairs, updated quarterly, will enable a longitudinal panel study to be built. Using GP recorded data on treatments, diagnoses, symptoms and prescriptions for mental health problems we identified 35,000 people had a common mental health disorder in 2016, and 24,000 people answered the National Survey for Wales questions about their wellbeing and use of GBS. We will explore how house moves, and visits to GBS change the association between GBS availability and outcomes. Conclusion/ImplicationsThis study fills the gap in the evidence base around environmental planning policy to shape living environments to benefit health. It will inform the planning and management of GBS in urban and rural environments and contribute to international work on impacts of the built environment on mental health and wellbeing.

scholarly journals Overview of CAPICE—Childhood and Adolescence Psychopathology: unravelling the complex etiology by a large Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Europe—an EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie International Training Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hema Sekhar Reddy Rajula ◽  
Mirko Manchia ◽  
Kratika Agarwal ◽  
Wonuola A. Akingbuwa ◽  
Andrea G. Allegrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Adolescent Psychopathology ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Global Alliance ◽  
Dissemination Strategy ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

AbstractThe Roadmap for Mental Health and Wellbeing Research in Europe (ROAMER) identified child and adolescent mental illness as a priority area for research. CAPICE (Childhood and Adolescence Psychopathology: unravelling the complex etiology by a large Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Europe) is a European Union (EU) funded training network aimed at investigating the causes of individual differences in common childhood and adolescent psychopathology, especially depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CAPICE brings together eight birth and childhood cohorts as well as other cohorts from the EArly Genetics and Life course Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortium, including twin cohorts, with unique longitudinal data on environmental exposures and mental health problems, and genetic data on participants. Here we describe the objectives, summarize the methodological approaches and initial results, and present the dissemination strategy of the CAPICE network. Besides identifying genetic and epigenetic variants associated with these phenotypes, analyses have been performed to shed light on the role of genetic factors and the interplay with the environment in influencing the persistence of symptoms across the lifespan. Data harmonization and building an advanced data catalogue are also part of the work plan. Findings will be disseminated to non-academic parties, in close collaboration with the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN-Europe).

When solidarity hurts: (Intra)cultural trust, cultural betrayal sexual trauma, and PTSD in culturally diverse minoritized youth transitioning to adulthood

2021 ◽  
pp. 136346152110629
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Trauma Outcomes ◽  
Trauma Research ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Societal Inequality

Sexual trauma is associated with PTSD, with perpetrators putting women and girls more at risk than men and boys. Young adulthood is a time where risk of victimization and susceptibility to mental health problems increase. Certain contributors of costly trauma outcomes may be affected by the larger context of societal inequality. Cultural betrayal trauma theory (CBTT) highlights cultural betrayal in within-group trauma in minoritized populations as a dimension of harm that affects outcomes. In CBTT, within-group trauma violates the (intra)cultural trust—solidarity, love, loyalty, connection, responsibility—that is developed between group members to buffer against societal inequality. This violation, termed a cultural betrayal, can contribute to poorer mental health. The purpose of the current study is to address a gap in the CBTT literature by examining the role of (intra)cultural trust on the association between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and symptoms of PTSD among diverse minoritized youth transitioning to adulthood. Participants ( N = 173) were diverse minoritized college students, who completed a 30-min online questionnaire at a location of their own choosing. Participants received course credit and could decline to answer any question without penalty. The results reveal that the interaction between cultural betrayal sexual trauma and (intra)cultural trust predicted clinically significant symptoms of PTSD. These findings have implications for increased cultural and contextual specificity in trauma research in minoritized populations, which can aid in the development and implementation of culturally competent interventions for diverse minoritized youth survivors of sexual trauma.

scholarly journals Advances in psychiatric treatment in primary care

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Dowrick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
National Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Breaking Work

Following ground-breaking work by Shepherd et al (1966) and, more recently, Goldberg & Huxley (1992), primary care is now recognised as the arena in which most contact occurs between the National Health Service (NHS) and people with mental health problems. General practitioners (GPs) remain the first, and in many cases the only, health professionals involved in the management of a whole range of conditions, from common anxiety and depressive disorders to severe and enduring mental illnesses.

scholarly journals Social anxiety symptoms and body image dissatisfaction in medical students: prevalence and correlates

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Oliveira Regis ◽  
Ana Teresa A. Ramos-Cerqueira ◽  
Maria Cristina P. Lima ◽  
Albina R. Torres
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Making Friends

ABSTRACT Objective Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and body image dissatisfaction (BID) are common problems among college students, but few studies focused on medical students. We aimed to estimate the prevalence, severity and correlates of SAD symptoms and BID among medical students of a Brazilian public university. Methods A cross-sectional study with 479 students, using structured instruments: Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Bivariate analyses were followed by logistic regression models to obtain independent predictors of SAD symptoms, BID and both outcomes combined. Results Most students were single (99%) and female (58.7%). The prevalence rates of SAD symptoms (SPIN ≥ 19) and BID (BSQ ≥ 81) were 36.3% and 34.7%, respectively. Depressive symptoms (BDI ≥ 19) occurred in 8.8% of the sample. SAD symptoms were independently associated with: BID, thoughts of abandoning the course, difficulty making friends, depressive symptoms, and mental health treatment prior to university. Besides SAD symptoms, BID was associated with female sex, difficulty making friends, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). Seventy-eight students (16.3%) presented SAD symptoms and BID, which was associated with female sex, difficulty making friends, dissatisfaction with the course, depressive symptoms and BMI. Conclusion SAD symptoms and BID are common and related problems that should be screened for among medical students. The identification of specific correlates could contribute to the elaboration of preventive measures, minimizing the distress and negative impact of these mental health problems on relationships and academic performance.

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