Background and Aim. As an integral matter at the global level, sleep quality can be pertinent to some factors, namely, depression and anxiety. Considering this critical issue and its effects and consequences, the current cross-sectional study has centralized its aim on assessing the association between depression and anxiety with sleep quality in freshmen students in the context of Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences (NUMS). Methods. A total number of 471 freshmen students (NUMS) participated in the study, pinpointing that the data are collected in 2019 and 2020. In line with measuring depression, anxiety, and sleep quality, the Persian Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were employed. The associations between depression and anxiety with sleep quality were assessed by using the multiple logistic regression model. All statistical analyses were conducted in STATA14, and the significant level was set at P<0.05. Results. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality in the study population was 21.4%, 31.9%, and 28%, respectively. Analytical analyses indicated that after adjusting for studied covariates, the odds of poor sleep quality in individuals with depression were 3.5 times higher compared to the counter group (P<0.001). Moreover, the odds of poor sleep quality in individuals with anxiety were 2.1 times higher compared to the counter group (P<0.001). Conclusion. Noticeable proportion of freshmen students suffer from depression and anxiety; in line with such a critical issue, our study found that depression and anxiety had a statistical association with sleep quality in study population. From this respect, it seems that providing essential interventions and psychological counseling services could be constructive for the freshmen medical students.
Introduction. Common mental health disorders (CMD) during pregnancy are a public health concern because of the implications for the mother and infant’s health during pregnancy and after birth. The prevalence and factors related to common mental disorders vary globally. Therefore, this study assessed the magnitude and factors associated with common mental disorder among pregnant women attending ANC follow-up in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in North Wollo, Amhara Region, Northeast Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 777 study participants. The common mental disorder was assessed by using SRQ-20. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify the independent variables associated with common mental disorders. Independent variables with a p value less than 0.05 were considered significantly associated with CMD. Results. The magnitude of CMD was 18.1% (95% CI: 15.5, 21.0). Factors significantly associated with CMD were the educational level of participants (AOR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.48), husband’s educational status (AOR=11.13, 95%: 4.18, 29.66), unplanned pregnancy (AOR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.26, 5.09), self-reported complication on the current pregnancy (AOR=0.11, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.21), self-reported complication during the previous delivery (AOR=3.38, 95% CI: 1.39, 8.18), undernutrition (AOR=2.19, 95%: 1.26, 3.81), high psychosocial risk (AOR=20.55, 95% CI: 9.69, 43.59), having a legal issue (AOR=2.06, 95%: 1.12, 3.79), and relationship problem (AOR=7.22, 95% CI: 3.59, 14.53). Conclusions and Recommendation. One in five pregnant women has common mental disorder. Educational status of the participants and their spouses, unplanned pregnancy, self-reported complication during current and previous pregnancy, psychosocial risk, and legal and relationship problems were the main determinants of common mental disorders. Therefore, screening pregnant women for mental disorders and provision of necessary mental health services are recommended to minimize the adverse health outcome of CMD during pregnancy.
Background. Gratitude and religiousness/spirituality are increasingly recognized resources that have potential influence on psychological states such as depression. However, only few studies have investigated this relationship in psychiatric patients. Objective. The present study examined gratitude in psychiatric inpatients with depression, exploring its relevance, course, and interaction with psychopathological and religious measures. Both general and religious gratitude will be evaluated. Methods. A total of 212 inpatients with depression completed a questionnaire both at the beginning and the end of treatment. Gratitude was measured with a general gratitude scale using the Gratitude Questionnaire and a religion-specific measure assessing gratitude to God as part of the Structure of Religiosity Test. The Beck Depression Inventory was used to evaluate depressive symptoms. General religiosity was assessed using the Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Results. Scores on the general and religious gratitude measures were in the upper range of these scales at baseline and demonstrated a significant increase during the hospital stay. Negative associations were found between general gratitude and depressive symptoms both on admission and at discharge (r=−0.505 and r=−0.478, respectively). General as well as religious gratitude was associated with the centrality of religiosity (r=0.384 and r=0.546, respectively). Religiosity accounted for approximately 10% of the variance in general gratitude on admission. Conclusions. Gratitude is highly prevalent in psychiatric patients with depression, and that may serve as a resource for these individuals. Both general and religious gratitude are associated with religiosity, which may also serve as a resource to these patients.
