eHealth Intervention for Problematic Internet Use (PIU)

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York. Excessive use of the Internet is considered a problematic behaviour by clinicians and researchers. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been advocated for a long time as a treatment approach and has been extended to include family therapy in the recent years. As eTherapy (eHealth) has become an important component in the treatment of many mental health problems, it is prudent to explore the current status of the eHealth approach as an intervention option for this problem. This systematic review aims to examine the current development of online intervention programmes for this particular condition. The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis were employed to conduct the search for literature following a systematic and structured approach. Of the 182 articles screened, three satisfied the selection criteria. Information was extracted and analysed systematically for each study and tabulated. All these studies were pilot studies with small sample sizes. Two of these articles aimed to explore the therapeutic efficacy of newly developed online intervention programmes for Internet addiction (IA) and online gaming addiction. The third article described the design and development of an App for smartphone addiction. The results obtained from this review have provided insight into the on-going development of eHealth interventions as well as the health informatics approaches in offering a possible and practical solution to tackle this growing problem

Sleep Disorders in Early Childhood and the Development of Mental Health Problems in Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal and Prospective Studies.

The association between sleep problems, particularly sleep disorders, and mental health has long been studied and recognized. However, the causal relationship between sleep disorders, particularly during early childhood, on mental health problems in adolescence are yet to be established. From a preventive perspective, it is important to understand the causality of mental health problems in adolescents so that intervention measures can be derived and implemented as early as possible for maximum effectiveness. To provide more precise information on the effect of early childhood sleep disorders on mental health problems during adolescence, a systematic review was conducted on longitudinal and prospective studies reported in the literature. Following the PRISMA guidelines with an extensive search of the literature 26 studies were identified. Seven of these identified studies satisfied all selection criteria with sufficient data on the effect of early childhood sleep disorders and mental health problems in adolescence. Information was extracted and analyzed systematically from each study and tabulated. The overall results obtained from these studies indicate a significant and possible causal relationship between early childhood sleep disorders and the development of mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD in adolescence. These results are discussed with regards to the theoretical and practical implications as well as preventive strategies

Competency of health information acquisition and intention for active health behaviour in children

© Under License of Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Objective: To investigate the association between competency of health information acquisition, both online and offline, and the intention for active health behaviour in children. Methods: This study was a population-based cross-sectional health survey utilising a two-stage random cluster sampling design conducted in a major city. Competency of health information acquisition was assessed by a rating scale designed specifically for this study. The intention for active health behaviour was measured by a vignettebased question. Data were analysed using multiple logistic regression modelling techniques with adjustment to the cluster sampling effect and potential confounding factors. Results: After adjusting for potential confounding factors and the cluster sampling effect, intention for active health behaviour was significantly associated with competency of health information acquisition both online (OR=1.06, 95%C.I.=1.01-1.12) and offline (OR=1.08, 95%C.I.=1.02-1.18). Conclusions: Results suggested a positive relationship between competency of health information acquisition, both online and offline, and the intention for active health behaviour which have important public health implications on child health behaviour

The association between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping in a multinational sample

© 2017 The Authors Purpose To examine the association between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping in adults. Methods This cross-sectional online survey recruited participants, aged between 18 and 60 years, through an online research facility. The sample consisted of multinational participants from mainly three continents including Europe, North America, and Asia. Problematic Internet Shopping was assessed using the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale (BSAS). Financial Literacy was measured by the Financial Literacy subscale of the Financial Wellbeing Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to elucidate the relationship between the study and outcome variables with adjustment for other potential risk factors. Results Of the total of 997 respondents with an average age of 30.9 (s.d. = 8.8), 135 (13.8%) could be classified as having a high risk of being Problematic Internet Shoppers. Results from the multiple regression analyses suggested a significant and negative relationship between financial literacy and Problematic Internet Shopping with a regression coefficient of − 0.13, after controlling for the effects of potential risk factors such as age, region of birth, employment, income, shopping frequency, self-regulation and anxiety (t = − 6.42, p < 0.001). Conclusions The clinical management of PIS should include a financial counselling as a component of the treatment regime. Enhancement of financial literacy in the general population, particularly among young people, will likely have a positive effect on the occurrence of PIS

The Roles of Parent-and-Child Mental Health and Parental Internet Addiction in Adolescent Internet Addiction: Does a Parent-and-Child Gender Match Matter?

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental mental health, particularly depression, and Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents taking into consideration adolescent mental health and parental IA as possible mediating factors. Of particular interest was the effect of parent-and-child gender match on these relationships. Materials and Methods: This was a population-based parent-and-child dyad health survey utilizing a random sampling technique. Adolescent IA was measured by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) designed by Young. The mental health status of the parents was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) techniques with stratification by parent-and-child gender match. Results: One thousand ninety-eight (n = 1,098) parent-and-child dyads were recruited, and useful information was obtained. The mean IAT score was 28.6 (SD = 9.9) for parents and 41.7 (SD = 12.4) for adolescents. Results of the SEM suggested that the effect of parental depression on adolescent IA was mediated through adolescent mental health mainly through adolescent stress (regression weight = 0.33, p p p Conclusions: Result suggested that the relationship between parental mental health and adolescent IA is complex and that adolescent mental health and parental IA also play important roles as mediating factors. These results have direct implications on the treatment and prevention of IA among young people

Mental health literacy and mental health status in adolescents: A population-based survey

