Using the SRQ-20 factor structure to examine changes in mental distress following typhoon exposure

Impact of extreme weather events on mental health in South and Southeast Asia: A two decades of systematic review of observational studies

Extreme weather events in South and Southeast Asia exert profound psychosocial impacts, amplifying the prevalence of mental illness. Despite their substantial consequences, there is a dearth of research and representation in the current literature. We conducted a systematic review of observational studies published between January 1, 2000, and January 20, 2024, to examine the impact of extreme weather events on the mental health of the South and Southeast Asian population. Quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) quality appraisal checklist. The search retrieved 70 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Most were from India (n = 22), and most used a cross-sectional study design (n = 55). Poor mental health outcomes were associated with six types of extreme weather events: floods, storm surges, typhoons, cyclones, extreme heat, and riverbank erosion. Most studies (n = 41) reported short-term outcome measurements. Findings included outcomes with predictable symptomatology, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, general psychological distress, emotional distress and suicide. Limited studies on long-term effects showed higher mental disorders after floods and typhoons, while cyclone-exposed individuals had more short-term distress. Notably, the review identified over 50 risk factors influencing mental health outcomes, categorized into six classes: demographic, economic, health, disaster exposure, psychological, and community factors. However, the quantitative evidence linking extreme weather events to mental health was limited due to a lack of longitudinal data, lack of control groups, and the absence of objective exposure measurements. The review found some compelling evidence linking extreme weather events to adverse mental health in the South and Southeast Asia region. Future research should focus on longitudinal study design to identify the specific stressors and climatic factors influencing the relationship between climate extremes and mental health in this region.

Psychological sense of community, self-rated health and quality of life among older adults in Puerto Rico two years after Hurricane María

Older adults who experience natural disasters are at risk for immediate and longer-term negative health outcomes and diminished quality of life (QOL), in part due to disruptions to social relationships and protections. We use a risk and resilience framework to examine the protective effects of psychological sense of community (PSOC) on self-rated health (SRH) and QOL for older adults in Puerto Rico 2 years after the devastation of Hurricane María in 2017. Between September 2019 and January 2020, we conducted face-to-face interviews with a nonprobability sample of 154 community-dwelling adults aged 60+ in Puerto Rico. Controlling for covariates, we used multivariate regression to examine the association of PSOC and key social risk factors (mental health, social isolation, and loneliness) with SRH and QOL. Higher levels of PSOC were significantly associated with better SRH and QOL. Regarding risks, worse mental health was significantly associated with lower QOL and SRH, loneliness was significantly related to worse QOL, and social isolation was significantly associated with better SRH and better QOL. PSOC was a protective factor for older adults, suggesting that prevention and intervention efforts should focus on building and sustaining older adults' sense of community in the longer-term wake of natural disasters.

Prevalence and factors associated with substance use among university students in South Africa: implications for prevention

BACKGROUND

Substance use is an important public health concern in many countries across the globe. Among the general public, institutions of higher learning have developed a reputation for inducing new substance use among students. In addition to socio-demographic factors, substance use and abuse among university students often appear to be related to psychological stressors typically related to the demand to adapt to the new environment and the pressures associated with academia. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of, and factors associated with substance use among university students.

METHODS

This quantitative study employed convenience sampling to recruit university students who were 18 years and older from a university in the Western Cape. The study made use of self-administered online questionnaires, which participants completed via SurveyMonkey. The sample consisted of 2915 students. Descriptive statistics were used to describe and provide the prevalence and overview of the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Associations between variables were explored using Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests.

RESULTS

The main findings revealed a substance use prevalence rate of 62.7%. The most prominent substances used by students were alcohol (80.6%), cannabis (46%), and ecstasy (5.3%). The study further  revealed clear associations between students' substance use and mental health. Students who reported substance use at university reported higher depression and anxiety scores than those who did not. However, findings reveal no significant association (p = 0.233) between being a substance user and a nonsubstance user and students' respective self-perceived stress scores.

CONCLUSION

Results show the majority of sampled students had started using substances (both alcohol and other substances) only after entering university. The results call into question seminal findings relating to substance use and the university environment. The novel findings of this study could serve as a baseline input to inform policymakers, programme developers, service providers, parents, and other stakeholders who are involved in the design and implementation of more effective awareness, prevention and, needs-based intervention services.

A longitudinal study on emotional distress among local government staff seven years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China

BACKGROUND

The current study examined the change in local government staff's emotional distress over 7 years after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, and the influence of earthquake exposure and professional quality of life (ProQOL) on emotional distress.

METHODS

This longitudinal study assessed 250 participants at 1 year after the earthquake; 162 (64.8%) were followed up at 7 years. Emotional distress was assessed with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) at both time points. We assessed ProQOL, including compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, and earthquake exposure at 1 year. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to test longitudinal changes in emotional distress. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to examine the effect of earthquake exposure and ProQOL.

RESULTS

The positive screening rate of emotional distress (SRQ ≥ 8) was 37.6 and 15.4% at one and 7 years, respectively. Emotional distress scores declined over time (p < 0.001). Earthquake exposure and ProQOL predicted one-year (ps < 0.05) but not seven-year emotional distress, whereas burnout predicted both one-year (p = 0.018) and seven-year (p = 0.047) emotional distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Although emotional distress can recover over time, it persists even 7 years later. Actions to reduce burnout during the early stage of post-disaster rescue have long-term benefits to staff's psychological outcomes.

Factors Affecting Tuberculosis Patients' Quality of Life in Surabaya, Indonesia

PURPOSE

Patients with tuberculosis need to religiously take medication daily. However, they experience several side effects from these medications. The main reason for measuring the quality of life is to explain closely related factors that affect the patient's daily life that have been compromised with illness, while considering a patients' well-being that has associations with individual characteristics.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 157 patients with tuberculosis at 5 primary health-care centers and 2 hospitals in Surabaya. Quality of life is determined based on eight domains: general health, pain, social functioning, physical functioning, role limitation due to physical health, role limitation due to emotional problems, energy, and emotional well-being. The research instrument used to measure the quality of life is the RAND-36 Item Health Survey, whereas that used to measure mental distress is the Self-Reporting Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Our study results show that, of the eight domains measuring the quality of life, only age exhibited a significant effect on general health (P = 0.018); sex did not significantly affect the quality of life in all domains. The level of education exhibited a significant effect only on role limitation due to emotional problems (P = 0.014). Mental distress demonstrated a significant effect on the quality of life in all domains.

CONCLUSION

There are several factors affecting TB patients' quality of life. The study found that age, level of education, and comorbidity affect quality of life in several domains. However, mental distress affects quality of life in all domains.