Background and Objectives. Depression is associated with unmet relational expectations, but little is known about how both partners experience meeting expectations and how this relates to anger expression and depressive symptoms. The aim of study 1 was to explore the role of anger expression in explaining the link between relational expectations and depression using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model. Additionally, social expectations beyond romantic relationships are associated with societal demands. Study 2 is aimed at investigating the role of anger expression in the relationship between internalized social demands (i.e., outer self-awareness) and depressive symptoms. Design and Methods. Online self-report data were collected from N = 194 romantic partners (97 dyads) in study 1 and N = 407 individuals in study 2. Results. In study 1, unmet expectations were associated with both actor and partner effects on depressive symptoms and anger expression. In particular, inwardly directed anger was linked to depressive symptoms in the case of the individual experiencing unmet expectations, whereas outwardly directed anger predicted such symptoms in the case of the partner's unmet expectations. In study 2, there was a positive association between outer self-awareness and directing anger inwards and outwards, which was linked to higher depressive symptoms. Furthermore, while directing anger inwards seemed to be a universal mechanism underlying the association, the interpersonal mechanism (i.e., directing anger outwards) was found to be dependent on gender.
Social media use has been linked to adverse health outcomes such as depression. To facilitate interventions, understanding the varied causes of depression is necessary. The authors developed a social media-induced depression tendency (SMIDT) scale for use with young people and aimed to validate it for young people in Nigeria. The study was conducted in three parts using an online survey (Google Forms) with purposive sampling targeting young people. Study 1 was an exploratory study that developed the SMIDT scale with 361 young people aged 16 to 26 years (mean age = 22.81). A concise measure of SMIDT was obtained. In study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the SMIDT with young people aged 17 to 25 years (mean age = 23.61). Construct, discriminant, and concurrent validities were established, and three factors were identified (sensitivity/attention seeking, worthlessness, and escapism/reality avoidance), which explained 55.87% of the variance. Study 3 tested the predictive validity of the scale. The results showed that the 15-item SMIDT scale had high internal consistency and satisfactory validity. The SMIDT scale can enable the assessment of factors associated with social media-induced depression tendency. The three factors identified in the scale provide insight into the factors contributing to depression associated with social media use. The SMIDT scale has the potential to help identify at-risk individuals and in-developing interventions to prevent or reduce social media-induced depression tendencies. However, this study only focused on young people in Nigeria. Additional studies using the SMIDT scale are required to assess its generalizability and applicability in evaluating other factors, such as quality of life among young people. Moreover, while social media use has been associated with adverse health outcomes, it is crucial to recognize that it can also positively affect mental health. Further research is necessary to explore the complex relationships between social media use and mental health outcomes.
Aim. This study was devoted to determining the role of social support and socioeconomic factors in predicting students’ depression. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, all first-year undergraduate students in the Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during the 2019-2020 academic year were included via the census method. Data collection tools include a researcher-made checklist about demographic and socioeconomic status, a standard questionnaire of perceived social support, and Beck’s depression questionnaire. Smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) linear regression was used to model the role of social support and socioeconomic factors in predicting depression. Results. Out of the 220 first-year undergraduate students, 174 (79.1%) were female, and 176 (80.0%) were single. The mean ± SD of depression score among the first-year undergraduate students was 10.56 ± 5.19 , and the mean ± SD of social support score was 48.86 ± 5.46 . The mean score of depression was significantly higher in female students than in males (11.09 versus 8.59, P = 0.001 ) but was not statistically significant in different categories of age ( P = 0.70 ), marital status ( P = 0.37 ), ethnicity ( P = 0.10 ), parents’ education, and the other demographic variables. Pearson’s correlation showed an inverse and significant correlation between depression and social support ( R = − 0.20 , P = 0.003 ). The mean score of depression was at the highest level for students of public health and environmental health majors and was the lowest for students of laboratory sciences, which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001 ). After adjusting the other variables, SCAD regression showed that social support plays a key role in depression prediction, and increasing social support leads to a decrease in depression score. Conclusion. Considering the existence of an inverse and significant correlation between depression and social support, any intervention to promote social support for first-year undergraduate students may decrease depression.
