Relationship of social factors including trust, control over life decisions, problems with transport and safety, to psychological distress in the community

Abstract

PurposePsychological distress encompasses anxiety and depression with the previous studies showing that psychological distress is unequally distributed across population groups. This paper explores the mechanisms and processes which may affect the distribution of psychological distress, including a range of individual and community level socioeconomic determinants.MethodsRepresentative cross-sectional data was collected for respondents aged 16+ from July 2008 to June 2009, as a part of the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS) using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). Univariate and multivariate analyses (n = 5,763) were conducted to investigate the variables that were associated with psychological distress.ResultsThe overall prevalence of psychological distress was 8.9%. In the multivariate model, females, those aged 16–49, respondents single with children, unable to work or unemployed, with a poorer family financial situation, earning $20,000 or less, feeling safe in their home some or none of the time, feeling as though they have less then total control over life decisions and sometimes experiencing problems with transport, were significantly more likely to experience psychological distress.ConclusionsThis paper has demonstrated the relationship between low-income, financial pressure, less than optimal safety and control, and high-psychological distress. It is important that the groups highlighted as vulnerable be targeted in policy, planning, and health promotion and prevention campaigns.

Associations among neighborhood poverty, perceived neighborhood environment, and depressed mood are mediated by physical activity, perceived individual control, and loneliness

“…We reverse-coded items so that higher scores indicate more control. These items have been used in previous research studies and found to be reliable (Cronbach's alpha ¼ 0.83) (Taylor et al, 2012(Taylor et al, , 2017Kim et al, 2016).…”

Associations between Tai Chi Chung Program, Anxiety, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

“…This suggests that longer practice of a TCC program improves a person's anxiety level; however, the participants still have minimal anxiety levels after the intervention. Research has indicated that decreasing anxiety increases a person's energy, improves quality of life, 29 and enhances memory and cognition functions, 30 as well as reducing time pressure, 29 information overload, 30 negative thinking, 5 and smoking behavior. 31…”

Social protection spending and inequalities in depressive symptoms across Europe

“…Gender also contributes with women reporting poorer mental health compared to men across the socioeconomic gradient [ 6 ], which may be due to the unequal distribution of power between men and women, as well as between the least and most educated individuals. Feeling a lack of control over one’s life is an important social determinant of health [ 9 ] and risk factor for depression [ 10 ], and powerlessness related to the traditional gender roles of employment, care-giving, and housekeeping may exacerbate psychological distress [ 11 ]. Furthermore, the impact of unemployment on mental health is stronger for men compared to women, but likely influenced by family responsibilities [ 12 ].…”