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Objective: The rapid emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States has dramatically altered daily life and taken a toll on Americans' physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. Based on previous widespread disasters, future high prevalence of short- and long-term adverse mental health consequences are anticipated. Studies of COVID-19 outside the United States indicated moderately high levels of distress, but we have little information regarding Americans' distress nor the factors associated with relative distress or adjustment during this unprecedented time. This study represents the first national view of Americans' distress during the massive disruption of COVID-19 and identifies levels of stress exposure, protective psychosocial resources, and coping strategies., Method: Data were collected April 7-9, 2020 from an online platform, using best practices for ensuring high-quality data; 1,015 completed respondents are included ([53.9%] women; average age = 38.9 years; mostly White [82.4%] and non-Hispanic [91.5%]). Respondents' locations ranged across the United States, from 18.5% in the Northeast to 37.8% in the South., Results: Fairly high levels of stress exposure and peritraumatic and general distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) were reported. Emotion regulation skills along with active and distraction coping emerged as the strongest predictors of lower distress levels., Conclusions: These results identify potential targets for online mental health interventions-focusing on engaging in adaptive emotion regulation and coping (e.g., through telehealth mental health first aid)-during the pandemic to offset the likely rise in distress over the months ahead. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Objectives: There is an increased awareness of the effect of a bladder cancer diagnosis and its treatments on the mental wellbeing of patients. However, few studies have evaluated the efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of interventions to improve this mental wellbeing. This systematic review is the first phase of the Medical Research Council Framework for developing complex interventions and provides an overview of the published mental wellbeing interventions that could be used to design an intervention specific for BC patients., Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines in January 2019 and studies were identified by conducting searches for Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Ovid Gateway. All included studies met the following criteria: mental wellbeing interventions of adults with medically confirmed diagnosis of any type of urological cancer, reported outcomes for specific HRQoL domains including psychological factors. The quality of evidence was assessed according to Down and Black 27-item checklist., Results: A total of 15,094 records were collected from the literature search and 10 studies matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, nine interventions were for patients with prostate cancer and one for patients with kidney cancer. No studies were found for other urological cancers. Depression was the most commonly reported endpoint measured. Of the included studies with positive efficacy, three were group interventions and two were couple interventions. In the group interventions, all showed a reduction in depressive symptoms and in the couple interventions, there was a reduction in depressive symptoms and a favourable relationship cohesion. The couple interventions were the most feasible and acceptable, but further research was required for most of the studies., Conclusion: While awareness of the importance of mental wellbeing in bladder cancer patients is growing, this systematic literature review highlights the gap of feasible and acceptable interventions for this patient population., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests.

Childhood exposure to traumatic experiences and subsequent psychological symptoms increase the risk for lifelong behavioral and mental health problems, including depression diagnoses, reduced adaptive coping strategies, substance abuse, and early death, with negative impacts on children's social development and academic achievement. Social-emotional competence (SEC) is a key component of resilience to trauma exposure, and early deficits predict increased problem behaviors include delinquency and substance use. SEC is a protective factor that moderates the relationship between risks associated with trauma and subsequent outcomes. The current study used a longitudinal experimental design (treatment vs. comparison) to examine outcomes from a trauma-informed initiative in a disadvantaged community with high trauma exposure rates for K-8th grade students (n = 245). The intervention focused on bolstering children's social-emotional skills and resilience while reducing trauma symptoms and improving academic performance through multimodal programming. Hierarchical Linear Modeling indicated significant improvements in SEC from the intervention group, in contrast to the comparison group (B = 3.42, t = 3.04, p < 0.01), with gender effects indicating females see the greatest benefit (B = 3.52, t = 4.27, p < 0.01). Results indicated the significance of addressing SEC for children in disadvantaged communities, particularly those indicating a trauma history and resulting symptomology, as well as boys, who indicated reduced treatment effects.

