1.Anxiety in hospitalised families: lessons from the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Annushkha SINNATHAMBY ; Siau Hwei NG ; Amanda ZAIN ; Liangjian LU ; Celeste YONG ; Xinyi THONG ; Si Min CHAN
Singapore medical journal 2025;66(6):327-332
INTRODUCTION:
In the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, children with COVID-19 in Singapore required hospital isolation. We aimed to explore the psychological experiences of children and their caregivers isolated in a tertiary university hospital due to COVID-19.
METHODS:
A prospective mixed-methods design was used to evaluate the psychological status of hospitalised family units with one or more children aged <18 years who had severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Patient medical records were reviewed for demographic and clinical information. Parents and children ≥7 years of age underwent a psychologist-administered telephone-based interview. Self-reported, age-appropriate instruments, Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and Screen for Adult/Child Anxiety-Related Disorders, were used to assess anxiety and depression, respectively. Participants were also interviewed qualitatively.
RESULTS:
Fifteen family units were hospitalised between March 2020 and May 2020. Of these, 13 (73%) family units were recruited. The median age of the children and median hospitalisation duration were 57 months and 21 days, respectively. Median number of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction swabs performed for each child was eight. All children had asymptomatic to mild SARS-CoV-2 disease. The criteria indicative of anxiety disorder were met by 40% of adults and 80% of children, while the criteria indicative of separation anxiety were met by 60% of parents and 100% of children. One child met the criteria indicative of depression. Uncertainty, separation, prolonged hospitalisation and frequent swabs caused significant reported anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
Families, especially children, had heightened anxiety while in hospital isolation. Therefore, home-based recovery from COVID-19 and psychological support for children and their families, with focus on early recognition of anxiety disorders, are recommended. We support review of paediatric isolation policy as the pandemic evolves.
Humans
;
COVID-19/epidemiology*
;
Male
;
Child
;
Female
;
Singapore/epidemiology*
;
Anxiety/etiology*
;
Prospective Studies
;
Adolescent
;
Hospitalization
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Adult
;
Child, Preschool
;
Pandemics
;
Parents/psychology*
;
Caregivers/psychology*
;
Family/psychology*
;
Depression
;
Patient Isolation/psychology*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
2.Impact of fear of coronavirus disease 2019 on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder traits associated with depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and low self-esteem in university students: a cross-sectional study with mediation analysis.
Tomoko SUZUKI ; Toshiyuki OHTANI ; Michiko NAKAZATO ; Ariuntuul GARIDKHUU ; Basilua Andre MUZEMBO ; Shunya IKEDA
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;30():2-2
BACKGROUND:
High levels of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits are associated with various outcomes, including depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and low self-esteem. Additionally, individuals with high levels of ADHD traits are reported to be more adversely affected by fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study aimed to examine whether the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 using mediation analysis.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of university students in medical-related faculties (n = 1,166). ADHD traits, fear of COVID-19, depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and self-esteem were assessed using the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, K6 Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, respectively. We used linear regression analysis and the Paramed command in Stata to analyze whether fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between ADHD traits and outcomes.
RESULTS:
ADHD traits were significantly associated with outcomes. Regarding the impact of fear of COVID-19, the results revealed a significant association between ADHD traits and fear of COVID-19, and between fear of COVID-19 and outcomes. The results of the mediation analyses showed that the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by the fear of COVID-19 (depressive symptoms: direct effect B = 1.029, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.878, 1.181, indirect effect B = 0.021, 95% CI 0.002, 0.040; functional impairment: direct effect B = 0.786, 95% CI 0.593, 0.979, indirect effect B = 0.033, 95% CI 0.005, 0.060; self-esteem: direct effect B = -1.052, 95% CI -1.226, -0.878, indirect effect B = -0.024, 95% CI -0.046, -0.002).
CONCLUSIONS
Developing preventive measures against the adverse impacts of pandemics like COVID-19 will be particularly important for individuals with high levels of ADHD traits in future.
