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Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... Apr 2024Medical undergraduates, being away from their institutes due to the lockdown, are at a greater risk of being affected by the negative news, which may easily instill fear...
CONTEXT
Medical undergraduates, being away from their institutes due to the lockdown, are at a greater risk of being affected by the negative news, which may easily instill fear and panic among them. Therefore, the present study was planned with the objective to study the effects of media exposure on the psychological health of undergraduate medical students at a tertiary health institute.
AIM
To assess the psychological effects of social media/media use and coping mechanisms adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN
Tertiary care teaching Institute and Cross-sectional study.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
It is a cross-sectional observational study performed among (under graduate) UG students, which was assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire including the pre-validated DASS-21 scale.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Data collected was entered in MS Excel. Descriptive statistics and correlation of the study variables were analyzed while controlling for demographics using Epi-info software version 7.2.2.
RESULTS
It was observed that around one-fifth of the participants have moderate depression, followed by mild 10.97%; one-fifth of the participants have moderate levels of anxiety 20.41% followed by extremely severe anxiety 13.27% and about two-thirds of the study participants having no stress 64.29% followed by mild stress 14.80% and moderate stress 9.69%.
CONCLUSION
There was a significant psychological impact of the use of social media among young populations, particularly anxiety, stress, and depression with exposure to negative news and reports on social media platforms.
PubMed: 38827727
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1355_23 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2024Substantial research evidence supports the correlation between mental disorders and sepsis. Nevertheless, the causal connection between a particular psychological...
BACKGROUND
Substantial research evidence supports the correlation between mental disorders and sepsis. Nevertheless, the causal connection between a particular psychological disorder and sepsis remains unclear.
METHODS
For investigating the causal relationships between mental disorders and sepsis, genetic variants correlated with mental disorders, including anorexia nervosa (AN), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and tourette syndrome (TS), were all extracted from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). The causal estimates and direction between these mental disorders and sepsis were evaluated employing a two-sample bidirectional MR strategy. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was the primary approach utilized. Various sensitivity analyses were performed to confirm the validity of the causal effect. Meta-analysis, multivariable MR, and mediation MR were conducted to ensure the credibility and depth of this research.
RESULTS
The presence of AN was in relation to a greater likelihood of sepsis (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14; 0.013). A meta-analysis including validation cohorts supported this observation (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.09). None of the investigated mental disorders appeared to be impacted when sepsis was set as the exposure factor. Even after adjusting for confounding factors, AN remained statistically significant (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15; 0.013). Mediation analysis indicated N-formylmethionine levels (with a mediated proportion of 7.47%), cystatin D levels (2.97%), ketogluconate Metabolism (17.41%) and N10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis (20.06%) might serve as mediators in the pathogenesis of AN-sepsis.
CONCLUSION
At the gene prediction level, two-sample bidirectional MR analysis revealed that mental disorder AN had a causal association with an increased likelihood of sepsis. In addition, N-formylmethionine levels, cystatin D levels, ketogluconate metabolism and N10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis may function as potential mediators in the pathophysiology of AN-sepsis. Our research may contribute to the investigation of novel therapeutic strategies for mental illness and sepsis.
Topics: Humans; Sepsis; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Mental Disorders; Female
PubMed: 38827616
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1327315 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Sep 2024Alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly cooccurs with social anxiety disorder (SAD). With changes to diagnostic criteria of psychiatric disorders in the DSM-5, the present...
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly cooccurs with social anxiety disorder (SAD). With changes to diagnostic criteria of psychiatric disorders in the DSM-5, the present study sought to observe the associations between daily alcohol use, AUD, and social anxiety in a large sample of individuals with lifetime (N = 1255) and past-year (N = 908) SAD. The sample was derived from a large nationally representative study of adults in the United States. Of note, we found that at the symptom level, daily alcohol use and AUD were significantly related to panic attacks due to social anxiety, subjective distress, and impairment in relationships. Daily alcohol use and AUD were significantly associated with lifetime SAD severity; however, only past-year daily alcohol use was significantly related to past-year SAD severity. We also found that AUD was significantly related to greater treatment-seeking for SAD, and both AUD and daily alcohol use were significantly associated with lifetime history of suicide attempts even after covarying for SAD severity. The present study provides an updated investigation of alcohol use in individuals with DSM-5 SAD, and it underscores the significance of daily alcohol use as an important factor to consider in individuals with SAD.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Phobia, Social; Adult; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Alcoholism; Middle Aged; Comorbidity; United States; Alcohol Drinking; Young Adult; Suicide, Attempted; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 38821365
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.163 -
Psychiatry Research Jul 2024Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD) are prevalent anxiety disorders characterized by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Both...
