PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Dearth of mental health support during pandemic for those with chronic health problems

A scoping review of English and Chinese-language studies found individuals with chronic physical health conditions had higher levels of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic; targeted interventions were lacking

2021-07-20
(Press-News.org) A new scoping review found that those with chronic health concerns, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions, are not only at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection, they are also more likely to experience anxiety, depression or substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the review was to address knowledge gaps related to the prevention and management of mental health responses among those with chronic conditions. The findings, recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, were based on a comprehensive review of 67 Chinese and English-language studies.

"Levels of anxiety, depression, and substance use tended to be more prevalent among those with physical health concerns, and these mental health impacts also interfered with their treatment plans," says first author Karen Davison, Canada Research Chair at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Physical and mental health problems often occur together, possibly due to factors such as shared underlying inflammatory responses and the psychosocial effects of living with a health condition, say the study's authors. Economic instability, social isolation, and reduced access to health and social care services also increased the likelihood of mental health concerns among those with a chronic physical health condition.

"These circumstances, which became more prevalent during the pandemic, likely impact an individual's ability to cope," says co-author Professor Simon Carroll from the University of Victoria's Sociology department.

Rapidly spreading misinformation during the pandemic may have also influenced reactions that can worsen mental health.

"Lower levels of health literacy have been associated with poorer physical and mental health," says Brandon Hey, Policy and Research Analyst, COVID 19 Policy, Programs and Priorities at the Mental Health Commission of Canada. "This needs to be addressed by the public health community who can educate and support social and conventional media to accurately deliver information."

The findings and practice recommendations from this review have the potential to inform the work of policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers looking to provide better mental health supports for those with chronic illness.

"Several promising practices include screening for mental health issues, addressing factors such as income support, using digital resources to provide care, and providing services such as patient navigation, group online visits, peer support, and social prescribing," says co-author University of British Columbia Nursing Professor Maura MacPhee.

University of Toronto Social Work Professor, Esme Fuller-Thomson, who is also Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging, says we now have the opportunity to shape policies, programs, and other efforts to strengthen people's mental health. "Multi-integrated interventions can help provide the supports that are needed to address the complex needs of different populations and foster resilience in times of public health crises," she says.

INFORMATION:

The review, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was produced by a team of researchers from universities in Canada and the UK, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and other health organizations, and patient advisors.

Media Contact

Lead author: Karen Davison
karen.davison@kpu.ca
604-300-0331

Esme Fuller-Thomson
Esme.fuller.thomson@utoronto.ca
416 209-3231

A copy of the publication is available at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7265



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Tomato fruits send electrical warnings to the rest of the plant when attacked by insects

2021-07-20
A recent study in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems shows that the fruits of a type of tomato plant send electrical signals to the rest of the plant when they are infested by caterpillars. Plants have a multitude of chemical and hormonal signaling pathways, which are generally transmitted through the sap (the nutrient-rich water that moves through the plant). In the case of fruits, nutrients flow exclusively to the fruit and there has been little research into whether there is any communication in the opposite direction--i.e. from fruit to plant. "We usually forget that a plant's fruits are living and semiautonomous parts of their mother-plants, far ...

Antibiotic prescriptions for kids plummet during pandemic

2021-07-20
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - As children made fewer visits to health facilities and engaged in social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation measures, a smaller number of them also received prescription drugs, a new study suggests. Overall, medications prescribed for children dropped by more than a quarter during the first eight months of the pandemic compared to the previous year, with the steepest declines in infection-related medicines like antibiotics and cough-and-cold drugs. Antibiotic dispensing to children and teens plunged by nearly 56 % ...

Copper transporter potential new treatment target for cardiovascular disease

Copper transporter potential new treatment target for cardiovascular disease
2021-07-20
An internal transporter that enables us to use the copper we consume in foods like shellfish and nuts to enable a host of vital body functions also has the essential role of protecting the receptor that enables us to grow new blood vessels when ours become diseased, Medical College of Georgia scientists report. The findings published in the journal END ...

