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Individuals with serious mental illness are over 10 times as likely to experience use of force in interactions with law enforcement than those without serious mental illness. (1) Furthermore, approximately [...]

COVID-19 gave rise to a dramatic surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, resulting in increasing research on the relationship between racial discrimination and racial trauma among Asian Americans (Meade, 2021). This [...]

We aim to expand existing evidence regarding relationships between sexual orientation and mental health among adults incarcerated in U.S. prisons, especially the differences within the LGB + population (i.e., lesbian or gay, bisexual, another orientation). We used Poisson regression models with robust variance to estimate prevalence ratios for mental health indicators (including illness and care) by sexual orientation using 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates study data (N = 24,848). Of these, 7.4% identified as LGB+. Lesbian or gay, and bisexual adults had a higher prevalence of two or more diagnoses, depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD and manic disorder compared to straight adults. Identifying with another sexual orientation compared to straight was associated with a higher prevalence of two or more diagnoses, anxiety, PTSD and manic disorder. Similarly, bisexual adults compared to straight had a higher prevalence of prior mental health hospitalization, taking prescription medicines at the time of arrest and since arrest, and using professional mental health help since arrest. Further, lesbian or gay adults, and those identifying with another sexual orientation had a higher prevalence of prior mental health hospitalization, taking prescription medicines and professional mental health help since arrest compared to straight adults. Our results indicate diversity in mental illness and related health care use within the LGB + population and disparities between the LGB + and non-LGB + groups. The need for targeted, supportive programming to improve mental health outcomes during incarceration is identified., Author(s): Ankur Srivastava [sup.1] , Stephanie Grace Prost [sup.2] , Sara M. Williams [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/0130frc33, grid.10698.36, 0000 0001 2248 3208, School of Social Work, University of North [...]

Adolescence is a period when both mental health (MH) and wellbeing start deteriorating, which raises the question of how the two phenomena are linked and whether deterioration in one might be used to flag problematic developments in the other. While research shows that wellbeing and MH are associated, the direction of the association is not clear and longitudinal analyses, that might help disentangle the cause and effect, are scarce. Moreover, few studies have investigated the directional relation between MH and wellbeing early in the life course. In emerging adulthood, evidence indicates reciprocal associations and no gender differences, whereas, in early and middle adolescence, results are mixed and differ across gender. Thus, we investigated the relationship between MH and wellbeing and the moderating effect of gender in the crucial developmental transition from middle adolescence to emerging adulthood. We undertake a cross-lagged longitudinal data analysis from a pooled sample of six pseudo-cohorts, including information from 661 young people who participated in the UK Household Longitudinal Study at ages 17, 19, and 21. Using a 7-points overall life satisfaction (LS) scale as an index of wellbeing and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire as a measure of MH, we found no associations between LS and MH in the 17-19 transition and bidirectional associations in the 19-21 transition. There were no substantial gender differences in either transition. We conclude that LS and MH predict each other in the transition from late adolescence (age 19) to emerging adulthood (age 21) for both males and females., Author(s): Jose Marquez [sup.1] , Ioannis Katsantonis [sup.2] , Ruth Sellers [sup.3] [sup.4] , Gundi Knies [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/027m9bs27, grid.5379.8, 0000 0001 2166 2407, Manchester Institute of Education, [...]

