A hidden pandemic? An umbrella review of global evidence on mental health in the time of COVID-19.

Background: The mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic remain a public health concern. High quality synthesis of extensive global literature is needed to quantify this impact and identify factors associated with adverse outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a rigorous umbrella review with meta-review and present (a) pooled prevalence of probable depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress, (b) standardised mean difference in probable depression and anxiety pre-versus-during the pandemic period, and (c) comprehensive narrative synthesis of factors associated with poorer outcomes.

Enhanced supported living for people with severe and persistent mental health problems: A qualitative investigation.

Supported living has been shown to improve functioning and social inclusion in people with severe and persistent mental health problems, reduce hospitalisation and provide secure accommodation in a population where housing needs are often unmet. Conversely, living in supported accommodation has been depicted by some as depersonalising, marginalising and an ordeal to survive. Discussions regarding housing and support often lack a thorough consideration of individual experiences, with a reliance on quantitative surveys.

Do we all experience loneliness the same way? Lessons from a pilot study measuring loneliness among people with lived experience of homelessness.

Loneliness research has tended to focus on mainstream and older populations despite evidence that non-mainstream groups, like those experiencing homelessness, may experience loneliness differently. Limited existing research indicates that (a) people who have been homeless experience loneliness as multidimensional (as a pluralistic, non-unidimensional emotion, experienced specific to lacked relationships) and (b) mainstream loneliness scales may be inappropriate for this group. The current study piloted and appraised the feasibility the short version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S) among 129 Australian adults with a lived experience of homelessness.