Antenatal depression and the experiences of Australian women in the maternity system during the COVID-19 pandemic

  

Title of publication

Antenatal depression and the experiences of Australian women in the maternity system during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract 

The mitigation efforts of COVID-19 have led to significant changes to the delivery of routine healthcare globally. In Australia, the way maternal health services have been delivered since the beginning of the pandemic has also changed. Maternity care and support are known to influence maternal mental health. One hundred and eighty-eight English-speaking pregnant women residing in Australia were recruited using social media advertising between September and November 2020 as part of a larger study. Participants were aged between 19 and 42 (M = 31.05, SD = 4.68). Compared with previous Australian prevalence rates of around 7% for antenatal depression, rates in this study were 15.9% overall and 19% for those in Melbourne. Antenatal depression was positively associated with COVID-19 distress in relation to having a baby during a COVID-19 outbreak r(186) = 0.30, p < 0.001. It is suggested that increased vigilance with screening and assessment will be required to identify and support mothers who are not coping during the pandemic.

Full text

Full text at https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=111990

Cite

Frankham, L. J., Thorsteinsson, E. B., & Bartik, W. (2021). Antenatal depression and the experiences of Australian women in the maternity system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open Journal of Depression, 10, 155-167. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojd.2021.104010 

Alcohol use in Bhutan: Parenting style and distress

Title of publication

Parenting style, distress, and problematic alcohol use in Bhutan

Abstract 

Background: Bhutan is a small landlocked country located between India and China that is largely rural and Buddhist. As the nation develops and adopts more Western practices, the nature of the relationship between its young people and alcohol is developing as well.

Objectives: The present study examines how problematic alcohol use relates to parenting styles and distress factors in a sample of predominantly tertiary students.

Methods: For this study, 245 young adults completed self-report measures of parenting style, distress, and alcohol-related problems.

Results: Strong correlations were found indicating more dysfunctional parenting styles were associated with greater distress and problematic alcohol use. Further analyses to evaluate the relationship between parenting styles and alcohol use found no role for moderation but a significant effect for mediation which indicated that more dysfunctional parenting styles were associated with greater distress which in turn was associated with greater problematic alcohol use.

Conclusions: These findings replicate those found in Western countries and imply that the same vulnerabilities to problematic alcohol use are also present in Bhutan.

Cite

Penjor, S., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Price, I., & Loi, N. M. (2019). Parenting style, distress, and problematic alcohol use in Bhutan. Cogent Psychology, 6, 1-10. doi:10.1080/23311908.2019.1579503

Link

https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1579503
https://www.cogentoa.com/article/10.1080/23311908.2019.1579503

Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses

Title of publication

Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses among adolescents and adults

Abstract

As Internet use grows so do the benefits and also the risks. Thus, it is important to identify when individuals’ Internet use is problematic. In the present study 449 participants aged from 16 to 71 years of age were sourced from a wide range of English speaking Internet forums including social media, and self-help groups. Of these, 68.9% were classified as non-problematic users, 24.4% as problematic users, and 6.7% as addictive Internet users. High use of discussion forums, high rumination levels, and low levels of self-care were the main contributing factors to Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. For adults, though, IA was mainly predicted through engagement in online video gaming and sexual activity, low email use, as well as high anxiety and high avoidant coping. Problematic Internet users scored higher on emotion and avoidance coping responses in adults and higher on rumination and lower on self-care in adolescents. Avoidance coping responses mediated the relationship between psychological distress and Internet addiction. These findings may assist clinicians with designing interventions to target different factors associated with Internet addiction.

Link

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cyber.2016.0669

Cite

McNicol, M. L., & Thorsteinsson, E. B. (2017). Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses among adolescents and adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20, 296-304. doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0669