Browsing by Author "Smirnova, Daria"

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    Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories and Mental Health in the Student Community of Latvia During the COVID-19 Outbreak
    (2023-10) Vorobjova, Julija; Pilaga, Sindija Mairita; Mikelsone, Madara; Rancans, Elmars; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N; Vrubļevska, Jeļena; Statistics Unit; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate self-reported changes in mental health and their association with various sociodemographic factors and beliefs in conspiracy theories among university and college students in Latvia during the second state of emergency caused by COVID-19. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted as part of an international research project, where university and college students were anonymously asked to complete an online self-report questionnaire. Changes in anxiety and depression were assessed using self-rated questions. Statistical analysis involved Pearson's chi-square test and univariate binary logistic regression.ression. RESULTS: The study comprised 1047 students, with 828 females (79.08% aged 21.71±0.09). Worsening in self-reported anxiety was more prevalent among females (69.3%, p<0.001), unemployed respondents (70.0%, p=0.003), individuals who were were not working during the lockdown (70.3%, p<0.001), those experiencing deterioration in general health condition (93.0%, p<0.001), and those belonging to or having knowledge of someone in a vulnerable group (69.5%, p=0.004). Worsening self-reported depression was more prevalent in respondents who did not work during the lockdown (63.9%, p=0.014) and those with deteriorating general health conditions (93.0%, p<0.001). Increased odds ratios (OR) for experiencing changes in anxiety and depression were associated with beliefs in the following conspiracy theories: 'Recommended measures are an attempt to restrict human rights' (OR=1.49, p=0.019 and OR=2.40, p<0.001, respectively). Furthermore, increased OR for experiencing changes in depression were associated with beliefs in the following conspiracy theories: 'The COVID-19 vaccine was ready before the virus spread' (OR=3.11, p=0.007), 'COVID-19 has a lower mortality rate" (OR=1.85, p<0.001)', 'Recommended measures are an attempt to restrict human rights' (OR=2.40, p<0.001), and 'The COVID-19 outbreak is the creation of world leaders' (OR=2.17, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported changes in depression and anxiety were associated with certain beliefs in specific conspiracy theories.
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    Determinants of Anxiety in the General Latvian Population During the COVID-19 State of Emergency
    (2022) Vrublevska, Jelena; Perepjolkina, Viktorija; Martinsone, Kristine; Kolesnikova, Jelena; Krone, Ilona; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Rancans, Elmars; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health; Komunikācijas fakultāte; Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy
    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictive public health measures have seriously affected mental health of society. Social, psychological, and health-related factors have been linked to anxiety in the general population. Aim: We investigate the association of various sociopsychological and health-related determinants of anxiety and identify the predicting factors for anxiety in the general population during the COVID-19 state of emergency from in Latvia. Methods: We conducted an online survey using a randomized stratified sample of the general adult population in July 2020 for 3 weeks. Anxiety symptoms were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S). Sociodemographic, health-related, sociopsychological characteristics and suicidality were identified using the structured questionnaire. The statistical analysis included Pearson's chi-square test, post hoc analysis, and binomial logistic regression. Results: The weighted study sample included 2,608 participants. The mean STAY-S score of the total sample was 22.88 ± 12.25. In the total sample, 15.2% (n = 398) of participants were classified as having anxiety. The odds ratio (OR) of having anxiety was higher in females (OR = 2.44; 95% CI 1.75–3.33) and people who had experienced mental health problems in the past (OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.03–2.04), had suicide attempt in the past (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.08–2.59), were worried about their health status due to COVID-19 (OR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.36–1.16), were worried about stigmatization from others if infected with COVID-19 (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03–1.35), were worried about information regarding COVID-19 from the Internet (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.08–1.43), persons who were lonely (OR = 1.90; 95% CI 1.54–2.34), and persons with negative problem orientation (OR = 1.26; 95% CI 1.06–1.51). Protective factors were identified as having good self-rated general health (OR = 0.68, 95 % CI 0.58–0.81), maintaining a daily routine (OR = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.61–0.90), having financial stability (OR = 0.66, 95 % CI 0.55–0.79), and having good psychological resilience (OR = 0.90, 95 % CI 0.87–0.94). Conclusions: This is the first study to report a prevalence of anxiety in the general population of Latvia. Certain factors that predict anxiety, as well as protective factors were identified.
