Psychological Distress among Young Norwegian Health Professionals

High psychological distress has been shown to be a risk for acquisition of skills that are necessary when working in the health professions. In this study, we present longitudinal data on psychological distress among 169 young Norwegian health professionals. We measured distress at the end of their studies, and three years later on, when being professional nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Psychological distress was assessed by applying the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 12). 27% of the nursing students scored higher than the GHQ 12 case score at the end of the study, but as nurses, they became significantly less distressed three years later (13%). The other two professions showed relatively small and non-significant reductions in psychological distress during the first three years as a professional. Hierarchical multiple analyses showed that the level of psychological distress when finishing the study, the young professionals’ experience of personal support from colleagues, the experience of work-home conflicts and the experience of methodological coping at work were significant predictors of psychological distress three years after working as young health professionals. These four predictors explained together 28% in the variance in GHQ 12 three years after graduation. Belonging to any of the three professions did not contribute to the explained variance in psychological distress three years after graduatio

Laser diverticulotomy for Zenker's diverticulum-does it improve quality of life?

To determine quality of life (QoL) in individuals with dysphagia related to identified Zenker’s diverticulum before (T1) and one year after undergoing endoscopic laser diverticulotomy surgery (T2). A total of 43 individuals (18 women and 25 men) were included at T1 and 37 of these responded at T2 (13 women and 24 men). Health-related QoL (HRQoL) was determined with the short form 36 (SF-36) and disease-specific QoL (DSQoL) was assessed with the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). In addition, two questions about specific symptoms related to Zenker’s diverticulum were added and ordered as a fifth subscale of MDADI. Comparisons were made between patients and an age- and gender-adjusted normative sample from the Norwegian population. Significant differences were found in all subscales on MDADI, but none between T1 and T2 on SF-36. Compared to the normative sample, the component score MCS of SF-36 was significantly lower in the dysphagia patients at both T1 and T2. The attrition sample had significantly lower PCS than the completers. The results substantiate that disease severity is associated with poorer disease-related QoL, and that the disease-specific QoL is significantly improved one year after laser diverticulotomy

Psychological distress and its associations with psychosocial work environment factors in four professional groups: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore associations between psychosocial work environment factors and psychological distress in four groups of professionals in Norway. Eight hundred fifty-six professionals participated in this cross-sectional study 6 years after graduation. Data were analyzed with linear and logistic regression analyses. For the sample as a whole, higher psychological distress was associated with higher demands, lower support, lower job satisfaction, more work-home interaction problems, and lower coping in the job. Work-home interaction problems increased the likelihood of having case-level psychological distress. The strength of associations between psychological distress and other factors, such as demands, support, and coping in the job, varied by professional group. In conclusion, problems concerned with work-home interaction were generally associated with higher psychological distress. Between professional groups, other independent variables were differently associated with psychological distress. Work environment factors should receive continued attention in efforts to promote mental health. Key points In the sample as a whole and for most of the professional groups, problems concerned with the interaction between work and home significantly predicted higher psychological distress Associations between psychological distress and other psychosocial work environment factors, such as demands, support, and coping in the job, varied by professional group Assessing work environment factors to better understand variations in psychological distress is relevant among nurses, physiotherapists, and social workers, and appears to be particularly useful among occupational therapistspublishedVersio

Understanding the Experience of Myotonic Dystrophy. Mixed Method Study

Myotonic Dystrophy (DM) is a progressive multi-systemic disorder characterized by myotonia and muscle weakness where currently no effective treatment or cure to prevent or delay the disorder exists. This study used mixed methods to examine the experience of living with DM, in patients and their close relatives. Thirteen patients and eight next of kin responded completing Quality of Life and Psychological distress questionnaires in this cross-sectional study, and participating in a semi-structured interview. The findings indicate a higher level of anxiety and hopelessness in next of kin compared to patients, while patients were more depressed. Next of kin reported higher physical, but lower emotional quality of life than patients. Qualitative interviews confirmed the questionnaire findings. The findings from this study may be helpful in genetic counseling. Genetic counselors and geneticists should not only be aware of the burden of being a next of kin, but include discussions about opportunities to minimize the burden in families affected with DM. The findings may be of relevance in counseling for other types of neuromuscular disorders

Changes in Psychological Distress in Five Groups of Welfare State Service Workers over a Nine-Year Period

