Armed conflicts are public health emergencies that affect human lives at multiple levels. The mental health of adolescents and young adults is at high risk during crisis settings; therefore, this cross-sectional survey-based study aimed to evaluate anxiety and depressive symptoms among university students in the Czech Republic following the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022 (RUW-22). The study used standardized screening instruments; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) for anxiety and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Of 591 students who participated in this study, 67.7% were females, 68.2% held Czech citizenship, and 63.8% were enrolled in medical or healthcare programs. The participants were highly concerned about the RUW-22 news, with a mean score of 7.17 ± 2.50 (0–10). While 34% and 40.7% of the participants in this study manifested moderate to severe levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, the mental health burden of the RUW-22 was confirmed by the positive correlation between “feeling concerned”, GAD-7 (ρ = 0.454), and PHQ-9 (ρ = 0.326). Female gender, higher frequency of news following, and social media use were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms; thus, proposing them to be risk factors for psychological disorders following the RUW-22.

Background: Earthquakes disproportionately affect women and exacerbate gender and social inequalities. This study aims to investigate the psychological impact of the earthquake in Türkiye on women and the associated factors. Methods: This is a survey-based study. We collected data from 498 women residing in cities most affected by the earthquake. Results: Participants’ mean age was 27.72 ± 5.4. Over 78% of the participants lost at least one family member, and 43.7% lost at least one child due to the earthquake. The mean average of Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) scores was 100.8 (SD = 8.37), and the Global Severity Index was 1.9 (SD = 0.16). Regression analysis showed that higher education levels predicted poor outcomes across most BSI dimensions. Losing a family member and shelter and injury status were also predictors for several mental health outcomes of the BSI subscales. Conclusions: Earthquakes significantly impact women’s well-being and may have a broader impact on the whole family. There is an urgent need to provide psycho-social interventions in the response and recovery phases of the crisis to meet the affected women’s needs. This includes providing basic needs with attention to women-specific needs, restoring social networks, addressing gender-based violence and providing gender-sensitive specialized interventions for those who need further support.

Nuclear anxiety, which refers to the fear of nuclear war and its consequences, is expected to increase amid the Russian–Ukrainian War of 2022 (RUW-22). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of nuclear anxiety and its associated variables among university students in the Czech Republic during the first weeks of RUW-22. A cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out from March–April 2022, utilizing a digital self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) to collect data from the target population. The SAQ consisted of multiple-choice items inquiring about demographic characteristics; generalized anxiety symptoms using generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7); depressive symptoms using patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); and attitudes towards civilian uses of nuclear power, and nuclear war-related anxiety. Of the 591 participating students, 67.7% were females, 68.2% were Czech nationals, and 61.8% followed the RUW-22 news at least once daily. The mean GAD-7 score of our participants was 7.86 ± 5.32 (0–21); and their mean PHQ-9 score was 8.66 ± 6.29 (0–27). Regarding the civilian uses of nuclear power, most participants agreed that nuclear power was safe (64.5%), denied being afraid that civilian use of nuclear power might deteriorate their health (79.7%), and thought that public acceptance was important for building new nuclear power plants (56.9%). About 42.1% and 45.5% of the participants reported feeling depressed at the possibility of nuclear war and agreed that the chances that there would be a nuclear war in their lifetime were very high, respectively. When asked about their preparedness measures during the previous four weeks, less than one quarter (23.9%) reported looking for recommendations for protection against nuclear accidents, and less than one-fifth (19.3%) were looking for the nearest bomb shelter. The depression about nuclear war possibility was positively and relatively strongly correlated with the level of “feeling concerned about the RUW-22” (rs = 0.401), and it was moderately correlated with GAD-7 (rs = 0.377) and PHQ-9 (rs = 0.274) scores and weakly correlated with RUW-2-related news-following frequency (rs = 0.196). Within the limitations of the present study, nuclear anxiety was common among Czech university students. Its associated factors may include but are not limited to the female gender; common psychological disorders such as generalized anxiety and depression; RUW-22-related news following-frequency; and the level of “feeling concerned”.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder in which genetically susceptible individuals cannot digest gluten (wheat) and its homologs such as Scalin (rye) and Hordein (barley).Aim: This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to investigate the measures of associations between CD and psychiatric disorders, specifically anxiety and depression, and explore the relationship between adherence to a Gluten‐Free Diet (GFD) and the psychiatric aspects of the disease.Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science for articles investigating anxiety and depression in CD patients. The following inclusion criteria were implemented: Primary research articles (either observational or experimental) that include participants with a CD diagnosis ‐confirmed either serologically, with anti‐endomysial antibodies, anti‐tissue transglutaminase antibodies, or with duodenum biopsy, whether on a GFD or not,—who have depression or anxiety symptoms identified through self‐report or clinician‐administered scales.Results: CD patients are at a higher odds of developing anxiety, as the odds ratio was (OR: 2.26, 95% CI: [1.10, 4.67]) and depression symptoms (OR: 3.36, 95% CI: [1.36, 8.32]). Results of both State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory Y‐1 and Y‐2 improved after 1 year of GFD with mean difference of 3.48, 95% CI: (0.26, 6.71), and MD: 3.45, 95% CI: (1.39, 5.52), respectively.Conclusion: Anxiety and depression are prevalent among adults and children CD patients as they are observed to have high odds of anxiety and depression as expressed by various scales. It is reported that GFD is associated with decreased levels of anxiety and depression, however, further studies are required to confirm these findings and to investigate the main mechanism of psychiatric disorders among CD patients.

