Assessment of Anxiety Level and Mental Health Status in Spouses and Children of Day-Working and Shift-Working Men

The present study was aimed at assessing the effects of the unusual schedules of shift-working men on anxiety and mental health of their spouses and children. The anxiety and mental health of 396 subjects that include 133 spouses and 263 children of day-working and shift-working men were monitored by employing specific inventory. Anxiety scales (trait, state and free-floating) and mental health inventory were administrated to each subject. Results indicate that the average levels of free-floating anxiety for the spouses and children of shift-working men were found to be significantly higher in comparison with that of their counterparts sampled in the family of day workers. This was also true when data were segregated with respect of gender and compared. Except in female children of shift workers all other groups of children had statistically significantly higher level of state anxiety as compared with that of their respective mothers. The results of this study further reveal that the spouses of shift-working men exhibited lower mental health rating as compared with the spouses of day-working men. Furthermore, a significant negative relationship was noticed between anxiety and mental health in all cases excepting in spouses of shift-working men for state anxiety. Although the findings of the present study could be attributed to the irregular routine of shift workers, it appears mandatory to carryout further intensive studies to draw convincing conclusions.     

Recovery after shift work: Relation to coronary risk factors in women

Shift work increases the risk for developing cardiovascular disease. There is, however, little knowledge of what aspects of shift scheduling that are detrimental and what characteristics promote good health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether coronary risk factors deteriorate after a hard work period and whether recovery, in the form of a week off, was sufficient to improve them. A total of 19 women worked an extremely rapidly rotating and clockwise shift schedule at a paper and pulp factory. They underwent two health examinations, one at the end of the work period and one after the week off. In addition, the women were divided into a tolerant and a vulnerable group, depending on their satisfaction with their work hours. Most risk factors did not change, but total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol were lower after the working period than after the week-off. In addition, vulnerable women had higher levels of total cholesterol and a higher ratio of total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) than tolerant ones. In conclusion, the finding that a week-off worsens cholesterol levels was against our hypothesis and suggests further studies on how activities/responsibilities outside the workplace affect shift-working women. It was also shown that susceptible shift workers had worse lipid profiles.     

Feasibility of guided cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) self-help for childhood anxiety disorders in primary care

Anxiety disorders in childhood are common, disabling and run a chronic course. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is effective but expensive and trained therapists are scarce. Guided self-help treatments may be a means of widening access to treatment. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of guided CBT self-help in primary care for childhood anxiety disorders, specifically in terms of therapist adherence, patient and therapist satisfaction and clinical gain.Participants were children aged between five and 12 years referred to two primary child and adolescent mental health services (PCAMHSs) in Oxfordshire, UK, who met diagnostic criteria for a primary anxiety disorder. Of the 52 eligible children, 41 anxious children were assessed for anxiety severity and interference before and after receiving CBT self-help delivered via a parent (total therapy time = five hours) by primary mental health workers (PMHWs). Therapy sessions were rated for treatment adherence and parents and PMHWs completed satisfaction questionnaires after treatment completion. Over 80% of therapy sessions were rated at a high level of treatment adherence. Parents and PMHWs reported high satisfaction with the treatment. Sixty-one percent of the children assessed no longer met the criteria for their primary anxiety disorder diagnosis following treatment, and 76% were rated as 'much'/'very much' improved on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale. There were significant reductions on parent and child report measures of anxiety symptoms, interference and depression. Preliminary exploration indicated that parental anxiety was associated with child treatment outcome. The findings suggest that guided CBT self-help represents a promising treatment for childhood anxiety in primary care.     