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).Health and social care workers are exposed to varying degrees of stress in their work, which may be reflected in their trajectories of psychological distress during the education program and the first years in the job. The aim of this study was to add to the knowledge concerned with the long-term development of psychological distress in five groups of welfare state service workers in Norway. The study included 1612 individuals. Psychological distress was measured with General Health Questionnaire-12 at four occasions from the start of the education program to 6 years post-graduation (nine year follow-up period). Results of linear mixed models (LMM) for repeated measures showed that psychological distress changed significantly over time in the social work professional groups. At the start of the education program, the lowest and highest levels of psychological distress were found among the child welfare and social workers, respectively. Six years post-graduation, social workers had become less distressed and child welfare workers had become more distressed. No significant change pattern for psychological distress was found among any of the health care professional groups.publishedVersio

Cross-National Study of Mental Health and Employment Status Nine Months Post Social Distancing Implementation Practices

This cross-national study examined the mental health between those individuals working and those not working nine months post initial COVID-19 social distancing implementation. Respondents (N = 3,474) were recruited through social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) and completed an online survey in October/November 2020. The respondents were from Norway, the UK, the USA and Australia. The mental health of those working and not working were analysed using t tests and socio-demographics were compared using one-way analysis of variance. Respondents who were working were significantly more likely to experience better mental health, were younger, report higher levels of education, and significantly less likely to worry about their own situation, health or financial situation than respondents who were not employed. Respondents who were retired reported better mental health than respondents who were not working for other reasons (laid off/dismissed, receiving benefits, studying, other). These findings raise the importance for social workers and other health service providers to monitor the overall mental health of individuals especially when social distancing protocols are in place and as countries begin to recover from the pandemic.publishedVersio

Willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine as reported nine months after the pandemic outbreak: A cross-national study

Although vaccination has been identified as an effective measure of reducing the spread of COVID-19, hesitancy to obtain a vaccine for COVID-19 has been shared. The aim of this cross-national study was to examine (i) the willingness in the general population to take the COVID-19 vaccine nine months after the pandemic outbreak and (ii) the willingness to take the vaccine in relation to sociodemographic variables, whether one has experienced COVID-19 infection, concerns about health and family, and trust in the authorities’ information about the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data online in Norway, the UK, the USA, and Australia. Chi-Square tests or Fisher’s Exact test were used to analyze the data. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess direct associations between the independent variables and the outcome. Within the total sample (n = 3474), living in a city, having a college education, being concerned about your own health and the health of next of kin, and trusting information provided by authorities increased the likelihood of reporting willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Across all countries, participants who reported trust in the authorities’ information about COVID-19 demonstrated a significantly higher plausibility of taking the COVID-19 vaccine.publishedVersio

Loneliness and its association with social media use during the COVID-19 outbreak

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.publishedVersio

Cross-national study of worrying, loneliness, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between individuals with and without infection in the family.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine differences in worry, loneliness, and mental health between those individuals infected by COVID-19 or having someone their family infected, and the rest of the population. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, UK, USA, and Australia during April/May 2020. Participants (n = 3810) were recruited via social media postings by the researchers and the involved universities. Differences between those with and without infection in the family were investigated with chi-square tests and independent t-tests. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess associations between sociodemographic variables and psychological outcomes (worry, loneliness, and mental health) in both groups. Results: Compared to their counterparts, participants with infection in the family reported higher levels of worries about themselves (p < 0.05) and their family members (p < 0.001) and had poorer mental health (p < 0.05). However, the effect sizes related to the differences were small. The largest effect (d = 0.24) concerned worries about their immediate family. Poorer psychological outcomes were observed in those who were younger, female, unemployed, living alone and had lower levels of education, yet with small effect sizes. Conclusions: In view of the small differences between those with and without infection, we generally conclude that the mental health effects of the COVID-19 situation are not limited to those who have been infected or have had an infection within the family but extend to the wider population

Self-Reported Long COVID in the General Population: Sociodemographic and Health Correlates in a Cross-National Sample.

We aimed to gain knowledge of possible sociodemographic predictors of long COVID and whether long COVID was associated with health outcomes almost two years after the pandemic outbreak. There were 1649 adults who participated in the study by completing a cross-sectional online survey disseminated openly in Norway, the UK, the USA, and Australia between November 2021 and January 2022. Participants were defined as having long COVID based on self-reports that they had been infected by COVID-19 and were experiencing long-lasting COVID symptoms. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine possible sociodemographic predictors, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine whether long COVID status was associated with health outcomes. None of the sociodemographic variables was significantly associated with reporting long COVID. Having long COVID was associated with higher levels of psychological distress, fatigue, and perceived stress. The effect of long COVID on health outcomes was greater among men than among women. In conclusion, long COVID appeared across sociodemographic groups. People with long COVID reported worsened health outcomes compared to those who had had COVID-19 but without long-term symptoms. Men experiencing long COVID appear to be particularly vulnerable to experiencing poorer health outcomes; health services may pay extra attention to potentially unnoticed needs for support among men experiencing long COVID