This scoping review examines known associations between potential traumatic experiences and mental health outcomes among adolescent refugees. Little is known about the type and severity of traumatic experiences among adolescent refugees and whether the type and severity of these experiences are associated with poor mental health. Five electronic databases were searched to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles. Inclusion criteria were: 1) trauma was the predictor variable of the article, 2) at least one of two selected mental health conditions (depression and anxiety) was an outcome variable of the study, 3) the quantitative relationship between trauma and mental health was discussed; 4) participants of the study were adolescent refugees or asylum seekers; 5) the article was published between January 1, 2011 and August 30, 2020; 6) and written in English. Adolescents aged 12-18 of all genders were included in this review. Of 3319 potentially relevant articles identified, 11 articles were included. All the included studies employed a cross-sectional study design. Adolescent refugees experienced a variety of traumatic events, such as physical and sexual violence, war-related events, natural disasters, migration-related events, and verbal and emotional abuse. The review found a positive association between trauma exposure and poor mental health outcomes of depression and anxiety in all included studies across diverse adolescent refugee populations. The findings suggest that effective intervention strategies should be implemented to meet the needs of children and adolescent refugees as a vulnerable group in the host community as they adjust to the language, cultural, and school barriers and to support overall growth and development., Author(s): Solomon D. Danga [sup.1] , Babatope O. Adebiyi [sup.1] , Erica Koegler [sup.2] , Conran Joseph [sup.3] , Nicolette V. Roman [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/00h2vm590, grid.8974.2, 0000 0001 [...]

The long-standing pathogen prevalence hypothesis suggests that collectivism can protect from epidemics and pandemics in terms of psychological well-being. However, studies exploring the protective mechanism induced when collectivism meets cultural tightness (the strength of social norms and tolerance for deviant behavior) are few. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of collectivism in detail considering loose and tight cultural contexts. The sample comprised 2001 Chinese participants (M.sub.age = 18.41 ± 2.388 years; 50.2% female). Moderated regression analyses indicated that more perceived risk of COVID-19 predicted severe mental health responses (i.e., depression and anxiety), collectivism moderated this positive relationship but individualism did not. Notably, the protective effect of collectivism is especially evident in tight cultures but ineffective in loose cultures. This study emphasized that the protective effects of collectivism on mental health during a pandemic should be considered within the framework of cultural tightness. This study's findings may advance knowledge about the relationship between cultural type and mental health during epidemics., Author(s): Dan Dong [sup.1] , Yi Feng [sup.2] , Zhihong Qiao [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/022k4wk35, grid.20513.35, 0000 0004 1789 9964, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, , No.19 Xinjiekouwai [...]

Intra-family conflict had an adverse effect on adolescent mental health problems. However, to date, few studies using the longitudinal-design have examined the underlying mechanism of this relationship. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to extend previous study from a longitudinal perspective, and further explore the mediating role of sleep quality that were shown to underlie these relationships. Data came from a longitudinal survey of 932 adolescents (54.0% female; mean of age at baseline = 13.25 years, SD = 0.66). The adolescents were recruited from two junior high school in Guangzhou city, China. A battery of standardized measures was used to assess intra-family conflict, sleep quality, internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms for three times with an interval of one year. After adjusting for family demographics, sleep quality at T.sub.1 and mental health problems at T.sub.1, T.sub.1 intra-family conflict had significant effects on sleep quality at T.sub.2, and T.sub.2 sleep quality mediated the association between T.sub.1 intra-family and mental health problems at T.sub.3. In addition, this mediation of sleep quality was consistent across gender. Sleep quality was an important mediator in explaining the relationship between intra-family conflict and mental health problems in adolescents. Prevention and intervention programs aimed at improving their sleep quality may be critical to prevent mental health problems when adolescents are involved in family conflict., Author(s): Ya Zhu [sup.1] , Shuo Wang [sup.2] , Xuliang Shi [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Center for Mental Health Education and Counseling, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, , Dongguan, [...]

Two cross-sectional survey studies were conducted to examine the relationships between minority stressors, protective factors and mental health outcomes in lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGB) in the United Kingdom (UK). A convenience sample of 156 LGB people in the UK participated in Study 1. Multiple regression analyses showed that victimization and sexuality-related identity threat were positively associated with anxiety and that identity resilience, social support and degree of outness were negative correlates; and that rejection was positively associated with depression while identity resilience and social support were negative correlates. In Study 2, based on a convenience sample of 333 gay men, our structural equation model showed that ethnic minority status, lower identity resilience and higher identity threat were associated with greater distress; ethnic minority status was associated with less social support and more internalized homonegativity; being single was associated with less social support and more internalized homonegativity; identity resilience was positively associated with social support and negatively associated with internalized homonegativity; identity threat was associated with less social support and more internalized homonegativity; internalized homonegativity was negatively associated with social support; and social support was negatively associated with distress while internalized homonegativity was positively associated with distress. Findings show differential effects of particular stressors on particular mental health outcomes in LGB people and the significance of promoting identity resilience, social support and degree of outness as protective factors., Author(s): Rusi Jaspal [sup.1] , Barbara Lopes [sup.2] , Glynis M. Breakwell [sup.3] [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/04kp2b655, grid.12477.37, 0000 0001 2107 3784, University of Brighton, , BN2 4GJ, Brighton, [...]

