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Objective: To explore the food insecurity experienced by the Roma population of the Valencian Community (Spain) and the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown., Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional exploratory study using a questionnaire that collected information on socioeconomic status and situations of food insecurity experienced before and during lockdown, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The questionnaire was applied by health workers from the Roma community with people over 18 years of age. A descriptive analysis was carried out stratifying by sex, calculating Chi-square test to identify differences in the variables of the experiences of food insecurity., Results: 468 people participated (57.1% women/42.9% men) who expressed: worry about a lack of food (67.3%); eating the same type of food (37.2%); not being able to eat healthy foods (34.4%); feeling hungry and not being able to eat (9.6%). Around 2.1 percent stated that they could not eat for a whole day, and 65 percent reported that they had to ask for or provide help to be able to eat. When stratifying by sex, it was found that women had more experiences of food insecurity. Except in the case of having stopped eating for a full day, where the percentage remained constant, an increase was observed in the other experiences of food insecurity during lockdown., Conclusions: A large part of the Roma population studied, especially women, experienced situations of food insecurity before COVID-19 that were aggravated during lockdown. This situation was compensated for by community support networks., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Soares et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Despite the end of the COVID-19 lockdown and reopening of schools, the long-term effects of quarantine on the weight status, eating habits, and lifestyle of children and adolescents remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the long-term effects of the lockdown on the weight status, eating habits, and lifestyle changes of children and adolescents in Iran., Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2022. The target population comprised one hundred students aged between 10 and 16 years old. Our study obtained students' weight and height data from records maintained by school principals or physical education instructors before and after the quarantine period. The BMI z-score (zBMI) was calculated for each time point. The researchers also provided a questionnaire to collect the students' demographic and lifestyle status changes during school closures., Results: We found that the zBMI increased significantly from - 0.02 ± 1.64 to 0.36 ± 1.12, and the number of individuals with overweight and obesity increased by 3% during quarantine (P ≤ 0.05). These changes were more pronounced in males and students aged 14-16 years old. We also found that eating habits, sleeping time, sleeping patterns, screen time (time spent on social media per day), and physical activity had significant negative changes during quarantine, and a significant increase in zBMI was observed among students who experienced negative eating behaviors, altered sleeping patterns, and decreased physical activity during school closures., Conclusion: As prolonged school closures due to the COVID-19 lockdown aggravated students' health and lifestyle status, our findings can aid in proper planning to establish an appropriate framework for the diet, physical activity, and sleeping quality of students during extended school closures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In order to slow the spread of COVID-19, on March 23, 2020, a strict lockdown was implemented in the UK. This was followed by alternating periods of less restrictive lockdowns until most public health restrictions were lifted in the summer of 2021. While these measures were necessary, they significantly affected people's daily activities, lifestyles, and mental well-being.This paper presents a longitudinal research study that focused on females aged 55 + in the UK, aiming to understand how COVID-19 and the subsequent 15-month period of lockdowns affected their lifestyles and emotions. The study collected data through online surveys, where respondents reported the frequency and mode of access to activities, and their positive and negative emotional experiences during distinct study phases that encompassed both lockdown and less strict periods.In contrast to previous studies highlighting vulnerabilities for females and the elderly during lockdowns, this research found that the studied group maintained an overall positive outlook throughout the study period and successfully adapted to the lockdowns by increasing their engagement in certain activities, in particular, activities like 'getting active'. In addition, our findings indicate rapid adaptive behaviour change towards many online activities, such as cultural activities. However, the study also revealed negative emotions and a decrease in some activities during the second lockdown in 2020 and the subsequent lockdowns in 2021, underscoring the challenges inherent in prolonged periods of confinement. In addition, the study found negative affect associated with some activities, including working and studying from home.The findings provide valuable insights into how females aged over 55 coped with stressful circumstances, which can inform the development of resilient and mental health-conscious public health policies and responses in preparation for future pandemics or other hazards., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Missed or delayed child healthcare caused by the COVID-19 lockdown has threatened young children's health and has had an unpredictable influence on caregivers' child healthcare preferences. This study investigated caregivers' child healthcare preferences and the factors that influence them among families with young children (0-3 years) during the lockdown in Shanghai., Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional study were enrolled through random encounter sampling. Questionnaires were distributed online from June 1 to November 10, 2022, in Shanghai. A total of 477 valid questionnaires were received. The demographics of caregivers and their families, children's characteristics, COVID-19-related information, and caregivers' healthcare preferences were analyzed. The statistical analyses included frequency and percentage, chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression., Results: Caregivers preferred child healthcare professionals in the community health service system (CHS; 47.6%) followed by hospital pediatricians (40.0%) during lockdown. Caregivers with the following characteristics preferred CHS: those with an annual household income of CNY 200,000-300,000, those whose youngest children were aged 8-12 months, and those who experienced early childhood physical development issues. Caregivers preferred hospitals if they had experienced healthcare-seeking-related difficulties in accessing professional guidance from hospital pediatricians., Conclusions: During pandemic lockdowns, policymakers should allocate more resources to CHS to meet caregivers' childcare demands. Moreover, special attention should be given to the healthcare needs for CHS among families with specific demographics., Trial Registration: Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine School of Public Health (SJUPN-202,109; June 1, 2022)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Online teaching accelerated during COVID-19-associated lockdowns. At that time, it was assumed that university students wanted to revert to in-person sessions at the earliest opportunity. However, when in-person sessions were re-introduced, student attendance was not as high as expected. Therefore, we examined students' preferences of learning modes. Students (n = 968) from different UK universities, degree cohorts, study levels and biological sexes were given four learning-mode options: Face-to-face sessions for lectures and tutorials (in-person), Live online sessions for lectures and tutorials (Online-synchronous), Pre-recorded lectures and live online tutorials (Online-mixed-asynchronous-synchronous), and Pre-recorded lectures and face-to-face tutorials (Blended: in-person and online-asynchronous). Students ranked these options as per their preference via an online anonymous survey. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28. Results showed that the most frequently selected 1st and last choices were In-person and Online-synchronous modes, respectively. For the majority, above choices were the same across study levels and biological sex, but across degree cohorts, the 1st choice was either In-person or Blended. Proportion of students selecting In-person mode as their 1st choice (52.2%) was almost equal to the combined proportions of those selecting other learning modes as 1st choices (47.5%). Amongst degree cohorts, In-person mode was least preferred by Language Education students and most preferred by Bioscience and Sports & Exercise Science students. The latter cohort also preferred Online-synchronous mode more than other degree cohorts. Blended mode was preferred more by Language Education, Computer Science and Psychology students but preferred less by Sports & Exercise Science and Pharmacy students, compared to other degree cohorts. Ordinal regression revealed that Sports & Exercise Science students preferred Online-mixed-asynchronous-synchronous mode less than Language Education students. Undergraduates preferred In-person mode more and Online-mixed- asynchronous-synchronous mode less than postgraduates. Preference differences between biological sexes were insignificant. Thus, we identified students' preferences of learning modes and propose that not biological sex, but discipline and study level can predict/influence preferences., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Mehta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: In order to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented lockdown or quarantine requirements, but little is known about how this impacts suicide ideation. The purpose of this study is to examine changing trends of suicidal ideation, social trust, and social communication from the quarantine to non-quarantine period during the COVID-19 epidemic in China and the effects of quarantine on suicidal ideation., Methods: A prospective longitudinal observation design was utilized. There were six waves of interviews from the quarantine to the non-quarantine period. Two hundred and twenty-one participants completed all observation points and were included in the study. For the continuing variables, the Mann-Kendall test was used to assess changing trends across the six observation points. For categorical variables, the Cochran-Armitage test was used to examine their changing trends. A generalized estimating equation was used to examine the association between several independent variables and suicide ideation., Results: The prevalence of suicide ideation was 16.7, 14.5 %, and 14.5 %, respectively, in the quarantine period, and 13.8, 10.9 %, and 10.0 %, respectively in the non-quarantine period, which there was a significant downward trend (T: -4.06, p < 0.01) across the total observation period. Negative behavioral belief, negative social trust, and low levels of social communications were positively associated with suicide ideation, with a β of 0.0310 (P < 0.01), 0.0541 (P < 0.01), and 0.0245 (P < 0.05) respectively. The positive attitude toward lockdown was negatively associated with suicide ideation, with a β of -0.0137 (P < 0.01) among guaranteed classmates and it was -0.0121 (P < 0.01) among unguaranteed classmates., Conclusions: This study yielded new information and may have important policy implications to design effective intervention strategies to reduce future new infectious diseases while maintaining positive mental health and reducing suicide ideation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The mental health inequality between migrants and non-migrants was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying key determinants of this inequality is essential in promoting health equity., Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited Shanghai residents by purposive sampling during the city-wide lockdown (from April 29 to June 1, 2022) using an online questionnaire. Migration statuses (non-migrants, permanent migrants, and temporary migrants) were identified by migration experience and by household registration in Shanghai. Mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, loneliness, and problematic anger) were assessed by self-report scales. The nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to quantify mental health inequality (i.e., differences in predicted probabilities between migration groups) and the contribution of expected correlates (i.e., change in predicted probability associated with variation in the correlate divided by the group difference)., Results: The study included 2738 participants (771 [28.2%] non-migrants; 389 [14.2%] permanent migrants; 1578 [57.6%] temporary migrants). We found inequalities in depression (7.1%) and problematic anger (7.8%) between permanent migrants and non-migrants, and inequalities in anxiety (7.3%) and loneliness (11.3%) between temporary migrants and non-migrants. When comparing permanent migrants and non-migrants, age and social capital explained 12.7% and 17.1% of the inequality in depression, and 13.3% and 21.4% of the inequality in problematic anger. Between temporary migrants and non-migrants, age and social capital also significantly contributed to anxiety inequality (23.0% and 18.2%) and loneliness inequality (26.5% and 16.3%), while monthly household income (20.4%) and loss of monthly household income (34.0%) contributed the most to anxiety inequality., Conclusions: Significant inequalities in depression and problematic anger among permanent migrants and inequalities in anxiety and loneliness among temporary migrants were observed. Strengthening social capital and economic security can aid in public health emergency preparedness and promote mental health equity among migrant populations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: This study aims to assess the status and related factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) in designated quarantine-hospital-site (DQHS) based on the model of health ecology., Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May, 2022, which included 351 valid samples. We measured sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which encompasses seven dimensions: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication, and daytime dysfunction. Each dimension is scored individually, contributing to an overall sleep quality score. Factors associated with the sleep quality of HCWs in DQHS were divided into individual, behavioral, interpersonal and social dimensions. Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to identify the potential factors associated with sleep quality among HCWs in DQHS., Results: HCWs in DQHS had a statistically higher sleep quality than the Chinese national norm. HCWs who were female, afraid of Coronavirus disease, had more negative emotions, frequently worked overtime, were married, and had a higher income were more likely to experience worse sleep quality ( p  < 0.05), while those who worked between 51 and 70 h weekly, treated over 10 patients daily, and engaged in more health behaviors may have better sleep quality ( p  < 0.05)., Conclusion: This study revealed a worrying level of sleep quality among HCWs in DQHS. The government, hospital managers, and families should collaborate to ensure the sleep quality of HCWs in DQHS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhou, Shen, Tan, Zhou, Zheng and Jiang.)

