Severe Sleep Deprivation Causes Hallucinations and a Gradual Progression Toward Psychosis With Increasing Time Awake

Background: Going without sleep for long periods of time can produce a range of experiences, including perceptual distortions and hallucinations. Many questions, however, remain unanswered regarding the types of symptoms which are most reliably elicited, the time of symptom onset, and whether symptoms worsen over time toward psychotic decompensation. Since sleep deprivation exceeding 48 h is considered unethical today, an examination of historical studies with extreme sleep-loss duration is needed to obtain information about what happens during prolonged sleep loss.Methods: A systematic-review approach was used to identify experimental and observational studies of sleep deprivation in healthy people which describe the effects of prolonged sleep loss on psychopathological symptoms, without any date restriction.Results: A total of 476 articles were identified. Of these, 21 were eligible for inclusion. Duration of sleep loss ranged between 24 h and 11 nights (total 760 participants; average 72–92 h without sleep). All studies except one reported perceptual changes, including visual distortions (i.e., metamorphopsias), illusions, somatosensory changes and, in some cases, frank hallucinations. The visual modality was the most consistently affected (in 90% of the studies), followed by the somatosensory (52%) and auditory (33%) modalities. Symptoms rapidly developed after one night without sleep, progressing in an almost fixed time-dependent way. Perceptual distortions, anxiety, irritability, depersonalization, and temporal disorientation started within 24–48 h of sleep loss, followed by complex hallucinations and disordered thinking after 48–90 h, and delusions after 72 h, after which time the clinical picture resembled that of acute psychosis or toxic delirium. By the third day without sleep, hallucinations in all three sensory modalities were reported. A period of normal sleep served to resolve psychotic symptoms in many—although not all—cases.Conclusions: Psychotic symptoms develop with increasing time awake, from simple visual/somatosensory misperceptions to hallucinations and delusions, ending in a condition resembling acute psychosis. These experiences are likely to resolve after a period of sleep, although more information is required to identify factors which can contribute to the prevention of persistent symptoms

Students’ mental health, well-being, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, much research has been devoted to assessing mental health in a variety of populations. Students in higher education appear to be particularly vulnerable to experiencing reduced mental health. The purpose of the study was to assess whether higher education students experienced poorer mental health compared to the general population and examine the factors associated with students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-national sample of students (n = 354) and non-students (n = 3120) participated in a survey in October/November 2020. Mental health outcomes among students and non-students were compared with independent t-tests. Multiple linear regression analysis and general linear estimation were used to assess the impact of student status on mental health outcomes while adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Students reported poorer mental health than non-students. The difference in mental health between students and non-students was bigger for participants aged 30 years or older. More social media use was associated with poorer mental health outcomes. In conclusion, students had poorer mental health than the wider population. Aspects of life as a student, beyond what can be attributed to life stage, appears to increase mental health problems.publishedVersio

Perceptions of social media challenges and benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic: Qualitative findings from a cross sectional international survey

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020 the need for rapid information spread grew and social media became the ultimate platform for information exchange as well as a tool for connection and entertainment. With the rapid information spread along came the various public misconceptions and misinformation which consequently influenced perceptions and behaviors of the public towards the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, there was a need for identification and collation of public perceptions information to address future public health initiatives. This cross-national study aimed to examine the challenges and benefits of using social media during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. This study was a content analysis of the open-ended questions from a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, UK, USA, and Australia during October/November 2020. 2368 participants out of 3474 respondents to the survey provided the open text responses included in the qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. All statements were coded to positive and negative sentiments. Three overarching themes were identified: 1. Mental health and emotional exhaustion 2. Information and misinformation; 3. Learning and inspiration.While providing a powerful mode of connection during the pandemic, social media also led to negative impact on public perceptions, including mistrust and confusion. Clarity in communications by institutions and education about credible information sources should be considered in the future. Further research is required in exploring and documenting social media narratives around COVID-19 in this and any subsequent incidents of pandemic restrictions. Understanding the public perceptions and their social narratives can support the designing of appropriate support and services for people in the future, while acknowledging the uncertainty and overwhelming impact of the pandemic that may have skewed the experiences of social media.publishedVersio

Perceived Trust in Public Authorities Nine Months after the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-National Study

This study aimed to examine the perceived trust in information provided by public authorities and financial measures put in place to address the impact of COVID-19. Using a cross-national approach among four Western countries—the United States of America, Norway, Australia, and the United Kingdom—provides an analysis of responses related to trust and how they were associated with age group, gender, education level, employment status, size of place of residence, infection status, and social media use. When controlling for all included variables in logistic regression analyses, the likelihood of having trust in the public authorities’ information was higher for women, those with higher levels of education, and those living in urban areas. Being infected with the coronavirus, and spending more time daily on social media, were both associated with lower likelihood of reporting trust in information. Although policies implemented to respond to economic concerns varied cross-nationally, higher age, identifying as female, being employed, living in a city, no COVID-19 infection experience and lower levels of social media usage were associated with a higher likelihood of trusting in the financial measures put in place to counteract the economic effects of COVID-19

