lockdown

Background While the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to social connections and lifestyles, many countries continued the sale of alcohol as an essential commodity. Evidence on change in alcohol use, and its association with mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic is, however, mixed and limited to initial periods of the pandemic. This study aimed to address these research gaps. Methods Data were drawn from the COVID-19 Risks Across the Lifespan (CORAL) Study, a three-wave longitudinal study conducted between May 2020 and April 2021. The present sample included 2,369 participants (age M = 38.81 ± 16.94 years, range = 11–100; 90% females) from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. Measures included pre-pandemic alcohol use and changes in consumption frequency, quantity, drinking behaviours (e.g., drinking earlier in the day), and motivations (e.g., drinking for enjoyment) during the pandemic. General perceived stress, COVID-19-related stress, loneliness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were also assessed. Findings Drinking frequency and quantity remained stable across the first year of the pandemic; however, non-linear age associations were found. Young individuals aged between 11 to 20 years, and mid-aged individuals aged between 50 to 70 years, had the highest probability of increased alcohol use frequency and quantity. Drinking behaviours and motivations also remained largely stable, although age- and country-specific differences emerged, potentially reflecting policy differences such as alcohol access restrictions and lockdown measures. Finally, loneliness unidirectionally predicted subsequent alcohol use quantity. Conclusions These findings highlight the heterogeneous alcohol use patterns across age groups and countries during the pandemic, and underscore loneliness as an important public health issue with implications for alcohol misuse.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection has affected the lives of all strata of society since its beginning. To control the spread of the disease, a lockdown was imposed. During this time, there was a substantial increase in the usage of gadgets and reduction in outdoor activities because of online studies that resulted in serious the mental health issues, especially in the paediatric population. Material and Methods: To study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on screen time, playtime and behaviour of the students, the study was conducted on 153 subjects of 4–18 years age group attending the outpatient department, over a period of 3 months. A questionnaire format of ten questions was framed that was asked from the children or from their parents/guardians. This study included questions such as time spent on online classes, self-study or study with parents and gadgets used for the online classes. Results: Most of the children were students of classes upper kinder garden and I, comprising 19.0% and 18.3%, respectively. Females outnumbered males in the study. Weight gain was observed in 43.8%, and signs of irritability were observed in 68.0% of the children. Weight gain showed a statistically significant correlation with the duration of online classes, indoor and outdoor playtime with p-values of 0.044, <0.005 and 0.005, respectively. There was also a statistically significant correlation between change in behaviour with outdoor playtime and sleep timings with p < 0.005 and 0.019, respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that there was a significant increase in screen time and a decrease in outdoor play activities during the time of COVID-19 pandemic with a statistically significant correlation with the weight gain and change in behaviour of the children.

Sustainable educational management has emerged as a critical policy focus for maintaining educational continuity in times of crisis, while also optimizing resource efficiency and institutional resilience. In Pakistan, the fuel-saving strategies enacted during lockdowns have posed considerable difficulties for educational administration by interrupting instructional and learning processes. In light of this context, this research offers a scenario-based evaluation to investigate the impact of fuel conservation regulations on educational interruptions and to determine sustainable management techniques that enable continuous educational provision during emergencies. Based on relevant research, policy records, global crisis cases, and Pakistan’s educational structure, four possible outcomes include sudden disruption, persisting disparity, systemic instability, and adaptive resilience. The scenario analysis shows that digital and blended learning can help maintain continuity during brief interruptions. However, disparities in connectivity, devices, socioeconomic resources, and geographically diverse educational infrastructure may worsen inequalities. Disruptions may cause disengagement, learning deficits, dropout rates, and long-term effects on human capital, but timely institutional changes can improve educational resilience. The study shows that educational continuity depends on the duration, intensity, and government and institutional responses to interruptions. The study emphasizes the need for policymakers to prioritize affordable digital access, targeted help for at-risk learners, adaptive delivery modalities, and coherent crisis-management techniques. The study proposes a policy-focused scenario paradigm that links fuel-saving methods to sustainable educational governance and resilience in a developing country.

