Predictors of male loneliness across life stages: an Australian study of longitudinal data

BACKGROUND

Despite growing recognition of loneliness as a global public health concern, research on its occurrence and precipitants among men across different life stages remains limited and inconclusive. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the prevalence and predictors of loneliness among a large, representative data set of Australian adult men.

METHODS

The study used longitudinal data from waves 2-21 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, including men aged 15-98. Estimating linear fixed effects regressions that account for unobserved time-invariant individual heterogeneity, a single-item measure of loneliness was regressed on a set of selected explanatory variables over different parts of the life course.

RESULTS

Increased social isolation, romantic partnership dissolution, having a long-term disability, and stronger beliefs that the man, rather than the woman, should be the breadwinner of the household, are associated with greater loneliness. Frequent social connection, having a romantic partner, and high neighbourhood satisfaction are protective against loneliness. The findings also reveal several differences in the predictors of loneliness over the life course. Job security is especially important for younger men, whereas for older men volunteering and less conservative gender role attitudes are important factors that can decrease loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

The results emphasise the need to consider age-specific factors and societal expectations in understanding and addressing loneliness amongst men. Additionally, the findings underscore the importance of raising awareness about the impact of societal norms and expectations on men's mental health. The results offer valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers to develop effective strategies and support systems to combat loneliness and promote well-being among men.

Comparing estimates of psychological distress using 7-day and 30-day recall periods: Does it make a difference?

Self-report measures are widely used in mental health research and may use different recall periods depending on the purpose of the assessment. A range of studies aiming to monitor changes in mental health over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic opted to shorten recall periods to increase sensitivity to change over time compared to standard, longer recall periods. However, many of these studies lack pre-pandemic data using the same recall period and may rely on pre-existing data using standard recall periods as a reference point for assessing the impact of the pandemic on mental health. The aim of this study was to assess whether comparing scores on the same questionnaire with a different recall period is valid. A nationally representative sample of 327 participants in Australia completed a 7-day and 30-day version of the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and a single-item measure of psychological distress (TTPN item) developed for the Taking the Pulse of the Nation survey. Linear mixed models and mixed logistic regression models were used to assess whether altering the recall period systematically changed response patterns within subjects. No substantive recall period effects were found for the K6 or the TTPN, although there was a trend towards higher K6 scores when asked about the past 30 days compared to the past 7 days (b = 1.00, 95% CI: -0.18, 2.17). This may have been driven by the "feeling nervous" item which was rated higher using the 30-day compared to the 7-day recall period. Neither the K6 nor the TTPN item were significantly affected by the recall period when reduced to a binary variable of likely severe mental illness. The results indicate that altering the recall period of psychological distress measures does not substantively alter the score distribution in the general population of Australian adults.

Generational differences in mental health trends in the twenty-first century

Given the observed deterioration in mental health among Australians over the past decade, this study investigates to what extent this differs in people born in different decades-i.e., possible birth cohort differences in the mental health of Australians. Using 20 y of data from a large, nationally representative panel survey (N = 27,572), we find strong evidence that cohort effects are driving the increase in population-level mental ill-health. Deteriorating mental health is particularly pronounced among people born in the 1990s and seen to a lesser extent among the 1980s cohort. There is little evidence that mental health is worsening with age for people born prior to the 1980s. The findings from this study highlight that it is the poorer mental health of Millennials that is driving the apparent deterioration in population-level mental health. Understanding the context and changes in society that have differentially affected younger people may inform efforts to ameliorate this trend and prevent it continuing for emerging cohorts.

Trajectories of psychological distress over multiple COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including the indirect effect of policy responses, on psychological distress has been the subject of much research. However, there has been little consideration of how the prevalence of psychological distress changed with the duration and repetition of lockdowns, or the rate of resolution of psychological distress once lockdowns ended. This study describes the trajectories of psychological distress over multiple lockdowns during the first two years of the pandemic across five Australian states for the period May 2020 to December 2021 and examines whether psychological distress trajectories varied as a function of time spent in lockdown, or time since lockdown ended.

A total of N = 574,306 Australian adults completed Facebook surveys over 611 days (on average 940 participants per day). Trajectories of psychological distress (depression and anxiety) were regressed on lockdown duration and time since lockdown ended. Random effects reflecting the duration of each lockdown were included to account for varying effects on psychological distress associated with lockdown length.

The prevalence of psychological distress was higher during periods of lockdown, more so for longer lockdowns relative to shorter lockdowns. Psychological distress increased rapidly over the first ten weeks of lockdowns spanning at least twelve weeks, though less rapidly for short lockdowns of three weeks or less. Psychological distress levels tended to stabilise, or even decrease, after ten consecutive weeks of lockdown. After lockdown restrictions were lifted, psychological distress rapidly subsided but did not return to pre-lockdown levels within four weeks, although continued to decline afterwards.

In Australia short lockdowns of pre-announced durations were associated with slower rises in psychological distress. Lockdowns may have left some temporary residual population effect, but we cannot discern whether this reflects longer term trends in increasing psychological distress. However, the findings do re-emphasise the resilience of individuals to major life stressors.