“If One Does Not Fulfil His Duties,He Must Not Be a Man”: Masculinity,Mental Health and Resilience Amongst Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee Men in Canada

Refugee men face unique mental health stressors in the pre- and post-migratory periods. However, there has been little in-depth research on the mental health of refugee men in Canada. Given this situation, the overall aim of this study is to explore the psycho-social experience of Sri Lankan Tamil refugee men in Canada. Particular objectives include better understanding any inter-relationship between war-trauma, migration, concepts of masculinity and mental health. The study employed a two-phase participatory action research design based on the grounded theory approach. Phase 1 involved an 8-month ethnography conducted in Sri Lanka. Phase 2 consisted of qualitative interviews with 33 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee men living in Canada. Consistent with grounded theory, analysis was conducted inductively and iteratively. Four specific themes emerged from the data (i) gendered helplessness of war: participants commonly reported ongoing negative rumination regarding experiences where they were unable to adequately protect loved ones from physical suffering or death; (ii) reduced capacity: participants frequently felt unable to fulfill culturally sanctioned duties, such as supporting their family, due to ongoing pre- and post-migratory stress; (iii) redundancy: many participants felt that they were useless in Canada, as they could not fulfill typical masculine social roles (e.g. provider) due to factors such as unemployment and underemployment; (iv) intimate criticism: some participants reported that their spouses would often attempt to ‘shame’ them into greater achievement by constantly reminding them of their ‘failures’. Many found this distressing. These various failures culminated in a state that we label “depleted masculinity”, which participants linked to emotional and behavioural problems. Participants reported that they actively tried to rebuild their masculine identity, for example by adopting leadership roles in community organizations, which fostered resiliency. Results suggest a need to review and rebuild masculine identity to support the mental health of refugee men.     

Sex differences in vulnerability and maladjustment as a function of parental investment: an evolutionary approach.

Sex differences in aspects of mental health are examined as a function of uneven parental investment in children. Relative vulnerability is a new construct mediating the influence of parental investment on mental health. Couples (129) in three stages of the family life cycle are measured by scales for parental investment, relative vulnerability, anxiety, depression, and ten psychosomatic syndromes. Results show a path of positive correlations from the parent's sex to level of parental investment, to level of relative vulnerability, and to levels of anxiety and depression. Women invest more than men, and hence they are more vulnerable, anxious, and depressed. They reach the summit of their vulnerability while they have three young children. Relative vulnerability was found to have positive effects along with the negative ones and to affect women in different ways than it does men. Results are interpreted in terms of different parental strategies selected by evolution for each sex.     

Parenting stress and affective symptoms in parents of autistic children

We examined parenting stress and mental health status in parents of autistic children and assessed factors associated with such stress. Participants were parents of 188 autistic children diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria and parents of 144 normally developing children. Parents of autistic children reported higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than parents of normally developing children. Mothers of autistic children had a higher risk of depression and anxiety than that did parents of normally developing children. Mothers compared to fathers of autistic children were more vulnerable to depression. Age, behavior problems of autistic children, and mothers' anxiety were significantly associated with parenting stress.     

Childhood Experiences with Family Pets and Internalizing Symptoms in Early Adulthood

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether childhood experiences with family pets are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in early adulthood. Undergraduate students (n=318) responded to an online survey that included questions about bonding with childhood pets, exposure to family violence and human aggression directed toward family pets in childhood, and current symptoms of depression and anxiety. Two-way ANCOVAs were conducted with a measure of childhood emotional abuse included as a covariate, and significant interactions were observed between pet bonding and exposure to aggression toward pets (pet aggression). Among participants with medium-level bonds, those who were exposed to pet aggression had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores than those who were not exposed to pet aggression. Among participants who were not exposed to pet aggression, those with medium-level bonds had lower depression and anxiety scores than those with low-level bonds. Bearing in mind the limitations of the research design, the results are consistent with the assertion that bonding with pets may support mental health and that exposure to animal cruelty may lead to the development of internalizing symptoms. The results also support the contention that both bonding with pets and exposure to pet aggression should be considered when investigating the association between experiences with pets and mental health. Interventions for the protection of children may be indicated in cases of animal cruelty. Social workers who investigate child maltreatment may be advised to refer children who are exposed to animal cruelty for counseling. Clinicians should consider addressing issues that arise from exposure to pet aggression during the therapeutic process.     