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    Factors Related to COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors : A Structural Equation Model
    (2021-07-05) Šuriņa, Sanita; Martinsone, Kristine; Perepjolkina, Viktorija; Kolesnikova, Jelena; Vainik, Uku; Ruža, Aleksejs; Vrublevska, Jelena; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Rancans, Elmars; Department of Health Psychology and Paedagogy; Komunikācijas fakultāte; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Background: While COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world, and vaccines are not widely available to the general population, the World Health Organization outlines preventive behavior as the most effective way to limit the rapid spread of the virus. Preventive behavior is associated with a number of factors that both encourage and discourage prevention. Aim: The aim of this research was to study COVID-19 threat appraisal, fear of COVID-19, trust in COVID-19 information sources, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and the relationship of socio-demographic variables (gender, age, level of education, place of residence, and employment status) to COVID-19 preventive behavior. Methods: The data originate from a national cross-sectional online survey (N = 2,608) undertaken in July 2020. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: COVID-19 threat appraisal, trust in COVID-19 information sources, and fear of COVID-19 are all significant predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Together they explain 26.7% of the variance of this variable. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs significantly negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal (R2 = 0.206) and trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). COVID-19 threat appraisal contributes significantly and directly to the explanation of the fear of COVID-19 (R2 = 0.134). Directly, as well as mediated by COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, threat appraisal predicts trust in COVID-19 information sources (R2 = 0.190). The relationship between COVID-19 threat appraisal and COVID-19 preventive behaviors is partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 (indirect effect 28.6%) and trust in information sources (15.8%). Socio-demographic variables add very little in prediction of COVID-19 preventive behavior. Conclusions: The study results demonstrate that COVID-19 threat appraisal is the most important factor associated with COVID-19 preventive behavior. Those Latvian residents with higher COVID-19 threat appraisal, experienced higher levels of fear of COVID-19, had more trust in COVID-19 information sources, and were more actively involved in following COVID-19 preventive behaviors. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs negatively predict COVID-19 threat appraisal and trust in COVID-19 information sources, but not the COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Socio-demographic factors do not play an important role here.
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    Prevalence of Distress and Depression and Related Health and Behavioural Factors in the Student Population of Latvia during the COVID-19 Outbreak
    (2023-02-01) Vorobjova, Julija; Pilaga, Sindija Mairita; Gustsone, Beatrise Elizabete; Rancans, Elmars; Smirnova, Daria; Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Vrublevska, Jelena; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    The COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread across the world, has made an impact on every student's ordinary life and mental health, from studying conditions, internship, employment to freedom of movement. This was a cross-sectional study where Latvian university and college students were asked to fill the self-report online questionnaire developed as part of an international study. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and investigate clinical depression, distress and identify the predicting factors. Depression and distress were determined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) with a previously developed algorithm and cut-off scores. The statistical analysis included the Pearson's chi-square test and binomial logistic regression. The study included 1047 students. The prevalence of distress was 18% (n =188) and prevalence of depression was 33.8% (n = 354). Depression was more common among women-35.9 % (n = 298). Risk factors for depression were poor quality of sleep (OR = 8.31), unemployment (OR = 1.42), excessive internet usage (OR = 7.17), thoughts about death (OR = 12.14), and suicidal behaviour (OR = 4.99). Physical activities operated as a protective measure to prevent depression. This study potentially could help to develop a plan in the future for dealing with psychological support for the student population.