Vulnerability and recovery: Long-term mental and physical health trajectories following climate-related disasters

Extreme weather and climate-related disaster events are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes. People are not equally vulnerable to the adversity, experiencing varied patterns of long-term health trajectories in recovery depending on their vulnerabilities, capacities, and resiliencies. This study aims to identify latent mental and physical health trajectories and their associations with person- and place-based pre-disaster predictors. Using an Australian, population-based, longitudinal dataset spanning 2009-19, group-based multi-trajectory modelling was applied to identify the distinct mental, social, emotional, and physical health trajectories of people who had experienced damage to their home following a climate-related disaster event. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess a series of social vulnerability predictors (demographic, socioeconomic, housing, health, neighbourhood, and geographical) of health patterns. We identified three distinct health trajectories. Most individuals experienced small or minimal health impacts at the time of the disaster year followed by a fast recovery. However, one-fifth of the exposed population were severely affected during and post disaster. This cohort had the worst mental and physical health prior to the disaster and experienced the largest decreases in mental and physical health and the lowest recoveries. Pre-existing mental and physical conditions were the most substantial risk factors, increasing the probability of experiencing high impact and slow recovery by 61% for mental health and 51% for physical health. In addition, vulnerability in the form of housing affordability stress, lower household income, and lack of community attachment, participation and safety were also significant independent risk factors for ongoing post-disaster health problems. Critically, people's mental and physical health recovery is dependent on pre-disaster vulnerabilities in health, resource access, and capacities. These findings could assist policymakers and health practitioners to more effectively target people most at risk and design prevention and response strategies to prevent the exacerbation of poor health and wellbeing.

Protecting mental health during periods of financial stress: Evidence from the Australian Coronavirus Supplement income support payment

This paper investigates whether the Australian government's Coronavirus Supplement, a temporary income support payment for unemployed jobseekers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, protected mental health (frequency of feeling anxious or depressed during the past week) by lowering financial stress (how comfortable people are in paying for essential services). We use unique nationally representative repeated cross-sectional data on 3843 unemployed Australian adults over the period April 6, 2020 to May 10, 2021. We find that the Coronavirus Supplement payment significantly reduced reported financial stress, and lower financial stress was associated with lower mental distress. Though the Coronavirus Supplement was designed to reduce financial stress, we find the Supplement was also successful in protecting community mental health indirectly via its ability to reduce financial stress. The findings provide support for income support packages to protect mental health during economic shocks. However, transitory support measures also tend have short-lived positive effects on mental health, suggesting that more permanent income support reform may have longer-term mental health benefits.

Evaluating How Mental Health Changed in Australia through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the 'Taking the Pulse of the Nation' (TTPN) Survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health at the level of the population. The current study adds to the evidence base by examining how the prevalence of psychological distress changed in Australia during the pandemic. The study also assesses the psychometric properties of a new single-item measure of mental distress included in a survey program conducted regularly throughout the pandemic. Data are from 1158 respondents in wave 13 (early July 2020) of the nationally representative Taking the Pulse of the Nation (TTPN) Survey. The questionnaire included the six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and a new single-item measure of distress. Results show a significant increase in the prevalence of psychological distress in Australia, from 6.3% pre-pandemic to 17.7% in early July 2020 (unadjusted odds ratio = 3.19; 95% CI (confidence interval) = 2.51 to 4.05). The new single-item measure of distress is highly correlated with the K6. This study provides a snapshot at one point in time about how mental health worsened in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, by demonstrating the accuracy of the new single-item measure of distress, this analysis also provides a basis for further research examining the trajectories and correlates of distress in Australia across the pandemic.

Proposal of a short form self-reported financial wellbeing scale for inclusion in the 2026 Census

No abstract

Association of gene expression with syringyl to guaiacyl ratio in sugarcane lignin

A transcriptome analysis reveals the transcripts and alleles differentially expressed in sugarcane genotypes with contrasting lignin composition. Sugarcane bagasse is a highly abundant resource that may be used as a feedstock for the production of biofuels and bioproducts in order to meet increasing demands for renewable replacements for fossil carbon. However, lignin imparts rigidity to the cell wall that impedes the efficient breakdown of the biomass into fermentable sugars. Altering the ratio of the lignin units, syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G), which comprise the native lignin polymer in sugarcane, may facilitate the processing of bagasse. This study aimed to identify genes and markers associated with S/G ratio in order to accelerate the development of sugarcane bioenergy varieties with modified lignin composition. The transcriptome sequences of 12 sugarcane genotypes that contrasted for S/G ratio were compared and there were 2019 transcripts identified as differentially expressed (DE) between the high and low S/G ratio groups. These included transcripts encoding possible monolignol biosynthetic pathway enzymes, transporters, dirigent proteins and transcriptional and post-translational regulators. Furthermore, the frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were compared between the low and high S/G ratio groups to identify specific alleles expressed with the phenotype. There were 2063 SNP loci across 787 unique transcripts that showed group-specific expression. Overall, the DE transcripts and SNP alleles identified in this study may be valuable for breeding sugarcane varieties with altered S/G ratio that may provide desirable bioenergy traits.

