Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Experiences Of Community And Parental Violence Among Hiv Positive Young Racial/Ethnic Minority Men Who Have Have With Men, Sheldon D. Fields

Sheldon D. Fields

Adolescents and young adults (ages 13–24) in the USA are frequently exposed to violence in their community and home. While studies have examined the prevalence and impact of violence exposure among adolescents, there is a lack of data focusing specifically on adolescent men of color who have sex with men. Eight demonstration sites funded through a Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Initiative recruited 363 HIV-positive racial/ethnic minority young men who have sex with men (YMSM) for a longitudinal study between 2006 and 2009. Over two-thirds of participants (83.8%) had witnessed community violence, 55.1% in the prior three months. Witnessing …

Core Competencies For Clinical Supervisors, David Kalman, Stephanie Rodrigues

Stephanie Rodrigues

This chapter provides useful strategies that will help guide clinical supervisors who oversee and support the work of MISSION-VET Case Managers and Peer Support Specialists. It includes an overview of the MISSION-VET supervisor’s role and a description of each team member’s primary area of responsibility within the MISSION-VET program. The remainder of the chapter describes key strategies that MISSION-VET supervisors will need in order to establish productive working relationships with MISSION Case Managers and Peer Support Specialists. These strategies, which are designed to foster a strong supervisory alliance and assure that services are being delivered with fidelity to the MISSION-VET …

Introduction, Thomas L. Shaffer

Thomas L. Shaffer

No abstract provided.

More Than "Mentally-Ill": Differentiating Help-Seeking From Mental-Illness Stigma In A College Population, Jeritt Ross Tucker

Jeritt R. Tucker

Two disparate and long-standing lines of research exist: studies of the stigma of mental illness (e.g., Link et al., 1989) and studies of the self-stigma of seeking psychological help (e.g., Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006). While some researchers implicitly treat these two constructs as synonymous (e.g., Corrigan, Watson, & Barr, 2006), others make the argument that they are theoretically and empirically distinct (e.g., Ben-Porath, 2002). To help clarify this debate, the present investigation examined measures of both constructs among 729 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern University. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that, while there is a strong correlation between the …

Progressive Levels Of Physical Dependence To Tobacco Coincide With Changes In The Anterior Cingulum Bundle Microstructure, Wei Huang, Joseph R. Difranza, David N. Kennedy, Nanyin Zhang, Douglas M. Ziedonis, W. W. Sanouri A. Ursprung, Jean A. King

Douglas M. Ziedonis

BACKGROUND: The tobacco withdrawal syndrome indicates the development of neurophysiologic dependence. Clinical evidence indicates that neurophysiologic dependence develops through a set sequence of symptom presentation that can be assessed with a new 3-item survey measure of wanting, craving, and needing tobacco, the Level of Physical Dependence (PD). This study sought to determine if advancing neurophysiologic dependence as measured by the Level of PD correlates with characteristics of white matter structure measured by Fractional Anisotropy (FA).

METHODS: Diffusion-MRI based FA and diffusion tensor imaging probabilistic tractography were used to evaluate 11 smokers and 10 nonsmokers. FA was also examined in relation …

Hierarchical Vector Auto-Regressive Models And Their Applications To Multi-Subject Effective Connectivity, Cristina Gorrostieta, Mark Fiecas, Hernando Ombao, Erin Burke, Steven Cramer

Mark Fiecas

The Impact Of A Mental Health-Related Diagnosis On Readmission Rates For Heart Failure, Ronald S. Freudenberger Md, Carol A. Foltz Phd, Lou Lukas Md, Donna F. Petruccelli Crnp, Hannah D. Paxton Rn, Mph, Victoria Sabella Bsn

Ronald S Freudenberger MD

No abstract provided.

Interpreting Children's Dreams Through Humanistic Sandtray Therapy, Karrie L. Swan, April A. Schottelkorb

April A. Schottelkorb

Children’s dreams often depict waking-life events and experiences. Although dream work therapy for adults is fairly established, recommendations for processing children’s dreams appear fractional. Because of the distinct developmental needs of children, we postulated that sandtray therapy might assist children to express and discover enlarged meanings in dreams. In this article, we present the Sandtray for Interpreting Childhood Dreams (SICD) intervention for the purpose of potentially helping children gain insight into how their dreams may be related to past and present waking-life experiences. An explanation and application of the model is presented, and the developmental rationale for using the SICD …

Welcome To The Journal Of Evolution And Health, Aaron Blaisdell, Paul Jaminet, David C. Pendergrass

Aaron P Blaisdell

Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of Evolution and Health! The Journal of Evolution and Health is the peer-reviewed, open-access journal of the Ancestral Health Society, a community of scientists, healthcare professionals, and laypersons who collaborate to understand health challenges from an evolutionary perspective.

