Meaning in Life and Depression in Low-Income Families in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether meaning in life (MIL) was associated with a lower risk of depression in people from low-income families during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Individuals from low-income families were recruited at a community centre during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Levels of MIL were assessed using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Scores of ≥24 on the Presence of Meaning subscale (MLQ-P) and Search for Meaning subscale (MLQ-S) were considered high. A score of ≥10 on the PHQ-9 was indicative of clinical depression. Correlations between MLQ and PHQ-9 scores were examined, along with associations between presence of/search for meaning and risk of clinical depression. RESULTS: Among 102 participants, 64 (62.7%) had clinical depression; 14 (13.7%) had both high presence of meaning and high search for meaning. The MLQ score was correlated with the PHQ-9 score (r = -0.56, p < 0.001). The adjusted risk ratio for depression was 0.31 (p = 0.006) in participants with both high presence of meaning and high search for meaning. CONCLUSION: Among people with lower socioeconomic status, MIL may be important for protecting against depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived Social Support and Depression Among Occupational Therapists in Hong Kong During COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and the level of perceived social support among occupational therapists during the pandemic, and to identify any associations between depression and perceived social support. METHODS: Using convenience and snowball sampling, occupational therapists aged ≥18 years who were working in Hong Kong and able to read and understand Chinese were invited to participate in a survey between January 2021 and April 2021 (during the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Data collected included age, sex, education level, employment status, marital status, living status, level of perceived social support (measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support [MSPSS-C]) and level of depression (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]). RESULTS: 87 occupational therapists completed the survey. The mean MSPSS-C score was 67.87; 88.5% of participants had a high level of perceived social support. The mean PHQ-9 score was 4.67; 59.8% of participants had no or minimal depression and 11.5% of participants had clinical depression. The MSPSS-C score negatively correlated with the PHQ-9 score (rs = -0.401, p < 0.001). In regression analysis, the MSPSS-C score was associated with the PHQ-9 score (F(1, 85) = 44.846, r = 0.588, p < 0.001). About 34.5% of the variance of the PHQ-9 score was accounted for by the MSPSS-C score. CONCLUSION: Higher level of perceived social support is associated with lower level of depression. Social support might serve as a protective factor for depression among occupational therapists in Hong Kong during the pandemic.

Mindfulness Meditation, Mental Health, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chinese Buddhist Monastics.

OBJECTIVE: To determine associations between mindfulness meditation and mental health and health-related quality of life among Buddhist monastics. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of Chinese Buddhist monastics aged ≥18 years who practised mindfulness meditation daily. Mental health was assessed by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), whereas health-related quality of life was assessed by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). The number of years and the average daily amount of time spent in mindfulness meditation were collected. RESULTS: 47 monastics completed the interview. They practised mindfulness meditation for a mean of 7.3 years, 1.1 hours per day. Both the number of years (ß = -0.48, p = 0.03) and amount of daily practice (ß = -0.53, p < 0.001) of mindfulness meditation were associated with the GHQ-12 score, after adjusting for age, sex, education, and years of being a monastic. Only the amount of daily practice (ß = 0.44, p = 0.004) was associated with the mental component summary of SF-12. Neither was associated with the physical component summary of SF-12. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese Buddhist monastics who practise daily mindfulness meditation, spending more time each day and having longer years of practice were associated with better mental health.