Humans
;
COVID-19/psychology*
;
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology*
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Self Concept
;
Male
;
Female
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
Fear/psychology*
;
Young Adult
;
Universities
;
Students/psychology*
;
Adult
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Mediation Analysis
;
Adolescent
3.Risk factors for depression in middle-aged and elderly males with benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms.
Zheng-Cheng SHENG ; Tian-Yi SHEN ; Chao-Peng TANG ; Yu-Lin ZHOU ; Song XU ; Wen-Quan ZHOU
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(12):1105-1109
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the risk factors for depression in middle-aged and elderly Chinese male patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS).
METHODS:
Based on the data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we included 8 426 male participants aged ≥ 45 years in this study, and explored the risk factors for depression in patients with BPH/LUTS by logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS:
Among the total number of participants, there were 1 447 cases of BPH/LUTS, with a prevalence rate of 17.2%, and 36.5% of the patients (529/1 447) were complicated by depression. Logistic regression analysis showed that underlying diseases were the risk factors for depression in patients with BPH/LUTS (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.62), while the protective factors against the condition included high school education or above (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.36-0.75), urban residence (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.95), eastern region (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38-0.97), and 6-9 h/d sleep (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.41-0.66).
CONCLUSION
Underlying diseases, education level, residential area, geographical region, and sleep duration are influencing factors for depression in middle-aged and elderly male patients with BPH/LUTS in China and deserve the attention of clinicians.
Humans
;
Male
;
Prostatic Hyperplasia/psychology*
;
Risk Factors
;
Depression/etiology*
;
Aged
;
Middle Aged
;
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/psychology*
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Logistic Models
;
Prevalence
;
Longitudinal Studies
4.The influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: the mediating role of emotional neglect.
Xin-Xin HUANG ; Yu-Ting LI ; Jian-Hua CHEN ; Jing-Jing MA ; En-Zhao CONG ; Yi-Feng XU
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2023;25(1):80-85
OBJECTIVES:
To study the influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and its mechanism.
METHODS:
The cluster sampling method was used to select the students from seven middle schools in Shanghai, China. An online questionnaire survey was conducted using a self-made general status questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Children's Depression Inventory, and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The methods including one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis, and mediating effect analysis were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and the difference in childhood trauma and its mediating effect.
RESULTS:
Compared with the adolescents from nuclear families, the adolescents from three-generation lineal families had a lower risk of depression symptoms (OR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.649-0.972, P<0.05), while those from host families had a higher risk of depression symptoms (OR=4.548, 95%CI: 1.113-18.580, P<0.05). The adolescents from inter-generational families and host families had a significantly higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscale of emotional neglect (P<0.05). Emotional neglect played a mediating role in the influence of inter-generational families and host families on depression symptoms in adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
Parents and grandparents have a certain positive effect in family structures. Separation from parents may make adolescents perceive more emotional neglect, which may increase the occurrence of depression symptoms.
Child
;
Humans
;
Adolescent
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
Family Structure
;
Child Abuse/psychology*
;
China
;
Anxiety/epidemiology*
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
5.Relationship Between Maternal Negative Emotions and Feeding Patterns of Infants Aged 0-6 Months in Remote Rural Areas of Sichuan Province.
