Subjective wellbeing and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data from three population groups in Colombia

Outcomes and experiences of music workshops for adolescents with depression and anxiety: An exploratory noncontrolled trial in Bogotá

OBJECTIVE

Adolescents frequently experience mental distress. However, there is little research on community activities that help adolescents recover from depression and anxiety. This study investigated the outcomes and experiences of music workshops for helping adolescents overcome anxiety and/or depression.

RESULTS

Thirty-four participants aged 15 and 16 years were recruited from a cohort study of adolescents with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression and invited to participate in a musical education and practice workshop consisting of five weekly sessions. At the beginning and end of the workshops, symptoms of anxiety and depression were self-rated on the GAD-7 and PHQ-8. Experiences were assessed on a brief questionnaire with open-ended questions. The average attendance of groups was 86%, but only 56% of participants attended all five sessions of the workshops. The symptom levels did not significantly change during the intervention. Experiences were largely positive. Participants appreciated the interactions in the group and the learning of new skills. Some criticized the workshops as too short and found the logistics of attending difficult.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN50583823. Date Applied 18/03/2022.

The effects of negative social media connotations on subjective wellbeing of an ageing population: A stressor-strain-outcome perspective

In recent years, users' privacy concerns and reluctance to use have posed a challenge for the social media and wellbeing of its users. There is a paucity of research on elderly users' negative connotations of social media and the way these connotations contribute to developing passive behaviour towards social media use, which, in turn, affects subjective wellbeing. To address this research vacuum we employed the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) approach to describe the evolution of passive social media use behaviour from the perspective of communication overload, complexity, and privacy. We conceptualized subjective wellbeing as a combination of three components-negative feelings, positive feelings, and life satisfaction. Negative and positive feelings were used to derive an overall affect balance score that fluctuates between 'unhappiest possible' and 'happiest possible'. The proposed research framework was empirically validated through 399 valid responses from elderly social media users. Our findings reveal that communication overload and complexity raise privacy concerns among social media users, which leads to passive usage of social media. This passive social media use improved the subjective wellbeing favourably by lowering negative feelings and raising positive feelings and life satisfaction. The findings also revealed that respondents' overall affect balance leans towards positive feelings as a consequence of passive social media use. This study contributes to the field of technostress by illuminating how the SSO perspective aid the comprehension of the way passive social media use influences the subjective wellbeing of its users.

Proposal of guidelines to assist managers to face pressing challenges confronting Latin American universities: a complexity theory perspective

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing problems in Latin America and posed unprecedented challenges for Latin American universities (LAU). These challenges can be characterised as complex problems that cannot be understood through reductionist approaches. This paper aims (i) to provide a complex system perspective of the challenges confronting LAUs and (ii) to propose guidelines for managers of LAUs to address them in practice. A multidisciplinary group was formed and conducted an iterative process of research, brainstorming and debate of potential solutions to the following problems considered particularly important by their universities: mental health issues in the university environment, student learning gaps, brain drain, and anti-science movements. Complexity theory and E/HF concepts are integrated to demonstrate that understanding what LAUs are experiencing in a fragmented manner is impossible, and that the interactions between the challenges should be at the centre of the managers' actions plans. Practitioner summary: Managers of LAUs can benefit from the guidelines proposed to understand the pressing challenges confronting universities and develop systemic approaches to address them.

Translation and validation of the WHO-5 General well-being index into native language Quechua of the Peruvian South

To translate and validate the WHO-5 General Well-being Index for the people of the Peruvian South, a cross-sectional instrumental study was carried out with the voluntary participation of 186 people of both sexes between the ages of 18 and 65 years (M = 29.67 years old; SD = 10.94) living in the south region of Peru. The validity evidence was assessed based on the content using Aiken's coefficient V according to the internal structure through a confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability was calculated through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The expert judgment was favorable for all items (V > 0.70). The unidimensional structure of the scale was confirmed (χ2 = 10.86, df = 5, p = 0.05; RMR = 0.020; GFI = 0.980; CFI = 0.990; TLI = 0.980 y RMSEA = 0.080), and it presents a suitable reliability range (α = > 0.75). This shows that the WHO-5 General Well-being Index for the people of the Peruvian South is a valid and reliable scale.

