Search Results (4,772)

Background: Parenting is increasingly recognized as a highly demanding and stressful role that, in the absence of sufficient resources, may lead to parental burnout (PB). This risk may be particularly pronounced in the Russian context, where limited access to childcare for children under three and reduced extended family support coincide with strong social expectations of intensive parenting. Although PB and maternal depression frequently co-occur, it remains unclear whether PB exerts a unique influence on child development, especially during toddlerhood. The present study examined the association between PB and behavioral problems in children aged 1.5 to 4 years while controlling for maternal depression assessed both during the first year postpartum and concurrently with PB. Methods: Using a longitudinal design, maternal mental health was assessed within the first 12 months postpartum (Stage 1) and again at follow-up (Stage 2), on average 2.24 years later, in 419 Russian mother–child dyads. Mothers completed measures of postpartum depression (PPD) (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), current depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II), and PB (Parental Burnout Inventory). Child emotional and behavioral problems were assessed at Stage 2 using the Russian version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1½–5). Results: Mothers of children with borderline/clinically significant internalizing, externalizing, and total problems had significantly higher PB, PPD, and present maternal depressive symptoms, although the effect sizes were small. PB was strongly associated with all domains of child behavioral problems, also after correction for both postpartum and present depressive symptoms, as well as for other important covariates. Higher maternal PB symptoms further increased the odds of children having borderline/clinically significant internalizing and externalizing problems, although those effects were not independent of maternal depression. In turn, neither postpartum nor present maternal depressive symptoms were associated with any of the child behavioral problems domains. Conclusions: PB represents a distinct and clinically relevant risk factor for emotional and behavioral problems in toddlers, beyond the effects of maternal postpartum or present depression, in a context characterized by high caregiving demands and limited institutional support. These findings highlight an urgent need for programs aimed at identifying and supporting families in which parents experience high levels of exhaustion, regardless of whether they meet the criteria for other diagnosable mental health disorders. Addressing PB during toddlerhood may be critical for protecting both parental well-being and early child development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity is a multifactorial condition and a major public health challenge. Conventional treatment centers on caloric restriction, which is often unsustainable and may cause stigma and psychoemotional harm. This study aimed to describe the methodology and assess the effects of a multicomponent nutritional intervention not focused on caloric restriction on psychoemotional outcomes. Women were selected as the target population because of the higher prevalence of obesity-related psychoemotional distress, body dissatisfaction, and weight-related stigma in this group, as well as their greater vulnerability to the psychosocial impacts of weight-focused interventions. Methods: This randomised, parallel, open-label trial included 89 obese women from primary care in Viçosa, Brazil. The participants were allocated into three groups: Group 1 (Control), which received a personalised hypocaloric diet (from 500 to 1000 kcal/day); Group 2 (NutrirCom (NutrirCom is a multicomponent, person-centred nutritional intervention protocol that is not focused on caloric restriction, conceived by a group of researchers at the Federal University of Viçosa for the care of women with obesity in Primary Health Care. It integrates nutritional, psychoemotional, behavioural, and social strategies, with an emphasis on promoting eating autonomy, mental health, and quality of life through a humanised, integrated, and sustainable approach, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of health care delivery and clinical practice)), which received 10 individual NutrirCom-based sessions; and Group 3 (NutrirCom + Social Support), which combined individual NutrirCom sessions with monthly group meetings for social support. Randomisation was stratified by body mass index via Excel^® with concealed allocation. The six-month intervention assessed changes in stress, anxiety, depression, and self-compassion, along with anthropometric and metabolic markers. Results: All groups presented reductions in waist circumference, fasting glucose, and total body fat, with increased lean mass. Anxiety remained unchanged in Group 1 but decreased significantly in Groups 2 (p = 0.002) and 3 (p = 0.005). Only Group 2 showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms (p = 0.023). Self-compassion improved significantly in groups 2 and 3. Conclusions: NutrirCom is a low-cost, scalable, and human-centered intervention that integrates emotional, social, and nutritional aspects of care. This approach shows promise as a sustainable strategy for obesity treatment in primary health care. Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) (no. RBR-87wb8x5). Full article