This study took a family systems perspective and tested spillover theory to examine the transmission of stress from parents to children during COVID-19. Using a longitudinal design with a 1-year interval, we tested the association between parent perceived stress and perceived child stress, and the sequential mediating effects of poor family functioning and parent–child closeness. The data comprised 134 parents residing in the US who were assessed from the initial first peak of COVID-19 infections in 2020 to 2021, 1 year later. Results indicated that when controlling for covariates, there was a significant association between parent perceived stress and perceived child stress. What is more, poor family functioning and parent–child closeness fully mediated the former link in sequence. These findings highlighted the need for improving family relationship quality when providing interventions that target families suffering in stressful contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study provides descriptive results on parents' mental health, ambiguous loss, stress, and parent–child relationship as well as child stress and children's emotion regulation abilities. Additionally, we present initial psychometric results and preliminary regression findings from a quantitative ambiguous loss measure. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to more than one million deaths in the United States and subsequent mental health difficulties for parents and children. Method: Data were collected from 134 participants (MParentAge = 39.1 years; 54.5% women; MChildAge = 9.4 years) in early May 2021. Analyses examined group differences of longitudinal findings over a year‐long period, parents' gender, and financial needs. Results: Moderate levels of COVID‐19–specific stress as well as general stress in both parents and children were found. Women reported higher levels of closeness among the parent–child dyad, and parents whose financial needs were not met reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression. A liner regression indicated that 44.3% of the variance in ambiguous loss can be explained by COVID‐19 specific stress and depression. Conclusion: Individuals and families are still experiencing difficulties after the COVID‐19 pandemic, as seen through the descriptives presented. Additionally, ambiguous loss can be predicted by these experiences. Implications: Long‐term information about individual and family experiences after a year of the COVID‐19 pandemic highlights important experiences of generalized stress in both parents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media use increased early in the Covid-19 pandemic, but little information is available about its impact. The present study examined associations of frequency of use of different social media and the motives for use with subsequent social well-being and mental health. Data were gathered on a nationwide sample of 843 Americans during the first wave of lockdowns and infections in mid-April 2020, and again five weeks later. Participants were adults ages 20 to 88 years old (M = 39.3 years old) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Controlling for age and gender, greater frequency of Facebook and video chat app use predicted higher levels social support but also higher levels of cumulative Covid-19–related stress appraisals and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Greater use of video chat apps also predicted less loneliness. Greater use of both Instagram and Snapchat predicted more anxiety and cumulative Covid-19–related stress appraisals. Greater use of Instagram also predicted higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Motives for use (e.g., connect with others, waste time/avoid responsibility, online video gaming with others) also differentially predicted social well-being and mental health. Results indicate that greater social media use early in the pandemic was often associated with more distress and lower levels of social well-being but, effects varied depending on types, frequency, and motivations for use. Overall, the study revealed that social media use related to social well-being and mental health in complex ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The negative mental health impact of coronavirus disease 2019‐related stressors may be heightened for those caring for children, who bear responsibity for their welfare during disasters. Aim: Based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, we inquired whether caregivers' emotion regulation and coping behavior were associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Materials & Methods: Data were collected through a national online survey in April 2020, and again 60 days later. Results:Of the 801 longitudinal cases, 176 (63.6% female; mean age = 33.5) reported caring for minors in their homes during the pandemic. Over 20% of caregivers experienced clinically concerning PTSS, rates higher than their noncaregiving counterparts. Regression analysis indicates caregivers' baseline mental health symptoms and emotion regulation predicted PTSS 60 days later. Discussion: Implications for needed parenting supports among families experiencing traumatic stress are provided. Conclusion: Anxiety symptoms at baseline were the most significant and consistent contributor to all models and were significantly higher among those with clinically concerning levels of PTSS suggesting a clear intervention target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is linked to particularly potent psychological effects for children and their caregivers while families adjust to new daily routines for work, education, and self-care. Longitudinal associations are presented from a national sample of 271 parents (mean age = 35.29 years, 48.5% female) on resilience, mental health and stress indicators, and parenting outcomes. Multigroup path model results indicate significant associations between resilience and parent stress or parent perceived child stress initiates a sequence of significant linkages to parent depression, followed by caregiver burden and parent–child relationship quality. This final set of linkages between depression and both parenting outcomes were significantly stronger for men, who also reported higher rates of perceived child stress. Results suggest that fathers' depression symptoms and associated spill-over to perceived child stress is producing stronger effects on their parenting experiences than effects reported by mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scales assessing stressor exposure often fail to demonstrate adequate psychometric qualities, demonstrating low interitem reliability or complex factor structures, as would be expected, given that the majority of stressors are independent events. However, in large-scale mass crisis events, the stressors may be highly interrelated, indicating shared experience. Furthermore, few stressor exposure scales also measure appraised stressfulness of those stressors. Development of a psychometrically sound measure of both stressor exposure and appraisal advances the study of highly stressful events such as community-wide crises, especially in providing a useful measure of its cumulative stressfulness. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an enduring, worldwide stressor with an indefinite timeline. The COVID-19 Stressor Scale is a 23-item measure of stressor exposure and appraisal related to the pandemic developed within the first weeks of widespread shelter-in-place practices in the Unites States. We present initial psychometric results of the COVID-19 Stressor Scale. Results of a principal components analysis indicate that the measure is unidimensional and has strong internal consistency. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated. The COVID-19 Stressor Scale is a useful measure for studying the ongoing stressors associated with the pandemic and presents a model for measuring other massive, ongoing crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Documenting Americans' stress responses to an unprecedented pandemic and their degree of adherence to CDC guidelines is essential for mental health interventions and policy-making. Objective: To provide the first snapshot of immediate impact of COVID-19 on Americans' stress, coping, and guideline adherence. Design: Data were collected from an online workers' platform for survey research (Amazon's Mechanical Turk) from April 7 to 9, 2020. The current data represents the baseline of a longitudinal study. Best practices for ensuring high-quality data were employed. Participants: Individuals who are 18 years of age or older, living in the USA, and English-speaking were eligible for the study. Of 1086 unique responses, 1015 completed responses are included. Setting: Population-based. Main Outcomes: Exposure to and stressfulness of COVID-19 stressors, coping strategies, and adherence to CDC guidelines. Results: The sample was 53.9% women (n = 547), with an average age of 38.9 years (SD = 13.50, range = 18–88), most of whom were White (n = 836, 82.4%), non-Hispanic (n = 929, 91.5%), and straight/heterosexual (n = 895, 88.2%); 40% were currently married (n = 407), and 21.6% (n = 219) were caregivers. About half (50.5%) endorsed having at least "mostly" enough money to meet their needs. Respondents' locations across the USA ranged from 18.5% in the Northeast to 37.8% in the South. The most commonly experienced stressors were reading/hearing about the severity and contagiousness of COVID-19, uncertainty about length of quarantine and social distancing requirements, and changes to social and daily personal care routines. Financial concerns were rated most stressful. Younger age, female gender, and caregiver status increased risk for stressor exposure and greater degree of stressfulness. The most frequently reported strategies to manage stress were distraction, active coping, and seeking emotional social support. CDC guideline adherence was generally high, but several key social distancing and hygiene behaviors showed suboptimal adherence, particularly for men and younger adults. Conclusions and Relevance: Americans have high COVID-19 stress exposure and some demographic subgroups appear particularly vulnerable to stress effects. Subgroups less likely to adhere to CDC guidelines may benefit from targeted information campaigns. these findings may guide mental health interventions and inform policy-making regarding implications of specific public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.This study examined the association between newborns’ daily crying and five measures of new mothers’ emotional states.Design.One hundred seven new mothers responded via a one-time, anonymous, online survey that assessed their stress, well-being, emotion regulation, frustration, and coping skills. Mothers also reported their infant’s daily cry duration.Results.Average daily crying was related to mothers’ emotional experiences, and relations also existed among the five mental health measures. Regression models indicate the strongest predictors of frustration were infant’s average cry duration, maternal well-being, and infant’s health status at enrollment.Conclusion.Mental health professionals can support families through the normative, but often stressful, experience of their infant’s cries. However, a re-evaluation of the clinical criteria for excessive crying is needed, as the results suggest that mothers whose infants cry considerably less than the widely used Wessel’s 3-hour-per-day criterion for excessive crying experience significant negative mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Young adults reporting combined alcohol and marijuana use indicate greater frequency of other substances, binge drinking rates, and alcohol-related negative consequences. Emotion regulation (ER) difficulties are linked to alcohol use and abuse, with effects commonly attributed to increased mindfulness and distress tolerance abilities. Evidence is mixed, however, regarding the interactive impact of substance use and mindfulness facets on mental health outcomes.Methods: The current study utilized a cross-sectional design to examine mental health outcomes predicted by ER and mindfulness facets in 229 college students across three substance use categories (no use; alcohol/marijuana; illicit use with alcohol/marijuana).Results: For participants reporting no substance use, linear stepwise regressions found that Non-Judging was significantly related to reduced anxiety, while Acting with Awareness was related to greater anxiety; for those reporting alcohol/marijuana use only, Non-Judging significantly related to lower stress and anxiety; for those reporting illicit substance use with alcohol/marijuana, Acting with Awareness was related to lower stress. Describing was related to higher distress across groups, and Observing was not significantly related to any aspect of mental health across groups. ER difficulties were positively related to depression, anxiety and stress across substance use groups, with one exception: ER difficulty was not significantly associated with depression for no use.Discussion: Mindfulness interventions should focus on certain facets, such as Non-Judging, in order to improve psychological functioning across various groups of substance use. Additionally, ER difficulties are closely linked to alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]