Depression and anxiety symptoms, acculturation, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking among Russian-speaking skilled immigrants

Immigrants constitute 24 percent of the Australian population, with skilled immigration becoming the fastest growing migration stream in Australia. Nonetheless, epidemiological data and systematic research of this population is lacking. Most recent Russian-speaking immigrants coming from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) have arrived to Australia on the skilled immigrant program, and there is also a lack of research on this particular cultural group. Skilled immigrants are expected to adapt better than many other groups for several factors, including better English proficiency, younger age, better physical and mental health due to strict visa requirements, and better professional prospects. However, previous studies with immigrants showed that this group often have more mental health issues than the host population. In particular, previous research with Russian-speaking immigrants indicated that they had difficulties with adaptation in host countries, and typically had high levels of mental health problems compared to the host and other immigrant groups. Hence, it is important to investigate the specifics of acculturation in this group and research factors impeding or facilitating the process of acculturation. There is also a lack of information about the help seeking attitudes and depression stigma in FSU immigrants living in Australia. It may be expected that FSU immigrants, like other immigrant groups, are reluctant to present for professional psychological help for mental health problems such as depression. The research conducted and presented in this thesis is a series of empirical investigations linked to these research aims. The research aims were mostly exploratory because little research has been conducted with this specific group in the Australian context. Sixty five Russian-speaking immigrants, 65 Russian speaking non-immigrants and 63 Anglo-Australians were recruited through social clubs, community web forums and web groups, churches, schools, and universities. All participants completed online questionnaires which included the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Perceived Stress Scale, Depression Stigma Scale, Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services Scale and socio-demographic questions. Russian-speaking immigrants completed additional socio-demographic questions and the Language, Identity and Behaviour (LIB) scales to measure acculturation, and the Demands of Immigration scale to measure immigration stress. In the first study of the thesis, we looked into the mental health of Russian-speaking skilled immigrants to Australia. We compared levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms in this group with a Russian-speaking sample living in the FSU and an Anglo-Australian sample. Results indicated that the immigrant group scored significantly lower on the depression and anxiety measures than the two comparative groups. Although demographic differences between three groups were observed, they did not account for the differences in depressive and anxiety symptoms. In the second study of the thesis, we explored relationships between measures of Russian and Australian acculturation and immigration stress and whether Russian immigrants endorse a bidimensional acculturation model. The sub-sample consisting only of immigrants from the FSU living in Australia was selected. Results indicated that that immigration stress was related to retaining of Russian culture and a decrease in Australian acculturation, after controlling for socio-demographic factors. No association between the Russian and Australian dimensions of acculturation was found which supports the notion that acculturation can occur independently along both host and native dimensions. Limitations and future directions are discussed. In the third study of the thesis, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking attitudes were compared in immigrants from the FSU living in Australia, a Russian-speaking sample living in the FSU, and an Anglo-Australian sample. Results indicated that the Russian-speaking immigrants were more likely to have more perceived stigma, and less personal stigma than the Australian sample. Anglo-Australians were found to be higher on Psychological Openness and Help-seeking Propensity subscales, than Russian immigrants, while Russian non-immigrants and Russian immigrants did not differ from each other on these measures. No relationship between acculturation factors, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking was found in the present study. Taken together, the findings indicate that Russian-speaking skilled immigrants may have a different trajectory of adaptation compared to many other immigrant groups. Limitations and implications are discussed

Depression and anxiety symptoms, acculturation, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking among Russian-speaking skilled immigrants

