The exposure of employees to specific risks is usually due to increasing levels of work-related stress, which negatively affects their skills and effectiveness in their job duties, lead-ing to the onset of physical/mental illnesses, mistakes, or even accidents. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychosocial risks experienced by nurses in tertiary hospitals in Greece and their association with their attitudes towards safety and the occurrence of medication errors. The research was conducted in four tertiary hospitals in Greece, with the participation of 514 nurses of all educational levels. Questionnaires were used to collect data on work-related stress, professional burnout, and medication errors. The results highlighted that psychosocial risks, such as high work pressure and lack of support, are directly linked to professional burnout and an increased likelihood of medication errors. The necessity of social support, job autonomy, and work-life balance are underscored as critical factors for reducing stress and improving the quality of care. Specific strategies are proposed to enhance the mental health of nurses and improve working conditions.

The growth of the wind power sector has been marked by environmental, economic, and political drivers. Its starring role is also visible in the emergence of the so-called “green jobs”. Notwithstanding, its evolution ought not to compromise issues related to occupational risks. This exploratory study examines psychosocial risks in the operation and maintenance of onshore wind turbines in a leading Portuguese company. We conducted interviews with main stakeholders (Human Resources, OHS professionals, and team leaders); developed an “activity diary” for the operation and maintenance technicians to describe their activity and perceived impacts on health, complemented with collective interviews; and applied the Work and Health Survey. The results revealed particular risks and health impacts: working under adverse weather conditions; working at heights and in confined spaces; spending long work hours inside of the nacelles to achieve an optimum balance between favorable wind slots to intervene and avoiding additional trips up and down the wind turbines without lifts (70m-120m); and the feeling of early ageing. At a time when these workers are striving for recognition of their profession as a “rapid wear profession”, it is a key moment to discuss these results to guarantee sustainable conditions for future generations of workers.

Institutional quarantine was one of the key public health measures used to control the spread of the COVID-19. Institutional quarantine has been associated with several psychosocial and economic risks to affected individuals. However, little is known about the psychosocial and economic risks it poses to affected persons in low-resource countries, since it is a relatively new strategy for controlling disease spread in these settings. This article provides insights into the economic and psychosocial risks encountered by affected persons in a low-resource context. We conducted narrative interviews with 20 adults placed under institutional quarantine to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. Institutional quarantine exposed affected persons to an intricate range of economic and psychosocial risks including loss of livelihoods and/or income, financial distress, fear, worry, anger, loneliness and stigma. The experience of specific risks was shaped by an intersection of individual and contextual factors. However, disregard for economic and social issues and shortcomings in the implementation of institutional quarantine contributed profoundly to the occurrence of risks. Integration of measures for identification and continuous management of the broad range of potential risks to individuals and bridging gaps in the implementation of institutional quarantine, may help to minimise associated economic and psychosocial risks.

Background: Over the past two decades, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) has been established as a valid instrument to measure psychosocial stress at work. Currently, the COPSOQ international network is responsible for monitoring and improving COPSOQ. In 2019, a new questionnaire was published, and the Greek version is now being validated. Methods: The measurement qualities of the Greek COPSOQ III have been explored in accordance with the usual requirements of a validation study as defined by DIN EN ISO 10075-3. A sample of observations from 2,189 participants surveyed with the COPSOQ in Greece was used to validate the current version with appropriate statistical analyses. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the statistical relationships for many scales. Results: With its 108 items and 40 scales, the Greek COPSOQ III includes all psychosocial work factors that have been internationally validated and remain compatible with approximately 72% of the COPSOQ III German version content. In addition to the primary results, congruence with widely used theoretical approaches such as the demand-control (−support) model (DCM) or the job demands-resources model (JDR) is generally satisfactory. In summary, our validation study for the Greek COPSOQ III version showed adequate reliability and validity, which is in line with the findings of the COPSOQ III questionnaire from other European countries, and it is also compatible with the validation of the German COPSOQ III (Lincke, 2021). Our regression analysis revealed that 34 psychosocial work factors (34 “context” scales) could adequately predict the scores of the satisfactory and health scales (6 “outcome” scales). The analysis also revealed the top five (5) predictors (context variables) for each of the six (6) “effect” scales (outcome variables). Conclusions: With the launch of COPSOQ III in Greece, current and new workplace psychosocial aspects could be explored. COPSOQ III (GR) is a beneficial instrument for enterprise research and risk assessment.

Introduction: People with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) present unique challenges in mental healthcare due to the enduring nature and complexity of their conditions. This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness and potential cost benefits of a multidisciplinary community psychosocial rehabilitation team catering to individuals with SPMI in Nova Scotia, Canada. Method: The Canadian billing system of Medical Service Insurance (MSI) was used to compare inpatient service use and emergency department visits during the year before and the year after receipt of one year of community rehabilitation for patients referred to the team from September 2016 to September 2017. Result: Results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in mean admission rates and length of inpatient admissions in the year following rehabilitation compared to the pre-rehabilitation year. A substantial percentage of patients experienced no inpatient admissions (88% v. 60%) or ED visits (82% v. 67%) in the post-rehabilitation year compared to the pre-rehabilitation year. There was a significant reduction in inpatient days by 90%, translating into substantial cost savings. The findings highlight the potential economic benefits of community rehabilitation for people with SPMI. Conclusion: This uncontrolled study suggests that community rehabilitation is associated with favourable clinical outcomes for individuals with SPMI in terms of reduced inpatient service use and related costs. Further research into community psychosocial rehabilitation services in the Canadian setting is needed, including controlled and cost-effectiveness studies.

