Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major causes of death in Japan, and controlling the risk factors for CVD is an important public health task. Lifestyle factors, for example, diet and stress, have impacts ...Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major causes of death in Japan, and controlling the risk factors for CVD is an important public health task. Lifestyle factors, for example, diet and stress, have impacts on risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Deterioration of mental health is related to CVD pathogenesis. Aim: We investigated the relationships between levels of mental health, 4-year changes in lifestyle, and CVD risk factors among Japanese workers, using the SF-36 (Japanese version), which is a comprehensive scale measuring health-related quality of life. We hypothesized that workers’ mental health levels would influence 4-year changes in their lifestyles and CVD risk factors. Methods: Data from the High-Risk and Population Strategy for Occupational Health Promotion (HIPOP-OHP) study, which were collected by examination and administration of the SF-36, were used. The relationships between mental health levels at baseline, lifestyle chan- ges, and cardiovascular risk factors were longitudinally analyzed. Subjects with total SF-36 scores ≥65 were classified as the “Good Mental Health Group,” and those with total scores <65 were classified as the “Poor Mental Health Group.” Results: Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that, as compared to people who had poor mental health, those who had good mental health at baseline had a significantly higher probability of good maintenance of improvements in body mass index, (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03 - 1.39), blood pressure (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.43), total cholesterol (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.86 - 1.33) and HDL cholesterol (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.47). Conclusion: Japanese workers with good mental health tend to improve or maintain good lifestyle conditions and minimize CVD risk factors, while those with poor mental health generally have difficulty improving their lifestyles and lowering their CVD risk.展开更多
Background: The global drive to scale up mental health services and eliminate the treatment gap requires incorporating mental health services into primary health care (PHC). Primary health care provides comprehensive,...Background: The global drive to scale up mental health services and eliminate the treatment gap requires incorporating mental health services into primary health care (PHC). Primary health care provides comprehensive, continuous, and coordinated care and if need be provides referrals to higher levels of care. However, for these services to meet the basic objective of PHC, it is necessary to determine healthcare workers’ preparedness for caring for the mentally ill. Therefore, this study aimed to examine health workers’ preparedness for integrating mental healthcare into primary settings in a rural community in Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive research design was used to conduct the study among all 215 primary healthcare workers within Nkanu West Local Government Area (LGA). The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire constructed by the author. A pilot study was conducted on 10% of the sample population. Cronbach’s Alpha formula was used to estimate the reliability coefficient (0.85). The collected data were analysed with descriptive statistical frequencies and percentages. Results: Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Findings show that healthcare workers’ preparedness to care for the mentally ill at the primary healthcare centre is quite low. It was also found that mental illness is still shredded by stigma as a result of poor awareness. Consequently, there is still a persistent pervasive belief system that Mental illness is a form of retribution from the gods for one’s wrong deed in the study area. Conclusion: It was concluded that few of the respondents were prepared for the care of the mentally ill which might be a result of poor awareness about mental health and the negative stereotype given about mental health. From the analysis, it can be deduced that health workers exhibit some degree of positive attitude towards care of the mentally ill, though, mental illness is associated with stigmatization due to a lack of public understanding of mental disorders. There was strong support for integrating mental health into primary health care by health care providers. Therefore there is a need for community education and building of the capacity of healthcare workers for integration of the care of the mentally ill to be feasible in PHC centres.展开更多
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health problem that has caused harm to the mental health of healthcare workers. In Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has led healthcare workers to experience...Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health problem that has caused harm to the mental health of healthcare workers. In Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has led healthcare workers to experience mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia and burnout. This study aimed to review published studies on the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers, associated factors and coping strategies that have been employed in Africa. Methods: This was a systematic review that was conducted through searching databases including;PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar. The study included published literature from January 2020 to May 2022 that met the inclusion criteria. The selection of articles was conducted following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 39 articles were retrieved, of which only 18 met the inclusion criteria and were used in this study. Our review revealed that healthcare workers experienced mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress and burnout that were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Coping strategies such as religious practices, support from family members and colleagues and avoiding listening to social media about COVID-19 were used to minimize mental health problems. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased mental health disorders among healthcare workers in Africa. Identification of factors associated with mental health problems is cardinal in developing coping mechanisms against the psychological impact of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for governments to develop and implement strategies for protecting the mental health of healthcare workers during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.展开更多