Quantification Of Stigma For Clinical Assessment In Psychiatric Practice’ - A Paradigm Shift In Anti-Stigma Intervention: Using Newly Developed Scale (Stigma Quantification Scale ‘Sqs’)., Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

Purpose: Objective of the project was to develop a quantification tool for measurement of stigma in clinical practice for the purpose of identifying patients who have suffered severe stigma with the hopes of identifying and treating stigma related issues. Methods: Our tool which includes 49 items, quantifies four domains of stigma: (1) Personal; (2) Family; (3) Social; and (4) Illness. In addition, the items are distributed into three subscales: (a) self-experience; (b) illness related consequences; and (c) coping strategies. Results: In this pilot study conducted in India, we present the scale details and results. We found that as age increased …

Can I Sit Here? A Review Of The Literature Supporting The Use Of Single-User Virtual Environments To Help Adolescents With Autism Learn Appropriate Social Communication Skills, Julie Elaine N. Irish

Julie Elaine Irish

Physical Activity For Health And Longevity, Andre M. Müller, Selina Khoo

Andre M Müller

The aging process is commonly associated with declines in health, cognitive function and well-being. However, lifestyle factors like diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity were repeatedly highlighted as predictors of a healthy aging process. However, recent research has shown that physical activity is the strongest predictor of health in older adults. Recent studies have confirmed the strong effect of physical activity on cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal and mental health in this age group, while the World Health Organization and other bodies have published physical activity guidelines. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the positive effects of physical activity older adults around …

16. Child Witnesses And Imagination: Lying, Hypothetical Reasoning, And Referential Ambiguity., Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

Disparities In Access To Healthcare: The Case Of A Drug And Alcohol Abuse Detoxification Treatment Program Among Minority Groups In A Texas Hospital, Alberto Coustasse, Karan P. Singh, Fernando M. Trevino

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

The authors analyzed ethnic/racial disparities in healthcare access and length of stay from a defined population of individuals seeking medical detoxification services at a hospital in Texas. Results indicated Blacks were more likely to be insured compared with Whites, mostly by public insurance, but this did not hold for Hispanics, who were about three times more likely to be uninsured compared with Blacks. In addition, the authors observed lower median of length of stay in the Medicaid category among Hispanics. These results can be explained by aggressive case management, sociocultural barriers, or discriminatory practices, both intentional and unintentional.

Who Participates In Web-Assisted Tobacco Interventions? The Quit-Primo And National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Hi-Quit Studies, Rajani S. Sadasivam, Rebecca L. Kinney, Kathryn L. Delaughter, Sowmya R. Rao, Jessica Hillman Williams, Heather L. Coley, Midge N. Ray, Gregg H. Gilbert, Jeroan J. Allison, Daniel E. Ford, Thomas K. Houston

Rajani S. Sadasivam

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is the most preventable cause of death. Although effective, Web-assisted tobacco interventions are underutilized and recruitment is challenging. Understanding who participates in Web-assisted tobacco interventions may help in improving recruitment.

OBJECTIVES: To understand characteristics of smokers participating in a Web-assisted tobacco intervention (Decide2Quit.org).

METHODS: In addition to the typical Google advertisements, we expanded Decide2Quit.org recruitment to include referrals from medical and dental providers. We assessed how the expanded recruitment of smokers changed the users' characteristics, including comparison with a population-based sample of smokers from the national Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Using a negative binomial regression, we …

Dimensions Of Suicidality: Analyzing The Domains Of The Sis-Map Suicide Risk Assessment Instrument And The Development Of A Brief Screener, Megan Johnston, Charles Nelson, Amresh Shrivastava

Amresh Srivastava

This study aimed at validating the domains of suicidality assessed by the Scale for Impact of Suicidality—Management, Assessment and Planning of Care (SISMAP) and creating a brief screener based on the full scale. A total of 50 individuals with suicidal ideation were given the SIS-MAP interview. Support was found for these domains of suicide risk; in particular, the subscales of ideation and protective factors for suicide risk were highly reliable. For each domain of suicidality, items most predictive of total risk index scores were selected to create a brief screener aimed at expediting the assessment process. The screener was reliable, …