Background: Burnout is a syndrome resulting from long-term, unmanaged work-related stress. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Serbian versions of BAT among fifth-year medical students at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Medicine. Methods: This cross-sectional study, which included a total of 431 students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, was conducted during the last week of November 2024. The study instruments used were the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the entire BAT scale was α = 0.946; for core burnout symptoms, it was α = 0.938; for the exhaustion scale, α = 0.865; for mental distance, α = 0.858; for cognitive impairment, α = 0.907; for emotional impairment, α = 0.878; for secondary symptoms, α = 0.863; for psychological distress, α = 0.791; and for psychosomatic complaints, α = 0.801. The EFA showed six factors that explained a total of 63.76% of the variance. Factor 1 explained 35.71% of the variance; factor 2 explained 9.81%; factor 3, 5.785%; factor 4, 5.415%; factor 5, 3.956%; and factor 6 explained 3.076% of the variance. After the elimination of the three items with the lowest loadings, the EFA showed five factors that explained a total of 63.347% of the total variance. Factor 1 explained a total of 36.637% of the variance; factor 2, 10.544%; factor 3, 6.345%; factor 4, 5.612%; and factor 5 explained a total of 4.209%. Conclusions: This study showed that the Serbian version of the BAT exhibits excellent reliability, clear factorial validity, and strong convergent and discriminative performance. Full article

Mental health conditions have become an increasing concern among university students, particularly those pursuing health science disciplines such as pharmacy. Rigorous academic demands, high workloads, and sustained psychological pressure place pharmacy students at a high risk of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. This study aimed to systematically review and quantitatively synthesize existing evidence on the prevalence of mental health conditions among pharmacy students in Thailand and globally using a meta-analytic approach. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across the major academic databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and ThaiJo, using predefined search terms and stringent inclusion criteria to ensure methodological rigor and relevance. Data from eligible studies were extracted and analyzed using STATA software to ensure statistical precision and reliability of the pooled estimates. A total of 51 studies, comprising 17,717 pharmacy students across 16 countries, including the United States, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, Syria, Pakistan, Poland, France, Portugal, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Lebanon, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, were included. The meta-analysis revealed pooled prevalence rates of 44.26% for depression (95% CI: 36.08–52.61), 52.01% for anxiety (95% CI: 42.86–61.09), 48.10% for stress (95% CI: 32.96–63.43), and 24.52% for suicidal ideation (95% CI: 14.10–36.70). These findings reflect a substantial mental health burden among pharmacy students, necessitating immediate and context-specific interventions. Considering these findings, academic institutions must develop and implement comprehensive mental health support strategies. Such initiatives should include early identification and screening programs, access to psychological counseling services, resilience-building interventions, and stress management workshops to effectively address the psychological needs of pharmacy students and enhance their academic and personal well-being. Full article

This paper investigates how Toronto’s Portuguese-Azorean community has shaped the city’s multicultural and psychological landscape, focusing particularly on intergenerational experiences of trauma among immigrant youth. Framed within North America’s broader migration dynamics, the study explores the creation and transformation of the ethnic enclave “Little Portugal” as both a space of cultural resilience and chronic urban stress. It introduces the concept of chronic urban trauma to describe the persistent psychosocial impact of displacement, assimilation pressures, and gentrification on young Portuguese-Azorean Canadians. While first-generation immigrants constructed cohesive ethnic infrastructures grounded in work, faith, and language, younger generations face cultural dissonance, linguistic loss, and identity fragmentation that manifest as emotional distress and social alienation. These experiences illustrate how structural urban change can perpetuate transgenerational trauma within immigrant families. By integrating perspectives from urban geography, trauma studies, and migration theory, this theoretical work underscores the need for trauma-informed educational and social policies that promote inclusion, belonging, and mental well-being among immigrant youth. Ultimately, the study positions “Little Portugal” as a microcosm of how multicultural cities negotiate the intersections of ethnicity, urban transformation, and psychological resilience. Full article

Language delay is a fairly frequent phenomenon in young children, with associated negative outcomes across the academic, social, and emotional areas of their lives. This qualitative study was designed to deeply examine mothers’ experiences and the ways in which they promote the development of their children with language delay. Twenty mothers of children with language delay (aged four to nine), who were recruited through advertisements posted by language preschool/school teachers, participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed themes relating to the challenges of raising a child with language delay, along with how mothers create a safe emotional environment for their child’s development, find opportunities and encourage social interactions, utilize their day-to-day routines to promote language and learning, and actively engage with their children’s educational framework. These results highlight how mothers serve as the “architects” of their children’s development. Despite the difficulties they encounter, such as high stress levels, mental health challenges, isolation, and guilt, and the far-reaching implications of their children’s language delay on their day-to-day living, mothers shape the home environment to promote their children’s academic, social, and emotional development. The study thus indicates that mothers intuitively promote their children’s development and that practitioners and others can support mothers’ own initiatives along with providing guidance. Full article

Dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are an established procedure to support military staff, but their implementation during active warfare has not yet been systematically studied. In addition, the welfare of therapy dogs participating in DAIs during war remains unexplored. Therapy dogs may develop clinically relevant emotional disorders, including trauma-related stress responses, analogous to human psychopathologies. The present study sought to monitor physiological arousal in therapy dogs performing DAI sessions with their handlers in two Ukrainian military hospitals (Vinnyzja and Kyiv). Biomarkers of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity, including salivary, urinary, and hair cortisol concentrations, were assessed in Ukrainian (UA) therapy dogs to capture their acute and long-term stress responses. Additionally, cortisol levels in German (GE) therapy dogs performing similar DAIs under peaceful conditions were measured to compare cortisol levels between dogs from both regions. Results suggest that GE therapy dogs exhibited significantly higher urinary and hair cortisol levels and significantly lower salivary cortisol concentrations, reflecting alterations in longer-term glucocorticoid secretion that is possibly caused by war-related stimulation in the UA cohort. In contrast, no significant differences in salivary cortisol emerged as a consequence of performing DAIs. The present findings suggest that the environment rather than involvement in DAIs has an impact on therapy dogs’ cortisol secretion. Full article

Objectives: Postpartum depression is a major global mental health concern, yet epidemiological evidence from the Baltic region remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among postpartum women attending postpartum outpatient care in Latvia and identify associated sociodemographic and clinical factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department of the largest maternity hospital in Latvia from May 2024 to June 2025. All women aged 18 years or older, who attended a routine postpartum gynaecological visit 4 to 6 weeks after delivery and screened positive on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (≥5 points), completed a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Descriptive statistics were used in the study, and logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with postpartum depressive symptoms. Results: A total of 272 women aged 18 to 49 years (mean age 30.66 ± 5.59) participated. PHQ-9 results indicated that 43.02% of respondents met the threshold for a positive screen (≥5 points) and were included in the further analysis. Using a cut-off EPDS ≥11, the point prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms among women who screened positive on the PHQ-9 was 11.4%. In univariate analyses, postpartum depressive symptoms were most strongly associated with comorbid mental disorders (OR = 4.55; 95% CI 1.85–11.18; p = 0.001), caesarean section (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.18–7.92; p = 0.022), stress (OR = 2.49; 95% CI 1.04–5.94; p = 0.04) and obstetric complications (OR = 2.78; 95% CI 1.01–7.64; p = 0.048) during pregnancy. In the multivariate model, only three independent predictors remained: comorbid mental disorder (aOR = 9.54; 95% CI 2.72–33.49; p < 0.001) and caesarean section (aOR = 5.80; 95% CI 1.66–20.21; p = 0.006) were associated with higher odds of postpartum depression, while first-time motherhood was associated with a substantially lower likelihood of depressive symptoms (aOR = 0.14; 95% CI 0.04–0.49; p = 0.002). Sociodemographic characteristics, including age, education, employment, and income, were not significant predictors. Conclusions: The point prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms among Latvian postpartum women screening positive for depression appears similar to other European settings. Comorbid mental disorders and caesarean section were the strongest predictors of depressive symptoms, while primiparity showed a protective effect. Sociodemographic factors did not independently contribute to risk. As the first study of its kind in Latvia and conducted within a clinical setting that captures a large and diverse proportion of postpartum women, these findings highlight the context-specific nature of postpartum depression and underscore the need for further longitudinal research to inform effective screening and intervention strategies. Full article

Mental disorders and impairments are part of the occupational risk for emergency personnel. This study examines the impact of a deadly knife attack on police officers’ mental health. Aims: We hypothesized that police officers who knew the deceased team member would report higher levels of psychological distress compared to those who did not, regardless of the deployment status. Methods: Six months after a fatal knife attack in which a police officer was killed, a total of N = 254 officers participated in the study. Of these, n = 115 reported knowing the victim personally, n = 126 did not (n = 78 deployed; n = 176 not deployed), while n = five did not provide any information. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), anger and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were assessed using questionnaires. Chi-square tests examined group differences in probable PTSD prevalence; t-tests assessed differences in anger and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; DSM-5; PCL-5) symptom scores. Linear regression analyses tested deployment, acquaintance with the victim, gender, and childhood emotional neglect as predictors. Results: Police officers who personally knew the deceased colleague exhibited significantly higher PTSS scores. In addition, the deployed group showed significantly higher trait anger than the non-deployed. Acquaintance with the victim and emotional neglect in childhood were significantly related to negative cognitions, whereas deployment to the knife attack or gender were not. Discussion: Police officers with a personal connection to the deceased showed significantly higher mental health impact than those with direct exposure alone, placing them in a higher-risk group due to increased exposure to feelings of guilt and shame due to their professional role. Police officers who were emotionally neglected in their childhood may be more prone to negative cognitions in adulthood, when faced with critical events. These results underline the importance of addressing risk factors in both pre-deployment training and post-event debriefing, especially with regard to anger management after major critical incidents. Full article