: Healthcare workers are affected by mental health issues, burnout and turnover, and this burden is even greater during epidemics and pandemics, such as COVID-19. The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of the measures introduced or supported in the institutions of Quebec’s health and social services network during the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of protecting healthcare workers’ mental health. An online questionnaire survey was administered in 2021 among human resources department personnel in health and social services network institutions involved in workplace mental health in Quebec. A total of 223 key informants representing 31 of the 34 public health and social services institutions in the province of Quebec in Canada responded to the questionnaire. Measures that focus on the needs of staff, involve all levels of authority and the ones that provide flexibility, support and recognition at work were more successful, according to the advisors surveyed. Future research into whether the same measures are considered effective or ineffective outside of a pandemic context is needed.

Abstract: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the most prevalent disease worldwide, which has been linked to work stress because of poor job design as explained by the Job Demand-Control (JDC) and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. In this paper we explore for the first time relative impact of a specific aspect of organisational climate, Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), on any CVD including angina, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and stroke. We used two waves of interview data from Australia, with an average lag of 5 years (excluding baseline CVD, final n = 1223). Logistic regression was conducted to estimate the prospective associations between PSC at baseline on incident CVD at follow-up. It was found that participants in low PSC environments were 59% more likely to develop new CVD than those in high PSC environments. Logistic regression showed that PSC at baseline predicts lower CVD risk at follow-up (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.00), and this risk remained unchanged even after joint adjustment for measures of ERI and JDC. These results suggest that PSC is an independent risk factor for CVD in Australia. Beyond job design this study implicates organisational climate and prevailing management values regarding worker psychological health as the genesis of CVD.

Research into the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms involved in fibromyalgia (FM) has progressed remarkably in recent years. Despite this, currents accounts of FM fail to capture the complex, dynamic and mutual crosstalk between neurophysiological and psychosocial domains. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature in order to synthesise current knowledge on FM, explore and highlight multi-level links and pathways among different systems and build bridges between existing approaches. An extensive panel of international experts in neurophysiology and psychosocial aspects of FM discussed the collected evidence and progressively refined and conceptualized its interpretation. Fibromyalgia is a complex condition resulting from the dynamic interplay between multiple systems and processes. We provided an updated overview of the most relevant observations in FM to date as well as the potential pathways by which they exert they are related and exert their mutual influence, to produce the manifestations commonly associated with FM. This review constituted the first step towards and supported the development of a much needed model capable of integrating the main factors implicated in FM into a single, unified model that may prove valuable in understanding and managing FM.

The topic of the article refers to expressions used to address the psychosocial risk linked to the workplace violence. The article bases on the Polish-French comparison, using analysis of definitions, legal acts and public statistics. The purpose is to show social differences, in the context of mobbing and “harcèlement moral”, that surface from ratified definitions of these phenomena and public statistics. The final conclusions are the effect of a compilation of results of analysis and available literature. The choice of the two European, diverse areas of comparison for the diagnosis - Poland and France - is the result of selection of the method of data content analysis, chosen by the author because of the availability of the scientific resources essential for the article and accessible during an academic stay in Centre d'Etudes de l'Emploi in France.

We assessed the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) and psychosocial factors on screening behavior in a nationally representative sample of women in the US. A retrospective population-level cross-sectional sample was extracted from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey. Descriptive statistics were conducted for demographic characteristics and covariates. Population-based estimates with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were produced for Pap testing behaviors across study years. We used logistic regression models to assess Pap testing differences based on SDOH and psychosocial factors, adjusting for covariates, with a significance level of 0.05 for hypothesis testing. Women (n=2,224) with a mean age of 46.96 participated in the study. Our study found that 90% of women were interested in cervical cancer screening, with an 80% actual screening rate. Screening rates differed by age group and rurality. SDOH and psychosocial factors were associated with participants’ interest in screening and in actual screening behavior. The impacts of SDOH and psychosocial factors on screening behavior were 3% and 1%, respectively. The SDOH and psychosocial factors are associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in the United States. Policies must be directed at bridging the gap created by these SDOHs.

Self-perceived health is an important indicator of occupational health. This research explores the relationship between poor self-perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk factors, taking into account potential socio-demographic, occupational and employment determinants. Using data from the First Survey of Occupational Safety and Health Conditions covering 1049 salaried workers in Guayaquil, Ecuador descriptive and stratified binary logistic regression analyses (Odds Ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals) were carried out. No significant relationship was found between exposure to psychosocial risk factors and the probability of presenting poor self-perceived health by socio-demographic, occupational and employment characteristics. Occupational exposure factors to psychosocial risks are predictors of self-perceived ill health and are related to the variables analyzed; the most frequently expressed factors among the respondents were Cognitive Demands (DGOG) and Job Insecurity (IL). The results have implications in terms of designing effective workplace interventions pursuant of ensuring the health and wellbeing of employee.

