Community‐based decentralized mental health services are essential to prevent the epidemic turn of post‐Covid mental disorders in Bangladesh: A call to action

Association between flaunting behaviors on social media and among the general population in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Background and Aims

The number of social media users is growing with each passing day at full tilt, keeping pace with digitalization and technological advances. Despite several advantages, there are also certain negative aspects to using social networking sites (SNS) for communication, amusement, self-expression, impression management, and other purposes. This study sought to investigate the association between mental health status and flaunting behaviors in social media among the general population in Bangladesh.

Methods

We conducted this nationwide cross-sectional online survey among 465 people aged between 18 and 60 between October 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022. Following electronic consent, we collected the socio-demographic profiles and psychometric parameters of the respondents. Additionally, we assessed the diverse perspectives on SNS usage and its relationship to the self-reported symptoms of depression and loneliness.

Results

The estimated prevalence of loneliness and depressive symptoms were 65.16% (mild: 39.57%, moderate: 16.56%, severe: 9.03%) and 55.49% (mild: 26.67%, moderate: 22.15%, severe: 6.67%), respectively. Key factors associated with flaunting on social media were mental health issues such as depression and loneliness. Several social factors were also considered, such as being young, of the male sex, unmarried, illiterate, a student, urban dwelling, average economic status, nuclear family structure, types of SNSs, checking social media first in the morning, and the use of SNS for gaining popularity.

Conclusion

A significant portion of SNS users reported symptoms of mental illness. Current study findings urge for longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes to have a nearly equal distribution of users from each social media platform for in-depth exploration of how user attitudes about SNSs and site usage patterns impact the general public's mental health. We suggest that regulating SNS usage patterns and treatment approaches would improve the situation.

The WHO has declared the end of pandemic phase of COVID-19: Way to come back in the normal life

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant global mortality and morbidity affecting millions of lives. As healthcare authorities worldwide are still paying substantial attention to COVID-19, other diseases continue to cause more deaths than COVID-19. The decreasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths indicates that the pandemic is close to the end. For effective pandemic management, healthcare facilities worldwide have established COVID-19 units and testing facilities, instituting infection prevention and control measures, and employing telehealth services. Healthcare professionals have identified some promising treatments for COVID-19; also, mass vaccinations have improved patient outcomes. Instead of COVID-19 as a pandemic, it is time to pay more attention to other diseases to lessen their impact on public health. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the end of the pandemic phase of COVID-19 considering the current COVID-19 situation and our preparedness, past pandemic experience, and long pandemic impact on social and economic life on May 5, 2023. In this article, we briefly discussed the present challenges due to COVID-19, necessary precautions, and future directions to return to life as before COVID-19.

Internet addiction and loneliness among school-going adolescents in Bangladesh in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Internet addiction (IA) by children and adolescents is a concern for parents. The intensity of this problem has increased in the context of COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Here we aimed to evaluate internet usage patterns, addiction to internet use, and mental health among Bangladeshi school-going adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted this cross-sectional study among 502 school-going adolescents. Pre-structured questionnaire was used to collect information related to demographics and the internet usage pattern. We assessed the prevalence of IA and loneliness using the internet addiction test (IAT) scale and UCLA-3 loneliness scale. The prevalence of IA and loneliness among Bangladeshi school-going adolescents were 88.25% and 72.51%, respectively. Individuals with English-medium education, higher classes, high economic status, mobile internet connection, online gaming habits, and living without family showed significantly higher levels of IA. Moreover, a high proportion of loneliness was observed among individuals with high financial conditions, mobile internet connection, and who watch movies on the internet. The present study findings suggest a strong association between demographics, internet usage patterns, IA, and the mental health of adolescents. These results would have practical inferences in clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and related fields. Based on this finding, the healthcare authorities and professionals can develop an inclusive interventional approach for adolescents who suffer from IA and mental health disorders.

Prevalence and associated factors for elevated fear and depressive symptoms among the private service holders in Bangladesh during the Covid‐19 pandemic: A cross‐sectional study

Background and Aims

The ongoing public health emergency has created incredible fear of getting the infection and a terrible psychological burden among all levels. The pandemic has severely affected private job holders' economic status and lifestyle factors in Bangladesh. Here we aimed to assess fear and depressive symptoms among private job holders in Bangladesh during the Covid‐19 pandemic and associated risk factors.

Methods

We conducted this online cross‐sectional survey between January 15, 2021, and March 15, 2021, among 510 private job holders aged above 18 years. We followed the convenience sampling method for data collection. We assessed sociodemographic factors and two psychometric parameters. We applied the Fear of Covid‐19 Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 to assess increased fear and depressive symptoms, respectively. Chi‐square test, independent sample t‐test, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed for data analysis.

Results

The prevalence of increased fear and depressive symptoms were 86.27% and 42.16%, respectively. Factors associated with increased fear among private job holders during COVID‐19 were economic class, obesity, on‐time salary, company's downsizing policy, salary reduction, home office, and transportation facilities. However, depressive symptoms were associated with marital status, education level, residence area, the organizational practice of health safety rules, company performance, on‐time salary, health insurance, downsizing, salary reduction policy, organization type, transportation, and mental health support at work. The present study also noticed some interrelations among the above factors with mental health issues.

Conclusion

Based on the present findings, we recommend actionable items to improve the mental health of private job holders in Bangladesh due to the ongoing pandemic. Authorities can develop mental health support programs and efficient Covid‐19 response systems. The policymakers and regulatory bodies might take some initiatives to promote mental health in the private sector in Bangladesh.