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Mental Health

Awareness of postpartum depression among midwives and pregnant women in Arkhangelsk, Arctic Russia
Nechaeva E, Kharkova O, Postoev V, Grjibovski AM, Darj E and Odland JØ
Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 17% of the women worldwide with nearly half of all cases going undetected. More research on maternal mental health, particularly among healthcare professionals and pregnant mothers, could help identify PPD risks and reduce its prevalence.
Effectiveness and uptake of a transdiagnostic emotion regulation mobile intervention among university students: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Laure T, Boffo M, Engels RCME and Remmerswaal D
Going to university is a major life event, which can be stressful and negatively affect mental health. However, it also presents an opportunity to establish a foundation for positive life trajectories. To support university students, a mobile transdiagnostic emotion regulation (ER) intervention has been developed, offering both broad-based (universal) and targeted (indicated) preventative support. ER, a transdiagnostic factor underlying various mental health problems, is a critical intervention target in students, a demographic particularly susceptible to mental health issues. Cultivating ER can help manage immediate stressors and foster long-term wellbeing. This paper describes the study protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness and uptake of such mobile transdiagnostic ER intervention.
Epigenetic and biological age acceleration in children with atopic dermatitis
Jeremian R, Malinowski A, Oh ES, Gooderham M, Sibbald C, Yeung J, Asai Y, Piguet V and Jack CS
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease resulting from the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, meriting exploration using temporally dynamic biomarkers. DNA methylation-based algorithms have been trained to accurately estimate biological age, and deviation of predicted age from true age (epigenetic age acceleration) has been implicated in several inflammatory diseases, including asthma.
Psychosocial dimension of adolescent pregnancy: a phenomenological study on life experiences
Ediz Ç and Uzun S
This study aimed to assess the lived experiences of adolescent pregnant young women, with a specific focus on the psychosocial aspect of adolescent pregnancy, using a phenomenological approach.
Gameful Experience Scale: Reliability and Validity in Nursing Students
Çömez Ikican T, Şahin Bayindir G, Incesu O and Mor E
Nursing students are among the groups where gamification applications are used effectively and frequently in educational technologies. This study aimed to adapt the Gameful Experience Scale (GAMEX) to the Turkish language and test its validity and reliability. The study was conducted with 620 nursing students studying an undergraduate nursing program between March and May, 2023. Data were collected using a personal information form and GAMEX-Turkish Form. The validity and reliability of the five-factor structure scale with 27 items were confirmed. In confirmatory factor analysis, all factor loads were found to be >0.56. The fit indexes of the scale were χ/df = 2.8, goodnessof-fit index = 0.90, comparative fit index = 0.94, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.55. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the overall scale was 0.89. As a result of this study, the Turkish version of GAMEX was found to be a valid and reliable tool that can be used to evaluate the game experience in nursing students' training.
Loneliness in daily life: A comparison between youths with autism spectrum disorders and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS)
Feller C, Ilen L, Eliez S and Schneider M
Loneliness is a negative emotional experience that can stem from a gap between desires and the reality of social relationships. It is also a predictor of mental health. Loneliness is therefore important to investigate in neurodevelopmental populations known for having difficulties in the social sphere. This co-registered study involved 48 youths with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), 54 youths with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and 65 typically developing youths (TD) aged 12-30. State loneliness was assessed with an ecological momentary assessment. Paper-pencil questionnaires assessing attitude toward aloneness, trait loneliness, and mental health, were completed by the youths and their caregivers. A comparable level of state loneliness between clinical groups and TD were found, with greater loneliness when alone than in a social context. Clinical groups showed a greater intra-individual variability. Both individuals with ASD and 22q11DS revealed a greater affinity toward being alone than TD, but only individuals with ASD reported greater trait loneliness. However, no significant association was found between attitude toward aloneness, trait and state loneliness. Emotional reactivity to loneliness was different between the clinical groups. Self-reported mental health only was associated with loneliness in the clinical groups. These results provide new insights into the understanding of loneliness in these clinical populations and have an impact on clinical care by highlighting the need to remain vigilant when encountering youths who report feeling lonely, and that these youths need to be supported in developing their social network, which appears to be a protective factor against loneliness.
Principal component analysis as an efficient method for capturing multivariate brain signatures of complex disorders-ENIGMA study in people with bipolar disorders and obesity
McWhinney SR, Hlinka J, Bakstein E, Dietze LMF, Corkum ELV, Abé C, Alda M, Alexander N, Benedetti F, Berk M, Bøen E, Bonnekoh LM, Boye B, Brosch K, Canales-Rodríguez EJ, Cannon DM, Dannlowski U, Demro C, Diaz-Zuluaga A, Elvsåshagen T, Eyler LT, Fortea L, Fullerton JM, Goltermann J, Gotlib IH, Grotegerd D, Haarman B, Hahn T, Howells FM, Jamalabadi H, Jansen A, Kircher T, Klahn AL, Kuplicki R, Lahud E, Landén M, Leehr EJ, Lopez-Jaramillo C, Mackey S, Malt U, Martyn F, Mazza E, McDonald C, McPhilemy G, Meier S, Meinert S, Melloni E, Mitchell PB, Nabulsi L, Nenadić I, Nitsch R, Opel N, Ophoff RA, Ortuño M, Overs BJ, Pineda-Zapata J, Pomarol-Clotet E, Radua J, Repple J, Roberts G, Rodriguez-Cano E, Sacchet MD, Salvador R, Savitz J, Scheffler F, Schofield PR, Schürmeyer N, Shen C, Sim K, Sponheim SR, Stein DJ, Stein F, Straube B, Suo C, Temmingh H, Teutenberg L, Thomas-Odenthal F, Thomopoulos SI, Urosevic S, Usemann P, van Haren NEM, Vargas C, Vieta E, Vilajosana E, Vreeker A, Winter NR, Yatham LN, Thompson PM, Andreassen OA, Ching CRK and Hajek T
Multivariate techniques better fit the anatomy of complex neuropsychiatric disorders which are characterized not by alterations in a single region, but rather by variations across distributed brain networks. Here, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify patterns of covariance across brain regions and relate them to clinical and demographic variables in a large generalizable dataset of individuals with bipolar disorders and controls. We then compared performance of PCA and clustering on identical sample to identify which methodology was better in capturing links between brain and clinical measures. Using data from the ENIGMA-BD working group, we investigated T1-weighted structural MRI data from 2436 participants with BD and healthy controls, and applied PCA to cortical thickness and surface area measures. We then studied the association of principal components with clinical and demographic variables using mixed regression models. We compared the PCA model with our prior clustering analyses of the same data and also tested it in a replication sample of 327 participants with BD or schizophrenia and healthy controls. The first principal component, which indexed a greater cortical thickness across all 68 cortical regions, was negatively associated with BD, BMI, antipsychotic medications, and age and was positively associated with Li treatment. PCA demonstrated superior goodness of fit to clustering when predicting diagnosis and BMI. Moreover, applying the PCA model to the replication sample yielded significant differences in cortical thickness between healthy controls and individuals with BD or schizophrenia. Cortical thickness in the same widespread regional network as determined by PCA was negatively associated with different clinical and demographic variables, including diagnosis, age, BMI, and treatment with antipsychotic medications or lithium. PCA outperformed clustering and provided an easy-to-use and interpret method to study multivariate associations between brain structure and system-level variables. PRACTITIONER POINTS: In this study of 2770 Individuals, we confirmed that cortical thickness in widespread regional networks as determined by principal component analysis (PCA) was negatively associated with relevant clinical and demographic variables, including diagnosis, age, BMI, and treatment with antipsychotic medications or lithium. Significant associations of many different system-level variables with the same brain network suggest a lack of one-to-one mapping of individual clinical and demographic factors to specific patterns of brain changes. PCA outperformed clustering analysis in the same data set when predicting group or BMI, providing a superior method for studying multivariate associations between brain structure and system-level variables.
Bridging the gap from medical to psychological safety assessment: consensus study in a digital mental health context
Taher R, Bhanushali P, Allan S, Alvarez-Jimenez M, Bolton H, Dennison L, Wallace BE, Hadjistavropoulos HD, Hall CL, Hardy A, Henry AL, Lane S, Maguire T, Moreton A, Moukhtarian TR, Vallejos EP, Shergill S, Stahl D, Thew GR, Timulak L, van den Berg D, Viganò N, Stock BW, Young KS and Yiend J
Digital Mental Health Interventions (DMHIs) that meet the definition of a medical device are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. The MHRA uses procedures that were originally developed for pharmaceuticals to assess the safety of DMHIs. There is recognition that this may not be ideal, as is evident by an ongoing consultation for reform led by the MHRA and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
How social support and resilience impact mental health: The moderating role of time in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Xie F, Wu X, Deng C, Li X and Yi Z
During the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantines effectively prevented the spread of COVID-19 but also caused people to develop mental health problems. We thus aimed to verify the impact of social support and resilience on mental health and to uncover the moderating role played by time in isolation during the post-pandemic era. We administered a cross-sectional survey to 510 college students. The results found that social support directly and negatively predicted mental health problems, and this relationship was mediated by resilience. Through multigroup analysis, resilience partially mediated the relationship between social support and mental health during period of isolation 1 (PI1) and fully mediated this relationship during period of isolation 2 (PI2) and period of isolation 3 (PI3). Moreover, the path coefficient of resilience to mental health at T3 was significantly higher than that at T2. Thus, the effect of resilience on mental health increases with the duration of time in isolation.
The higher dietary inflammation is associated with a higher burden of multimorbidity of cardio-metabolic and mental health disorders in an urbanizing community of southern India: A cross-sectional analysis for the APCAPS cohort
Mahajan H, Lieber J, Carson Mallinson PA, Bhogadi S, Banjara SK, Kinra S and Kulkarni B
Habitual dietary pattern has been shown to be a major modulator of systemic inflammation and is considered a modifiable risk factor for cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) and mental health disorders. We examined whether dietary-inflammation is associated with the multimorbidity of CMDs and mental health disorders in urbanizing-villages in southern India. We hypothesized that the participants with higher dietary-inflammation would have a higher burden of multimorbidity.
