Partner responsiveness moderates the relation between COVID-19-related stressors and changes in mood during the pandemic

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between intimacy and perceived partner responsiveness in endometriosis women of childbearing age

Purposes

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between intimacy and perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) was examined among the endometriosis women of childbearing age.

Method

201 endometriosis (EM) women of childbearing age were investigated in the gynecology outpatient clinic and ward of a tertiary general hospital in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. Intimacy, PPR, and social support were measured by using the scales of Quality of Relationship Index (QRI), PPR Scale (PPRS), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). A four-step hierarchical regression analysis was conducted.

Results

Positive correlations were found among intimacy and subjective support, support utilization, and PPR. Mediation analysis indicated a partial mediating effect of support utilization on the relationship between intimacy and PPR.

Conclusion

There is a positive correlation between intimacy and PPR in EM patients of childbearing age, and the support utilization plays a partial mediating role.

COVID-19-related stress response among adult females: Relevance of sociodemographics, health-related behaviors and COVID-19 contact

Women were more affected than men during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate COVID-19-related stress response in adult women and its association with the relevant socioeconomic, lifestyle and COVID-19-related factors. This research was carried out in eight randomly chosen cities from September 2020 to October 2021. To examine stress, we distributed the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Women also fulfilled a general socio-epidemiologic questionnaire. The study included 1,264 women. Most women were healthy, highly educated, employed, married, nonsmokers who consumed alcohol. The average total CSS score suggested a relatively low COVID-19 related stress), while 1.7% of women had CSS ≥ 100. The mean PSS was around the mid-point value of the scale. Older women, who were not in a relationship, didn't smoke, didn't drink alcohol, but used immune boosters, had chronic illnesses and reported losing money during the pandemic had higher CSS scores. A higher level of stress was also experienced by women exposed to the intense reporting about COVID-19, had contact with COVID-19 positive people or took care of COVID-19 positive family members. In this sample of predominantly highly educated women few women experienced very high stress level, probably due to the study timing (after the initial wave) when the pandemic saw attenuated stress levels. To relieve women from stress, structural organization and planning in terms of health care delivery, offsetting economic losses, controlled information dissemination and psychological support for women are needed.

Children and adolescents' quality of life in repeated cross-sectional studies during the COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, internalizing and externalizing symptoms have impacted the quality of life of children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study evaluated children's quality of life using parental reports, observing associations with mental health problems and sociodemographic variables. Some behavioral measures were linked to lower quality of life, particularly depression symptoms, relationship problems, and inattention. Multiple regression models indicated that reduced children's quality of life (R2 = 36%) was associated with higher levels of internalizing (r = -0.46) and externalizing (r = -0.23) behavioral problems and younger parents (r = -0.08). Children with previous mental disorder diagnoses had lower quality of life than those without (p < 0.001). In summary, children's quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to current mental health, parental age, and previous history of mental disorders.