Background and Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and maintenance hemodialysis (HD) are frequently associated with psychological distress and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the relationships between depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, clinical factors, and HRQoL remain insufficiently understood in routine care. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress and to explore cross-sectional correlates of kidney disease-specific and generic HRQoL in Romanian patients receiving long-term HD, providing one of the first detailed characterizations of these relationships in an Eastern European maintenance HD cohort. Materials and Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study included 125 adult patients undergoing maintenance HD for at least one year. Baseline assessment comprised socioeconomic, demographic and clinical and paraclinical data, including Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), dialysis adequacy (spKt/V), cognitive function, psychological distress assessed with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21R), and HRQoL evaluated using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL-SF™ 1.3). HRQoL domains and physical and mental component summary scores (PCS, MCS) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multivariable linear regression. Follow-up assessments at approximately one year were summarized descriptively. Results: Disease-specific HRQoL revealed marked impairment in perceived disease burden and work status, while physical HRQoL was substantially reduced (PCS 36.5 ± 9.6). Mental HRQoL was relatively preserved (MCS 48.8 ± 8.8). At baseline, 48.0% of patients reported at least mild depressive symptoms, 34.4% anxiety symptoms, and 44.0% stress symptoms. spKt/V showed a modest association with PCS. Psychological distress demonstrated weak associations with HRQoL; stress was independently associated with lower MCS, with limited explained variance (R² ≤ 0.15). Conclusions: Psychological distress is common among Romanian HD patients and is cross-sectionally associated with markedly impaired physical HRQoL. While the present design does not allow causal inferences, these findings support the implementation of routine psychological screening and the consideration of targeted psychosocial interventions in HD care. Full article

There is a lack of focus on psychological support for fathers in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), both in research and practice, with fathers receiving far less support from NICU providers as compared with mothers. This article aims to discuss the current literature and limitations related to providing psychological support to fathers in the NICU and proposes short- and long-term efforts for improving psychological care for NICU fathers. We conducted a narrative literature review to summarize interventions for supporting fathers in the NICU, including emotional support, educational support, social support, family-integrated care, and multi-component interventions. While initial work is promising, there are major limitations. Very few studies have examined interventions specific to providing support to fathers in the NICU, and little work has investigated differences in the support needs and responses to interventions for NICU fathers as compared with mothers. Fathers have historically been overlooked in the NICU. Given the growing recognition of paternal mental health challenges and their impact on infant development, there is a pressing need for efforts aimed at supporting fathers in the NICU. Efforts must consider system structure, policy, multidisciplinary training, and implementation protocols to improve the quality of care provided to NICU fathers. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study investigates whether psychological well-being moderates the relationship between burnout and depressive symptoms among mental health professionals, who are frequently exposed to high emotional labor. Methods: A sample of 607 professionals—including psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists—working in public and private institutions in Turkey participated in the study. Data were collected online using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory–II. A latent interaction term between burnout and psychological well-being was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results: Burnout was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), and psychological well-being showed a significant main effect on depressive symptoms (β = 0.26, p < 0.001). Importantly, the interaction between burnout and psychological well-being was significant (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), indicating that psychological well-being significantly moderates the relationship between burnout and depressive symptoms. Specifically, the positive interaction suggests that the association between burnout and depressive symptoms becomes stronger at higher levels of psychological well-being. The model explained 27% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Conclusions: These findings highlight the protective role of psychological well-being and suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing well-being may help reduce depressive symptoms among mental health professionals in high-stress environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity remains a major public health issue, particularly in Mediterranean countries such as Greece. Although parental influences on children’s weight have been extensively studied, fewer studies have jointly examined parental mental health, feeding practices, sociodemographic factors, and biological stress markers. This study aimed to investigate associations between psychological status, educational level, feeding behaviors, and children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) in a Greek sample. A pilot assessment of salivary cortisol was included in evaluating its feasibility as an objective biomarker of parental stress. Subjects and Methods: A total of 103 parent–child dyads participated in this cross-sectional study. Children’s BMI was classified using World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards. Parental stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaires. Feeding practices were evaluated with the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ). Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. A subsample provided saliva samples for cortisol analysis to assess feasibility and explore the potential associations with parental stress indicators. Results: Parental BMI showed a strong positive association with child BMI (p = 0.002). Higher parental anxiety (p = 0.002) and depression (p = 0.009) were also associated with increased child BMI. Restrictive (p < 0.001) and emotion-driven (p < 0.001) feeding practices were associated with higher child BMI, whereas monitoring (p = 0.013) and health-promoting feeding practices (p = 0.001) appeared protective. Lower parental education was related to a higher BMI in both parents (p = 0.001) and children (p = 0.002) and to more frequent use of restrictive feeding strategies (p = 0.001). WHO charts identified a greater proportion of children as overweight or obese compared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. The analysis showed statistically significant differences between the two classification systems (χ² (4) = 159.704, p < 0.001), indicating that BMI categorization varies considerably depending on the reference system used. No significant associations were observed with residential environment or salivary cortisol, likely due to the limited size of the pilot biomarker subsample. Conclusions: The findings highlight the combined effect of parental mental health status, educational level, and feeding practices on child BMI within the Greek context. The preliminary inclusion of a biological stress marker provides added value to the existing research in this area. These results underscore the importance of prevention strategies that promote parental psychological wellbeing and responsive feeding practices while addressing socioeconomic disparities to reduce the childhood obesity risk. Full article

