Articles

A Critical Appraisal of the Law Protecting Persons with Mental Health Conditions in Zambia

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Mental health is widely recognised as an important part of the proper functioning of an individual and contributes to the overall well-being of a person. A human rights based approach states that all members of society should be catered for in the eyes of the law and have equal access to justice. However, there is not much importance placed on mental health in the Republic of Zambia and there is a lot of discrimination against persons with mental conditions. The aim of this research is to critically appraise the Mental Health Act of 2019 and hereafter educate the public on mental health. Inaddition, the research seeks to investigate how Zambia has dealt with mental health, analyse the improvements made in the Mental Health Act, 2019, and make proposals for solutions to the shortcomings identified in how the provisions of the law are carried out.

This research was essentially desktop based and reviewed statutes. The desk review involved the qualitative analysis of the provisions of the Mental Health Act in determining its significance. Analysis of books, articles, and other various online sources was also used to collect the information contained in this research.

The findings revealed that the legislation on mental health in Zambia is progressive but lacks practicality. There are no workable guidelines, either legislative or judicial, which accommodate persons living with varying degrees of mental challenges. Arising out of this analysis it is recommended that the Mental Health Act should be amended to include in-depth definitions of the major conditions that could affect members of the public and incorporate mental health services in existing health establishments to increase access to these facilities by people with mental health difficulties.

The Effects of Air Quality on Mental Health, and A Comparative Study of Teenagers Aged 12-18 During January and February in Lampang, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya, and Bangkok

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Nowadays, populations around the world are suffering from mental health issues, especially depression, and the number is estimated to increase every year. Not only depression issues but also air pollution that is surging. Air pollution has been shown to affect people’s respiratory systems and may even have an impact on mental health, leading to various diseases, for instance depression and Alzheimer’s disease. These disorders tend to occur in people of all age groups and in all countries and regions. Interestingly, each area has different air qualities, which raises concern of its impact on mental health. To investigate this issue, a cross-sectional survey was performed focusing on teenagers aged 12-18 in three different provinces in Thailand to compare the effect of air quality on mental health. This survey used a questionnaire consisting of 34 questions to collect data from 629 individuals participating in this research. The data analysis was performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program. Our results display the mean score of mental health and air quality as 2.62 and 3.02, respectively, which states that there is an average rate of these 2 variables. Furthermore, the one-way ANOVA test comparing mental health levels in 3 residents shows no significant difference (p-value = 0.225), however, one-way ANOVA comparing the air quality shows a significant difference between the 3 provinces (p-value less than 0.001). We also conducted a t-test to compare the 2 variables between pupils who have underlying medical conditions and pupils who don’t have them. Unfortunately, we found no significant difference for mental health in pupils with and without medical conditions (p-value = 0.75) and for air quality in pupils with and without medical conditions (p-value = 0.52). Nevertheless, the correlation analysis obtained an r-value of 0.30, which indicates that the survey produced a weak positive correlation between mental health and air quality. This type of study is rarely conducted in Thailand, which means there will need to be more studies in this field. Regarding this research, it is apparent that air quality has an effect on mental health, so an open mind of caring for ourselves and others about this issue would be practical.

Understanding the Multifaceted Impacts of Social Media Addiction on Minors: A Comprehensive Analysis of Psychological, Behavioral, and Physiological Dimensions

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Social media platforms have become ubiquitous in modern life, particularly for adolescents. This secondary research explores the impact of social media addiction on minors. Existing literature suggests a complex relationship between social media use and mental health. Studies highlight potential links between excessive use and increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances in minors. Social media can also contribute to social comparison and negative body image perception. Employing a thematic analysis of data from academic journals, scholarly reports, and systematic reviews. The analysis focused on studies published within the last ten years to ensure the findings reflect the latest trends and developments in social media use and its impact on minors. Findings revealed concerning trends, including the negative impact on mental health, the potential for cyberbullying and social isolation, and the influence of family dynamics on social media addiction development. The discussion emphasizes the importance of promoting responsible social media use through open communication between parents and children, media literacy programs in schools, and content moderation efforts by social media platforms. Further research is needed to develop effective interventions and mitigate potential harm to minors’ well-being.

Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health from a Psychological Perspective: A Review of the Contemporary Literature

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Social media has become deeply embedded in society, with most individuals spending several hours on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter each day. While social media provides opportunities for connection, entertainment, and information, increasing research indicates use can negatively impact mental health. This paper reviews literature examining the psychological effects of social media on wellbeing. Key areas explored include social comparison and its links to depression and anxiety, exposure to idealized self-representation and impacts on body image, online harassment and cyberbullying, associations between social media addiction and mental distress, fear of missing out (FOMO), and sleep issues. The complex bi-directional relationship between social media and mental health is discussed, acknowledging both potential benefits and drawbacks. Recommendations are provided for individuals aiming to use social media in a psychologically healthy way, as well as areas needing further research. Ultimately, moderate usage paired with conscious digital habits may allow society to harness social media’s upsides while minimizing its risks to well-being.

The Correlation between Study Behavior and Depression among Thai and International High School Students in Bangkok

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Depression significantly impacts people’s behavior and relationships with their loved ones by negatively influencing their emotions and actions. In Bangkok, there is an increasing prevalence of depression among Thai and international high school students due to variances in study habits. Thus, we conducted cross-sectional survey research to determine the correlation between study behavior and depression in Thai high school students. An online questionnaire was employed in this study to gather information on the study habits, including time management, of Thai and international students. To determine if study habits among Thai and international students are associated with depression, we employed the standard deviation, Ttest, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. According to the information we have obtained, we have discovered that Thai high school students are more likely than international students to experience depression, which strongly shows that their academic curriculum is significantly more strenuous and stressful (p-value of 5.58). The outcomes of this study should aid in advancements in education and mental health research by promoting therapies, educational practices, and interventions by analyzing teenage problems, academic stress, and mental health.

The Effect of Caffeine Consumption on Teenager’s Mental Health in Bangkok, Thailand

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Nowadays, caffeinated drinks play a significant role not only for adults but also for teenagers. Some teenagers believe that it will help them with their school tasks, such as exams, projects, and more. Many research projects have also claimed that caffeine can help people become more energized and less tired [10]. Along with mental health, indicating that it is important, it is vital to maintain good mental health since it can make a huge impact on our daily lives [7]. We are curious about the relationship between caffeine consumption and teenagers’ mental health. So we decided to conduct a survey on teenagers ages 13-18. The data was collected online using Google Form and by sending questionnaires about the effect of caffeine consumption on teenager’s mental health in Bangkok, Thailand. We have gathered a total of 150 responses from students in grades between 7 and 12 mostly from Bangkok. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 29 was used for data analysis. The results have shown that there is a slight significant effect of caffeinated drinks on teenager’s mental health, which involves the times of the day teenagers prefer to drink caffeinated drinks (p-value = 0.001). Despite the consumption period,  the types of caffeinated drinks teenagers prefer (p-value = 0.163) and the participant’s grade level (p-value = 0.448) may have also affected adolescents too. Moreover, the result of this research came out that caffeinated drinks have nearly no effect on teenager’s mental health, but they do have an effect specifically on the period of time that the teenagers consume caffeinated drinks. From our data, we can conclude that caffeinated drinks, especially tea, will significantly affect teenagers’ mental health if consumed after lunch (afternoon). This research will help raise awareness on the effect of caffeinated drinks on teenagers ages 13-18 on their mental health and also provides us with more information for further research.

