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1.
Psychosoc Interv ; 33(2): 65-72, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38711420

ABSTRACT

Recent research has emphasized the importance of addressing specific victim-related factors to reduce victims' vulnerability and prevent future revictimization experiences. This study aimed to analyze the vulnerability profiles of women who were victims of intimate partner violence, including those who had experienced a single incident of violence and those who had endured revictimization. Participants were 338 women with active judicial protection measures registered in the system of support for victims of gender violence (VioGén) in Madrid, Spain. The analysis considered sociodemographic characteristics, victimization history, perceived triggers of violence, women's responses and feelings, as well as clinical outcomes linked to revictimization history. The study revealed that many victims faced socioeconomic vulnerability. Furthermore, the findings underscored the intricate link between the likelihood of enduring chronic violence and women's awareness of early indicators of violence risk, their initial responses to aggression, communication skills, and recurrent behaviors in the context of an established violent dynamic. This study offers valuable insights for law enforcement to identify the risk of revictimization. Furthermore, findings raise awareness about the particularly vulnerable situation of some women to repeated victimization experiences and provide relevant information for clinical intervention.


Subject(s)
Crime Victims , Intimate Partner Violence , Women's Health , Humans , Female , Intimate Partner Violence/psychology , Intimate Partner Violence/statistics & numerical data , Crime Victims/psychology , Adult , Spain/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Socioeconomic Factors , Vulnerable Populations/psychology
2.
CMAJ ; 196(17): E580-E590, 2024 May 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38719223

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Emergency departments are a last resort for some socially vulnerable patients without an acute medical illness (colloquially known as "socially admitted" patients), resulting in their occupation of hospital beds typically designated for patients requiring acute medical care. In this study, we aimed to explore the perceptions of health care providers regarding patients admitted as "social admissions." METHODS: This qualitative study was informed by grounded theory and involved semistructured interviews at a Nova Scotia tertiary care centre. From October 2022 to July 2023, we interviewed eligible participants, including any health care clinician or administrator who worked directly with "socially admitted" patients. Virtual or in-person individual interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, then independently and iteratively coded. We mapped themes on the 5 domains of the Quintuple Aim conceptual framework. RESULTS: We interviewed 20 nurses, physicians, administrators, and social workers. Most identified as female (n = 11) and White (n = 13), and were in their mid to late career (n = 13). We categorized 9 themes into 5 domains: patient experience (patient description, provision of care); care team well-being (moral distress, hierarchy of care); health equity (stigma and missed opportunities, prejudices); cost of care (wait-lists and scarcity of alternatives); and population health (factors leading to vulnerability, system changes). Participants described experiences caring for "socially admitted" patients, perceptions and assumptions underlying "social" presentations, system barriers to care delivery, and suggestions of potential solutions. INTERPRETATION: Health care providers viewed "socially admitted" patients as needing enhanced care but identified individual, institutional, and system challenges that impeded its realization. Examining perceptions of the people who care for "socially admitted" patients offers insights to guide clinicians and policy-makers in caring for socially vulnerable patients.


Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Qualitative Research , Humans , Female , Male , Nova Scotia , Health Personnel/psychology , Emergency Service, Hospital , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Adult , Middle Aged , Interviews as Topic , Grounded Theory
3.
Front Public Health ; 12: 1337401, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38651125

ABSTRACT

Objectives: We investigated changes over time in mental and social wellbeing indicators for vulnerable population subgroups during the pandemic. These groups were younger people, people with disabilities, low-income groups, unemployed, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities (CaLD), and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods: A series of four repeated population representative surveys were conducted in June 2020, September 2020, January 2022, and June 2022. Questions included items on psychological distress, financial hardship, social connection, and life satisfaction. Results: For most groups, social connection and life satisfaction improved in 2022 relative to 2020. Psychological distress and financial hardship showed the opposite pattern, with some groups having worse results in 2022 relative to 2020. People without any vulnerability had better mental health and social wellbeing outcomes at each time point relative to the vulnerable population subgroups. Conclusion: Pandemic-related policies had differential effects over time and for different population groups. Future policies and research need to closely monitor how they impact population subgroups, and the overall results clearly demonstrate the inequity in mental health and social wellbeing outcomes for vulnerable population cohorts.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mental Health , Vulnerable Populations , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Australia/epidemiology , COVID-19/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Disabled Persons/psychology , Disabled Persons/statistics & numerical data , Mental Health/statistics & numerical data , Pandemics , Personal Satisfaction , Psychological Distress , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data , Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
4.
Midwifery ; 132: 103962, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38489854