Chen-Fan LIAO ; Zheng-Jie CAI ; Fang-Qun LENG ; Rui-Qian WANG ; Ying LIAO ; Yu-Ju WU ; Huan ZHOU
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2023;45(4):541-548
Objective To investigate the status of exclusive breastfeeding and bottle feeding in remote rural areas of Sichuan province and explore the relationship between negative emotions of mothers and feeding patterns of infants.Methods Multistage cluster sampling was employed to select the infants aged 0-6 months and their mothers in remote rural areas of Sichuan province.A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the demographic characteristics of mothers and infants and the basic family information.The Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress scale was used to evaluate mothers' negative emotions,and the Breastfeeding Self-efficacy scale to assess the confidence level of mothers' behavior of adhering to exclusive breastfeeding.Results Totally 723 pairs of infants and their mothers were included.The exclusive breastfeeding and bottle feeding rates were 34.16% (247/723) and 57.54% (416/723),respectively.Mothers with depression tendency were less likely to adopt exclusive breastfeeding (OR=0.532,95%CI=0.291-0.974,P=0.041) and more likely to adopt bottle feeding (OR=1.877,95%CI=1.054-3.344,P=0.033).Further subgroup analysis of breastfeeding self-efficacy showed that in the group of low self-efficacy,the mothers with depression tendency were less likely to adopt exclusive breastfeeding (OR=0.461,95%CI=0.236-0.902,P=0.024) and more likely to adopt bottle feeding (OR=1.968,95%CI=1.047-3.701,P=0.036) than the mothers without depression tendency.In the group of high self-efficacy,mothers' depression,anxiety,and stress tendency had no significant correlation with infant feeding patterns (all P>0.05).Conclusions The mothers in the remote rural areas of Sichuan province are more likely to employ bottle feeding than exclusive breastfeeding.The mothers with stronger depression tendency demonstrate lower possibility of exclusive breastfeeding and higher possibility of bottle feeding.Breastfeeding self-efficacy may affect the association between maternal depression and infant feeding patterns.
Humans
;
Infant
;
Anxiety
;
China
;
Feeding Behavior
;
Self Efficacy
;
East Asian People
;
Mothers/psychology*
;
Depression/epidemiology*
6.Psychosocial crisis intervention for coronavirus disease 2019 patients and healthcare workers.
Li ZHANG ; Lingjiang LI ; Wanhong ZHENG ; Yan ZHANG ; Xueping GAO ; Liwen TAN ; Xiaoping WANG ; Qiongni CHEN ; Junmei XU ; Juanjuan TANG ; Xingwei LUO ; Xudong CHEN ; Xiaocui ZHANG ; Li HE ; Jin LIU ; Peng CHENG ; Lizhi XU ; Yi TIAN ; Chuan WEN ; Weihui LI
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2023;48(1):92-105
OBJECTIVES:
Shelter hospital was an alternative way to provide large-scale medical isolation and treatment for people with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Due to various reasons, patients admitted to the large shelter hospital was reported high level of psychological distress, so did the healthcare workers. This study aims to introduce a comprehensive and multifaceted psychosocial crisis intervention model.
METHODS:
The psychosocial crisis intervention model was provided to 200 patients and 240 healthcare workers in Wuhan Wuchang shelter hospital. Patient volunteers and organized peer support, client-centered culturally sensitive supportive care, timely delivery of scientific information about COVID-19 and its complications, mental health knowledge acquisition of non-psychiatric healthcare workers, group activities, counseling and education, virtualization of psychological intervention, consultation and liaison were exhibited respectively in the model. Pre-service survey was done in 38 patients and 49 healthcare workers using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item (PHQ-2) scale, and the Primary Care PTSD screen for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (PC-PTSD-5). Forty-eight healthcare workers gave feedback after the intervention.
RESULTS:
The psychosocial crisis intervention model was successfully implemented by 10 mental health professionals and was well-accepted by both patients and healthcare workers in the shelter hospital. In pre-service survey, 15.8% of 38 patients were with anxiety, 55.3% were with stress, and 15.8% were with depression; 16.3% of 49 healthcare workers were with anxiety, 26.5% were with stress, and 22.4% were with depression. In post-service survey, 62.5% of 48 healthcare workers thought it was very practical, 37.5% thought more practical; 37.5% of them thought it was very helpful to relief anxiety and insomnia, and 27.1% thought much helpful; 37.5% of them thought it was very helpful to recognize patients with anxiety and insomnia, and 29.2% thought much helpful; 35.4% of them thought it was very helpful to deal with patients' anxiety and insomnia, and 37.5% thought much helpful.