Mental health and illness in Vietnamese refugees.

Despite their impressive progress in adapting to American life, many Vietnamese still suffer from wartime experiences, culture shock, the loss of loved ones, and economic hardship. Although this trauma creates substantial mental health needs, culture, experience, and the complexity of the American resettlement system often block obtaining assistance. Vietnamese mental health needs are best understood in terms of the family unit, which is extended, collectivistic, and patriarchal. Many refugees suffer from broken family status. They also experience role reversals wherein the increased social and economic power of women and children (versus men and adults) disrupts the traditional family ethos. Finally, cultural conflicts often make communication between practitioners and clients difficult and obscure central issues in mental health treatment. Rather than treating symptoms alone, mental health workers should acknowledge the cultural, familial, and historical context of Vietnamese refugees.     

Late chronotype and high social jetlag are associated with burnout in evening-shift workers: Assessment using the Chinese-version MCTQshift

Chronotypes are associated with shift work tolerance and sleep in shift workers, and sleep mediates the impact of shift work on mental health. However, the role of chronotype in the association between shift work and mental health has not been clarified. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between chronotype and burnout in shift workers, using the validated Munich ChronoType Questionnaire for shift workers (MCTQ^shift). A total of 288 shift workers with irregular shift frequencies were recruited and completed the Chinese-version MCTQ^shift and the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Chronotypes were assessed by the calculation of corrected mid-sleep time (MSF_SC) from mid-sleep time on free days (MSF) based on their exact shift schedules. Another 26 evening-shift nurses were monitored with actigraphy for at least two consecutive evening shifts and the following two free days. Burnout was evaluated using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. We found that MSF^E_SC, MSF^E and mid-sleep time on workdays (MSW^E) had normal distributions and correlated significantly with MEQ scores (r = ? 0.47, ?0.45 and ?0.47, respectively; all p < 0.001). MSW was more closely correlated with actigraphy-derived mid-sleep time on the free day before workdays than that on workdays (r = 0.61 and 0.48, respectively, p < 0.05). Sleep duration was significantly longer on workdays among evening-shift workers who slept late on workdays than those who slept early (β = 0.59, p < 0.001). After demographic and work characteristics were adjusted for in linear regression models, late chronotype and high social jetlag were associated with burnout scores in evening-shift workers. In conclusion, the Chinese-version MCTQ^shift is a valid tool for chronotype assessment. Interventions to improve sleep in shift workers should be tailored to chronotype due to variations in sleep behavior. Late chronotype may be an inherent feature of mental health problems, because the association with burnout was significant in both day workers in previous studies and shift workers.     

Mental health of unemployed men in different parts of England and Wales.

In a study of mental health among unemployed men two contrasting hypotheses about the importance of the local unemployment rate were examined--namely, that very high local unemployment might be associated with either impoverishment or resilience of the community, which would affect health in opposite ways. The mental health of 954 unemployed men registered at 41 unemployment benefit offices in England and Wales was assessed by the general health questionnaire, men in areas of particularly high unemployment being compared with men in areas of moderate and relatively low unemployment. Scores for ill health were significantly lower in areas of particularly high unemployment, even when personal factors known to affect mental health during unemployment were controlled for. These results support the hypothesis that communities with high rates of unemployment develop resilience that is beneficial for the mental health of the unemployed.     

