Search Results (1,539)

Background/Objectives: Men have historically contributed significantly to mental health nursing, particularly in inpatient settings, where their presence has supported patient recovery and safety. Despite this legacy, men remain under-represented in the nursing workforce, and addressing this imbalance is critical to workforce sustainability. This study offers a novel contribution by exploring the lived experiences, motivations, and professional identities of men in mental health nursing, an area that has received limited empirical attention. The aim of the study is to examine the characteristics, qualities, and attributes of mental health nurses who are male, which contributes to their attraction to and retention within the profession. Methods: A qualitative interpretive inquiry was conducted among nurses who were male and either currently or previously employed in mental health settings. Two focus groups were conducted using semi-structured questions to explore their career pathways, motivations, professional identities, and perceived contributions. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and patterns in their narratives. Results: Seven participants, with 10–30 years of experience, participated. They had entered the profession through diverse pathways, expressing strong alignment between personal values and professional roles. Five themes emerged and centred on mental health being the heart of health, personal and professional fulfillment, camaraderie and teamwork, a profound respect for individuals and compassion, and overcoming and enjoying the challenge. Conclusions: Mental health nurses who are male bring unique contributions to the profession, embodying compassion, resilience, and ethical advocacy. Their experiences challenge traditional gender norms and redefine masculinity in health care. Fostering inclusive environments, mentorship, and leadership opportunities is essential to support their growth. These insights inform strategies to strengthen recruitment, retention, and the future of mental health nursing. Full article

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remains significantly underdiagnosed in women, resulting in a persistent gender gap with important clinical, functional, and psychosocial implications. This narrative review explores the multifactorial barriers contributing to diagnostic disparities, including the male-oriented structure of current diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of co-occurring psychiatric conditions, and the phenomenon of social camouflaging shaped by culturally reinforced gender norms. These factors frequently lead to delayed identification, clinical misinterpretation, and suboptimal care. The review synthesizes evidence from clinical, psychological, and sociocultural research to demonstrate how the under-recognition of ASD in women impacts mental health outcomes, access to education, occupational stability, and overall quality of life. Special emphasis is placed on the consequences of missed or late diagnoses for healthcare delivery and the educational needs of clinicians involved in ASD assessment and care. This article concludes with actionable, evidence-based recommendations for enhancing diagnostic sensitivity, developing gender-responsive screening strategies, and integrating training on female autism presentation into medical and allied health education. Addressing these challenges is essential to reducing diagnostic inequities and ensuring timely, accurate, and person-centered care for autistic women throughout their lifespan. Full article

The global Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to the urgency of addressing entrenched structural dynamics such as racialization, gender, and colonization shaping health inequities for diverse racialized people. Canadian community-based research with racialized immigrant women recognized the need to enhance service provider capacity using a strengths-based activism approach to support client health and wellbeing. In this study, we aimed to understand the impacts of this mental health promotion practice on service providers and strategies to support them. Through purposeful convenience sampling, three focus groups were completed with 19 service providers working in settlement and mental health services in Toronto, Canada. Participants represented varied ethnicities and work experiences; most self-identified as female and racialized, with experiences living as immigrant women in Canada. Postcolonial feminist and critical mental health promotion analysis illuminated organizational and structural dynamics contributing to burnout and vicarious trauma that necessitate a focus on trauma- and violence-informed care. Transformative narratives reflected service provider resilience and activism, which aligned with and challenged mainstream biomedical approaches to mental health promotion. Implications include employing a postcolonial feminist lens to identify meaningful and comprehensive anti-oppression strategies that take colonialism, racialization, gender, and ableism and their intersections into account to decolonize nursing practices. Promoting health equity for diverse racialized women necessitates focused attention and multilevel anti-oppression strategies aligned with critical mental health promotion practices. Full article

Social anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern among college students, often intensified by academic and interpersonal pressures on campus. This study investigated the relationship between physical activity, loneliness, and social anxiety among college students, aiming to examine the mediating role of loneliness in the process of physical activity affecting social anxiety, as well as the moderating role of gender in this mediating effect. A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data on physical activity levels, loneliness, and social anxiety were collected through questionnaires completed by 638 students at a university in China. This study conducted a single-factor Harman test, descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and independent-samples t-tests, and it modeled the moderated mediation effect. The results showed that physical activity was significantly and negatively correlated with both loneliness and social anxiety. Loneliness played a mediating role in the influence of physical activity on social anxiety, and this mediating effect was moderated by gender, being more pronounced in the female group. This study concluded that physical activity can help alleviate social anxiety, but the mechanism involving the reduction of loneliness is more apparent in women, indicating the need to consider gender differences when developing interventions, as there may be other, more significant reasons for men. Full article

