Search Results (5)

Background and Objectives: Considering the link between childhood experiences with adult health and well-being, this study examined how living with a heavy drinker (HD) during childhood affected self-rated mental health (SRMH) in adulthood, while identifying risk and protective factors and assessing the prevalence within a regional context. Materials and Methods: Data (N = 11,113) were obtained from a cross-sectional DEEP SEAS survey (2021) of the general population, aged 18–64 years, in six countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, and Italy). Results: A statistically significant difference in SRMH was found, related to the childhood experience of living with an HD (MD = −0.221, 95% CI −0.250–0.172, N = 10,886) and being negatively affected (MD = −0.216, 95% CI −0.311–0.122, N = 2978). The correlation analysis revealed that individuals who lived with an HD during childhood perceived poorer SRMH in adulthood, consistently across all observed countries. Subsequent logistic regression identified different predictors for SRMH between those who were negatively affected and those who were not. The relationship satisfaction (RAS) was the strongest predictor, significantly contributing to better SRMH, especially in the subgroup that was not negatively affected (OR 28.724, 95% CI 3.450–239.173). A high prevalence of individuals negatively affected was found, especially in Hungary (34.4%) and Croatia (26.5%). Conclusions: Growing up with someone who was a heavy drinker may have lasting negative consequences on SRMH, with a negative subjective evaluation of mental health in adulthood. Targeted public health and preventive measures are needed to protect those living with heavy drinkers. Full article

The use of single-item measures of self-rated mental health (SRMH) has been increasingly valued in epidemiologic research. However, little is known about the reliability and mental health correlates of SRMH in Chinese populations. This study examined the reliability and mental health correlates of SRMH in three Chinese samples. We analyzed data collected from two convenience samples of Chinese adults from Hong Kong and/or Taiwan (Sample 1: N = 205; Sample 2: N = 377), and a random sample of Taiwan psychiatric inpatients (Sample 3: N = 100). Our results showed that the single-item measure of SRMH had moderate to good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation [ICC] = 0.75) in Sample 1 and acceptable reliability between the self-report and interviewer-administered versions (ICC = 0.58) in Sample 3. It had a high positive correlation with self-esteem and a moderately high negative correlation with depression. It also had a consistently negative correlation with borderline personality disorder symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The SRMH score was also associated with psychiatric service usage. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the use of a single-item measure of SRMH to assess overall self-perceived mental health in Chinese communities. Full article

Given that the self-perception of mental health is an important predictor of health outcomes and wellbeing, it is important to identify the indicators of mental health associated with alcohol consumption in order to reduce alcohol-related harms. This study used data from the cross-sectional RARHA SEAS survey (2015) in the Croatian general population, aged 18–64 years (n = 1500). Several aspects of drinking behaviors and alcohol-related harms were measured, as well as personal and sociodemographic factors. Logistic regression found a significant association between alcohol’s harm to others (AHTO) and poor self-rated mental health (SRMH) (OR = 0.752; 95% CI 0.601–0.941) in the total sample, as well as in the group of participants who rarely drank alcohol (OR = 0.504; 95% CI 0.322–0.787) in the last 12 months. More frequent consumers reported poor SRMH if they had at least one harmful effect from drinking (OR 0.538; 95% CI 0.295–0.980). Younger age, higher education, professional activity, and living with someone else in a household contributed to better SRMH. AHTO has been identified as a strong predictor of poor SRMH in the general population. Targeted public health and preventive measures are needed with specific approaches for different types of alcohol consumers. Full article

(1) Background: The neighborhood environment has been shown to be an essential factor affecting residents’ quality of life and health, but the relationship between the characteristics of health service facilities and health levels is rarely known. (2) Methods: This study used a representative sample (n = 591, 303 women; 288 men, age 18–85 years, lived in Chengdu for an extensive time) of residents living in Chengdu City, China, and took spatial point data and empirical research data to construct an ordered logistic regression model. We contrastively analyzed the influence of different variables in the neighborhood environment and health service facilities on self-rated physical health (SRPH) and self-rated mental health (SRMH). (3) Results: The frequency of use and accessibility of multiple facilities in the health service facilities were significantly associated with self-rated health (SRH). Significant differences occurred between residents’ perceived accessibility and actual accessibility of facilities in SRH. Comparing the results of SRPH and SRMH revealed that the influencing factors that affect the two vary. The factors that significantly affect SRMH include neighborhood physical environment evaluation; social environmental evaluation; the frequency of use of the parks and squares, and sports zones; and the accessibility of parks and squares, specialized hospitals, community hospitals, and pharmacies. However, the factors that significantly affect SRPH include the frequency of use of sports venues, general hospitals, and pharmacies and the accessibility of general hospitals. The social environment of the neighborhood is also a non-negligible part, and its interaction with the physical environment of the neighborhood affects the outcome of SRH. (4) Conclusions: Neighborhood environmental characteristics and the layout of health service facilities have significant differential effects on people’s physical and psychological health, and this information is of great value in promoting healthy city development and improving the quality of life of urban populations around the world. Full article

Background: The minorities’ diminished return theory suggests that socioeconomic position (SEP) generates smaller health gains for racial/ethnic minorities compared to Whites. The current study was a Black–White comparison of the association between household income and self-rated mental health (SRMH). Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 State of the State Survey (SOSS). With representative sampling, the SOSS generates results that are generalizable to the state of Michigan. This study included 881 adults, (n = 92) Black and (n = 782) White. The independent variable was household income. The dependent variable was SRMH, measured using a single item. Age, gender, and participation in the labor force were covariates. Race/ethnicity was the focal moderator. Logistic regression models were used for data analysis. Results: Overall, higher household income was associated with better SRMH, net of covariates. An interaction was found between race/ethnicity and household income on SRMH, suggesting a smaller, or nonexistent, protective effect for Blacks compared to Whites. In race/ethnicity-stratified models, higher household income was associated with better SRMH for Whites but not Blacks. Conclusion: Supporting the minorities’ diminished return theory, our study documents differential effects for income on SRHM for Blacks and Whites, where Whites but not Blacks appear to benefit from their income. Given this, researchers and policy makers are cautioned against making assumptions that racial groups benefit equally from similar economic resources. Full article