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England C, Jarrom D, Washington J, Hasler E, Batten L, Edwards A, Lewis R. Methodological approaches to measuring mental health in a cost-of-living crisis: A rapid review. Health Policy 2024; 144:105062. [PMID: 38615626 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cost-of-living crises are damaging to population mental health and require a public health response. It is important to assess whether public health interventions are effective. We aimed to identify population-level methods and measures and the appropriateness of the measures for vulnerable populations. METHODS A rapid evidence review was undertaken. Nineteen databases, including grey literature, were searched for evidence published between 1970 and April 2023. RESULTS Seven reviews, nine primary studies and two reports from grey literature were identified. Methods consisted of analyses of existing data from national or regional cohort studies, household panel surveys, repeated cross-sectional surveys, routine medical data, or data on suicide death rates. Twelve brief validated mental health measurement tools, embedded in population-level surveys, were identified. Two quasi-experimental studies used data from a UK household panel survey to examine the impact of the introduction of specific welfare policies on mental health. Studies identified socio-economic vulnerabilities, but it was not possible to determine whether data were effectively captured from people from minority ethnic groups. CONCLUSION Population-level surveys can be used in quasi-experimental studies to measure the effects of a public health initiative with specific roll out dates to tackle cost-of-living impacts. It is unclear as to whether the identified methods and tools are suitable for use with people from minority ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Adrian Edwards
- Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Lewis
- Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre, Bangor University, United Kingdom
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Talamonti D, Schneider J, Gibson B, Forshaw M. The impact of national and international financial crises on mental health and well-being: a systematic review. J Ment Health 2023:1-38. [PMID: 37934869 DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2023.2278104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that financial crises and poor mental health are reciprocally related, but no systematic review has been conducted to synthesise the existing literature on the impact of national and international financial crises on population-level mental health and well-being. AIMS The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature on the global impact of financial crises on mental health and well-being outcomes. METHODS After registration on PROSPERO, a systematic search was conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Wiley, and Web of Science for papers published until 21 November 2022. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, 98 papers were identified as meeting eligibility criteria. Included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and results were presented in a formal narrative synthesis. RESULTS Our findings show that financial crises are significantly associated with well-being and occurrence of psychological conditions. Several socio-demographic, cultural, and country-specific characteristics played a crucial role in the prevention of population mental health decline in periods of financial crises. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of this review, evidence-based recommendations were developed to guide the design of policy actions that protect population mental health during and after financial crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Talamonti
- AXDEV Group Inc, Québec, Canada
- Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jekaterina Schneider
- Centre for Appearance Research, School of Social Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Benjamin Gibson
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
| | - Mark Forshaw
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
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Schoenweger P, Kirschneck M, Biersack K, Di Meo AF, Reindl-Spanner P, Prommegger B, Ditzen-Janotta C, Henningsen P, Krcmar H, Gensichen J, Jung-Sievers C. Community indicators for mental health in Europe: a scoping review. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1188494. [PMID: 37538274 PMCID: PMC10396773 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1188494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Community indicators may predict and influence individuals` mental health, and support or impede mental health management. However, there is no consensus on which indicators should be included in predictions, prognostic algorithms, or management strategies for community-based mental health promotion and prevention approaches. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of relevant community-level indicators for mental health in the general as well as risk populations in a European context. Methods We conducted a scoping review in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo. Eligible studies focused on context factors such as either the physical or social environment, reporting at least one mental health outcome and referring to a European population. Publications between 2012 and March 8, 2022 are considered. Results In total, the search yielded 12,200 identified records. After the removal of duplicates, 10,059 records were screened against the eligibility criteria. In total, 169 studies were included in the final analysis. Out of these included studies, 6% focused on pan-European datasets and 94% on a specific European country. Populations were either general or high-risk populations (56 vs. 44%, respectively) with depressive disorder as the main reported outcome (49%), followed by general mental health (33%) and anxiety (23%). Study designs were cross-sectional studies (59%), longitudinal (27%), and others (14%). The final set of indicators consisted of 53 indicators, which were grouped conceptually into 13 superordinate categories of community indicators. These were divided into the domains of the physical and social environment. The most commonly measured and reported categories of community indicators associated with mental health outcomes were social networks (n = 87), attitudinal factors toward vulnerable groups (n = 76), and the characteristics of the built environment (n = 56). Conclusion This review provides an evidence base of existing and novel community-level indicators that are associated with mental health. Community factors related to the physical and social environment should be routinely recorded and considered as influencing factors or potentially underestimated confounders. The relevance should be analyzed and included in clinical outcomes, data, monitoring and surveillance as they may reveal new trends and targets for public mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Schoenweger
