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Die Dissertation befasst sich in vier Studien mit den Auswirkungen von Flucht und Vertreibung infolge des Zweiten Weltkrieges auf die Lebensqualität und die psychische Gesundheit im Alter. Basierend auf der Theorie der Kumulativen Ungleichheit wird postuliert, dass frühe Lebensereignisse über die Kumulation von Risiken, aber auch Ressourcen einen Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität und psychische Gesundheit im Alter haben. Die Kohorte ehemals Vertriebener erfuhr eine Vielzahl von Benachteiligungen und ein erhöhtes Ausmaß an Traumata während der Flucht und Vertreibung, was mit einer Kumulation weiterer Risiken im Lebensverlauf einhergeht. Als gesundheitspsychologische Variablen werden die subjektive globale sowie gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität untersucht, welche sowohl aus aktueller als auch retrospektiver Sicht betrachtet werden. Es wird angenommen, dass Vertreibung mit einer Kumulation von Risiken im Lebensverlauf einhergeht und die subjektive globale Lebensqualität sowie die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität beeinflusst. Hinsichtlich der psychischen Gesundheit weisen ehemals Vertriebene eine erhöhte psychische Belastungssymptomatik im Alter auf. Es wird angenommen, dass der Vertreibungsstatus als Prädiktor für das Vorliegen psychischer Belastung im Alter dient. Die Folgen der Vertreibung manifestieren sich in einer reduzierten gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität und einer erhöhten psychischen Belastung im Alter. Laut der Theorie der Kumulativen Ungleichheit hat der Zeitpunkt der Vertreibung infolge des Zweiten Weltkrieges Auswirkungen auf den Lebensverlauf einer Person. Aufgrund der unterschiedlichen kognitiven und emotionalen Entwicklung von Kindern und Jugendlichen wird angenommen, dass die psychische Belastung im Alter abhängig vom Alter zum Zeitpunkt der Vertreibung ist. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Vertriebene trotz der reduzierten gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität keine Unterschiede in der subjektiven Lebensqualität mit Vergleichsgruppen aufweisen, was den Annahmen des disability paradox bzw. dem Wohlbefindensparadox entspricht. Die subjektive und die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität basieren auf unterschiedlichen Kriterien, zwischen denen aufgrund von Adaptionsprozessen zunächst kein Zusammenhang besteht. Über das Prinzip der Homöostase wird eine hohe subjektive Lebensqualität aufrechterhalten, auch wenn körperliche Einschränkungen die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität beeinträchtigen. Die Vertriebenen der untersuchten Stichproben verfügen über sehr gute Anpassungsprozesse und eine hohe Lebensqualität. Die Theorie der Kumulativen Ungleichheit postuliert neben kumulierenden Nachteilen auch Wendepunkte, persönliche Entscheidungen und Handlungen sowie mobilisierbare Ressourcen, die den Lebenslauf positiv beeinflussen. Das Fehlen von Unterschieden kann auf eine relativ hohe Lebensqualität im Alter, stetige Anpassungsprozesse, soziale und temporale Vergleiche, positive Verzerrung von Einschätzungen im Alter oder der veränderten Populationszusammensetzung aufgrund erhöhter Mortalität besonders vulnerabler Individuen zurückgeführt werden. Die Mobilisierung von Ressourcen in Form von Anpassungsprozessen oder Lebenseinstellungen können die negativen Auswirkungen von Vertreibung im frühen Lebensalter kompensieren. Im Sinne des erfolgreichen Alterns kann eine hohe Lebensqualität als Maß für die Anpassung an Schwierigkeiten während des Lebensverlaufs sowie die zunehmenden Einschränkungen im Alterungsprozess betrachtet werden. Vertreibung infolge des Zweiten Weltkrieges ist ein Risikofaktor, der im Kontext multipler, über den Lebensverlauf wirkender Einfluss- und Risikofaktoren untersucht werden sollte. Der Lebensverlauf sowie der Alterungsprozess sind komplex, inter- und intraindividuell verschieden und müssen im Kontext historischer Ereignisse gesehen werden. Die zukünftige Forschung zur Förderung und Aufrechterhaltung der Gesundheit über den Lebensverlauf ist herausgefordert, Risiken sowie Ressourcen und Anpassungsprozesse über den Lebensverlauf zu identifizieren, den Beitrag einzelner Prädiktoren zu bestimmen und deren Wechselwirkungen zu untersuchen.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Verknüpfung von Moderatoren des Akkulturationsprozesses und psychischer Gesundheit auf Grundlage des Modells von Berry. Im Vordergrund steht die grundsätzliche Frage, wie sich die Moderatoren auf die psychische Verfassung des Migranten auswirken am Beispiel von Spätaussiedlern in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Durchgeführt wurde eine Querschnittsstudie per zweisprachigem Fragebogen. Es kamen die Module Brief Symptom Inventory-53, Gießener Beschwerdebogen-24, Trierer Inventar zum chronischen Stress-12 und die Leipziger Kurzskala des Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-9) zum Einsatz.