A high prevalence of depression has been detected among individuals from the hill tribes in Thailand. However, there are no proper interventions to address this problem. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design, the study team developed a model of depression care for this population. The study involved 45 people in the model development and 65 people in the model testing, who were patients, family members, village health volunteers (VHVs), community and religious leaders, healthcare personnel, NGOs, and local administrative staff. The model development was divided into three phases: understanding the current situation of depression and care, model development, and evaluation of its effectiveness using psychological and relevant outcomes. Questionnaires, observations, focus groups, and in-depth interviews were used for data collection, and content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze changes in VHVs’ knowledge and skills before and after training. The resulting model, “SMILE,” consists of stakeholders’ readiness (S), external and internal motivations (M), interpersonal relationship (I), life and community assets (L), and empowerment (E). VHVs underwent training on the model, and after training, their knowledge increased significantly from 3.50±1.14 to 8.28±0.81 (p<0.001). Moreover, their basic counselling and depression screening skills showed improvement from 3.39±1.23 to 7.64±3.76 (p<0.001). The developed model can be applied to other hill tribe communities in Northern Thailand to improve depression care.
Background:Among those infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, depression is one of the most prevalent mental health issues. Despite its high incidence, depression goes undiagnosed and untreated in the majority of HIV/AIDS patients, which has a negative impact on how well they adhere to their antiretroviral regimen.Objective:To assess the magnitude of depression and associated factors among people attending antiretroviral therapy in public health facilities of Hosanna town, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Methods:Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at public health facilities of Hosanna town from June 6 to July 6, 2019, among people living with HIV/AIDS aged 18 years and older who were on ART. A systematic sampling technique was used to select 392 participants. Data were collected using a pretested and standardized structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Variables having a p value less than 0.2 in bivariate analysis were entered into the multiple logistic regression model. Odds ratio with 95% CI was computed, and variables with p value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significantly associated with depression.Result:The prevalence of depression among HIV patients was 37.8%. Being female (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI (1.21, 3.84)), not disclosing their HIV status (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI (1.57, 4.89)), rural dwellers (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI (1.58, 4.57)), poor ART adherence (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI (1.10, 3.24)), having HIV-perceived stigma (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI (1.01, 2.88)), and poor social support (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI (1.11, 3.09)) were significantly associated with depression.Conclusion:The magnitude of depression was high among PLWHIVs. Being female, rural dwellers, not disclosing HIV status, poor ART adherence, HIV-perceived stigma, and poor social support were significantly associated with depression. Enhancing adherence, counseling, and linking those patients who had poor social support to the concerned relatives for care and support is recommended. Providing health education both at the facility level and at the community level may reduce stigma and subsequently depression. Encouraging disclosing HIV status may help to prevent depression.
Background. Depression is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding and enjoyable activities. It is one of the leading mental disorders among prisoners worldwide. However, little attention is given to this condition, especially in developing countries. Hence, this study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among prisoners in North Wollo Zone Correctional Institutions, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 407 prisoners from November 20 to December 20, 2020. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to measure the prevalence of depression among prisoners. Data analyses were done using SPSS version 20 software program. Descriptive and inferential statistics including bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were run to assess the association between depression and the independent variables, and a p value of less than 0.05 was taken to declare statistically significant values. Results. A total of 407 prisoners participated in the study, making the response rate 96.9%. The mean age of the participants was 31.7±12.83. Forty-one percent of them were between the ages of 18 and 27 years. In this study, the prevalence of depression was 55.5%. Age 38-47 (AOR=4.29; 95%CI=1.51, 12.20), having children (AOR=2.75; 95%CI=1.40, 5.42), sentences for 5-10 years and over 10 years (AOR=6.26; 95%CI=3.19, 12.30 and AOR=7.71; 95%CI=3.47, 17.17, respectively), having a history of mental illness (AOR=5.22; 95%CI=2.39, 11.36), having two or more stressful life events (AOR=6.61; 95%CI=2.73, 15.96), and poor social support (AOR=8.13; 95%CI=3.43, 19.27) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions. In this study, more than half of the study participants were found having depression which is relatively higher compared with other previous studies across the globe. Moreover, different variables including the inmate’s age of 38-47 years, having children, a sentence of 5-10 and over 10 years, history of mental illness, having two or more stressful life events, and poor social support were factors significantly associated with depression. Thus, awareness creation for police officers and prison managers about depression screening in prison and treatment programs including psychological counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy for prisoners are recommended.