Subspecialty Selection and Fellowship Training Satisfaction among American and Canadian Geriatric Psychiatry Fellows
Sansfaçon J, Cinalioglu K, Gloeckler SG, Kern M, Yarns BC, Lesage M, Hunter J and Rej S
The Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Subspecialty survey aimed to identify key motivating factors associated with choosing geriatric psychiatry as a career, and to assess training satisfaction among geriatric psychiatry fellows/residents in Canada and the United States. American and Canadian geriatric psychiatry program directors were asked to distribute an online survey to their fellows. Descriptive statistics for quantitative items and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to assess for differences by country of training. Thirty-one geriatric psychiatry fellows completed the survey. The most important motivating factors for pursuing a career in geriatric psychiatry were found to be "working with patients and families", "working in an interdisciplinary environment", and "intellectual stimulation". Fellows' overall training satisfaction was high, with American fellows more satisfied than Canadian residents ( = .047) on average, especially with regard to biomedical aspects of training ( = .01).
Care Priorities for Individuals with Lower Extremity Amputations: A Patient Delphi Study
Limakatso K, Lebiletsa T, Smeets RJEM and Parker R
To gather preliminary evidence on short- and long-term care priorities for people with lower extremity amputations.
Anxiety sensitivity and COVID-19 mental health, fatigue, and well-being: a longitudinal examination among adults from the United States during March-October 2020
Zvolensky MJ, Robison JH, Ayers ZS, Senger AR, Clausen BK, Businelle MS and Gallagher MW
There is widespread empirical evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to elevated risk of mental and physical health symptoms and decreased quality of life. The present investigation sought to examine if individual differences in anxiety sensitivity was associated with mental health, psychosomatic, and well-being among a sample of US adults during a 6-month period early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing longitudinal research methodology, we tested the hypothesis that the anxiety sensitivity global factor would be related to increased risk of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and lower well-being. Secondary analyses evaluated the lower order anxiety sensitivity factors for the same criterion variables. The sample consisted of 778 participants with an average age of 37.96 (SD = 11.81; range 18-73). Results indicated that, as hypothesized, anxiety sensitivity was associated with increased risk for more severe anxiety, depression, fatigue, and lesser well-being; the observed effects of anxiety sensitivity were relatively robust and evident in adjusted models that controlled for numerous theoretically and clinically relevant factors (e.g. perceived health status). Overall, these results suggest that pandemic functioning could likely be improved via interventions that target elevated anxiety sensitivity as a vulnerability factor for a broad range of aversive psychosomatic symptoms and personal well-being.
A systematic review of the association between parent-child communication and adolescent mental health
Zapf H, Boettcher J, Haukeland Y, Orm S, Coslar S and Fjermestad K
This systematic review addresses how adolescent-rated parent-child communication (PCC) quality is related to adolescent mental health.
The distribution of parent-reported attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and subclinical autistic traits in children with and without an ADHD diagnosis
Chau T, Tiego J, Brown LE, Mellahn OJ, Johnson BP, Arnatkeviciute A, Fulcher BD, Matthews N and Bellgrove MA
Autistic traits are often reported to be elevated in children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the distribution of subclinical autistic traits in children with ADHD has not yet been established; knowing this may have important implications for diagnostic and intervention processes. The present study proposes a preliminary model of the distribution of parent-reported ADHD and subclinical autistic traits in two independent samples of Australian children with and without an ADHD diagnosis.
How to optimize the systematic review process using AI tools
Fabiano N, Gupta A, Bhambra N, Luu B, Wong S, Maaz M, Fiedorowicz JG, Smith AL and Solmi M
Systematic reviews are a cornerstone for synthesizing the available evidence on a given topic. They simultaneously allow for gaps in the literature to be identified and provide direction for future research. However, due to the ever-increasing volume and complexity of the available literature, traditional methods for conducting systematic reviews are less efficient and more time-consuming. Numerous artificial intelligence (AI) tools are being released with the potential to optimize efficiency in academic writing and assist with various stages of the systematic review process including developing and refining search strategies, screening titles and abstracts for inclusion or exclusion criteria, extracting essential data from studies and summarizing findings. Therefore, in this article we provide an overview of the currently available tools and how they can be incorporated into the systematic review process to improve efficiency and quality of research synthesis. We emphasize that authors must report all AI tools that have been used at each stage to ensure replicability as part of reporting in methods.
Is waiting for rewards good for you? No association between impulsive choice, psychopathology, and functional outcomes in a large cohort sample
Bado PP, Salum GA, Rohde LA, Gadelha A, Pan PM, Miguel EC, Tripp G and Furukawa E
A stronger preference for immediate rewards has been reported in individuals with ADHD and other disorders. However, the consistency of the associations between this preference and psychiatric conditions as well as functional outcomes have been questioned. Research on its association with longitudinal outcomes is scarce.
Neurobiology of cognitive abilities in early childhood autism
Denisova K
This perspective considers complexities in the relationship between impaired cognitive abilities and autism from a maturational, developmental perspective, and aims to serve as a helpful guide for the complex and growing investigation of cognitive abilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and ASD are frequently co-occurring. About 37% of 8-year old children and 48% of 4-year old children diagnosed with ASD also have Intellectual Disability, with IQ below 70. And, low IQ in early infancy, including below 1 year of age, carries a 40% greater chance of receiving ASD diagnosis in early childhood. We consider the evidence that may explain this co-occurrence, including the possibility that high IQ may "rescue" the social communication issues, as well as the possible role of critical periods during growth and development. We consider how early low IQ may subsume a part of a subgroup of individuals with ASD, in particular, those diagnosed with autism in very early childhood, and we provide neurobiological evidence in support of this subtype. Moreover, we distinguish the concept of early low IQ from the delay in speech onset in preschool and school-aged children, based on () age and () impairments in both verbal and non-verbal domains. The etiology of these early-diagnosed, early low IQ ASD cases is different from later-diagnosed, average or higher-IQ cases, and from children with speech delay onset. Given recent interest in formulating new subtypes of autism, rather than continuing to conceive of ASD as a spectrum, as well as new subtypes that vary in the degree of severity along the spectrum, we identify gaps in knowledge and directions for future work in this complex and growing area.
Bifactor models of psychopathology using multi-informant and multi-instrument dimensional measures in the ABCD study
Jacobs GR, Ameis SH, Szatmari P, Haltigan JD and Voineskos AN
Due to limitations of categorical definitions of mental illness, there is a need for quantitative empirical investigations of the dimensional structure of psychopathology. Using exploratory bifactor methods, this study investigated a comprehensive and representative structure of psychopathology in children to better understand how psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward and punishment, may be integrated into extant general factor models of psychopathology.
Intergenerational transmission of genetic risk for hyperactivity and inattention. Direct genetic transmission or genetic nurture?
Voronin I, Ouellet-Morin I, Petitclerc A, Morneau-Vaillancourt G, Brendgen M, Dione G, Vitaro F and Boivin M
Hyperactivity and inattention, the symptoms of ADHD, are marked by high levels of heritability and intergenerational transmission. Two distinct pathways of genetic intergenerational transmission are distinguished: direct genetic transmission when parental genetic variants are passed to the child's genome and genetic nurture when the parental genetic background contributes to the child's outcomes through rearing environment. This study assessed genetic contributions to hyperactivity and inattention in childhood through these transmission pathways.
Reimagining effective workplace support for health workers
Liu JJ, Nazarov A, Smith P, Phelps A, Forbes D, Sadler N, Hosseiny F, Dougherty S, Peto R, Cooper M, Bilodeau M, Bailey S, Younger J, Dukelow A, Jansen S, Davidson A, Vaccarino C, Monaghan K, Northcott S, Mohri L, Hoffer P and Richardson JD
Effect of mental health staffing inputs on initiation of care among recently separated Veterans
Shafer PR, Yuan Y, Feyman Y, Price ME, Kabdiyeva A, Figueroa SM, Shen YJ, Nebeker JR, Ward MC, Strombotne KL and Pizer SD
To estimate a causal relationship between mental health staffing and time to initiation of mental health care for new patients.
Childhood adversity and mental health admission patterns prior to young person suicide (CHASE): a case-control 36 year linked hospital data study, Scotland UK 1981-2017
Dougall N, Savinc J, Maxwell M, Karatzias T, O'Connor RC, Williams B, John A, Cheyne H, Fyvie C, Bisson JI, Hibberd C, Abbott-Smith S, Nolan L and Murray J
Childhood adversity is associated with increased later mental health problems and suicidal behaviour. Opportunities for earlier healthcare identification and intervention are needed.
Cost-utility analysis of Social Stories™ for children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream primary schools: results from a randomised controlled trial
Wang HI, Bell K, Blackwell J, Welch C, Mandefield L, Watson J, Standley E, McMillan D, Gilbody S, Wright B, Hewitt C and Parrott S
One in 57 children are diagnosed with autism in the UK, and the estimated cost for supporting these children in education is substantial. Social Stories™ is a promising and widely used intervention for supporting children with autism in schools and families. It is believed that Social Stories™ can provide meaningful social information to children that can improve social understanding and may reduce anxiety. However, no economic evaluation of Social Stories has been conducted.
Attitudes towards and health consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting: A qualitative study among Somali and Kurdish immigrants and descendants in Denmark
Linde DS, Harakow HI and Jaafar N
There is lack of in-depth knowledge of how immigrants who originate from countries where female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) historically is practiced, perceive the practice after migrating to Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the attitude towards FGM/C among immigrants and descendants and the health consequences of living with FGM/C.
Trajectories of adaptive functioning from early childhood to adolescence in autism: Identifying turning points and key correlates of chronogeneity
Chen YJ, Duku E, Szatmari P, Salt M, Smith I, Richard A, Zwaigenbaum L, Vaillancourt T, Zaidman-Zait A, Bennett T, Elsabbagh M, Kerns C and Georgiades S
Previous research has demonstrated heterogeneous adaptive outcomes across the autism spectrum; however, the current literature remains limited in elucidating turning points and associated factors for longitudinal variability (chronogeneity). To address these empirical gaps, we aimed to provide a finer-grained characterization of trajectories of adaptive functioning from early childhood to adolescence in autism.
On the value of meta-research for early career researchers: A commentary
Fabiano N, Gupta A, Fiedorowicz JG and Solmi M
Meta-research, also known as "research on research" is a field of study that investigates the methods, reporting, reproducibility, evaluation, and incentives along the research continuum. Meta-research literacy is imperative to ensure high quality, transparent and reproducible primary data or meta-research products. In this commentary, we propose that early career researchers should be trained in meta-research as a foundation to develop a deeper understanding of the research process and ability to appraise the research literature and design high-quality original studies, irrespective of their chosen field of study. We discuss the importance of meta-research and open science from the perspective of an early career trainee, highlighting essential areas for growth and obstacles one may encounter.
