Mental state, biological rhythm and social support among healthcare workers during the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan

The relationship between anxiety symptoms and disturbances in biological rhythms in patients with depression

BACKGROUND

Biological rhythms denote the cyclical patterns of life activities anchored to a 24-hour cycle. Research shows that depression exhibits disturbances in biological rhythms. Yet, the relationship between these biological rhythms and concomitant anxiety symptoms is insufficiently investigated in structured clinical assessments.

METHODS

This multicenter study, carried out in four Chinese hospitals, comprehensively examined the relationship between anxiety and disruptions in biological rhythms among patients with depression. The study encompassed 218 patients diagnosed with depression and 205 matched healthy controls. The Chinese version of the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry was utilized to evaluate the participants' biological rhythms, focusing on four dimensions: sleep, activity, social, and diet.

RESULTS

In patients with depression, there is a significant positive correlation between the severity of anxiety symptoms and the disturbances in biological rhythms. The severity of anxiety and depression, along with the quality of life, are independently associated with disruptions in biological rhythms. The mediation model reveals that anxiety symptoms mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and biological rhythms.

CONCLUSION

This research highlights the role of anxiety within the spectrum of depressive disorders and the associated disturbances in biological rhythms. Our findings shed light on potential pathways towards more targeted preventive strategies and therapeutic interventions for individuals battling depression and anxiety.

Proper use of light environments for mitigating the effects of COVID-19 and other prospective public health emergency lockdowns on sleep quality and fatigue in adolescents

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a public health emergency of international concern, and some countries still implement strict regional lockdowns. Further, the upcoming 2023 Asian Games and World University Games will implement a closed-loop management system. Quarantine can harm mental and physical health, to which adolescents are more vulnerable compared with adults. Previous studies indicated that light can affect our psychology and physiology, and adolescents were exposed to the artificial light environment in the evening during the lockdown. Thus, this study aimed to establish and assess appropriate residential light environments to mitigate the effects of lockdowns on sleep quality and fatigue in adolescents. The participants were 66 adolescents (12.15 ± 2.45 years of age) in a closed-loop management environment, who participated in a 28-day (7-day baseline, 21-day light intervention) randomized controlled trial of a light-emitting diode (LED) light intervention. The adolescents were exposed to different correlated color temperature (CCT) LED light environments (2000 K or 8000 K) for 1 h each evening. The results for self-reported daily sleep quality indicated that the low CCT LED light environment significantly improved sleep quality (p < 0.05), and the blood test results for serum urea and hemoglobin indicated that this environment also significantly reduced fatigue (p < 0.05) and moderately increased performance, compared to the high CCT LED light environment. These findings can serve as a springboard for further research that aims to develop interventions to reduce the effects of public health emergency lockdowns on mental and physical health in adolescents, and provide a reference for participants in the upcoming Asian Games and World University Games.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Chiropractors in South Africa During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess the self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress responses of chiropractors in South Africa during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This was an explorative cross-sectional survey. The survey was distributed to 884 chiropractors through the membership databases of the Chiropractic Association of South Africa and the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa from July 9, 2020, until August 4, 2020. The study was conducted through Google Forms and included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests and comparatively using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

RESULTS

The response rate was 17%. The chiropractor scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were within the normal range (7.35, 5.42, and 11.58, respectively). Female chiropractors under the age of 40 years old were found to be affected to a greater degree than the other participants in this study (9.87, 7.56, and 14.14).

CONCLUSION

Self-reported levels for stress, anxiety, and depression among chiropractors in South Africa were found to be within normal limits during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.