Background. Swearing is an increasing trend among men and women worldwide. Earlier studies on the positive aspects of profanity mostly relate to pain management and the release of negative emotions. The uniqueness of the current study is its analysis for a possible constructive role of profanity in stress, anxiety, and depression. Method. The current survey involved 253 conveniently selected participants from Pakistan. The study analyzed the role of profanity in connection to stress, anxiety, and depression. Profanity Scale and the Urdu version of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale were used along with a structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and t-test were implied to obtain results. Results. The study revealed that the usage of profane language had significantly inverse correlations with stress (r=−0.250; p<0.01), anxiety (r=−0.161; p<0.05), and depression (r=−0.182; p<0.01). Higher profaners also revealed significantly lower levels of depression (M=29.91, SD=10.80 vs. M=33.48, SD=10.40; p=0.009; Cohen’s d=0.338) and stress (M=30.83, SD=11.41 vs. M=35.16, SD=11.31; p=0.003; Cohen’s d=0.381) as compared to lower profaners. Profanity had no significant correlations with age (r=0.031; p>0.05) and education (r=0.016; p>0.05). Men projected significantly higher levels of profanity as compared to women. Conclusion. The current study viewed profanity similar to the self-defense mechanisms and emphasized on its cathartic role in stress, anxiety, and depression.
Background:People with depression are at increased risk for comorbidities; however, the clustering of comorbidity patterns in these patients is still unclear.Objective:The aim of the study was to identify latent comorbidity patterns and explore the comorbidity network structure that included 12 chronic conditions in adults diagnosed with depressive disorder.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted based on secondary data from the 2017 behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) covering all 50 American states. A sample of 89,209 U.S. participants, 29,079 men and 60,063 women aged 18 years or older, was considered using exploratory graphical analysis (EGA), a statistical graphical model that includes algorithms for grouping and factoring variables in a multivariate system of network relationships.Results:The EGA findings show that the network presents 3 latent comorbidity patterns, i.e., that comorbidities are grouped into 3 factors. The first group was composed of 7 comorbidities (obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, arthritis, kidney disease, and diabetes). The second pattern of latent comorbidity included the diagnosis of asthma and respiratory diseases. The last factor grouped 3 conditions (heart attack, coronary heart disease, and stroke). Hypertension reported higher measures of network centrality.Conclusion:Associations between chronic conditions were reported; furthermore, they were grouped into 3 latent dimensions of comorbidity and reported network factor loadings. The implementation of care and treatment guidelines and protocols for patients with depressive symptomatology and multimorbidity is suggested.
Background:COVID-19 causes many physical and mental complications. The elderly, as one of the vulnerable groups, were more exposed to the problems caused by this pandemic. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life and depression in the elderly with and without a history of COVID-19 infection.Method:This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 404 elderly people (202 from the affected group and 202 from the nonaffected group) aged over 60 years old in Shiraz city. The elderly participants were selected based on simple random sampling from the elderly list. In order to collect information, the quality of life questionnaire of the World Health Organization and Beck's depression questionnaire were used. Data analysis was done through SPSS software version 22 using statistical tests of chi-square, t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. An alpha level under 0.05 was considered the significant level.Results:The average score of depression in the elderly with a history of COVID-19 (14.66 ± 13.17) was significantly higher than that of the elderly without a history of COVID-19 (9.71 ± 10.12) (p < 0.001). The average score of the quality of life in the elderly with a history of COVID-19 (80.15 ± 14.85) was significantly lower than that of the elderly without a history of COVID-19 (85.25 ± 14.09) (p < 0.001).Conclusion:Elderly people with a history of COVID-19 had more depression and lower quality of life compared to people without a history of COVID-19. It is suggested that planners and health policymakers should pay special attention to the use of effective psychological interventions in order to reduce the problems of the elderly.
