Eps 1: Depression During the Pandemic
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Jo Gilbert
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The COVID 19 pandemic will exacerbate mental illness among people worldwide, as both the virus and economic disruption in access to food are feared. In socially vulnerable groups, including people reporting moderate to high levels of food insecurity, increased depressive symptoms were found in low-income people and people with limited access to healthcare. Children, the elderly, people of color and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable due to declining health care and lack of health insurance.
The researchers, published in the journal Suicide and Life - Threatening Behavior, found that 15 per cent of those surveyed were classified as at risk of suicide. Aggravating factors such as high levels of food insecurity and low health insurance increased the risk of these respondents. Those who scored high on the suicide risk scale scored significantly higher than those at low risk .
A third study, published in the journal Psychological Trauma, examined fears about the psychological consequences of the pandemic. A major research study concludes that the major, and I would argue improved, UN has focused on mental health issues, including suicide prevention. This has led to an increase in suicide attempts, which has led to the creation of a new international organisation, the World Health Organisation , in response to this crisis.
The organization claims that the psychological consequences are likely to be long-term and will peak later than the actual pandemic.
In April, the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association wrote that economic stress and social isolation, which limit access to religious services, have increased gun sales and suicides among health care workers. In a typical year, one in nine people report symptoms of anxiety and depression in a week, "Hight said in an email.
The department compared the survey results collected in April with the baseline results of the National Health Interview Survey of the National Center for Health Statistics. The NCDHHS drew this information from a national survey of more than 1,000 health care workers to determine their mental health status and illnesses.
The survey, which ran from May 18 to July 20, covered screening questions on depression, anxiety, depression symptoms and other mental health issues. The survey included four questions from the National Health Interview Survey , a national survey of more than 1,000 healthcare workers. When the same screening question was asked in March and July 2019, 26% of the doctoral students showed signs of anxiety and 15% showed symptoms of depression, the department said.
Chirikov said the short screen questions, commonly used in clinical settings to identify those who may need mental health treatment, cannot diagnose a mental disorder or determine the actual rate or condition of the respondents. Surgeons say the big leap between 2019 and 2020 suggests universities need to address mental health issues on their campuses urgently and with focus, and see how they can support students struggling with anxiety and depression.
A British survey has found that as many adults in the UK are reporting symptoms of depression as last year. Of the 3,500 respondents surveyed to assess depression, a fifth reported symptoms in the first half of this year, compared with one in 10 last year, the survey found.
While rates of depression were the same for women and men, women were more likely to report anxiety symptoms than men, according to the survey. COVID: With 19 cases nationwide, more than a third of Americans reported depression and anxiety.
The pandemic hit people 18 to 29 years of age and older the hardest, with 24 percent of the 42,000 respondents reporting depression and 42 percent reporting anxiety. The second age group - the most affected - were people aged 30 to 39, with 34 per cent reporting anxiety and 23 per cent depression. In this case, it was the first case of depression in the US since 2014 and the third highest of any age group.
The number of people suffering from depression in the UK has almost doubled since the Coronavirus pandemic, new research from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence shows.
A survey of more than 3,500 adults conducted by the Office for National Statistics shows that one in five had depression after COVID-19 was introduced, compared with one in 10 before. The number of people in work, including key workers who are showing symptoms, has also increased significantly. Of these, 6.2% continued to show moderate to severe depressive symptoms, while only 1.5% of those who had seen improvement had developed them since the pandemic.