Recent studies have identified symptoms related to the mental disorders in athletes and have highlighted the importance of exploring factors that may contribute to athletes' mental health. The current study examined whether self-criticism operates as a mediator process in the association between athletes' perceptions of coach-related critical attitudes with depressive symptoms, and psychological health. 263 Portuguese adults, who compete in different sports, and completed self-report instruments on an online survey took part in the study. Path analyses results indicated the credibility of the examined model that accounted for 32% and 28% of the variance of psychological health and depressive symptoms, respectively. Athletes who perceived their coach as more critical in relation to their attitudes and performance reported higher levels of self-criticism, that tended to be linked with more symptoms of depression and lower levels of psychological health. These findings clarified the role of critical attitudes from the coach on athletes' mental health and indicated that self-criticism is a maladaptive process in dealing with failures. This study offers significant insights into clinical psychology in the context of sport by suggesting that critical attitudes of the coach as perceived by the athletes and self-criticism may associate to negative indicators of mental health., Author(s): Sara Oliveira [sup.1] , Marina Cunha [sup.1] , António Rosado [sup.2] , Cláudia Ferreira [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.8051.c, 0000 0000 9511 4342, CINEICC - Center for Research in [...]

While there is evidence that histories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common in university students and are associated with an increased risk of mental health difficulties, current research has limited geographic and cross-cultural representation. Comparing ACEs across diverse contexts using a standardized measure can illuminate geographic and sociocultural similarities or differences in exposure. The present study aimed to assess ACE exposure and its relationship with mental health symptoms in university students from seven countries. We sampled 5945 university students from the United States, Canada, England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay. Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS). Most participants (94.8%) reported exposure to at least one type of ACE and 61% reported exposure to four or more types. Repeated exposure to at least one ACE was reported by 70.2% and repeated exposure to at least four ACEs was reported by 21.2%. Spanish students had significantly lower ACE exposure than other students. Cumulative ACE exposure was significantly higher among students in lower income countries, but when repeated exposure was considered these differences fell away. For the total sample, cumulative ACE exposure was significantly associated with severity of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidality. Findings indicate that universities globally should be guided by a trauma-informed approach that recognizes students as a psychologically vulnerable group carrying a long-standing burden of childhood adversity., Author(s): Debra Kaminer [sup.1] , Adrian J. Bravo [sup.2] , Laura Mezquita [sup.3] [sup.4] , Angelina Pilatti [sup.5] [sup.6] , Adrian J. Bravo, Christopher C. Conway, James M. Henson, Lee [...]