油田野外作业人员职业紧张与生理健康及心理障碍的关系研究

目的:探讨油田野外作业人员职业紧张与生理健康及心理障碍的关系。方法:采用分层整群抽样抽取1862例油田野外作业人员,对所有油田野外作业人员发放问卷进行调查,有效回收1546份调查问卷,回收率83.03%。采用职业紧张量表修订表统计油田野外作业人员职业紧张发生状况,其中重度紧张者571例、中度紧张者590例、正常者385例,采用症状自评量表-90(SCL-90)对不同程度职业紧张人员进行心理健康状况评估,采用慢性非传染性疾病调查表问卷统计不同程度职业紧张人员的慢性疾病患病率,采用Logistic回归分析油田野外作业人员心理障碍影响因素。结果:重度紧张者、中度紧张者SCL-90各项评分均高于正常者,且重度紧张者SCL-90各项评分高于中度紧张者(P0.05)。油田野外作业人员心理障碍与其年龄、工龄无关(P0.05),男性、有倒班、吸烟、饮酒情况的油田野外作业人员心理障碍发生率高于女性、无倒班、吸烟、饮酒情况的油田野外作业人员(P0.05)。Logistic回归分析显示,男性、有倒班、吸烟、饮酒情况是影响油田野外作业人员发生心理障碍的危险因素。重度紧张者、中度紧张者的慢性疾病患病率均高于正常者(P0.05)。结论:男性、有倒班、吸烟、饮酒情况的油田野外作业人员心理障碍发生率较高,且油田野外作业人员职业紧张程度越高,越容易增加心理障碍以及慢性疾病的发生风险。     

COMT Val(158)Met and 5HTTLPR functional loci interact to predict persistence of anxiety across adolescence: results from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study

We investigated whether a composite genetic factor, based on the combined actions of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) (Val(158)Met) and serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR) (Long-Short) functional loci, has a greater capacity to predict persistence of anxiety across adolescence than either locus in isolation. Analyses were performed on DNA collected from 962 young Australians participating in an eight-wave longitudinal study of mental health and well-being (Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study). When the effects of each locus were examined separately, small dose-response reductions in the odds of reporting persisting generalized (free-floating) anxiety across adolescence were observed for the COMT Met(158) [odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76-0.95, P = 0.004] and 5HTTLPR Short alleles (OR = 0.88, CI = 0.79-0.99, P = 0.033). There was no evidence for a dose-response interaction effect between loci. However, there was a double-recessive interaction effect in which the odds of reporting persisting generalized anxiety were more than twofold reduced (OR = 0.45, CI = 0.29-0.70, P < 0.001) among carriers homozygous for both the COMT Met(158) and the 5HTTLPR Short alleles (Met(158)Met + Short-Short) compared with the remaining cohort. The double-recessive effect remained after multivariate adjustment for a range of psychosocial predictors of anxiety. Exploratory stratified analyses suggested that genetic protection may be more pronounced under conditions of high stress (insecure attachments and sexual abuse), although strata differences did not reach statistical significance. By describing the interaction between genetic loci, it may be possible to describe composite genetic factors that have a more substantial impact on psychosocial development than individual loci alone, and in doing so, enhance understanding of the contribution of constitutional processes in mental health outcomes.     

Shift work tolerance and the importance of sleep quality: a study of police officers

The aim of this study was to examine how subjective shift work tolerance was related to general health variables, with the expectation of inter-individual differences in the nature of this relation. A total of 740 employees of the Dutch Police force completed a questionnaire, covering seven health-related domains: sleep quality, sleep duration, need for recovery, fatigue, physical health, mental health, and work–life balance. Based on subjective reports of shift work tolerance, participants were classified as intolerant, medium-tolerant, or tolerant workers. Analysis involved group comparisons, regression, and cluster analysis. Eighteen percentage of the shift workers were classified as intolerant. The intolerant and medium-tolerant workers expressed more severe complaints than the tolerant workers, for all seven health-related domains. Shift work tolerance was primarily related to sleep quality and subsequently to need for recovery, fatigue, and work–life balance. No indications were found for systematic inter-individual differences in the nature of this relationship. For all participants equally, the degree of shift work tolerance was related to the severity of health-related complaints. This study highlights the central role of sleep for tolerance to shift work and underlines the need for occupational medicine to take explicit account of sleep.     