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    Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the general population (COMET-G) study
    (2022-01) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Karakatsoulis, Grigorios; Abraham, Seri; Adorjan, Kristina; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Alarcón, Renato D.; Arai, Kiyomi; Auwal, Sani Salihu; Berk, Michael; Bjedov, Sarah; Bobes, Julio; Bobes-Bascaran, Teresa; Bourgin-Duchesnay, Julie; Bredicean, Cristina Ana; Bukelskis, Laurynas; Burkadze, Akaki; Abud, Indira Indiana Cabrera; Castilla-Puentes, Ruby; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Colon-Rivera, Hector; Corral, Ricardo; Cortez-Vergara, Carla; Crepin, Piirika; De Berardis, Domenico; Zamora Delgado, Sergio; De Lucena, David; De Sousa, Avinash; Stefano, Ramona Di; Dodd, Seetal; Elek, Livia Priyanka; Elissa, Anna; Erdelyi-Hamza, Berta; Erzin, Gamze; Etchevers, Martin J.; Falkai, Peter; Farcas, Adriana; Fedotov, Ilya; Filatova, Viktoriia; Fountoulakis, Nikolaos K.; Frankova, Iryna; Franza, Francesco; Frias, Pedro; Galako, Tatiana; Garay, Cristian J.; Garcia-Álvarez, Leticia; García-Portilla, Maria Paz; Gonda, Xenia; Gondek, Tomasz M.; González, Daniela Morera; Gould, Hilary; Grandinetti, Paolo; Grau, Arturo; Groudeva, Violeta; Hagin, Michal; Harada, Takayuki; Hasan, Tasdik M.; Hashim, Nurul Azreen; Hilbig, Jan; Hossain, Sahadat; Iakimova, Rossitza; Ibrahim, Mona; Iftene, Felicia; Ignatenko, Yulia; Irarrazaval, Matias; Ismail, Zaliha; Ismayilova, Jamila; Jakobs, Asaf; Jakovljević, Miro; Jakšić, Nenad; Javed, Afzal; Kafali, Helin Yilmaz; Karia, Sagar; Kazakova, Olga; Khalifa, Doaa; Khaustova, Olena; Koh, Steve; Kopishinskaia, Svetlana; Kosenko, Korneliia; Koupidis, Sotirios A.; Kovacs, Illes; Kulig, Barbara; Lalljee, Alisha; Liewig, Justine; Majid, Abdul; Malashonkova, Evgeniia; Malik, Khamelia; Malik, Najma Iqbal; Mammadzada, Gulay; Mandalia, Bilvesh; Marazziti, Donatella; Marčinko, Darko; Martinez, Stephanie; Matiekus, Eimantas; Mejia, Gabriela; Memon, Roha Saeed; Martínez, Xarah Elenne Meza; Mickevičiūtė, Dalia; Milev, Roumen; Mohammed, Muftau; Molina-López, Alejandro; Morozov, Petr; Muhammad, Nuru Suleiman; Mustač, Filip; Naor, Mika S.; Nassieb, Amira; Navickas, Alvydas; Okasha, Tarek; Pandova, Milena; Panfil, Anca Livia; Panteleeva, Liliya; Papava, Ion; Patsali, Mikaella E.; Pavlichenko, Alexey; Pejuskovic, Bojana; Pinto Da Costa, Mariana; Popkov, Mikhail; Popovic, Dina; Raduan, Nor Jannah Nasution; Ramírez, Francisca Vargas; Rancans, Elmars; Razali, Salmi; Rebok, Federico; Rewekant, Anna; Flores, Elena Ninoska Reyes; Rivera-Encinas, María Teresa; Saiz, Pilar; de Carmona, Manuel Sánchez; Martínez, David Saucedo; Saw, Jo Anne; Saygili, Görkem; Schneidereit, Patricia; Shah, Bhumika; Shirasaka, Tomohiro; Silagadze, Ketevan; Sitanggang, Satti; Skugarevsky, Oleg; Spikina, Anna; Mahalingappa, Sridevi Sira; Stoyanova, Maria; Szczegielniak, Anna; Tamasan, Simona Claudia; Tavormina, Giuseppe; Tavormina, Maurilio Giuseppe Maria; Theodorakis, Pavlos N.; Tohen, Mauricio; Tsapakis, Eva Maria; Tukhvatullina, Dina; Ullah, Irfan; Vaidya, Ratnaraj; Vega-Dienstmaier, Johann M.; Vrublevska, Jelena; Vukovic, Olivera; Vysotska, Olga; Widiasih, Natalia; Yashikhina, Anna; Prezerakos, Panagiotis E.; Smirnova, Daria; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Introduction: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID‐19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study. Material and methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. Results: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed. Conclusions: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them.
