The Role of Self-Care Activities (SASS-14) in Depression (PHQ-9): Evidence From Slovakia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In the ongoing situation, when the world is dominated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the development of self-care programs appears to be insufficient, while their role in mental health may be crucial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the associations between self-care activities and depression in the general Slovak population, but also in its individual gender and age categories. This was achieved by validating the self-care screening instrument, assessing differences, and evaluating the associations using quantile regression analysis. The final research sample consisted of 806 participants [males: 314 (39%), females: 492 (61%)] and data were collected through an online questionnaire from February 12, 2021 to February 23, 2021. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression (α = 0.89) and Self-Care Activities Screening Scale (SASS-14) [health consciousness (HC) (α = 0.82), nutrition and physical activity (NPA) (α = 0.75), sleep quality (SLP) (α = 0.82), and interpersonal and intrapersonal coping strategies (IICS) (α = 0.58)] were used as screening measures. Mild depressive symptoms were found in 229 participants (28.41%), moderate depressive symptoms in 154 participants (19.11%), moderately severe depressive symptoms in 60 participants (7.44%) and severe depressive symptoms in 43 participants (5.33%). The main findings revealed the fact that individual self-care activities were associated with depression. This supported the idea that well-practiced self-care activities should be an immediate part of an individual's life in order to reduce depressive symptoms. Sleep quality played an important role, while HC indicated the need for increased attention. Other dimensions of self-care also showed significant results that should not be overlooked. In terms of depression, females and younger individuals need targeted interventions. The supportive educational intervention developed based on the self-care theory can help manage and maintain mental health during a stressful period, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Health policy leaders should focus on health-promoting preventive self-care interventions, as the demand for them increases even more during the pandemic.

Changes in Mental Health during Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia: Neurotypical Children versus Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents

“…During the second wave, both groups of parents experienced higher levels of anxiety, stress, and depression, but the prevalence was significantly higher in parents of autistic children. Deterioration in the mental health of adults was similarly reported in neighboring European countries [6][7][8][9][10] and in research focusing on parents of children with ASD [25,26]. Insufficient or unclear information was the most prevalent stressor for both groups of parents in our study, which is fitting to the way pandemic rules were being officially announced and how they changed rapidly and unexpectedly at the time.…”

“…The results of our research must be interpreted with regard to its limits, especially that it was a series of three cross-sectional studies as opposed to a longitudinal research, and data were collected online via self-report methods. This also led to the predominance of females in our sample, which could have affected our results, since in other studies [5,6,8] women reported more severe mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, following the development of a situation in the same country over a two years period and three pandemic waves while focusing on the same particular research population is the greatest strength of this study.…”

“…Depressive symptoms of different severity were found in Slovak adults, especially females and younger individuals [6]. During the first wave of the pandemic, slightly reduced well-being and moderate levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness were reported in Slovak parents, with a significant decrease in well-being, anxiety and loneliness during the second wave [7].…”

Helping a Patient With a Pre-Existing Mental Health Condition Cope With Depression and COVID-19 Using the Neuman Systems Model: A Single Intrinsic Case Study

“…Depression has been found to be associated with dysfunction of the frontal lobe of the brain, the area responsible for executive functioning, a set of skills that involves reasoning, judgment, flexible thinking, emotional control, emotional judgment, self-monitoring, and problem-solving (Serani, 2017). Therefore, it is not surprising that individuals suffering from depression find it difficult to care for themselves; a growing body of evidence indicates that poor self-care can be a consequence of depression (Gavurova et al, 2022; Glowiak, 2020). People with poor self-care ability are more likely to develop or spread COVID-19; this patient lives with depression and was prone to poor self-care.…”