The aim of this study was to assess changes in mental health and wellbeing measures across a 50-day physical activity workplace program. The secondary aims assessed the relationship between demographic and pre-program physical activity self-reported variables, mental health, wellbeing and program engagement measures. The study utilized a naturalistic longitudinal design with a study population of 2903 people. Participants were engaged in the 10,000 step daily physical activity program for 50-days and measures of engagement were tracked. 1320 participants provided full pre/post-program data across a range of standardized mental health and wellbeing measures alongside demographic and program engagement measures. For individuals providing pre and post program data there was a significant reduction in anxiety (18.2%, p = .008), stress (13.0%, p = .014) and sleep related impairment (6.9%, p < .001) alongside a significant improvement in overall wellbeing (6.7%, p = .001). The data further showed no significant mental health differences were identified between individuals who recorded below versus equal to or above 10,000 steps. Regression analyses indicated numerous group and personal variables impacted mental health, wellbeing and program engagement. The study highlights improvements in a range of mental health and wellbeing scores occurred over the 50-day activity program for people who complete the program. Finally, the study identified a range of protective and risk factors for mental health benefits of these programs and level of engagement. Whilst there were similarities in the pre-program mental health and wellbeing scores of those who completed and those lost to follow-up, further research is required to better characterize and understand this group., Author(s): Karen T. Hallam [sup.1] [sup.2] , Anna Peeters [sup.3] , A. Gupta [sup.3] , S. Bilsborough [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.1021.2, 0000 0001 0526 7079, Institute for Mental and [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially induced worries and affected individual mental health and subjective well-being. Nonetheless, a high level of social capital could potentially protect individuals who suffer from mental health problems and thus promote their subjective well-being, especially under the social distancing policies during the pandemic. To this end, based on a random sample of 1053 Hong Kong adults, structural equation modeling was applied to study the path relationships between the worries of COVID-19, social capital, mental health problems, and subjective well-being. The study found that worries during the pandemic were associated with mental health and subjective well-being, through social capital as a mediator. Moreover, social capital exhibited a stronger influence on mental health and subjective well-being in the economically inactive group than in the economically active group. This study highlights the important role of social capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Hong Kong's COVID-19 response has primarily focused on disease prevention, it must be noted that social services and mutual-help activities are also crucial for people to withstand the crisis., Author(s): Siu-Ming Chan [sup.1] [sup.2] , Gary Ka-Ki Chung [sup.1] , Yat-Hang Chan [sup.1] , Jean Woo [sup.1] [sup.3] , Eng Kiong Yeoh [sup.1] [sup.4] , Roger Yat-Nork Chung [sup.1] [...]

Low mental health literacy is a public health concern in China and contributes to the low underutilization of mental health resources. We extended the current conceptualization of mental health literacy and developed a comprehensive self-report measure of mental health literacy in the Chinese context, the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (MHLQ). We generated items based on existing literature, extensive qualitative interviews with mental health professionals and community members. We revised these items based on expert review to examine content validity, after which we conducted a pilot test with a representative sample of 734 urban and rural community members to illicit feedback on wording clarity and select items within appropriate difficulty levels (i.e., correct rate). We then examined dimensionality and item performance using multidimensional item response theory analyses in a combined sample of mental health professionals (n = 122), community members (n = 121), and college students (n = 144). We concluded a six-factor structure for the MHLQ encompassing mental health knowledge, mental illness knowledge, attitudes towards mental health, attitudes towards mental illness, behaviors regarding mental health promotion, and behaviors regarding mental illness coping. The scale yielded adequate internal reliability estimates and test-retest agreement, and convergent evidence and known-group comparisons results in support of construct validity. The six-factor MHLQ largely supported our extended theoretical conceptualization of the mental health literacy in the Chinese context. Future studies are needed to further validate the factor structure and examine measurement invariance., Author(s): Jue Wu [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Cixin Wang [sup.4] , Yun Lu [sup.5] , Xu Zhu [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Yanqing Li [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Guangda Liu [sup.1] [...]

Explored the experiences of public university students (N = 1,573) in five domains (e.g., mental health, remote learning) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether these experiences differed as a function of college generation status. Mental health challenges were observed, with first-generation students reporting higher depression, anxiety, and pandemic-related stress than continuing-generation students. One-fourth of students reported suicidal ideation/suicide attempts since the start of the pandemic, but few (15%; fewer first- than continuing-generation) had accessed mental health services. Other common stressors included having to self-isolate due to exposure to, living with someone who tested positive for, and having been diagnosed with, COVID-19. Disruptions in social connection were prevalent. Students reported limited access to various social supports, feeling isolated, and having endured close relationship losses. Remote learning challenges included having to share devices, lacking reliable Internet and dedicated home learning spaces, and being disturbed by others at home (more first- than continuing-generation students). The pandemic has widened the divide between first- and continuing-generation students and has exacerbated the challenges faced by all students (and created new ones). Identifying these challenges is an essential first step toward developing methods for enhancing student well-being in the higher education 'new normal.' KEYWORDS: COVID-19, pandemic, mental health, first-generation students, social connection, 'Hello professor, these last two days we have been dealing with my niece in the hospital with covid [sic] and she has pneumonia at the same time and she's been [...]