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    Results of the COVID-19 mental health international for the health professionals (COMET-HP) study : depression, suicidal tendencies and conspiracism
    (2023-09) N Fountoulakis, Konstantinos; N Karakatsoulis, Grigorios; Abraham, Seri; Adorjan, Kristina; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Alarcón, Renato D; Arai, Kiyomi; Auwal, Sani Salihu; Bobes, Julio; Bobes-Bascaran, Teresa; Bourgin-Duchesnay, Julie; Bredicean, Cristina Ana; Bukelskis, Laurynas; Burkadze, Akaki; Cabrera Abud, Indira Indiana; Castilla-Puentes, Ruby; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Colon-Rivera, Hector; Corral, Ricardo; Cortez-Vergara, Carla; Crepin, Piirika; de Berardis, Domenico; Zamora Delgado, Sergio; de Lucena, David; de Sousa, Avinash; di Stefano, Ramona; Dodd, Seetal; Elek, Livia Priyanka; Elissa, Anna; Erdelyi-Hamza, Berta; Erzin, Gamze; Etchevers, Martin J; Falkai, Peter; Farcas, Adriana; Fedotov, Ilya; Filatova, Viktoriia; Fountoulakis, Nikolaos K; Frankova, Iryna; Franza, Francesco; Frias, Pedro; Galako, Tatiana; Garay, Cristian J; Garcia-Álvarez, Leticia; García-Portilla, Paz; Gonda, Xenia; Gondek, Tomasz M; Morera González, Daniela; Gould, Hilary; Grandinetti, Paolo; Grau, Arturo; Groudeva, Violeta; Hagin, Michal; Harada, Takayuki; Hasan, Tasdik M; Azreen Hashim, Nurul; Hilbig, Jan; Hossain, Sahadat; Iakimova, Rossitza; Ibrahim, Mona; Iftene, Felicia; Ignatenko, Yulia; Irarrazaval, Matias; Ismail, Zaliha; Ismayilova, Jamila; Jacobs, Asaf; Jakovljević, Miro; Jakšić, Nenad; Javed, Afzal; Yilmaz Kafali, Helin; Karia, Sagar; Kazakova, Olga; Khalifa, Doaa; Khaustova, Olena; Koh, Steve; Kopishinskaia, Svetlana; Kosenko, Korneliia; Koupidis, Sotirios A; Kovacs, Illes; Kulig, Barbara; Lalljee, Alisha; Liewig, Justine; Majid, Abdul; Malashonkova, Evgeniia; Malik, Khamelia; Iqbal Malik, Najma; Mammadzada, Gulay; Mandalia, Bilvesh; Marazziti, Donatella; Marčinko, Darko; Martinez, Stephanie; Matiekus, Eimantas; Mejia, Gabriela; Memon, Roha Saeed; Meza Martínez, Xarah Elenne; Mickevičiūtė, Dalia; Milev, Roumen; Mohammed, Muftau; Molina-López, Alejandro; Morozov, Petr; Muhammad, Nuru Suleiman; Mustač, Filip; Naor, Mika S; Nassieb, Amira; Navickas, Alvydas; Okasha, Tarek; Pandova, Milena; Panfil, Anca-Livia; Panteleeva, Liliya; Papava, Ion; Patsali, Mikaella E; Pavlichenko, Alexey; Pejuskovic, Bojana; Pinto da Costa, Mariana; Popkov, Mikhail; Popovic, Dina; Raduan, Nor Jannah Nasution; Vargas Ramírez, Francisca; Rancans, Elmars; Razali, Salmi; Rebok, Federico; Rewekant, Anna; Reyes Flores, Elena Ninoska; Rivera-Encinas, María Teresa; Saiz, Pilar A; Sánchez de Carmona, Manuel; Saucedo Martínez, David; Saw, Jo Anne; Saygili, Görkem; Schneidereit, Patricia; Shah, Bhumika; Shirasaka, Tomohiro; Silagadze, Ketevan; Sitanggang, Satti; Skugarevsky, Oleg; Spikina, Anna; Mahalingappa, Sridevi Sira; Stoyanova, Maria; Szczegielniak, Anna; Tamasan, Simona Claudia; Tavormina, Giuseppe; Tavormina, Maurilio Giuseppe Maria; Theodorakis, Pavlos N; Tohen, Mauricio; Tsapakis, Eva-Maria; Tukhvatullina, Dina; Ullah, Irfan; Vaidya, Ratnaraj; Vega-Dienstmaier, Johann M; Vrublevska, Jelena; Vukovic, Olivera; Vysotska, Olga; Widiasih, Natalia; Yashikhina, Anna; Prezerakos, Panagiotis E; Berk, Michael; Levaj, Sarah; Smirnova, Daria; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