Importance: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase when mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression, often emerge. Stringent public health measures and quarantine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten adolescent mental health., Objective: To investigate the associations of public health measures and quarantine experiences with mental distress among Norwegian adolescents and to explore if certain vulnerability factors moderate these associations., Design, Setting, and Participants: This longitudinal cohort study used repeated measures to capture variations in mental distress explained by the stringency of public health measures and quarantine experiences. Data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child cohort study were linked to national health registries and a national stringency index from April 1, 2020, to February 17, 2021. Participant included 7787 Norwegian adolescents aged 16 to 18 years. Data were analyzed from October 2022 to October 2023., Exposures: Stringency index of public health measures and quarantine experiences including recent quarantine (within the last 2 weeks) and quarantine frequency (cumulative number of quarantine episodes)., Main Outcome and Measures: Mental distress was measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist across 6 data collection waves., Results: In this study, 7787 participants were included in the analysis (4473 female [57%]; mean [SD] age, 17.0 [0.6] years). Stringent public health measures (β = 0.18; SE, 0.02; P < .001), recent quarantine (β = 0.11; SE, 0.02; P < .001), and frequent quarantine (β = 0.08; SE, 0.01; P < .001) were associated with higher levels of mental distress. The associations between public health measures and mental distress were not moderated by sex, age, prepandemic anxiety or depression, or genetic liability for mental health conditions. Frequency of quarantine appeared to be more strongly associated with mental distress among younger adolescents (β = -0.04; SE, 0.01; P = .008), those with parents with lower education (β = -0.04; SE, 0.01; P = .007), and those with lower genetic risk for depression (β = -0.03; SE, 0.01; P = .006)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, younger adolescents, those with parents with lower education, or those with low genetic liability for depression appeared more vulnerable when being quarantined several times. These findings emphasize the need for targeted support strategies to better protect adolescent well-being during future crises. Adolescents who experienced increased mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic may be at risk of continued mental health problems and in need of ongoing support.

A few years ago, with the expression "lighthouse keeper syndrome", we identified those who showed exceptional attention to the control of eating and body weight. Recently the same term was used to describe, at the end of the lockdown, the feeling of living with fear the encounter with external reality, which for many weeks remained confined outside our homes. We are of the opinion that the lighthouse keeper syndrome includes all those behaviors characterized by voluntary, even if often unconscious, social isolation and by the exasperated search for absolute dominion over a single aspect of our being. There are two types of social isolation, the static one typical of those who spend their time closed at home (hikikomori) and the dynamic one characteristic of those who go out, walk but do not interact with other individuals. The radicalization of some food trends can lead to convivial group social isolation. The changes in the characteristic clinical manifestations of lighthouse keeper syndrome demonstrate the impact of society and culture on the individual psychopathology.

Objective: We aimed to compare symptom frequency and severity in children with functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) and to evaluate anxiety, quality of life (QoL) and global health during Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related quarantine and after 17 months., Methods: Children diagnosed with FAPDs between October 2019 and February 2020 at 5 different centers were enrolled and prospectively interviewed during the COVID-19 quarantine and 17 months later when schools, hospital services, and routine activities had re-opened to the public. The patients were asked to complete the Rome IV questionnaire, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL 4.0) Generic Core Scale, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) anxiety and global health questionnaires. Data about COVID-19 infection and its clinical outcome were also collected., Results: Ninety-nine out of 180 (55%) children completed the follow-up. The number of patients reporting a worsening of their symptoms was significantly higher at follow-up when compared to the quarantine period (24/99 [24.2%] vs. 12/99 [12.1%]; p = 0.04). The PedsQL 4.0 subtotal score at follow-up significantly decreased at 17 months of follow-up (65.57 [0-100]) when compared to the quarantine (71 [0-100], p = 0.03). Emotional functioning was the most significantly reduced (Follow-up: 64.7 [0-100] vs. Quarantine: 75 [0-100]; p = 0.006). We did not identify significant differences in symptoms and QoL between COVID-19 infected children and the remaining cohort at the two time points., Conclusions: An improvement of symptoms and QoL was observed during the quarantine, followed by a worsening at-follow-up. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that the nest effect overweighted COVID-19 fears during the quarantine and highlight the importance of psychological factors in symptom exacerbation., (© 2024 European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.)