Exploring networks of complex developmental trauma symptomatology among children and adolescents involved in child welfare
Smith JA, Zhang J, Urusov A, Colucci L, Sloss I, Eckert L, Price-Cameron M and Browne DT
Clinical presentations of child and adolescent psychopathology can vary systematically for boys and girls. While network analysis is increasingly being applied to explore psychopathology in adults, there is a dearth of network studies considering differences in symptoms for boys and girls, particularly in developmental trauma-related symptomatology.
Substance use-related problems in mild intellectual disability: A Swedish nationwide population-based cohort study with sibling comparison
Påhlsson-Notini A, Liu S, Tideman M, Latvala A, Serlachius E, Larsson H, Hirvikoski T, Taylor MJ, Kuja-Halkola R, Lichtenstein P and Butwicka A
Evidence for substance use-related problems in individuals with mild intellectual disability is sparse and mainly limited to selected psychiatric populations. We evaluated the risk of substance use-related problems in individuals with mild intellectual disability compared to the general population. Additionally, we have performed secondary sibling comparison analyses to account for familial confounding.
Multimodal and hemispheric graph-theoretical brain network predictors of learning efficacy for frontal alpha asymmetry neurofeedback
Li L, Li Y, Li Z, Huang G, Liang Z, Zhang L, Wan F, Shen M, Han X and Zhang Z
EEG neurofeedback using frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) has been widely used for emotion regulation, but its effectiveness is controversial. Studies indicated that individual differences in neurofeedback training can be traced to neuroanatomical and neurofunctional features. However, they only focused on regional brain structure or function and overlooked possible neural correlates of the brain network. Besides, no neuroimaging predictors for FAA neurofeedback protocol have been reported so far. We designed a single-blind pseudo-controlled FAA neurofeedback experiment and collected multimodal neuroimaging data from healthy participants before training. We assessed the learning performance for evoked EEG modulations during training (L1) and at rest (L2), and investigated performance-related predictors based on a combined analysis of multimodal brain networks and graph-theoretical features. The main findings of this study are described below. First, both real and sham groups could increase their FAA during training, but only the real group showed a significant increase in FAA at rest. Second, the predictors during training blocks and at rests were different: L1 was correlated with the graph-theoretical metrics (clustering coefficient and local efficiency) of the right hemispheric gray matter and functional networks, while L2 was correlated with the graph-theoretical metrics (local and global efficiency) of the whole-brain and left the hemispheric functional network. Therefore, the individual differences in FAA neurofeedback learning could be explained by individual variations in structural/functional architecture, and the correlated graph-theoretical metrics of learning performance indices showed different laterality of hemispheric networks. These results provided insight into the neural correlates of inter-individual differences in neurofeedback learning.
Neurophysiological and other features of working memory in older adults at risk for dementia
Patterson RA, Brooks H, Mirjalili M, Rashidi-Ranjbar N, Zomorrodi R, Blumberger DM, Fischer CE, Flint AJ, Graff-Guerrero A, Herrmann N, Kennedy JL, Kumar S, Lanctôt KL, Mah L, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Voineskos AN, Wang W, Rajji TK and
Theta-gamma coupling (TGC) is a neurophysiological process that supports working memory. Working memory is associated with other clinical and biological features. The extent to which TGC is associated with these other features and whether it contributes to working memory beyond these features is unknown. Two-hundred-and-three older participants at risk for Alzheimer's dementia-98 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 39 with major depressive disorder (MDD) in remission, and 66 with MCI and MDD (MCI + MDD)-completed a clinical assessment, N-back-EEG, and brain MRI. Among them, 190 completed genetic testing, and 121 completed [C] Pittsburgh Compound B ([11C] PIB) PET imaging. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to assess whether TGC is associated with demographic and clinical variables; Alzheimer's disease-related features ( ε4 carrier status and β-amyloid load); and structural features related to working memory. Then, linear regressions were used to assess whether TGC is associated with 2-back performance after accounting for these features. Other than age, TGC was not associated with any non-neurophysiological features. In contrast, TGC (β = 0.27;  = 0.006), age (β = - 0.29;  = 0.012), and parietal cortical thickness (β = 0.24;  = 0.020) were associated with 2-back performance. We also examined two other EEG features that are linked to working memory-theta event-related synchronization and alpha event-related desynchronization-and found them not to be associated with any feature or performance after accounting for TGC. Our findings suggest that TGC is a process that is independent of other clinical, genetic, neurochemical, and structural variables, and supports working memory in older adults at risk for dementia.
Transitioning Towards a Virtual Falls Prevention Program for Frail Seniors: Learning from the Experiences of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Weiss SM, Kalocsai C, Liu B and Norris M
The literature to date is unable to clearly characterize the appropriateness of virtual care for falls prevention services from the patient perspective. In response to COVID-19, the Falls Prevention Program (FPP) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was modified to include virtual components. We set out to uncover the experiences of this unique older-adult patient population to inform FPP quality improvement and appropriate incorporation of technology post-pandemic.
Recognizing depression as an inflammatory disease: The search for endotypes
Steffen J, Focken N and Caliskan G
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects millions of individuals worldwide, leading to considerable social and economic costs. Despite advancements in pharmacological treatments, achieving remission remains a key challenge, with a substantial number of patients showing resistance to existing therapies. This resistance is often associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting a connection between inflammation, MDD pathophysiology, and treatment efficacy. The observation of increased immune activation in about a quarter of MDD patients resulted in the distinction of inflammatory and non-inflammatory endotypes. While anti-inflammatory treatments show promise in alleviating depression-like symptoms, responses are heterogeneous, thus highlighting the importance of identifying distinct inflammatory endotypes to tailor effective therapeutic strategies. The intestinal microbiome emerges as a crucial modulator of mental health, mediating its effects partially through different immune pathways. Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) significantly impact innate and adaptive immune cells, regulating their differentiation, function, and cellular response. Furthermore, gut-educated immune cells reach the border regions of the central nervous system (CNS), regulating glial cell functions. While the CNS modulates immune responses via efferent parts of the vagus nerve, afferent tracts concurrently transport information on peripheral inflammation back to the brain. This bidirectional communication is particularly relevant in depression, allowing for therapeutic stimulation of the vagus nerve in the context of inflammatory depression endotypes. In this review, we explore the intricate relationship between inflammation and depression, discuss how inflammatory signals are translated into depressive-like symptoms, and highlight immune-modulating therapeutic avenues.
Umbrella review protocol: Global burden and risk factors of erectile dysfunction in diabetic population
Kitaw TA, Abate BB, Tilahun BD, Yilak G and Haile RN
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is no longer a whisper in the shadows; it's a rising tide threatening the sexual health of millions of men in different regions. This worrying trend shows no signs of slowing down, with projections claiming a staggering 322 million men globally could be affected in the near future. In the cases of diabetes, the condition worsens and has a potent cocktail of physical and psychological distress, chipping away at men's confidence, self-esteem, and mental health. This urgent issue demands immediate attention and action. Thus, this umbrella review intended to estimate the current burden of ED and associated risk factors among diabetic patients in the global context.
NPCC4: New York City climate risk information 2022-observations and projections
Braneon C, Ortiz L, Bader D, Devineni N, Orton P, Rosenzweig B, McPhearson T, Smalls-Mantey L, Gornitz V, Mayo T, Kadam S, Sheerazi H, Glenn E, Yoon L, Derras-Chouk A, Towers J, Leichenko R, Balk D, Marcotullio P and Horton R
New York City (NYC) faces many challenges in the coming decades due to climate change and its interactions with social vulnerabilities and uneven urban development patterns and processes. This New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) report contributes to the Panel's mandate to advise the city on climate change and provide timely climate risk information that can inform flexible and equitable adaptation pathways that enhance resilience to climate change. This report presents up-to-date scientific information as well as updated sea level rise projections of record. We also present a new methodology related to climate extremes and describe new methods for developing the next generation of climate projections for the New York metropolitan region. Future work by the Panel should compare the temperature and precipitation projections presented in this report with a subset of models to determine the potential impact and relevance of the "hot model" problem. NPCC4 expects to establish new projections-of-record for precipitation and temperature in 2024 based on this comparison and additional analysis. Nevertheless, the temperature and precipitation projections presented in this report may be useful for NYC stakeholders in the interim as they rely on the newest generation of global climate models.
Pregnancy loss among Muslim women: A narrative review
Adeleye KK, Ogungbe O, Chutiyami M and Iradukunda F
Diversity in spirituality, religion, and cultural norms among women leads to varying attitudes, grieving processes, and coping mechanisms after a pregnancy loss. Despite this, there is a limited understanding of grief, coping mechanisms, and mental health outcomes following pregnancy loss among Muslim women.
Patients' and professionals' experiences with remote care during COVID-19: a qualitative study in general practices in low-income neighborhoods
Kollmann J, Sana S, Magnée T, Boer S, Merkelbach I, Kocken PL and Denktaș S
To explore how patients and general practice professionals in low-income neighborhoods experienced the increase of remote care during COVID-19.
Perspectives on competency-based feedback for training non-specialists to deliver psychological interventions: multi-site qualitative study of the EQUIP competency-based approach
Elnasseh A, Mehta VS, Manolova G, Pedersen GA, Golden S, Eloul L, Gebrekristos F, Collins PY, Mutavi T, Mbwayo AW, Mathai M, Concepcion T, El Masri R, Steen F, Galea JT, Contreras C, Akellot J, Kasujja R, Wasereka S, Mutamba BB, Tol WA, Raji M, Moufarrej S, Schafer A and Kohrt BA
The use of feedback to address gaps and reinforce skills is a key component of successful competency-based mental health and psychosocial support intervention training approaches. Competency-based feedback during training and supervision for personnel delivering psychological interventions is vital for safe and effective care.
Developing best practice public health standards for whole genome sequencing of
Denholm JT, Behr MA, de Vries G, Anthony R, Robinson E, Backx M, Laurenson IF, Seagar AL, Modestil H, Trieu L, Meissner JS, Ling Ng DH, Tay JY, Lin HH, Lee R, Donnan EJ, Sintchenko V and Marais BJ
Workplace Violence Against Nurses in Psychiatric Hospitals in Oman: A cross-sectional multi-centre study
Al-Kalbani M, Al-Mahrouqi T, Al-Shamli S, Murthi S, Al-Balushi N and Al-Sinawi H
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) against nurses in Oman's psychiatric hospitals and explore associated factors.