مدیریت پایدار آموزش به عنوان یکی از محورهای اساسی سیاست‌گذاری برای حفظ تداوم آموزشی در دوران بحران و همچنین بهینه‌سازی بهره‌وری منابع و تاب‌آوری نهادی مطرح شده است. در پاکستان، راهبردهای صرفه‌جویی در سوخت که در دوران قرنطینه اجرا شده‌اند، با ایجاد اختلال در فرایندهای تدریس و یادگیری، مشکلات قابل توجهی را برای مدیریت آموزشی به وجود آورده‌اند. در این زمینه، این پژوهش با ارائه ارزیابی مبتنی بر سناریو، به بررسی تأثیر مقررات صرفه‌جویی در سوخت بر اختلالات آموزشی و شناسایی راهکارهای مدیریت پایدار که امکان تداوم ارائه آموزش در شرایط اضطراری را فراهم می‌کنند، می‌پردازد. بر اساس پژوهش‌های مرتبط، اسناد سیاستی، نمونه‌های جهانی بحران و ساختار آموزشی پاکستان، چهار پیامد محتمل شامل اختلال ناگهانی، تداوم نابرابری، بی‌ثباتی نظام‌مند و تاب‌آوری تطبیقی شناسایی شده‌اند. تحلیل سناریو نشان می‌دهد که آموزش دیجیتال و ترکیبی می‌تواند در دوره‌های کوتاه اختلال، تداوم آموزشی را حفظ کند؛ با این حال، نابرابری در دسترسی به اینترنت، تجهیزات، منابع اقتصادی-اجتماعی و زیرساخت‌های آموزشی متنوع جغرافیایی ممکن است نابرابری‌ها را تشدید کند. اختلالات می‌تواند منجر به کاهش مشارکت، کسری یادگیری، افزایش نرخ ترک تحصیل و آثار بلندمدت بر سرمایه انسانی شود، اما تغییرات نهادی به موقع می‌تواند تاب‌آوری آموزشی را بهبود بخشد. یافته‌ها نشان می‌دهد که تداوم آموزش به مدت، شدت و واکنش دولت و نهادها نسبت به اختلالات بستگی دارد. این پژوهش بر ضرورت اولویت‌بخشی به دسترسی دیجیتال مقرون‌به‌صرفه، حمایت هدفمند از دانش‌آموزان در معرض خطر، شیوه‌های ارائه تطبیقی و راهبردهای منسجم مدیریت بحران توسط سیاست‌گذاران تأکید می‌کند. این مطالعه، الگوی سناریومحور مبتنی بر سیاست را پیشنهاد می‌کند که روش‌های صرفه‌جویی در سوخت را به حکمرانی پایدار آموزشی و تاب‌آوری در یک کشور در حال توسعه پیوند می‌دهد.

AIMS AND METHOD: An analysis of coronial inquest data provides contextual information rarely available in routine surveillance systems, including a nuanced understanding of proximal circumstances preceding death of value to mental health services. Inquest records of more than 750 suicides occurring within the South Wales Central Coroner's jurisdiction between 2016 and 2023 were reviewed, including the COVID-19 pandemic years, to assess the effects of lockdown and social isolation. Detailed information was extracted, including medical records, toxicology, police reports, witness statements and suicide notes. RESULTS: Several patterns emerged relating to age, gender, method of death, trigger factors, local authority area, and engagement with mental health services. Hanging was the predominant method, particularly among men. Depression was the most common trigger factor, followed by relationship problems, alcohol/drug misuse, health concerns, psychotic illness and bereavement. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Key structural and psychosocial risk factors identified highlighted the need for tailored, context-specific suicide-prevention strategies, with circumstances preceding suicide integrated into public health planning.

اهداف و روش: تحلیل داده‌های تحقیقات پزشکی قانونی اطلاعات زمینه‌ای را فراهم می‌کند که به ندرت در سامانه‌های پایش معمول در دسترس است و شامل درک دقیق‌تری از شرایط نزدیک به مرگ است که برای خدمات سلامت روان ارزشمند است. سوابق تحقیقات بیش از ۷۵۰ مورد خودکشی که در حوزه قضایی پزشکی قانونی مرکز ولز جنوبی بین سال‌های ۲۰۱۶ تا ۲۰۲۳ رخ داده بود، از جمله سال‌های همه‌گیری COVID-19، به منظور ارزیابی اثرات قرنطینه و انزوای اجتماعی مرور شد. اطلاعات دقیقی از جمله سوابق پزشکی، نتایج سم‌شناسی، گزارش‌های پلیس، اظهارات شاهدان و یادداشت‌های خودکشی استخراج گردید. نتایج: چندین الگو مرتبط با سن، جنسیت، روش مرگ، عوامل محرک، منطقه تحت پوشش شهرداری و میزان ارتباط با خدمات سلامت روان مشاهده شد. حلق‌آویز کردن رایج‌ترین روش بود، به ویژه در میان مردان. افسردگی شایع‌ترین عامل محرک بود و پس از آن مشکلات روابط، سوءمصرف الکل/مواد مخدر، نگرانی‌های سلامت، اختلالات روان‌پریشی و داغدیدگی قرار داشتند. پیامدهای بالینی: عوامل خطر ساختاری و روانی‌اجتماعی کلیدی شناسایی‌شده، بر ضرورت تدوین راهبردهای پیشگیری از خودکشی متناسب با زمینه و شرایط خاص تأکید می‌کند، به گونه‌ای که شرایط پیش از خودکشی در برنامه‌ریزی سلامت عمومی ادغام شود.