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD) are prevalent anxiety disorders characterized by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Both disorders share overlapping features and often coexist, despite displaying distinct characteristics. Childhood life adversity, overall stressful life events, and genetic factors contribute to the development of these disorders. DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases. In this study, we investigated whether whole-genome DNA methylation risk scores (MRSs) for SAD risk, severity of social anxiety, childhood life adversity, PD risk, and overall stressful life events were associated with SAD or PD case‒control status. Preliminary epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) for SAD risk, severity of social anxiety, and childhood life adversity were conducted in 66 SAD individuals and 77 healthy controls (HCs). Similarly, EWASs for PD risk and overall stressful life events were performed in 182 PD individuals and 81 HCs. MRSs were calculated from these EWASs. MRSs derived from the EWASs of SAD risk and severity of social anxiety were greater in PD patients than in HCs. Additionally, MRSs derived from the EWASs of overall stressful life events, particularly in PD individuals, were lower in SAD individuals than in HCs. In contrast, MRSs for childhood life adversity or PD risk were not significantly associated with PD or SAD case‒control status. These findings highlight the epigenetic features shared in both disorders and the distinctive epigenetic features related to social avoidance in SAD patients, helping to elucidate the epigenetic basis of these disorders.
Topics: Humans; Panic Disorder; Male; Female; Adult; Phobia, Social; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Stress, Psychological; Genome-Wide Association Study; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Case-Control Studies; Middle Aged; Young Adult
PubMed: 38820651
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115984 -
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric... May 2024To examine the differences in mental health problems by sexual orientation and gender identity in first-year university students in Chile during the pandemic.
PURPOSE
To examine the differences in mental health problems by sexual orientation and gender identity in first-year university students in Chile during the pandemic.
METHODS
7,213 first-year students aged 18 years and older from five universities participated as part of the World Mental Health - International College Student initiative in Chile. Students completed an online self-report survey between 2020 and 2021 that included measures of lifetime and 12-month major depressive episode, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, drug abuse/dependence, alcohol dependence, non-suicidal self-injuries, and suicidal risk. Prevalence of mental health problems were estimated and the differences by sexual orientation and gender identity were examined using logistic and multinomial logistic regression models.
RESULTS
Between 84.1% and 98% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBT+) students screened positive for at least one lifetime mental health problem and between 67.6% and 90.6% for two or more problems. For most outcomes, non-heterosexual (Odds Ratio [OR] between 1.25 and 7.00) and trans and gender nonconforming students (OR between 1.72 and 5.81) had significantly higher odds of positive screening for lifetime mental health problems than heterosexual and cisgender students, respectively. Similar results were observed for 12-month mental health problems.
CONCLUSION
The results show differences in the prevalence of mental health problems in LGBT+ university students in Chile, which are consistent with those found in other countries. These results may be useful for planning interventions to improve the mental health of LGBT+ students.
PubMed: 38819521
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02683-5 -
Journal of Patient Experience 2024The day after a holiday, our medically complex son, who was acutely ill, needed care at the local children's hospital. Once in the emergency room (ER), he was triaged to...
The day after a holiday, our medically complex son, who was acutely ill, needed care at the local children's hospital. Once in the emergency room (ER), he was triaged to a trauma room. Without our knowledge or consent, a chaplain entered the crowded and chaotic room. Although pleasant, the chaplain was not a person who comforted us. Her presence (1) increased our anxiety to panic level, (2) took our attention away from our acutely ill son to worst-case scenarios, (3) made us extremely uncomfortable, and (4) was counterproductive. We strongly feel that the patient/family should be asked if they want a chaplain or other spiritual/support person to enter the room.
PubMed: 38818136
DOI: 10.1177/23743735241259586 -
Hu Li Za Zhi the Journal of Nursing Jun 2024The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant burnout among nurses, resulting in a shortage of nursing staff. Issues related to nursing work have received significant...
