The psychological impact of threat and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: exacerbating factors and mitigating actions.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: van Mulukom V
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8420639 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Lockdowns to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have had profound effects on everyday life worldwide, but their effect on mental health remains unclear because available meta-analyses and reviews rely mostly on cross-sectional studies. We conducted a rapid review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and natural experiments investigating the relationship between COVID-19 lockdowns and mental health. A total of 25 studies involving 72 004 participants and 58 effect sizes were analyzed. Using a random effects model, we found that lockdowns had small effects on mental health symptoms, g = 0.17, s.e. = 0.05, 95% CI (0.06-0.24), p = 0.001, but the effects on positive psychological functioning, g = -0.12, s.e. = 0.11, 95% CI (-0.33 to 0.09), p = 0.27, were not significant. Multivariate analysis of effect sizes revealed significant and relatively small effect sizes for anxiety and depression, while those for social support, loneliness, general distress, negative affect, and suicide risk were not significant. The results indicated substantial heterogeneity among studies, but meta-regression analyses found no significant moderation effects for mean age, gender, continent, COVID-19 death rate, days of lockdown, publication status or study design. The psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdowns is small in magnitude and highly heterogeneous, suggesting that lockdowns do not have uniformly detrimental effects on mental health and that most people are psychologically resilient to their effects.
| S-EPMC7844215 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionBronchial asthma is an age-old disease whereas COVID-19 is an officially declared pandemic on March 11, 2020 by WHO. Since both are primarily a disease of the respiratory system, researchers across the globe tried to explore the potential relationship between them; to date, there is no convincing data. Here, we tried to present a case to explore potential relationships between these two, if present.Case presentationA 30-year-old male patient with well-controlled cough variant asthma was diagnosed with a case of covid-19 infection 12 months back. All other sign symptoms subsided except dry cough. The patient is treated with an inhaled bronchodilator, oral and inhaled steroid, Tab montelukast as well as other conservative management like hot water vapor, lozenge, honey, etc but symptoms were not controlled for the last 12 months. The patient could not do his job because of this problem. All examination and investigation findings were normal. After long-term use of inhaled steroids, he is now 50-60% improved and gradually improving.DiscussionCovid can exacerbate cough in an asthmatic patient. Neuronal activation and neuroinflammatory mechanisms may aggravate this cough after covid. Diagnosis confirmed clinically with the relevant improvement of symptoms. Other important differentials were excluded by appropriate history, examinations, and investigation. Cough is improved by steroids in this case.ConclusionSummary of conclusion: Cough variant asthma may be aggravated with covid 19 infection and meticulous history, treatment, and follow up needed for an asthmatic patient who is infected with covid 19.
| S-EPMC9091074 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Lockdown edicts during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to concerns about consequences for childbirth plans and decisions. Robust empirical research to either refute or confirm these concerns, however, is lacking. To evaluate the causal impact of lockdowns on fertility, we exploited a large sample of Australians (aged 18-45) from a nationally representative household panel survey and leveraged variation from a unique natural experiment that occurred in Australia in 2020: a lockdown imposed in the state of Victoria, but not elsewhere in Australia. Difference-in-differences models were estimated comparing changes in fertility intentions of persons who resided in Victoria during lockdown, or within four weeks of the lockdown being lifted, and those living elsewhere in Australia. Results revealed a significantly larger decline in reported intentions of having another child among women who lived through the protracted lockdown. The average effect was small, with fertility intentions estimated to fall by between 2.8% and 4.3% of the pre-pandemic mean. This negative effect was, however, more pronounced among those aged over 35 years, the less educated, and those employed on fixed-term contracts. Impacts on men's fertility intentions were generally negligible, but with a notable exception being Indigenous Australians.
