The Psychological Hotline Services Quality Survey during the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Mainland China

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a significant amount of panic due to dramatic changes in daily routines for residents all over China. In response, more than 600 psychological hotlines have been built or modified and have supplied mental health services for the public. Regarding the service quality of the hotlines, a survey has been conducted to investigate the running of hotline services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results reveal that the more successful hotlines all had better trained hotline counselors, and in the meanwhile, the key features of providing supervision arrangements and training resources. Moreover, the referral list should be adjusted according to the accessibility of the recourses during the pandemic.     

《新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎疫情紧急心理危机干预指导原则》专家解析

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情是一次突发的公共卫生危机事件,不仅威胁人们的身体健康,也会给大众带来心理冲击,引起相应的心理行为问题。2020年1月26日,国家下发《新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎疫情紧急心理危机干预指导原则》,本文从由谁提供(心理危机干预服务)、给谁提供、提供什么、怎么提供、注意事项5个方面对上述指导原则总体内容进行概括整理,并提出几点思考,以帮助提供相关服务的精神心理工作人员更好地理解和实施指导原则。     

Utilization of Teleconsultation: Mitigation in Handling Mental Disorders in the COVID-19 Era

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many undesirable effects, including death. The COVID-19 outbreak occurred suddenly, and many countries were ill prepared to face it. Community behaviour has been altered due to the pandemic. Uncertainty surrounding the disease triggered panic buying; public panic caused additional worry about limited food supplies, and thus demand increased. World economies have also felt the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Owing to the measures put in place to address the spread of COVID-19, many service providers and industries were closed, resulting in financial losses, and the risk of unemployment was elevated, which inevitably increased negative emotions in individuals. A psychosocial consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is worldwide fear. Because psychological defence is a supporting factor for the recovery of COVID-19 patients, it is important to encourage prevention of mental stress. Psychotherapy is able to provide counselling services to the community through teleconsultation. Strengthening psychological defences can help countries fight against this disease.

     

Psychological Impacts of Coronavirus Outbreaks on Adults: A Rapid Evidence Review

A recent rapid review highlighted the negative psychological impacts of quarantining during coronavirus outbreaks on the public. However, to date, there has been no review of the psychological impacts of coronavirus on adults using research from community samples and not restricted to people quarantined during coronavirus. A rapid review was conducted to provide timely evidence about the mental health implications of coronavirus outbreaks on adults and to inform psychological research concerning the current COVID-19 outbreak. Three databases and Google Scholar were searched and a total of 27 studies were identified. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were identified during coronavirus outbreaks alongside concerns about becoming infected and family becoming infected. Those with pre-existing mental health conditions, young adults, women and those reporting physical symptoms appear to be vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes during coronavirus outbreaks. How people think about and understand coronavirus, and the coping strategies employed by people, may play a role in mitigating negative psychological outcomes. Results demonstrate the adverse psychological impacts of coronavirus outbreaks on adults and the need for continued investment in mental health services for the wider community during these times. Further longitudinal research is required to ascertain the long-term psychological consequences of coronavirus outbreaks. This review can be used to inform continued research on the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on adults.     

Mental Status and Psychological Needs of Chinese Police Officers in a Highly Impacted City during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of the study was to investigate the mental status and psychological needs of police officers during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The Anti-Pandemic Public Mental Status Scale and self-administered Psychological Needs Scale were administered online to police officers in Y city, a significant sub-central city of Hubei Province, where was affected by the pandemic the most seriously. A total of 5,467 valid questionnaires were collected, of which female police accounted for 17.7%. Compared with the national public and Y city public data previously measured using the Anti-Pandemic Public Mental Status Scale, this study found that 24.6% of the Y city police suffered maladaptive problems. The mental status of the national public was the best, followed by the Y city police. The mental status of the Y city public was the worst. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between gender and unit type of Y city police (p = 0.02). The mental status of female police working in prisons was worse than their male counterparts (p = 0.01). Furthermore, psychological needs survey results showed that the police most wanted to learn the topics of self-adjustment and family relations. The most desired psychological assistances were relaxation and stress reduction, while the percentage of willingness to choose psychological counseling was low. During the pandemic, some police officers showed obvious psychological symptoms and the mental health services could be provided according to their psychological needs.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎防控期间认知障碍患者及其照护者精神卫生与心理社会支持专家建议