Smelling chemosensory signals of males in anxious versus nonanxious condition increases state anxiety of female subjects

The hypothesis of this experiment was that humans in an anxious state compared with a nonanxious state are able to increase anxiety levels in other humans via their body odors. Specifically, we hypothesized that male chemosensory anxiety signals compared with neutral chemosignals increase state anxiety of female subjects. Thirteen male subjects participated in 2 different sweat donation sessions: chemosignals were collected during participation in a high rope course (anxiety condition) and in an ergometer workout (neutral condition). State and trait anxiety were evaluated in 20 female odor recipients using Spielberger's state-trait anxiety inventory in a double-blind design. Comparison of state anxiety of odor donors between control and anxiety condition differed significantly indicating that our model of anxiety induction successfully led to the expected change in emotion. Comparison of state anxiety of odor recipients showed a trend toward higher state anxiety in the anxiety condition compared with the neutral condition after 5 min of odor exposure. After 20 min of odor exposure, state anxiety of female subjects was significantly higher during the perception of sweat collected during the anxiety condition in comparison with the perception of sweat collected during the neutral condition. This experiment gives evidence that male anxiety chemosignals compared with neutral chemosignals are capable of inducing an increased state anxiety in female subjects.     

Association between depressive symptoms and morningness-eveningness,sleep duration and rotating shift work in Japanese nurses

Higher depressive symptoms have been reported in rotating shift workers compared with day workers. Depressive symptoms in adults who do not engage in night work have also been shown to be associated with chronotype and sleep duration. This study examines associations between depressive symptoms, morningness-eveningness (i.e. the degree to which people prefer to be active in the morning or the evening), sleep duration and rotating shift work. Japanese nurses (1252 day workers and 1780 rotating shift workers, aged 20–59) were studied using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire covered depressive symptoms, morningness-eveningness, sleep habits and demographic characteristics of the participants. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to determine the levels of depressive symptoms. A Japanese version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to measure morningness-eveningness. The CES-D score of shift workers was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of day workers. The MEQ score was significantly (p < 0.05) lower (i.e. greater eveningness) in shift workers than in day workers. Sleep duration on the day shift was significantly (p < 0.05) shorter in shift workers than in day workers. Simple linear regression revealed that the MEQ score, sleep duration on the day shift and current work shift (i.e. rotating shift work) were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the CES-D score. Multivariate linear regression indicated that greater eveningness and shorter sleep duration were independently associated with higher CES-D scores, while rotating shift work was not. These associations between the MEQ score, the sleep duration and the CES-D score were also confirmed in both day workers and shift workers when the groups were analyzed separately. These results suggest that greater eveningness and shorter sleep duration on the day shift were independently associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, which may explain associations between rotating shift workers and depressive symptoms. These findings have important implications for the development of novel strategies for preventing poor mental health in day workers and rotating shift workers.     

Investigation on psychological state of occupational exposure of medical staff in operation room under novel coronavirus

This article mainly explores the psychological state of occupational exposure of medical staff in operation room contaminated with novel coronavirus, and provides targeted suggestions for mental health service of medical staff so as to maintain their physical and mental health. On February 28, 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted using Internet. Nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons in the operating room of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2020 to March 2020 were selected as the research objects. The psychological state of medical staff was investigated by SAS and PSS-14. As on February 29, 2020, 301 valid questionnaires and one invalid questionnaire were received. The survey showed that there was anxiety but no moderate or severe anxiety in the occupational behavior of operating room medical staff, while some medical staff had a certain degree of psychological pressure (P < 0.05). The present survey suggested that medical staff was under anxiety and pressure in different degrees in the operation room because of novel coronavirus contamination during occupational activities, much attention is required to improve mental health of medical professionals and to reduce their negative emotions.     