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Male engagement in pregnancy care can be beneficial for maternal and child health outcomes. In Tanzania, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to present to their first antenatal care (ANC) appointment with a male partner, where they jointly test for HIV. For some, this presents a barrier to ANC attendance. The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with presenting to ANC with a male partner using a cross-sectional design and to assess whether women presenting without partners had significantly delayed presentation. METHODS: Pregnant women (n = 1007) attending a first ANC appointment in Moshi, Tanzania were surveyed. Questions captured sociodemographic characteristics and measures of psychosocial constructs. RESULTS: Just over half (54%) of women presented to care with a male partner. Women were more likely to present with a male partner if they were younger than 25 years old, married, Muslim, attending ANC for their first pregnancy, and testing for HIV for the first time. Women presenting to ANC with a male partner were significantly more likely to attend ANC earlier in their pregnancy than those presenting without male partners. CONCLUSION: Policy change allowing women to present to care with other supportive family members could promote earlier presentation to first ANC. Unmarried women may be at a disadvantage in presenting to ANC when policies mandate attendance with a male partner. Male partners of multiparous women should be encouraged to provide pregnancy support even after first pregnancies, and a wholistic emphasis (beyond HIV testing) on first ANC could encourage male engagement beyond the initial appointment.


Subject(s)
Prenatal Care , Humans , Tanzania , Female , Adult , Prenatal Care/statistics & numerical data , Prenatal Care/methods , Pregnancy , Cross-Sectional Studies , Male , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Pregnant Women/psychology , Sexual Partners/psychology , Adolescent , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data , Vulnerable Populations/psychology
6.
Rev. polis psique ; 13(2): 76-96, 2023-11-13.
Article in Portuguese | LILACS, Index Psychology - journals | ID: biblio-1517841

ABSTRACT

O suicídio é um fenômeno multifatorial, considerado um grave problema de saúde pública que atinge, em média, cerca de 700 mil pessoas todos os anos. Diante disso, este artigo tem por objetivo analisar este fenômeno e sua relação com o capitalismo, tendo como base a determinação social da saúde e o cenário individualista deste modelo de sociedade que podem ser causadores da morte autoprovocada. Com isso, foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica que evidenciou a precarização da vida na realidade brasileira e o sofrimento social envolto à população marginalizada, mediado pelas desigualdades do sistema capitalista, dentre elas o desemprego, precarização do trabalho, racismo, sexismo, lgbtfobia e a pobreza como alguns dos elementos envolvidos no suicídio. Verificou-se a importância de considerar os atravessamentos sociais, políticos, econômicos, históricos e culturais no debate sobre a morte voluntária e na promoção e valorização da vida, contrapondo uma visão individualista e reducionista do fenômeno. (AU)


El suicidio es un fenómeno multifactorial, considerado un grave problema de salud pública que afecta, en promedio, a alrededor de 700,000 personas cada año. Ante esto, este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar este fenómeno y su relación con el capitalismo, basándose en la determinación social de la salud y en el escenario individualista de este modelo de sociedad, que pueden ser causantes de la muerte autoprovocada. Con esto, se realizó una investigación bibliográfica que evidenció la precarización de la vida en la realidad brasileña y el sufrimiento social que rodea a la población marginada, mediado por las desigualdades del sistema capitalista, entre las que se encuentran el desempleo, la precarización del trabajo, el racismo, el sexismo, la lgbtfobia y la pobreza como algunos de los elementos del suicidio. Se destacó la importancia de considerar los cruces sociales, políticos, económicos, históricos y culturales en el debate sobre la muerte voluntaria y en la promoción y valoración de la vida, oponiéndose a una visión individualista y reduccionista del fenómeno. (AU)


