Publications by authors named "M J Virtanen"

Background: While many environmental exposures in childhood have been associated with later risk of mental disorders, less is known about whether cumulative early-life exposure to ambient temperature could be relevant to later mental health. We combined high-resolution meteorological data with individual-level data from Finnish nationwide registers to investigate associations of childhood ambient temperature exposure with subsequent mental disorders.

Methods: The cohort included 578 067 Finnish individuals born in 1990-1999.

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Background: Regular physical activity is recommended for all aged 5 years and older, but the health benefits gained might differ across population subgroups. The aim of this study was to examine these benefits in terms of years lived free from major non-communicable diseases in subgroups with varying levels of risk factors.

Methods: Our analysis was based on a multicohort study of initially healthy European adults from the IPD-Work Consortium and initially healthy participants from the UK Biobank study.

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We conducted the first validation of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) in Finnish. DASS-21 is a short public domain questionnaire, which presents a way to quickly and effectively screen for mental ill health. We recruited two large samples, one aged 24-45 ( = 3,101 [2,488 women]), and the other aged 60-82 ( = 5,462 [4,473 women]), all employees of the city of Helsinki at inclusion (2017 and 2000-2002).

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Background: Mental disorders are a major public health challenge, and their prevalence is globally increasing. They substantially affect work ability, quality of life, and the number of years of disability. A new model for referring psychiatric patients to occupational health services (OHS) aims to improve the continuity of care and to promote the early return to work (RTW) of workers with diagnosed mental health conditions.

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