The Impact of Using Social Media on the Mental Health of Adolescents

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Social media usage has exponentially risen over the past decade, with about 4.26 billion social media users in 2021, and it is projected to increase to almost 6 billion by 2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, leading to a significant increase in social media usage. However, excessive social media use may lead to negative impacts on mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation. This research aims to investigate the impact of social media on the mental health of Thai teenagers, identify potential correlations between social media use and mental health outcomes, and develop strategies to mitigate the negative effects of social media on mental health. The questionnaires gather the participants’ general information, the effects of utilizing social media, and the social media events that affect their mental health. With a total of 272 respondents, a survey distributed online to high school students from March 26 to May 6 was randomly chosen. According to our study, the type of school has a significant effect on the student’s mental health. This is due to the fact that different high school students use social media in different ways and experience different effects on their mental health in both positive and negative ways. Statistics also reveal that youths in Thailand are more likely to be addicted to social media and use a variety of social media platforms. This study could serve as a guideline for further studies that specifically focus on the kinds of social media platforms used by adolescents and the kinds of content they consume.

A Questionnaire Based Study to Evaluate the Prevalence of Mental Stress among Undergraduates in an Engineering College in South Gujarat, India

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Background: In the last few years, there has been an increase in mental stress and consequently mental illness and suicide rates worldwide. Young adults entering college are one of the most vulnerable population due to the major transition from teenage to adulthood. This study evaluates the prevalence of mental stress among the engineering college students.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey conducted in an engineering college after obtaining approval from the institutional ethical board and the Dean of the college. The questionnaire was distributed online via Google form links using a non-probability sampling approach. The questionnaire contained two parts – first part contained questions regarding the demographic details of the students and the second part contained ten multiple-choice questions to assess the mental health of students. The questions were inspired from the questionnaires available online from previous studies on similar topics as well as by patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) which is used for screening and diagnosing individuals with anxiety, stress and depression. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze and report results.

Results: A total of 246 completely filled questionnaires were evaluated. The age range of study population was from 17 to 26 years with mean age being 20.85 ± 3.16 years. 61.79% were male. Approximately half of the study population showed some symptoms of mental stress and depression such as little interest in doing things, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, change in eating habits and being fidgety or slow. 48.78% students felt bad about themselves and 19.51% had thoughts of self-harm several days a week. Majority of the students believed that mental health awareness programs will be beneficial for their psychological well-being.

Conclusion: The prevalence of stress among the engineering college students was quite high. Various measures such as awareness, counseling, and mentorship program, as well as reducing their academic burden may help them to cope with stress in a better way.

Teenagers Eating Habits Data Analysis

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It is common to see newly emerging fast food restaurants in today’s world. Although some have said that balanced diet is now a trend among teenagers which obviously seems irrelevant and contradicts the authors’ observation. In order to find an answer to this question, the authors conducted a survey asking teenagers about their eating habits.

A Correlational Study on the Effect of National Crisis on the Mental Health of Students at the Faculty of Nursing, Tripoli Libya and their Academic Performance

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The study aimed to determine the relationship of the effects of the national crisis on the mental of the students and their academic performance. Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following questions: 1.)What are the effects of the National crisis on the Mental Health of the students per semester level? 2.)What are the academic performance of the students per semester level? 3.)Is there a significant relationship between the effect of the national crisis on the mental health status of the students at the Faculty of Nursing and their academic performance? The findings that the researcher was able to extract from the study were: 1) The effects of the National crisis on the mental health of the students disclosed the same verbal interpretation of “A good bit of the time” for all semester levels. It is surprising to note that the summary from all semester levels is the same. Indeed it can be said that the mental health of the students although not greatly affected, there’s still some effects that could be seen and that it doesn’t matter which semesters they are currently in. 2) The academic performance of the students disclosed that semester 8 have a verbal interpretation of “Very Good”, semesters 3, 5, 6 and 7 as “Good” and semesters 1, 2 and 4 as “Fair”. The academic performance of the students are not the same for semester 1-8. It is more difficult for the lower years like semester 1, 2 and 4 to adapt as they revealed an overall interpretation of “Fair”. And only students at the last semester was able to get the verbal interpretation of “Very Good”. It is worthwhile to note that as the student progresses, the more likely for them to cope with their academic performance. 3) Statistical evidence shows that an r= 0.26 shows a positive weak relationship among variables. Though it’s not that high, indeed, the mental health of the students can be a predictor to their academic performance.