Suicide is a multifactorial phenomenon, considered a serious public health problem that affects, on average, about 700 thousand people per year. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the phenomenon of suicide and its relationship with capitalism, based on the social determination of the health and the individualistic scenario of this model of society that can be the cause of self-mutilation. With that, a bibliographical research was carried out that evidenced the precariousness of life in the Brazilian reality and the social suffering that surrounds the marginalized population, mediated by the inequalities of the capitalist system, including unemployment, precariousness of employment, racism, sexism, LGBTphobia and poverty as some of the elements involvedin suicide. It was found important to consider the social, political, economic, historical and cultural intersections in the debate on voluntary death and in the promotion and appreciation of life, in opposition to an individualistic and reductionist viewof the phenomenon.


Subject(s)
Suicide/statistics & numerical data , Capitalism , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Social Determination of Health , Suicide/psychology
7.
Child Abuse Negl ; 143: 106253, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37267761

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous research points to the many challenges that help providers who support commercially sexually exploited youth encounter in their professional work-yet little is known about how they overcome these challenges, particularly with regard to youth of diverse social backgrounds. OBJECTIVE: The present study applied the conceptual frameworks of help-seeking and intersectionality to explore the professional practices that help providers employ when forging a help relationship with commercially sexually exploited youth. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Israeli help providers who work with commercially sexually exploited youth at various social services. METHOD: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted, and analyzed using constructivist grounded theory approach. FINDINGS: We identified six major guiding principles that support the participants' processes of forging a help relationship with commercially sexually exploited youth: Do not assume that the youth view their involvement in commercial sexual exploitation as problematic; Continuously attempt to gain the youth's trust; Start from the point where the youth are; Be available at all times, and maintain a steady long-term relationship; Treat commercially sexually exploited youth as agentic individuals and encourage them to lead the process of establishing a help relationship; Similarity in social backgrounds of help providers and commercially sexually exploited youth promotes youth's engagement in the help relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming the co-existence of benefit and harm in commercial sexual exploitation is essential to forging a help relationship with the youth. Applying the intersectional lens to practice in this field can help preserve the delicate balance between victimhood and agency, thereby enhancing help processes.


Subject(s)
Child Abuse, Sexual , Help-Seeking Behavior , Professional-Patient Relations , Sex Work , Sex Workers , Vulnerable Populations , Adolescent , Humans , Israel , Sex Work/psychology , Sex Workers/psychology , Social Problems , Self Efficacy , Child Abuse, Sexual/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/psychology
8.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37372728

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Underprivileged youth in the Dominican Republic (DR) are at high risk of acquiring the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Protective parenting practices may inhibit sexual risk-taking. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether parental involvement in a sports-based HIV prevention program increased self-efficacy to prevent HIV and safe sex behavior among Dominican youth. METHOD: The study had a quasi-experimental design with repeated measures. N = 90 participants between 13 and 24 years of age participated in the program through two different trainings, UNICA and A Ganar, both of which had an experimental (i.e., program with parental component) and a control (i.e., program without parental component) condition. RESULTS: Self-efficacy to prevent HIV significantly increased among participants in the experimental condition of UNICA. Self-efficacy for safe sex increased among sexually active participants in the experimental condition of A Ganar. Implications for Impact: These findings are important to meet the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of good health and wellbeing, as they suggest that parental involvement in sports-based HIV prevention programs can enhance their positive effects for increasing youth's self-efficacy to practice HIV-preventive behaviors. Randomized control trials and longitudinal studies are needed.


Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Parenting , Safe Sex , Sports , Adolescent , Humans , Dominican Republic/epidemiology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , HIV , HIV Infections/prevention & control , HIV Infections/psychology , Risk-Taking , Sexual Behavior/psychology , Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Sports/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data , Social Determinants of Health/statistics & numerical data , Self Efficacy , Safe Sex/psychology , Young Adult
9.
JAMA ; 329(19): 1671-1681, 2023 05 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37191703

ABSTRACT

Importance: Structural racism has been implicated in the disproportionally high asthma morbidity experienced by children living in disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods. Current approaches designed to reduce asthma triggers have modest impact. Objective: To examine whether participation in a housing mobility program that provided housing vouchers and assistance moving to low-poverty neighborhoods was associated with reduced asthma morbidity among children and to explore potential mediating factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: Cohort study of 123 children aged 5 to 17 years with persistent asthma whose families participated in the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership housing mobility program from 2016 to 2020. Children were matched to 115 children enrolled in the Urban Environment and Childhood Asthma (URECA) birth cohort using propensity scores. Exposure: Moving to a low-poverty neighborhood. Main Outcomes: Caregiver-reported asthma exacerbations and symptoms. Results: Among 123 children enrolled in the program, median age was 8.4 years, 58 (47.2%) were female, and 120 (97.6%) were Black. Prior to moving, 89 of 110 children (81%) lived in a high-poverty census tract (>20% of families below the poverty line); after moving, only 1 of 106 children with after-move data (0.9%) lived in a high-poverty tract. Among this cohort, 15.1% (SD, 35.8) had at least 1 exacerbation per 3-month period prior to moving vs 8.5% (SD, 28.0) after moving, an adjusted difference of -6.8 percentage points (95% CI, -11.9% to -1.7%; P = .009). Maximum symptom days in the past 2 weeks were 5.1 (SD, 5.0) before moving and 2.7 (SD, 3.8) after moving, an adjusted difference of -2.37 days (95% CI, -3.14 to -1.59; P < .001). Results remained significant in propensity score-matched analyses with URECA data. Measures of stress, including social cohesion, neighborhood safety, and urban stress, all improved with moving and were estimated to mediate between 29% and 35% of the association between moving and asthma exacerbations. Conclusions and Relevance: Children with asthma whose families participated in a program that helped them move into low-poverty neighborhoods experienced significant improvements in asthma symptom days and exacerbations. This study adds to the limited evidence suggesting that programs to counter housing discrimination can reduce childhood asthma morbidity.


Subject(s)
Asthma , Housing , Residence Characteristics , Social Determinants of Health , Symptom Flare Up , Systemic Racism , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Asthma/diagnosis , Asthma/economics , Asthma/epidemiology , Asthma/psychology , Cohort Studies , Housing/economics , Poverty/economics , Poverty/ethnology , Poverty/psychology , Child, Preschool , Adolescent , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Urban Population , Systemic Racism/economics , Systemic Racism/ethnology , Systemic Racism/psychology , Social Determinants of Health/economics , Social Determinants of Health/ethnology
10.
Clin Chest Med ; 44(2): 425-434, 2023 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37085230

ABSTRACT

In the United States, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally affected Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations, immigrants, and economically disadvantaged individuals. Such historically marginalized groups are more often employed in low-wage jobs without health insurance and have higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 than non-Latinx White individuals. Mistrust in the health care system, language barriers, and limited health literacy have hindered vaccination rates in minorities, further exacerbating health disparities rooted in structural, institutional, and socioeconomic inequities. In this article, we discuss the lessons learned over the last 2 years and how to mitigate health disparities moving forward.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Health Inequities , Health Services Accessibility , Social Determinants of Health , Social Discrimination , Vulnerable Populations , Humans , Black or African American , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/ethnology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/psychology , Emigrants and Immigrants/psychology , Emigrants and Immigrants/statistics & numerical data , Ethnicity/statistics & numerical data , Health Services Accessibility/economics , Health Services Accessibility/statistics & numerical data , Hispanic or Latino/psychology , Hispanic or Latino/statistics & numerical data , Indigenous Peoples/psychology , Indigenous Peoples/statistics & numerical data , Poverty/ethnology , Poverty/psychology , Poverty/statistics & numerical data , Social Determinants of Health/economics , Social Determinants of Health/ethnology , Social Determinants of Health/statistics & numerical data , Social Discrimination/economics , Social Discrimination/ethnology , Social Discrimination/psychology , Social Discrimination/statistics & numerical data , Social Marginalization/psychology , Trust/psychology , United States/epidemiology , Vaccination/economics , Vaccination/psychology , Vaccination/statistics & numerical data , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data , White/psychology , White/statistics & numerical data
11.
Arq. ciências saúde UNIPAR ; 27(1): 149-160, Jan-Abr. 2023.
Article in Portuguese | LILACS | ID: biblio-1414818