CONCLUSIONS
Psychological crisis intervention is feasible, acceptable, and associated with positive outcomes. Future tastings of this model in larger population and different settings are warranted.
Humans
;
COVID-19
;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
;
Crisis Intervention
;
Psychosocial Intervention
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Mental Health
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
Health Personnel/psychology*
;
Anxiety/etiology*
7.Depression status of elderly patients with metabolic syndrome in three provinces of China.
Dan WANG ; Xue Fei FENG ; Shi Ge QI ; Qiu Tong WANG ; Ya Nan HU ; Zhi Hui WANG ; Bao Hua WANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2023;44(4):568-574
Objective: To understand the depression status and its influencing factors in elderly patients with MS in China and to explore the correlation between various components of elderly MS and depression. Methods: This study is based on the "Prevention and Intervention of Key Diseases in Elderly" project. We used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method to complete 16 199 elderly aged 60 years and above in 16 counties (districts) in Liaoning, Henan, and Guangdong Provinces in 2019, excluding 1 001 missing variables. Finally, 15 198 valid samples were included for analysis. The respondents' MS disease was obtained through questionnaires and physical examinations, and the respondents' depression status within the past half month was assessed using the PHQ-9 Depression Screening Scale. The correlation between elderly MS and its components and depression and its influencing factors were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: A total of 15 198 elderly aged 60 years and above were included in this study, with the prevalence of MS at 10.84% and the detection rate of depressive symptoms in MS patients at 25.49%. The detection rates of depressive symptoms in patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 MS abnormal group scores were 14.56%, 15.17%, 18.01%, 25.21%, and 26.65%, respectively. The number of abnormal components of MS was positively correlated with the detection rate of depressive symptoms, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The risk of depression symptoms in patients with MS, overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia was 1.73 times (OR=1.73, 95%CI:1.51-1.97), 1.13 times (OR=1.13, 95%CI:1.03-1.24), 1.25 times (OR=1.25, 95%CI:1.14-1.38), 1.41 times (OR=1.41, 95%CI:1.24-1.60), 1.81 times (OR=1.81,95%CI:1.61-2.04), respectively, more than those without the disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with sleep disorders was higher than that with normal sleep (OR=4.89, 95%CI: 3.79-6.32). The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with cognitive dysfunction was 2.12 times higher than that in the average population (OR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.56-2.89). The detection rate of depressive symptoms in patients with impaired instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) was 2.31 times (OR=2.31, 95%CI: 1.64-3.26) higher than that in the average population. Tea drinking (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.54-0.98) and physical exercise (OR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.49-0.90) seemed to be protective factors for depression in elderly MS patients (P<0.05). Conclusions: Older patients with MS and its component abnormalities have a higher risk of depression than the average population. Sleep disorders, cognitive impairment, and IADL impairment are important influencing factors for depression in elderly MS patients, while tea drinking and physical exercise may help to reduce the risk of the disease.
Aged
;
Humans
;
Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology*
;
Activities of Daily Living/psychology*
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Tea
;
Risk Factors
8.Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Epidemiology, Mechanism, and Treatment.
Chunyan ZHU ; Ting ZHANG ; Qianqian LI ; Xingui CHEN ; Kai WANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2023;39(4):675-684
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an adverse impact on the physical and mental health of the public worldwide. In addition to illness in patients with COVID-19, isolated people and the general population have experienced mental health problems due to social distancing policies, mandatory lockdown, and other psychosocial factors, and the prevalence of depression and anxiety significantly increased during the pandemic. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the epidemiology, contributing factors, and pathogenesis of depression and anxiety. during the pandemic. These findings indicate that physicians and psychiatrists should pay more attention to and identify those with a high risk for mental problems, such as females, younger people, unmarried people, and those with a low educational level. In addition, researchers should focus on identifying the neural and neuroimmune mechanisms involved in depression and anxiety, and assess the intestinal microbiome to identify effective biomarkers. We also provide an overview of various intervention methods, including pharmacological treatment, psychological therapy, and physiotherapy, to provide a reference for different populations to guide the development of optimized intervention methods.