Pundits have speculated that the spread of conspiracies and misinformation (termed "misbeliefs") is leading to a resurgence of right-wing, reactionary movements. However, the current empirical picture regarding the relationship between misbeliefs and collective action is mixed. We help clarify these associations by using two waves of data collected during the COVID-19 Pandemic (in Australia, N = 519, and the United States, N = 510) and democratic elections (in New Zealand N = 603, and the United States N = 609) to examine the effects of misbeliefs on support for reactionary movements (e.g., anti-lockdown protests, Study 1; anti-election protests, Study 2). Results reveal that within-person changes in misbeliefs correlate positively with support for reactionary collective action both directly (Studies 1-2) and indirectly by shaping the legitimacy of the authority (Study 1b). The relationship between misbelief and legitimacy is, however, conditioned by the stance of the authority in question: the association is positive when authorities endorse misbeliefs (Study 1a) and negative when they do not (Study 1b). Thus, the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and action hinges upon the alignment of the content of the conspiracy and the goals of the collective action., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

Importance: Adolescence is a period in which mental health problems emerge. Research suggests that the COVID-19 lockdown may have worsened emotional and behavioral health., Objective: To examine whether socioeconomic status was associated with mental health outcomes among youths during the COVID-19 pandemic., Design, Setting, and Participants: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a multisite 10-year longitudinal study of youth neurocognitive development in the US. Recruitment was staggered where the baseline visit (ages 9 to 10 years) occurred from 2016 to 2018, and visits occurred yearly. The COVID-19 lockdown halted research collection during the 2-year follow-up visits (ages 11 to 12 years), but eventually resumed. As some youths already underwent their 2-year visits prior to lockdown, this allowed for a natural experiment-like design to compare prepandemic and intrapandemic groups. Thus, data were gathered from the 1-year follow-up (pre-COVID-19 lockdown for all youths) and the 2-year follow-up, of which a portion of youths had data collected after the lockdown began, to compare whether a period of near social isolation was associated with mental health symptoms in youths. The prepandemic group consisted of youths with a 2-year follow-up visit collected prior to March 11, 2020, and the intrapandemic group had their 2-year follow-up visit after lockdown restrictions were lifted., Main Outcomes and Measures: Assessments included measures on income-to-needs ratio (INR; derived from total household income), the Child Behavior Checklist (a measure of mental health symptomology), and the Family Environmental Scale., Results: The final sample included 10 399 youths; 3947 (52.3%) were male; 2084 (20.3%) were Latinx/Hispanic; 6765 (66.0%) were White; 4600 (44.2%) reported caregiver education levels below a 4-year college degree; and 2475 (26.2%) had INR either below 100% (indicating poverty) or between 100% and less than 200% (near poverty). Among youths in the intrapandemic group, worse mental health symptoms (eg, more total problems, greater depression, and greater anxiety) over time were associated with being from a household with higher socioeconomic status (eg, when comparing individuals who differed by 1 unit on INR between prepandemic and intrapandemic groups from 1-year to 2-year follow-up, their expected difference in total problems score was 0.79 [95% CI, 0.37-1.22]; false discovery rate-corrected P < .001)., Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with disproportionately negative mental health outcomes among youths from higher socioeconomic status backgrounds. Although this study does not shed light on the direct mechanisms driving these associations, it does provide some support for positive outcomes for youths. Future studies are needed to understand whether these associations persist over longer periods of time.

Purpose: With state-wide quarantine policies during the COVID-19 pandemic like those implemented in the state of Texas, intimate partner violence (IPV) shelter staff were forced to incorporate new safety measures to keep survivors and advocates safe. To understand the impact of these adaptations fully, authors interviewed shelter staff and residents to capture both of their experiences living and working in the same shelter during the height of the coronavirus pandemic (summer 2020) to understand how changes in policy and procedure in shelters impacted survivors and advocates., Materials and Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was utilized to collect and analyze data from 10 staff and 10 survivors to develop both a textual and a structural description of participant experiences living in an IPV shelter., Results: The current study captured the survivors' and advocates' perspectives related to the 1) vacillating views of shelter social distancing and quarantine policies, 2) shelter occupancy and staffing unpredictability, 3) the broader challenges related to environmental stressors and 4) mobility challenges., Discussion: Results of this study highlight factors related to interpersonal relationships within the shelter and structural factors of shelter which contributed to stress for participants., Conclusion: The coronavirus is continuing to present challenges for shelters. Implications can be drawn from provider and client experiences that can inform policies and procedures for future health crises, including the need to mitigate environmental stress and transportation challenges, as well as considerations for maintaining social support should social distancing be necessary in future epidemics.

Purpose: People with autism spectrum disorder could benefit from physical activity during the pandemic and COVID-19 restrictions, mainly to maintain adequate physical activity. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, enjoyment, and potential effect of telerehabilitation using a serious game named 'MoveHero'., Materials and Methods: Registered in Clinical Trials (NCT04402034). We adopted a remotely run Telerehabilitation research design with 44 participants recruited: 22 People with ASD people and 22 non-ASD individuals., Results: All participants safely participated, 100% adherence to sessions, ∼60% enjoying the task, and significantly improved performance, with better performance for the NA group at most practice moments., Conclusions: Our findings support both how to implement a gaming intervention and the need to investigate the efficacy of serious games to motivate moderate intensity physical activity in people with ASD.