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela Kirschneck
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Biersack
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna-Francesca Di Meo
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Reindl-Spanner
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Prommegger
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Ditzen-Janotta
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Henningsen
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Krcmar
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Gensichen
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Jung-Sievers
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
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Kumar R, Mukherjee S, Choi TM, Dhamotharan L. Mining voices from self-expressed messages on social-media: Diagnostics of mental distress during COVID-19. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS 2022; 162:113792. [PMID: 35542965 PMCID: PMC9072840 DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2022.113792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mankind, causing physical suffering and deaths across the globe. Even those who have not contracted the virus have experienced its far-reaching impacts, particularly on their mental health. The increased incidences of psychological problems, anxiety associated with the infection, social restrictions, economic downturn, etc., are likely to aggravate with the virus spread and leave a longer impact on humankind. These reasons in aggregation have raised concerns on mental health and created a need to identify novel precursors of depression and suicidal tendencies during COVID-19. Identifying factors affecting mental health and causing suicidal ideation is of paramount importance for timely intervention and suicide prevention. This study, thus, bridges this gap by utilizing computational intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to unveil the factors underlying mental health issues. We observed that the pandemic and subsequent lockdown anxiety emerged as significant factors leading to poor mental health outcomes after the onset of COVID-19. Consistent with previous works, we found that psychological disorders have remained pre-eminent. Interestingly, financial burden was found to cause suicidal ideation before the pandemic, while it led to higher odds of depressive (non-suicidal) thoughts for individuals who lost their jobs. This study offers significant implications for health policy makers, governments, psychiatric practitioners, and psychologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kumar
- Information Systems, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur, Odisha, India
| | - Shubhadeep Mukherjee
- Operations Management and Decision Sciences, Xavier Institute of Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Tsan-Ming Choi
- Department and Graduate Institute of Business Administration, College of Management, National Taiwan University, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Saville CWN. Health and Mental Health Disparities Between National Identity Groups in Wales. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2022; 9:270-287. [PMID: 33469870 PMCID: PMC7815193 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-020-00951-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite close links with ethnic identity and other health-relevant identities, there is surprisingly little work on national identity in the context of population health. National identity is particularly important in multi-national states, where national identity is contested and where different nationalities often reflect both distinct ethnic groups and competing civic visions of national boundaries. The present study examines health disparities between national identity groups in Wales, a constituent nation of the UK. Using data from the National Survey for Wales (n = 23,303), latent class analysis was used to identify national identity groups in Wales. Generalised linear mixed-effects models were then fitted to the data to identity disparities between groups in terms of self-reported general and mental health, both unconditionally and conditionally on several socio-demographic and geographic variables. Analyses identified five groups: Anglophone Welsh, British, Cymry Cymraeg (Welsh-speaking Welsh), English and Ethnically Diverse. Striking health disparities were found, with the Cymry Cymraeg and Ethnically Diverse groups reporting better health than the other groups, especially the Anglophone Welsh and the English. These disparities could not be accounted for by differences in demographic, socio-economic or geographic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W. N. Saville
- grid.7362.00000000118820937North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Brigantia Building, Penrallt Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales LL57 2AS UK
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Saville CWN. Not belonging where others do: a cross-sectional analysis of multi-level social capital interactions on health and mental well-being in Wales. J Epidemiol Community Health 2020; 75:jech-2020-215188. [PMID: 33161384 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2020-215188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social capital may be a social good in health terms, but it is not necessarily a universal good. Several studies have shown that while there is a positive association between ecological social capital and health in people with high individual-level social capital, this relationship is weaker or even reversed in those with low individual-level social capital. Such studies, however, have used relatively coarse levels of geography for quantifying ecological social capital. The present study looks at this relationship at a more fine-grained spatial scale. METHODS Data from the National Survey for Wales (n=27 828, weighted mean age=48.4) were linked to previously published small-area estimates (n=410) of ecological social capital for Wales. Mixed effects models were then used to assess whether the relationship between mental well-being and self-reported health on one hand, and ecological social capital (sense of belonging) on the other, was moderated by individual-level social capital. RESULTS The models found the same moderation of the relationship that has been demonstrated previously: Although ecological social capital is positively associated with health in respondents with high individual-level social capital, the relationship is negative in those with low individual-level social capital. CONCLUSION This study replicates this association at a spatial scale orders of magnitude more fine-grained than had been shown previously. Ecological social capital is not an unambiguously positive factor for public health, and may be a risk factor for marginalised people.
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