Navigating Community-Based Psychiatry Care of Pediatric Patients in Low-Resource Settings: A Case Report
Regian N, Mittal A, Chammany M, Rai HP and Rommen M
This case report examines the experience of a nine-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who was admitted to his rural community emergency department (ED) for the treatment of aggressive behaviors, agitation, and violence. Despite a high prevalence of such behaviors within the autistic pediatric population, multiple inpatient facilities that offer pediatric psychiatric services refused to transfer his care. Many other commonly used resources and treatment modalities were also not available, resulting in a nine-day ED boarding experience with minimal symptomatic improvement. Pharmacotherapy was utilized, but nationally recommended guidelines were not appropriately followed. Although this case is one of many pediatric patients who received inadequate psychiatric care from their local ED, it is significant in identifying specific areas of improvement within Northeast Louisiana psychiatric healthcare. This case report of a nine-year-old male with autism underlines the hardships faced by patients and their families due to the gaps in our current healthcare infrastructure and emphasizes the importance of protocols and resources for patient populations with higher-than-average wellness needs.
Advancing Perioperative Neurocognitive Health: A Critical Review of Predictive Tools, Diagnostic Methods, and Interventional Strategies
Lakshminarayanan S, Aboobacker M, Brar A, Manoj MP, Elsaid Ismail Elnimer MM, Marepalli A, Shukla KJ, Yousaf MS, Taqveem A and Hassan MJ
Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) affect a large percentage of people who undergo surgeries that need general anesthesia. There is an increased risk of death and a major disruption to postoperative self-care as a result of this. This study compiles all the relevant materials that the authors have found to investigate postnatal depression and its causes, as well as the methods used to determine the probability and severity of PNDs and how to reduce their risk before surgery. Postnatal depression can have many causes, and this text explores some of them. These include a history of alcohol or opiate use, immunological dysregulation, advanced age, educational background, infections, neurocognitive impairment, and pre-existing chronic inflammatory disorders. It also delves into various methods used to gauge the likelihood and severity of postpartum depression. The following assessment tools were covered: the Clock Drawing Test, Domain-Specific Tests, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. In addition to biochemical markers, neuroimaging techniques play an important role in diagnosis. The Frailty Fried assessment, which measures inertia, sluggishness, lack of physical activity, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss, is a key prognostic sign that is highlighted. There is strong evidence that the index, which is derived from these five characteristics, may accurately predict the likelihood of PNDs. Risk mitigation strategies are also covered in this research. Preoperative brain plasticity-based therapies, such as physical exercise and intensive cognitive training, can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative neurocognitive disorders. A peripheral nerve block, monitoring cerebral oxygen saturation, dexmedetomidine, and a reduction in anesthesia depth are all ways to improve anesthetic procedures. Methods that lower blood pressure should be avoided, the body temperature should be kept down during surgery, or the time without liquids should be lengthened; all of these raise the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting and make it worse. Potential approaches include a Mediterranean diet, physical activity, cognitive stimulation, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, avoidance of anticholinergic medications, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug stewardship, although there is no definitive evidence for successful postoperative neurocognitive rehabilitation procedures. More standardized diagnostic criteria, evaluation methods, and PND classification are urgently needed, according to this study. Different cases of PNDs are characterized by different combinations of tests, cutoff values, and methods because there is a broad variety of diagnostic tests used to make the diagnosis. Until now, PNDs and pre-existing neurocognitive disorders have been diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). With an aging population comes an increase in the occurrence and prevalence of PNDs, which calls for a specific way to classify and describe the condition.
The Frequency of Neuropsychiatric Sequelae After Traumatic Brain Injury in the Global South: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Ganesh A, Al-Shamli S, Mahadevan S, Chan MF, Burke DT, Al Rasadi K, Al Saadoon M and Al-Adawi S
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of neuropsychiatric sequelae following traumatic brain injury (TBI) among the Western Asian, South Asian and African regions of the global south. All studies on psychiatric disturbances or cognitive impairment following TBI conducted (until August 2021) in the 83 countries that constitute the aforementioned regions were reviewed; 6 databases were selected for the literature search. After evaluating the articles using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, the random effects model was used to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), TBI-related sleep disturbance (TBI-SD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and cognitive impairment. Of 56 non-duplicated studies identified in the initial search, 27 were eligible for systematic review and 23 for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of depression in 1,882 samples was 35.35%, that of anxiety in 1,211 samples was 28.64%, that of PTSD in 426 samples was 19.94%, that of OCD in 313 samples was 19.48%, that of TBI-SD in 562 samples was 26.67% and that of cognitive impairment in 941 samples was 49.10%. To date, this is the first critical review to examine the spectrum of post-TBI neuropsychiatric sequelae in the specified regions. Although existing studies lack homogeneous data due to variability in the diagnostic tools and outcome measures utilised, the reported prevalence rates are significant and comparable to statistics from the global north.
Racial and Socioeconomic Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: A Comprehensive Review
Borkowski P, Borkowska N, Mangeshkar S, Adal BH and Singh N
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally. Their prevalence and mortality rates continue to rise. This narrative review explores well-known risk factors for CVDs such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, and their prevalence among different racial and ethnic groups. In addition, we expand the discussion to include the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on cardiovascular outcomes. The data demonstrate that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations not only exhibit higher rates of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and smoking but also face systemic barriers linked to lower SES, which worsen their cardiovascular outcomes. These barriers include a lack of education, lower income, higher rates of unemployment, and poor living conditions. Beyond these commonly studied factors, these groups also suffer from higher levels of food and housing insecurity and a lack of adequate insurance coverage, all of which contribute to poorer health. Additionally, there is a higher prevalence of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, among these populations. This further compounds the risks and adverse outcomes associated with CVDs. It is essential to conduct further research into how SES and race influence cardiovascular health and to refine risk assessment methods. Concentrating on these aspects would make it possible to create interventions designed to meet the needs of diverse communities and strategies that could potentially reduce morbidity and mortality from CVD across populations. Moreover, this review advocates for integrating comprehensive socioeconomic data into cardiovascular health strategies, which is crucial for developing effective public health initiatives.
Analyzing Trends in Mental and Behavioral Health Support for Children: A Comprehensive Study Using National Survey of Children's Health Database
Ilori EO, Eziechi NM, Erechukwu C, Obijiofor NB, Agazie O, Obitulata-Ugwu VO, Okobi OE, Aderemi L, Salawu MA, Ewuzie ZD, Anamazobi EG and Alozie AS
Objective This study aimed to explore mental and behavioral health support trends for children aged 3-17, analyzing treatment and counseling using United States data from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) database. Methods Employing a retrospective observational design, we systematically retrieved and analyzed NSCH Database data from 2016 to 2020. The focus was on understanding mental and behavioral health treatment percentages over time, specifically targeting demographic variations such as age groups, gender, race/ethnicity, and the federal poverty level percentage. Graphical representation utilized Excel, summarizing results based on aggregated data for distinct time intervals, highlighting the importance of mental and behavioral health support for children aged 3-17. Results The study identified significant temporal trends in mental and behavioral health treatment, revealing notable fluctuations across demographic and socio-economic variables. Of the 22,812 participants, 51.7% (CI: 50.2-53.1%, n=12,686) received treatment, exposing disparities. Gender differences were evident, with higher treatment rates in females (53.7%, CI: 51.6-55.9%, n=6,166) than males (50.1%, CI: 48.2-52.0%, n=6,520). Age-specific patterns indicated lower intervention rates in younger children (33.5%, CI: 28.6-38.8%, n=447, ages 3-5) compared to adolescents (58.1%, CI: 56.2-59.9%, n=8, 222 ages 12-17). Conclusion The conclusion highlights significant temporal fluctuations and pronounced demographic disparities. Findings underscore varying prevalence rates among age groups, genders, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and socio-economic status categories. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers, informing targeted interventions to enhance mental and behavioral health support for United States children.
The Effectiveness of EduMind for Mental Health Promotion Among Youths
Harith H, Nik Farid ND, Yahya A and Mohd Shuib NL
Introduction The global surge in mental health issues, particularly among the youth, is evident. Despite the proliferation of digital mental health services, their adoption remains limited, hindered by various barriers. To address this issue, an evidence-based, validated digital mental health intervention is necessary. Although much research has explored the effectiveness of such interventions, there was limited evidence supporting those within the youth population. The objective of this research is to assess the effects of an interventional module on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among youths. Methods The EduMind online mental health intervention contents were developed from a needs assessment and a scoping review of effective psychotherapies, achieving a high content validation index (CVI) of 0.96. The contents were integrated into a web application to assess its effectiveness among the target population which consisted of university students of a local institution. A quasi-experimental study compared the intervention group (n=264) to a waitlist-control group (n=200), evaluating changes in mental health status with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to analyse mean differences. Results Participants in the intervention group indicated a significant decrease ( < 0.001) in depression, anxiety, and stress. The pre-test and post-test mean scores in the intervention group were 15.81 and 8.97 for depression, 11.46 and 7.02 for anxiety and 14.64 and 6.33 for stress, respectively. In the control group, there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores for depression. However, there was a slight significant reduction for anxiety with pre- and post-test scores of 13.31 and 12.95. Stress mean scores exhibited a slight increase, rising from 13.55 to 14.24.  The final phase revealed significant improvements in mental health status between groups, with significant effect sizes for stress (ƞ = 0.57, p < 0.001), depression (ƞ = 0.71, p < 0.001), and anxiety (ƞ = 0.27, p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings contribute to the advancement of technology-assisted health services, facilitating greater uptake among the population. This study utilized a comprehensive module development framework and demonstrated the effectiveness of the expert-guided mental health intervention module. Furthermore, the study suggests potential integration with the National Strategic Plan for Mental Health 2020-2025 and the National Mental Health Policy, proposing the web application as a potential compulsory student screening tool administered by universities. The information gathered by this application could inform future research directions, propelling technological-assisted mental health services to new heights.
EEG connectivity and network analyses predict outcome in patients with disorders of consciousness - A systematic review and meta-analysis
Szirmai D, Zabihi A, Kói T, Hegyi P, Wenning AS, Engh MA, Molnár Z, Csukly G and Horváth AA
Outcome prediction in prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC) remains challenging. This can result in either inappropriate withdrawal of treatment or unnecessary prolongation of treatment. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a cheap, portable, and non-invasive device with various opportunities for complex signal analysis. Computational EEG measures, such as EEG connectivity and network metrics, might be ideal candidates for the investigation of DOC, but their capacity in prognostication is still undisclosed. We conducted a meta-analysis aiming to compare the prognostic power of the widely used clinical scale, Coma Recovery Scale-Revised - CRS-R and EEG connectivity and network metrics. We found that the prognostic power of the CRS-R scale was moderate (AUC: 0.67 (0.60-0.75)), but EEG connectivity and network metrics predicted outcome with significantly (p = 0.0071) higher accuracy (AUC:0.78 (0.70-0.86)). We also estimated the prognostic capacity of EEG spectral power, which was not significantly (p = 0.3943) inferior to that of the EEG connectivity and graph-theory measures (AUC:0.75 (0.70-0.80)). Multivariate automated outcome prediction tools seemed to outperform clinical and EEG markers.