Purpose: To determine how COVID-19 lockdown impacted physical activity (PA) levels, wellbeing, and diabetes management in children (aged 0-17 years) with type 1 diabetes (T1D), from the perspectives of their parent/guardian., Design and Methods: This qualitative descriptive study is part of a larger, parallel mixed-methods design study, which incorporated a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured one-to-one interviews. Interviewees were recruited from the survey, which was distributed to parents of children/adolescents with T1D in the UK. Interviews explored diabetes management, mental and physical wellbeing, changes in PA levels, sleep quality before/during lockdown, and the effects of lockdown on the individual and their family. The interviews were transcribed and the data were analysed thematically., Results: 14 interviews were conducted with parents. Thematic analysis generated a central theme of routine disruption, with four further themes on diabetes management routines, harnessing the opportunities of lockdown, weighing up risk, and variable impact on wellbeing., Conclusions: Maintaining or increasing PA during COVID-19 lockdown was associated with better diabetes management, sleep, and wellbeing for children/adolescents with T1D, despite significant disruption to established routines. Use of technology during the pandemic contributed positively to wellbeing., Practice Implications: It is crucial to emphasize the significance of maintaining a well-structured routine when treating patients with type 1 diabetes. A consistent routine, incorporating regular physical exercise and good sleep hygiene, will help with managing overall diabetes control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As the world comes to terms with the realities surrounding COVID-19, media sources have likened quarantine experiences to that of incarceration. Individuals who have experienced incarceration and individuals who have experienced the incarceration of loved ones (LO), have already experienced periods of time apart. We are exploring the experiences of individuals who have some experience with incarceration; whether they were personally incarcerated, or they experienced the incarceration of a LO. Utilizing snowball sampling, a mixed methods survey was circulated on social media. Survey items included demographic information, questions about incarceration, issues related to COVID-19 quarantines, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results follow similar patterns to previous studies. However, this unique population argues that COVID-19 quarantines are not the same as periods of incarceration. Similarly, future research and community agencies need to examine the unique needs of those who have experienced the incarceration of a loved one., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The long-term mental health consequences of COVID-19 in children and adolescents remain unclear. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection on mental health after China's zero-COVID policy relaxation, focusing on symptom-specific and social-family risk factors for mental health issues in children and adolescents. In a longitudinal study, 8348 youths (aged 10-18) were assessed twice (T1: September to October 2022 and T2: April to May 2023). Mental health changes (Δ=T1-T2) were compared between COVID-19-infected (COVID+, n = 4108) and non-infected (COVID-, n = 4240). After balancing social-family confounding factors at T1 with propensity score-based inverse probability weights, multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess associations between COVID-19 infection and the onset/worsening of mental health symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to explore specific acute COVID-19 symptoms and social-family risk factors associated with the onset/worsening of mental health symptoms in COVID + group. Compared to COVID- group, COVID + group exhibited lower overall mental health improvement (Δ). COVID + group was associated with increased risks of depression worsening (OR 1.20, 95 % CI 1.04-1.39), anxiety worsening (OR 1.30, 95 % CI 1.15-1.47), stress worsening (OR 1.23, 95 % CI 1.03-1.46), insomnia worsening (OR 1.21, 95 % CI 1.05-1.39), and emotional symptoms worsening (OR 1.72, 95 % CI 1.27-2.33). Moderate-to-severe difficulty thinking, breathlessness, and gastrointestinal symptoms were specific COVID-19 symptoms associated with worsening of various mental health outcomes. Furthermore, academic difficulties, economic disadvantages, family conflicts, food addiction, and alcohol consumption were identified as social-family risk factors for worsening mental health symptoms in COVID + youths. COVID-19 infection leaves lasting mental health scars in youths, extending beyond the acute phase. Specific symptoms, particularly cognitive dysfunction and respiratory/gastrointestinal distress play a significant role in this vulnerability. Social-family factors further modulate these effects, highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions that address both biological and psychosocial aspects. This study provides valuable insights for tailoring mental health support to youths navigating the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To elucidate the presence, importance, and characteristics of menstrual changes related to stressful circumstances during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain., Study Design: An online survey was administered in Spain to menstruating women aged 15-55 who had not contracted COVID-19. It collected information on activities during the lockdown, sexual activity, perceptions of emotional status, any changes in menstrual characteristics, and impact on quality of life. The analysis of menstrual changes was limited to responders who did not use hormonal contraception., Results: A total of 6449 women answered the survey, and 4989 surveys were valid for the final analysis. 92.3% of women had at least one menstruation period during the lockdown, while 7.7% had amenorrhea. Quality of life (QoL) associated with menstruation worsened in 19% of women, did not change in 71.7%, and improved in 1.6%. For 50.1% of the women, global QoL worsened during the lockdown; 41.3% remained about the same and 8.7% reported improvement. Sexual activity during the lockdown decreased in 49.8% of the respondents, remained unchanged in 40.7%, and increased in 9.5%. As far the menstrual changes are concerned, there were no statistically significant differences in amenorrhea incidence, regularity of the menstrual cycle, or the amount or duration of menstrual bleeding in non-hormonal contraceptive users when evaluated by the length and characteristics of isolation, the perception of exposure to COVID-19 and the economic or employment situation. Conversely, we found statistically significant differences according to the intensity of changes in emotional status due to lockdown stressors and changes in regularity, duration, and heaviness of menstruation., Conclusion: Changes in emotional status, but not the length and intensity of the isolation or exposure to the disease, significantly influenced menstrual disturbances during the COVID-19 lockdown., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Propose: To review published Physical Activity (PA) on the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents aged 5 to 18 years during COVID-19 pandemic-induced school closures., Methods: From the database creation to April 2022, 10 databases are retrieved, with 4427 records filtered, 14 included in this research. The research takes Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) evaluation standards., Results: The thesis selects 14 studies from 6 countries, involving 400009 children and adolescents. These studies happened during the lockdown of COVID-19 (from December 2019 to April 2021). During the lockdown of COVID-19, schools were closed, which was considered part of a more extensive lockdown. Schools were closed for 1 to 4 weeks. There were 10 high quality studies (71.4%) and 4 medium quality studies (28.6%). 4 studies report that the pandemic reduces the time of PA but increases the time of watching screen and sitting. 10 studies (71.4%) identify that PA is positive for the mental health, because it helps reduce mental symptoms to a certain extent, especially anxiety, depression, and emotional disorders. 5 studies show that PA may not improve the mental health of children and adolescents under 12 during the pandemic. 4 studies indicate that the influence of PA on mental health of children and adolescents is determined by the amount of activity, including the extent, intensity, frequency, and duration, etc., Conclusions: In this narrative synthesis of reports from the class suspension period, reports that PA has a improve on the mental health of children and adolescents to a certain extent. it is found that PA may be helpful in reducing mental health symptoms of children and adolescents who are influenced by class suspension because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, stakeholders of the mental health of children and adolescents around the world should recommend PA because it is a practicable and beneficial way for long-term mental support., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhong et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Among life-and-death health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic were frustrations about the loss of personal freedom due to emergency quarantine. To test these perceptions, two studies examined whether belief in free will was resilient during different points of the pandemic. In Study 1, conducted in 2020, participants completed a writing task describing their lives before the COVID-19 pandemic, during the COVID-19 pandemic while under emergency quarantine, and during the COVID-19 pandemic while under state re-openings. Following each task, they completed belief in free will measures. Results indicated that free will beliefs were higher before the pandemic than during emergency quarantine. Free will beliefs were also greater during state re-opening than during emergency quarantine. Belief in free will did not differ between pre-pandemic and state re-opening. Study 2 replicated and extended these effects two years later. These findings highlight the brief loss of freedom during COVID-19 as well as the resiliency of agentic control., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Elizabeth Seto. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The COVID-19 lockdown significantly impacted dietary habits and body weights globally, particularly in Egypt, where 57.03% of the population resides in rural areas, despite lack of information. The study examines the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the weight changes of the rural Egyptian population through behavioral, physical, and dietary changes., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey using Microsoft Forms was distributed in Delta regions in Egypt. The questionnaire used a modified version of the validated 14- items PREDIMED MedDiet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). The first part of the questionnaire addressed sociodemographic variables whereas the second one included questions related to dietary, behavioral and weight changes of participants. These changes were statistically tested for significance in relation to BMI, gender, home living, current job and family history of obesity., Results: A total of 306 participated in the study (70% females, 13% obese, 95% living with family, 56% university students, and 36% with family history of obesity). Obese showed a significant increase in sweet intake whereas underweight and normal weight people displayed a significant decrease in eating desire. Both females and males showed significant increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables with significant decrease in soft drink. However, women showed a significant decrease in sport activity relative to men. Participants living with family showed an increase in sweet intake while those living alone explored an increase in meal frequency. Employers revealed a significant decrease in sport activities and people with family history of obesity reported more sleeping times than those without family history of obesity., Conclusion: During Covid-19 quarantine, Egyptians' eating habits improved, but daily routines were disrupted. Raising awareness about obesity and providing guidance on maintaining activity, energy, and mood is crucial for future quarantine situations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Risk of depression increased in the general population after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. By examining the interplay between genetics and individual environmental exposures during the COVID-19 lockdown, we have been able to gain an insight as to why some individuals are more vulnerable to depression, while others are more resilient. This study, conducted on a Spanish cohort of 9218 individuals (COVICAT), includes a comprehensive non-genetic risk analysis, the exposome, complemented by a genomics analysis in a subset of 2442 participants. Depression levels were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Together with Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS), we introduced a novel score; Poly-Environmental Risk Scores (PERS) for non-genetic risks to estimate the effect of each cumulative score and gene-environment interaction. We found significant positive associations for PERS Soc (Social and Household), PERS Life (Lifestyle and Behaviour), and PERS Env (Wider Environment and Health) scores across all levels of depression severity, and for PRS B (Broad depression) only for moderate depression (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.03-1.40). On average OR increased 1.2-fold for PERS Env and 1.6-fold for PER Life and PER Soc from mild to severe depression level. The complete adjusted model explained 16.9% of the variance. We further observed an interaction between PERS Env and PRS B showing a potential mitigating effect. In summary, stressors within the social and behavioral domains emerged as the primary drivers of depression risk in this population, unveiling a mitigating interaction effect that should be interpreted with caution., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the "supercompensation" effect of preschoolers during the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown by comparing the changes in physical activity (PA), psychological, and sleep indicators before and after the lockdown., Methods: A total of 127 children (aged 3-6 years) were recruited. Before and after the lockdown, the children's PA levels were measured using the ActiGraph GT3X + , and their psychological and sleep indicators were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ), respectively., Results: Regarding PA, the children's total physical activity, low-intensity physical activity, and medium-intensity physical activity (MVPA) were higher after the lockdown than before the lockdown, with significant differences in MVPA (p < 0.05). Regarding psychology, the children's SDQ and multidimensional scores were better after the lockdown than before the lockdown, with a significant difference in SDQ scores (p < 0.05). Regarding sleep, the children's CSHQ scores were better after the lockdown than before the lockdown, with a highly significant difference in CSHQ scores (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: After lockdown, children's PA, psychological, and sleep effects were "supercompensated." In particular, the PA of preschoolers before, during, and after the lockdown may show a "baseline-inhibition-supercompensation" process., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Mid-March 2020, Belgium went in lockdown to combat the COVID-19-pandemic. Having to provide school-based day care and adapt to online teaching, while all social, cultural and sports events and activities were cancelled, secondary school teachers' physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) may have been affected considerably. This study investigates the impact of the first Belgian lockdown on PA and SB in Flemish secondary school teachers., Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted throughout the 2019-2020 school year. PA and SB measured in March/April 2020 were compared with a pre-lockdown measurement in January/February 2020. Other pre-lockdown measurements (September/October 2019 and November/December 2019) and one other during-lockdown measurement (May/June 2020) allowed us to control for confounding. Validated questionnaires were used to assess participants' PA and SB. Generalized linear mixed models were applied in R., Results: Among 624 participants (77·2% females, 43·3 ± 10·3 years), increases were observed for total PA (+ 108 min/week; p = 0·047), moderate PA (+ 217 min/week; p = 0·001), domestic and garden PA (+ 308 min/week; p < 0·0001) and leisure-time PA (+ 131 min/week; p < 0·0001), whereas work-related PA (-289 min/week; p < 0·0001) and active transportation (-38 min/week; p =0·005) decreased. No differences were observed for walking (p = 1·0) and vigorous PA (p = 0·570). Increases were found for total SB (+ 972 min/week; p < 0·0001), work-related SB (+ 662 min/week; p < 0·0001) and leisure-time SB (+ 592 min/week; p = 0·0004), whereas transport-related SB (-290 min/week; p < 0·0001) decreased., Conclusion: During the lockdown, we found in our sample that Flemish secondary school teachers showed an increase in SB that was 9 times as high as their PA increase. As a government, education network or school, it is crucial to sensitize, promote, and facilitate sufficient MVPA and/or walking, but likewise to discourage SB during pandemic-induced lockdowns., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background Stroke survivors are a population at increased risk of experiencing loneliness, thus exploring the effect of lockdown measures on stroke survivors is of paramount importance. We explored the personal experiences of loneliness among stroke survivors during lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessons that can be learned from these experiences. Methods Seventeen stroke survivors from across the United Kingdom (10 females, 7 males; 45-83years old; M age =63.47) participated in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed in the interpretation of the data. Results Three overarching themes were constructed: (1) hidden struggles, isolated lives; (2) divergent experiences and adaptations; and (3) rebuilding after lockdown. These themes explore survivors' experiences of loneliness generally after stroke and how this loneliness was assuaged with online video conferencing and other technological solutions. They also chronicle how these feelings changed during lockdown and survivors' feelings regarding society returning to 'normal' and the associated apprehension and anxiety this brings. Conclusions We recommend a focus on improving understanding of the challenges faced after stroke to reduce stigma, increase empathy and promote inclusive attitudes within society, alongside better pandemic preparedness through engagement with hybrid support solutions.

