During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden adopted a recommendation-based approach rather than strict lockdowns. This approach relies on public willingness to adhere to guidelines and motivations for prosocial behaviour. This study aimed to explore the motivations behind adherence or non-adherence to COVID-19 recommendations in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2022 with 20 participants aged 26 to 63, all residing and working in Stockholm. The interviews were conducted via online platforms, Teams and Zoom, transcribed and analysed using content analysis. The analysis yielded two overarching themes that motivated adherence or non-adherence, Sacrificing comfort for collective wellbeing and A sense of being superior and able to handle national recommendations in your own way derived from six categories: (i) Social pressure and the desire to appear prosocial, (ii) Embracing a new reality as a means to return to normalcy, (iii) The absence of punitive measures for non-adherence, (iv) Creating safe environments and circumventing the system, (v) Negotiating which recommendations to follow and (vi) Diminished adherence over time. Adherence to public health recommendations was driven by social pressure and a desire to protect loved ones, often requiring personal sacrifices and behavioural adjustments. Conversely, non-adherence stemmed from a sense of autonomy, mental well-being preservation and tiredness, highlighting the challenges of sustaining compliance over time.

To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression, anxiety and stress of dental students by way of a systematic review.

This review was conducted following the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. An electronic search was conducted for the period January 2020 to February 2023. Quality assessment was evaluated in accordance with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Frequency distribution was calculated for stress, anxiety and depression associated with students' gender, year of study and living circumstances.

Twenty-three studies were eligible for inclusion in the final review. Variables contributing to stress, anxiety and depression of dental students include gender, year of study and living circumstances. Being female is the most significant factor impacting on mental health.

Results emphasise the need for dental institutions to develop targeted intervention programmes for more vulnerable students. Failure to act in a future pandemic event could result in ongoing psychological issues that persist following graduation, resulting in unfit dentists who may potentially affect the quality of the dental workforce.

Functional aspects of personality are crucial for experiencing and handling emotional distress. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus and the subsequent installation of mitigation rules of social distancing, severe psycho-social challenges were posed upon people. Research has shown that individuals react differently to these challenges. This study aimed to investigate the role of dimensional aspects of personality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we examined how personality functioning, defense mechanisms, and narcissism were related to psychological distress and cognitive and behavioral attitudes towards the rules of social distancing. In a non-clinical sample (N = 254), Level of Personality Functioning Scale, Inventory of Personality Organization, Defense Style Questionnaire, Pathological Narcissism Inventory, and three single questions regarding emotional distress and behavioral attitudes towards the pandemic were used. Structural equation models with reference and residual factors were calculated. Impairments in personality functioning and vulnerable narcissism showed significant positive relationships, adaptive defense mechanisms significant negative relationships with psychological distress during the pandemic. Residual factors for aggression and low moral values showed distinct negative relationships with psychological distress related to social distancing. Among individuals who chose to ignore the rules of social distancing, greater impairment in personality organization was found. Personality functioning may elucidate individual differences in psychological distress and compliance with the mitigation rules during the pandemic. Limitations of measures are carefully considered in all interpretations.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many aspects of social life, especially among older adults who may face cognitive impairments. Concerning this combination of circumstances, the study evaluates the degree to which data collection on social connectedness among older adults might be affected by the social complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We use data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a nationally representative study of community-dwelling older adults in the United States, which conducted a special multi-mode COVID study between September 2020 and January 2021, in part to examine social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess how alternative survey modes performed during the pandemic. Our final sample includes 2,251 older adults, aged 55 and older.

Older adults' social connectedness was adversely affected by the pandemic. People reported a tendency to move toward electronic communication and away from in-person contact. Concomitantly, there is some evidence of survey mode effects that are related to electronic communication. Those who elected to participate on the phone or the internet disproportionately reported using those means of communication with their social network members. Notably, this pattern was stronger among those who did not suffer from dementia, suggesting cognition effects on survey completion.

Researchers should remain cognizant of how data on social connections were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings may indicate the role dementia plays in preventing people from adapting to new social networking realities with alternative means of communication during the pandemic.

The combination of social and environmental stressors significantly influences psychological and physical health in males and females, and contributes to both depression and cardiovascular diseases. Animal models support these findings. Voluntary exercise may protect against some forms of stress; however, the protective effects of exercise against social stressors require further investigation. This study evaluated the influence of exercise on the impact of combined social and environmental stressors in socially monogamous prairie voles. Following a period of social isolation plus additional chronic environmental stress, prairie voles were either allowed access to a running wheel in a larger cage for 2 weeks or remained in sedentary conditions. A behavioral stress task was conducted prior to and following exercise or sedentary conditions. Heart rate (HR) and HR variability were evaluated after exercise or sedentary conditions. Group-based analyses indicated that exercise prevented elevated resting HR and promoted autonomic control of the heart. Exercise was also effective against social and environmental stress-induced forced swim test immobility. Some minor sex differences in behavior were observed in response to exercise intensity. This research informs our understanding of the protective influence of physical exercise against social and environmental stressors in male and female humans.

This study investigates the bidirectional relationship between social isolation and cognitive function among older adults in China, utilizing data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The baseline survey, which commenced in 2008, tracked 1,662 participants over four waves of data collection spanning a decade. We employed Cross-Lagged Panel Models (CLPM) and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) to analyze these relationships at both the between-person and within-person levels. CLPM results indicated significant cross-lagged effects between social isolation (β = - 0.119, p < 0.001; β = - 0.162, p < 0.001) and cognitive function (β = - 0.073, p < 0.001; β = - 0.091, p < 0.001) at the between-person level over the last three waves. Specifically, higher prior levels of social isolation were associated with a significant decline in subsequent cognitive function, and vice versa. Furthermore, RI-CLPM results showed that, after controlling for random intercepts and covariates, only social isolation had a significant negative impact on cognitive function across all waves (β = - 0.051, p < 0.05; β = - 0.047, p < 0.05; β = - 0.028, p < 0.05). Overall, this study demonstrates that, when considering both between-person and within-person effects, social isolation exerts a stronger lag effect on cognitive function among older adults in China. This suggests that, over a specific timeframe, reducing social isolation is crucial for promoting healthy aging in this population.

In 2021, the US Surgeon General issued a national advisory citing an epidemic of isolation and loneliness. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of people in the US reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. Despite localized and select cross-sectional studies highlighting even higher increases in isolation/loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, additional research is needed, particularly for youth and young adults. This work examines patterns of isolation/loneliness across the US from 2016 to 2022 among individuals aged 24 and younger. Our study leverages a unique dataset, Crisis Text Line, which provides complete spatiotemporal coverage of crisis conversations in the US. We conducted a geospatial analysis using Kuldroff's Space-Time SatScan to identify statistically significant clustering of elevated isolation/loneliness-related conversations. The statistical significance of spatiotemporal clusters was determined using Monte Carlo simulations (n = 9999). Results demonstrated local relative risk as high as 1.47 in high-risk populations in Southern, Midwest, and Atlantic states, indicating areas where the actual case count is 147% of the expected cases (p value < 0.01) from May to July 2020. Results also identified co-occurrence of isolation/loneliness and other crises concerns, including depression/sadness, anxiety, and multiple suicidality indicators, with higher rates among racial/ethnic minority, transgender and gender diverse, and younger individuals. This work makes a unique contribution to the literature by elucidating spatiotemporal disparities in isolation/loneliness among young people, providing much-needed knowledge as to where future public health interventions are immediately needed.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10708-024-11253-w.