Pediatric asthma comorbidities: Global impact and unmet needs
Hossny E, Adachi Y, Anastasiou E, Badellino H, Custovic A, El-Owaidy R, El-Sayed ZA, Filipovic I, Gomez RM, Kalayci Ö, Le Souëf P, Miligkos M, Morais-Almeida M, Nieto A, Phipatanakul W, Shousha G, Teijeiro A, Wang JY, Wong GWK, Xepapadaki P, Yong SB and Papadopoulos NG
Real-world data on the range and impact of comorbid health conditions that affect pediatric asthma are scant, especially from developing countries. Lack of data hinders effective diagnosis, treatment, and overall management of these complex cases. We, hereby, describe the common pediatric asthma comorbid conditions in terms of evidence for association, potential mechanisms of impact on asthma control, and treatment benefit. Obesity, upper airway allergies, dysfunctional breathing, multiple sensitizations, depressive disorders, food allergy, and gastro-esophageal reflux are common associations with difficult-to-treat asthma. On the other hand, asthma symptoms and/or management may negatively impact the well-being of children through drug adverse effects, worsening of anaphylaxis symptoms, and disturbing mental health. Awareness of these ailments may be crucial for designing the optimum care for each asthmatic child individually and may ultimately improve the quality of life of patients and their families. A multidisciplinary team of physicians is required to identify and manage such comorbidities aiming to mitigate the over-use of asthma pharmacotherapy. Asthma research should target relevant real-world difficulties encountered at clinical practice and focus on interventions that would mitigate the impact of such comorbidities. Finally, policymakers and global healthcare organizations are urged to recognize pediatric asthma control as a healthcare priority and allocate resources for research and clinical interventions. In other words, global asthma control needs support by compassionate scientific partnership.
Identifying the criteria for community-centred Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of estate regeneration schemes
Nava S, Chalabi Z, Bell S, Sendra P and Burman E
Identifying the overall environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of different estate regeneration scenarios can contribute to the overall sustainability of such schemes. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) is an appropriate tool for assessing holistic sustainability. To achieve resilient societies, the interests of communities should be considered in decision making. This paper proposes a method for incorporating community needs in identifying sustainability metrics for the sustainability assessment of estate regeneration schemes. A literature review in the field of sustainability assessment of buildings is conducted followed by a mixed methods empirical research. Collection of data has been through surveys, an interview, and an evaluation questionnaire. Data has been analysed through statistical and thematic analysis and triangulation of the results. The findings have consistently yielded the limitations of the scope of the current sustainability assessment methodologies, especially for lack of attention to societal impacts of regeneration. The results have justified the need for this research to employ participatory approaches for identifying a relevant set of sustainability indicators and criteria for assessing the lifetime impacts of estate regeneration schemes. Issues related to community involvement in decision making, maintenance and management, community facilities, refurbishment, and disruption have been identified as the stakeholders' top priorities. Mental Health and Socioeconomic Values have been introduced as new criteria. The findings confirm the need for an in-depth approach towards identifying the regeneration priorities of the communities for the scope of LCSA studies. The identified list of criteria can apply to other studies of this context for an equitable approach for selecting the indicators across different criteria and for communicating the LCSA results with different stakeholders.
Adherence to Antihypertensive Therapy and Its Determinants: A Systematic Review
Ferreira PD, Simoes JA and Velho DC
Hypertension is a globally prevalent condition, and low adherence to antihypertensive therapy is considered one of the main causes of poor blood pressure (BP) control. Non-adherence to antihypertensive treatment is a complex issue that can arise from various factors; however, gaining an understanding of this provides key targets for intervention strategies. This study aimed to provide an overview of the current status and recent developments regarding our understanding of the determinants of patients' adherence to antihypertensives. A systematic review was performed using the electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and "Índex das Revistas Médicas Portuguesas", which included studies published between 2017 and 2021 following the PICOS model: (P) Adult patients with the diagnosis of primary hypertension, using at least one antihypertensive agent; (I) all interventions on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological level; (C) patient's adherence against their non-adherence; (O) changes in adherence to the therapeutic plan; and (S) any study design (except review articles) written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Articles were reviewed by two researchers and their quality was assessed. Subsequently, determinants were classified according to their consistent or inconsistent association with adherence or non-adherence. Only 45 of the 635 reports identified met the inclusion criteria. Adherence was consistently associated with patient satisfaction with communication, patient-provider relationship, their treatment, and use of eHealth and mHealth strategies; a patient's mental and physical health, including depression, cognitive impairment, frailty, and disability, previous hospitalization, occurrence of vital events; drug treatment type and appearance; and unwillingness due to health literacy, self-efficacy, and both implicit and explicit attitudes towards treatment. There were discrepancies regarding the association of other factors to adherence, but these inconsistent factors should also be taken into account. In conclusion, the barriers to adherence are varied and often interconnected between socioeconomic, patient, therapy, condition, and healthcare system levels. Healthcare teams should invest in studying patients' non-adherence motives and tailoring interventions to individual levels, by using a multifaceted approach to assess adherence. Further research is needed to analyze the impact of implicit attitudes, the use of new technological approaches, and the influence of factors that are inconsistently associated with non-adherence, to understand their potential in implementing adherence strategies.
Investigating the Fatty Acid Binding Protein Superfamily for Their Immunological Outlook and Prospect for Therapeutic Targets
Rawat SS, Singh G and Prasad A
, like other helminthic parasites, lacks key components of cellular machinery required for endogenous lipid biosynthesis. This deficiency compels the parasite to obtain all of its lipid requirements from its host. The passage of lipids across the cell membrane is tightly regulated. To facilitate effective lipid transport, the cestode parasite utilizes certain lipid binding proteins called FABPs. These FABPs bind with the lipid ligands and allow the transport of lipids across the membranes and into the cytosol. Here, by integrating a computational with homology protein prediction tools, we had identified five FABPs in the proteome. We confirmed their presence by RNA expression analysis of respective genes from the parasite's cysticerci transcript. During the molecular modeling and MD simulation studies, two of them, TsM_000544100 and TsM_001185100, were most stable. Furthermore, they had a robust interaction with the IgG1 molecule, as evidenced by MD simulation. In addition, by employing screening, we had identified potential ligand interacting residues that are present on the probable druggable site. In combination with cysticidal assays, enalaprilat dihydrate showed efficacy against cysticerci, which suggests that FABPs play a significant role in the cysticercus life cycle. Together, we provided a detailed distribution of all FABPs expressed by cysticerci and the critical role of TsM_001185100 in cysticercus viability.
High-effect gene-coding variants impact cognition, mental well-being, and neighborhood safety substrates in brain morphology
Kopal J, Huguet G, Marotta J, Aggarwal S, Osayande N, Kumar K, Saci Z, Jean-Louis M, Chai XJ, Ge T, Yeo BTT, Thompson PM, Bearden CE, Andreassen OA, Jacquemont S and Bzdok D
Our genetic makeup, together with environmental and social influences, shape our brain's development. Yet, the imaging genetics field has struggled to integrate all these modalities to investigate the interplay between genetic blueprint, environment, human health, daily living skills and outcomes. Hence, we interrogated the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort to outline the effects of rare high-effect genetic variants on brain architecture and corresponding implications on cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial, and socioeconomic traits. Specifically, we designed a holistic pattern-learning algorithm that quantitatively dissects the impacts of copy number variations (CNVs) on brain structure and 962 behavioral variables spanning 20 categories in 7,657 adolescents. Our results reveal associations between genetic alterations, higher-order brain networks, and specific parameters of the family well-being (increased parental and child stress, anxiety and depression) or neighborhood dynamics (decreased safety); effects extending beyond the impairment of cognitive ability or language capacity, dominantly reported in the CNV literature. Our investigation thus spotlights a far-reaching interplay between genetic variation and subjective life quality in adolescents and their families.
Female sexual dysfunction-knowledge, attitude, practices, and barriers encountered by medical fraternity across the country: A web-based cross-sectional study
Kaundal A, Renjhen P, Kumari R, Jha RP, Marwaha PD, Kaur H, Kaushal S, Malik N and Gupta J
Sexual dysfunction in women is common yet often remains underdiagnosed due to the lack of adequate training and experience of the doctors to manage female sexual dysfunctions. This study was done to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical professionals toward female sexual dysfunction and the various practices and barriers they encounter while managing women with sexual dysfunction.
Prevalence, Pattern and Effect of Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Abeokuta, South West Nigeria
Ahmed AK, Azees AS, Fasiku MM, Jimoh OS, Imhonopi GB, Temitayo-Oboh AO, Salam RA, El-Imam IA, Ojo OY and Ehiem EC
The world over, women are victims of violence in close and intimate relationships where they are expected to be safe and protected. Intimate partner violence (IPV) significantly impacts the physical and mental well-being of those affected. This study assessed the prevalence, pattern and effects of IPV amongst women in Abeokuta South Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State, South West Nigeria.
A qualitative study on psycho-social needs of the family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury
Pallerla S, Krishnareddy SR, Parthasarathy NB, Navaneetham J and Gupta A
Spinal cord injury is a high-cost long-lasting disability and a life-changing experience for family caregivers (FCGs). The current study aimed to explore the psycho-social needs of the FCGs of persons with spinal cord injury (PwSCI).
A post-COVID-19 assessment of resilience of nurses and paramedical workers in municipal hospitals of urban Pune, India
Patil KH, Tawar NS and Kudale AM
To assess the resilience of primary healthcare workers (HCWs) by determining the factors associated with developing resilience post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Marital Status and Happiness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Liu H and Hsieh N
This study examines the long-observed marital advantage in happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Depression and its role in adherence to anti-retroviral treatment in people living with HIV and AIDS in Chennai
Kanakaraj R, Umamaheswari R and Subramaniam S
The AIDS epidemic has drastically reduced in India since it was first identified in 1986, largely due to the widespread availability of anti-retroviral treatment (ART). Management of HIV is currently more focussed on long term morbidities, including mental health. Depression is the most common co-morbidity seen in people living with HIV. Depression is found to negatively affect patient adherence to ART. Poor adherence to ART leads to drug resistance and susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
Developmental delay in a community setting: Role of a primary care physician
Taywade M, Roy P and Mohanty PK
The early part of childhood especially the first 1000 days plays an essential role in the growth and development of the child. Various internal and external factors affect the child's development, including genetic factors, socioeconomic status, sociocultural environment, maternal mental health, and the parenting environment. There is a high prevalence of developmental delay 17.6% globally, whereas in India, it is around 6.6%. Numerous screening tools are available to detect developmental delay in the child early. Early identification and intervention are crucial because we can have a better outcome for the child if intervention is performed on time. The children can be identified during the postnatal follow-up period. Literature has shown that few parents take their children for regular developmental assessment after delivery. Identifying the developmental impairment early from a primary care physician's point of view is essential. In India under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Kariyakram (RBSK), the children are screened at home, Anganwadi centers, and schools to detect at-risk children under 4D's, so that early intervention can be planned by linking them to District Early Intervention Center.