Background/Objectives: Feigning spectrum behavior (FSB) is the exaggeration, fabrication, or false imputation of symptoms. It occurs in compensable injury with great cost to society by way of loss of productivity and excessive costs. The aim of this study is to identify feigning by developing cut scores on the long and short forms (SF) of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPSQ and OMPSQ-SF) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS and PSS-4). Methods: As part of pre-screening for a support program, 40 injured workers who had been certified unfit for work for more than 2 weeks were screened once with the OMPSQ and PSS by telephone by a mental health professional. A control sample comprised of 40 non-injured community members were screened by a mental health professional on four occasions under different aliases, twice responding genuinely and twice simulating an injury. Results: Differences between the workplace injured people and the community sample were compared using ANCOVA with age and gender as covariates, and then receiver operator characteristics (ROCs) were calculated. The OMPSQ and OMPSQ-SF discriminated (ρ < 0.001) between all conditions. All measures discriminated between the simulation condition and workplace injured people (ρ < 0.001). Intraclass correlation demonstrated the PSS, PSS-4, OMPSQ, and OMPSQ-SF were reliable (ρ < 0.001). Area Under the Curve (AUC) was 0.750 for OMPSQ and 0.835 for OMPSQ-SF for work-injured versus simulators. Conclusions: The measures discriminated between injured and non-injured people and non-injured people instructed to simulate injury. Non-injured simulators produced similar scores when they had multiple exposures to the test materials, showing the uniformity of feigning spectrum behavior on these measures. The OMPSQ-SF has adequate discriminant validity and sensitivity to feigning spectrum behavior, making it optimal for telephone screening in clinical practice. Full article

Burnout syndrome is a growing concern in higher education, affecting the psychological well-being and performance of university professors. This systematic review presents a narrative synthesis of findings from quantitative studies on sociodemographic and psychosocial determinants of academic burnout. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, sixty peer-reviewed articles published between Jan 2019 and May 2024 were selected from Scopus and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria required validated psychometric instruments and exclusive focus on university faculty. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and CASP checklist. Data from approximately 43,639 academic staff were analyzed. Key risk factors identified include excessive workload, lack of institutional support, and workplace conflict. In contrast, collegial support, participative leadership, and job satisfaction functioned as protective elements. Variables such as age, gender, academic rank, and employment stability significantly influenced burnout vulnerability. While general patterns were observed across studies, differences in design and sampling require caution in generalization. The evidence supports the implementation of integrated strategies encompassing mental health programs, workload regulation, participatory governance, and culturally responsive approaches. These findings inform the development of institutional policies aimed at preventing burnout and fostering academic well-being. Future research should adopt longitudinal and cross-cultural designs to further explore burnout trajectories and support educational reform. Full article

Background: Amid growing concerns about climate crisis and its psychological toll, understanding how people find meaning through their connection to nature is increasingly important. The first aim of this study is to examine the association between Nature Relatedness (NR) and Meaning in Life (MIL). The second aim is to investigate if gender moderates this association and to explore how Jewish traditions influence gender differences in this relationship. Methods: A multi-methods design was employed. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling of prominent Jewish community figures, followed by snowball sampling via informant referrals. Thirty-five participants completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and the NR Scale. Two questions provided qualitative insights into participants’ personal interpretations and culturally grounded meanings of NR and MIL in the context of climate change and Jewish traditions. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses assessed the main effects of NR and gender, as well as their interaction, on MLQ subscales. NR positively correlated with the MLQ Search dimension, indicating that individuals with stronger NR actively seek meaning in life. Gender moderated this relationship: NR did not correlate with MLQ Presence overall, but higher NR was linked to greater MIL presence among female participants. Thematic analysis of qualitative responses revealed gender-based variations and emphasized the role of Jewish teachings in connecting NR to cultural and religious practices. Conclusions: The findings point to the importance of cultural, religious, and gender factors in shaping the relationship between NR and MIL in a time of climate change crisis, offering implications for positive mental health research and culturally sensitive interventions. Full article