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情给公众,尤其是老年人身体和心理都造成了巨大影响。老年认知障碍患者不仅是易感人群,也容易出现心理应激反应,甚至有诱发和加重精神行为症状的风险。其照护者在疫情期间面临更大的照护负担,可能心理应激反应更明显。国内多个老年精神医学与认知障碍相关学术团体联合制定专家建议,针对疫情期间认知障碍患者和照护者可能出现的心理应激反应以及患者已有精神行为问题的波动特点,提出多学科团队进行精神卫生和心理社会干预的策略,指导疫情期间为认知障碍患者提供诊疗及照护的相关人员开展全程管理。     

Role of perceived family support in psychological distress for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUNDThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused major public panic in China. Pregnant women may be more vulnerable to stress, which may cause them to have psychological problems. AIMTo explore the effects of perceived family support on psychological distress in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODSA total of 2232 subjects were recruited from three cities in China. Through the online surveys, information on demographic data and health status during pregnancy were collected. Insomnia severity index, generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale, patient health questionnaire-9, somatization subscale of the symptom check list 90 scale, and posttraumatic stress disorder checklist were used to assess the psychological distress.RESULTSA total of 1015 (45.4%) women reported having at least one psychological distress. The women who reported having inadequate family support were more likely to suffer from multiple psychological distress (≥ 2 psychological distress) than women who received adequate family support. Among the women who reported less family support, 41.8% reported depression, 31.1% reported anxiety, 8.2% reported insomnia, 13.3% reported somatization and 8.9% reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which were significantly higher than those who received strong family support. Perceived family support level was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = -0.118, P < 0.001), anxiety symptoms (r = -0.111, P < 0.001), and PTSD symptoms (r = -0.155, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONFamily support plays an important part on pregnant women’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Better family support can help improve the mental health of pregnant women.     

COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: Systematic review of the current evidence

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic general medical complications have received the most attention, whereas only few studies address the potential direct effect on mental health of SARS-CoV-2 and the neurotropic potential. Furthermore, the indirect effects of the pandemic on general mental health are of increasing concern, particularly since the SARS-CoV-1 epidemic (2002–2003) was associated with psychiatric complications.MethodsWe systematically searched the database Pubmed including studies measuring psychiatric symptoms or morbidities associated with COVID-19 among infected patients and among none infected groups the latter divided in psychiatric patients, health care workers and non-health care workers.ResultsA total of 43 studies were included. Out of these, only two studies evaluated patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whereas 41 evaluated the indirect effect of the pandemic (2 on patients with preexisting psychiatric disorders, 20 on medical health care workers, and 19 on the general public). 18 of the studies were case-control studies/compared to norm, while 25 of the studies had no control groups. The two studies investigating COVID-19 patients found a high level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) (96.2%) and significantly higher level of depressive symptoms (p = 0.016). Patients with preexisting psychiatric disorders reported worsening of psychiatric symptoms. Studies investigating health care workers found increased depression/depressive symptoms, anxiety, psychological distress and poor sleep quality. Studies of the general public revealed lower psychological well-being and higher scores of anxiety and depression compared to before COVID-19, while no difference when comparing these symptoms in the initial phase of the outbreak to four weeks later. A variety of factors were associated with higher risk of psychiatric symptoms and/or low psychological well-being including female gender, poor-self-related health and relatives with COVID-19.ConclusionResearch evaluating the direct neuropsychiatric consequences and the indirect effects on mental health is highly needed to improve treatment, mental health care planning and for preventive measures during potential subsequent pandemics.     

The relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: Effects of boredom proneness and coping style

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was a great threat to the physical and mental health of the general population. Our research aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress during the initial outbreak. Furthermore, potential risks and protective factors, i.e., coping and boredom proneness, of stress-related emotional distress were also explored. Data from 3233 participants in China were collected through an online survey platform during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 from January 31 to February 9 in 2020. Results showed that higher perceived stress was associated with more emotional distress including depression, fear, compulsion-anxiety, neurasthenia, and hypochondria. Boredom proneness significantly and positively mediated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress. Moreover, coping style moderated the stress-emotional distress relationship, i.e., individuals who mainly adopted positive coping strategies suffered fewer symptoms of depression, compulsion-anxiety, and neurasthenia under stress, while negative coping strategies aggravated emotional distress. These results from the present study provide practical value for mental health intervention during the emergent public health events.     