Does the Relationship between Affect and Social Interactions among Adults Experiencing Homelessness Differ during Moments when at a Shelter versus Not?
Gajos JM, Oliver JA, Hébert ET, Walters ST and Businelle MS
The prevalence of alcohol use disorders is higher amongst adults experiencing homelessness (AEH) compared with domiciled adults. Greater exposure to heavy drinkers increases personal risk for heavy alcohol use. AEH spend substantial periods of time at shelters and report greater pressure to use alcohol when near shelter locations, as well as greater negative affect when near a shelter. It is unclear if the relationship between affect and 1) interacting with people and 2) being near someone AEH drank alcohol with before differs when AEH are at a shelter versus not. AEH reporting alcohol misuse ( = 72, = 47, 85% Male, 68% Non-White) completed five daily smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) over 28 days. Generalized multilevel modeling revealed that when AEH were interacting with someone they drank with before, they had significantly lower positive affect when at a shelter ( = -0.17, = 0.05), versus when not ( = 0.00, = 0.99). AEH are likely to interact with previous drinking partners while at shelters. It may be important to deliver real-time treatment messages targeting affect in these moments, as well as deliver alcohol reduction/abstinence messages.
Adonis on the Apps: Online Objectification, Self-Esteem, and Sexual Minority Men
Breslow AS, Sandil R, Brewster ME, Parent MC, Chan A, Yucel A, Bensmiller N and Glaeser E
The recent proliferation of mobile dating applications ("apps") has led to profound shifts in the ways sexual minority men (SMM) connect with others and themselves (Anderson, Holland, Koc, & Haslam, 2018). These apps, which often categorize users by factors such as body build, may promote sexual harassment and objectification (Griffiths, Murray, Krug, & McLean, 2018), potentially compounding already disproportionate body image concerns among this population (Daniel & Bridges, 2010). To test relations of app use and online objectification, we examined a path model testing tenets of objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) among a national sample of 230 SMM. We measured direct and indirect relations between patterns of app use (i.e., number of apps used, app use frequency), online objectification, internalization of sociocultural standards of attractiveness, two psychological reactions (i.e., body surveillance, body satisfaction), and self-esteem, a mental health risk particularly salient among SMM. The present study demonstrated support for expansions of objectification theory both online and among SMM. Regarding direct relations, number of apps used (though not app use frequency) was positively related with objectification, internalization, and body surveillance, and negatively related with body satisfaction and self-esteem. Variables yielded indirect relations via internalization, body surveillance, and body satisfaction. Implications of our findings, as well as limitations and implications for future research and practice, are discussed.
A longitudinal examination of how mothers' and fathers' mental health and thoughts of death are related to their child's self-reported levels of parental connectedness
De Luca SM, Yueqi Y and Padilla Y
Mental health outcomes are often passed-down in families, which underscores the importance of understanding mechanisms related to positive health outcomes. We focus on parent-child connectedness, which has been shown to not only decrease children's distress but strengthens their social coping resources.
HLA dependency and possible clinical relevance of intrathecally synthesized anti-IgLON5 IgG4 in anti-IgLON5 disease
Koneczny I, Macher S, Hutterer M, Seifert-Held T, Berger-Sieczkowski E, Blaabjerg M, Breu M, Dreyhaupt J, Dutra LA, Erdler M, Fae I, Fischer G, Frommlet F, Heidbreder A, Högl B, Klose V, Klotz S, Liendl H, Nissen MS, Rahimi J, Reinecke R, Ricken G, Stefani A, Süße M, Teive HAG, Weis S, Berger T, Sabater L, Gaig C, Lewerenz J and Höftberger R
Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by IgLON5 autoantibodies predominantly of the IgG4 subclass. Distinct pathogenic effects were described for anti-IgLON5 IgG1 and IgG4, however, with uncertain clinical relevance.
Demographic and socioeconomic predictors of religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviours in a prospective cohort study (ALSPAC) in Southwest England: Results from the offspring generation
Major-Smith D, Morgan J, Halstead I, Tohidinik HR, Goulding N, Iles-Caven Y, Golding J and Northstone K
We explored associations between possible demographic and socioeconomic causes of religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviours (RSBB) in the offspring generation of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
Parent Education and Adolescent Health Outcomes: The Potential Role of Adolescent Academic Intention
Chen S, Nita A, Coble C, Ortiz R and Leong CD
Parental educational attainment significantly shapes child socioeconomic status, potentially influencing various aspects of adolescent health. This study aimed to uncover the relationships between parental education and self-reported adolescent health outcomes, including overall health, mental well-being, and body mass index (BMI). Analyzing data from 1,448 participants in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we identified notable associations. Our findings revealed that higher maternal and paternal education correlated with reduced odds of adolescent obesity. Furthermore, increased adolescent academic intention was associated with better overall and mental health in adolescents. Notably, it also played a mediating role in lowering adolescent BMI, thereby potentially explaining the association between parent education and adolescent BMI category (overweight vs. obese). These findings emphasize the significant impact of both parent education and adolescent academic intention on adolescent health. Future research should explore interventions leveraging academic intention to positively influence the health trajectory of adolescents.
Protocol for a cross-sectional study on factors affecting health-related quality of life among Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Ur Rehman A, Zakar R, Zakar MZ, Hani U and Fischer F
Pakistan served as a host for more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees for more than 40 years. Access to health care is the most important issue faced by refugees, because they might be at a higher risk for certain diseases. This risk can be attributed to a lack of awareness of health care facilities, health beliefs, inadequate hygiene, cultural differences, and malnutrition. Health of individuals is closely associated with their quality of life. Quality of life over the whole lifespan is pivotal to overall life satisfaction. It includes physical wellbeing, mental health, education, occupation, income, personal safety, as well as (religious) freedom. Until now, the health status of Afghan refugees has never been comprehensively investigated in Pakistan. Therefore, an assessment in this regard is needed to explore their health-related quality of life, for securing their human right to health. A cross-sectional study has been designed to describe and explain the health-related quality of life of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Multistage cluster sampling was applied for selection of study participants. The number of respondents from two regions in Pakistan was drawn through a proportionate sampling technique. A quantitative research method using pre-validated questionnaires was used for data collection. The questionnaire included items to assess well-being, mental health, health literacy, and factors affecting health and health care. Descriptive analysis was used, whereas inferential statistical tests (binary logistic regression model) was also performed. The study received ethically permission by the Advanced Studies and Research Board of the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. The assessment of Afghan refugee's quality of life in Pakistan should lead to recommendations disseminated to public and health care officials. This evidence is needed for policymaking related to adequate measures for improving health conditions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Health through the eyes of youths: a qualitative study
Ow N, Zivanovic R, Tee K, Mathias S and Barbic SP
Emerging definitions of health have suggested a shift in focus to one's ability to manage their health condition, function, and social determinants of health. The construct of health for youths with mental health and substance use disorders (MHSU) is complex and multi-dimensional with interplay between biological, behavioral, and social conditions. Expanding definitions of health is crucial in the measurement of health and evaluation of integrated youth services (IYS) systems for people with MHSU disorders. Hence, it is critical to understand the construct of health from the perspective of a young person living with a MHSU disorder.
Interpretability Study for Long Interview Transcripts from Behavior Intervention Sessions for Family Caregivers of Dementia Patients
He W, Hou B, Demiris G and Shen L
Mental health challenges are significant global public health concerns, affecting millions of people and impacting individuals, families, and communities alike. Therapists play a crucial role in supporting those with mental health issues by providing emotional, practical, and financial assistance, as well as facilitating access to treatment and services. Utilizing one-to-one interviews is an effective approach that yields valuable transcripts for further study. In this paper, we focus on interview transcripts between therapists and caregivers with family members suffering from dementia. We propose a method to efficiently handle long interview transcripts for classification. Then we employ the Shapley-value based interpretability technique to identify important contents that significantly contribute to classification results and build a corpus containing sentences potentially beneficial to the therapy. This approach offers valuable insights for enhancing the treatment of mental health issues.
Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression and Associated Factors Among Internally Displaced Persons in Al-Galgala, Sudan
Mohamed EH and Kheir DA
Conflict and war can have profound psychological and physical consequences, including the displacement of civilians. Sudan currently has the greatest child displacement crisis and the highest number of displaced individuals worldwide. Stressors, such as unemployment, poor socioeconomic conditions, and lack of social integration can increase the risk of developing mental health conditions and worsen pre-existing ones. This study aims to determine the prevalence of PTSD and depression and to investigate the association of sociodemographic and displacement characteristics with both PTSD and depression.
Gut microbiota and psychiatric disorders
Jaiswal S, Bag A and Bhandari SS
The impact of gut microbiota in mental health has been one of the most exciting and probably one of the most discussed topics of psychiatric research in the last decade. The gut microbiota may play an important role in the development of neuropsychiatric diseases, according to a growing body of research. Gut microbiota is a key regulator of gut-brain axis and may shape our brain physiology; thus, any change in its composition may change our behaviour due to altered psychiatric conditions. Relationship of gut microbiota with different mental illnesses is discussed in this article.
Health Insurance Coverage Predicts Health Care Use among Latine Immigrants in Two Policy Contexts
Morrissey T, Castleberry NM, McHale D, Sol C, Dondero M and Yamanis T
This study analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data from 2016 through 2019 from a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving predominantly low-income Latine immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to examine how changes in health insurance coverage relate to changes in health care use. Federally qualified health center clients were insured for an average of 59% to 63% of their annual visits, but about one-third had no coverage throughout the year. Findings from descriptive regression and within-client fixed effects models indicate that in years with higher proportions of insured visits, clients averaged more medical visits and interpreter services but fewer mental health and care coordination visits. Latine immigrant clients in D.C., a city with a universal health insurance option, had health insurance coverage for 89% of their visits, and averaged more medical and fewer coordination visits relative to those in a neighboring county in a state without a universal insurance option.