The use of EQ-5D instruments in clinical, policy and economic applications continues to grow internationally. Population norms studies provide baseline values against which demographic and patient groups are compared and inequality is assessed. This study presents updated EQ-5D-5L population norms for 2022-2023, evaluates inequality and compares the results with those of 2012.

Demographic and EQ-5D-5L data were obtained from mutually exclusive, representative samples of adults in three studies conducted from July 2022 through May 2023. EQ-5D-5L index values, EQ VAS scores, and ceilings (all dimensions at level 1) were calculated for age-sex groups and stratifiers including education, income, ethnicity, marital status, and employment status. For inequality, the Kakwani index was calculated for the EQ VAS scores and index values, and ordered logit models were used to obtain odds ratios for reporting higher levels of problems on each dimension for demographic groups. The results were compared with those from 2012 which included applying the value set that had been used for the 2022-2023 population norms to the 2012 states.

Data were obtained form 2,989 respondents. The mean index value was 0.921, EQ VAS was 79.6 and the ceiling was 31.5%. The dimensions with the highest rates of reported problems at any level (2-5) were pain/discomfort (43%) and anxiety/depression (39%). The Kakwani index was 0.113 for EQ VAS and 0.058 for index values, with sex accounting for the largest relative contribution. Mean index values, EQ VAS scores, and ceilings were lower across all demographic groups in 2022-2023 compared to 2012.

This is the first study to investigate how EQ-5D-5L population norms have changed within a country over time. Significant changes were observed in the EQ-5D-5L measures and the relative frequencies of reported problems on the dimensions. Inequality increased, and there were changes in the levels of reported problems on the dimensions for demographic groups. Such changes suggest that national population norms should be updated periodically to capture changes in health status, perceptions of health, and health inequality.

Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic had profound effects on human well-being. A handful of studies have focused on how time perception was altered during the COVID-19 pandemic, while no study has tested whether temporal metacognition is also affected by the lockdown. We examined the impact of long-term social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to monitor errors in timing performance. We recruited 1232 participants from 12 countries during lockdown, 211 of which were retested "post-pandemic" for within-group comparisons. We also tested a new group of 331 participants during the "post-pandemic" period and compared their data to those of 1232 participants tested during the lockdown (between-group comparison). Participants produced a 3600 ms target interval and assessed the magnitude and direction of their time production error. Both within and between-group comparisons showed reduced metric error monitoring performance during the lockdown, even after controlling for government-imposed stringency indices. A higher level of reported social isolation also predicted reduced temporal error monitoring ability. Participants produced longer duration during lockdown compared to post-lockdown (again controlling for government stringency indices). We reason that these effects may be underlain by altered biological and behavioral rhythms during social isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding these effects is crucial for a more complete characterization of the cognitive consequences of long-term social isolation.

Precautionary measures implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and stay-at-home orders, have inevitably affected the mental health of older adults. This study aimed to measure loneliness among the elderly living in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted between February and April 2022 in the Jazan area, Saudi Arabia. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit 100 elderly participants (≥ 60 years) from various public locations, including malls, social gatherings, parks, and beaches, across different neighborhoods in Jazan. Qualitative survey data was collected by interviewing each participant. Loneliness level was measured using the De Jong Gierveld Scale, complemented by self-made questions addressing sociodemographic information, communication means, frequency of contact with family and friends, and ability to perform daily activities. The chi-square test was utilized to identify factors associated with loneliness.

The De Jong Gierveld scale revealed that most study participants (80%) experienced moderate loneliness despite living arrangements, as 87% were living with their family members. In contrast, only 12% of participants reported severe loneliness. Of all sociodemographic variables, only age and housing companion showed statistically significant relations with loneliness levels (p = 0.005 and < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, loneliness levels were found to be significantly associated with the frequency of communication with family and/or friends (p = 0.002) and knowledge of modern communication means (p = 0.048).

This study highlights a high prevalence of social and emotional loneliness among elderly individuals in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It indicates that robust family living arrangements alone did not mitigate loneliness in this population. The findings suggest that limited adoption of digital communication and cultural factors contributed to loneliness. While these insights provide a foundation for understanding elderly loneliness in Saudi Arabia, further research is needed to explore these factors in greater depth and assess the effectiveness of potential interventions like mental health counseling and social support programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every facet of life, constituting a "new normal" and prompting an ongoing collective psychological crisis. People's ways of coping with the pandemic and corresponding well-being are of particular research interest; however, these constructs have largely been examined using deductive quantitative approaches, deficit-based lenses, and mononational samples.

The current mixed-methods study used inductive-sequential (QUAL → QUAN) approaches to explore positive coping strategies (approach coping style and COVID-related connection appraisal) and well-being (loneliness, distress, and happiness) across individuals from the United States, Japan, and Mexico. Qualitative data were gathered from N = 141 U.S., Japanese, and Mexican adults to examine how people perceived connection during the pandemic.

Qualitative analyses illuminated common themes in which people appraised the pandemic as an opportunity for connection and strengthened interpersonal relationships. Quantitative measures, including a newly-developed questionnaire on COVID-related connection appraisal, were then administered to a separate sample of N = 302 adults in the U.S, Japan, and Mexico to assess associations among approach coping style, COVID-related connection appraisal, and well-being outcomes (loneliness, distress, happiness). Quantitative analyses found significant associations among approach coping style, COVID-related connection appraisal, and all well-being outcomes. Of note, these associations did not differ by country. COVID-related connection appraisal mediated the relationship between approach coping style and two well-being outcomes (loneliness and happiness).

Findings point to approach coping style and connection appraisal as pathways for resilience and growth in the face of global suffering.

We use Twitter, Google mobility, and Oxford policy data to study the relationship between trust and compliance over the period March 2020 to January 2021 in ten, mostly European, countries. Trust has been shown to be an important correlate of compliance with COVID-19 containment policies. However, the previous findings depend upon two assumptions: first, that compliance is time invariant, and second, that compliance can be measured using self reports or mobility measures alone. We relax these assumptions by calculating a new time-varying measure of compliance as the association between containment policies and people's mobility behavior. Additionally, we develop measures of trust in others and national institutions by applying emotion analysis to Twitter data. Results from various panel estimation techniques demonstrate that compliance changes over time and that increasing (decreasing) trust in others predicts increasing (decreasing) compliance. This evidence indicates that compliance changes over time, and further confirms the importance of cultivating trust in others.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought severe health consequences among older adults and posed ethical challenges. The aim of this study was to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on the health and medical care of older adults in Ethiopia and associated ethical implications, regardless of older adults' COVID-19 infection status.