重大突发传染病(新型冠状病毒肺炎)防控期间精神障碍诊治流程和路径专家建议

重大突发传染病,如新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情,严重威胁公众健康。中国绝大多数精神病医院或综合医院精神科病房实施封闭式管理,在防治传染性疾病方面都较为薄弱,难以有效应对疫情。在当前新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情严峻情形下,中华医学会精神医学分会牵头中国精神医学领域主要学会和(或)协会,组织专家制定《重大突发传染病(新型冠状病毒肺炎)防控期间精神障碍诊治流程和路径专家建议》,供相关医疗机构参照执行。本专家建议分精神病医院和综合医院精神科两部分,从门诊、住院和居家管理3个方面提出了详细的诊治流程和路径,具有很好的操作性和指导价值,对于预防精神卫生医疗机构院内感染发生和保障精神障碍患者医疗安全具有重要意义。     

Detrimental Effects of COVID-19 Measures on Mental Health and Social-Economic Disparities

The COVID-19 pandemic has struck nations worldwide, pushing worldwide health and socioeconomic systems to extreme limits. Various factors, such as drastic alterations in public environments, prolonged quarantine, revenue loss, and anxiety of disease contraction, have caused mental turmoil. Although there was a need to cope with an excess of psychological strain among the public, post-COVID patients, and those with a previously diagnosed psychiatric condition, mental health programs faced a substantial decline in services, mirroring the dramatic rise in psychological issues. Interestingly, certain coping strategies play protective or deleterious effects on mental health outcomes. Moreover, social media exposure has played a double-edged role in the mental health of the public during the pandemic, leaving grounds for further debates. Protean cultural themes have taken center stage in the discussion on social resilience and compliance to COVID-19 measures, driving their impact through certain work ethics, social capital, and public attitudes in different societies. On the other hand, exceedingly rising poverty rates cemented the deleterious economic impact of the pandemic. Attention has been called to the racial implications of the pandemic, driving millions of individuals with low socioeconomic position (SEP) and belonging to minority groups out of the paid workforce. Interestingly, we turn attention to an array of elements implicated in this dramatic effect, such as public transport, living arrangements, and health insurance coverage among these vulnerable groups. We attempt to address the mechanisms COVID-19 channeled its mental health and socioeconomic impacts by explaining the risk factors and pave the way for stronger crisis management in the future by evaluating the socioeconomic and psychological effects in stark detail.     

Psychological and mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in China: A review

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has put healthcare workers in an unprecedented situation, increasing their psychological and mental health distress. Much research has focused on the issues surrounding anxiety, depression, and stress among healthcare workers. The consequences of mental health problems on healthcare workers’ physical health, health-compromising behaviours, suicide ideation, family relationships, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic are not well studied. Enhanced psychological stress has known effects on an individual’s physical health. In healthcare workers with pre-existing comorbidities, psychological stressors may exacerbate their current health problems. Healthcare professionals are known to have a high risk of substance use, hence they may be at risk of development of substance use addiction or vulnerable to addiction relapse. Frontline COVID-19 healthcare workers are being pushed above and beyond their limits, possibly resulting in suicidal tendencies. Furthermore, the burden of high workload and burnout may also have serious manifestations in relationships with family and an intention to quit their jobs. Future studies should explore the above-mentioned deleterious consequences to provide insight into the development of mental healthcare strategies to combat the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers during the COVID-19 emergency. It is imperative to employ strategies to care for and policies to protect the psychological well-being of healthcare workers.     