Inpatient Psychiatric Care in the United States: Former Patients' Perspectives on Opportunities for Quality Improvement
Shields MC and Davis KA
Patient-centered care is a salient value expressed by stakeholders, but a commitment to implementing patient-centered care environments lags in the context of inpatient psychiatry. The current study aimed to describe patients' suggestions for improving the quality of inpatient psychiatry. We fielded a national survey online in 2021, in which we asked participants to report their recommendations for care improvement through a free-response box. We used an inductive qualitative approach to synthesize responses into themes. Most responses described negative experiences, with suggested improvements implied as the inverse or absence of the respondent's negative experience. Among 510 participants, we identified 10 themes: personalized care, empathetic connection, communication, whole health approach, humane care, physical safety, respecting patients' rights and autonomy, structural environment, equitable treatment, and continuity of care and systems. To implement the value of patient-centered care, we suggest that those in positions of power prioritize improvement initiatives around these aspects of care that patients find most in need of improvement.
Factors that influence mental health and well-being of high-performance athletes from Olympic or Paralympic sport who have transitioned out of national-level or international-level sport: a mixed methods approach
Brockett CL, Stansen C, Bourke M, Pascoe M, Clements M and Parker AG
Transitioning out of elite sports can be a challenging time for athletes. To illuminate the gaps and opportunities in existing support systems and better understand which initiatives may have the greatest benefit in supporting athletes to transition out of elite sport, this study examined the lived experience of retired elite Australian athletes. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected via a self-report online survey, while qualitative data were collected via semistructured interviews. In total 102 retired high-performance athletes (M=27.35, SD=7.25 years) who competed in an Olympic or Paralympic recognised sport at the national and/or international-level participated in the online survey, providing data across domains of well-being and athletic retirement. Eleven survey respondents opted in for the semistructured interview (M=28.9, SD=6.9 years) providing in-depth responses on their retirement experiences. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), latent variables were identified from the survey data and associations between retirement support, retirement difficulties, retirement experiences, well-being and mental health were determined. Interview data were thematically analysed. The structural model had good predictive validity for all nine latent variables, describing positive and negative associations of retirement experiences, mental health and well-being. Building an identity outside of sport, planning for retirement, and having adaptive coping strategies positively impacted retirement experiences. Feeling behind in a life stage and an abrupt loss of athletic identity had a negative impact on retirement experiences. Implications for sports policymakers are discussed, including support strategies that could better assist athletes in successfully transitioning from elite sports.
The impact of history of depression and access to weapons on suicide risk assessment: a comparison of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4
Shinan-Altman S, Elyoseph Z and Levkovich I
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in incorporating critical risk factors, namely history of depression and access to weapons, into suicide risk assessments. Both models assessed suicide risk using scenarios that featured individuals with and without a history of depression and access to weapons. The models estimated the likelihood of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, serious suicide attempts, and suicide-related mortality on a Likert scale. A multivariate three-way ANOVA analysis with Bonferroni tests was conducted to examine the impact of the forementioned independent factors (history of depression and access to weapons) on these outcome variables. Both models identified history of depression as a significant suicide risk factor. ChatGPT-4 demonstrated a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between depression, access to weapons, and suicide risk. In contrast, ChatGPT-3.5 displayed limited insight into this complex relationship. ChatGPT-4 consistently assigned higher severity ratings to suicide-related variables than did ChatGPT-3.5. The study highlights the potential of these two models, particularly ChatGPT-4, to enhance suicide risk assessment by considering complex risk factors.
Wars, Conflicts & Mental Health
Javed A
Erratum: Scaling up the task-sharing of psychological therapies: A formative study of the PEERS smartphone application for supervision and quality assurance in rural India - CORRIGENDUM
Singla DR, Fernandes L, Savel K, Shah A, Agrawal R, Bhan A, Nadkarni A, Sharma A, Khan A, Lahiri A, Tugnawat D, Lesh N, Patel V and Naslund J
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2024.11.].
Mental Health Disorders among Thai Farmers: Occupational and Non-Occupational Stressors
Noomnual S, Konthonbut P, Kongtip P and Woskie SR
This cross-sectional study aimed to identify occupational and non-occupational factors that impact levels of stress, depression, and anxiety among farmers located in the northern part of Thailand, including the potential psychological impacts of pesticide use. The participants (N=270) were interviewed with a survey adopted and modified from peer-reviewed articles and questionnaires. The survey consists of four parts, including demographic information and pesticide exposure; perceived farm stressors employing Farm Stressor Survey (FSS); mental health disorder utilizing Srithanya Stress Scale (ST5), Nine-Questions Depression- Rating Scale (9Q), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS21); in addition to COVID-related stress utilizing COVID Stress Scale (CSS). The participants were categorized into two groups i.e., Spray and No Spray based on their self-reported occupational use of pesticide spraying within the past year. No significant associations were observed between occupational pesticide exposures and mental health disorder scores. Being female, having a second job besides a farmer, having applied pesticides for greater than 20 years, and having a higher farm stressor perception showed a significant positive association with self-reported mental health disorders; while having a good agricultural practice and PPE use showed a significant negative association with those outcomes. This pilot study scrutinized expanded sources of stress in farm work and provided information for the development of more effective mental disorder intervention programs for Thai farmers.
Towards Predicting Smoking Events for Just-in-time Interventions
Yu H, Kotlyar M, Thuras P, Dufresne S and Pakhomov SV
Consumer-grade heart rate (HR) sensors are widely used for tracking physical and mental health status. We explore the feasibility of using Polar H10 electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor to detect and predict cigarette smoking events in naturalistic settings with several machine learning approaches. We have collected and analyzed data for 28 participants observed over a two-week period. We found that using bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) with ECG-derived and GPS location input features yielded the highest mean accuracy of 69% for smoking event detection. For predicting smoking events, the highest accuracy of 67% was achieved using the fine-tuned LSTM approach. We also found a significant correlation between accuracy and the number of smoking events available from each participant. Our findings indicate that both detection and prediction of smoking events are feasible but require an individualized approach to training the models, particularly for prediction.
Zoonotic spillover and viral mutations from low and middle-income countries: improving prevention strategies and bridging policy gaps
Haq Z, Nazir J, Manzoor T, Saleem A, Hamadani H, Khan AA, Saleem Bhat S, Jha P and Ahmad SM
The increasing frequency of zoonotic spillover events and viral mutations in low and middle-income countries presents a critical global health challenge. Contributing factors encompass cultural practices like bushmeat consumption, wildlife trade for traditional medicine, habitat disruption, and the encroachment of impoverished settlements onto natural habitats. The existing "vaccine gap" in many developing countries exacerbates the situation by allowing unchecked viral replication and the emergence of novel mutant viruses. Despite global health policies addressing the root causes of zoonotic disease emergence, there is a significant absence of concrete prevention-oriented initiatives, posing a potential risk to vulnerable populations. This article is targeted at policymakers, public health professionals, researchers, and global health stakeholders, particularly those engaged in zoonotic disease prevention and control in low and middle-income countries. The article underscores the importance of assessing potential zoonotic diseases at the animal-human interface and comprehending historical factors contributing to spillover events. To bridge policy gaps, comprehensive strategies are proposed that include education, collaborations, specialized task forces, environmental sampling, and the establishment of integrated diagnostic laboratories. These strategies advocate simplicity and unity, breaking down barriers, and placing humanity at the forefront of addressing global health challenges. Such a strategic and mental shift is crucial for constructing a more resilient and equitable world in the face of emerging zoonotic threats.
Metformin co-commencement at time of antipsychotic initiation for attenuation of weight gain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yu O, Lu M, Lai TKY, Hahn M, Agarwal SM, O'Donoghue B, Ebdrup BH and Siskind D
Antipsychotic medications are associated with weight gain and metabolic derangement. However, comprehensive evidence for the efficacy of co-commenced pharmacological treatments to mitigate initial weight gain is limited. Metformin has been shown to be effective in reducing weight among people on antipsychotic medications who are already overweight, but the potential benefits of metformin co-commencement in mitigating antipsychotic-induced weight gain has not been systematically reviewed.
Complex Intersections Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Negative Life Events Impact the Phenome of Major Depression
Vasupanrajit A, Maes M, Jirakran K and Tunvirachaisakul C
There is evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative life events (NLEs) are associated with major depression (MDD).
Characterizing the clinical and sociodemographic profiles of hospitalized adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
Avrahami M, Ben-Dor DH, Ratzon R, Weizman A and Perlman Danieli P
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing worldwide. Youngsters with ASD demonstrate higher rates of intellectual disabilities (IDs), comorbid psychopathology and psychiatric hospitalizations, compared to children in the general population. This study characterizes the demographics and clinical parameters of adolescent psychiatric inpatients with ASD compared to inpatients without ASD, all hospitalized during the study period. Additionally, within the ASD group, those with ID were compared to those without. The rate of males among participants with ASD was significantly higher than among those without ASD, and the duration of hospitalization was longer. In contrast, the rate of cigarette smoking, major depressive disorder and suicidal thoughts among those with ASD was lower. One-third of those with ASD had moderate to severe ID, about 10% had comorbid epilepsy, and about half of them demonstrated aggressive behavior. Most ASD patients showed significant improvement upon discharge, although the extent of improvement was more prominent among ASD patients with no ID. Our findings, consistent with previous research, indicate that hospitalization is beneficial to youths with ASD, both those with and those without ID. Further studies that include long-term follow-up are needed.
Association of mental disorders with sepsis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Hu Y, Xiong Z, Huang P, He W, Zhong M, Zhang D and Tang G
Substantial research evidence supports the correlation between mental disorders and sepsis. Nevertheless, the causal connection between a particular psychological disorder and sepsis remains unclear.
Psychosocial impacts of Baby Friendly Spaces for Rohingya refugee mothers in Bangladesh: A pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial
Nguyen AJ, Murray SM, Rahaman KS, Lasater ME, Barua S, Lee C, Schojan M, Tonon B, Clouin L and Le Roch K
This study evaluated the effectiveness of Baby Friendly Spaces (BFS), a psychosocial support program for Rohingya refugee mothers of malnourished young children in Bangladesh. Because BFS was already being implemented, we examined the benefit of enhancing implementation supports.
Vaccine hesitancy in patients presenting to a specialized allergy center: clinical relevant sensitizations, impact on mental health and vaccination rates
Kogseder N, Puxkandl V, Hoetzenecker W and Altrichter S
The COVID vaccination program with new types of vaccinations and early reports of allergic reactions to vaccines led to vaccination hesitancy in patients with allergies. In this study, we aimed to characterize patients who present at an allergy center with specific questions regarding risk assessment to COVID vaccines in comparison to regular allergy center patients.
