Self-perceptions of aging, physical activity, and depressive symptoms in older community residents with varied neighborhood walkability in Taiwan.

Background: Prior research has identified the mediating effect of physical activity in the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and physical health. However, this impact on mental health is unknown, and the influence of environmental contexts proposed by ecological models in this regard remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of physical activity in the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and depressive symptoms in older adults, and compare the impact across four levels of neighborhood walkability.

Challenging mental illness stigma in healthcare professionals and students: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: Stigma among healthcare professionals may lead to poor quality of healthcare services for patients with mental illness. This study conducts a network meta-analysis to estimate the relative efficacy between different types of anti-stigma interventions for healthcare professionals.

Design: Network meta-analysis.

Mental Health Literacy in Healthcare Students: An Expansion of the Mental Health Literacy Scale.

Objective: Although the recently developed mental health literacy scale showed significant score differences between general population and mental health professionals, to this date there is no published scale intended to specifically assess mental health literacy (MHL) in healthcare students. This study constructed a 26-item scale-based measure to assess multiple components of MHL and associated psychometric properties in a sample of medical and public health students of 11 universities in Taiwan.

Methods: The development and validation of the scale comprised three phases: measure development, pilot testing (n = 32), and psychometric properties examination (n = 1294).

Changes in Attitudes toward Mental Illness in Healthcare Professionals and Students.

Mental-illness-related stigma not only exists in the public but also in healthcare systems. Healthcare providers (HCPs) who have stigmatizing attitudes or behaviors might be thought of as a key barrier to mental health service use, and influence the quality of healthcare. Although cumulative projects have been conducted to reduce stigma related to mental illness among HCPs around the world, little is known about whether the attitudes of HCPs toward mental illness have changed over time.

Effects of Acupressure on Sleep Quality and Psychological Distress in Nursing Home Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of acupressure with sham acupressure in older-adult nursing home residents presenting with poor sleep quality and psychological distress.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

Setting And Participants: Sixty-two nursing home residents with poor sleep quality and psychological distress participated in this study.