Objectives: The current study examined the links and interactions among headaches, screen-based media use, physical activity, sleep, and the family environment in Lithuanian school-aged children during the second COVID-19 lockdown., Methods: The study comprised data of 541 children aged 7-14 years from different Lithuania regions, and without chronic health conditions or developmental disorders. Information about the child was provided by their parents or caregivers who filled questionnaire on child's screen time, sleep duration and quality, physical activity, parental distress, parent-child relationship, history of child's headaches and infectious diseases., Results: During the study period, 54% of the children had headaches, and the frequency was positively associated with child's age, screen time and parental distress, as well as negatively related to physical activity (PA), sleep quality, and the parent-child relationship. Parental education was related to child's PA, screen time and sleep quality. The results of binary logistic regression analysis and path analysis revealed that sleep quality and parental distress were significant predictors of headaches in children., Conclusions: Family and child or adolescent education and lifestyle modification aiming to improve sleep hygiene and PA, and to reduce screen-based sedentary behaviour should be provided. Family centred approach for more effective coping with distress and improvement of parent-child relationship is also important in treating child and adolescent headache.

Purpose: People living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in metropolitan Victoria, Australia, experienced a 112-day, COVID-19-related lockdown in mid-2020. Contemporaneously, Australian PwMS elsewhere experienced minimal restrictions, resulting in a natural experiment. This study investigated the relationships between lockdowns, COVID-19-related adversity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). It also generated health state utilities (HSU) representative of changes in HRQoL., Methods: Data were extracted from Australian MS Longitudinal Study surveys, which included the Assessment of Quality of Life-Eight Dimensions (AQoL-8D) instrument and a COVID-19 questionnaire. This COVID-19 questionnaire required participants to rank their COVID-19-related adversity across seven health dimensions. Ordered probits were used to identify variables contributing to adversity. Linear and logit regressions were applied to determine the impact of adversity on HRQoL, defined using AQoL-8D HSUs. Qualitative data were examined thematically., Results: N = 1666 PwMS (average age 58.5; 79.8% female; consistent with the clinical presentation of MS) entered the study, with n = 367 (22.0%) exposed to the 112-day lockdown. Lockdown exposure and disability severity were strongly associated with higher adversity rankings (p < 0.01). Higher adversity rankings were associated with lower HSUs. Participants reporting major adversity, across measured health dimensions, had a mean HSU 0.161 (p < 0.01) lower than participants reporting no adversity and were more likely (OR: 2.716, p < 0.01) to report a clinically significant HSU reduction. Themes in qualitative data supported quantitative findings., Conclusions: We found that COVID-19-related adversity reduced the HRQoL of PwMS. Our HSU estimates can be used in health economic models to evaluate lockdown cost-effectiveness for people with complex and chronic (mainly neurological) diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected higher education and higher education students around the world, but few studies of college students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted in Latin America. This study describes the COVID-19-related experiences and perspectives of Peruvian college students. We surveyed 3,427 full-time college students (average age: 23 years) attending a multi-campus Peruvian university in fall 2020. Participants were recruited through the digital platform of the learning management system at their university, email, and social media. We asked participants how they were managing risks related to COVID-19; the continuity of social, educational, and work activities; and the psychological and economic impacts of the pandemic on their lives. Since March 2020, 73.0% of participants reported COVID-19-related symptoms, but only 33.9% were tested for COVID-19. During the national quarantine imposed by the Peruvian government (March 15-June 30, 2020), 64.3% of participants remained in their house. Furthermore, while 44.0% of participants were working in February 2020 (95% CI: [41.7%, 46.4%]), only 23.6% (95% CI: [21.7%, 25.7%]) were working immediately after the pandemic began (i.e., at the end of April 2020). Participants were more stressed about the health and educational implications of COVID-19 for Peruvian society and their families than about themselves. The public health, economic, and educational implications of COVID-19 on college students are continuing to unfold. This study informed Peruvian higher education institutions' continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the progressive return to postpandemic activities, as well as other future pandemics and other crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This article discusses issues related to the use of surfactants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The global nature of this crisis has had a significant impact on the lives of people around the world, including their mental health. The introduction of quarantine and «isolation» measures have become one of the measures to control the spread of the disease, but such restrictions have led to various adverse psychological reactions such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as cases of self-mutilation and even suicide. All of these factors can negatively affect other aspects of health and lead to increased use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances. Stress, social isolation, the unpredictability of the future, loss of a job or income - all these can be motivating factors for people to turn to alcohol or other substances in search of relaxation or emotional support. However, such strategies are short-term and irrational, since alcohol consumption only worsens the mental state and further increases the risk of developing mental problems.