Female
;
Humans
;
COVID-19/epidemiology*
;
Pandemics
;
Depression/therapy*
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Communicable Disease Control
;
Anxiety/psychology*
9.Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress and coronavirus anxiety among hospital essential services workers in Singapore.
Nang Ei Ei KHAING ; Chau Sian LIM ; Siew Peng SOON ; Hong Choon OH
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 2022;51(5):283-291
INTRODUCTION:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all populations, with frontline workers experiencing a higher risk of mental health effects compared to other groups. Although there are several research studies focusing on the mental health effects of the pandemic on healthcare workers, there is little research about its impact on workers in outsourced hospital essential services. This study aims to examine the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress and coronavirus anxiety among staff working in 3 outsourced hospital essential services-housekeeping, porter service and maintenance services.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted among outsourced hospital essential services workers in a tertiary hospital. Data on demographics, medical history, lifestyle factors, psychosocial factors and mental well-being were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Robust logistic regression was used to determine risk factors associated with psychological distress and dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19.
RESULTS:
A total of 246 hospital essential services workers participated in the study. The prevalence of psychological distress was 24.7%, and dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19 was 13.4%. Social support and workplace support were found to be independently associated with a lower risk of psychological distress, and social connectivity was associated with a lower risk of dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19.
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight the crucial roles of communities and workplaces in combating the mental health consequences of the pandemic. Public health programmes that aim to tackle the emerging mental health crisis in hospital essential services workers should incorporate strategies to address psychosocial factors, in addition to traditional self-care approaches.
Anxiety/psychology*
;
COVID-19/epidemiology*
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Depression/epidemiology*
;
Health Personnel/psychology*
;
Hospitals
;
Humans
;
Pandemics
;
Personnel, Hospital
;
Prevalence
;
Psychological Distress
;
SARS-CoV-2
;
Singapore/epidemiology*
10.Prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians.
Lijun ZHANG ; Yanping BAO ; Guo LI ; Shuhui TAO ; Meiyan LIU
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2022;23(12):1057-1064
This study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and psychological distress among female scientists and technicians in China. Accordingly, we included scientists and technicians from representative research institutions, medical institutions, colleges, universities, and businesses in China, and the data were collected from July 1, 2019 to March 31, 2021 via online questionnaires. The parameters evaluated in this study included age, sex, marital status, educational background, monthly income, sleep hours, sleep problems, smoking, alcohol consumption, work-related stress, work burnout, cardiovascular symptoms, CVD, family history, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. A total of 14 530 scientists and technicians were included, comprising 7144 men and 7386 women. We found 34.9% men and 16.6% women with CVD, 35.1% men and 21.4% women with depressive symptoms, 28.7% men and 13.8% women with anxiety symptoms, and 22.0% men and 9.5% women with CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms. This study focused on the details of women. Younger women (age≤35 years) had the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms (24.9%), anxiety symptoms (16.2%), and comorbidity (11.2%). It was established that, despite traditional risk factors, unmanageable work burnout, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher risk of CVD in women; insomnia, overwhelming work stress, unmanageable work burnout, and CVD were linked to a higher risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety; insomnia, overwhelming work stress, and unmanageable work burnout were related to CVD combined with depressive or anxiety symptoms. A bidirectional relationship was noted between CVD and depression or anxiety in female scientists and technicians, and insomnia and overwhelming work stress were positively associated with comorbidity. It is suggested that effective measures should be taken to protect female scientists and technicians from CVD and psychological distress.
Male
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Adult
;
Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology*
;
Prevalence
;
Depression/complications*
;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology*
;
Anxiety/epidemiology*
;
Risk Factors
;
Psychological Distress
;
Stress, Psychological/psychology*

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