文摘Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major causes of death in Japan, and controlling the risk factors for CVD is an important public health task. Lifestyle factors, for example, diet and stress, have impacts on risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Deterioration of mental health is related to CVD pathogenesis. Aim: We investigated the relationships between levels of mental health, 4-year changes in lifestyle, and CVD risk factors among Japanese workers, using the SF-36 (Japanese version), which is a comprehensive scale measuring health-related quality of life. We hypothesized that workers’ mental health levels would influence 4-year changes in their lifestyles and CVD risk factors. Methods: Data from the High-Risk and Population Strategy for Occupational Health Promotion (HIPOP-OHP) study, which were collected by examination and administration of the SF-36, were used. The relationships between mental health levels at baseline, lifestyle chan- ges, and cardiovascular risk factors were longitudinally analyzed. Subjects with total SF-36 scores ≥65 were classified as the “Good Mental Health Group,” and those with total scores <65 were classified as the “Poor Mental Health Group.” Results: Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that, as compared to people who had poor mental health, those who had good mental health at baseline had a significantly higher probability of good maintenance of improvements in body mass index, (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03 - 1.39), blood pressure (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.43), total cholesterol (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.86 - 1.33) and HDL cholesterol (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.47). Conclusion: Japanese workers with good mental health tend to improve or maintain good lifestyle conditions and minimize CVD risk factors, while those with poor mental health generally have difficulty improving their lifestyles and lowering their CVD risk.
文摘Background: The global drive to scale up mental health services and eliminate the treatment gap requires incorporating mental health services into primary health care (PHC). Primary health care provides comprehensive, continuous, and coordinated care and if need be provides referrals to higher levels of care. However, for these services to meet the basic objective of PHC, it is necessary to determine healthcare workers’ preparedness for caring for the mentally ill. Therefore, this study aimed to examine health workers’ preparedness for integrating mental healthcare into primary settings in a rural community in Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive research design was used to conduct the study among all 215 primary healthcare workers within Nkanu West Local Government Area (LGA). The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire constructed by the author. A pilot study was conducted on 10% of the sample population. Cronbach’s Alpha formula was used to estimate the reliability coefficient (0.85). The collected data were analysed with descriptive statistical frequencies and percentages. Results: Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Findings show that healthcare workers’ preparedness to care for the mentally ill at the primary healthcare centre is quite low. It was also found that mental illness is still shredded by stigma as a result of poor awareness. Consequently, there is still a persistent pervasive belief system that Mental illness is a form of retribution from the gods for one’s wrong deed in the study area. Conclusion: It was concluded that few of the respondents were prepared for the care of the mentally ill which might be a result of poor awareness about mental health and the negative stereotype given about mental health. From the analysis, it can be deduced that health workers exhibit some degree of positive attitude towards care of the mentally ill, though, mental illness is associated with stigmatization due to a lack of public understanding of mental disorders. There was strong support for integrating mental health into primary health care by health care providers. Therefore there is a need for community education and building of the capacity of healthcare workers for integration of the care of the mentally ill to be feasible in PHC centres.
文摘Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health problem that has caused harm to the mental health of healthcare workers. In Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has led healthcare workers to experience mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia and burnout. This study aimed to review published studies on the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers, associated factors and coping strategies that have been employed in Africa. Methods: This was a systematic review that was conducted through searching databases including;PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar. The study included published literature from January 2020 to May 2022 that met the inclusion criteria. The selection of articles was conducted following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 39 articles were retrieved, of which only 18 met the inclusion criteria and were used in this study. Our review revealed that healthcare workers experienced mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress and burnout that were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Coping strategies such as religious practices, support from family members and colleagues and avoiding listening to social media about COVID-19 were used to minimize mental health problems. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased mental health disorders among healthcare workers in Africa. Identification of factors associated with mental health problems is cardinal in developing coping mechanisms against the psychological impact of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for governments to develop and implement strategies for protecting the mental health of healthcare workers during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