Conceptual causal models of socioeconomic status, family structure, family functioning and their role in public health

Social determinants of health frameworks are standard tools in public health. These frameworks for the most part omit a crucial factor: the family. Socioeconomic status moreover is a prominent social determinant of health. Insofar as family functioning is poorer in poor families and family structure and functioning are linked to health, it is critical to consider the pathways between these four constructs. In this correspondence, we reflect on how empirical studies of this conceptual nexus mirror two causal models. We conclude by reflecting on future directions for research in this field.

Implications of COVID-19 labour market shocks for inequality in financial wellbeing

Australia's economy abruptly entered into a recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Related labour market shocks on Australian residents have been substantial due to business closures and social distancing restrictions. Government measures are in place to reduce flow-on effects to people's financial situations, but the extent to which Australian residents suffering these shocks experience lower levels of financial wellbeing, including associated implications for inequality, is unknown. Using novel data we collected from 2078 Australian residents during April to July 2020, we show that experiencing a labour market shock during the pandemic is associated with a 29% lower level of perceived financial wellbeing, on average. Unconditional quantile regressions indicate that lower levels of financial wellbeing are present across the entire distribution, except at the very top. Distribution analyses indicate that the labour market shocks are also associated with higher levels of inequality in financial wellbeing. Financial counselling and support targeted at people who experience labour market shocks could help them to manage financial commitments and regain financial control during periods of economic uncertainty.

Relationship between sugarcane culm and leaf biomass composition and saccharification efficiency

BACKGROUND

Lignocellulosic biomass is recognized as a promising renewable feedstock for the production of biofuels. However, current methods for converting biomass into fermentable sugars are considered too expensive and inefficient due to the recalcitrance of the secondary cell wall. Biomass composition can be modified to create varieties that are efficiently broken down to release cell wall sugars. This study focused on identifying the key biomass components influencing plant cell wall recalcitrance that can be targeted for selection in sugarcane, an important and abundant source of biomass.

RESULTS

Biomass composition and the amount of glucan converted into glucose after saccharification were measured in leaf and culm tissues from seven sugarcane genotypes varying in fiber composition after no pretreatment and dilute acid, hydrothermal and ionic liquid pretreatments. In extractives-free sugarcane leaf and culm tissue, glucan, xylan, acid-insoluble lignin (AIL) and acid-soluble lignin (ASL) ranged from 20 to 32%, 15% to 21%, 14% to 20% and 2% to 4%, respectively. The ratio of syringyl (S) to guaiacyl (G) content in the lignin ranged from 1.5 to 2.2 in the culm and from 0.65 to 1.1 in the leaf. Hydrothermal and dilute acid pretreatments predominantly reduced xylan content, while the ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment targeted AIL reduction. The amount of glucan converted into glucose after 26 h of pre-saccharification was highest after IL pretreatment (42% in culm and 63.5% in leaf) compared to the other pretreatments. Additionally, glucan conversion in leaf tissues was approximately 1.5-fold of that in culm tissues. Percent glucan conversion varied between genotypes but there was no genotype that was superior to all others across the pretreatment groups. Path analysis revealed that S/G ratio, AIL and xylan had the strongest negative associations with percent glucan conversion, while ASL and glucan content had strong positive influences.

CONCLUSION

To improve saccharification efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass, breeders should focus on reducing S/G ratio, xylan and AIL content and increasing ASL and glucan content. This will be key for the development of sugarcane varieties for bioenergy uses.

Arylation of thiacalix[4]arenes using organomercurial intermediates

Direct mercuration of thiacalix[4]arenes immobilized in the cone or 1,3-alternate conformations followed by Pd-catalyzed arylation was applied to achieve either meta- or para-substitution of basic skeletons.

Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants against oral microorganisms

Ethanol extracts of eight plant species used traditionally in South Africa for the treatment of oral diseases were investigated for in vitro antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens namely Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces israelii, Candida albicans, Porphyromonus gingivalis, Privotella intermedia and Streptococcus mutans using the disk diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of ethanol extracts were determined against these microorganisms using micro dilution. The cytotoxicity and therapeutic index (TI) of selected active extracts were also determined. Out of eight plants, six (Annona senegalensis, Englerophytum magalismontanum, Dicerocarym senecioides, Euclea divinorum, Euclea natalensis, Solanum panduriforme and Parinari curatellifolia) exhibited MIC values ranging from 25.0 mg/ml to 0.8 mg/ml. Gram negative bacteria were found to be more resistant to the plant extracts than Gram positive bacteria, except for Euclea natalensis which inhibited all three Gram negative bacteria tested in this study. All plant extracts showed moderate cytotoxicity on the Vero cell line. The fifty percent inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of all plants tested range from 92.3 to 285.1 microg/ml.