COVID-19 centralized quarantine may cause acute stress disorder (ASD). However, it is unknown how individuals present heterogeneous ASD trajectories during the COVID-19 centralized quarantine and what factors contribute to these patterns. This study aimed to identify the ASD trajectories and their determinants during the centralized quarantine period, and the mediating effects of resilience on these associations. A longitudinal survey with three waves was conducted in a randomly selected quarantine hotel in Shenzhen, China from October to November 2020. A total of 273 participants completed online measures assessing ASD symptoms, Eysenck's personality constructs of extraversion (E), neuroticism (N), psychoticism (P), and resilience on Day 1, and reported ASD symptoms on Days 7 and 14 during their 14-day centralized quarantine periods. Latent class growth analysis identified three trajectories: constantly high symptoms (CHS, 4.76%), decreasing symptoms (DS, 11.72%), and constantly low symptoms (CLS, 83.52%). The CHS and DS subgroups both reported lower E and higher N scores, but not P, compared with the CLS subgroup. Resilience mediated the effects of three personality constructs on ASD trajectories, except for the association between N and DS membership. Our study highlights the heterogeneity in stress responses to the COVID-19 centralized quarantine. The high-risk subgroup with persistent ASD symptoms was characterized by lower E and higher N. The resilience process accounted for the effects of personality in shaping distinct ASD trajectories. Our findings have implications to detect the populations vulnerable to ASD and provide insights for developing timely resilience enhancement intervention programs., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns (stay-at-home orders) had significant mental health consequences in 2020 to 2021 for caregivers and children. Little is known about "postlockdown" periods in 2022 to 2023. We investigated the mental health experiences of Australian families throughout the 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023), by demographic characteristics and lockdown length., Methods: A total N = 12 408 caregivers (N = 20 339 children, aged 0-17 years) completed Australia's only representative, repeated, cross-sectional, National Child Health Poll across 6 waves (June 2020-April 2023). Caregivers reported mental health for themselves (Kessler-6, poor versus not) and each child (self-rated mental health, poor/fair versus good/very good/excellent), and perceived impacts of the pandemic on own/child mental health (negative versus none/positive). Binary logistic models were fitted to predict marginal probabilities of each mental health measure by state/territory group (proxy for lockdown length), over time, adjusted for potential demographic confounders., Results: Poor caregiver Kessler-6 was similar between genders but more common for sole caregivers, and those with a home language other than English and lower education. Poor/fair child self-rated mental health was similar between genders and increased with child age. Perceived negative impacts were more common for females and socially advantaged caregivers. Overall, negative mental health experiences increased with lockdown length, peaking with the height of lockdown in July 2021, before declining., Conclusions: Negative mental health experiences of Australian caregivers and children decreased during postlockdown periods of 2022-2023; however, social gradients persisted. These data can inform more precise mental health policies that enable better use of limited mental health infrastructure., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Sheltered work and leisure activities were locked down in at the Signo centre in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Signo centre is a Norwegian national centre for adults with multiple, complex needs, including severe sensory loss/impairments. Tension and uncertainty rapidly spread among relatives and workers. To explore the impacts of the pandemic on residents, 24 adults living in Signo Vivo answered a semi-structured interview together with their primary worker. Additionally, reports on staff injuries and PRN medication between April and Aug of 2020 were compared to the period before the lockdown. The reports from the interviews included fewer stressful events for the participants, more rest and sleep, more time spent in their own apartments, and more time with smaller groups of workers. The reports on staff injuries and PRN medication showed decreased occurrence., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

To deepen our understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intimate and/or sexual relationships, we conducted a qualitative study among 26 South African women and men aged 21-30 years in Durban and Soweto between September 2020 and March 2021. Overall, 13 women and 12 men who had been in an intimate and/or sexual relationship since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were asked about the impact of COVID-19 on their relationships with their current or most recent primary partners. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The three most common impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships were on (i) communication and connection; (ii) strained relationships; and (iii) job and economic loss. Both women and men discussed how COVID-19-related lockdowns provided opportunities to foster better communication, connection and support to one another. However, too little or too much time together strained relationships. Finally, income loss among young men meant that some young women became the primary income earner, changing relationship power dynamics. Findings highlight the importance of young people's relationships and the need for action to support young people in building positive relationships in challenging times.

This study aimed to analyze the impact of the lockdown period due to COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of healthcare workers and identify the related risk factors of psychosomatic distress. We conducted an online questionnaire survey to investigate the general demographic characteristics, perceived stress level, adult attachment style (AAS), family cohesion and adaptability, social support, sleep state, emotional state, and physical health of healthcare workers during the lockdown period due to the pandemic in 2022. We compared the mental health status between doctors and nurses, and further analyzed the factors influencing sleep, emotions, physical symptoms, and severe psychosomatic distress separately. For factors that showed statistical significance in the univariate analysis, forward stepwise regression was used for logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for the corresponding issues. A total of 622 healthcare workers participated in the survey. Among the participants, 121 (19.5%) reported sleep problems, 209 (33.6%) had negative emotional states, and 147 (23.6%) reported physical health problems. There were 48 (7.7%) healthcare workers with severe psychosomatic distress. Compared to the group of nurses, the group of doctors exhibit a higher prevalence of emotional issues, physical health problems and psychosomatic distress. Perceived stress was identified as a risk factor for sleep disturbance, while living with others during quarantine and family adaptability were identified as protective factors. Higher educational background and perceived stress were identified as risk factors for negative emotion, while subjective support was identified as a protective factor. Perceived stress and coming from a rural area were also identified as risk factors for physical health. Overall, for the comparison between the no psychosomatic distress and severe psychosomatic distress groups, perceived stress was identified as a risk factor for severe psychosomatic distress, while subjective support was identified as a protective factor. Healthcare workers' potential mental and physical health problems are related to their educational background, family cohesion and adaptability, perceived stress and social support. This makes it clearer on how to deal with and prevent adverse consequences when facing stressful situations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Social prescribing interventions connect mental health service users to community resources, to support physical and mental wellbeing and promote recovery. COVID-19 restrictions impacted the delivery of socially prescribed activities, preventing face to face contact for long periods., Aims: The aim of this study was to understand how Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations working with a local NHS mental health Trust responded to the challenges of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This understanding will be used to make recommendations for future practice, post-lockdown., Methods: Using a convergent mixed methods design, we surveyed VCSE providers of socially prescribed activities intended to be accessible and appropriate for people with severe mental health needs. Follow-up interviews explored further how they adapted during the first year of the pandemic, the challenges they faced, and how they sought to overcome them. The survey and interview data were analysed separately and then compared to identify convergent and divergent findings., Results: Twenty VCSE representatives completed the survey which provided a snapshot of changes in levels of connection and numbers reached during lockdown. Of 20 survey respondents, 11 participated in follow-up interviews. Interviews revealed that lockdown necessitated rapid change and responsive adaptation; activities were limited by resource, funding, safeguarding and government restrictions; no single format suited all group members; connection was key; and impact was difficult to gauge., Conclusions: VCSE organisations commissioned to deliver creative socially prescribed activities during the pandemic rapidly adapted their offer to comply with government restrictions. Responsive changes were made, and new knowledge and skills were gained. Drawing on experiences during lockdown, VCSE organisations should develop bespoke knowledge, skills and practices to engage service users in future hybrid delivery of arts, sports, cultural and creative community activities, and to ensure that digital activities offer an equivalent degree of connection to face-to-face ones. Additionally, more effective methods of gaining feedback about patient experience of hybrid delivery is needed., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Bishop-Edwards et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Although COVID-19 has entered the endemic phase, individuals infected with COVID-19 are required to adhere to home quarantine measures. By exploring the public's knowledge and attitude towards recommended home quarantine measures, their readiness in containing potential COVID-19 outbreak can be determined. This study aimed to assess the public knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions and their association with history of COVID-19 infections., Methods: This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted among the public in Malaysia between August to October 2022. All Malaysian adults over 18 years of age were included. Knowledge on home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs were measured using "True," "False," or "I'm not sure", while attitude towards home quarantine instructions was measured using a five-point Likert Scale. The questionnaire was initially constructed in English and then translated into the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Face and content validation were performed. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was found to be satisfactory., Results: 1,036 respondents were analyzed, comprised mostly of females (743, 71.6%) with a history of COVID-19 (673, 64.9%). In the knowledge domain, more than 80% of the respondents answered 9 out of 11 home quarantine instructions statements correctly. 457 (44.1%) were unaware or unsure about the minimum distance of the infected individual's bed from the rest of the occupants in a shared bedroom. The respondents reported relatively weaker knowledge in identifying uncommon warning signs of COVID-19 deterioration, including anuria (162, 44.5%), ingestion problems (191, 52.5%), and immobility (195, 53.6%). In the attitude domain, more than 90% of respondents answered correctly in 8 out of 9 questions. Respondents with a previous history of COVID-19 infections had better knowledge than COVID-19 infection-naïve individuals towards both home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs., Conclusion: Most respondents had good knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions, with those previously infected with COVID-19 showing greater awareness of uncommon warning signs. However, there was a notable lack of awareness regarding physical distancing within shared rooms, appropriate disinfectant use and mobility limitation within the household. This study highlights the knowledge gaps to be improved in future educational campaigns., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The COVID-19 virus has had wide-ranging effects on all healthcare systems and a direct impact on all areas of human life in all countries around the world. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive actions to reduce the prevalence and severity of the complications associated with this disease. The purpose of this study was to explain the dimensions of adopting general self-care behaviors (mask-wearing, social distancing, hand hygiene, and home quarantine) for preventing COVID-19 based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in cardiovascular patients., Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study conducted with the participation of 420 patients referring to health and treatment centers of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran, in 2022. Sampling was done using a non-random (convenience) method. The data collection tool was a questionnaire containing items addressing demographic characteristics, questions related to the TPB, and questions dealing with the adoption of everyday self-care behaviors against contracting COVID-19. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods (prevalence, mean, standard deviation, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and linear regression) in SPSS version 25., Results: The results of this study showed that the rate of adoption of self-care behaviors against COVID-19 among cardiovascular patients was moderate. The results also showed that among the constructs of the TPB, Perceived behavioral control, Subjective norms, and Perceived behavioral intention were the most important predictors of adopting self-care behaviors among cardiovascular patients with a change variance of 46%., Conclusions: The results of the present study have implications for health and treatment policy makers as well as planners of educational and behavioral interventions aimed at promoting the adoption of self-care behaviors against COVID-19. In this respect, managing and institutionalizing desirable behaviors among cardiovascular patients could be beneficial from economic, social, and health-related aspects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