Background. Given the high prevalence of depressive disorders in the present world and the lack of adequate awareness about prevention and appropriate interventions, increasing mental health literacy is vital for promoting mental health to reduce depression and its consequences. Methods. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, participants were recruited among the second high school students in the 2018-2019 academic year. The sample size was 2038, and samples were selected by multistage cluster sampling from different areas of Tehran. Demographic variables like age, gender, level of education, and parents’ characteristics and mental health literacy questions in treatment and prevention areas were evaluated. Results. Analyses showed that of high school students, 83% considered getting help from psychiatrists and 80% considered learning stress management as the best preventive measures, while as the best treatment measures, 79.5% considered counseling the best place to refer for visiting a professional and 45% selected general counseling centers. Conclusion. The study results showed that high school students have a positive attitude toward preventing and treating depressive disorders, getting help from specialists, and useful measures for depressed people. But they did not know enough about preventive measures, including learning effective coping skills, reading self-help books, and continuing to take psychiatric medications. Planning and providing the necessary training are important, especially for high school students.
Background Antenatal depression (AND) is a common mood disorder that affects both the mother and the child. Objective The current study is aimed at identifying the prevalence of antenatal depression and the risk factors associated with it in South Indian pregnant women. Materials and Methods The current study was carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital where pregnancy and postnatal care are offered. In the study, 314 pregnant women who visited the antenatal clinic for their prenatal checkups were included. To diagnose possible depression, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used. The chi-square test was applied to determine the association between antenatal depression and various socioeconomic, obstetric, and medical factors. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant confounding variables. Results Of the total 314 women, 69 (21.98%) were suffering from possible depression with the mean EPDS score being 10.61 ± 7.48. Women of younger age had greater risks for depression than older women (AOR = 2.01; 95% CI: 0.56-7.20). Maternal age (χ2 = 0.013, p = 0.009) and the presence of health issues during the current pregnancy (χ2 = 5.18, p = 0.023) were the factors significantly associated with antenatal depression. Conclusions Clinical efforts should focus on screening antenatal depression, early identification, and effective care, thus preventing progression to postpartum depression and its detrimental effects.
Background Pregnancy-related anxiety has been associated with many pregnancy adverse outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, postpartum depression, and resulting in long-term sequels on the child's emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development. This study is aimed at assessing the magnitude of pregnancy-related anxiety and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal checkup at Debre Markos town public health institutions, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 pregnant women at Debre Markos town, Northwest Ethiopia, from February 1st to March 30th, 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected sing a structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered with Epi-data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 23. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were undertaken to identify significantly associated variables with pregnancy-related anxiety. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) at a p value of ≤0.05 was used to claim statistical association. Result In this study, a total of 408 pregnant women participated, giving a 96.4% response rate. The prevalence of pregnancy-related anxiety was found to be 43.9% (95% CI: 39.5, 49.2). Having no formal education (AOR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.32, 8.58), primigravida (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.24), intimate partner violence (AOR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.47, 5.64), and poor social support (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.56) was significantly associated with pregnancy-related anxiety. Conclusion In this study, the prevalence of pregnancy-related anxiety was found to be high when compared to other study findings. The regional educational department should give emphasis for gender pedagogies which pay attention to the specific learning needs of girls. In addition, interventions on violence against women and social support for the women may reduce the problem.
Global rates of depression have increased significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how the recent shift of many mental health services to virtual platforms has impacted service users, especially for the male population which are significantly more likely to complete suicide than women. This paper presents the findings of a rapid meta-analytic research synthesis of 17 randomized controlled trials on the relative efficacy of virtual versus traditional face-to-face cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in mitigating symptoms of depression. Participants’ aggregated depression scores were compared upon completion of the therapy (posttest) and longest follow-up measurement. The results supported the noninferiority hypothesis indicating that the two modes of CBT delivery are equally efficacious, but the results proved to be significantly heterogeneous indicating the presence of moderating effects. Indirect suggestive evidence was found to support moderation by gender; that is, depressed males may benefit more from virtual CBT. Perhaps, this field’s most telling descriptive finding was that boys/men have been grossly underrepresented in its trials. Future trials ought to oversample those who have been at this field’s margins to advance the next generation of knowledge, allowing us to best serve people of all genders, those who live in poverty, Indigenous, Black, and other Peoples of Colour, as well as any others at risk of being marginalized or oppressed in contemporary mental health care systems.
