Article
Development Studies
Luisito Bertinelli, Clotilde Mahe, Eric Strobl
Summary: Earthquakes can have negative impacts on mental health due to fear and stress caused by economic and human losses. However, they can also lead to improved mental health in affected communities due to increased social cohesion. This study examines the short-term effects of earthquakes on various mental health outcomes in Ecuador, using a combination of hospital admissions, death records, survey data, and measures of local seismic activity. The findings show that damaging earthquakes decrease hospital admissions, the number of days of hospitalization for mental and behavioral disorders, and suicide rates. Nationally-representative surveys also suggest an increase in life satisfaction, trust, and religious observance, which may explain the decrease in hospital admissions and suicides after an earthquake.
Article
Psychiatry
Ben Beaglehole, Joseph M. Boden, Caroline Bell, Roger T. Mulder, Bhubaneswor Dhakal, L. John Horwood
Summary: This article reports the long-term associations between exposure to the Canterbury earthquakes and common mental disorders. The study found that there was a linear trend towards increasing rates of disorder with increasing exposure to the earthquakes. The impact of the earthquakes on mental health persisted 7 years after their onset, but the magnitude of the effects had decreased over time.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kathryn M. Abel, Matthew J. Carr, Darren M. Ashcroft, Trudie Chalder, Carolyn A. Chew-Graham, Holly Hope, Navneet Kapur, Sally McManus, Sarah Steeg, Roger T. Webb, Matthias Pierce
Summary: This study found that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of fatigue and sleep problems. However, results from the negative control analysis suggest that unobserved confounding may be responsible for at least some of the positive association between COVID-19 and psychiatric morbidity.
Article
Psychiatry
Celeste Burness, Carla Corbet, Kebede Beyene, Caitlin Webby, Charlotte Nankivell, Patrick Cabasag, Kinita Hari, Allen Fraser, Sarah Gray, Jeff Harrison, Amy Hai Yan Chan
Summary: The study found a high prevalence of high-dose antipsychotic prescribing and antipsychotic polypharmacy in mental health service users in New Zealand. Factors associated with high-dose antipsychotic prescribing include being male, Māori, on compulsory treatment, having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and polypharmacy.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael D. Hu, Kaitlyn G. Lawrence, Melanie Gall, Christopher T. Emrich, Mark R. Bodkin, W. Braxton Jackson, Nathaniel MacNell, Richard K. Kwok, Lawrence S. Engel, Dale P. Sandler
Summary: This study examined the impact of experiencing multiple disasters on mental health among residents of the US Gulf Coast. The results showed that disaster burden was associated with mental health outcomes, with measures such as the total count of loss events being positively correlated with perceived stress.
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shahzain Hasan, Mujeeb U. Shad
Summary: The study investigated the dispensing of psychotropic medications in Karachi, Pakistan, and found that most pharmacies do not require a physician's prescription to dispense medications. Moreover, the qualifications of pharmacy staff were inadequate, leading to a lack of awareness regarding the abuse potential of psychotropic medications.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Vineeta Thapa, Shubham Pathak, Nishita Pathak
Summary: This study focuses on the adverse psychosocial impacts of the Gorkha earthquake in 2015 in Nepal, revealing negative effects on social structure and mental health, including higher rates of suicide, physical abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), aggression among males, and uncertainty faced by the affected population. The absence of government support and assistance exacerbated the overall psychosocial impact on the victims.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Shivani Patel, Gerry Craigen, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Becky Inkster
Summary: Digital social prescription refers to the concept of facilitating social prescriptions through technology. The study identified the main strength of digital social prescription tools as rapid start-up and cost-effectiveness, while the main weaknesses were low adherence and usability challenges. Opportunities of digital social prescriptions include increased access to social prescription services, while threats involve certain groups being disadvantaged, potential negative consequences for patients, and issues related to confidentiality and data protection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rui Zhang, Sheng Xu, Ruidong Sun
Summary: Based on data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies, this study investigates the causal relationship between natural disasters and household debt using ordinary least squares and propensity score matching. The findings suggest that natural disasters not only increase the probability of households owning debt but also have a significant positive impact on the number of household debt. Heterogeneity analysis shows that natural disasters have a greater impact on families with large sizes and high-consumption levels, and household income and individual's health are potential mechanisms through which natural disasters affect household debt.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Economics
Tial Len Par, Gi Khan Ten, Ju-Ho Lee
Summary: This paper investigates the long-term effects of early-life exposure to natural disasters on health and educational outcomes, finding that individuals exposed to earthquakes are more likely to have difficulties in various activities and experience lower educational attainment. The study highlights the importance of timely disaster management in addressing early-life roots of unequal opportunities.
JOURNAL OF ASIAN ECONOMICS
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Matthew Cooper, Leah Avery, Jason Scott, Kirsten Ashley, Cara Jordan, Linda Errington, Darren Flynn
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and main components of social prescribing interventions targeting mental health and well-being outcomes in the UK. The systematic review found significant improvements in the outcomes reported in the studies, but robust conclusions on the effectiveness of social prescribing for mental health-related outcomes cannot be made. Future research should focus on comprehensive intervention developmental processes, appropriate theory references, long-term follow-up outcome assessment, treatment fidelity strategies, and a focus on the principle of person-centred care.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Senai Mihreteab Siele, Nuru Abdu, Mismay Ghebrehiwet, M. Raouf Hamed, Eyasu H. Tesfamariam
Summary: The rational use of medicine is crucial for quality healthcare, but it is often not followed in many healthcare settings, especially in developing countries. This study evaluated the rational use of medicine in Eritrean hospitals based on WHO/INRUD core drug use indicators. The results showed that most indicators were not fulfilled by the hospitals.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shaoyong Wu, Rui Zhang, Chuncao Wang, Dawei Feng
Summary: Examining the impact of natural disasters on rural household wealth, this study analyzed data from the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) using multiple linear regression and propensity score matching methods. The findings showed that natural disasters have a significant negative impact on rural household wealth in the medium-to long-term. Heterogeneity analysis indicated that natural disasters have a greater effect on the wealth of larger households and households with high-consumption levels, while mechanism results suggest that natural disasters affect rural household wealth by reducing household income and harming individual's physical and mental health.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
William P. Ball, Corri Black, Sharon Gordon, Barbala Ostrovska, Shantini Paranjothy, Adelene Rasalam, David Ritchie, Helen Rowlands, Magdalena Rzewuska, Elaine Thompson, Katie Wilde, Jessica E. Butler
Summary: One in eight children in the United Kingdom are estimated to have a mental health condition, but many do not receive support or treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health and disrupted care. Boys receive double the prescriptions compared to girls, and the most deprived areas have double the prescribing rate. The increase in mental health prescriptions and changes in referrals align with emerging evidence of increasing poor mental health.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aki Nikolaidis, Diana Paksarian, Lindsay Alexander, Jacob Derosa, Julia Dunn, Dylan M. Nielson, Irene Droney, Minji Kang, Ioanna Douka, Evelyn Bromet, Michael Milham, Argyris Stringaris, Kathleen R. Merikangas
Summary: The study indicates that pre-existing mood states, perceived COVID risk, and lifestyle changes are strongly linked to negative mood states during the pandemic, showing predictive power for mental health in adults and parents reporting on their children.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