In this qualitative study, we followed an inductive exploratory approach based on reflexive thematic analysis. We conducted semistructured interviews between March 2021 and November 2021 with 20 older adults and 26 health professionals who were selected from healthcare facilities and communities in Ethiopia using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. We audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and inductively analyzed the interviews using thematic analysis.

Participants reported that the pandemic compromised the accessibility and quality of both COVID and non-COVID healthcare services for older adults, which negatively impacted older adults' health conditions and medical care. Moreover, participants elaborated on the health conditions and care of older patients with COVID-19 and highlighted that older COVID-19 patients often have severe health conditions, do not get adequate COVID-19 care, and may receive lower priority for admission to intensive care units compared to younger patients when resources are limited.

Results of this study showed that practices of COVID-19 care and measures may have led to adverse consequences such as limited availability and access to aged care in Ethiopia, which could have further health consequences on older patients. Our results contribute to a better understanding of ethical issues such as distributive justice and prioritization arising in the healthcare of older patients in times of global pandemic. It is imperative for local and international health policymakers and ethicists to further analyze and address the challenges that compromise the accessibility and continuity of quality care for older persons during a public healthcare crisis.

The widespread use of smartphones has significantly increased smartphone addiction among college students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, university campuses in mainland China have strictly followed the Chinese government's strict quarantine policy, including closed campus management, prohibitions against gatherings, and social distancing, increasing student loneliness and anxiety and thus increasing the risk of smartphone addiction. Extant Studies have revealed that social isolation is a prominent predictor of smartphone addiction but have failed to systematically explore the complex relationship between social isolation and smartphone addiction in the context of COVID-19; therefore, the underlying mechanisms of these factors in the post-pandemic era are unclear.

This study is the first attempt to consider loneliness, COVID-19 anxiety and social isolation as a whole and to clarify the underlying mechanisms of social isolation and smartphone addiction by constructing a multiple mediating model.

This study included students enrolled at eight higher education institutions in Conghua District (Guangzhou city). Quota proportional sampling was adopted, 900 self-report questionnaires were distributed through the WeChat groups of these universities from December 10 to December 15, 2022, and 868 valid questionnaires (620 females, 248 males) were ultimately obtained.

The direct effect of social isolation on smartphone addiction was significant, and loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety mediated the association between social isolation and smartphone addiction in both parallel and sequential ways. Moreover, a reverse mediation model with COVID-19 anxiety as the first mediator and loneliness as the second mediator was found.

College students who experience social isolation are at greater risk for smartphone addiction, and the core factor leading to their smartphone addiction is the subjective psychological state triggered by campus isolation and social distancing, such as loneliness and anxiety. These risky behaviors of people should receive extra attention, and psychological factors such as loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety should be considered in future therapies aimed at reducing addiction.

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) develops in response to repeated small-level chemical exposures or a major exposure in a subset of people, who then experience symptoms that can range from mild to debilitating when exposed to chemicals. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the stringent health measures put in place may have increased the burden for those living with MCS, as it became more challenging to avoid chemicals that trigger their condition.

This study aimed to better understand the lived experience of Canadians living with MCS during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An online questionnaire was created to ask participants to compare daily living during the pandemic to before March 11, 2020. Data were collected in January and February 2021. Three areas were investigated: (1) environmental exposures to chemical triggers from ambient air (pollution from industry, farming, and traffic) and indoor air (the smell of cleaning products, cooking odors, and smoke); (2) access to, and satisfaction with, health care visits; and (3) how people experiencing MCS rated contact with their social network.

In all, 119 Canadians who had lived with MCS for more than a year completed the questionnaire. The participant sample was mostly female (86.6%, n=103) and highly educated, with 57.1% (n=68) having a university degree. Slightly more than half (57.1%, n=68) were older than 55 years. McNemar chi-square and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to evaluate if there were statistically significant changes before ("prepandemic period") and after ("postpandemic period") March 11, 2020. Perceived exposure to pollution from a highway or a road was significantly decreased from the prepandemic to postpandemic period (z=-3.347; P<.001). Analysis of industry or power plants also suggested a significant decrease in the perceived exposure from the prepandemic to postpandemic period (z=-2.152; P=.04). Participants reported an increase in exposure to odors from disinfectants or sanitizers that entered their living environment (P<.001). There was a significant decrease between prepandemic and postpandemic levels of satisfaction when attending in-person meetings with a physician (z=-2.048; P=.04), yet there were no significant differences between prepandemic and postpandemic levels of satisfaction for online or telephone meetings with a physician. Although people with MCS experienced increased social isolation (P<.001), they also reported an increase in understanding from family (P=.03) and a decrease in stigma for wearing personal protective equipment (P<.001).

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with MCS were impacted by inaccessibility, loss of social support, and barriers to accessing health care. This study highlights unique challenges and possible benefits associated with the COVID-19 pandemic public health measures for individuals living with MCS. These findings can guide decision makers to improve policies on accessibility through appropriate accommodation measures.

Although the participation of sex hormones and sex hormone-responsive neurons in aggressive behavior has been extensively studied, the role of other systems within the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis remains elusive. Here we assessed how the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and kisspeptin systems are impacted by escalated aggression in male mice. We used a combination of social isolation and aggression training (IST) to exacerbate mice's aggressive behavior. Next, low-aggressive (group-housed, GH) and highly aggressive (IST) mice were compared regarding neuronal activity in the target populations and hormonal levels, using immunohistochemistry and ELISA, respectively. Finally, we used pharmacological and viral approaches to manipulate neuropeptide signaling and expression, subsequently evaluating its effects on behavior. IST mice exhibited enhanced aggressive behavior compared to GH controls, which was accompanied by elevated neuronal activity in GnRH neurons and arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons. Remarkably, IST mice presented an increased number of kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). In addition, IST mice exhibited elevated levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in serum. Accordingly, activation and blockade of GnRH receptors (GnRHR) exacerbated and reduced aggression, respectively. Surprisingly, kisspeptin had intricate effects on aggression, i.e., viral ablation of AVPV-kisspeptin neurons impaired the training-induced rise in aggressive behavior whereas kisspeptin itself strongly reduced aggression in IST mice. Our results indicate that IST enhances aggressive behavior in male mice by exacerbating HPG-axis activity. Particularly, increased GnRH neuron activity and GnRHR signaling were found to underlie aggression whereas the relationship with kisspeptin remains puzzling.

