Background: The purpose of this report is to examine to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic affected pre-existing trends in mental health, with a focus on subgroup differences across age, gender and socioeconomic status.
Methods: Our analysis uses data from two survey periods (HUNT4: 2017-2019 and HUNT-COVID: 2021-2023) from the Trøndelag Health Study in Norway. We estimate overall and stratified (by age, sex and educational attainment) prevalence values for above-threshold (≥8) anxiety and depression scores using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For each outcome, we compare prevalences between HUNT-4 and HUNT-Covid within each subgroup.
Results: Above-threshold levels of anxiety were higher among women than men, while the opposite was true for depression. Symptoms generally decrease with age. Between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID, for both women and men, anxiety symptoms decreased (except among women between 18-29 and 30-39) while depression symptoms increased (except for individuals over 80). Anxiety symptoms decreased across education levels between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID while depression symptoms increased across education levels.
Conclusion: The findings illustrate the negative long-term effects of a shock such as a pandemic while also illustrating the potential positive effects of generous welfare benefits on inequalities in mental health.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222626 | DOI Listing |
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Background: The inheritance of the short allele, encoding the serotonin transporter (SERT) in humans, increases susceptibility to neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders, with aging and female sex further exacerbating these conditions. Both central and peripheral mechanisms of the compromised serotonin (5-HT) system play crucial roles in this context. Previous studies on SERT-deficient (Sert) mice, which model human SERT deficiency, have demonstrated emotional and metabolic disturbances, exacerbated by exposure to a high-fat Western diet (WD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
The Key Laboratory of Model Animals and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University Health Science Center, 410013 Changsha, Hunan, China.
Background: α thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) serves as a part of the sucrose nonfermenting 2 (SNF2) chromatin-remodeling complex. In interphase, ATRX localizes to pericentromeric heterochromatin, contributing to DNA double-strand break repair, DNA replication, and telomere maintenance. During mitosis, most ATRX proteins are removed from chromosomal arms, leaving a pool near the centromere region in mammalian cells, which is critical for accurate chromosome congression and sister chromatid cohesion protection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Stroke J
January 2025
Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Background: We aimed to assess impairments on health-related quality of life, and mental health resulting from Retinal artery occlusion (RAO) with monocular visual field loss and posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PCIS) with full or partial hemianopia using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
Methods: In a prospective study, consecutive patients with acute RAO on fundoscopy and PCIS on imaging were recruited during their surveillance on a stroke unit over a period of 15 months. Baseline characteristics were determined from medical records and interviews.
Subst Use Misuse
January 2025
Defense Personnel and Security Research Center, Peraton, Seaside, California, USA.
Background: This study investigated relationships between low-income adolescent drinkers' frequent alcohol use and five factors: social disorganization, social structural, social integration, mental health, and access to healthcare.
Objective: A sample of 1,256 low-income adolescent drinkers and caregivers were extracted from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study.
Results: Logistic regression yielded results showing adolescent drinkers' weekly drinking to be associated positively with Hispanic adolescents, drinking peers, adolescents' depression/anxiety, and caregiver's daily drinking.
Nurs Leadersh (Tor Ont)
June 2025
Clinical Practice Leader Corporate Interprofessional Practice Lakeridge Health Durham Region, ON.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare represents a paradigm shift with the potential to enhance patient care and streamline clinical operations. This commentary explores the Canadian perspective on key organizational considerations for nurse executives, emphasizing the critical role they play in fostering the establishment of AI governance structures and advancing the front-line adoption of AI in nursing practice. The discussion delves into five domains of consideration, analyzing recent developments and implications for nursing executives.
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