ABSTRACT

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar os efeitos do distanciamento social à saúde psicossocial da pessoa idosa no período da pandemia da COVID-19. Metodologia: Estudo revisão integrativa, realizado entre abril e Setembro de 2022, documentos dispo- nível como artigos científicos; ano de publicação 2020 a 2022. Os critérios de exclusão foram artigos de revisão, arquivos do tipo dissertação e teses. A pesquisa incluiu 47 do- cumentos; posteriormente foi realizada leitura crítica e reflexiva dos assim, estabeleceu- se a amostra de 11 artigos. Resultados e Discussão: Mediante todas as medidas tomadas para conter a pandemia, o distanciamento social é a estratégia até então mais eficiente para evitar a disseminação do vírus. Entretanto, as evidências mostram que o mesmo pode trazer prejuízos de natureza psicológica e psicossomática à população, principalmente à população idosa, que é um dos grupos de risco para contágio da doença. Além disso, pode provocar hábitos como o sedentarismo e inatividade física, condições que também são atreladas ao desenvolvimento de doenças físicas, mentais e, consequentemente, ao risco de morte em populações vulneráveis. Conclusão: Trata-se de um fenômeno social com- plexo e que exige atenção das entidades prestadoras de serviço à comunidade idosa, assim como os gestores e familiares. Desse modo, as linhas de cuidado devem se basear nas respostas em rede, que realizam esforços intersetoriais que envolvem políticas públicas de saúde, apoio do estado, assistência social, seguridade e justiça em ação das proteções de direitos, instituídos no Estatuto do Idoso.


The objective of this work was to analyze the effects of social distancing on the psychosocial health of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: Integrative review study, carried out between April and September 2022, documents available as scientific articles; year of publication 2020 to 2022. Exclusion criteria were review articles, dissertation and theses type files. The research included 47 documents; later, a critical and reflective reading of the articles was carried out, thus, a sample of 11 articles was established. Results and Discussion: Through all the measures taken to contain the pandemic, social distancing is the most efficient strategy so far to prevent the spread of the virus. However, evidence shows that it can bring psychological and psychosomatic damage to the population, especially the elderly population, which is one of the risk groups for contagion of the disease. In addition, it can cause habits such as physical inactivity and physical inactivity, conditions that are also linked to the development of physical and mental illnesses and, consequently, to the risk of death in vulnerable populations. Conclusion: It is a complex social phenomenon that requires attention from entities providing services to the elderly community, as well as managers and family members. In this way, the lines of care must be based on network responses, which carry out intersectoral efforts that involve public health policies, state support, social assistance, security and justice in action of the protections of rights, established in the Statute of the Elderly.