Indicators of poor mental health increased during the COVID-19 pandemic among emerging adults aged 18-24 years, a group already at elevated risk. This study explores associations between contextual and personal stressors with symptoms of emerging adults' anxiety and depression, assessing both multidimensional and distinct measures of stress.

Using Census Household Pulse Surveys from emerging adults aged 18 to 24 years (N = 71,885) and administrative data from April 23, 2020 to March 29, 2021, we estimated logistic regression models adjusted for state and wave fixed effects.

Rates of elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms rose dramatically among emerging adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that potential contextual stressors-state COVID-19 rates and state COVID-19 mitigation policies limiting social interactions (stay-at-home orders, restaurant closures, large gathering restrictions, and mask mandates)-were not significantly associated with symptoms. In contrast, personal economic stressors (nonemployment, household income loss, food insecurity, housing insecurity, lacking health insurance) and disruptions to education were associated significantly with elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms, with greater numbers of stressors associated with worse well-being.

Emerging adults reported persistently high levels of elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms during the first year of the pandemic, outcomes associated not with COVID-19 rates or mitigation policies, but with economic inequities, and other personal stressors heightened by the pandemic. Providing targeted support for young adults, including ensuring access to mental health supports, health care, and economic relief, is critical.

People's decisions to engage in protective health behaviors, such as mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, are influenced by environmental and social contexts. Previous research on mask wearing used a single question about general mask usage in public, which may not reflect actual behavior in every setting. The likelihood of wearing a mask during one activity is also related to the likelihood of wearing a mask in another or avoiding an activity entirely. This analysis compared responses between a general question and activity-specific questions and identified patterns of mask-wearing behavior across activities.

Online, opt-in, cross-sectional surveys were conducted every 2 months from November 2020 to May 2021 (n = 2508), with quota sampling and weighting to achieve a representative sample of the U.S.

Respondents were asked how frequently they wore a mask in public and during 12 specific activities including: on public transportation, while shopping, and attending social gatherings indoors and outdoors. Spearman's rank order correlation was used to compare the frequency of mask wearing reported using a general question versus an activity specific question. Additionally, a latent class analysis was conducted to identify patterns of mask wearing behavior across activities.

There was little to no correlation (r = .16-0.33) between respondents' general attitudes towards mask wearing and their reported frequency of mask wearing in different activities. Latent class analysis identified six distinct groups based on their mask wearing behaviors and avoidance of certain activities. The largest group (29%) avoided ten of the twelve activities and always wore a mask during activities that could not be avoided. Additional groups included those who avoided most activities but made exceptions when around friends or family (20%), part time mask wearers (18%), and never mask wearers (6%).

The findings suggest that activity-specific questions provide more accurate and useful information than a single general question. Specific, context based, questions allow for analyses that consider the nuances of people's decision-making regarding engaging in protective health behaviors, such as mask wearing, thus enabling public health professionals to create targeted guidelines and messages.

Numerous studies have described declines in sexual well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, although experiences of sexual distress during this time appear to be mixed. Previous research has relied on cross-sectional methodology and focused on individuals in relationships. Furthermore, little is known about the frequency of "COVID-safe" sexual behaviors, such as online sexual activities. These gaps in the literature were addressed using a prospective, longitudinal online study examining sexual distress, predictors of sexual distress (i.e., perceived stress), and online sexual activities over time in single and partnered individuals. Participants were single (N = 64) and partnered (N = 60) individuals who completed surveys at three timepoints over a 6-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mean age across the two groups was 29 years, and approximately half were women (51.6% and 50%, respectively). Results indicated that single individuals reported significantly higher sexual distress than partnered individuals at Times 1 and 2, but not at Time 3. Sexual distress significantly decreased over time for individuals in the single group but remained stable for partnered individuals. At each timepoint, there was a conditional effect of perceived stress on sexual distress depending on one's relationship status, and the nature of these conditional effects changed throughout the course of the study. Results suggested that single individuals demonstrated improvements in sexual distress over time. Perceived stress is an important predictor of sexual distress but may operate differently depending on relationship status. Results highlight the resiliency of both single and partnered individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020. The Swiss Federal Council implemented a semi-lockdown in March 2020, asking people, particularly older adults, to stay at home to limit the transmission of the disease and to use digital tools to maintain their social relations and activities. This study inquired how older adults confronting precarity experienced these restrictions, how digital tools functioned in this context, and what learning could therefore be imbibed for the post-pandemic era. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with adults aged between 66 and 90 years living in a rural and mountainous Swiss region. The obtained data were subsequently thematically analyzed. The results revealed that the respondents experienced ageism during the semi-lockdown and reported limited or non-existent opportunities to use digital tools to maintain online social contact. This predicament increased their sense of loneliness and amplified their feelings of rejection by the outside world. These observations elucidate the need for the enhancement of non-ageist social support for older people, including individuals with limited social and material resources. We advocate the adoption of innovative initiatives in the post-pandemic era to better include precarious older people in our localities and neighborhoods.

The current study investigates how physical distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with increased anxiety among a cohort of midlife older Black South African adults and the extent to which household size and virtual social contact modify this association for men and women.

We analyze data from a phone survey conducted from July 2021 to March 2022 as part of Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (n = 2,080). We employ logistic regression to estimate the association between changes in in-person social interactions and anxiety symptoms and examine whether the association is modified by household size and changes in virtual social contact. We perform analyses separately for women and men.

Declines in in-person social interactions were associated with increased anxiety for women and men (odds ratios [OR] = 2.52, p < .001). For women only, declines were greater for those living in larger households (OR = 1.11, p = .032). Declines were buffered by increased virtual social contact for both women (OR = 0.55, p = .025) and men (OR = 0.45, p = .019).

Although the anxiety symptoms of women and men were similarly affected by declines in in-person social interaction, the modifying influence of household size is unique to women, likely due to gender-specific social roles. For women, living in larger households may mean greater caregiving burden, exacerbating the detrimental association between physical distancing and anxiety. On the other hand, both women and men may have used virtual means to connect with friends and family living outside their homes, buffering against increased anxiety.

Social isolation is a risk factor for older adults' physical and psychological health. The beneficial effect of social connections in times of major health events is undeniable. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the positive effect of social support depends on the relationship type.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of older adults' living conditions on the risk of experiencing negative affect during the first lockdown and post-lockdown.

An epidemiological study conducted during the COVID-19 crisis, at the time of the first lockdown, and 2 to 3 months following the lockdown.

A subset sample of the PACOVID survey, a population-based survey of older adults.

Altogether, 277 participants were included into three groups depending on their living conditions: Group 1 "living alone" (n = 141); Group 2 "living with their spouse" (n = 106); Group 3 "living in cohabitation with relatives" (n = 30).

Mixed logistic regression analyses were used to study the change in the risk of experiencing negative affects over time according to the living conditions. The presence of negative affects during lockdown was assessed using three items from the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale : «Do you feel sad?»; «Do you feel depressed?; «Do you feel lonely?