The rapidly changing dynamics of the digital age reshape the addiction relationship that high school students establish with technology. While smartphones remove boundaries in terms of communication and access to information, their usage triggers a source of anxiety and nomophobia. The increase in students’ anxiety levels because of their over-reliance on mobile phone use leads to significant behavioral changes in their mental health, academic performance, social interactions and financial dependency. This study examined the nomophobia levels of high school students according to selected socio-demographic indicators. Using the relational screening model, the multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 884 participants: 388 from Science High School and 496 from Anatolian High School (459 female, 425 male, Mage = 16.45 ± 1.14 year). Independent sample test and One-way ANOVA were applied. Depending on the homogeneity assumption of the data, Welch values were considered, and Tukey tests were applied as a second-level test from post hoc analyses. Comprehensive analyses of nomophobia levels revealed that young individuals’ attitudes towards digital technology differ significantly according to their demographic and behavioral characteristics. Variables such as gender, physical activity participation, grade level and duration of smartphone use are among the main factors affecting nomophobia levels. Female individuals and students who do not participate in physical activity exhibit higher nomophobia scores. Full article

Background: Emotional abuse is both prevalent and underrecognized particularly in culturally complex settings like India. Adolescents, being in a critical developmental phase, are especially vulnerable to the long-lasting psychological effects of emotional abuse. This qualitative literature review aims to synthesize findings from primary studies that explore the lived experiences of emotional abuse among Indian adolescents and identify emerging patterns across sociocultural contexts. Method: Electronic databases, including DOAJ, Google Scholar, ProQuest, JSTOR, Pubmed, PsycNet, and SCOPUS, were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English up to March 2025. Inclusion criteria comprised qualitative or mixed-methods research focusing on emotional abuse among adolescents aged 12–20 in Indian contexts. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used for quality assessment. Results: Five major thematic domains were identified across the included studies: (1) Family as a primary site of emotional abuse; (2) Gendered experiences of abuse; (3) Cultural normalization and silence; (4) Psychological and emotional consequences; and (5) Coping and resilience among adolescents. These themes reflect shared experiences of emotional abuse shaped by cultural, familial, and gender-based expectations. Conclusions: This review highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and culturally sensitive interventions addressing emotional abuse in Indian adolescents. The findings suggest that parents, educators, and policymakers must recognize emotionally harmful behaviors and implement prevention-oriented strategies, particularly through non-violent communication and adolescent mental health support frameworks. Full article

Sustainable education requires addressing the challenges posed by digital transformation, including technostress among university students. This study evaluates technostress levels in higher education through the validation of the TS4US scale and its implications for sustainable learning environments. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 328 university students from four districts in Lima, Peru, using an online survey to measure technostress. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the psychometric properties of the TS4US scale, resulting in a refined model with two latent factors and thirteen validated items. Findings indicate that 28% of students experience high technostress levels, while 5% report very high levels, though no significant associations were found between technostress and sociodemographic variables such as campus location, employment status, gender, and academic level. The TS4US instrument had been previously validated in Chile; this study confirms its structure in a new sociocultural context, reinforcing its cross-cultural applicability. These results highlight the need for sustainable strategies to mitigate technostress in higher education, including institutional support, digital literacy programs, and policies fostering a balanced technological environment. Addressing technostress is essential for promoting sustainable education (SDG4) and enhancing student well-being (SDG3). This study directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 4 (Quality Education) by providing validated tools and evidence-based recommendations to promote mental health and equitable access to digital education in Latin America. Future research should explore cross-country comparisons and targeted interventions, including digital well-being initiatives and adaptive learning strategies, to ensure a resilient and sustainable academic ecosystem. Full article