Well-Being amongst College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Developing Country

College students face unique challenges that the consequences of COVID-19 might aggravate. To explore the pandemic's consequences on college students' well-being, we conducted an online survey with 634 students from a private university in Cali, Colombia. The study sought to assess students' well-being due to COVID-19, and to explore the mediating effects of optimism, gratitude, and emotional closeness on college students' well-being. Results showed that COVID-19 affected students' mental health and well-being. Being optimistic and grateful mediated with life satisfaction and happiness. Optimism, emotional closeness, and gratitude also mediated the negative effect of fear of infection and the pandemic's impact on students' academic performance. The results of this analysis will promote discussion of the implementation of coping strategies to help students thrive, promote resilience, and contribute to students' well-being and better mental health.

Antecedents of Subjective Health among Korean Senior Citizens Using Archival Data

This study aimed to investigate the determinants of subjective health among South Korean senior citizens. Secondary data for the year 2018 was used from the Senior Citizen Research Panel data collected by the Korea Employment Information Service. A total of 3822 valid observations were analyzed. The dependent variable was subjective health, and the independent variables were religion participation, social gathering participation, economic activity, food expenditure, leisure expenditure, travel frequency, and art watching frequency. Descriptive analysis, correlation matrix, and independent t-test were carried out for data analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed using assets, age, and gender as control variables to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that all the proposed attributes have a significant positive impact on the subjective health of Korean senior citizens, with implications for policy making.

University students' mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of resilience between meaning in life and mental well-being

The current study aims to examine (a) the mental well-being of university students, who were taking online classes, and (b) and test whether resilience would mediate the relationship between meaning in life and mental well-being. The sample of 302 university students (Mage = 20.25 years; 36.1% men, 63.9% women) was taken from the universities of Punjab, Pakistan. The participants were recruited online and they completed a cross-sectional survey comprising the scales of meaning in life, resilience, and mental well-being during COVID-19. Findings from the study indicated that participants had a normal to a satisfactory level of overall mental wellbeing during COVID-19. Resilience acted as a mediator for both the presence of meaning in life, the search for meaning in life, and mental well-being. Demographic variables including family size were significantly and positively related to resilience while the availability of personal room showed a significant positive relationship with mental well-being. These findings suggest that meaning in life and resilience supports mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and that effective steps should be taken to make the lives of university students more meaningful and resilient.

Comparing Mental Health, Wellbeing and Flourishing in Undergraduate Students Pre- and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

There has been a preponderance of studies on student mental health, wellbeing and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have compared data on student mental health and wellbeing before and during the pandemic. The purpose of the current study was to compare mental health and wellbeing in undergraduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey research was conducted with three groups of undergraduate students (n = 905) from diverse scientific fields at a large, urban university in South Africa. Data was collected by means of electronic surveys, combining full-scale items from three instruments, the Mental Health Continuum Short Form, the Flourishing Scale and the Fragility of Happiness Scale. Data was analysed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) and R software. The results indicate that while the mental health and wellbeing of students declined during the pandemic concerning their perceived ability to contribute to society, having supportive and rewarding social relationships and them being engaged and interested in their daily activities, it also improved in terms of their perceived ability to manage their daily lives (environmental mastery), being challenged to grow (personal growth) and in terms of their views that society was becoming better (social growth/actualisation).

