Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Community Public Mental Health Care

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2021) | Viewed by 27842

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Kari Kvaal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Science, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, P.Box 400, N-2418 Elverum, Norway
Interests: crisis; anxiety; depression; loneliness–social support; complex interventions

Dr. Ellen Nesset Mælan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Faculty of Education, Inland norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Tynset, Norway
Interests: mental healthcare and learning in children and adolescents

Dr. Ingun Dina Ulstein

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Oslo University Hospital, Memory Clinic, Oslo Norway
Interests: family caregivers; old age psychiatry; psychotherapy; group therapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A good quality of life is important regardless of the stage in which one is, e.g., a high school or university student, a professional, or a pensioner. For people suffering from mental problems and disorders, life is not always easy to cope with, and they can often experience stigma, discrimination, loneliness and isolation from society. For decades, epidemiological studies on mental healthcare have documented these conditions, though not to the needed extent, and the World Health Organization has recently focused international attention on this long-neglected problem. The issues people struggling with their mental health seem to be mainly rooted in the principles of human rights and a lack of tailored healthcare and social service, and lack of coordination of services with challenging interdisciplinary cooperation in the communities.

This Special Issue addresses high academic standards in comprehensive interventions provided in the communities with an emphasis on the integration of people suffering from mental health problems with connection to the environment, as well as to their families, social networks, school friends, colleagues at workplaces, and fellow seniors. This topic is related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Leave no one behind.

Prof. Kari Kvaal
Dr. Ellen Nesset Mælan
Dr. Ingun Dina Ulstein
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

integration
family
learning
school
work
old age
mental healthcare
social network

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

16 pages, 362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Environment Perception on Depression: The Mediating Role of Subjective Social Class

by Liqin Zhang and Lin Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8083; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18158083 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

Depression has become a major social issue of global concern, which has seriously threatened the quality of an individual’s life. Although the relationship between community environment and depression has aroused heated debate, the empirical research on the relationship between community environment perception and public depression is still relatively insufficient. Data for this study are from China Family Panel Studies in 2016, which were conducted by the institute of Social Science Survey, Peking University. This paper has tested group differences in the influence of community environment on public depression, as well as the mediating role of subjective social class between community environment perception and depression, so as to further explore the social psychological effect of community environment. The empirical study found that there are group differences in the impacts of community environment perception on depression. Specifically, men, rural residents, and people aged 60 and under are more likely to be depressed which were affected by the perception of community environment. Furthermore, we have found that the subjective social class can partly mediate community environment perception and depression. That is to say, the perception of community environment can induce depression by influencing the individual’s subjective social class. Among them, community living environment and community public facilities have the greatest impact, community emotional attachment and community security situation have the second impact, and neighborhood mutual aid and neighborhood relationship have the least impact. In other words, the community environment is deeply endowed with a social psychological effect. To ameliorate the public’s depression, it is necessary to consider the construction of community physical environment and the cultivation of harmonious community culture as powerful measures not to be ignored. In short, the important role of community environmental intervention in alleviating the public’s depression caused by social class cognition deserves attention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

10 pages, 620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Regulation and Academic Performance in the Academic Context: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in Secondary Education Students

by Pablo Usán Supervía and Alberto Quílez Robres

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5715; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18115715 - 26 May 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6181

Abstract

Background: in the school stage, adolescents experience different emotional and motivational states involved in the learning process that play a fundamental role in their personal and academic development. In this way, the study focuses on analyzing the relationships between emotional regulation, self-efficacy and academic performance, as well as the possible mediating role of self-efficacy in both. Methods: the study included 2204 students, both male (N = 1193; 54.12%) and female (N = 1011; 45.87%) with ages ranging from 12 to 18 years (M = 14.69; DT = 1.76). The measures used for the investigation were the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and average marks were used to measure students’ academic performance. Results: The results of the study revealed a self-determined behavioral pattern characterized by high scores in emotional regulation, self-efficacy and academic performance. Likewise, the mediating role of self-efficacy between emotional regulation and student academic performance was significant. Conclusion: the influence of the academic self-efficacy variable as a mediator between the studied constructs is denoted, as well as the importance of promoting adaptive behaviors in the classroom that can lead to adequate personal development of students together with optimal academic performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measurement Invariance in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale among English-Speaking Whites and Asians

by Tsukasa Kato

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(10), 5298; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18105298 - 16 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2254

Abstract

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale has been widely used to measure depressive symptoms. This study compared the measurement invariances for one-, two-, three-, and four-factor models of the CES-D across English-speaking Whites and Asians: White Americans, White Australians, Indians, Filipinos, and Singaporeans. White Americans and Australians, Indians, Filipinos, and Singaporeans English speakers (782 men and 824 women) whose ages ranged from 20 to 79 years, completed the CES-D. They were recruited from the data pool of the 2013 and 2014 Coping and Health Survey. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the original four-factor model showed the best fit, compared to the other models. Mean and covariance structure analyses showed that the factor means of the CES-D subscales among Whites were significantly lower than were those among Asians; the score gap was particularly high between Whites and Indians. Additionally, Indians scored the highest on all subscales of the CES-D compared to all other countries. Overall, CES-D scores among Whites were lower than those among Asians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

13 pages, 653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predictors of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms

by Vilija Malinauskiene and Romualdas Malinauskas

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4508; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18094508 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2349