El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar los efectos del distanciamiento social en la salud psicosocial de los ancianos durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Metodología: Estudio de revisión integradora, realizado entre abril y septiembre de 2022, documentos disponibles como artículos científicos; año de publicación 2020 a 2022. Los criterios de exclusión fueron artículos de revisión, archivos tipo disertación y tesis. La investigación incluyó 47 documentos; posteriormente, se realizó una lectura crítica y reflexiva de los artículos, así, se estableció una muestra de 11 artículos. Resultados y Discusión: A través de todas las medidas tomadas para contener la pandemia, el distanciamiento social es la estrategia más eficiente hasta el momento para prevenir la propagación del virus. Sin em- bargo, la evidencia muestra que puede traer daños psicológicos y psicosomáticos a la población, especialmente a la población anciana, que es uno de los grupos de riesgo de contagio de la enfermedad. Además, puede provocar hábitos como la inactividad física y el sedentarismo, condiciones que también están relacionadas con el desarrollo de enfer- medades físicas y mentales y, en consecuencia, con el riesgo de muerte en poblaciones vulnerables. Conclusiones: Se trata de un fenómeno social complejo que requiere atención por parte de las entidades prestadoras de servicios a la comunidad de adultos mayores, así como de los gestores y familiares. De esta forma, las líneas de atención deben basarse en respuestas en red, que realicen esfuerzos intersectoriales que involucren políticas públicas de salud, apoyo estatal, asistencia social, seguridad y justicia en acción de las protecciones de derechos, establecidas en el Estatuto del Anciano.


Subject(s)
Aged/physiology , Pandemics/prevention & control , Psychosocial Support Systems , Physical Distancing , Review Literature as Topic , Health of the Elderly , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , COVID-19/psychology
12.
Autism ; 27(5): 1438-1448, 2023 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36544404

ABSTRACT

LAY ABSTRACT: Most autistic people will never experience being arrested or charged with a crime, however for those who do tend to be less satisfied with the way they were treated. The purpose of this study was to find out if autistic people are being disadvantaged by the criminal justice system if they are arrested. Previous research has shown that autistic people may have difficulties communicating with the police. This study builds on this knowledge by uncovering why autistic people may not feel able to communicate with the police and whether the police made any adjustments to help them. This study also measures the impact of being involved with the criminal justice system on autistic people's mental health, such as stress, meltdowns and shutdowns. The results show that autistic people were not always given the support they felt they needed. For example, not all autistic people had an appropriate adult with them at the police station who could help to make sure they understood what was happening around them. Autistic people were also more likely to feel less able to cope with the stress and more likely to suffer meltdowns and shutdowns because of their involvement with the criminal justice system. We hope this study will help police officers and lawyers to better support autistic people if they become involved with the criminal justice system.


Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder , Criminal Law , Mental Health , Vulnerable Populations , Criminal Law/ethics , Criminal Law/legislation & jurisprudence , Criminal Law/standards , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Case-Control Studies , Vulnerable Populations/legislation & jurisprudence , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Police , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Lawyers , United Kingdom , Humans , Adult , Adaptation, Psychological , Psychological Trauma , Communication Barriers , Personal Satisfaction , Mental Health/statistics & numerical data , Crime/legislation & jurisprudence , Crime/psychology , Male , Female , Young Adult , Criminals/legislation & jurisprudence , Criminals/psychology
13.
Sci Rep ; 12(1): 16484, 2022 10 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36182966

ABSTRACT

The Austrian government imposed multiple major lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the relevant measures and their perceptions varied over time. The aim of this study was to compare the over-time impacts of the three COVID-19 lockdowns between March 2020 and December 2021 for (capability) wellbeing and mental health in Austria. Adult Austrian residents (n = 87) completed an online survey about their experiences during three COVID-19 lockdowns, including capabilities (OxCAP-MH), depression and anxiety (HADS), and general wellbeing (WHO-5). Differences across the baseline and follow-up scores of these instruments were summarised by demographic/socioeconomic characteristics. Longitudinal comparisons of the impacts of the lockdowns were conducted using random effect models on panel data for overall instrument scores and individual capability items. The levels of (capability) wellbeing and mental health decreased for most respondents across the three lockdowns: average 2.4% reduction in OxCAP-MH scores, 18.8% and 9% increases in HADS depression and anxiety subscale scores respectively, and 19.7% reduction in WHO-5 score between the first and third lockdowns. Mental health treatment prior to the pandemic, social support and satisfaction with government measures were the most influential characteristics that determine the association with impacts of the chain of lockdowns. Our study is the first to assess the differential capability limiting aspects of lockdowns over time alongside their impacts on mental health and general wellbeing and calls for special attention for mental health patients, isolation and satisfaction with government measures.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Quarantine , Vulnerable Populations , Adult , Austria/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Communicable Disease Control , Humans , Mental Health , Pandemics/prevention & control , Quarantine/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/psychology
14.
PLoS One ; 17(9): e0273307, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36170229