Participants living with their relatives or partner were significantly less likely to experience negative affect than those living alone during lockdown. Moreover, over time, only those living with their spouse had this lesser risk compared to those living alone.

These findings highlight the protective effect of social support over time and more specifically of that provided by the spouse. Couple functioning ought to be given consideration when studying the impact of health crisis situation on the mental health of older adults.

With restricted face-to-face interactions, COVID-19 lockdowns and distancing measures tested the capability of computer-mediated communication to foster social contact and wellbeing. In a multinational sample (n = 6436), we investigated how different modes of contact related to wellbeing during the pandemic. Computer-mediated communication was more common than face-to-face, and its use was influenced by COVID-19 death rates, more so than state stringency measures. Despite its legal and health threats, face-to-face contact was still positively associated with wellbeing, and messaging apps had a negative association. Perceived household vulnerability to COVID-19 reduced the positive effect of face-to-face communication on wellbeing, but surprisingly, people's own vulnerability did not. Computer-mediated communication was particularly negatively associated with the wellbeing of young and empathetic people. Findings show people endeavored to remain socially connected, yet however, maintain a physical distance, despite the tangible costs to their wellbeing.

This study examines the relationship between individual-level social capital and compliance attitudes toward health protective measures in the context of COVID-19. We drew on secondary population-based data fielded during the pandemic's initial phase (April - June of 2020). The analytic sample consists of 9124 older American adults (ages 55 and over) across 18 U.S. States and Metropolitan Statistical Areas. We estimated mixed-effects models with random intercepts and slopes. People who are better socially connected are more willing to comply with anti-pandemic government intervention. This relationship is stronger among those who are more psychologically distressed. Its magnitude also increases in more densely populated areas and places with higher numbers of coronavirus infection. Older Americans' anti-coronavirus compliance attitudes is significantly driven by preexisting interpersonal connectedness and civic engagement. The role of social capital is also contingent on the existing levels of risk factor (threat and vulnerability).

People tend to limit social contacts during times of increased health risks, leading to disruption of social networks thus changing the course of epidemics. To what extent, however, do people show such avoidance reactions? To test the predictions and assumptions of an agent-based model on the feedback loop between avoidance behavior, social networks, and disease spread, we conducted a large-scale (2,879 participants) incentivized experiment. The experiment rewards maintaining social relations and structures, and penalizes acquiring infections. We find that disease avoidance dominates networking decisions, despite relatively low penalties for infections; and that participants use more sophisticated strategies than expected (e.g., avoiding susceptible others with infectious neighbors), while they forget to maintain a beneficial network structure. Consequently, we observe low infection numbers, but also deterioration of network positions. These results imply that the focus on a more obvious signal (i.e., infection) may lead to unwanted side effects (i.e., loss of social cohesion).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide implemented nonpharmaceutical lockdown policies to mitigate the impact of the virus. The effectiveness of these policies depended on public support, and they came with serious consequences for the population. Given that people's perceptions can influence their support for lockdown policies, we aimed to elicit perceptions of policy stringency among people in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom in early 2021 as part of the European Covid Survey. We examined the extent to which objective measures of policy stringency and other factors were associated with these perceptions, focusing on disadvantaged populations. We found that objective measures of stringency did not accurately capture the impact of lockdown policies on people. Moreover, we found that socioeconomically disadvantaged people perceived policies as stricter than did less disadvantaged people and that trust in information sources greatly influenced such perceptions. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding factors influencing policy perception to help policy makers develop more effective and equitable infection containment strategies.

the mental health of students was particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study therefore examined the relationships between anxiety and depressive symptoms, eating-related problems, coping, fear of COVID-19, and intolerance of uncertainty.

2139 French students of 54 universities were recruited in the different regions of France during a French lockdown (between 21 April and 3 May 2021). Six variables were measured: fear of COVID-19, intolerance of uncertainty, coping, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and eating-related problems. To explore the directions of the relationships between our variables of interest, we calculated a directed acyclic graph.

our data highlighted the central roles of intolerance of uncertainty in students' anxiety and depressive symptoms, and the direct role of prospective intolerance of uncertainty on eating-related problems.

these findings indicate that intolerance of uncertainty should be targeted by interventions designed to help students with high levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and/or eating-related problems.

Objectives: To explore the impacts of psychological character strengths, self-efficacy, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on residential satisfaction at the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: To achieve the study aim, we collected data from 281 observations from Xiangyang City, China, via an online survey. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Results: Character strengths and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases significantly impacted residential satisfaction. While self-efficacy did not directly impact residential satisfaction, it moderated the relationship between the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and residential satisfaction. The control variables of social trust and shared value positively impacted residential satisfaction, and their influence on residential satisfaction was higher than that of character strengths. The sociodemographic variables of marriage, age, educational attainment, and housing area per capita also impacted residential satisfaction significantly. However, strong ties and weak ties became insignificant variables due to social distancing strategies. Conclusion: The study findings offer insights for local governments to enhance residential satisfaction in the community to avoid social panic during unpredictable threats or future pandemics.

We examine the relationship between social isolation, poor health behaviors, and the perceived worsening of older adults' health behaviors following the coronavirus outbreak. We assess the extent to which psychological pathways mediate the relationship between social isolation and worsening health behaviors.

Drawing on data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project Round 3 (2015) and its coronavirus immune disease 2019 (COVID-19) substudy (2020; N = 2,549), we use generalized linear models to explore how indicators of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic-infrequent in-person contact with friends and family in 2020 and decreased in-person contact with friends and family since COVID-19 started-are associated with (1) poor health behaviors (low physical activity, drinks per week, smoking, and poor sleep) in 2020 and (2) perceived worsening of health behaviors (reports of decreased physical activity, increased drinking and smoking, and feeling less rested) since the pandemic started.

Infrequent in-person contact was not associated with poor health behaviors. Decreases in in-person contact, on the other hand, were associated with worsening health behaviors. Older adults who reported decreases in in-person contact were more likely to perceive a decrease in physical activity, an increase in drinking, and feeling less rested. Emotional well-being, particularly loneliness compared to anxiety or depressive feelings, partially mediated the relationship between perceived worsening of health behaviors and a decrease in in-person contact with friends, and to a lesser extent, with family.

Our study suggests that in-person contact may play a distinct role in shaping older adults' well-being during the pandemic.

Despite the advances in understanding the complex association between functional abilities and mental health in old age, studies have overlooked two important aspects. First, traditionally, research has employed cross-sectional designs, measuring limitations at a single time point. Second, most gerontological studies on this field have been conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic onset. This study aims to explore the association between diverse long-term functional ability trajectories across late adulthood and old age, and older people's mental health in Chile, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset.

We use data from the population-representative and longitudinal 'Chilean Social Protection Survey', sequence analysis to reconstruct functional ability trajectory types from 2004 to 2018, and bivariate and multivariate analyses to measure their association with depressive symptoms in early 2020 (N = 891) and late 2020 (N = 672). We analyzed four age groups defined by their age at baseline (2004): people aged 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, and 61-65.