Clinical academics experience dual workplaces; the clinical and the research environment. However, working in two workplaces leads to difficulty in forming an integrated identity, and hence affects a person’s work environment and well-being. The aim was to explore how clinical academics experience the psychosocial work environment and their suggestions for improving and changing work well-being. A multicenter qualitative approach with group interviews inspired by participatory action de-sign was used. A purposeful criterion sampling strategy was used, selecting researchers affiliat-ed with the university's research network (n=12). Data were analyzed by thematic analysis and the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research was applied. The main finding “lack of integration of research in clinical practice”, revealed how clinical academics balanced between the two practices, how their need for belonging in both work environments were established by fellowship, and how motivational factors and role models could be enhanced through a joint commitment of responsibility in research units and clinical practice. This study provides a contemporary understanding of the challenges that clinical academics en-counter and what solutions they would offer. This study adds to knowledge on psychological work well-being and provides solutions on how clinical academics can achieve integration of research in clinical practice.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a digital revolution that has transformed the way information are broadcast and consumed. This rapid evolution was accompanied by an “infodemic” (Beaulieu, 2019), a transformation of workplaces (Lulli LG, 2021)and difficulties in managing information flows (Bendahan & Nader, 2020). In this scientific article, we examine the communication strategies adopted by hospital structures as they are perceived by staff, highlighting their psychological and professional experiences throughout the crisis period. The results of the study carried out among hospital staff (n=200) demonstrate that the perception of communication strategies is generally positive for 78.56% of participants (M=1.85). The assessments of the staff interviewed as for the effect of this communication on the psychological experience and on the management of professional tasks have a positive trend respectively (M=2.15) and (M=1.86)

Obesity, characterized by the excessive accumulation of body fat, contributes to a multitude of physiological dysfunctions. This paper explores the complex relationship between obesity and various risk factors and complications, shedding light on critical health implications. Obesity triggers alterations in insulin, leptin, adiponectin, cytokines, and insulin-like growth factors, fostering conditions conducive to cancer initiation. Aberrations in nutrient-dependent intracellular signaling pathways, driven by the excess nutrition characteristic of obesity, contribute to the neoplastic transformation of cells. The Body Mass Index (BMI) correlates directly with adiposity, underlining its significance in cancer risk. Furthermore, insulin and insulin-like growth factors, notably IGF-2, play pivotal roles in this relationship. The expression of IR-A receptors is elevated in cancer. Obesity and cardiovascular diseases share a strong association. Obesity elevates the risk of fatal events like myocardial infarction. High cholesterol levels contribute to atherosclerosis in the aorta and coronary arteries. The severity of coronary artery disease is influenced by plaque formation characterized by calcium deposits. Obesity is also linked to hypertension and increased ventricular mass, exacerbating cardiovascular risks. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension correlate with a high Body Mass Index (BMI). Obesity is intricately connected to insulin resistance, particularly evident in childhood obesity. It entails a gradual decline in insulin sensitivity, leading to elevated insulin levels in the bloodstream. Insulin resistance is a central factor in the development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Obesity also results in elevated triglyceride levels and reduced high-density lipoproteins, contributing to atherogenic dyslipidemia and a heightened risk of atherosclerosis. Additionally, obesity is associated with various other disorders, including epilepsy, depression, and neuropsychological problems. Beyond its physiological impact, obesity is associated with significant psychosocial challenges. Studies indicate that individuals with obesity face a higher risk of depressive symptoms, often related to overeating and unhealthy dietary patterns. The social withdrawal tendencies of obese individuals exacerbate these symptoms, with higher rates of depression observed in this group. OSA, a sleep disorder characterized by intermittent breathing cessation during sleep, is strongly correlated with obesity. Approximately 58% of obese individuals experience OSA, with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) associated with an increased risk. Weight reduction has been found to mitigate the severity of OSA and related arrhythmias. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy demonstrates effectiveness in reducing visceral fat accumulation and leptin levels. This comprehensive review underscores the intricate web of health implications associated with obesity, emphasizing the critical need for preventive measures and intervention strategies to address the multifaceted challenges posed by this global health concern.

Psychotherapy is one of the evidence-based clinical interventions for the treatment of depression in older adults with dementia. Randomized Controlled Trials are often the first methodological choice to gain evidence, yet they are not applicable to a wide range of humanistic psychotherapies. Amongst all, the efficacy of the Gestalt therapy (GT) is under-investigated. The purpose of this paper is to present a research protocol aiming to assess the effects of a GT-based intervention on people with dementia (PWD) and the indirect influence on their family carers. The study implements the Single-Case Experimental Design with Time-Series Analysis that will be carried out in Italy and Mexico. Ten people in each country, who received a diagnosis of dementia and present depressive symptoms, will be recruited. Eight or more GT sessions will be provided whose fidelity will be assessed by the GT Fidelity Scale. Quantitative outcome measures are foreseen for monitoring participants’ depression, anxiety, quality of life, carers’ burden, and the caregiving dyad mutuality, at baseline and follow-up. The advantages and limitations of the research design are considered. If GT will result effective in the treatment of depression in PWD, it could enrich the range of evidence-based interventions provided by healthcare services.

