No description available.

The COVID-19 pandemic left no one unaffected as it spread across the world and changed the lives of billions of people. The pandemic has not only resulted in physical sickness and death, but also increased mental health issues due to fear, uncertainty, and social isolation. This review aimed to investigate whether mindfulness interventions can decrease symptoms of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout, and increase symptoms of mental well-being, such as psychological well-being, during the pandemic. All studies included in this thesis used different mindfulness interventions and different self-report measures to evaluate various mental health aspects, such as psychological flexibility, tolerance of uncertainty, empathy, self-compassion, and more. Statistically significant improvements in mental health were observed across all studies and is further supported by existing literature on mental health and mindfulness meditation and interventions.

Humanitarian workers often operate in high-risk environments, including warzones, environmental disasters, and outbreaks of infectious diseases, amongst others. Research shows that the mental health of any worker is affected when exposed to high levels of negative stress for some time. Stress management and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) are, on the other hand, used to counteract stress and the consequences of stressors. The aim of the study was to find out if MHPSS is different for international and national humanitarian workers within the investigated organizations and how the implementation of stress management, a vital part of MHPSS, can benefit the well-being of humanitarian workers. The author conducted the information for the research through semi-structured interviews with psychologists working with MHPSS of humanitarian staff in three organizations: IOM, ICRC, and MSF. The results were analyzed through the lenses of preventative stress management, a concept combining both organizational and individual approaches to stress management. The findings displayed a difference in accessing MHPSS because of stigma and awareness regarding mental health. Increased awareness granted more access for humanitarian personnel to MHPSS and increased their demands for more resources. The results of implemented interventions in the organizations showed favorable results. Therefore, the conclusion proclaimed the importance of continuing to raise awareness of mental well-being for all humanitarian staff since knowledge and a positive attitude towards stress management increase the possibility of enhancing the well-being of the humanitarian workers.

The rapid growth of technology, including video games and mobile phones, has raised concerns about addiction and mental health. This study explores the feasibility of using the game Medieval Dynasty to alleviate mental stress. Through a literature review and empirical research, the paper examines the game's potential for stress reduction and psychological wellbeing. By analyzing data and observations from play sessions, this study highlights the benefits and limitations of the Medieval Dynasty as a stress management tool. The findings reveal that the game can reduce stress for some individuals but may evoke boredom or elevated stress in others. These findings contribute to understanding video games and stress reduction, offering insights for improving psychological well-being. Practical recommendations are provided for integrating the Medieval Dynasty into stress management strategies, emphasizing the importance of individual differences and preferences. This research underscores the potential of video games to promote psychological well-being and stress reduction. Understanding the complexities of using video games for stress management enables tailored interventions to enhance mental health outcomes in the digital era. Further research is needed to explore other factors influencing the game's effectiveness, such as game mechanics and gaming preferences.

Background: refugee children are children who have lost their homes, families, neighborhoods, and lifestyle routines and have moved to another country. They are at risk of mental health problems due to the traumatic experiences and stressors. 9 in 10 refugee children live in refugee camps in low and middle-income countries which have limited access to resources, services, and better living conditions. Four themes were identified as factors promoting children’s mental health in refugee camps. Positive relationships, education, access to health care services, and community support Methods: 274 articles were identified for this studying using the same search strings on all 5 selected databases (PsyINFO, Psychology database, Scopus, Pubmed, Sociological Abstract) 108 duplicates were removed, and the abstract and title screen was done for 166 articles. only 25 articles went through the full-text screening using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. 7 articles were finally included in this study. Results: Results indicated that children feel happy, safe, and secure, and expressed positive behaviors when they are surrounded by quality family and peer relationships when they can have access to educational opportunities, and when they have a supportive and engaging community that provide them resources and recreational activities.

Yes / Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on delivery of social support services. This might be expected to particularly affect older adults and people living with dementia (PLWD), and to reduce their well- being. Aims: To explore how social support service use by older adults, carers and PLWD, and their mental well-being changed over the first 3 months since the pandemic outbreak. Methods: Unpaid dementia carers, PLWD and older adults took part in a longitudinal online or telephone survey collected between April and May 2020, and at two subsequent timepoints 6 and 12 weeks after baseline. Participants were asked about their social support service usage in a typical week prior to the pandemic (at baseline), and in the past week at each of the three timepoints. They also completed measures of levels of depression, anxiety and mental well-being. Results: 377 participants had complete data at all three timepoints. Social support service usage dropped shortly after lockdown measures were imposed at timepoint 1 (T1), to then increase again by T3. The access to paid care was least affected by COVID-19. Cases of anxiety dropped significantly across the study period, while cases of depression rose. Well-being increased significantly for older adults and PLWD from T1 to T3. Conclusions: Access to social support services has been significantly affected by the pandemic, which is starting to recover slowly. With mental well-being differently affected across groups, support needs to be put in place to maintain better well-being across those vulnerable groups during the ongoing pandemic. / University of Liverpool COVID-19 Strategic Research Fund, National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast, The University of Bradford QR Research Fund / Research Development Fund Publication Prize Award winner, Jan 2021.

