No abstract

The COVID-19 The pandemic affected the mental health of people. Individuals prefer to collect information from the Internet about the virus, disease, symptoms, reports on statistics, treatments, and any other information related to the pandemic. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of Internet use in three different levels of users (Internet addicts, over-users, and average-users) on health anxiety during the pandemic among the young population in Malaysia. Four hundred and forty-eight young adult in Malaysia completed the online survey including demographic questionnaire, Short-form Health Anxiety Inventory, and Internet Addiction Test. Results showed that the Internet addict users have higher scores in the Total Health Anxiety and Health Anxiety factors (Illness Likelihood and Negative Consequences) compared to the average-users and over-users. It seems that high Internet usage is associated with high health anxiety. People may search more on the Internet for information related to the COVID-19 and the symptoms and it may increase their health anxiety. This study provides knowledge implications for mental health professionals about the association between Internet addiction and health anxiety. The findings may provide awareness to the public and professionals about one of the factors that are linked to individuals' health anxiety during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on individuals’ mental health. Individuals have tended to obtain information about the pandemic from social media. With the aim of exploring the relationship between subjective happiness and social media usage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible moderating role of resilience in this relationship, we asked 277 young adults in Iran to complete a number of online questionnaires, including a demographic questionnaire, a survey on social media usage, a subjective happiness scale and a brief resilience scale. The results showed that there is a significant negative correlation between social media usage and subjective happiness. In terms of the different degrees to which resilience can act as a moderator, our findings showed that when resilience is average or high, the relationship between social media usage and subjective happiness is significant. This study has implications for mental health professionals seeking knowledge about happiness during periods of adversity.

Abstract. Smartphones and the internet have indeed revolutionized our lives in innumerable ways, among them the emergence of a social phenomenon called ‘phubbing.’ Phubbing is a portmanteau combining the words “phone” and “snubbing”. A person engaging in “phubbing” interacts obsessively with his/her phone rather than communicating with nearby people. Partner phubbing (Pphubbing) is defined as phubbing behaviour when in the presence of one’s spouse or significant other. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between Pphubbing and marital quality, and to investigate the moderating role of gender and age in this relationship. The participants in the survey were 390 married adults living in Kuala Lumpur. The respondents were selected randomly and volunteered to answer a series of questionnaires made up of the Partner Phubbing Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and a section on demographic data. Results showed that Pphubbing behaviour has a significant negative relationship with marital quality. Moreover, gender and age were found to have significant moderating effects on the relationship between Pphubbing and marital quality. The reported impact of Pphubbing on marital quality was stronger among females than males, and the effects were also stronger among younger adults. These findings may have implications for family and couple counselling and for the coaching profession. Future research should be done to address this phenomenon more thoroughly. Keywords: interpersonal communication; marital quality; partner phubbing; phubbing; relationship

Aim: Anxiety is prevalent among women with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), which is associated with coping strategies and bio-psychosocial risk factors. This study aims to predict socioeconomic status (SES) and obstetric factors towards anxiety and stress-coping strategy, and to explore the significant differences in levels of anxiety on each coping strategy. Design: It was a cross-sectional survey in the Malaysian context. Methods: Forty women medically diagnosed with HG were recruited and completed Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess generalized anxiety disorder and coping scale inventory using the Brief COPE questionnaire. Results: The employment status of pregnant women diagnosed with HG significantly predicted their anxiety. Household income and education level predicted emotion-focused coping strategies. None of the obstetric factors predicted the coping strategy. A significant difference was found across anxiety levels in problem-focused and dysfunctional coping strategies. The post-hoc test reveals that dysfunctional coping has the highest mean score in the severe anxiety category. Conclusion: It is essential to promote awareness about effective coping strategies for pregnant women who are diagnosed with HG. Greater efforts are needed to increase the duty of care among healthcare providers to propagate holistic and resourceful coping management with the HG that could help potential patients in the future.