Subjective Wellbeing among University Students and Recent Graduates: Evidence from the United Kingdom

This study compares students’ and recent graduates’ perceptions of their subjective wellbeing and offers support mechanisms and resources to enhance wellbeing in higher education. Survey data were collected in September 2021 from 414 UK-based higher education students and recent graduates on their self-perceived subjective wellbeing in March 2020 (before COVID-19 regulations restrictions) and September 2021 (18 months later). Findings showed that subjective wellbeing scores fell for almost three-quarters of university students and recent graduates between March 2020 and September 2021. Interestingly, around one-fifth of participants reported increased subjective wellbeing scores whilst the remaining participants reported no impact. Positive impacts of the pandemic included opportunities for self-improvement with more free time for focusing on health and relationships. Adverse outcomes included feelings of isolation, reduced mental and physical health, difficulties undertaking degree studies and work, travel restrictions, and concerns for labour market competitiveness. The study advances the application of the conservation of resources theory and identifies strategies for higher education institutions to better support and improve their students’ and future graduates’ subjective wellbeing. Strategies include access to counselling, mindfulness, opportunities for participation in hobbies, interaction with peers, flexible work and study options, and guidance on career and finances.

The positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective well-being and changes in social inequality: Evidence from prefectures in Japan

This study aims to specify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual subjective well-being in Japan and to clarify the mechanism generating social inequality of subjective well-being during the crisis. Data were analyzed using fixed effects ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models from the Online Panel Survey of Social Stratification and Psychology in 2020 (SSPW2020-Panel), which was conducted in four waves in June 2020, September 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. The results reveal that COVID-19 spread in a prefecture had differential effects on subjective well-being in prefectures with high infection rates: positive effects for socially advantaged individuals and negative effects for socially disadvantaged individuals. In conclusion, social inequality in Japan, in terms of subjective well-being, has been widened by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020.

Psychological distress during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador: Cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on the mental health of citizens from Asia, Europe, or North America begin to be known, but there are fewer publications on its effects in Latin American countries. In this study, its impact in Ecuador is described, with data collected during the first phase of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to analyse the level of psychological distress in the population of Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Cross-sectional observational study. The questionnaires were collected through an online self-developed questionnaire, between April 2 and May 17, 2020, using the non-probabilistic sampling methodology: snowball method. The variables considered were sociodemographic variables, physical symptoms, health status, COVID-19 contact history, preventive measures, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The percentage with high psychological distress (PD) (GHQ-12 ≥ 3) has been somewhat lower than that found in Europe, being women, young people, people with higher level of education, living without a partner, not living with children or children under 16 years of age, and with worse perception of health the groups with the highest PD. Differences have been observed with European studies regarding common symptoms, preventive measures to avoid contagion, percentage of infected relatives, or diagnostic tests performed.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the same research instrument, validated in Europe and adapted to Ecuador, has facilitated the comparison of the found results and differences, which can be explained by socio-economic or cultural variables, the health system, level of information, or by preventive measures put in place to prevent the pandemic.

Predictors of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Brazil during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil is extremely severe, and Brazil has the third-highest number of cases in the world. The goal of the study is to identify the prevalence rates and several predictors of depression and anxiety in Brazil during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. We surveyed 482 adults in 23 Brazilian states online on 9-22 May 2020, and found that 70.3% of the adults (n = 339) had depressive symptoms and 67.2% (n = 320) had anxiety symptoms. The results of multi-class logistic regression models revealed that females, younger adults, and those with fewer children had a higher likelihood of depression and anxiety symptoms; adults who worked as employees were more likely to have anxiety symptoms than those who were self-employed or unemployed; adults who spent more time browsing COVID-19 information online were more likely to have depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results provide preliminary evidence and early warning for psychiatrists and healthcare organizations to better identify and focus on the more vulnerable sub-populations in Brazil during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Validating the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale in a Colombian sample

The present instrumental study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale with 421 Colombian adults in full lockdown of coronavirus. The reliability was excellent, obtained through the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient (α = 0.83). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis identified satisfactory indicators for the scale's one-dimensional model. The correlations obtained in the discriminant analysis of the items have a moderate level of correlation with values between 0.74 and 0.81. These findings demonstrate that the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate dysfunctional anxiety related to coronavirus in Colombian population.