Background/Objectives: Resources to cope for maternity and women’s participation are essential modulators of maternal well-being. Therefore, it is relevant that the psychosocial factors of woman will be monitored during maternity to promote adequately healthcare. This study consisted in the design and the validation of two new tools that identify women's knowledge of obstetric healthcare rights (MatCODE) and perception of resource scarcity (MatER) during pregnancy, labor and early postpartum; Methods: The content validity was carried out using the Aiken's V coefficient and the content validity index (CVI-i) based on 5 experts. In addition, for the face validity of the pilot cohort was considered the INFLESZ scale. Finally, the questionnaires were applied to 185 women, which allowed to assess the construct validation by factorial and Rasch analysis. The divergent validity was also studied with validated psychological questionnaires; Results: MatCODE and MatER questionnaires received CVI-i and Aiken's V>0.80 values, also the INFLESZ demonstrates acceptable semantic understanding. The analysis confirms the unidimensional of the questionnaires with fit values for MatCODE of RMSEA=0.113 [0.105; 0.122] and MatER of RMSEA=0.067 [0.063; 0.072]. The divergent validity showed significative and consistent correlations with the constructs assessed. In MatCODE was =0.95 and =0.94 and in MatER was =0.79 and =0.78; Conclusions: MatCODE and MatER are new useful tools monitoring maternal healthcare, with adequate psychometric characteristics in Spanish context.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown varying effects on adolescents’ mental health, psychosocial functioning, risk behaviours, and victimisation. This study aims to examine the changes reported by a sample of Swedish adolescents (N=1607) at the end of the first year of the pandemic in relation to these factors. Data was collected with an electronic survey between September 2020 and February 2021, targeting upper-secondary high school students (aged 15-19 years). The results indicate a relatively low overall impact of the pandemic on Swedish upper-secondary school students, with notable gender differences. Compared to females, a higher percentage of male adolescents reported experiencing elevated levels of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, anger, and increased illicit drug use as consequences of the pandemic. In contrast, females demonstrated an increase in several salutogenic behaviours. Victimisation rates generally decreased during this period. These findings underscore the importance of heightened awareness among professionals within schools, social services, and healthcare settings regarding the distinct challenges encountered by a larger portion of male adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

Abstract Objective Variations of sex characteristics (VSC) are atypical genetic, hormonal, gonadal and anatomical sex traits that require holistic medical management. The Chicago Consensus statement 2006 introduced the requirement that multidisciplinary teams organise the transition of care from pediatric to adult services. Yet, the evidence that the transitional care is in place is scarce. The aim of this paper is to examine the implementation of transition of care for people with VSC. Method Seven focus groups were conducted with health care professionals and peer support groups in care teams in Central, Northern and Western Europe. The data from the focus groups were examined using reflexive thematic analysis. Results The participants in the study stated that the transition of care has been implemented in the last two decades. The quality of care depends on available resources and variation of sex characteristics. However, there are significant hurdles to adequate transition of care as there is lack of time and resources. Lack of adult care providers and psychosocial support leaves young adults and adults with VSC navigating the health care system often alone. Conclusion The outcome of the study shows that the transition of care is organized through the department of pediatric endocrinology. The quality of care varies due to resources and variation. Lack of adult specialists and psychosocial support represent the biggest obstacle for young adults and adults to navigate the healthcare system and for the improvement in provision of healthcare to adults, especially psychosocial support.

Several recent epidemiological studies attempted to identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Age, family history, genetic factors (APOE genotype, Down syndrome), physical activity, and a low level of schooling are significant risk factors. In this review, we summarize the known psychosocial risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome patients and their association with neuroanatomical changes in the brains of people with Down syndrome. We completed a comprehensive review of the literature on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science about psychosocial risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, for Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome and their association with neuroanatomical changes in the brains of people with Down syndrome. Alzheimer's disease causes early pathological changes in Down syndrome patients, especially in the hippocampus and corpus callosum. The field needs more data about the neuroanatomical changes during childhood, how they change with increasing age, and the presence or absence of psychosocial risk factors. Further neuroimaging and psychosocial assessment-focused research is needed to understand the mechanisms leading to Alzheimer's disease at an early age and create more sensitive and relevant clinical, memory, and reasoning assessments for people with Down syndrome.

Background: The cumulative number of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant shortage of hospital beds. Many patients may not require hospitalization and can be clinically observed in home settings. However, some psychosocial factors are correlated with unsuccessful home isolation (HI), which might negatively affect the transmission control in the community. Therefore, we developed a new psychosocial screening tool (CCPHIET) for assessing HI suitability and examined its validity and reliability.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included COVID-19 patients who were deemed to be medically safe for 14 days of HI. The CCPHIET is comprised of 8 clinical domains pertinent to HI behavioral compliance and risk. We explored its statistical validity and reliability and discussed the potential utility of this tool. Results: A total of 65 COVID-19 patients participated in this study. Most patients (58.5%) were evaluated as good candidates for HI. The CCPHIET has an acceptable content validity (IOC index > 0.5), moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.611) and substantial to excellent inter-rater reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.944, Cohen’s kappa= 0.627).Conclusions: To compromise between strict and costly absolute institutional quarantine and the potentially unsuccessful absolute HI, the CCPHIET may help to identify good candidates for HI in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. This psychosocial information would support the physicians in matching each patient to the most suitable setting. Therefore, safe medical care is provided, unnecessary use of medical resources is spared, and local transmission is contained.