ABSTRACT

Disasters, from hurricanes to pandemics, tremendously impact human lives and behaviors. Physical closeness to family post-disaster plays a critical role in mental healing and societal sustainability. Nonetheless, little is known about whether and how family colocation alters after a disaster, a topic of immense importance to a post-disaster society. We analyze 1 billion records of population-scale, granular, individual-level mobile location data to quantify family colocation, and examine the magnitude, dynamics, and socioeconomic heterogeneity of the shift in family colocation from the pre- to post-disaster period. Leveraging Hurricane Florence as a natural experiment, and Geographic Information System (GIS), machine learning, and statistical methods to investigate the shift across the landfall (treated) city of Wilmington, three partially treated cites on the hurricane's path, and two control cities off the path, we uncover dramatic (18.9%), widespread (even among the partially treated cities), and enduring (over at least 3 months) escalations in family colocation. These findings reveal the powerful psychological and behavioral impacts of the disaster upon the broader populations, and simultaneously remarkable human resilience via behavioral adaptations during disastrous times. Importantly, the disaster created a gap across socioeconomic groups non-existent beforehand, with the disadvantaged displaying weaker lifts in family colocation. This sheds important lights on policy making and policy communication to promote sustainable family colocation, healthy coping strategies against traumatic experiences, social parity, and societal recovery.


Subject(s)
Cyclonic Storms , Disasters , Family , Adaptation, Psychological , Family/psychology , Geographic Information Systems , Humans , Resilience, Psychological , Socioeconomic Factors , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical data
17.
Health Econ ; 31(6): 940-955, 2022 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35229405

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we examine how pension eligibility affects the psychological distress levels of older women in Australia by exploiting the exogenous changes in the eligibility ages of the old Age Pension (AP). The unique features of the Australian AP allow us to study the impact of the reform on the non-working, as well as on the working population. The empirical results show that pension eligibility has a modest but consistently beneficial effect on psychological stress levels. Reaching pension eligibility significantly reduces the stress levels of women who were out of the labor force, indicating the positive role of the AP for disadvantaged groups. At the same time, women with strenuous jobs experience a significant improvement in their stress levels when they transit into retirement. We show that an improvement in stress levels accompanies an increase in financial security and improvements in social participation and health behaviors. Our results highlight the potentially overlooked consequences of pension reforms for the well-being of vulnerable populations and for health inequalities across socio-economic groups.


Subject(s)
Pensions , Psychological Distress , Retirement/psychology , Aged , Australia , Employment , Female , Health Behavior , Health Inequities , Humans , Social Participation/psychology , Stress, Psychological/prevention & control , Vulnerable Populations/psychology
18.
Eur J Psychotraumatol ; 13(1): 2027676, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35111286

ABSTRACT

Background: Although social support has been consistently associated with recovery from psychological trauma and prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), individual differences in seeking or benefitting from social support in trauma survivors are not well understood. Factors associated with negative internal working models of self and others, emotion dysregulation, and interrupted bonds with an individual's social support groups such as vulnerable attachment and rejection sensitivity could contribute to lower experienced social support and higher levels of PTSD. Objective: The objective of this study was to test a theoretically informed model and investigate how psychosocial variables such as vulnerable attachment styles, rejection sensitivity, and social support are associated with PTSD. Method: Using a cross-sectional survey and path analyses in 141 survivors of trauma (aged 18-69, M = 25.20), the relationship between vulnerable attachment style, rejection sensitivity, and PTSD were investigated. Results: Higher vulnerable attachment, rejection sensitivity, and lower social support were found to be significant predictors of PTSD symptoms (f2 = 0.75). The relationships from vulnerable attachment to PTSD were mediated by rejection sensitivity and perceived social support. The results supported and extend theoretical models of PTSD that posit a role for predisposing factors in the development and maintenance of the disorder. Conclusion: The findings suggest a potential benefit of identifying vulnerable groups that could benefit from a refinement of existing PTSD interventions by targeting the maladaptive effects of vulnerable attachment and rejection sensitivity, thus allowing the individual to draw effectively on social support networks.


Antecedentes:Aunque el apoyo social se ha asociado consistentemente con la recuperación del trauma psicológico y la prevención del Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT), las diferencias individuales en la búsqueda o beneficios del apoyo social en sobrevivientes del trauma no se comprenden bien. Factores asociados con modelos de trabajo internos negativos de sí mismo y de los otros, desregulación emocional, y vínculos interrumpidos con los grupos de apoyo social de un individuo; tal como el apego vulnerable y sensibilidad al rechazo pudiesen contribuir a un bajo apoyo social percibido y altos niveles de TEPT.Objetivo:el objetivo de este estudio fue probar un modelo informado teóricamente e investigar cómo las variables psicosociales tales como estilo de apegos vulnerables, sensibilidad al rechazo y apoyo social están asociados con el TEPT.Método:usando una encuesta transversal y Análisis de ruta en 141 sobrevivientes de trauma (edad 18­69, M = 25.20); se investigaron la relación entre estilo de apego vulnerable, sensibilidad al rechazo y TEPT.Resultados:Mayor apego vulnerable, sensibilidad al rechazo, y apoyo social bajo se encontraron que eran predictores significativos de síntomas de TEPT (f2 = 0.75). La relación entre apego vulnerable y TEPT fue mediada por la sensibilidad al rechazo y apoyo social percibido. Los resultados apoyan y amplían los modelos teóricos de TEPT que postulan un rol de los factores predisponentes en el desarrollo y la mantención del trastorno.Conclusión:Los hallazgos sugieren un potencial beneficio en identificar grupos vulnerables que pudiesen beneficiarse de un refinamiento de las intervenciones existentes de TEPT mediante focalización de los efectos desdaptativos del apego vulnerable y de la sensibilidad al rechazo, lo que permite que el individuo recurra de manera efectiva a las redes de apoyo social.


Subject(s)
Object Attachment , Social Support , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Survivors/statistics & numerical data , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Models, Psychological , Surveys and Questionnaires , Survivors/psychology
19.
Sci Rep ; 12(1): 1922, 2022 02 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35121795

ABSTRACT

Although integrated home internet of things (IoT) services can be beneficial, especially for vulnerable older adults, the hurdle of usability hinders implementation of the technology. This study aimed to evaluate the practical usability of home IoT services in older adults, by frailty status, and to determine the potential obstacles. From August 2019 to July 2020, we randomly selected 20 vulnerable older adults (prefrailty group [n = 11], and frailty group [n = 9]) who had already been identified as needing home IoT services in a community-based prospective cohort study, the Aging Study of the Pyeongchang Rural Area. Integrated home IoT services were provided for 1 year, and a face-to-face survey evaluating usability and satisfaction of each service was conducted. The usability of the integrated home IoT services declined gradually throughout the study. However, prefrail participants showed higher usability than frail older adults (difference-in-difference = - 19.431, p = 0.012). According to the frailty status, the change in usability for each service type also showed a different pattern. During the 12-month study period, the service with the highest satisfaction converged from various service needs to light control by remote control (77.8%) in the prefrailty group and automatic gas circuit breaker (72.7%) in the frailty group. For wider implementation of home IoT services, organizing services expected to have high usability and satisfaction based on user's frailty status is crucial. Also, providing education before service implementation might help older adults coping with digital literacy.


Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Attitude to Computers , Computer Literacy , Frail Elderly/psychology , Frailty/psychology , Home Care Services , Internet of Things , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Feasibility Studies , Female , Frailty/diagnosis , Frailty/physiopathology , Humans , Independent Living , Male , Patient Satisfaction , Prospective Studies , Time Factors
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