No description available.

Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the concentration of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline in the blood, thus contributing to overall well-being. The aim of this thesis is to collect data of a selected sample of the population about their well-being and at the same time-frequency of hardening and find out the possible connection. 39 students from the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of South Bohemia participated in the study of hardening in the age range 19 - 25 years. The probands were divided into experimental and control groups. For about 3 months, 26 probands were hardened by cold showers. Data on the structure of the mental status of probands were obtained using the SUPOS questionnaire before and after the hardening period. Based on this analysis, it was found, that the experimental group showed a higher degree of well-being, with a simultaneous decline in impulsiveness, psychological unrest and anxiety expectations and fears, but statistically inconclusive. The positive influence of hardening of the organism on human well-being cannot be confirmed by the conclusion of this thesis.

Background: The relation between work motivation and well-being are relatively well theoretically entrenched, but few studies have been conducted on nurses within psychiatry. Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the differences in intrinsic work motivation (autonomy, competence, relatedness), mental health and burnout between young (≤40 years) and older (>40 years) nurses employed in psychiatry. Method: The study was an observational study with a cross-sectional design and group comparisons, conducted as a survey. The sample constituted of 60 employed nurses. Chi2 analysis, ANOVA, t-test and linear regression analyses were conducted in SPSS (22,0). Result: Nurses had a relatively high intrinsic work motivation. Autonomy (M = 4,73) was estimated significantly lowest. Moreover, autonomy was estimated significantly higher in the younger (M = 5,02, SD = 0,77) than in the older (M = 4,55, SD = 0,81) group. There was a significant relationship between competence and mental well-being in both groups and a significant relationship between competence and burnout in the older group. Conclusion: The study showed that there were differences in how older and younger nurses reported motivation. Thus, in order to improve mental health among nurses it is necessary to focus on competence development in the work.

Tidigare forskning har visat att arbetet i olika aspekter har stor betydelse för människans psykiska välmående. Vi valde att undersöka hur det är att ha varit utanför arbetsmarknaden och att sedan arbeta i ett socialt företag. Syftet med studien var att skapa en förståelse kring vilka behov arbetet uppfyller samt vilken betydelse ett socialt företag har för en individ. Hur upplever individer den period de var arbetslösa? Uppfyller det sociala företaget något särskilt behov för individen? Det teoretiska ramverk vi använde oss av i studien var; den latenta deprivationsmodellen, humanitärt arbete samt inklusion/exklusion. Vårt empiriska material samlades in genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med individer som varit utan arbete men som idag arbetar i ett socialt företag. Här har informanternas upplevelser varit i fokus för att fånga deras unika berättelser. Resultatet visar att informanterna mådde psykiskt dåligt tiden de var utan arbete men att de idag mår bättre som en effekt av att arbetet uppfyller flera väsentliga behov för att en individ ska känna ett psykiskt välmående. Det framgick även att medbestämmande och delaktighet, som är ledord för arbetsförhållandena på det sociala företaget, spelar en stor roll för individens mående i positiv bemärkelse. / Previous research has shown that the work in various aspects is of great importance for human mental well-being. We have chosen to examine how it is to have been unemployed and then to get a job in a social enterprise. The purpose of the study was to create an understanding of the needs that work contributes to and what the importance of social enterprise is for an individual. How have individuals experienced their unemployment? Do social enterprises fulfill any particular needs for the individual? The theoretical framework we use in the study is; the latent deprivation model, humanitarian work and inclusion/exclusion. Our empirical material was gathered through seven semi-structured interviews with individuals who have been unemployed but are currently working in a social enterprise. Through these interviews, we have been able to capture the experiences of the seven individuals and focused on their unique stories. The result have shown that the informants felt mentally ill at the time they were without work, but because work satisfies several essential needs they feel much better today. Co-determination and involvement are key words for the working conditions in social enterprises, which played a major role for the individuals’ positive well-being.