| S-EPMC9762099 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThis review assesses interventions and their effectiveness in mitigating psychological consequences from pandemic.MethodPublished English literatures were searched from four databases (Medline, PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO) from January 2020 and September 2021. A total of 27 papers with 29 studies (one paper reported three studies) met inclusion criteria. Cochrane risk-of-bias tool is applied to assess the quality of all randomised controlled trials (RCT).ResultsAll studies were recently conducted in 2020. Publications were from high-income (13, 44.8%), upper middle-income (12, 41.4%) and lower middle-income countries (3, 10.3%) and global (1, 3.5%). Half of the studies conducted for general population (51.7%). One-third of studies (8, 27.6%) provided interventions to patients with COVID-19 and 20.7% to healthcare workers. Of the 29 studies, 14 (48.3%) were RCT. All RCTs were assessed for risk of biases; five studies (15, 35.7%) had low risk as measured against all six dimensions reflecting high-quality study.Of these 29 studies, 26 diagnostic or screening measures were applied; 8 (30.9%) for anxiety, 7 (26.9%) for depression, 5 (19.2%) for stress, 5 (19.2%) for insomnia and 1 (3.8%) for suicide. Measures used to assess the baseline and outcomes of interventions were standardised and widely applied by other studies with high level of reliability and validity. Of 11 RCT studies, 10 (90.9%) showed that anxiety interventions significantly lowered anxiety in intervention groups. Five of the six RCT studies (83.3%) had significantly reduced the level of depression. Most interventions for anxiety and stress were mindfulness and meditation based.ConclusionsResults from RCT studies (11%, 78.6%) were effective in mitigating psychological consequences from COVID-19 pandemic when applied to healthcare workers, patients with COVID-19 and general population. These effective interventions can be applied and scaled up in other country settings through adaptation of modes of delivery suitable to country resources, pandemic and health system context.
| S-EPMC9329730 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis: it has unpredictably changed our whole way of life. As suggested by the analysis of economic data on sales, this dramatic scenario has also heavily impacted individuals' spending levels. To better understand these changes, the present study focused on consumer behavior and its psychological antecedents. Previous studies found that crises differently affect people's willingness to buy necessities products (i.e., utilitarian shopping) and non-necessities products (i.e., hedonic shopping). Therefore, in examining whether changes in spending levels were associated with changes in consumer behavior, we adopted a fine-grained approach disentangling between necessities and non-necessities. We administered an online survey to 3833 participants (age range 18-64) during the first peak period of the contagion in Italy. Consumer behavior toward necessities was predicted by anxiety and COVID-related fear, whereas consumer behavior toward non-necessities was predicted by depression. Furthermore, consumer behavior toward necessities and non-necessities was predicted by personality traits, perceived economic stability, and self-justifications for purchasing. The present study extended our understanding of consumer behavior changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results could be helpful to develop marketing strategies that consider psychological factors to meet actual consumers' needs and feelings.
| S-EPMC8366984 | biostudies-literature
Project description:COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. It causes respiratory tract infection that ranges from mild to lethal. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. A questionnaire about the emotional, physiological, and cognitive stress symptoms was designed in the present study. A total of 94 cases and 188 controls participants filled out the questionnaire. The participants include 70.2% male and 29.8% female in both cases and controls. 27.6% of the participants were aged 18-40 years old, 33.0% were aged 41-60 years old, and 39.4% were above 61 years old. In the present study, we found that the emotional symptoms of stress were common in PD patients. Fear about own and family health was significantly higher in PD patients. A significant number of PD patients were feeling depressed; the major reason was the COVID-19 and being a PD patient, While job difficulties and COVID-19 pandemic was the main reason for feeling depressed in the control group. Constant worrying due to COVID-19 was also more common in PD patients than in the control group. Among the physiological symptoms of stress, low energy, Restlessness, clenched jaw and avoiding others were significantly higher in PD patients. Among the cognitive symptoms of stress, racing thoughts, forgetfulness, and more nervous behaviours were common in PD patients. This study concludes that PD patients face a psychological burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs proper attention.
| S-EPMC9166998 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, type of delivery, and neonatal feeding of pregnant women with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection during gestation.Study designThe study was conducted online, and anonymous survey was distributed to mothers that delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThe survey was completed by 286 women, and 64 women (22.4%) had COVID-19 during pregnancy. Women that had SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy or at time of delivery had a significantly higher probability of being separated from the newborn (p < 0.0001) and a significantly lower probability of breastfeeding (p < 0.0001). The Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale, to assess if mothers had symptoms of postnatal depression, showed that items suggestive of postnatal depression were relatively frequent in the whole cohort. However, women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy reported higher probability of responses suggestive of postnatal depression in eight out of 10 items, with statistically significant differences in three items.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic affected the type of delivery and breastfeeding of pregnant women, particularly when they had SARS-CoV-2 infection. This, in turn, had an impact on the psychological status of the interviewed mothers, aspects that could benefit of special support.