Students’ Mental Health, Well-Being, and Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-National Study

During the COVID-19 pandemic, much research has been devoted to assessing mental health in a variety of populations. Students in higher education appear to be particularly vulnerable to experiencing reduced mental health. The purpose of the study was to assess whether higher education students experienced poorer mental health compared to the general population and examine the factors associated with students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-national sample of students (n = 354) and non-students (n = 3120) participated in a survey in Octo-ber/November 2020. Mental health outcomes among students and non-students were compared with independent t-tests. Multiple linear regression analysis and general linear estimation were used to assess the impact of student status on mental health outcomes while adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Students reported poorer mental health than non-students. The difference in mental health between students and non-students was bigger for participants aged 30 years or older. More social media use was associated with poorer mental health outcomes. In conclusion, students had poorer mental health than the wider population. Aspects of life as a student, beyond what can be attributed to life stage, appears to increase mental health problems

Concerns over the spread of misinformation and fake news on social media – challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic

IntroductionThe unfolding pandemic of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, has caused challenges across the globe. Shelter-in-place, lock-down, and social distancing policies increased the use of social media for societies to stay connected. This study investigated psychological issues societies experienced from using social media among community during this critical period.MethodsCross-sectional online surveys were used to collect qualitative data from 1991 respondents living in the UK, USA and Australia during April-May 2020 when shelter-in-place or stay-at-home policies were in place.ResultsConcerns over misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news were repetitively raised as a critical challenge associated with reports of negative psychological consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 1 in 3 respondent expressed concerns over misinformation as the key challenge, with higher prevalence among respondents from the USA (41) than UK (35) and Australia (32), χ2(2)=8.5, p=0.015. While some thought social media had facilitated social connections, others said that differing opinions from friends and families have put stress on relationships and created negative psychology. Conflicting information (including information from government bodies, news outlets, information articles and individual opinions) have caused additional stress and anxiety.ConclusionsThe spread of misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories have caused psychosocial challenges and disconnections in the community. Special attention is needed to address psychological issues caused by the spread of misinformation on social media during the crisis

Familial alcohol supply, adolescent drinking and early alcohol onset in 45 low and middle income countries

This study estimated the extent of familial alcohol supply in 45 low and middle income countries (LMIC), and examined the country-level effects of familial alcohol supply on adolescents' alcohol use. We used data from 45 LMICs that participated in the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2003 and 2013 (n = 139,840). The weighted prevalence of familial alcohol supply in each country was estimated. Multilevel binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to examine the country-level effect of familial alcohol supply on early onset of alcohol use (first alcohol before 12), past 30-day alcohol use, lifetime drunkenness and alcohol-related social problems. There were large variations between LMICs in the prevalence of familial alcohol supply and pattern of adolescent alcohol use. The prevalence of familial supply ranged from 0.1% in Tajikistan to 23.8% in St Lucia. It was estimated that a one percentage change in prevalence of familial alcohol supply was associated with 10%, 12% and 12% change in the odds of lifetime drunkenness (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = [1.04, 1.16]), early onset of alcohol use (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = [1.07, 1.08]) and more frequent drinking in the past month (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = [1.04, 1.20]). There were large variations in the prevalence of familial alcohol supply and adolescent alcohol use among LMICs. Adolescents in countries with higher prevalence of familial alcohol supply were more likely to start using alcohol at an earlier age, to have used alcohol in the past 30 days and experience intoxication

Perceptions of social media challenges and benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic: Qualitative findings from a cross sectional international survey

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020 the need for rapid information spread grew and social media became the ultimate platform for information exchange as well as a tool for connection and entertainment. With the rapid information spread along came the various public misconceptions and misinformation which consequently influenced perceptions and behaviors of the public towards the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, there was a need for identification and collation of public perceptions information to address future public health initiatives. This cross-national study aimed to examine the challenges and benefits of using social media during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. This study was a content analysis of the open-ended questions from a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, UK, USA, and Australia during October/November 2020. 2368 participants out of 3474 respondents to the survey provided the open text responses included in the qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. All statements were coded to positive and negative sentiments. Three overarching themes were identified: 1. Mental health and emotional exhaustion 2. Information and misinformation; 3. Learning and inspiration.While providing a powerful mode of connection during the pandemic, social media also led to negative impact on public perceptions, including mistrust and confusion. Clarity in communications by institutions and education about credible information sources should be considered in the future. Further research is required in exploring and documenting social media narratives around COVID-19 in this and any subsequent incidents of pandemic restrictions. Understanding the public perceptions and their social narratives can support the designing of appropriate support and services for people in the future, while acknowledging the uncertainty and overwhelming impact of the pandemic that may have skewed the experiences of social media