Immigrants constitute 24 percent of the Australian population, with skilled immigration becoming the fastest growing migration stream in Australia. Nonetheless, epidemiological data and systematic research of this population is lacking. Most recent Russian-speaking immigrants coming from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) have arrived to Australia on the skilled immigrant program, and there is also a lack of research on this particular cultural group. Skilled immigrants are expected to adapt better than many other groups for several factors, including better English proficiency, younger age, better physical and mental health due to strict visa requirements, and better professional prospects. However, previous studies with immigrants showed that this group often have more mental health issues than the host population. In particular, previous research with Russian-speaking immigrants indicated that they had difficulties with adaptation in host countries, and typically had high levels of mental health problems compared to the host and other immigrant groups. Hence, it is important to investigate the specifics of acculturation in this group and research factors impeding or facilitating the process of acculturation. There is also a lack of information about the help seeking attitudes and depression stigma in FSU immigrants living in Australia. It may be expected that FSU immigrants, like other immigrant groups, are reluctant to present for professional psychological help for mental health problems such as depression. The research conducted and presented in this thesis is a series of empirical investigations linked to these research aims. The research aims were mostly exploratory because little research has been conducted with this specific group in the Australian context. Sixty five Russian-speaking immigrants, 65 Russian speaking non-immigrants and 63 Anglo-Australians were recruited through social clubs, community web forums and web groups, churches, schools, and universities. All participants completed online questionnaires which included the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Perceived Stress Scale, Depression Stigma Scale, Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services Scale and socio-demographic questions. Russian-speaking immigrants completed additional socio-demographic questions and the Language, Identity and Behaviour (LIB) scales to measure acculturation, and the Demands of Immigration scale to measure immigration stress. In the first study of the thesis, we looked into the mental health of Russian-speaking skilled immigrants to Australia. We compared levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms in this group with a Russian-speaking sample living in the FSU and an Anglo-Australian sample. Results indicated that the immigrant group scored significantly lower on the depression and anxiety measures than the two comparative groups. Although demographic differences between three groups were observed, they did not account for the differences in depressive and anxiety symptoms. In the second study of the thesis, we explored relationships between measures of Russian and Australian acculturation and immigration stress and whether Russian immigrants endorse a bidimensional acculturation model. The sub-sample consisting only of immigrants from the FSU living in Australia was selected. Results indicated that that immigration stress was related to retaining of Russian culture and a decrease in Australian acculturation, after controlling for socio-demographic factors. No association between the Russian and Australian dimensions of acculturation was found which supports the notion that acculturation can occur independently along both host and native dimensions. Limitations and future directions are discussed. In the third study of the thesis, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking attitudes were compared in immigrants from the FSU living in Australia, a Russian-speaking sample living in the FSU, and an Anglo-Australian sample. Results indicated that the Russian-speaking immigrants were more likely to have more perceived stigma, and less personal stigma than the Australian sample. Anglo-Australians were found to be higher on Psychological Openness and Help-seeking Propensity subscales, than Russian immigrants, while Russian non-immigrants and Russian immigrants did not differ from each other on these measures. No relationship between acculturation factors, depression stigma and psychological help-seeking was found in the present study. Taken together, the findings indicate that Russian-speaking skilled immigrants may have a different trajectory of adaptation compared to many other immigrant groups. Limitations and implications are discussed

Depression and anxiety symptoms in Russian-speaking skilled immigrants living in Australia: a comparison with Anglo-Australians and Russian-speaking non-immigrants

Data and systematic research on Australia’s diverse immigrant population have been sparse. This study is the first empirical analysis of anxiety and depression symptoms in Russian-speaking skilled immigrants living in Australia. We compared levels of depression and anxiety symptoms in Russian-speaking skilled immigrants to Australia, Russian-speaking non-immigrants residing in one of the countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Anglo-Australians. 65 Russian-speaking immigrants from the FSU, 65 Russian-speaking non-immigrants residing in Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus, and 63 Anglo-Australians were recruited through social clubs, community web forums, churches, schools and universities. Participants completed online versions of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, the Perceived Stress Scale and socio-demographic questionnaires. Results indicated that levels of anxiety and depression were higher in Anglo-Australians compared to the Russian-speaking immigrant and the Russian-speaking non-immigrant groups after controlling for age, gender, relationship status, highest educational level, employment and health status. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insight into the mental health status of this under investigated group and can serve as the first step towards culturally informed mental health service delivery. Future research should address the limitations of the current study such as employing better sampling methods and using more culturally relevant scales to measure depression and anxiety

Adults living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): a qualitative systematic review

Objective: To consolidate existing qualitative studies which examined the experiences and needs of adults living with IBS, and to gather a holistic insight for future directions and avenues to support these adults. Methods: A qualitative systematic review was conducted and six databases were searched for qualitative studies, beginning from each database's inception to July 2020. The qualitative data were meta-synthesised and thematic analysis was adopted. Any discrepancies that arose were discussed between the reviewers until a consensus was reached throughout the process of data screening, selection, critical appraisal and synthesis. Results: Seventeen studies with a total of 299 adults diagnosed with IBS were included. Four themes were identified: (1) physical, psychological, and social consequences; (2) impact of IBS on working adults; (3) dealing with IBS; and (4) sources of support and support needs. Conclusion: Future research across geographically diverse locations are needed to gather a thorough perspective of the experiences and needs of adults living with IBS. The development and evaluation of technology-based, trained peer-led volunteers, and interventions that adopt mindfulness, active coping strategies, cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance, and commitment therapy are needed. Ultimately, the collaboration between the relevant stakeholders is essential for standardised instruments and materials for accurate testing, diagnosis, assessment, treatment and management of IBS