Geriatric Mental Health and COVID-19: An Eye-Opener to the Situation of the Arab Countries in the Middle East and North Africa Region

While the detrimental ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental wellbeing of the general public continue to unravel, older adults seem to be at high risk. As the geriatric population continues to grow in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, it is essential to explore the influence of this outbreak on geriatric mental health, a topic often neglected. In this review, we depict the status of geriatric psychiatry in the Arab countries of the MENA region, exploring the variations from one nation to another. While some have a null exposure to the field, resources and expertise in other countries range from very limited to extensive. Furthermore, we highlight the measures implemented in the Arab region to address mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak; these tend to be insufficient when targeting the geriatric population. Finally, we provide short- and long-term recommendations to stakeholders that aim at enhancing the mental healthcare of older adults in the Arab countries of the MENA region, particularly during this pandemic.     

“The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effect on Mental Health in USA – A Review with Some Coping Strategies”

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous losses in terms of human lives and economy in United States. The outbreak has been continuing to heavily impact the mental health of people. Developing key strategies to prevent mental illnesses is extremely important for the well-being of people. A survey conducted during the last week of March 2020 showed that 72% of Americans felt that their lives were impacted by the outbreak, which was a 32% increase from the survey conducted only 2 weeks earlier. The results show a positive correlation between COVID-19 infections/casualties and growing public concern. These observations suggest possible increase in mental health illnesses in United States as a consequence of the pandemic. The authors review a recently published model on COVID-19 related fear among the people. The fear of being infected or dying from the disease is one of the most significant causes of mental health disorders. Loss of employment or the fear of losing employment is another major concern leading to mental illnesses. Several unique strategies to prevent or mitigate mental illnesses are discussed.

     

新冠肺炎疫情防控中基层精防医护人员心理健康状况及需求调查

目的调查在新冠肺炎疫情防控中基层精防医护人员的心理健康状况和物质及心理需求,为对基层精防医护人员给予心理危机干预服务提供参考。方法于2020年1月25日-2月8日采用简单随机抽样选取150名基层精防医护人员为研究对象并进行网络问卷调查。调查内容包括一般人口学资料、工作时长、疲劳程度、睡眠情况及心理服务需求;采用凯斯勒心理困扰量表(K6)调查基层精防医护人员的心理健康状况。结果 K6评定结果显示,108人(75. 00%)感到紧张,66人(45. 83%)感到烦躁不安,85人(59. 03%)的睡眠受到影响;6人(4. 17%)的K6评分≥13分,但这6人中无一人认为自己需要心理调适;基层精防医护人员的需求前两位分别为:110人(76. 39%)需要防护物资,105人(72. 91%)选择适当休假;在出现心理危机时,72人(50. 00%)选择自我调节。结论在疫情爆发初期,多数基层精防医护人员感到紧张并出现睡眠问题。近一半被调查者在出现心理问题时,更倾向于选择自我调节而不是寻求专业帮助。     

Current global research landscape on COVID-19 and depressive disorders: Bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUNDCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected daily life globally dramatically over the last year. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on mental health is expected to be immense and likely to be long-lasting, raising a range of global problems that need to be addressed accordingly.AIMTo analyze the Scopus-based depression research and COVID-19, explain the advancement of research nowadays, and comment on the possible hotspots of depression research and COVID-19 to obtain a more global perspective.METHODSIn this report, bibliometric analysis and visualization are used to explain COVID-19''s global research status on depression and provide researchers with a guide to identify future research directions. Relevant studies on depression and COVID-19 were retrieved from the Scopus database. Visualization maps were produced using the VOSviewer software, including research collaboration.RESULTSAt the time of data collection (November 18, 2020), 77217 documents were released by Scopus to COVID-19 in all areas of research. By limiting the search to depression and COVID-19 (January 2020 up until November 18, 2020), there are 1274 published articles on depression and COVID-19 in the Scopus. The great majority of which are original articles (n = 1049, 82.34%), followed by 118 review articles (9.26%), 66 letters (5.18%). The United States had the highest number of publications at 282 (22.14%), followed by China (19.07%) at 243 and Italy at 121 (9.5%). The major two clusters are signified by mental health outcomes among the general population and mental health outcomes among health care workers.CONCLUSIONThe evidence from this study found that many articles focused on mental health outcomes among the general population and health care workers. With adequate psychological support offered by the government or community agencies, mental health in various communities should be put within the local and global public health agenda. This changing situation involves the scientific community''s collaborative efforts to contribute to population monitoring during quarantine and COVID-19 outbreaks and to examine the short- and long-term adverse effects on psychological well-being.     

