Addressing the COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis: A Perspective on Using Interdisciplinary Universal Interventions

Przybylko, Geraldine; Morton, Darren; Renfrew, Melanie

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644337

Cited by 14 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Nevertheless, more studies are required to assess the effectiveness of these interventions. Furthermore, universal digital mental health interventions are crucial to address the mental health of the population during lockdown and other restrictions [ 31 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies found that mental health interventions and support programs have improved mental health of the participants during medical crises [28][29][30]. Psychological, psychiatric, education and other interventions either in person or online have improved the mental health of individuals during COVID-19, Ebola, and SARS pandemics [29][30][31]. Nevertheless, more studies are required to assess the effectiveness of these interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, universal digital mental health interventions are crucial to address the mental health of the population during lockdown and other restrictions [31].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

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COVID-19 related psychological distress and fears among mothers and pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

et al. 2021

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Objectives This study objectives were to investigate maternal psychological distress, mothers’ fear of their children contracting COVID-19, mothers’ perceptions of the information available regarding children and COVID-19, changes in children’s behavior during lockdown, and concerns of pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study surveyed women aged 18 years and older who either had children under 10 years of age or were pregnant at the time of the survey. The outcomes included psychological distress, mothers’ fear of their children contracting COVID-19, change in children’s behaviors during COVID-19 lockdown and pregnant women’s concerns. Multivariable ordinary least squares regression models were employed to examine the adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and psychological distress, as well as fear of COVID-19. Results Of 628 women, 11.8% (n = 74) were pregnant at the time of survey. Most of the pregnant women (89.2%, n = 66) had some degree of concerns about their unborn babies getting infected during delivery in the hospital. Among mothers of children under 10 years of age (n = 564), half (n = 282) reported change in their children’s behavior during the lockdown. Most mothers and pregnant women (94.9%, n = 569) had some degree of psychological distress. Mothers and pregnant women with a college degree had significantly lower psychological distress (β = -1.346; p = 0.014) than women with a high school education or less. Similarly, mothers and pregnant women with monthly family income ≥ US$ 1,333 had lower psychological distress than those with < US$ 1,333. Women with pre-existing chronic physical (β = 2.424; p < 0.001) or mental (β = 4.733; p < 0.001) conditions had higher psychological distress than those without these conditions. Having children in the house was a contributory factor for higher psychological distress. For example, mothers with one child (β = 2.602; p = 0.007) had significantly higher psychological distress compared to expectant mothers without children in the house. Conclusions Most mothers and expectant mothers in our study had moderate to high levels of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Saudi Arabia. Education, family income and chronic mental and physical conditions were associated with high psychological distress in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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COVID-19 related psychological distress and fears among mothers and pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

et al. 2021

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“…However, Tan et al [ 69 ] asserts that the impact of small effect sizes can be large when translated to a population level. Hence, digital interdisciplinary MHPIs provide a potential strategy to deliver low-cost and scalable interventions to build the psychological resilience of an individual to help them cope with the adversities experienced in life [ 70 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Gender and Age on the Outcomes of and Adherence to a Digital Interdisciplinary Mental Health Promotion Intervention in an Australasian Nonclinical Setting: Cohort Study

Przybylko¹,

Morton²,

Morton³

et al. 2021

JMIR Ment Health

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Background The global prevalence of mental health disorders is at a crisis point, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, prompting calls for the development of digital interdisciplinary mental health promotion interventions (MHPIs) for nonclinical cohorts. However, the influence of gender and age on the outcomes of and adherence to MHPIs is not well understood. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the influence of gender and age on the outcomes of and adherence to a 10-week digital interdisciplinary MHPI that integrates strategies from positive psychology and lifestyle medicine and utilizes persuasive systems design (PSD) principles in a nonclinical setting. Methods This study involved 488 participants who completed the digital interdisciplinary MHPI. Participants completed a pre and postintervention questionnaire that used: (1) the “mental health” and “vitality” subscales from the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey; (2) the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and (3) Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWL). Adherence to the digital interdisciplinary MHPI was measured by the number of educational videos the participants viewed and the extent to which they engaged in experiential challenge activities offered as part of the program. Results On average, the participants (N=488; mean age 47.1 years, SD 14.1; 77.5% women) demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all mental health and well-being outcome measures, and a significant gender and age interaction was observed. Women tended to experience greater improvements than men in the mental health and well-being measures, and older men experienced greater improvements than younger men in the mental health and vitality subscales. Multiple analysis of variance results of the adherence measures indicated a significant difference for age but not gender. No statistically significant interaction between gender and age was observed for adherence measures. Conclusions Digital interdisciplinary MHPIs that utilize PSD principles can improve the mental health and well-being of nonclinical cohorts, regardless of gender or age. Hence, there may be a benefit in utilizing PSD principles to develop universal MHPIs such as that employed in this study, which can be used across gender and age groups. Future research should examine which PSD principles optimize universal digital interdisciplinary MHPIs. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619000993190; http://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377889 and Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001009101; http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12619001009101.aspx