    Introduction: The current study aimed to investigate the rates of anxiety, clinical depression, and suicidality and their changes in health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and methods: The data came from the larger COMET-G study. The study sample includes 12,792 health professionals from 40 countries (62.40% women aged 39.76 ± 11.70; 36.81% men aged 35.91 ± 11.00 and 0.78% non-binary gender aged 35.15 ± 13.03). Distress and clinical depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm, respectively. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses, and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables. Results: Clinical depression was detected in 13.16% with male doctors and ‘non-binary genders’ having the lowest rates (7.89 and 5.88% respectively) and ‘non-binary gender’ nurses and administrative staff had the highest (37.50%); distress was present in 15.19%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics, and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (24.64% vs. 9.62%; p < 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies were at least doubled in terms of RASS scores. Approximately one-third of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop clinical depression was associated with a history of Bipolar disorder (RR = 4.23). Conclusions: The current study reported findings in health care professionals similar in magnitude and quality to those reported earlier in the general population although rates of clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, and adherence to conspiracy theories were much lower. However, the general model of factors interplay seems to be the same and this could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable.
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    Students' mental health during the pandemic : results of the observational cross-sectional COVID-19 MEntal health inTernational for university Students (COMET-S) study
    (2023) Fountoulakis, Konstantinos N.; Alias, Nor Aziah; Bjedov, Sarah; Fountoulakis, Nikolaos K.; Gonda, Xenia; Hilbig, Jan; Jakovljević, Miro; Kulig, Barbara; Mahale, Girija; Manafis, Alexandros; Mohammed, Muftau; Nadareishvili, Ilia; Navickas, Alvydas; Patsali, Mikaella E.; Pavlichenko, Alexey; Pilaga, Sindija Mairita; Razali, Salmi; Romanov, Dmitry; Rossitza, Iakimova; Salihu, Auwal Sani; Sinauridze, Ana; Stoyanova, Maria; Thosar, Ketaki; Vorobjova, Julija; Vrublevska, Jelena; Rancans, Elmars; Javed, Afzal; Theodorakis, Pavlos N.; Breda, Joao; Smirnova, Daria; Department of Psychiatry and Narcology; Institute of Public Health
    Introduction: The aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 “non-binary gender” (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios. Results: Dysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders. Discussion: The current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.