| S-EPMC9039297 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing and lockdowns, have been essential to control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, localized lockdowns in small geographic areas have become an important policy intervention for preventing viral spread in cases of resurgence. These localized lockdowns can result in lower social and economic costs compared with larger-scale suppression strategies. Using an integrated data set from Chile (March 3-June 15, 2020) and a novel synthetic control approach, we estimated the effect of localized lockdowns, disentangling its direct and indirect causal effects on transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our results showed that the effects of localized lockdowns are strongly modulated by their duration and are influenced by indirect effects from neighboring geographic areas. Our estimates suggest that extending localized lockdowns can slow down SARS-CoV-2 transmission; however, localized lockdowns on their own are insufficient to control pandemic growth in the presence of indirect effects from contiguous neighboring areas that do not have lockdowns. These results provide critical empirical evidence about the effectiveness of localized lockdowns in interconnected geographic areas.
| S-EPMC8807239 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinician health and retention.ObjectiveTo describe trends in burnout from 2019 through 2021 with associated mitigating and aggravating factors.Design, setting, and participantsCross-sectional surveys were sent to physicians and advanced practice clinicians throughout 120 large US health care organizations between February 2019 and December 2021. From 56 090 surveys, there were 20 627 respondents.ExposuresWork conditions and COVID-19.Main outcomes and measuresSurveys measured time pressure, chaos, work control, teamwork, electronic health record use, values alignment, satisfaction, burnout, intent to leave, and in 2021, feeling valued. Multivariate regressions controlling for gender, race and ethnicity, years in practice, and role determined burnout, satisfaction, and intent-to-leave correlates.ResultsOf the 20 627 respondents (median response rate, 58% [IQR, 34%-86%; difference, 52%]), 67% were physicians, 51% female, and 66% White. Burnout was 45% in 2019, 40% to 45% in early 2020, 50% in late 2020, and 60% in late 2021. Intent to leave increased from 24% in 2019 to more than 40% as job satisfaction decreased. Higher burnout was seen in chaotic workplaces (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% CI, 1.38-1.66; P < .001) and with low work control (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.91-2.30; P < .001). Higher burnout was associated with poor teamwork (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.78-2.43; P < .001), while feeling valued was associated with lower burnout (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.18-0.27; P < .001). In time trends, burnout was consistently higher with chaos and poor work control. For example, in the fourth quarter of 2021 burnout was 36% (95% CI, 31%-42%) in calm environments vs 78% (95% CI, 73%-84%) if chaotic (absolute difference, 42%; 95% CI, 34%-49%; P < .001), and 39% (95% CI, 33%-44%) with good work control vs 75% (95% CI, 69%-81%) if poor (absolute difference, 36%; 95% CI, 27%-44%; P < .001). Good teamwork was associated with lower burnout rates (49%; 95% CI, 44%-54%) vs poor teamwork (88%; 95% CI, 80%-97%; absolute difference, 39%; 95% CI, 29%-48%; P < .001), as was feeling valued (37%; 95% CI, 31%-44%) vs not feeling valued (69%; 95% CI, 63%-74%; absolute difference, 32%; 95% CI, 22%-39%; P < .001).Conclusions and relevanceResults of this survey study show that in 2020 through 2021, burnout and intent to leave gradually increased, rose sharply in late 2021, and varied by chaos, work control, teamwork, and feeling valued. Monitoring these variables could provide mechanisms for worker protection.
| S-EPMC9685483 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the impact of the lockdowns during the COVID-19 (Corona-Virus-Disease 19) pandemic in Austria on work-related accidents in the year 2020. Apart from the lockdowns, multiple work-related measures were introduced in 2020, such as the new law on short-term work and regulation on accidents during home-office. Their combined effects on work-related accidents are unknown and a secondary parameter of this study.MethodsDaily data on the number of accepted and rejected cases of work-related accidents from the Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt were obtained for the years 2019 and 2020. Based on data provided by the World Health Organization and government publications, the beginning and end dates of national hard and soft lockdown periods were derived. From this database, a difference-in-differences regression analysis on the absolute number of daily work-related accidents was conducted.ResultsOn average 272.3 work-related accidents per day were registered in 2019 and 199.4 in 2020, a statistically significant reduction of 72.9 accidents per day and total decrease of 26,164 less accidents compared to 2019. Both lockdowns had a statistically highly significant effect on work-related accidents: The hard lockdown reduced the average number of daily registered work-related accidents by 40%. The light lockdown phases reduced this number by an average of 51%. Weekends and holidays had the greatest impact on work-related accidents with a reduction of 69% and 73%, respectively.ConclusionBoth lockdown qualities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria led to a significant reduction in work-related accidents for their duration. These findings merit further investigation with more detailed data on sectors and injury-quality.
| S-EPMC9003159 | biostudies-literature