Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on mental health among the general population in Poland and on the availability of psychological support

Anorexia Nervosa in Polish Children and Adolescents in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic-An Observational Single Centre Study

INTRODUCTION

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder with a high mortality rate and significant prevalence in the paediatric population. Preliminary reports during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested an increased incidence of AN among children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to analyse new cases of AN before, during, and after the pandemic, with a particular focus on the physical manifestations of the disease.

METHODS

This single-centre, retrospective study included new AN cases from the hospital database of a regional paediatric hospital (a reference centre for AN) between 2013 and 2023. Data analysed included the duration of the disease, body mass index (BMI), weight loss, length of hospitalisation, laboratory markers (leukopenia, anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hyperferritinaemia, hypophosphataemia, dyslipidaemia, and hypothyroxinaemia) and clinical features of malnutrition (such as amenorrhea bradycardia, pericardial effusion, and cortical/subcortical atrophy).

RESULTS

This study was conducted in a Polish regional hospital. We analysed 228 hospitalized female patients aged 10 to 18 years diagnosed with AN, focusing on clinical characteristics, biochemical markers, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic was shown to have a significant impact, with longer hospitalisations observed during and after the pandemic and a lower BMI on admission post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. In addition, nutritional treatment became more prevalent over time while biochemical markers such as anaemia, hypothyroidism, hypophosphataemia, and dyslipidaemia were statistically more common post-pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical course and hospitalisation patterns of paediatric patients with AN. These findings suggest that the pandemic may have exacerbated disease severity and altered treatment approaches, emphasizing the need for enhanced clinical management and follow-up strategies for AN in the paediatric population during such health crises.

Telemedicine Interventions as an Attempt to Improve the Mental Health of Populations during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Narrative Review

Published reports indicate the need for psychological interventions and the integration of psychiatric care into crisis management plans in people with mental health issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems crucial to identify the root causes of the health-social-economic crisis and identify potential opportunities for widely implemented psychological assistance. This narrative literature review aims to identify the types of interventions deployed as telemedicine-based mental health support and their effectiveness. The PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases were searched. From a total of 48 articles, 46 were analysed after removing duplicates. From these, thirty-seven records were excluded according to the inclusion criteria and nine (eight RCT and one cross-over) were assessed as full texts. The included publications were randomised clinical trials or cross-over studies focused on remote mental support interventions. In all studies, participants represented both sexes and had an average age range of 6-64. Studies included participants from seven countries and the overall number of participants in the included studies was 687. The content of these intervention programmes includes both established psychotherapeutic programmes, as well as new interventions. Remote support was implemented through three approaches: phone/video calls, mobile applications, and internet-based programs. The results of the included studies indicate a higher or equal efficacy of telemedicine interventions compared to traditional forms. The review also revealed a relatively wide range of targeted research groups: from children with social anxiety through to their caregivers; adolescents with neurological disorders; and from college students to adults with psychiatric or orthopaedic disorders. Analysis of the included papers found that telemedicine interventions show promising results as an attempt to improve population mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work Engagement, Work Environment, and Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ecuador

Work environments can interfere with the mental health of workers as generators or reducers of psychological distress. Work engagement is a concept related to quality of life and efficiency at work. The aim of this study was to find the relationship between work environment factors and work engagement among the Ecuadorian general population during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their levels of psychological distress. For this purpose, a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a set of questionnaires was performed. Sociodemographic and work environment data, work engagement (UWES-9 scale) scores, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scores were collected. The variables that predicted 70.2% of psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic were being female, with a low level of vigour (work engagement dimension), being stressed at work, and low job satisfaction. The sample showed an intermediate level of engagement in both the global assessment and the three dimensions, being higher in those without psychological distress. With effective actions on work environment factors, mental health effects may be efficiently prevented, and work engagement may be benefited. Companies can reduce workers’ psychological distress by providing safe and effective means to prevent the risk of contagion; reducing the levels of work conflict, work stress, or workload; and supporting their employees with psychological measures in order to maintain ideal working conditions.