Main attraction: Scientists create world's thinnest magnet

Main attraction: Scientists create worlds thinnest magnet
2021-07-20
The development of an ultrathin magnet that operates at room temperature could lead to new applications in computing and electronics - such as high-density, compact spintronic memory devices - and new tools for the study of quantum physics. The ultrathin magnet, which was recently reported in the journal Nature Communications , could make big advances in next-gen memories, computing, spintronics, and quantum physics. It was discovered by scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley. "We're ...

Supermassive black holes put a brake on stellar births

Supermassive black holes put a brake on stellar births
2021-07-20
Black holes with masses equivalent to millions of suns do put a brake on the birth of new stars, say astronomers. Using machine learning and three state of the art simulations to back up results from a large sky survey, the researchers resolve a 20-year long debate on the formation of stars. Joanna Piotrowska, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, will present the new work today (Tuesday 20 July) at the virtual National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2021). Star formation in galaxies has long been a focal point of astronomy research. Decades of successful observations ...

Patient case strongly suggests link between COVID-19 vaccine and Bell's palsy

2021-07-20
The case of a patient who experienced two facial palsies - one after the first and another after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine - strongly suggests that Bell's palsy (facial nerve palsy of unknown cause) is linked to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, doctors write in the journal BMJ Case Reports. They describe the first case to be reported in the medical literature of two separate unilateral facial nerve palsies, where muscles on one side of the face become weak or paralysed, occurring shortly after each dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. "The ...

Health impacts of lockdowns no worse than large COVID outbreaks, at least in short term

2021-07-20
Although lockdowns are undoubtedly associated with health harms, their impact on health is unlikely to be worse than the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic itself, concludes a review published in the online journal BMJ Global Health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an ongoing debate around whether the benefits of government "lockdowns"- either stay-at-home orders or interventions restricting movement - in reducing infections are outweighed by the negative impacts on the economy, social structure, education, and mental and physical health. In a nutshell, whether "the cure is worse than the disease." In this narrative review, an international team of doctors examine the ...

High-income countries are failing to provide adequate mental health services for children

2021-07-20
One in eight children have mental disorders that cause symptoms and impairment and therefore require treatment, but even in high-income countries most of these children will not gain access to services to treat them, reports a study published in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health. Mental disorders that start in childhood and adolescence can significantly interfere with wellbeing and development. Despite the social and economic implications of not addressing these disorders, including long-term healthcare costs, justice system costs and the loss of human potential, mental health service provision for children continues to lag behind provision of services for physical ...

Rapid screening, face masks may prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission at indoor mass-gathering events

2021-07-20
Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. 1. Rapid screening, face masks may prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission at indoor mass-gathering events Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-2278 URL goes live when the embargo lifts An observational study in Barcelona, Spain found that implementation of same-day rapid screening, use of face masks, and improved ventilation was ...

People becoming desensitized to COVID-19 illnesses, death, research suggests

2021-07-19
Although people in early 2020 hoarded toilet paper, washed their hands incessantly, and wouldn't leave home, 11 months later the public pushed the envelope on COVID-19 safety precautions and ignored warnings as time went on, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests. Researchers in the Department of Communication examined people's reactions and expressions of anxiety about news articles on Twitter. Additionally, they investigated reactions to fear-inducing health news over time, despite the steadily rising COVID-19 death toll, said Hannah Stevens, a doctoral student in communication and lead author of the paper. The paper, "Desensitization to Fear-Inducting COVID-19 Health News on Twitter: Observational Study," ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

The food and fuel that farms itself

Patient- and Community-Level Characteristics Associated With RSV Vaccination

[Press-News.org] Dearth of mental health support during pandemic for those with chronic health problems
A scoping review of English and Chinese-language studies found individuals with chronic physical health conditions had higher levels of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic; targeted interventions were lacking