Our findings indicate that erratic or equivocal patterns of functional limitations across time (with people transiting back and forth between low and high levels of limitations) show the worst mental health outcomes, both before and after the pandemic onset. Prevalence of people with depression increased after the COVID-19 onset in most groups, being particularly high among those with previous equivocal functional ability trajectories.

The relationship between functional ability trajectories and mental health calls for a new paradigm, moving away from age as the main policy guide, and highlighting the need to adopt strategies to improve population-level functional status as an efficient policy to address the challenges of population aging.

To examine potential deteriorations in mental health and well-being in the first COVID-19 pandemic year compared with the previous decade focusing on the following vulnerable subgroups in Germany: women with minor children in the household, those living without a partner, younger and older adults, those in a precarious labour market situation, immigrants and refugees, and those with pre-existing physical or mental health risks.

Analyses of secondary longitudinal survey data using cluster-robust pooled ordinary least squares models.

More than 20 000 individuals (aged 16+ years) in Germany.

Mental Component Summary Scale (MCS) of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey measuring mental health-related quality of life, single item on life satisfaction (LS).

We find a decline in the average MCS in the 2020 survey that is not particularly striking in the overall time course, still resulting in a mean score below those of all preceding waves since 2010. We find no change in LS from 2019 to 2020 against the background of a general upward trend. Regarding vulnerability factors, only the results on age and parenthood are partially in line with our expectations. In 2020, LS declined among the youngest adults; MCS declined among mothers (and women and men without children) but not fathers. Unlike respective comparison groups, refugees, those unemployed before the pandemic and those with pre-existing mental health risks experienced no MCS declines in 2020, whereas persons living without a partner, the eldest, and those with pre-existing health risks exhibited continued increases in LS.

There is no evidence for substantial breakdowns in mental health or subjective well-being in the first pandemic year in the German population or its subgroups, particularly when considering developments of the previous decade. Since the majority of hypothesised vulnerable groups to pandemic stressors showed more stable MCS and LS, our results warrant further study.

ObjectivesThis paper examines the longitudinal effects of changes in the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms during the pandemic among older adults (65+). Methods Baseline (2011-2015) and Follow-up 1 (2015-2018) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), and the Baseline and Exit waves of the CLSA COVID-19 study (April-December, 2020) (n = 12,469) were used. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale and depression using the CES_D- 9. Results Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms pre-pandemic; and changes in level of loneliness between FUP1 and the COVID Exit survey, adjusting for covariates. No interaction between loneliness and caregiving, and with multimorbidity, on depressive symptoms were observed, and several covariates exhibited associations with depressive symptoms. Discussion Strong support is found for an association between loneliness on depressive symptoms among older adults during the pandemic. Public health approaches addressing loneliness could reduce the burden of depression on older populations.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, government measures including social distancing and restrictions of social contacts were imposed to slow the spread of the virus. Since older adults are at increased risk of severe disease, they were particularly affected by these restrictions. These may negatively affect mental health by loneliness and social isolation, which constitute risk factors for depressiveness. We aimed to analyse the impact of perceived restriction due to government measures on depressive symptoms and investigated stress as mediator in an at-risk-population in Germany.

Data were collected in April 2020 from the population of the AgeWell.de-study, including individuals with a Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score ≥9, using the depression subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Feeling restricted due to COVID-19 government measures was surveyed with a standardized questionnaire. Stepwise multivariate regressions using zero-inflated negative binomial models were applied to analyse depressive symptoms, followed by a general structural equation model to assess stress as mediator. Analysis were controlled for sociodemographic factors as well as social support.

We analysed data from 810 older adults (mean age = 69.9, SD = 5). Feeling restricted due to COVID-19 government measures was linked to increased depressiveness (b = 0.19; p < 0.001). The association was no longer significant when adding stress and covariates (b = 0.04; p = 0.43), while stress was linked to increased depressive symptoms (b = 0.22; p < 0.001). A final model confirms the assumption that the feeling of restriction is mediated by stress (total effect: b = 0.26; p < 0.001).

We found evidence that feeling restricted due to COVID-19 government measures is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in older adults at increased risk for dementia. The association is mediated by perceived stress. Furthermore, social support was significantly associated with less depressive symptoms. Thus, it is of high relevance to consider possible adverse effects of government measures related to COVID-19 on mental health of older people.

Social prescription programs represent a viable solution to linking primary care patients to nonmedical community resources for improving patient well-being. However, their success depends on the integration of patient needs with local resources. This integration could be accelerated by digital tools that use expressive ontology to organize knowledge resources, thus enabling the seamless navigation of diverse community interventions and services tailored to the needs of individual users. This infrastructure bears particular relevance for older adults, who experience a range of social needs that impact their health, including social isolation and loneliness. An essential first step in enabling knowledge mobilization and the successful implementation of social prescription initiatives to meet the social needs of older adults is to incorporate the evidence-based academic literature on what works, with on-the-ground solutions in the community.

This study aims to integrate scientific evidence with on-the-ground knowledge to build a comprehensive list of intervention terms and keywords related to reducing social isolation and loneliness in older adults.

A meta-review was conducted using a search strategy combining terms related to older adult population, social isolation and loneliness, and study types relevant to reviews using 5 databases. Review extraction included intervention characteristics, outcomes (social [eg, loneliness, social isolation, and social support] or mental health [eg, psychological well-being, depression, and anxiety]), and effectiveness (reported as consistent, mixed, or not supported). Terms related to identified intervention types were extracted from the reviewed literature as well as descriptions of corresponding community services in Montréal, Canada, available from web-based regional, municipal, and community data sources.

The meta-review identified 11 intervention types addressing social isolation and loneliness in older adults by either increasing social interactions, providing instrumental support, promoting mental and physical well-being, or providing home and community care. Group-based social activities, support groups with educational elements, recreational activities, and training or use of information and communication technologies were the most effective in improving outcomes. Examples of most intervention types were found in community data sources. Terms derived from the literature that were the most commonly congruent with those describing existing community services were related to telehealth, recreational activities, and psychological therapy. However, several discrepancies were observed between review-based terms and those addressing the available services.

A range of interventions found to be effective at addressing social isolation and loneliness or their impact on mental health were identified from the literature, and many of these interventions were represented in services available to older residents in Montréal, Canada. However, different terms were occasionally used to describe or categorize similar services across data sources. Establishing an efficient means of identifying and structuring such sources is important to facilitate referrals and help-seeking behaviors of older adults and for strategic planning of resources.