Purpose: A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of COVID-19 eventually led to the declaration of Public health emergency of international concern and a pandemic by WHO due to its exponential global spread. Present study was conducted to investigate the impact of second wave of pandemic on mental wellbeing and social behaviors among university students of Pakistan during this crucial period of COVID-19 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was designed to evaluate the psychosocial impact during the current COVID-19 outbreak among the students of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Snowball sampling or chain referral sampling procedure was adopted to recruit the participants in the study. Verbal informed consent was taken from all participants before recruitment in the study irrespective of their gender, age and socioeconomic status. Results: Mental health of university students during COVID-19 epidemic was affected to a varying degree revealing that 26.66% were recorded to have mild, 27.15% moderate and 17.04% suffering from severe anxiety out of total 1029 students. Students who were residing in urban areas with parents and having a steady family income were negatively associated and found protective factors against anxiety. However, having a relative or an acquaintance infected with COVID-19 was an independent risk factor for experienced anxiety. Positively associated factors with the level of anxiety symptoms included economic stressors, effects on daily-life, and academic delays whereas social support was negatively correlated with anxiety in COVID-19 related stressors. Conclusion: Public health emergencies and such pandemic are exerting serious psychological impacts on university students. It is recommended that the higher authorities should plan better policies to reduce this impact for the provision of high quality and timely crisis-oriented psychological services to university students.

The state of community lock-down due to COVID-19 pandemic caused restricted movements of people. There are existing evidence of the negative impact of quarantine and isolation to the mental health of a person in different contexts. A scoping review of literature using Google Scholar was conducted to discover records about the public mental health while in a community quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic. A methodological approach suggested by Arksey and O’Malley was utilized. It comprised (a) identifying the research questions, (b) identifying relevant literatures, (c) selecting literature, (d) charting the extracted data, and (e) summarizing, analyzing, and reporting the results. As of April 17, 2020, there were only 4 original articles found that discuss psychosocial aspect of the COVID-19 crisis. After an online survey, they present evidence that (1) there is an outward change in the people’s behavior toward self-care during the pandemic and (2) trusting the community governing bodies can minimize the level of anxiety and stress. Other literatures found are original articles in preprint (n=8), letters, commentaries, editorial (n=6), review paper (n=4), and WHO guideline (n=1). It is evident that the psychosocial aspect of COVID-19 crisis needs more attention from the scholars and a large research gap can be lessened trough expansion of online platforms.

In India, epilepsy is often viewed with superstition, considered a curse rather than a medical condition. Unfortunately, many affected individuals never receive proper medical attention from neurologists, leading them to seek out alternative remedies, including sorcery. Presently, the number of neurologists in India stands at approximately 3000, a concerning figure given the prevalence of epilepsy, which is reported to affect 5.59 to 10 individuals per 1000. This equates to over one million epilepsy patients across the country, representing more than 1% of the total population. Alarmingly, rural areas experience a higher incidence of epilepsy, around 2%, compared to urban centres, where the incidence is approximately 0.5%. This stark contrast underscores the urgent need for improved access to neurological care, particularly in underserved regions.The term "epilepsy" originates from the Greek verb meaning "to seize" or "to get hold of," forming the basis of its etymology. In certain societies, epilepsy is still interpreted as a "penalty for involvement in a forbidden ritual," although perceptions vary among different cultural groups. Individuals diagnosed with epilepsy (PWE) often exhibit behaviours that have led some to speculate about demonic possession or past-life transgressions as causative factors. Consequently, the term "epilepsy" carries diverse social connotations, leading to variations in treatment approaches based on differing perspectives of the condition. Regrettably, some negative attitudes towards epilepsy have fueled stigma, enduring disability, and significant adverse outcomes for those living with the condition.The majority of unreported cases turn to sorcery, exacerbating the already high mortality rates associated with epilepsy disorder and status epilepticus. Various treatment modalities exist for patients with epilepsy to manage their seizures. Given the debilitating and life-altering nature of epilepsy, India offers a range of options including medications (antiepileptic drugs or AEDs), devices, and surgical interventions. When an individual receives a diagnosis of epilepsy (defined as experiencing at least two unprovoked seizures within a short timeframe), life can be dramatically impacted. Several cases highlight the challenges patients face, leading to an increase in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) overall. For newly born infants, constant vigilance from the mother is essential to monitor for any signs of seizure activity around the clock. When a pediatric patient is enrolled in school, their education is often profoundly disrupted. Should the patient be female, her existence would undergo a profound transformation, marked by societal perceptions deeming her as unfortunate and rendering the prospect of marriage untenable. Seizures in young adults precipitate job loss, thereby exacerbating societal burdens. Conclusion: There is a pressing need to raise awareness about epilepsy among the general populace of India. Dispelling misconceptions surrounding epilepsy is essential to steer individuals away from reliance on superstition, and instead, encourage them to seek guidance from certified specialists in nervous system disorders. Thankfully, by following the treatment regimen prescribed by a qualified neurologist, patients can significantly increase their chances of living a life free from seizures, thereby enhancing their overall quality of life and personal fulfilment.

The offshore oil and gas working environment is an inherently dangerous one, with risks posed to physical safety on a daily basis. One neglected field of research is the added psychosocial stressors present in this environment. This research examined the experiences of offshore oil and gas workers through one-on-one online interviews which were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed through qualitative software NVivo, which generated themes and patterns for the responses given to questions which were developed through a focus group. The results of the analysis showed that multiple psychosocial stressors are present for this population, such as fear of speaking up, unsatisfactory company-provided facilities, work-life interference, work status, micromanaging, gender harassment and bullying. In addition, interviews identified that production and time pressures along with fatigue can influence accidents and mistakes. Climate factors also cause discomfort, however these are managed according to best practice by organisations. Due to the timing of the study, COVID-19 was a significant stressor for some, but not all, employees. In conclusion, offshore oil and gas workers face multiple stressors in a dangerous environment that may lead to devastating consequences.

The quality of life (QOL) is an important indicator of human satisfaction and wellbeing. QOL is significantly and persistently affected for patients after a cancer diagnosis. Despite some evidence suggesting that psycho-oncologic interventions can provide lasting benefits, the inclusion of such interventions in cancer therapy is not universal. This article overviews known approaches to the evaluation of QOL in cancer patients and various interventions for improving patients’ outcomes with a focus on the Eastern European regional and specific Romanian context. With a mortality rate above and cancer care performance below the EU average and unequally distributed, Roma-nia urgently needs a national coordination program which is discussed in our review highlighting the main psychological tools needed for the assessment and its challenges towards implementing the program. In the end, we suggest some directions for future development of the psycho-oncologic approach in the context of social, policy and unexpected financial challenges the nation provides

There exists a plethora of studies examining the psychological and physical impacts of COVID-19 on infected victims. Fewer studies have been published assessing the different types of impacts that an individual’s COVID-19 infection has on close friends and family members. This is the first scoping review to gauge the reported psychosocial issues and daily hassles that impact the relatives and friends of infected individuals. This study was conducted by inputting key terms/MeSH terms into selected internet databases to locate prospective studies. The frameworks of scoping reviews by Arksey et al. and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were utilized in the methodology for identifying and selecting the studies. After data extraction, 37 studies were deemed suitable for analysis. The findings generated from each study was placed into combined categories. A total of 16 combined categories were generated from the amalgamation of the findings. The results show that psychosocial feelings (e.g., anxiety, stress, depression) was the category with the highest prevalence of grouped findings. The results from this study may serve as the impetus for future interventions targeting the alleviation of psychosocial feelings or day to day hassles associated with having a loved one inflicted with a severe illness.

The World Health Organization has developed the Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) strategy, a program based on the measurement of intrinsic capacity (IC) as “the composite of all physical and mental attributes on which an individual can draw”. Multicomponent interventions appear to be the most effective approach to enhance IC and to prevent frailty and disability, since adapted physical activity is the preventive intervention that has shown most evidence in the treatment of frailty and risk of falls. Our paper describes the development of a multi-domain group-based intervention addressed to older people living in the community, aimed at improving and/or maintaining intrinsic capacity by means of promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and psychological wellbeing in older people. The process of intervention development is described following the Guidance for reporting intervention development studies in health research (GUIDED. The result of this study is the AMICOPE intervention (Aptitude Multi-domain group-based intervention to improve and/or maintain IC in Older PEople) built upon the ICOPE framework and described following the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) guidelines. This study represents the first stage of the UK Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating a complex intervention. The next step should be carrying out a feasibility study for the AMICOPE intervention, and in a later stage, assessing the effectiveness in a randomized controlled trial.

Sport has the potential to support psychosocial development in young people. However, extant studies have tended to evaluate purpose-built interventions, leaving regular organised sport relatively overlooked. Moreover, previous work has tended to concentrated on a narrow range of outcomes. To address these gaps, we conducted a season-long ethnography of a youth performance sport club based on a novel Realist Evaluation approach [1]. We construed the club as a social intervention within a complex system of agents and structures. In this - Part 1 - account we detail the perceptions of former and current club parents, players and coaches, using them to build a set of programme theories. The resulting network of outcomes (i.e. self, emotional, social, moral and cognitive) and generative mechanisms (i.e., the attention factory, the greenhouse for growth, the personal boost, and the real-life simulator) spanning across multiple contextual layers provides a nuanced understanding of stakeholders’ views and experiences. This textured perspective of the multi-faceted process of development provides new insights for administrators, coaches and parents to maximise the developmental properties of youth sport, and signposts new avenues for research in this area.

Oxytocin (OT) is regarded as an extremely important prosocial neuropeptide that dramatically affects the establishment of social connections from infancy to adulthood. OT effects on the psychoemotional state are pretty individual and may be dependent on age, gender, ethnocultural factors, social environment, the presence of stress factors, and features of personality. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief psychopathological screening tool and is recommended for the detection and classification of psychosocial problems in adolescents. The current field school-based study, conducted among urban Siberian adolescents (n = 298 aged 12–18) explored the relation of SDQ scales in relation to genotypes of CD38 gene that controls oxytocin release, rs3796863, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576. The results of our study show that during the adolescence period, OT pathway high activity can cause some negative effects, such as emotional instability in young (aged 12–14) adolescent girls in the case of carriage of the rs3796863 A allele and emotional disturbances in older (aged 15–18) adolescent boys who are carriers of a GG variant of rs53576. Our results support the hypothesis of OT-mediated excessive social sensitivity which can lead to some age-sex depending psychosocial problems during adolescence.

Children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are at high risk of impaired development. Contributing causes include inadequate intake of specific nutrients such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lack of adequate stimulation. We conducted a pilot study assessing developmental and nutritional changes in children with SAM provided with a modified ready-to-use therapeutic food and a context-specific psychosocial intervention in Mwanza, Tanzania. We recruited 82 children with SAM (6-36 months) and 88 sex- and age-matched non-malnourished children. We measured child development, using the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT), measures of family and maternal care for children, and whole blood PUFA levels. At baseline, the mean total MDAT z-score of children with SAM was lower than non-malnourished children; -2.37 (95% confidence interval: -2.92; -1.82) as was their total n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels. After 8 weeks’ intervention, MDAT z-scores improved in all domains, especially fine motor, among children with SAM. Total n-3, and EPA levels increased, total n-6 fatty acids decreased, and DHA remained unchanged. Family and maternal care also improved. The suggested benefits of the combined interventions on developmental and nutritional status of children with SAM will be tested in a future trial.