Die befragten Spätaussiedler weisen im Durchschnitt in vielen Skalen überwertige
Belastungen auf. Höhere Werte an Integration korrelieren positiv mit höheren Skalenwerten der psychischen Gesundheit. Die Betrachtung der Akkulturationsstrategien unter den Spätaussiedlern zeigte die Strategie der
Integration als die am häufigsten gewählte, am stärksten war jedoch die Marginalisierung mit psychischer Gesundheit assoziiert.
Insbesondere die gefundenen Zusammenhänge zwischen beruflicher Integration
und Parametern der psychischen Gesundheit sind bemerkenswert. Denkbar wäre, dass das Gewähren einer Präferenz für eine der beiden Kulturen zu einer psychischen Dysbalance führt. Insbesondere im Bereich der Akkulturationsstrategien von Spätaussiedlern sieht der Autor weiteren Forschungsbedarf.
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting many areas of life and has led to major changes in undergraduate medical education. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, high mental burden of medical students has frequently been reported in the literature. Additional pandemic-specific stressors could exacerbate this situation. This study aimed to assess mental health outcomes among medical students during the first semester after the COVID-19 outbreak and perception of the students on how the learning environment has changed. In May 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among undergraduate medical students at a large medical school in Germany. The survey included validated mental health instruments (Distress Thermometer, Patient Health Questionnaire 4) and self-developed items to examine the perception of the study situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open-ended questions were analyzed by conventional content analyses. The response rate was 59.2% (914/1,545). Overall, 61.9% of the students reported distress levels above the cutoff. Year 1 students reported significantly higher levels of distress, anxiety and depression than students during their second to fourth year of studies. 48.3% of the students indicated a decrease in their study motivation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with significant differences between study years. The binary logistic regression model showed that male gender, being in study year 2, higher distress scores and higher symptoms of depression were significantly associated with a higher likelihood for experiencing serious worries. In the open-ended questions on current concerns related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their studies, students most frequently reported concerns about missing relevant practical learning experience, difficulties with self-regulated learning and self motivation as well as study-related worries. Year 4 students reported significantly more worries about the lack of practical training than students from study years 1 to 3. Analysis of gender differences showed that female students reported more frequently diverse worries. In contrast, female students shared more frequently helpful strategies in all the categories compared to male students. Our findings suggest that medical students experience significant levels of distress and mental burden during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the need for ongoing psychological and educational support for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and after.
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious health and economic crises of the 21st century. From a psychological point of view, the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences can be conceptualized as a multidimensional and potentially toxic stressor for mental health in the general population. This selective literature review provides an overview of longitudinal studies published until June 2021 that have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the European population. Risk and protective factors identified in the studies are summarized. Forty-two studies that met inclusion and search criteria (COVID-19, mental health, longitudinal, and Europe) in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases indicate differential effects of the pandemic on mental distress, depression, and anxiety, depending on samples and methods used. Age-specific (e.g., young age), social (e.g., female, ethnical minority, loneliness), as well as physical and mental health-related factors (e.g., pre-pandemic illness) were identified as risk factors for poor mental health. The studies point to several protective factors such as social support, higher cognitive ability, resilience, and self-efficacy. Increasing evidence supports the assumption of the pandemic being a multidimensional stressor on mental health, with some populations appearing more vulnerable than others, although inconsistencies arise. Whether the pandemic will lead to an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders is an open question. Further high-quality longitudinal and multi-national studies and meta-analyses are needed to draw the complete picture of the consequences of the pandemic on mental health.