Abstract

The present study expands the existing literature and supplements today’s knowledge on the relationship between personal, psychosocial and lifestyle factors and depressive symptoms among adolescents. The study aimed to investigate the variety of depressive symptoms predictors—personal resources, adverse school and family, health, lifestyle-related (sense of coherence, self-esteem, school involvement, negative acts at school, family stress and violence, psychosomatic health complaints, physical activity, smoking, alcohol) as well as gender, employing hierarchical linear regression analysis in a large representative sample of adolescents (N = 2212) in Kaunas, Lithuania. Four blocks of predictors were employed in hierarchical linear regression analysis. In the final model 64.9% of depressive symptoms were explained by all the predictors. Sense of coherence was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms (standardized regression coefficient β = −605, p < 0.001 in the first model and β = −263, p < 0.001 in the final model after adjustment for all other independent variables) and accounted for 36.6% of variance. In conclusion, this study supports the notion that depressive symptoms among adolescents have multifactorial origins with many predictors showing significant effect seizes. Therefore, high sense of coherence and self-esteem, school involvement, higher levels of physical activity would be protective and influence lower levels of depressive symptoms among adolescents. Exposure to negative acts at school and negative experiences in the family, psychosomatic health complaints, smoking would increase the probability of depressive symptoms. Girls are more prone to depression as compared to boys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 714 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Korean Version of the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory among Construction Workers: Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation

by Sangeun Lee, Sojeong Seong, Soyeon Park, Jeeyeon Lim, Soyun Hong, Youngshin Cho and Heejung Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(8), 4302; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18084302 - 18 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3133

Abstract

The Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI) has been tested in different languages and populations; thus, there is a need for a culturally adapted Korean version. We evaluated the psychometric properties of a Korean version of the SOFI among construction workers. The SOFI was translated into Korean and reviewed through a back-translation process involving standardized scaling procedures. Its reliability and validity were evaluated with a sample of 193 construction workers using internal consistency, item–subscale correlations, test–retest reliability, and content, construct, and concurrent validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the total scale and each subscale were satisfactory. Item–subscale correlations and test–retest reliability were both at acceptable levels. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the five-factor model had acceptable model fits corresponding to the structure of the original instrument. However, some modifications were made to improve in the new context from model fit (such as χ²(95) = 113.905 (p = 0.091), CFI = 0.994, and RMSEA = 0.033, as well as the lowest AIC = 383.905). Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship of SOFI with other fatigue measures in terms of total and subscale scores. Occupational fatigue is one of the important risk factors associated with workers’ health and safety at work. The new translated instrument is a reliable and valid tool for assessing fatigue among Korean construction workers. However, this instrument should be tested extensively in other working populations to devise specific interventions concerning fatigue reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Structured Interview to Explore Interpersonal Schema of Older Adults Living Alone Based on Autobiographical Memory

by Yunna Kwan, Sungwon Choi, Tae Rim Eom and Tae Hui Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(5), 2316; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18052316 - 26 Feb 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

With a growing public interest in the social health of older adults, studies focusing on social networks and interpersonal relationships of older adults are needed. The present study was conducted to develop a structured interview to evaluate the interpersonal schema based on Self-Defining Memory of older adults. First, the word cues that the older adults often report on interpersonal events were confirmed. Next, the indices and scoring rules were prepared, including Relationship frequency (RF), Conflict frequency (CF), Dominance mean (Dm), and Warmth mean (Wm). Healthy older adults living alone (mean age = 71.81, SD = 3.95) were interviewed. Finally, the correlation between each index and Short form of Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales (KIIP-SC) was analyzed for criterion validity. The inter-rater reliability was substantial (Kappa = 0.61~0.66). Based on the analysis of criterion validity, the indices of CF, Dm, and Wm indices showed an appropriate level of criterion validity. This study developed a structural interview based on a novel system of reporting autobiographical memory and established indices with appropriate validity to evaluate interpersonal relationships. The interview is expected to identify the characteristics of interpersonal relationships of the older adults and contribute to the establishment of the older adults’ community accordingly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Are Filipinos Aging Well?”: Determinants of Subjective Well-Being among Senior Citizens of the Community-Based ENGAGE Study

by Rogie Royce Carandang, Akira Shibanuma, Edward Asis, Dominga Carolina Chavez, Maria Teresa Tuliao and Masamine Jimba

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(20), 7636; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17207636 - 20 Oct 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8631

Abstract

As people age, they are expected to experience adverse life conditions and major life events. These circumstances might have a significant impact on their subjective well-being. This study investigated the factors associated with subjective well-being among community-dwelling Filipino senior citizens. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1021 senior citizens (68.5% women) aged 60 and above and identified the factors independently associated with their subjective well-being using multiple linear regression analysis. We also used hierarchical regression analysis for model prediction. In the hierarchical regression analysis, psychological resilience was found as the most powerful predictor of subjective well-being. Loneliness, however, was the only psychosocial factor not associated with it. Both men and women with positive self-rated health and had higher psychological resilience and perceived social support showed a higher level of subjective well-being. Women who were separated and received pension and men who were uneducated showed a lower level of subjective well-being. Psychological resilience, positive self-rated health, and perceived social support might be protective factors for low subjective well-being. To improve the subjective well-being of Filipino senior citizens, we should build psychological resilience and social support networks in the community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Public Mental Health Care)

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Community Public Mental Health Care

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI