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Objective: This comparative study of the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic aimed to: 1) examine the mental health status of hospital staff; 2) describe the associations among various factors that affect mental health; and 3) investigate the impact of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from Siriraj Hospital staff using online questionnaires including demographics, staff characteristics, health behavior, readiness to handle COVID-19; COVID-19 impact; and the Thai version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–21 (DASS-21). Results: Depression, anxiety, and stress scores were significantly higher in the third wave. Living in a high-surveillance area, social distancing difficulties, health behaviors, and office work all impacted mental health in both waves. Demographics, infection exposure outside the hospital, awareness of social distancing, and readiness to work from home impacted only the second wave. Direct work with COVID-19 patients impacted only the third wave. The common stressors included living expenses, daily life changes, and disease prevention costs in both waves, with COVID-19 news having a greater impact in the third wave. Main daily life impacts were income, transportation, and disease prevention equipment in both waves, with food becoming more important in the third wave. Conclusion: Mental health should be prioritized especially in severe waves, focusing on staff at high risk of infection, experiencing social distancing challenges, daily life changes, and having health problems. Disease protection should also be emphasized early on.

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health crisis that has impacted daily life due to the policies created to contain the outbreak. Recent studies showed that medical students, a high-stress population, experienced deteriorated mental well-being during the pandemic. The aim of the present study was to assess stress and the need for support among Thai medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a multicenter study. Methods The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study which collected data from second through sixth year medical students. Data was collected during the pandemic from multiple medical schools spanning all six regions of Thailand. Questionnaires included: demographic data; the Thai version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (T-PSS-10) assessing stress level and the sources of stress; and the received supports from medical schools, the satisfaction with the supports, and the further necessary needs. Results There were 1,395 medical students who responded to the questionnaires. Mean T-PSS-10 score was 17.8. Most of the sources of stress were related to the changing of teaching and evaluation system. Students residing in larger medical schools were significantly more satisfied with received support and tended to gain greater support than those in medium and small sized schools. Stress-relieving activities arrangement was considered the most sought after additional support by students. Conclusion Medical student stress levels were higher during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. Stress relieving activities, availability and access to mental health resources, and other strategies to reduce stress among medical students are urgently needed.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a contagious childhood illness and annually affects millions of children aged less than 5 years across the Asia–Pacific region. HFMD transmission mainly occurs through direct contact (person-to-person) and indirect contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. Therefore, public health measures to reduce the spread of HFMD in kindergartens and daycare centers are essential. Based on the guidelines by the Department of Disease Control, a school closure policy for HFMD outbreaks wherein every school in Thailand must close when several HFMD classrooms (more than two cases in each classroom) are encountered within a week, was implemented, although without strong supporting evidence. We therefore conducted a prospective cohort study of children attending five kindergartens during 2019 and 2020. We used molecular genetic techniques to investigate the characteristics of the spreading patterns of HFMD in a school-based setting in Bangkok, Thailand. These analyses identified 22 index cases of HFMD (symptomatic infections) and 25 cases of enterovirus-positive asymptomatic contacts (24 students and one teacher). Enterovirus (EV) A71 was the most common enterovirus detected, and most of the infected persons (8/12) developed symptoms. Other enteroviruses included coxsackieviruses (CVs) A4, CV-A6, CV-A9, and CV-A10 as well as echovirus. The pattern of the spread of HFMD showed that 45% of the subsequent enteroviruses detected in each outbreak possessed the same serotype as the first index case. Moreover, we found a phylogenetic relationship among enteroviruses detected among contact and index cases in the same kindergarten. These findings confirm the benefit of molecular genetic assays to acquire accurate data to support school closure policies designed to control HFMD infections.

Objective: To study the prevalence of suicide-related behaviors in individuals with gender dysphoria and to study the associations among gender affirmation, parental attachment, and suicide-related behaviors. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional survey study involved individuals with gender dysphoria attending the Gender-Variation (Gen-V) Clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital between August 2020 and February 2021. An online questionnaire was administered, including demographic data, history of gender affirmation, the Impulse, Self-harm, and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire for Adolescents (ISSIQ-A), and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised (IPPA-R; parental part only). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS v.18.0. Results: The present study included 105 participants with a mean age of 29.2 years (range 18 to 53). Of these participants, 86.7% (n=91) identified as trans men, 36.2% (n=38) reported a history of lifetime non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), 78.1% (n=82) reported engaging in other self-harm behaviors, and 52.4% (n=55) reported suicidal ideation, respectively. Higher scores on the parental attachment scale were associated with a decreased likelihood of suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.90, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.95, p<0.001). Additionally, participants who had undergone gender-affirming surgery were less likely to engage in NSSI (aOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.95, p=0.039). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the overwhelming prevalence of NSSI, other self-harm behaviors, and suicidal ideation among individuals with gender dysphoria. Gender-affirming surgery and secure attachment with parents may contribute to lower rates of NSSI and suicidal ideation among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to find the prevalence of mental health problems and the rates of seeking mental health care among health-related students, as well as identifying factors associated with seeking mental health care. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among students from the Faculty of Medicine at a university in the 2021 academic year. A total of 832 students voluntarily completed an online survey measuring mental health problems and factors influencing mental health care seeking. Descriptive and analytic statistics including t-test, Pearson's chi-square test, and binary logistic regression analysis, were used to analyze the data. Results: Among the participants, 46.80% (n=389) reported experiencing mental health problems, but only 16.97% (n=66) of them sought mental health care. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female (OR = 2.63 (1.08 - 6.43)) and LGBTQ (OR = 4.26 (1.36 - 13.37)) students, and those with a positive attitude toward professionals (OR = 1.10 (1.02 - 0.19)), were more likely to seek formal mental health care than those who did not. Conclusions: The study findings indicate that mental health problems are prevalent among health-related students, yet formal mental health care uptake is low. To address this issue, mental health screening programs, improved knowledge and attitudes about mental health care, and mental health training for academic staffs who work with health-related students are necessary. Future studies should explore interventions to increase the uptake of mental health services among health-related students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]