A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China

In addition to being a public physical health emergency, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affected global mental health, as evidenced by panic-buying worldwide as cases soared. Little is known about changes in levels of psychological impact, stress, anxiety and depression during this pandemic. This longitudinal study surveyed the general population twice - during the initial outbreak, and the epidemic's peak four weeks later, surveying demographics, symptoms, knowledge, concerns, and precautionary measures against COVID-19. There were 1738 respondents from 190 Chinese cities (1210 first-survey respondents, 861 s-survey respondents; 333 respondents participated in both). Psychological impact and mental health status were assessed by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), respectively. IES-R measures PTSD symptoms in survivorship after an event. DASS -21 is based on tripartite model of psychopathology that comprise a general distress construct with distinct characteristics. This study found that there was a statistically significant longitudinal reduction in mean IES-R scores (from 32.98 to 30.76, p < 0.01) after 4 weeks. Nevertheless, the mean IES-R score of the first- and second-survey respondents were above the cut-off scores (>24) for PTSD symptoms, suggesting that the reduction in scores was not clinically significant. During the initial evaluation, moderate-to-severe stress, anxiety and depression were noted in 8.1%, 28.8% and 16.5%, respectively and there were no significant longitudinal changes in stress, anxiety and depression levels (p > 0.05). Protective factors included high level of confidence in doctors, perceived survival likelihood and low risk of contracting COVID-19, satisfaction with health information, personal precautionary measures. As countries around the world brace for an escalation in cases, Governments should focus on effective methods of disseminating unbiased COVID-19 knowledge, teaching correct containment methods, ensuring availability of essential services/commodities, and providing sufficient financial support.     

Debate: COVID-19 to the under 19 – a Singapore school mental health response

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causes much disruption globally on sociopolitical, economic and healthcare fronts. While much of the impact has focused on the epidemiology and medical management of the pandemic, more need to be focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19. This article describes the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Singapore’s schools and the response and adaptation of the school community mental health services. Singapore’s response is one of balancing the needs of the population and demands in this crisis, with the utilization of technology and outbreak and support control measures. Further consideration needs to be afforded to increase capacity of the school and mental health services to support youth and tapping on technological innovations.     

How does the COVID-19 affect mental health and sleep among Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal follow-up study

ObjectiveThe Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has evolved into the largest public health event in the world. Earlier COVID-19 studies have reported that the pandemic caused widespread impacts on mental health and sleep in the general population. However, it remains largely unknown how the prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbance developed and interacted in adolescents at different times in the epidemic.Methods831 teenagers (aged 14–19) underwent a longitudinal follow-up study to evaluate the prevalence of mental health problems and sleep disturbance among adolescents before, during, and after the COVID-19 breakout in China and to explore the interaction between mental health and sleep across the three measurements. The chronotype, anxiety and depression level, sleep quality, and insomnia were investigated during each measurement.ResultsThe adolescents had delayed sleep onset and sleep offset time, longer sleep duration during the quarantine than before and after the epidemic, whereas their chronotype tended to morning type during the epidemic. Yet, the highest prevalence of anxiety, depression, poor sleeper, and insomnia symptoms were observed before but not during the COVID-19 breakout. The females and adolescents who were eveningness type showed significantly higher anxiety and depression levels, poorer sleep quality, and severe insomnia status than the males and the intermediate and morning types. Sleep disturbance was positively associated with mental problems among three measurements. Pre-measured depression level significantly predicted sleep disturbance level at follow-ups.ConclusionThese findings suggested that adolescents' high prevalence of mental health and sleep problems occurred before the COVID breakout and decreased during and after the epidemic. Gender and chronotype were significant risk factors associated with affective and sleep disturbances. Depression positively predicted later sleep problems, but not vice versa.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间的心理评估和创伤后应激障碍的预防

本文目的是为广大心理援助者介绍新冠肺炎疫情期间对大众进行心理评估的方法。目前心理援助者急需掌握对精神障碍诊断和风险评估的方法,故本文对心理评估中的关键点和侧重点进行了介绍。从评估情绪和行为的基本状态、是否患有某种精神障碍、是否有自杀风险、是否已发展为创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)以及如何预防发展为PTSD的具体方法进行了探讨。