The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant burnout among nurses, resulting in a shortage of nursing staff. Issues related to nursing work have received significant attention recently, and only healthy nurses are capable of providing good quality patient care. The authors employed Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses and proposed specific strategies and recommendations to enhance the nursing workplace. Under the Ecological System Theory, several factors, including inadequate preparedness, dangerous working environment, work-family conflicts, discrimination due to public panic, and health damage, contribute to nurse burnout. Whether during or after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to provide education programs to enhance the professional abilities of nurses, foster policies that promote a positive practice work environment, implement a triage system based on the severity of patients, elevate the image of the nursing profession, monitor the health of nurses, and advocate for transformational leadership. The nursing workplace should help nurses gain greater confidence and improve their ability to handle various workplace challenges. In the future, medical institutions should provide a better work environment for nurses and expect the public to pay more attention to the development of the nursing profession.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Pandemics; Workplace; Burnout, Professional; Nurses; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 38817140
DOI: 10.6224/JN.202406_71(3).11 -
Legal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) May 2024SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a worldwide pandemic causing millions of death. This severe disaster lead to a immense panic and stress all over the world. Several studies...
SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a worldwide pandemic causing millions of death. This severe disaster lead to a immense panic and stress all over the world. Several studies were dedicated to understand its mechanism, pathogenesis and spreading characteristics. By this way, scientists try to develop different therapy and diagnose strategies. For these reasons, several metabolomics, proteomics and genomics studies were also carried out to improve knowledge in this newly identified virus. In this study, we are aimed to explain the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 exposure on postmortem COVID (+) patients via untargeted metabolomics analysis. To carry out this study, a Data Independent Acquisition SWATH method is optimized and performed. Vitreous samples were analyzed in both MS1 and MS2 ESI(+) mode. An orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis were performed for classification. It was observed that lipid metabolism, several amino acids and oxidative stress biomarkers were strongly affected due to high inflammation and possible cytokine storm.
PubMed: 38815416
DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2024.102461 -
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry May 2024Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorder that is associated with impairments in functioning and detrimental outcomes such as...
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorder that is associated with impairments in functioning and detrimental outcomes such as suicide, poor physical quality of life (QOL), and overall mental health. The goal of the present study was to examine the past year comorbidities of SAD among a large nationally representative sample of US adults (N = 36,309) and to examine correlates of physical QOL and overall mental health among individuals with past-year SAD (N = 980). The study utilized data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III to examine diagnostic correlates of SAD as well as how symptoms and features of SAD are related to QOL using survey-weighted regression analyses. We found that comorbid depression, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder were positively associated with SAD. Further, presence of these disorders was also associated with poorer mental health among those with SAD. We also found that specific feared situations (eg, eating and drinking in public) and social anxiety symptoms (panic attack and avoidance) were linked to both forms of QOL (all s <0.01). The present findings highlight that SAD is comorbid with other impairing disorders and that these comorbidities, specific feared situations, and SAD symptoms are related to worse QOL in individuals with SAD.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Comorbidity; Female; Male; Phobia, Social; Adult; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; United States; Young Adult; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Adolescent; Anxiety Disorders
PubMed: 38814117
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.23m15217 -
Sociology of Health & Illness May 2024Although a diagnosis of a life-limiting cancer is likely to evoke emotions, such as fear, panic and anxiety, for some people it can also provide an opportunity to live...
Although a diagnosis of a life-limiting cancer is likely to evoke emotions, such as fear, panic and anxiety, for some people it can also provide an opportunity to live life differently. This article is based on research undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand on the topic of exceptional cancer trajectories. Eighty-one participants who had been identified as living with a cancer diagnosis longer than clinically expected were interviewed, along with 25 people identified by some of the participants as supporters in their journey. For some participants the diagnosis provided the opportunity to rethink their lives, to undertake lifestyle and consumption changes, to be culturally adventurous, to take up new skills, to quit work and to change relationships with others. The concepts of biographical disruption and posttraumatic growth are considered in relation to these accounts, and it is argued that the event of a cancer diagnosis can give license for people to breach social norms.
PubMed: 38813846
DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13797