With the COVID-19 outbreak, the population was suddenly forced to 'stay at home'. Although research suggests that social isolation affects health and wellbeing, reactions may vary depending on individuals. The current study assessed the relationships between personality variables (preference for solitude and Big Five personality), mental health (anxiety, stress, loneliness), and creativity, and tried to determine whether the identified personality profiles affect individuals' mental health and creativity. French respondents (N = 430) filled in an online questionnaire during the first lockdown in Spring 2020. The results showed that the preference for solitude and personality variables of the Big Five predicted individuals' mental health and creativity. Moreover, a cluster analysis revealed three profiles of individuals: 'Affiliation', 'Emotionally Stable Lonely' and 'Emotionally Unstable Lonely'. Results showed that individuals with 'Affiliation' and 'Emotionally Unstable Lonely' profiles expressed higher stress and anxiety, and the latter performed better on a divergent creative thinking task. By contrast, those with an 'Emotionally Stable Lonely' profile expressed a lower level of loneliness, and performed better on a creative insight task. These findings reveal the importance of personality profiles in psychological reactions during lockdowns. With this knowledge, health professionals could develop appropriate interventions to accompany high-risk individuals in situations of social isolation., Author(s): Estelle Michinov [sup.1] , Nicolas Michinov [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.410368.8, 0000 0001 2191 9284, Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication (LP3C), Department of Psychology, Univ Rennes, , [...]

In recent years, local governments and communities in Utah have begun discussing ways sexual/gender minority youth may experience particularly high levels of negative mental health symptoms, stigma, bullying, and family rejection. Using the Psychological Mediation Framework (PMF), we examined if being bullied due to sexual orientation or gender identity was associated with self-harm, internalizing symptoms, substance misuse, suicide risk, and academic achievement through social, cognitive, and emotional processes. To test this hypothesis, we ran a path analysis on a large representative sample of sexual/gender minority middle and high school students in Utah (N = 6909). Results demonstrated general support for the proposed pathways, with 51% to 78% of the effects of being bullied onto the negative outcomes being mediated by the social, cognitive, and emotional processes. The need for more anti-bullying policies and targeted psychological treatments for sexual/gender minority youth in Utah is discussed., Author(s): James S. McGraw [sup.1] , Harrison D. Angoff [sup.1] , Jay Chinn [sup.1] , Wesley R. Barnhart [sup.1] , Brinna N. Lee [sup.1] , Eileen Diggins [sup.1] , Amy [...]

More and more studies found that mental health was closely related to interpersonal relationships. But it is a recent topic that utilizing social network analysis (SNA) to qualify individuals' interpersonal relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationships between undergraduates' class interpersonal relationships and mental health from a perspective of social network analysis. 481 participants (165 males, 316 females) from the first, second and third year of bachelor's degree completed the Mental Health Scale for College Students (MHS-CS) and the Social Network Questionnaire (SNQ). Data was analyzed in UCINET 6, Mplus 8.0 and IBM SPSS 25.0. The results of latent profile analysis (LPA) showed that undergraduates' class interpersonal relationships can be classified into three types, which are the common type, the passive type and the active type. And the results of one-way ANOVA showed that the common group had the highest level of mental health than the other two groups (p = 0.001). In conclusion, SNA provides a new way to qualify undergraduates' class interpersonal relationships. And the findings of the current study suggests that in the class interpersonal communications of undergraduates, only moderate activity and popularity were positively associated with mental health., Author(s): Shu Zhang [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Yutong Li [sup.4] , Shixiu Ren [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Tour Liu [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412735.6, 0000 0001 0193 3951, [...]