ObjectivesTo investigate levels of distress, depression, anxiety, stress and perception of their current study situation during the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate dental and medical students.DesignObservational, cross-sectional study including two consecutive surveys (May and July 2020).SettingA large medical school in Germany.ParticipantsAll first year dental and medical students were invited. 132 participating first year students (44 dental, 88 medical) from the first survey and 150 students (50 dental, 100 medical) from the second were included in our analyses.Primary and secondary outcome measuresMental burden (distress thermometer, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, Perceived Stress Scale-4) and self-reported changes in mental health and perception of study situation during the COVID-19 pandemic (self-developed items) were compared. Open-ended questions were analysed by conventional content analyses.ResultsA considerable proportion of students (t1: May 2020: 84.1%; t2: July 2020: 77.3%) reported distress levels above cut-off. In July 2020, dental students reported significantly higher distress scores than medical students (dental: M=7.0, SD=2.3; medical: M=5.7; SD=2.1; p<0.001). More dental than medical students reported mild, moderate and severe levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. The majority stated that their mental health and study motivation had not changed during the pandemic. Logistic regression showed that being a dental student was significantly associated with a higher likelihood for serious worries regarding the study situation during COVID-19 at t1 (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.1 to 14.2). At t2 higher distress was significantly associated with a higher likelihood for experiencing serious worries (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.5). Regarding current concerns related to the pandemic, students most frequently reported difficulties with self-regulated learning (15.2%), study-related worries and uncertainty (14.4%), missing feedback of students and lecturers (11.4%) and lack of practical training (9.8%).ConclusionThe results suggest that high mental burden and the lack of practical training among medical and dental students is an increasing problem, with a possibly even higher urgency in dental students. Tailored psychological and educational support offers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic might help them as they progress through (medical and) dental school.
In Germany, large, population-based cohort studies have been implemented in order to identify risk and protective factors for maintaining health across the life span. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyse findings from three large ongoing cohorts and to identify sex-specific prevalence rates, risk and protective factors for mental health. Published studies from the Cooperative Health Research in the Region Augsburg (KORA), the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) and the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS)), representing the southern, north-eastern and middle parts of Germany, were identified through searches of the databases PubMed and Web of Science. A total of 52 articles was identified from the start of each cohort until June 2019. Articles reporting prevalence rates of mental health [N = 22], explanatory factors for mental health [N = 25], or both [N = 5] were identified. Consistent across cohorts, higher prevalence rates of internalizing disorders were found for women and more externalizing disorders for men. Risk and protective factors for mental health included social factors, lifestyle, physical health, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, genetic and biological factors. In all areas, differences and similarities were found between women and men. The most evident were the sex-specific risk profiles for depression with mostly external risk factors for men and internal risk factors for women. Gender was not assessed directly, therefore we examined whether socioeconomic and family-related factors reflecting gender roles or institutionalized gender could be used as a proxy for gender. Overall, this systematic review shows differences and similarities in prevalence rates and determinants of mental health indicators between women and men. They underline the importance of focussing on sex specific approaches in mental health research and in the development of prevention measures. Current research on mental health still lacks focus on gender aspects. Therefore, an increased focus on sex and gender in mental health research is of great importance.
Background
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, previous studies have shown that the physical as well as the mental health of children and adolescents significantly deteriorated. Future anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associations with quality of life has not previously been examined in school children.
Methods
As part of a cross-sectional web-based survey at schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, school children were asked about COVID-19-related future anxiety using the German epidemic-related Dark Future Scale for children (eDFS-K). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the self-reported KIDSCREEN-10. The eDFS-K was psychometrically analyzed (internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis) and thereafter examined as a predictor of HRQoL in a general linear regression model.
Results
A total of N = 840 8–18-year-old children and adolescents were included in the analysis. The eDFS-K demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.77), and the confirmatory factor analysis further supported the one-factor structure of the four-item scale with an acceptable model fit. Over 43% of students were found to have low HRQoL. In addition, 47% of the students sometimes to often reported COVID-19-related fears about the future. Children with COVID-19-related future anxiety had significantly lower HRQoL (B = – 0.94, p < 0.001). Other predictors of lower HRQoL were older age (B = – 0.63, p < 0.001), and female (B = – 3.12, p < 0.001) and diverse (B = – 6.82, p < 0.001) gender.
Conclusion
Two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, school-aged children continue to exhibit low HRQoL, which is further exacerbated in the presence of COVID-19-related future anxiety. Intervention programs with an increased focus on mental health also addressing future anxiety should be provided.