In response to new developments of work and employment in high-income countries (HICs), psychosocial aspects of work and health received increased attention. In contrast, middle-income countries (MICs) are mainly concerned with severe challenges of noxious and dangerous material work environments, poor employment conditions, and deficient social policies, leaving psychosocial aspects in a marginal role at best. More recently, differences between these two worlds were even aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, with economic globalisation and growing worldwide interconnectivity, the world of work in MICs is being rapidly transformed, sharing several concerns with modern Western societies. In this process, psychosocial occupational health will become an increasingly pressing issue. This contribution explores to what extent psychosocial aspects of work and health are already addressed in research originating from MICs. A selective focus on recent findings from two regions, Asia Pacific and Latin America, reveals a high degree of awareness of, and inquiry into, work-stress related problems within these countries. Importantly, in addition to incorporating research progress from HICs, these analyses identify new aspects within specific cultural and socio-economic environments, thus enriching the international state of art.

Telecommuting is a flexible form of work that has progressively spread over the last 40 years and which has been strongly encouraged by the measures to limit the Covid19 pandemic. There is still limited evi-dence on the effects it has on workers' health. In this survey we invited 905 workers of companies that made a limited use of telework to fill out a questionnaire to evaluate: Intrusive leadership of managers (IL), the request for work outside traditional hours (OFF-TAJD), workaholism (BWAS), effort / reward imbalance (ERI), happiness and common mental issues (CMIs), anxiety and depression, assessed by the Goldberg scale (GADS). The interaction between these variables has been studied by structural equation modeling (SEM). Intrusive leadership and working after hours were significantly associated with occu-pational stress. Workaholism is a relevant moderator of this interaction: intrusive leadership significantly increased the stress of workaholic workers. Intrusive leadership and overtime work were associated with reduced happiness, anxiety and depression. These results indicate the need to guarantee the right to disconnect, to limit the effect of the OFF-TAJD. In addition to this, companies should implement policies to prevent intrusive leadership and workaholism.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic some family physicians were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psycho-social support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks. Methods: CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received ‘care as usual’. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean change from baseline. Self-rated change in psychosocial health at 8 weeks was determined. Results: We failed to find a significant effect of the intervention on the prespecified psychosocial health measures. However, the intervention did lead to significant improvement in self-rated change in psychosocial health. Conclusions: This study confirms partially the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CHW in-terventions as a strategy to address mental health in PHC in a COVID context. Further research is needed to elaborate the implementation of CHWs in PHC to reach vulnerable populations during and after health crises.

Healthcare personnel must face two problems of growing importance: violence in the workplace and the loss of work ability due to ageing of the workforce. Studying the relationship between these two phenomena can help to prepare effective prevention measures. In a public health company, we asked nurses to self-assess their work ability using the Work Ability Index (WAI) and we analysed the relationship between this indicator and the violence experienced in the previous and following years. 321 out of 344 nurses (99.3%) participated. In a logistic regression model, the WAI score was a significant protective factor for violence experienced in the previous year (OR=0.94 CI95%=0.90; 0.98 p<0.01) and in the following year (OR=0.88 CI95%=0.84; 0.92 p<0.01). In a hierarchical logistic regression model, social support acted as a protective factor (OR = 0.87 CI95% = 0.79; 0.95 for violence experienced in the previous year), while occupational stress was a significant determinant of the risk of aggression (OR=3.65 CI95%=1.90; 7.03 in the previous year, OR=3.54 CI95%=1.801; 6.947 in the following year). The difficulties that nurses encounter in carrying out their growing work demands in an environment that is not promptly adapted to their changing physical and mental conditions can lead to an increased risk of violence. Prevention of workplace violence should include organizational and ergonomic measures that reduce stress and increase staff support and work ability.

The confinement experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rethink of the teaching-learning process to which teachers have responded without planning and instead using their resources. This study aims to analyze the relationships between work-family interactions, technostress, and perceived organizational support in teachers during the confinement period in Spain that began in March 2020. An online survey was administered to 640 pre-school, primary, and secondary school teachers. Positive reciprocal work-family interactions and their relationship with organizational support were found, with differences according to gender, with women showing a more negative perception of the impact on the family. There were no marked levels of technostress in the overall sample, although higher levels of perceived ineffectiveness and skepticism were found in teachers aged 46 years or older. Teachers in private and subsidized schools showed a higher level of perceived support than those in public schools. There is a need to continue this work to verify the values of these dimensions in other contexts and to apply institutional measures and public policies to improve these indicators in this group.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiomyopathy that presents clinically as a transient and reversible left ventricular wall motion abnormality (LVWMA) that can recover spontaneously within hours to weeks. Studies have shown that it mainly affects older people. Postmenopausal women in particular have an increased prevalence. Physical and emotional stress are widely discussed and generally recognized trigger factors. As age also appears to play a major role in the development of TTS, this review will take a closer look at age- and gender-specific aspects. First and foremost, postmenopausal women and the associated lower oestrogen concentration should be mentioned here. Another important role is played by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the associated glucocorticoid-dependent negative feedback and the resulting immune response. Inflammaging is another term that is increasingly used in connection with TTS. In the following, these risk factors are considered in more detail and linked to the increased sympathetic activity as a possible consequence of chronic stress. Based on the imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, we venture an explorative proposal and would like to present a new possible therapeutic approach.