The Amount of Diurnal Sleep,and Complaints of Fatigue and Poor Sleep,in Night-Working Women: The Effects of Having Children

This study deals with female industrial night workers. There is little scientific literature on this topic since, until recently, such shift systems have in most countries been restricted to men. The amount of diurnal sleep, as well as complaints about fatigue and poor sleep, were compared in women who were (n = 17) or were not (n = 26) caring for children. The women were engaged at an assembly line, working nights (22:00-06:00) from Monday to Friday. They filled out sleep logs for 10 consecutive weeks and were interviewed about complaints concerned with fatigue and poor sleep. A comparison of the diurnal sleeps taken between consecutive night shifts showed that the average total length of daily sleep, as well as the time of onset of the first sleep, did not differ between the groups; however, workers who had children tended to show, in comparison with their childless colleagues, more sleep episodes per day and a shorter first sleep. The total number of complaints about poor sleep and fatigue did not differ between the groups; nevertheless, workers with children complained more of difficulty in falling asleep, had a greater dissatisfaction with the amount of sleep on weekdays, and tended to show an increasing fatigue as the week progressed. We conclude that there are social pressures in women who care for children that are in addition to those that are a general consequence of night work. These results reinforce a need for the implementation of measures that organise child care, so helping a mother who wishes to work also outside the home.     

The Amount of Diurnal Sleep, and Complaints of Fatigue and Poor Sleep, in Night-Working Women: The Effects of Having Children

This study deals with female industrial night workers. There is little scientific literature on this topic since, until recently, such shift systems have in most countries been restricted to men. The amount of diurnal sleep, as well as complaints about fatigue and poor sleep, were compared in women who were (n = 17) or were not (n = 26) caring for children. The women were engaged at an assembly line, working nights (22:00-06:00) from Monday to Friday. They filled out sleep logs for 10 consecutive weeks and were interviewed about complaints concerned with fatigue and poor sleep. A comparison of the diurnal sleeps taken between consecutive night shifts showed that the average total length of daily sleep, as well as the time of onset of the first sleep, did not differ between the groups; however, workers who had children tended to show, in comparison with their childless colleagues, more sleep episodes per day and a shorter first sleep. The total number of complaints about poor sleep and fatigue did not differ between the groups; nevertheless, workers with children complained more of difficulty in falling asleep, had a greater dissatisfaction with the amount of sleep on weekdays, and tended to show an increasing fatigue as the week progressed. We conclude that there are social pressures in women who care for children that are in addition to those that are a general consequence of night work. These results reinforce a need for the implementation of measures that organise child care, so helping a mother who wishes to work also outside the home.     

The impact of shift work on eating patterns and self-care strategies utilised by experienced and inexperienced nurses

ABSTRACT

For nurses, shift work is a necessity, required to provide 24-h continuous care for patients. Research posits that fatigue amongst shift-working nurses is associated with inadequate and poorly timed sleep and also strongly influenced by the timing, quality and quantity of food consumed. The aim of this investigation was to examine differences and similarities in the food choices and eating patterns of nurses exposed to different lengths of time in shift work, as a means of understanding how nurses can adapt their eating patterns to better manage fatigue and sleep loss. Qualitative methodology was utilised to study and capture in-depth information about nurses’ daily working lives. A case study approach allowed for the investigation of nurses with limited and extensive experience of shift work. Increased food craving, caffeine consumption and snacking behaviours during night shifts were described by both groups of nurses, as was the inability to drink enough fluids at work. Meal skipping at work, associated with high workload, was detailed more by experienced nurses. Experienced nurses described shopping and preparing home cooked meals in advance to manage food intake and associated fatigue, contrasting with patterns from inexperienced nurses. Experienced nurses recounted drinking alcohol as a way to rest and recover from shift work, unlike their less inexperienced colleagues. These findings indicate organisational and work place issues such as shift work and rostering influence the food choices and eating patterns of shift-working nurses. Experienced nurses, however, draw on a greater range of strategies around diet and eating patterns to minimise these impacts.