The neural architecture of discourse compression

Re-telling a story is thought to produce a progressive refinement in the mental representation of the discourse. A neuroanatomical substrate for this compression effect, however, has yet to be identified. We used a discourse re-listening task and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain regions responsive to repeated discourse in twenty healthy volunteers. We found a striking difference in the pattern of activation associated with the first and subsequent presentations of the same story relative to rest. The first presentation was associated with a highly significant increase in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in a bilateral perisylvian distribution, including auditory cortex. Listening to the same story on subsequent occasions revealed a wider network with activation extending into frontal, parietal, and subcortical structures. When the first and final presentations of the same story were directly compared, significant increments in activation were found in the middle frontal gyrus bilaterally, and the right inferior parietal lobule, suggesting that the spread of activation with re-listening reflected an active neural process over and above that required for comprehension of the text. Within the right inferior parietal region the change in BOLD signal was highly correlated with a behavioural index of discourse compression based in re-telling, providing converging evidence for the role of the right inferior parietal region in the representation of discourse. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, the existence of a neural network underlying discourse compression, showing that parts of this network are common to re-telling and re-listening effects

Factors associated with high compliance behaviour against COVID-19 in the early phase of pandemic: a cross-sectional study in 12 Asian countries

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046310BMJ OPEN11

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on irritable bowel syndrome

Background and aim: Gastrointestinal manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and social distancing measures may affect IBS patients negatively. We aimed to study the impact of COVID-19 on respondents with self-reported IBS. Methods: We conducted an anonymized survey from May to June 2020 in 33 countries. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on personal hygiene and social distancing as well as psychological impact of COVID-19 were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine differences in well-being and compliance to social distancing measures between respondents with and without self-reported IBS. Factors associated with improvement or worsening of IBS symptoms were evaluated. Results: Out of 2704 respondents, 2024 (74.9%) did not have IBS, 305 (11.3%) had self-reported IBS, and 374 (13.8%) did not know what IBS was. Self-reported IBS respondents reported significantly worse emotional, social, and psychological well-being compared with non-IBS respondents and were less compliant to social distancing measures (28.2% vs 35.3%, P = 0.029); 61.6% reported no change, 26.6% reported improvement, and 11.8% reported worsening IBS symptoms. Higher proportion of respondents with no change in IBS symptoms were willing to practice social distancing indefinitely versus those who deteriorated (74.9% vs 51.4%, P = 0.016). In multivariate analysis, willingness to continue social distancing for another 2-3 weeks (vs longer period) was significantly associated with higher odds of worsening IBS. Conclusion: Our study showed that self-reported IBS respondents had worse well-being and compliance to social distancing measures than non-IBS respondents. Future research will focus on occupational stress and dietary changes during COVID-19 that may influence IBS

Association between well-being and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures by healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study

10.1371/journal.pone.0252835PLOS ONE16

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on irritable bowel syndrome

Background: Gastrointestinal manifestations of the COVID-19 pandemic may mimic Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and social distancing measures may affect IBS patients negatively. We aimed to study the impact of COVID-19 on respondents with IBS. Methods: We conducted an anonymised survey using MySurvey platform from May to June 2020 in 35 countries. The general public's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding personal hygiene and social distancing during this COVID-19 pandemic and the psychological impact of COVID-19 were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the differences in well-being and compliance to social distancing measures between IBS and non-IBS respondents. Factors associated with worsening of IBS symptoms were evaluated. For newly developed IBS-like symptoms, subjects must fulfill ROME IV criteria. Results: Out of 2704 respondents, 2024 (74.9%) did not have IBS, 305 (11.3%) had IBS and 374 (13.8%) did not know what IBS was. Respondents with IBS reported significantly worse emotional, social and psychological well-being compared to non-IBS respondents and were less compliant to social distancing (28.2% vs 35.3%, p=0.029, table 1). Of the non-IBS respondents, 96 (4.7%) developed new IBS-like symptoms. Among IBS respondents, the majority reported no change in symptom severity (61.6%), while 26.6% reported improvement and 11.8% reported worsening in IBS symptoms. A higher proportion of respondents with no change in the severity of IBS symptoms was willing to practice social distancing indefinitely compared to those who deteriorated (74.9% vs 51.4%, p=0.016, table 2). In multivariate analysis (table 3), willingness to continue social distancing for only another 2–3 weeks was significantly associated with higher odds of worsening IBS while better emotional well-being was associated with lower odds. Conclusions: Our study showed differences in well-being and compliance to social distancing between IBS and non-IBS respondents, and these factors influence the worsening in severity of IBS. Further research will focus on how occupational stress and dietary changes may influence IBS symptoms