The treatment of depression is an uphill battle due to the low efficiency and delayed clinical response of antidepressants and the fact that most of them cause numerous side effects. Psychobiotics, probiotics that affect brain function and confer mental health benefits, emerged as a promising ally showing protective effects against depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in various animal models of depression. There is rapidly accumulating evidence that psychobiotics show protective effects at the molecular level as well, affecting several pathophysiological processes implicated in depression. This narrative review summarizes preclinical insights into molecular changes related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, peripheral inflammation, neuroinflammation, neurotransmission and tryptophan metabolism underlying psychobiotic-driven mitigation of depressive and anxiety symptoms in stress-based, corticosterone-induced and inflammation-induced animal models of depression. Research evidence indicates that psychobiotics normalize the activity of the HPA axis, decrease levels of inflammatory mediators in the intestine, circulation, and brain, normalize the levels of neurotransmitters and their receptors, and regulate tryptophan metabolism in various animal models of depression. The main setbacks in this field are the extensive diversity of studied probiotic strains, which are often insufficiently characterized, and the lack of mechanistic studies in animal models. However, despite these challenges, further study of psychobiotics in the pursuit of supportive therapies for depressive disorders is firmly grounded. Full article

Background: Food insecurity may adversely affect cognitive function through pathways involving nutritional deficiencies, chronic stress, and comorbid health conditions, with potentially different effects across cognitive domains. Longitudinal evidence remains limited by time-varying confounding, and it is unclear whether Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) participation modifies these associations. Objectives: To examine the longitudinal association between food insecurity and cognitive function using marginal structural models (MSMs), and whether SNAP participation buffers these associations for overall cognition, episodic memory, and attention/mental processing. Methods: 30,641 adults aged ≥50 in the 1998–2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) contributed 156,066 person-year observations. MSMs with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights were used to account for time-varying socioeconomic, health, and cognitive confounding affected by prior exposure. Weighted pooled linear regression models estimated marginal associations and interaction effects. Results: Moderate and high food insecurity were associated with lower overall cognition (b = −0.36 and −0.71, respectively; p < 0.001). Similar graded associations were observed for episodic memory (b = −0.22; −0.43) and attention/mental processing (b = −0.15; −0.28; all p < 0.001). SNAP participation significantly attenuated these associations across cognitive domains, with stronger buffering effects among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic respondents. Effect sizes corresponded to differences equivalent to several years of cognitive aging. Conclusions: Food insecurity is associated with poorer cognitive function across multiple domains, while SNAP participation mitigates these associations. Despite limitations of observational data, these findings highlight the methodological value of MSMs and the potential role of food assistance programs in reducing cognitive health disparities in later life. Full article