Introduction: Congestive heart failure (CHF), a complex clinical syndrome characterized by the heart’s inability to pump blood effectively due to structural or functional impairments, is a growing public health concern, with profound implications for patients’ physical and emotional well-being. In India, the burden of CHF is rising due to aging demographics and increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related risk factors. Among the subtypes of CHF, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), i.e., heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction of ≥50% with evidence of spontaneous or provokable increased left ventricular filling pressure, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), i.e., heart failure with left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or less and is accompanied by progressive left ventricular dilatation and adverse cardiac remodeling, may present differing impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), i.e., an individual’s or a group’s perceived physical and mental health over time, yet comparative data remains limited. This study assesses HRQoL among CHF patients using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), one of the most widely used health-related quality of life questionnaires for patients with heart failure based on physical and emotional dimensions and identifies sociodemographic and clinical variables influencing these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 233 CHF patients receiving inpatient and outpatient care at the Department of Cardiology at a quaternary care teaching hospital in coastal Karnataka in India. Participants were enrolled using convenience sampling. HRQoL was evaluated through the MLHFQ, while sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded via a structured proforma. Statistical analyses included descriptive measures, independent t-test, Spearman’s correlation and stepwise multivariable linear regression to identify associations and predictors. Results: The mean HRQoL score was 56.5 ± 6.05, reflecting a moderate to high symptom burden. Patients with HFpEF reported significantly worse HRQoL (mean score: 61.4 ± 3.94) than those with HFrEF (52.9 ± 4.64; p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.95). A significant positive correlation was observed between HRQoL scores and age (r = 0.428; p < 0.001), indicating that older individuals experienced a higher burden of symptoms. HRQoL also varied significantly across NYHA functional classes (χ² = 69.9, p < 0.001, ε² = 0.301) and employment groups (χ² = 17.0, p < 0.001), with further differences noted by education level, gender and marital status (p < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression identified age (B = 0.311, p < 0.001) and gender (B = –4.591, p < 0.001) as significant predictors of poorer HRQoL. Discussion: The findings indicate that patients with HFpEF experience significantly poorer HRQoL than those with HFrEF. Older adults and female patients reported greater symptom burden, underscoring the importance of demographic-sensitive care approaches. These results highlight the need for routine integration of HRQoL assessment into clinical practice and the development of comprehensive, personalized interventions addressing both physical and emotional health dimensions, especially for vulnerable subgroups. Conclusions: CHF patients, especially those with HFpEF, face reduced HRQoL. Key factors include age, gender, education, employment, marital status, and NYHA class, underscoring the need for patient-centered care. Full article

Background: The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represents an important public health challenge, especially among education workers, whose intense routine can negatively impact eating habits. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with the regular consumption of UPF among employees of the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific and Technological Education (RFEPCT) in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, carried out with 1563 education workers. Validated instruments on eating habits (PeNSE), mental health (DASS-21) and quality of life (WHOQOL-bref) were used. The regular consumption of UPF was defined as intake on ≥5 days in the last seven days. The association between the regular consumption of UPF and sociodemographic, occupational, behavioral, mental health and quality of life variables was assessed by Poisson regression with robust variance, generating adjusted prevalence ratios (PRadj) and respective 95% confidence intervals. Results: The regular consumption of UPF was associated mainly with female gender, a lower age group, Southeast and Midwest regions, dissatisfaction with sleep and the body, physical inactivity and poor sleep quality. In addition, the findings suggested a significant relationship between the worst stress scores and soft drinks (PRadj: 2.11; CI: 1.43–3.13), anxiety and soft drinks (PRadj: 1.83; CI: 1.24–2.70) and depression and industrialized/ultra-processed salty foods (PRadj: 2.43; CI: 1.82–3.26). The same was observed in the scores for the worst perception of quality of life, where there was a prevalence of up to 2.32 in the psychological domain and the consumption of industrialized/ultra-processed salty foods. Conclusions: The findings indicate that multiple interrelated factors—individual, psychosocial and occupational—are associated with the consumption of UPF among education workers. These results reinforce the importance of institutional policies that integrate actions to promote dietary health, mental health care and improved working conditions in the education sector. Full article