© 2014 Lam. Background: This study aims to investigate the association between mental health literacy and the mental health status, particularly depression, among adolescents. Methods: This was a population-based health survey utilising a two-stage sampling technique. Mental health literacy was measured by the Australian National Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Youth Survey with the depression vignette only. Depression was assessed by the Depression sub-scale of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Data were analysed using multiple logistic regression modelling techniques with adjustment for cluster sampling effect. Results: A total of 1678 students responded to the survey providing usable information. Only 275 (16.4%) respondents were classified as having an adequate mental health literacy level with correct identification of depression and also intended to seek help, with 392 (23.4%) of the total sample correctly identified the vignette as depression. Two hundred and forty eight (14.8%) were classified to have moderate to severe depression. Multiple logistic regression analysis results suggested that young people who had experienced moderate to severe level of depression in the week prior to the survey were more likely to have an inadequate level of MHL (OR = 1.52, 95% C.I. = 1.01-2.31) after adjusting for a potential confounding factors and cluster sampling effects. Conclusions: Results suggested that mental health literacy level was associated with mental health status, particularly depression of young people. The results have important implications, both clinically and on a population level, on the prevention of mental health problems and for the improvement of the mental health status of adolescents

Attachment problems in childhood and the development of anxiety in adolescents: A systematic review of longitudinal and prospective studies

© 2019 Elsevier GmbH The association between early relationships and the experience of infant and mother, and the subsequent development of the child through their life span has long been studied. Attachment, as a most prominent construct in early child development, has been the focal point of investigation since the inception of the theoretical concept by Bowlby. In recent years, research has expanded to examine the effect of attachment on the mental health and socio-emotional development of young children and their on-going adjustment into adolescence. However, most studies in the field concentrated on the relationship of childhood attachment and internalising symptoms as a generic assessment of mental health problems. To provide more precise information on the effect of attachment insecurity on individual mental health problems, a systematic review (the first in a series) of available longitudinal and prospective studies was conducted. 11 studies were identified after an extensive search of the literature in accordance to the PRISMA guidelines. Of these, 4 satisfied all selection criteria and provided sufficient data on the effect of attachment insecurity during infancy or early childhood and anxiety in adolescence. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each study and tabulated. The overall results obtained from these studies indicated a significant and possible causal relationship between attachment insecurity during infancy or early childhood and the development of anxiety in adolescence. These results were discussed in light of theoretical and practical preventive implications

Is low health literacy associated with overweight and obesity in adolescents: An epidemiology study in a 12-16 years old population, Nanning, China, 2012

© 2014 Lam and Yang. Background: The problem of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is considered an epidemic in both developed and developing world by the WHO. There has been little study on the relationship between health literacy and body weight among adolescents. This epidemiological study aims to investigate the association between low health literacy and overweight and obesity among a population of Chinese adolescents aged 12-16 years in the city of Nanning, China in 2012. Methods: This study was a population-based cross-sectional health survey utilising a two-stage random cluster sampling design. The sample consisted of high school students aged between 12-16 years with the total student population attending high schools in a large city as the sample frame. Health literacy was measured by the Chinese version of the short form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy translated for and validated among Taiwanese adolescents. Overweight and obesity were assessed in accordance to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Database of Body Mass Index classification methods. Data were analysed using logistic regression modelling techniques with adjustment to the cluster sampling effect. Results: A total of 1035 students responded to the survey providing usable information with 628 (48.1%) respondents classified as high, 558 (42.8%) moderate, and 119 (9.1%) low levels of health literacy. After adjusting for potential confounding factors and the cluster sampling effect, low health literacy was significantly associated with overweight and obesity (OR = 1.84, 95% C.I. = 1.13-2.99). Conclusion: Results suggested that low health literacy level was associated with many aspects of adolescence health including their body weight. These results have public health implications on an important global problem of adolescence body weight. Enhancing the health literacy should be considered as part of the strategies in combating adolescence weight problem

Enhancing social-emotional well-being in young children through improving teachers’ social-emotional competence and curriculum design in Hong Kong

© 2017, The Author(s). This study aimed to evaluate an intervention programme for the enhancement of social-emotional well-being of young children through improving the social-emotional competence of kindergarten teachers and a specifically designed curriculum, in an urban city in the East Asia region. The design and some preliminary results on the outcome evaluations of the intervention programme are reported in this paper. The design of the intervention programme was based on the conceptual framework of the evidence-based Wisconsin Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. Kindergarten teachers and children under their care were recruited using a random cluster sampling technique with teachers undergoing a training programme for 2 months with hands on workshops. The social-emotional well-being of preschool children was assessed with the Social Competence and Behavioural Evaluation (SCBE-30) Scale pre- and post-intervention. Changes in outcome measures that compared assessments between baseline and post-intervention were analysed with adjustment to clustering effects. Results suggested a statistically significant improvement in social competence and reduction to anxiety-withdrawal and anger-aggression after intervention. These results were indicative of a potentially successful intervention programme that would require a proper trail to establish its efficacy

Application of the Social Network Analysis to Better Comprehend Relationships in Qualitative Health Data

OBJECTIVE: To explore social network analysis (SNA) as an additional approach to elucidate quantifiable insight from qualitative health-related textual data. METHODS: Key concepts gained from thematic analyses of a set of qualitative health data obtained from an implementation study was analysed using the Excel Add-on module NodeXL. RESULTS: Our results show that SNA provided useful visualisation and quantifiable information of the relationship between key concepts obtained from the thematic analysis. DISCUSSION: SNA is a useful technique for exploring and analysing qualitative data, particularly when the research interest is in complex relationships that may exist among a large number of qualitative variables. In addition to providing a way to visualise the relationship between concepts, SNA provides metric measures that can be further analysed quantitatively. CONCLUSION: The SNA approach allows researchers to explore deeper relationships that may exist among various variables and enable researchers to derive potentially a fuller and more complete appreciation and comprehension of health-related data