When updating beliefs, humans tend to integrate more desirable information than undesirable information. In stable environments (low uncertainty and high predictability), this asymmetry favors motivation towards action and perceived self-efficacy. However, in changing environments (high uncertainty and low predictability), this process can lead to risk underestimation and increase unwanted costs. Here, we examine how people (n = 388) integrate threatening information during an abrupt environmental change (mandatory quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic). Given that anxiety levels are associated with the magnitude of the updating belief asymmetry; we explore its relationship during this particular context. We report a significant reduction in asymmetrical belief updating during a large environmental change as individuals integrated desirable and undesirable information to the same extent. Moreover, this result was supported by computational modeling of the belief update task. However, we found that the reduction in asymmetrical belief updating was not homogeneous among people with different levels of Trait-anxiety. Individuals with higher levels of Trait-anxiety maintained a valence-dependent updating, as it occurs in stable environments. On the other hand, updating behavior was not associated with acute anxiety (State-Anxiety), health concerns (Health-Anxiety), or having positive expectations (Trait-Optimism). These results suggest that highly uncertain environments can generate adaptive changes in information integration. At the same time, it reveals the vulnerabilities of individuals with higher levels of anxiety to adapt the way they learn., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, France faced a 2-month lockdown in 2020, marked by numerous restrictions. This study aimed to examine the experience and management of children aged 6-17 years with learning and/or attention disorders during the first lockdown., Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective study, with data collection from March 1 to May 31, 2021, by means of an anonymous digital qualitative questionnaire completed by parents. The experience of confinement as well as the children's behavior, schooling, and level of progress during rehabilitation were assessed by parents through a Likert scale. Data were compared according to two groups: negative experience and positive or neutral experience of the child's confinement., Results: A total of 251 questionnaires were collected and 217 were analyzed. Overall, 47 children (21.7 %) reported a negative experience of the confinement period. In total, 164 (75.6 %) of the children had their schooling monitored throughout the period; half of the parents reported a course format unsuited to their child's disorders and a lack of motivation, and 46.5 % a refusal by their child to study. Only 16.8 % of parents reported a regression in their child's rehabilitation. These last three results were significantly associated with a poor experience of confinement (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The period of confinement was experienced relatively well by the children, and the rehabilitative management seemed to have been minimally impacted during this period. The therapeutic education of children, their parents, and also teachers is a major axis of improvement for better care and support of children with these disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

The potential impact on mental health of home schooling and social isolation due to COVID-19 lockdowns has led to widespread concern, particularly for adolescents. However, studies including pre-pandemic data from longitudinal cohorts with an assessment of the longer-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic beyond the first months of 2020 are scarce. This longitudinal study of 1534 adolescents attending a secondary school in Hunan province investigated self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression using two validated scales (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders, Child Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) at six time points before, during, and after the 2020 national lockdown restrictions in China. Perceived COVID-related stress was assessed by an author-developed scale at two timepoints during the lockdown. We investigated trends in symptoms over time with a fixed effects model and multiple imputations of missing data. Counter to our expectations, depressive and anxiety symptoms were reduced during the 2020 lockdown relative to pre-lockdown (depression: b = - 3.37, SE = 0.345, Cohen's d = - 0.25, p < 0.0001; anxiety: b = - 4.55, SE = 0.382, Cohen's d = - 0.30, p < 0.0001). Symptoms remained significantly reduced even after lockdown restrictions eased. Higher symptom levels during lockdown were associated with greater self-reported COVID-related stress (depression: b = 0.11, SE = 0.026, p < 0.0001; anxiety: b = 0.11, SE = 0.036, p < 0.0001). Although COVID-related stresses correlated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, the lockdown period was associated with improved symptom levels in the adolescents taking part in our study. School closures may have improved the mental health of adolescents in China. We speculate this beneficial effect of lockdown can be explained by the adverse effects of attending school itself such as exposure to bullying and achievement pressures., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Centralized quarantine was applied in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. The present study aimed to investigate changes in psychological status of isolated individuals before and after quarantine., Methods: Between August 2020 and July 2021, 648 participants completed the following psychometric evaluations before and after centralized quarantine: 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depression, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder for anxiety, the Chinese version of the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale for psychological resilience, the Chinese version of the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire for coping style, Jiang's revised Chinese version of the Perceived Social Support Scale for social support and the Chinese version of the Impact of Events Scale for stress., Results: At the beginning of centralized quarantine, 83.2% (n=539) of participants had no depressive mood, 11% (n=71) had mild depressive mood and 5.8% (n=38) had moderate-severe depressive mood. At the end of quarantine, 80.8% (n=524) of participants had no depressive mood, 13% (n=84) had mild depressive mood and 6.2% (n=41) had moderate-severe depressive mood. At the beginning of the centralized quarantine, 86.7% (n=562) of participants had no anxiety, 9.6% (n=62) had mild anxiety and 3.7% (n=24) had moderate-severe anxiety. At the end of quarantine, 85.8% (n=556) of participants had no anxiety, 11.6% (n=75) had mild anxiety and 2.6% (n=17) had moderate-severe anxiety. After 2 weeks of centralized quarantine, anxiety (t=2.175, p<0.05), stress (t=7.453, p<0.01) and three stress subscale scores (p<0.01) decreased significantly; psychology resilience (t=-3.63, p<0.01), tenacity (t=-4.747, p<0.01), active coping style (t=-3.83, p<0.01) and support outside family (t=-3.07, p<0.05) all increased significantly. No significant change was observed in depression, strength, optimism, passive coping style or support inside family. Depression and anxiety scores associated significantly with resilience, stress, coping styles and social support scores. Anxiety (B=0.488, β=0.413, p<0.01), psychological resilience (B=-0.047, β=-0.203, p<0.01) and stress (B=1.475, β=0.167, p<0.1) scores before centralized quarantine were associated with depression after quarantine. Depression (B=0.323, β=0.422, p<0.01), psychological resilience (B=-0.022, β=-0.123, p<0.01) and stress (B=1.408, β=0.207, p<0.01) scores before quarantine also influenced anxiety levels after quarantine. A cross-lagged panel model indicated that depression, anxiety, resilience and stress scores at the first assessment were predictive of depression and anxiety levels at the second assessment., Conclusions: Good mental health during centralized quarantine was associated with high scores of psychological resilience, impact of events, coping styles and social support and did not become worse in settings where adequate support was available., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest

Objective: There is some evidence that individuals previously been exposed to traumatic events may present higher vulnerability to PTSD because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Furthermore, exposure to traumatic events may cause changes in attachment orientations which might influence levels of PTSD symptoms (PTSS) in populations subjected to "stay-home" measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak., Method: The present study analyzed interrelations of number of traumatic events, attachment orientations, and PTSS during the COVID-19 in a group of Portuguese participants. The study comprised 2 time points: 3 days after the beginning of the lockdown (time 1) and 3 days before the end of the lockdown (time 2). Sample included 736 Portuguese participants who completed the questionnaires at both time points. Data were collected through a survey that included self-reported questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine if effect of number of traumatic events on PTSS at T2 was mediated attachment orientations at T1., Results: Higher exposure to traumatic events was associated with higher levels of PTSS. Attachment anxiety at T1 partially mediated the effect of number of traumatic events on PTS at T2., Conclusion: Findings suggest that PTSS is a risk induced by the establishment of a total lockdown and that individuals with higher exposure to traumatic events and higher attachment anxiety levels present increased risk of higher levels of PTSS at the end of the lockdown. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In early 2020, countries across the world imposed lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Lockdown conditions, including social and physical distancing measures and recommended self-isolation for clinically vulnerable groups, were proposed to disproportionately affect those living with chronic pain, who already report reduced access to social support and increased isolation. Yet, empirical evidence from longitudinal studies tracking the effects of prolonged and fluctuating lockdown conditions, and potential psychological factors mediating the effects of such restrictions on outcomes in chronic pain populations, is lacking. Accordingly, in the present 13-wave longitudinal study, we surveyed pain intensity, pain interference, and tiredness in people with chronic pain over the course of 11 months of the Covid-19 pandemic (April 2020-March 2021). Of N = 431 participants at baseline, average completion rate was ∼50% of time points, and all available data points were included in linear mixed models. We examined the impact of varying levels of lockdown restrictions on these outcomes and investigated whether psychological distress levels mediated effects. We found that a full national lockdown was related to greater pain intensity, and these effects were partially mediated by depressive symptoms. No effects of lockdown level were found for pain interference and tiredness, which were instead predicted by higher levels of depression, anxiety, pain catastrophising, and reduced exercise. Our findings are relevant for improving patient care in current and future crises. Offering remote management options for low mood could be particularly beneficial for this vulnerable population in the event of future implementation of lockdown restrictions. PERSPECTIVE: This longitudinal study demonstrates the impact of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on people with chronic pain. Findings suggest a complex interaction of psychosocial factors that impacted various aspects of pain experience in patients, which offer the potential to inform clinical strategies for remote medicine and future crises., (Copyright © 2024 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the patient-perceived effects of France's first COVID-19-related lockdown on the quality of life (QoL) of women affected by cancer, and to test an ad hoc measurement scale for evaluating quasi-individualized QoL. QoL was measured for both during (i.e., current) and before (i.e., retrospectively) the lockdown. Respondents were women registered on the research platform Seintinelles., Methods: A tool for measuring quasi-individualized QoL was adapted from the SeiQol-DW and PGI. It was distributed as part of a larger online self-questionnaire to a sample of 1303 women with a history of cancer (i.e., former or current) and with no such history., Results: Current and retrospective QoL scores were not significantly different between the two respondent groups. An analysis of reconceptualization and reprioritization revealed a cancer-specific effect: women with a history of cancer reconceptualized more, while women with no such history reprioritized more., Conclusion: Our novel ad hoc quasi-qualitative tool made it possible to assess the QoL of women with a history of cancer, a particularly vulnerable population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it highlighted a difference in reconceptualization and reprioritization between this population and women with no such history., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Introduction: Background and objectives: a deterioration of health habits has been found in various studies caused by stressful situations such as mandatory and maintained confinement over time. This study aims to analyze the health habits of the Spanish adult population during confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possible impact on their body weight. Method: two thousand eight hundred and thirty-four volunteer subjects participated in the study (69.3 % women). They completed an on-line questionnaire that evaluated their health habits, as well as various sociodemographic variables. Results: the results show a statistically significant link between the subjects' body mass index (BMI) and the change in their weight during lockdown (2: 79.303; p: < 0.001). Besides, a statisti-cally significant relationship between the different health habits under analysis was also found, being moderate with respect to the link between eating habits and physical activity (Cramer's V: .226). A statistically significant relationship was also found between the participants' weight and the different health habits during lockdown. The effect size of the associations was moderate in relation to the participants' eating habits (Cramer's V: .409) and physical activity (Cramer's V: .292). Conclusions: it is suggested the development of prevention programs for long lockdown periods associated with high levels of stress so as to promote a healthy diet, as well as exercise using new technologies and a proper rest, especially in overweight or obese subjects.

Objectives: COVID-19 epidemics often lead to elevated levels of depression. To accurately identify and predict depression levels in home-quarantined individuals during a COVID-19 epidemic, this study constructed a depression prediction model based on multiple machine learning algorithms and validated its effectiveness., Methods: A cross-sectional method was used to examine the depression status of individuals quarantined at home during the epidemic via the network. Characteristics included variables on sociodemographics, COVID-19 and its prevention and control measures, impact on life, work, health and economy after the city was sealed off, and PHQ-9 scale scores. The home-quarantined subjects were randomly divided into training set and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3, and the performance of different machine learning models were compared by 10-fold cross-validation, and the model algorithm with the best performance was selected from 15 models to construct and validate the depression prediction model for home-quarantined subjects. The validity of different models was compared based on accuracy, precision, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and area under the ROC curve (AUC), and the best model suitable for the data framework of this study was identified., Results: The prevalence of depression among home-quarantined individuals during the epidemic was 31.66% (202/638), and the constructed Adaboost depression prediction model had an ACC of 0.7917, an accuracy of 0.7180, and an AUC of 0.7803, which was better than the other 15 models on the combination of various performance measures. In the validation sets, the AUC was greater than 0.83., Conclusions: The Adaboost machine learning algorithm developed in this study can be used to construct a depression prediction model for home-quarantined individuals that has better machine learning performance, as well as high effectiveness, robustness, and generalizability., (© 2024. The Author(s).)