Due to the results of the COVID-19 epidemic on health, the positive effect of social distancing has been highlighted. Nevertheless, the effect of housing layouts on resident's perceived behavioral control over social distancing in shared open spaces have been rarely investigated in the context of pandemic. Filling this gap, the current study examines the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on the relationship between social isolation and psychological distress. Data from 1349 women residing in 9 gated communities during the Iranian national lockdown were collected. The results of ANOVA indicate that there is a significant difference between various housing layouts in terms of residents' perceived behavioral control. Respondent in courtyard blocks layout reported higher perceived behavioral control over social distancing than in linear and freestanding blocks. The findings of structural equation modeling identified perceived behavioral control as a buffer against the effect of social isolation on psychological distress.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, life changed abruptly for older adults in Greece. Social isolation, lockdowns, the fear of serious illness and death, all contributed to an increased risk of developing depression.

To explore the presence and severity of depression in older adults in Greek provincial towns during the pandemic and to explore any possible relationships with loneliness and fear.

A convenience sample of 200 participants aged >65, completed a socio-demographic form, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Geriatric Depression-15 Scale (GDS-15) and the COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV-19S). Data were collected from April to May 2022.

The average age of participants was 76.6 years and 35.5% of the participants presented depressive symptoms (mean prevalenceof depression 5 ± 3.7). A moderate to low level of loneliness (mean value 39 ± 11.3) and a moderate level of COVID-19 fear (mean value 18.9 ± 6.5) were also experienced. Higher levels of loneliness were found among participants with lower perceived health status and among those participants registered in Primary Health and Social Care (PHSC) services. Loneliness was positively correlated with depression (r = 0.7, p < 0.001), and increased loneliness and depression were associated with an increase in fear of COVID-19 (r = 0.2, p = 0.01 for both).

During the pandemic, older adults experienced loneliness, fear of COVID-19 and depression which were positively associated with each other. It is imperative to develop PHSC policies that are aimed at addressing the mental health problems of the older population, which have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, through developing their resilience, offering psychological support and promoting social connections.

The period between the beginning and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency generated a general state of stress, affecting both the mental state and physical well-being of the general population. Stress is the body's reaction to events or stimuli perceived as potentially harmful or distressing. Particularly when prolonged over time, it can promote the consumption of different psychotropic substances such as alcohol, and thus the genesis of various pathologies. Therefore, our research aimed to evaluate the differences in alcohol consumption in a cohort of 640 video workers who carried out activities in smart working, subjects particularly exposed to stressful situations due to the stringent rules of protection and prevention implemented during the pandemic. Furthermore, based on the results obtained from the administration of the AUDIT-C, we wanted to analyse the different modes of alcohol consumption (low, moderate, high, severe) to understand whether there is a difference in the amount of alcohol consumed that could predispose individuals to health problems. To this end, we administered the AUDIT-C questionnaire in two periods (T₀ and T₁), coinciding with annual occupational health specialist visits. The results of the present research showed an increase in the number of subjects consuming alcohol (p = 0.0005) and in their AUDIT-C scores (p < 0.0001) over the period considered. A significant decrease in subgroups who drink in a low-risk (p = 0.0049) mode and an increase in those with high (p = 0.00012) and severe risk (p = 0.0002) were also detected. In addition, comparing the male and female populations, it emerged that males have drinking patterns that lead to a higher (p = 0.0067) health risk of experiencing alcohol-related diseases than female drinking patterns. Although this study provides further evidence of the negative impact of the stress generated by the pandemic emergency on alcohol consumption, the influence of many other factors cannot be ruled out. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between the pandemic and alcohol consumption, including the underlying factors and mechanisms driving changes in drinking behaviour, as well as potential interventions and support strategies to address alcohol-related harm during and after the pandemic.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected individuals' self-rated health (SRH) and social interactions, but their evolution during the pandemic needs further investigation. The present study addressed this issue using longitudinal data from 13,887 observations of 4177 individuals obtained from a four-wave nationwide, population-based survey conducted between January and February 2019 (before the pandemic) and November 2022. We compared the evolutions of SRH and social interactions during the pandemic between individuals who interacted with others before the pandemic and those who did not. Three noteworthy findings were obtained. First, deterioration in SRH in response to the declared state of emergency was concentrated on individuals with no pre-pandemic interaction with others. Second, SRH generally improved during the pandemic, although the improvement was more remarkable among previously isolated individuals. Third, the pandemic has promoted social interactions among previously isolated individuals and reduced such chances among those who previously interacted with others. These findings underscore the importance of pre-pandemic social interactions as key determinants of responding to pandemic-related shocks.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions have been a major stressor that has exacerbated mental health worldwide. Qualitative data play a unique role in documenting mental states through both language features and content. Text analysis methods can provide insights into the associations between language use and mental health and reveal relevant themes that emerge organically in open-ended responses.

The aim of this web-based longitudinal study on mental health during the early COVID-19 pandemic was to use text analysis methods to analyze free responses to the question, "Is there anything else you would like to tell us that might be important that we did not ask about?" Our goals were to determine whether individuals who responded to the item differed from nonresponders, to determine whether there were associations between language use and psychological status, and to characterize the content of responses and how responses changed over time.

A total of 3655 individuals enrolled in the study were asked to complete self-reported measures of mental health and COVID-19 pandemic-related questions every 2 weeks for 6 months. Of these 3655 participants, 2497 (68.32%) provided at least 1 free response (9741 total responses). We used various text analysis methods to measure the links between language use and mental health and to characterize response themes over the first year of the pandemic.

Response likelihood was influenced by demographic factors and health status: those who were male, Asian, Black, or Hispanic were less likely to respond, and the odds of responding increased with age and education as well as with a history of physical health conditions. Although mental health treatment history did not influence the overall likelihood of responding, it was associated with more negative sentiment, negative word use, and higher use of first-person singular pronouns. Responses were dynamically influenced by psychological status such that distress and loneliness were positively associated with an individual's likelihood to respond at a given time point and were associated with more negativity. Finally, the responses were negative in valence overall and exhibited fluctuations linked with external events. The responses covered a variety of topics, with the most common being mental health and emotion, social or physical distancing, and policy and government.

Our results identify trends in language use during the first year of the pandemic and suggest that both the content of responses and overall sentiments are linked to mental health.

Although childbirth services were accessible after COVID-19 outbreak, the measures taken by the Italian Government for contagion containment required some restrictions on the presence of trusted persons for mothers, forcing them to isolation during hospitalization. To preserve companionship, the Regional Health Authority of Tuscany issued a resolution providing partners with the possibility to be present during labour and childbirth for non-asymptomatic women.

In this study, we: 1) analyse the impact of pandemic on companionship in terms of significant reduction of the possibility for women to be accompanied by a trusted person during labour and childbirth; and 2) ascertain if the regional resolution issued was effective in containing the reduction of companionship.

We performed an interrupted time series analysis to measure the variation of the possibility for women to be accompanied by a trusted person during labour and childbirth, in response to formalization of lock-down due to COVID-19 outbreak and the introduction of the regional resolution aimed at contrasting negative effects on companionship.