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“…As such, they are non-clinical, directed at entire populations, and they usually seek to address generic mental health risk and protective factors (Huppert, 2009;Purtle et al, 2019). Even though each psychological wellbeing intervention has its unique focus, they generally aim to promote mental wellness and often to destigmatise mental disorders through a combination of psychoeducation and focused content (Przybylko et al, 2021). In this way, psychological well-being approaches are much broader and less intensive than specialised mental health treatments.…”

Section: Psychological Well-being Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing, Co-Designing and Testing a New Approach in Digital Mental Health for Young Adolescents: Match Emoji, a Casual Video Game Adapted for Mental Health and Well-Being

Pine¹

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BackgroundAlthough mental health and well-being treatments for adolescents exist, many who would benefit from these supports do not access them due to attitudinal and structural barriers, including stigma and cost. Digital mental health interventions address some of these barriers but have often had poor reach and retention in real-world settings. In this research, I explore a new mechanism that has received little attention to date. Specifically, I examined the potential of casual video games to enhance mental health and well-being among young adolescents. I undertook a stepwise series of studies exploring existing literature, establishing interest from young adolescents and adult stakeholders, and developing and testing Match Emoji, a casual video game adapted to enhance mental health and well-being. Methods 1. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2009 to 2020 was carried out on the effects of casual video games on anxiety, depression, stress, and low mood. 2. An exploratory study using focus groups, workshops and brief presentations followed by open text forms was completed with young adolescents (13-to-15-years-olds) attending one of seven local primary or secondary schools. 3. Teachers and health professionals, including psychologists, social workers, and counsellors from across New Zealand, took part in an anonymous online survey to explore their opinions on adolescent mental health, digital mental health interventions and casual video games. 4. The development and design of Match Emoji, a casual video game adapted to enhance mental health and well-being, was documented. 5. A pilot study of Match Emoji was carried out with young adolescents (12-to-15-years-olds) from two New Zealand secondary schools and one intermediate school. Pre- and post-intervention mental health and well-being measures (Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, General Help-Seeking Questionnaire, Flourishing Scale and Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale) and semi-structured interviews were used to estimate the acceptability and therapeutic potential of Match Emoji. ResultsFrom the 13 studies identified in the systematic literature review, 12 reported promising effects of casual video games on anxiety, depression, stress, and low mood (Study One). Among the 207 young adolescents who participated in the focus groups, workshops, and presentations, 91% reported playing casual video games at least once a week. Many participants reported playing these games to relieve stress, feel relaxed and become less bored. Overall, most participants were interested in the idea of casual video games adapted for mental health and well-being purposes and provided key recommendations, such as including brief mental health content, appealing colours and engaging game mechanisms (Study Two). In total, 98 teachers and health professionals took part in the online survey. Many participants shared similar views about the advantages of using digital mental health tools, including improving young people's access to mental health supports. A small number of participants were cautious about digital approaches, including using CVGs to deliver mental health and well-being content. However, given the importance of adolescent mental health, participants were open to novel ideas to address this challenge (Study Three). Among the 45 young adolescents who participated in a pilot study of Match Emoji, 71% (32/45) of participants reported playing the game after an 8-week follow-up, and participants reported some therapeutic benefits across the assessments after the completion of the study, with a significant difference found on the RCADS (P=.049) (Study Four). ConclusionA casual video game adapted to deliver mental health and well-being messaging represents a promising approach to support young adolescents' psychological well-being. It is important to explore the affordances of casual video games and exploit target-users current technology strategies.

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Addressing the COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis: A Perspective on Using Interdisciplinary Universal Interventions

Cited by 14 publications

References 102 publications

COVID-19 related psychological distress and fears among mothers and pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

COVID-19 related psychological distress and fears among mothers and pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

The Influence of Gender and Age on the Outcomes of and Adherence to a Digital Interdisciplinary Mental Health Promotion Intervention in an Australasian Nonclinical Setting: Cohort Study

Developing, Co-Designing and Testing a New Approach in Digital Mental Health for Young Adolescents: Match Emoji, a Casual Video Game Adapted for Mental Health and Well-Being

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