Search

The article discusses increase in mental health conditions among the general population and health care workers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics discussed include need for prevention and control practices that eliminate, reduce, and manage factors that cause or contribute to public health workers' poor mental health; prevalence of symptoms of mental health conditions among public health workers; and symptoms among workers have been linked to increased absenteeism.

Because little is known about the mental health status of Syrian refugees in the United States, we conducted a survey among a convenience sample of those resettled in Atlanta between March 2011 and 2017. Though home visits, we delivered a questionnaire including standardized instruments (HSCL25 and PTSD-8) to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. We found high rates of anxiety (60%), depression (44%) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (84%) symptoms; however, only 20% of participants had seen a mental health professional. Reported reasons for not seeking professional help were lack of transportation and access to information. Findings of this survey indicate the high burden of mental health symptoms and the need for services to the study population. A longitudinal study with a larger sample size would improve the understanding of mental health needs and resilience factors of Syrian refugees resettled in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a medical study examining the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people living in areas affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in southern Thailand. The study found that there were higher rates of anxiety, PTSD, and depression symptoms among the survivors of the tsunami in southern Thailand 8 weeks after the disaster. While the rates of people reporting such symptoms decreased after nine months, the rates were still elevated. The implications of these results for posttsunami mental health care and interventions are discussed. INSET: Tsunami-Specific Traumatic Events Assessed by 13 Questions on....

Context More than 2 decades of conflict have led to widespread human suffering and population displacement in Afghanistan. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other collaborating partners performed a national population-based mental health survey in Afghanistan. Objective To provide national estimates of mental health status of the disabled (any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner considered normal for a human being) and nondisabled Afghan population aged at least 15 years. Design, Setting, and Participants A national multistage, cluster, population-based mental health survey of 799 adult household members (699 nondisabled and 100 disabled respondents) aged 15 years or older conducted from July to September 2002. Fifty district-level clusters were selected based on probability proportional to size sampling. One village was randomly selected in each cluster and 15 households were randomly selected in each village, yielding 750 households. Main Outcome Measures Demographics, social functioning as measured by selected questions from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, depressive symptoms measured by the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25, trauma events and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and culture-specific symptoms of mental illness and coping mechanisms. Results A total of 407 respondents (62.0%) reported experiencing at least 4 trauma events during the previous 10 years. The most common trauma events experienced by the respondents were lack of food and water (56.1%) for nondisabled persons and lack of shelter (69.7%) for disabled persons. The prevalence of respondents with symptoms of depression was 67.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54.6%-80.7%) and 71.7% (95% CI, 65.0%-78.4%), and symptoms of anxiety 72.2% (95% CI, 63.8%-80.7%) and 84.6% (95% CI, 74.1%-95.0%) for nondisabled and disabled respondents, respectively. The pre... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Decades of armed conflict, suppression, and displacement resulted in a high prevalence of mental health symptoms throughout Afghanistan. Its Eastern province of Nangarhar is part of the region that originated the Taliban movement. This may have had a distinct impact on the living circumstances and mental health condition of the province's population. Objectives To determine the rate of exposure to traumatic events; estimate prevalence rates of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety; identify resources used for emotional support and risk factors for mental health symptoms; and assess the present coverage of basic needs in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional multicluster sample survey of 1011 respondents aged 15 years or older, conducted in Nangarhar province during January and March 2003; 362 households were represented with a mean of 2.8 respondents per household (72% participation rate). Main Outcome Measures Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and traumatic events using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire; depression and general anxiety symptoms using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist; and resources for emotional support through a locally informed questionnaire. Results During the past 10 years, 432 respondents (43.7%) experienced between 8 and 10 traumatic events; 141 respondents (14.1%) experienced 11 or more. High rates of symptoms of depression were reported by 391 respondents (38.5%); anxiety, 524 (51.8%); and PTSD, 207 (20.4%). Symptoms were more prevalent in women than in men (depression: odds ratio [OR], 7.3 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 5.4-9.8]; anxiety: OR, 12.8 [95% CI, 9.0-18.1]; PTSD: OR, 5.8 [95% CI, 3.8-8.9]). Higher rates of symptoms were associated with higher numbers of traumas experienced. The main resources for emotional support were religion and family. Medical care was reported to be insufficient by 228 respondents (22.6%). Conclusions In this survey ... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]