The ITS analysis showed that there was a significant decrease in the women-reported experience of companionship in the month of the formalization of lock-down, namely March 2020, followed by a slight increase in the upcoming months. A trend reversal was observed after May 2020, when the regional resolution was fully operational.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a leading cause of stress and feelings of loss of control, both of which have been related to eating disorder (ED) pathology onset and deterioration. We aim to estimate the magnitude of changes in the prevalence rates of, and indicators for, ED psychopathology in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pre-registered systematic review with frequentist and Bayesian meta-analyses. Searches for eligible studies were performed in PubMed, Web of Science and pre-print servers until January 15 2023.

Our searches yielded 46 eligible studies reporting on a total of 4,688,559 subjects. These data provide strong evidence indicating increased rates of diagnosed and self-reported ED's and a concordant increased need for care in the face of the pandemic. ED symptom severity scores in patients were not elevated during the pandemic, except for those related to anorexia nervosa. On average, people in the general population report relatively high levels of emotional and binge eating during the pandemic, although the evidential strength for these associations is only anecdotal to moderate. Moderators of between-study heterogeneity were not detected.

Altogether, our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a wide spread negative effect on ED pathology in patient samples and the general population. The development of online prevention and intervention programs for EDs during stressful times like a pandemic is encouraged. A limitation is that the results reported here may be prone to biases, amongst others, self-report bias.

Level I, systematic review and meta-analysis.

Prospero [ https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero ] ID: CRD42022316105.

Digital technologies were implemented to address the disruption of long-term care facility residents' socialization needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A literature review regarding this topic is needed to inform public policy, facility managers, family caregivers, and nurses and allied health professionals involved in mediating the use of digital devices for residents' social ties.

Our study outlines key concepts, methodologies, results, issues, and gaps in articles published during pandemic-related visitation restrictions.

Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) protocol, a scoping review was conducted by searching 3 database aggregator platforms (EBSCO, ProQuest, and PubMed) for studies published in peer-reviewed journals from early 2020 to the end of June 2021, when the most stringent restrictions were in place. We included qualitative and quantitative studies, reviews, commentaries, viewpoints, and letters to the editors in French or English focusing on digital technologies aiming to support the social contact of residents in long-term care facilities during pandemic-related visitation restrictions.

Among 763 screened articles, 29 met our selection criteria. For each study, we characterized the (1) authors, title, and date of the publication; (2) country of the first author; (3) research fields; (4) article type; and (5) type of technology mentioned. The analysis distinguished 3 main themes emerging from the literature: (1) impact and expectations of remote social contact on the physical and mental health and well-being of the residents (n=12), (2) with whom or what the social contact took place (n=17), and (3) limitations and barriers to significant social contact related to digital technologies (n=14). The results first underlined the highly positive impact expected by the authors of the digital technologies on health and quality of life of residents of long-term care facilities. Second, they highlighted the plurality of ties to consider, since social contact takes place not only with family caregivers to maintain contact but also for other purposes (end-of-life videoconferences) and with other types of contact (eg, with staff and robots). Third, they exposed the limitations and barriers to significant contact using digital technologies and outlined the required conditions to enable them.

The review demonstrated the opportunities and risks outlined by the literature about the implementation of digital technologies to support remote social contact. It showed the plurality of ties to consider and revealed the need to evaluate the positive impact of remote contact from the residents' perspectives. Therefore, to go beyond the risk of digital solutionism, there is a need for studies considering the holistic impact on health regarding the implementation of digital technologies, including the meaning residents give to interpersonal exchanges and the organizational constraints.

OSF Registries osf.io/yhpx3; https://osf.io/yhpx3.

At times of turmoil, such as during disasters, social crises, or pandemics, our social bonds can be key to receiving support and gaining certainty about the right course of action. In an analysis combining two global datasets (N = 13,264) collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examined how social bonds with close social circles (i.e., family and friends) and extended groups (i.e., country, government, and humanity) relate to engagement in health behaviors and psychological well-being. Results revealed that only family bonding was associated with self-reported engagement in health behaviors. Being strongly bonded with both close circles and extended groups predicted less anxiety and depression and better well-being, particularly for those who were bonded with more groups. These findings highlight that close and extended social bonds offer different sources of support and direction during the most challenging of circumstances and that continuous investment is needed to forge and maintain both.

Despite the potential detrimental consequences for individuals' health and discrimination from covid-19 symptoms, the outcomes have received little attention. This study examines the relationships between having personally experienced discrimination based on the symptoms of covid-19 (during the first wave of the pandemic), mental health, and emotional responses (anger and sadness). It was predicted that covid-19 discrimination would be positively related to poor mental health and that this relationship would be mediated by the emotions of anger and sadness.

The study was conducted using an online questionnaire from January to June 2020 (the Covistress network; including 44 countries). Participants were extracted from the COVISTRESS database (Ntotal = 280) with about a half declaring having been discriminated due to covid-19 symptoms (N = 135). Discriminated participants were compared to non-discriminated participants using ANOVA. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effect of emotional responses and the relationships between perceived discrimination and self-reported mental health.

The results indicated that individuals who experienced discrimination based on the symptoms of covid-19 had poorer mental health and experienced more anger and sadness. The relationship between covid-19 personal discrimination and mental health disappeared when the emotions of anger and sadness were statistically controlled for. The indirect effects for both anger and sadness were statistically significant.

This study suggests that the covid-19 pandemic may have generated discriminatory behaviors toward those suspected of having symptoms and that this is related to poorer mental health via anger and sadness.

Lockdowns introduced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic have had a significant impact on societies from an economic, psychological, and health perspective. This paper presents estimations of their impact on well-being, understood both from the perspective of mental health and considering economic security and similar factors. This is not an easy task because well-being is influenced by numerous factors and the changes happen dynamically. Moreover, there are some obstacles when using the control group. However, other studies show that in certain cases it is possible to approximate selected phenomena with Google search queries data. Secondly, the econometric issues related to the suitable modeling of such a problem can be solved, for example, by using Bayesian methods. In particular, herein the recently gaining in popularity Bayesian structural time series and Bayesian dynamic mixture models are used. Indeed, these methods have not been used in social sciences extensively. However, in the fields where they have been used, they have been very efficient. Especially, they are useful when short time series are analyzed and when there are many variables that potentially have a significant explanatory impact on the response variable. Finally, 15 culturally different and geographically widely scattered countries are analyzed (i.e., Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). Little evidence of any substantial changes in the Internet search intensity on terms connected with negative aspects of well-being and mental health issues is found. For example, in Mexico, some evidence of a decrease in well-being after lockdown was found. However, in Italy, there was weak evidence of an increase in well-being. Nevertheless, the Bayesian structural time series method has been found to fit the data most accurately. Indeed, it was found to be a superior method for causal analysis over the commonly used difference-in-differences method or Bayesian dynamic mixture models.