Exploring preference for delivery methods for a psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety: A qualitative study from a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan
Atiq M, Nazir H, Rahman A, Malik A, Atif N and Surkan PJ
This qualitative study explores therapists' and participants' preferences for delivery methods (face-to-face and phone sessions) of a cognitive behavioral therapy-based psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety delivered in a tertiary care hospital.
Mental health inequality between urban and rural youth under COVID-19 from survey data from China
Xiao Y
While health inequality has been the focus of past scholarly discussions, COVID-19's outbreak and spread have provided a new arena for discussing health inequality, particularly in the context of urban-rural disparities in China. This paper explores the impact of COVID-19 on urban-rural health inequality, and the roles played by socioeconomic status and social capital.
E-cigarettes in college: Associations between mental health and e-cigarette use with other substances
Kava CM, Watkins SL, Gilbert PA, Villhauer TJ, Welter TL and Afifi RA
College students are a priority population for substance use prevention, and other studies have reported associations between mental health and e-cigarette use. This study described the association of mental health to e-cigarette and other substance use (ECIG+ use) among US college students.
Effects of frequent assessments on the severity of suicidal thoughts: an ecological momentary assessment study
Chen T, Niu L, Zhu J, Hou X, Tao H, Ma Y, Silenzio V, Lin K and Zhou L
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in research using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to explore suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Meanwhile, concerns have been raised regarding the potential impacts of frequent and intense STBs assessments on the study participants.
Cross-continental environmental and genome-wide association study on children and adolescent anxiety and depression
Thapaliya B, Ray B, Farahdel B, Suresh P, Sapkota R, Holla B, Mahadevan J, Chen J, Vaidya N, Perrone-Bizzozero NI, Benegal V, Schumann G, Calhoun VD and Liu J
Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents warrant special attention as a public health concern given their devastating and long-term effects on development and mental health. Multiple factors, ranging from genetic vulnerabilities to environmental stressors, influence the risk for the disorders. This study aimed to understand how environmental factors and genomics affect children and adolescents anxiety and depression across three cohorts: Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (US, age of 9-10; N=11,875), Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions (INDIA, age of 6-17; N=4,326) and IMAGEN (EUROPE, age of 14; N=1888). We performed data harmonization and identified the environmental impact on anxiety/depression using a linear mixed-effect model, recursive feature elimination regression, and the LASSO regression model. Subsequently, genome-wide association analyses with consideration of significant environmental factors were performed for all three cohorts by mega-analysis and meta-analysis, followed by functional annotations. The results showed that multiple environmental factors contributed to the risk of anxiety and depression during development, where early life stress and school support index had the most significant and consistent impact across all three cohorts. In both meta, and mega-analysis, SNP rs79878474 in chr11p15 emerged as a particularly promising candidate associated with anxiety and depression, despite not reaching genomic significance. Gene set analysis on the common genes mapped from top promising SNPs of both meta and mega analyses found significant enrichment in regions of chr11p15 and chr3q26, in the function of potassium channels and insulin secretion, in particular Kv3, Kir-6.2, SUR potassium channels encoded by the KCNC1, KCNJ11, and ABCCC8 genes respectively, in chr11p15. Tissue enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment in the small intestine, and a trend of enrichment in the cerebellum. Our findings provide evidences of consistent environmental impact from early life stress and school support index on anxiety and depression during development and also highlight the genetic association between mutations in potassium channels, which support the stress-depression connection via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, along with the potential modulating role of potassium channels.
A pharmacist's role in increasing access to menstrual products: an education and advocacy approach
Potter K and Beal-Stahl J
Individuals who menstruate grapple with diverse challenges in menstrual and reproductive health. This includes financial burdens, societal stigmas, and negative mental and physical health implications. Period poverty, marked by insufficient access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation, remains a prevalent and poorly addressed issue. Alarming statistics highlight the extent of this problem and shed light on the staggering number of individuals lacking access to essential menstrual products. The discourse extends to the safety and accessibility of a diverse array of menstrual products. A comprehensive comparison of the cost of available period products was conducted using data obtained from various retail websites. The often-overlooked potential indirect expenses and profound impacts on quality of life were also discussed. Amidst other public health initiatives, pharmacists have emerged as pivotal advocates and educators. Pharmacists are poised to drive initiatives that increase access to menstrual products through public health education and advocacy. By providing education on different menstrual product options, pharmacists can empower individuals to make informed decisions based on their needs. This perspective illuminates the complex impacts of menstruation on individuals and proposes that pharmacists can play a role in overcoming barriers to access. The proposed strategies, rooted in education, research, and advocacy, pave the way for enhancing access, reducing stigma, and elevating the quality of life for those navigating the intricate complexities of menstruation.
Identifying the differentially expressed peripheral blood microRNAs in psychiatric disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Liu X, Dong L, Jiang Z, Song M and Yan P
Evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders (PDs), but the results remain inconclusive. We aimed to identify specific differentially expressed miRNAs and their overlapping miRNA expression profiles in schizophrenia (SZ), major depression disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD), the three major PDs.
The Impact of Work-Family Conflict on Depression Among Korean Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderated Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction
Cha HS and Lee JP
This study aims to examine the mediating effect of life stress and the moderated mediating effect of job satisfaction on work-family conflict and depression among working mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Exploring the neural basis of non-invasive prehabilitation in brain tumour patients: An fMRI-based case report of language network plasticity
Boccuni L, Roca-Ventura A, Buloz-Osorio E, Leno-Colorado D, Martín-Fernández J, Cabello-Toscano M, Perellón-Alfonso R, Pariente Zorrilla JC, Laredo C, Garrido C, Muñoz-Moreno E, Bargalló N, Villalba G, Martínez-Ricarte F, Trompetto C, Marinelli L, Sacchet MD, Bartrés-Faz D, Abellaneda-Pérez K, Pascual-Leone A and Tormos Muñoz JM
Primary brain neoplasms are associated with elevated mortality and morbidity rates. Brain tumour surgery aims to achieve maximal tumour resection while minimizing damage to healthy brain tissue. Research on Neuromodulation Induced Cortical Prehabilitation (NICP) has highlighted the potential, before neurosurgery, of establishing new brain connections and transfer functional activity from one area of the brain to another. Nonetheless, the neural mechanisms underlying these processes, particularly in the context of space-occupying lesions, remain unclear. A patient with a left frontotemporoinsular tumour underwent a prehabilitation protocol providing 20 sessions of inhibitory non-invasive neuromodulation (rTMS and multichannel tDCS) over a language network coupled with intensive task training. Prehabilitation resulted in an increment of the distance between the tumour and the language network. Furthermore, enhanced functional connectivity within the language circuit was observed. The present innovative case-study exposed that inhibition of the functional network area surrounding the space-occupying lesion promotes a plastic change in the network's spatial organization, presumably through the establishment of novel functional pathways away from the lesion's site. While these outcomes are promising, prudence dictates the need for larger studies to confirm and generalize these findings.
Harmonizing data on correlates of sleep in children within and across neurodevelopmental disorders: lessons learned from an Ontario Brain Institute cross-program collaboration
McPhee PG, Vaccarino AL, Naska S, Nylen K, Santisteban JA, Chepesiuk R, Andrade A, Georgiades S, Behan B, Iaboni A, Wan F, Aimola S, Cheema H and Gorter JW
There is an increasing desire to study neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) together to understand commonalities to develop generic health promotion strategies and improve clinical treatment. Common data elements (CDEs) collected across studies involving children with NDDs afford an opportunity to answer clinically meaningful questions. We undertook a retrospective, secondary analysis of data pertaining to sleep in children with different NDDs collected through various research studies. The objective of this paper is to share lessons learned for data management, collation, and harmonization from a sleep study in children within and across NDDs from large, collaborative research networks in the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI). Three collaborative research networks contributed demographic data and data pertaining to sleep, internalizing symptoms, health-related quality of life, and severity of disorder for children with six different NDDs: autism spectrum disorder; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; obsessive compulsive disorder; intellectual disability; cerebral palsy; and epilepsy. Procedures for data harmonization, derivations, and merging were shared and examples pertaining to severity of disorder and sleep disturbances were described in detail. Important lessons emerged from data harmonizing procedures: prioritizing the collection of CDEs to ensure data completeness; ensuring unprocessed data are uploaded for harmonization in order to facilitate timely analytic procedures; the value of maintaining variable naming that is consistent with data dictionaries at time of project validation; and the value of regular meetings with the research networks to discuss and overcome challenges with data harmonization. Buy-in from all research networks involved at study inception and oversight from a centralized infrastructure (OBI) identified the importance of collaboration to collect CDEs and facilitate data harmonization to improve outcomes for children with NDDs.
The relationship between mobile phone dependence and academic burnout in Chinese college students: a moderated mediator model
Li N, Fu L, Yang H, Zhao W, Wang X, Yan Y and Fu Y
The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the level of mobile phone dependence among college students and their experience of academic burnout. Additionally, the study sought to explore the potential mediating effect of study engagement and the moderating role of love.
Identifying and Characterizing the Transgender and Nonbinary Population Presenting to Pediatric Psychiatry Emergency Services
Kim W, Donise KR, Brown KA, Cancilliere MK and Chen ES
Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals have an increased risk of certain mental health outcomes, such as depression and suicide attempts. This population skews younger in the United States and prior studies have not included TGNB patients for the entire pediatric age range in an emergency department (ED) setting. The present study aimed to examine gender identity documentation in the electronic health record and then use that information to identify and further characterize the pediatric TGNB population presenting to a psychiatric emergency service. Preliminary findings include a greater percentage of TGNB patients compared to non-TGNB individuals who had repeat visits to the ED for high acuity psychiatric concerns. A larger portion of TGNB patients also had at least one evaluation that included suicidal ideation. These results call for increased attention on the quality of mental healthcare for TGNB youth both inside and outside of the ED.
Linking patient-reported oral and general health-related quality of life
Paulson DR, Chanthavisouk P, John MT, Feuerstahler L, Chen X and Ingleshwar A
The relationship between oral and overall health is of interest to health care professionals and patients alike. This study investigated the correlation between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a general adult population.
Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with mental illness: a case-control study
Wang J, Zhang Y, Ren K, Li Y and Ying K
The risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with mental illness has been insufficiently addressed. This study aimed to assess the correlation between hyperhomocysteinemia and venous thromboembolism prevalence among this population.
Editorial: Anti-inflammatory drug development focusing on immune mediated diseases
Oliveira-Costa JF and Prasad A
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