Earthquakes and other disasters caused by natural hazards have a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the psychological symptoms, suicide probability, and future expectations among adolescents affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake in Türkiye. A total of 704 individuals participated in the study. We conducted a cross-sectional study using the Brief Symptom Inventory, Suicide Probability Scale and Future Expectation Scale. The mean age of participants was 15.27 ± 1.39. Participants lost up to 10 of their relatives and up to 4 of their nuclear families due to the earthquake. The study showed a strong positive correlation between psychological symptoms and suicide probability and a strong negative correlation between psychological symptoms and future expectations among adolescents. Additionally, losing family members or relatives was associated with increased psychological problems. Earthquake-related issues such as lack of food, shelter and security, and education disruption should be addressed to mitigate the mental health impact of the disaster. Additionally, mental health and psychosocial support services should be made available for adolescents and their families in the earthquake-affected regions.

Outbreaks are associated with increased risk of anxiety disorders, depression, and severe mental conditions. Integrating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into outbreak response facilitates the delivery of holistic care to the affected community. As there is an increasing incidence of outbreaks globally, integrating MHPSS into preparedness and response plans is paramount to strengthen the capacity of existing health systems and respond to mental health and psychosocial needs. However, the attention given to MHPSS during outbreak response is critically low. The objectives of this study were to identify areas of MHPSS integration and explore the challenges that hinder the delivery of an integrated care during outbreak response. A participatory qualitative study was conducted to explore how MHPSS can be incorporated into outbreak preparedness and response plans as a cross-cutting intervention in the context of low- and middle-income countries. We brought together civil society representatives, key stakeholders, and public health experts to explore areas of MHPSS integration during outbreak response. Systematic integration of MHPSS into outbreak response was perceived to be feasible. Study participants strongly agreed that MHPSS can be integrated into most of the outbreak response pillars including partner coordination, case management, infection prevention and control, staff health and well-being, and risk communication and community engagement. However, the effort requires multi-sectoral collaboration, political commitment, and adequate recognition in planning and financing. Despite complex challenges, integrating MHPSS into outbreak pillars is possible. Moreover, emphasis should be placed on cultural adaptation of MHPSS guidelines and strong leadership in coordinating MHPSS into outbreak planning and response.