Identifying Resilience Factors of Distress and Paranoia During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Five Countries

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has affected all countries with more than 100 million confirmed cases and over 2.1 million casualties by the end of January 2021 worldwide. A prolonged pandemic can harm global levels of optimism, regularity, and sense of meaning and belonging, yielding adverse effects on individuals' mental health as represented by worry, paranoia, and distress. Here we studied resilience, a successful adaptation despite risk and adversity, in five countries: Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Israel, and Norway. In April 2020, over 2,500 participants were recruited for an observational study measuring protective and obstructive factors for distress and paranoia. More than 800 of these participants also completed a follow-up study in July. We found that thriving, keeping a regular schedule, engaging in physical exercise and less procrastination served as factors protecting against distress and paranoia. Risk factors were financial worries and a negative mindset, e.g., feeling a lack of control. Longitudinally, we found no increase in distress or paranoia despite an increase in expectation of how long the outbreak and the restrictions will last, suggesting respondents engaged in healthy coping and adapting their lives to the new circumstances. Altogether, our data suggest that humans adapt even to prolonged stressful events. Our data further highlight several protective factors that policymakers should leverage when considering stress-reducing policies.

Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean

Objective

To assess the association between drinking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, anxiety symptoms, and sociodemographic characteristics in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Method

Data was collected through a cross-sectional online survey (non-probabilistic sample) conducted by the Pan American Health Organization between May 22 and June 30, 2020, in 33 countries and two territories of LAC. Participants were 18 years of age or older and must not have traveled outside of their country since March 15, 2020 (n= 12 328, M age= 38.1 years, 65% female). Four drinking behaviors (online socializing drinking [OSD], drinking with child present [DCP], drinking before 5 p.m. [DB5]), heavy episodic drinking [HED]) were response variables, and quarantining, anxiety symptoms and sociodemographic covariables were explanatory variables.

Results

Quarantine was positively associated with a higher frequency of OSD and with DCP, but negatively associated with a higher frequency of HED. Anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher frequency of HED, more OSD, and DB5. Higher incomes seemed to be more associated with all the studied drinking behaviors. Women tended to report less DB5 and less HED during the pandemic.

Conclusions

Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic seems to affect drinking behavior and mental health indicators like anxiety symptoms. This study is the first effort to measure the consequences of the quarantine on alcohol consumption and mental health in LAC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the associations found, screenings and brief interventions targeting alcohol consumption and mental health are recommended.

What is associated with the increased frequency of heavy episodic drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic? Data from the PAHO regional web-based survey

BACKGROUND

To estimate the prevalence of changes in the frequency of self-reported heavy episodic drinking (HED) among drinkers in Latin America and Caribbean countries on alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assess self-reported factors associated with the increased frequency of HED.

METHODS

Data from 12,328 adults who responded to the cross-sectional survey conducted in 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean by Pan American Health Organization were used. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the effect of the sociodemographic characteristics, quarantine practices, and anxiety symptoms on the increase in frequency of HED among the 2019 drinkers.

RESULTS

65 % of drinkers in 2019 self-reported HED during the COVID-19 pandemic with 13.8 % of the drinkers reporting an increase in HED compared to a 33.38 % decrease in HED. Multivariable analysis indicated that male gender (aOR 1.29, 95 %CI 1.13; 1.49), higher income (aOR 1.64, 95 %CI 1.35; 1.99) and higher level of quarantine practices (aOR 1.10, 95 %CI 1.04; 1.16) were positively associated with increased frequency of HED; unemployment (aOR 0.78, 95 %CI 0.64; 0.96), student status (aOR 0.53, 95 %CI 0.43; 0.64) and living with children (aOR 0.91, 95 %CI 0.84; 0.99) were negatively associated with increased frequency of HED. A gradient of association was found between generalized anxiety disorder and an increase in HED frequency during the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Along with other measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19, it is important to include measures to reduce alcohol consumption and address mental health conditions in the national response to the pandemic.