Negative mental health in students currently is classified as a global crisis with the highest and lowest student achievers recognized at greatest risk. Public schooling, in reproducing accepted psychosocial beliefs through standardized learning, developed separately from necessitating student mental health, in contrast to self-directed learning. Differing from standardized learning, the objective of self-directed learning in public schools is the creation of relevant support structures for student mental health, promoting positive psychosocial outcomes. The designed separation of public schooling from both mental health and self-directed learning was first acknowledged—and lamented—by John Dewey, over 100 years ago, in anticipating today’s mental health crisis. Yet, in responding effectively to the limitations of COVID-19, self-directed learning became an acknowledged learning method in public schools, potentially able to be accommodated by them regularly in support of mental health through the use of online technology. This study investigates the COVID-19 results of self-directed online learning in public schools through a Google Scholar search of peer reviewed research regarding self-directed learning, online learning, and mental health during COVID-19, recommending support for self-initiated self-directed online learning so that self-directed learning can continue, post COVID-19, improving student mental health in public schools, leading to positive psychosocial outcomes.

There are many ‘faces’ of early life adversity (ELA), such as childhood trauma, institutionalization, abuse or exposure to environmental toxins. These have been implicated in the onset and severity of a wide range of chronic non-communicable diseases later in life. The later-life disease risk has a well-established immunological component. This raises the question as to whether accelerated immune-ageing mechanistically links early-life adversity to the lifelong health trajectory resulting in either ‘poor’ or ‘healthy’ ageing. Here we examine observational and mechanistic studies of ELA and inflammageing, highlighting common and distinct features in these two life stages. Many biological processes appear in common including reduction in telomere length, increased immuno-senescence, metabolic distortions and chronic (viral) infections. We propose that ELA shapes the developing immune, endocrine and nervous system in a non-reversible way, creating a distinct phenotype with accelerated immuno-senescence and systemic inflammation. We believe that ELA acts as an accelerator for inflammageing and age-related diseases. Furthermore, we now have the tools and cohorts to be able to dissect the interaction between early life adversity and later life phenotype. This should, in the near future, allow us to identify the ecological and mechanistic processes that are involved in ‘healthy’ or accelerated immune-ageing.

This study addresses the influence of working conditions on Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQOL) among Spanish healthcare professionals. The research seeks to elucidate the mediating roles of job engagement and burnout, and the moderating effects of resilience and self-efficacy, in this relationship. Methods: The study included 374 healthcare workers from Spain, encompassing physicians, nurses, and nursing assistants. It employed a methodological approach using validated instruments to assess psychosocial risks, work-life quality, job engagement, burnout, and resilience. Data were gathered through self-reported questionnaires. Results: Key findings indicate a negative association between working conditions and WRQOL. Job engagement and burnout significantly mediated this relationship, accounting for 19% to 33% of the variance in WRQOL. Notably, lack of support emerged as a strong negative factor for work-related quality of life. Additionally, resilience moderated the relationship between lack of support and burnout. Conclusions: The study concludes that improving working conditions could increase WRQOL. Interventions aimed at enhancing engagement and addressing burnout may be effective. The moderating role of resilience suggests that strategies to enhance resilience could also be beneficial. These findings hold significant implications for policy formulation and human resources planning in healthcare, emphasizing the need for enhanced workplace support and the development of resilience among health workers.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases in humans. It is characterized by visceral pain and/or discomfort, hypersensitivity and abnormal motor responses along with change in gut habits. Although the etio-pathogenesis of IBS is only partially understood, a main role has been attributed to psychosocial stress of different origin. Animals models such as neonatal maternal separation, water avoidance stress and wrap restraint stress have been developed as psychosocial stressors in the attempt to reproduce the IBS symptomatology and identify the cellular mechanisms responsible for the disease. The study of these models has led to the production of drugs potentially useful for IBS treatment. This review intends to give an overview on the results obtained with the animal models; to emphasize the role of the enteric nervous system in IBS appearance and evolution and as a possible target of drug therapies.

The physiological response to a psychological stressor broadly impacts energy metabolism. In-versely, changes in energy availability affect the physiological response to the stressor in terms of hypothalamus, pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) and sympathetic nervous system activation. Glu-cocorticoids, the endpoint of the HPA axis, are critical checkpoints in endocrine control of ener-gy homeostasis and have been linked to metabolic diseases including obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Glucocorticoids, through the glucocorticoid receptor, activate transcription of genes associated with glucose and lipid regulatory pathways and thereby control both physi-ological and pathophysiological systemic energy homeostasis. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of glucocorticoid functions in energy metabolism and systemic metabolic dysfunc-tion, particularly focusing on glucose and lipid metabolism. There are elements in the external environment that induce lifelong changes in the HPA axis stress response and glucocorticoid levels, the most prominent are early-life adversity, or exposure to traumatic stress. We hypothe-sise that when the HPA axis is so disturbed after early-life adversity, it will fundamentally alter hepatic gluconeogenesis, inducing hyperglycaemia, and hence crystalise the significant lifelong risk of developing either the metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes. This gives a “Jekyll and Hyde” role to gluconeogenesis, providing the necessary energy in situations of acute stress, but driving towards pathophysiological consequences when the HPA axis has been altered.