The mental and physical health of college students, especially in urban environments like Shanghai, is crucial given the high academic and urban stressors, which were intensified by the COVID-19 lockdown. Prior research has shown gender differences in health impacts during public health crises, with females often more vulnerable to mental health issues. Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the physical and psychological health of Chinese college students post-lockdown, focusing on the relationship between stress, anxiety, depression, sleep patterns, and physical health, with a particular emphasis on gender differences. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 116 students in Shanghai, utilizing psychological scales (HAMA, IPAQ, PSQI, SDS, FS 14, PSS, SF-36) and physical fitness tests (resting heart rate, blood pressure, hand grip, forced vital capacity, standing long jump, sit-and-reach, one-minute sit-up test and the one-minute squat test, single-leg stand test with eyes closed), to analyze health and behavior during the pandemic lockdown. All students have undergone the same life habits during the pandemic. Results: The HAMA scores indicated no significant levels of physical or mental anxiety. The PSS results (42.45 ± 8.93) reflected a high overall stress level. Furthermore, the PSQI scores (5.4 ± 2.91) suggested that the participants experienced mild insomnia. The IPAQ scores indicated higher levels of job-related activity (1261.49 ± 2144.58), transportation activity (1253.65 ± 987.57), walking intensity (1580.78 ± 1412.20), and moderate-intensity activity (1353.03 ± 1675.27) among college students following the lockdown. Hand grip strength (right) (p = 0.001), sit-and-reach test (p = 0.001), standing long jump (p = 0.001), and HAMA total score (p = 0.033) showed significant differences between males and females. Three principal components were identified in males: HAMA, FS14, and PSQI, explaining a total variance of 70.473%. Similarly, three principal components were extracted in females: HAMA, PSQI, and FS14, explaining a total variance of 69.100%. Conclusions: Our study underscores the complex interplay between physical activity (PA), mental health, and quality of life, emphasizing the need for gender-specific interventions. The persistent high stress, poor sleep quality, and reduced PA levels call for a reorganized teaching schedule to enhance student well-being without increasing academic pressure. Full article

Background: Overtime adversely affects physical and mental health, contributing to irritability, anxiety, reduced sleep, and even cardiovascular issues, ultimately lowering care quality and increasing turnover intentions. This study aimed to investigate whether prolonged overtime increases the risk of occupational burnout over time among healthcare workers. Methods: We conducted a four-year longitudinal observational study using secondary data from annual surveys (2021–2024) of healthcare workers at a medical university hospital in Taichung, Taiwan. Burnout was assessed using the personal burnout (PB) scale from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), with high PB levels (HPBL) defined as scores in the upper quartile of the 2021 baseline. Survival analysis utilizing the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression investigated burnout progression and the effects of overtime. Results: HPBL was defined as PB scores ≥45.83 (upper quartile in 2021). The proportions of HPBL were 30.28% (2021), 33.29% (2022), 36.75% (2023), and 32.51% (2024). Survival analysis confirmed that the risk of burnout increased over time, with the survival time estimated at 2.50 ± 0.03 years and lower survival probabilities observed among participants working overtime (Log-rank test, p < 0.0001). Multivariate logistics revealed overtime work, female gender, being a physician/nurse, and reduced sleep as independent risk factors for HPBL (OR = 3.14 for overtime, p < 0.001). These findings support the hypotheses on burnout progression and the impact of overtime. Conclusions: Overtime significantly heightens the risk of burnout, which worsens over time. Female sex, healthcare roles, obesity, and insufficient sleep are additional risk factors. Limiting overtime and proactive interventions are crucial to preventing burnout in healthcare workers. Full article

Background/Objectives: The rapid ageing of the European population presents growing challenges for mental health, highlighting the need to identify factors that can prevent or delay psychological decline and promote a higher quality of life in later life. This study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive overview of mental health among older adults in Europe by examining the prevalence of depressive symptoms and identifying key associated factors. Methods: We analysed data from individuals (n = 45,601) aged 65 years and older across 27 European countries and Israel who participated in Wave 9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). This study assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms, which were evaluated using the EURO-D scale (score range: 0–12), with a cut-off of ≥4 indicating clinically relevant symptoms. It also explored associations with sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, behavioural factors, social participation, internet skills and living conditions. Results: Our findings confirm that depressive symptoms remain highly prevalent among older adults in Europe, with 35.1% of women and 21.5% of men affected, reflecting persistent gender disparities in mental health. Depression in later life was significantly associated with poor physical health, loneliness and lower quality of life. Conversely, moderate involvement in grandchild care and in social participation emerged as potential protective factors. Conclusions: Late-life depression has substantial implications for both mental and physical well-being. Our findings suggest that social integration, gender related factors and physical health are closely associated with depressive symptoms in older adults. These associations highlight the importance of considering these domains when designing interventions and policies aimed at promoting mental health in ageing populations. Full article