Background. Poststroke depression is the most common and burdensome poststroke psychiatric complication. Studies showed discrepancies in reporting frequencies and risk factors for poststroke depression. Updated local data are relevant for efficient strategies of poststroke depression screening and prevention. Objectives. To determine the prevalence and associated factors of poststroke depression among outpatient stroke patients from the outpatient neurology clinic of Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 249 stroke patients. Data was collected through structured questionnaire using interviews and a review of medical charts. PHQ-9 depression questionnaire was used to diagnose poststroke depression. Descriptive analysis was used to see the nature of the characteristics of interests. Bivariate analysis was used to sort out variables at p values less than 0.05 for multivariate logistic regression. Significance level was obtained using an odds ratio with 95% CI and p value < 0.05. Results. Point prevalence for poststroke depression was 27.5 percent. Female gender, unemployment, low social support level, diabetes mellitus, and poststroke period under 2 years were statistically significant and independent predictors for poststroke depression. Conclusions. The point prevalence estimate of poststroke depression was comparable with other studies. Low social support levels increased the odds for poststroke depression by more than eight folds. It appeared that external factors are more important in the pathogenesis of poststroke depression in the African population. Detection and prevention programs should consider disparities of poststroke depression incidence and risk factors.
Background. The new therapeutic approach of positive psychotherapy has successfully treated severe mental disorders such as depression and mood disorders. However, existing research has not sufficiently measured the usefulness of this treatment in reducing depression and alexithymia. Objectives. This study thus examined the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy in reducing these two conditions in a specific population: Iranian women applying for the divorce. Methods. A total of 40 participants aged 20-40 with a high score in the Beck Depression Inventory and Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire were recruited from women referred to a psychology clinic for divorce-related problems. The pretest, posttest, and follow-up were conducted with all participants, who were randomly placed in two groups: the experimental and control groups, which each consisted of 20 people. We provided eight positive psychotherapy sessions for only the experimental group. Results. After MANCOVA was conducted, the results showed that positive psychotherapy significantly decreased alexithymia and depression in the test population.
Purpose. Oxytocin has been suggested to play a vital role in modulating maternal behavior and stress-related disorders. However, the relationship between antenatal oxytocin and postpartum depression is not well established. We aim to investigate the association between serum oxytocin level in the late third-trimester and early-onset postpartum depression symptoms. Materials and Methods. A total of 172 healthy pregnant women participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. The serum oxytocin level was measured between 34 and 37 weeks. A validated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess symptoms of depression four to six weeks postpartum. Participants who scored more than 12 on the EPDS were considered having depressive symptoms. Independent sample t-test and Pearson r were used to examine differences in depression scores. The level of significance was set at α=0.05. Results. 30.8% of the participants experienced depressive symptoms. There was no association between EPDS scores and oxytocin level r170=0.10, p=0.23. The association also did not exist even among women with a lifetime history of depression r43=−0.13, p=0.37. Participants with low education, low income, previous history of depression, positive family history of depression, positive family issues, and absent emotional family support have scored significantly higher on EPDS scores than their counterparts. The strongest association was with previous lifetime history of depression t170=−4.40, p<0.001. Conclusions. Postpartum depression is a major public health problem in Jordan. Late trimester serum oxytocin level has no association with early-onset postpartum depression.
It is well known that student burnout is a serious mental health problem, caused by chronic stress related to the educational area. However, in the COVID 19 pandemic, young people have to struggle with additional threats that affect their overall functioning and perception of the world. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of existential anxiety and academic fears on the relationship between academic burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. The findings confirmed that academic burnout, existential anxiety, and academic fear were significantly associated with higher posttraumatic symptoms. Existential anxiety and academic fear played a mediating role in the association between academic burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. In conclusion, it is considered that student burnout and anxiety indicators are important risk factors for the trauma experienced by students and may increase its symptoms.