Cognitive, Affective And Social Processes Involved In Help-Negation After Critical Suicidal Thoughts, Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Help-negation is defined as the process of help withdrawal or avoidance found among those currently experiencing clinical and subclinical levels of different forms of psychological distress, including low and critical levels of suicidal ideation (Wilson, Bushnell, Caputi, 2011). Understanding the determinants of help-negation in suicidal samples that have not yet come to treatment provides a potent opportunity to target prevention and early intervention strategies to facilitate appropriate and timely help-seeking. Over 20 help-negation studies have ruled out variables that might explain the withdrawal process associated with suicidal thoughts. These results now point to biological and neurological underpinnings working together with …

Preventing Help-Negation For Suicidal Ideation: Implications For Social Network Size And Frequency Of Social Interaction, Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Help-negation is seen when the severity of an individual’s suicidal ideation increases and they become less likely to seek help as a result of their condition. Research has implicated distorted affect regulation and perceptual processes related to social support in the development of help-negation among suicidal individuals (Wilson et al., 2013). Future research needs to focus on psycho-social factors that can be linked to neurological processes that differentiate suicidal individuals from controls and are directly implicated in the help-negation processes associated with suicidal ideation. As suicidal individuals have interpersonal needs rejected they may cease to seek or accept help. The …

Help-Negation Among Telephone Crisis Support Workers: Impact On Personal Wellbeing And Worker Performance, Coralie J. Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Telephone crisis supporters (TCSs) provide front line mental health support to callers in crisis. TCSs often support callers with suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, and the caller’s experience of the call will influence whether they will seek help from a crisis support service in the future. Despite their important role, little information on TCSs’ mental health and help-seeking behaviour exists – a structured literature search returned only 2 studies. This paper presents the results of the first study in a national research program that is aiming to inform the future training, preparation, supervision, and support of frontline health professionals who …

Emotion Socialization And Ethnicity: An Examination Of Practices And Outcomes In African American, Asian American, And Latin American Families, Diana M. Morelen, Kristel Thomassin

Diana M. Morelen

Suicidal Ideation In Callers To A Crisis Hotline In Mumbai,, Amresh Srivastava, Megan Johnston, Larry Stitt, Meghana Thanksr, Sunita Iyer, Nilesh Shah, David Lester

Amresh Srivastava

Suicidal ideation in callers to a crisis hotline in Mumbai, India Amresh K. Shrivastava1,2, Megan Johnston3, Larry Stitt4, Meghana Thakar5, Sunita Iyer6, Nilesh Shah7 and David Lester8* 1Silver Mind Hospital and Mental Health Foundation of India, (PRERANA Charitable Trust) Mumbai. 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. 3Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2M2. 4Biostatistical Support Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. 5Silver mind Hospital, Mumbai, Currently, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practitioner, Lambeth CAMHS Early Intervention Team, South London and Maudsley …

What Are You Willing To Change To Promote Your Patients' Oral Health? Find Out How Motivational Interviewing Can Help You Help Your Patients, Don Morrow, Clive S. Friedman, Jennifer D. Irwin

Jennifer D. Irwin

No abstract provided.

What Are You Willing To Change To Promote Your Patients' Oral Health? Find Out How Motivational Interviewing Can Help You Help Your Patients, Don Morrow, Clive S. Friedman, Jennifer D. Irwin

Donald Morrow

No abstract provided.

Empowering Counseling Program Description, Katherine Tyson Mccrea

Katherine Tyson McCrea

No abstract provided.

Gender Disparities: A Medical Detoxification Program, Alberto Coustasse, Karan P. Singh, Sue G. Lurie, Yu-Sheng Lin, Claudia S. Coggin, Fernando Trevino

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Significant gaps exist in health care regarding gender in the United States. Health status, social roles, culturally patterned behavior and access to health care can be influenced by gender. Women have been the primary users of health care and minority women usually have received poorer quality care than Non-Hispanic White (NHW) females. The objectives of this study were to identify gender, racial and ethnic disparities in access to substance abuse treatment in a Texas hospital. Secondary data collected on 1,309 subjects who underwent detoxification were studied. Gender, race/ethnicity, drug of abuse, relapse and financial classification were included in the analysis. …

Cost Of Medical Detoxification Among Drug And Alcohol Users In A Private Texas Hospital, Alberto Coustasse

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the costs of medical detoxification among patients with alcohol and substance abuse disorders. Design/methodology/approach – The study data was drawn from a medical detoxification program in a community hospital in Texas. Secondary data analysis of 1337 cases from three years was reviewed. Age, gender, race, alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, sedatives, opioids, financial classification, cost, length of stay (LOS) and cost by LOS were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test. Findings – The sample comprised of 42.8 percent women and 57.2 percent males. The mean cost and cost by LOS …

Resilience, Psychopathology And Rehospitalization, Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

Purpose: The goal of the project was to determine why patients are being hospitalized repeatedly within an acute psychiatric facility. Past studies have found repeated hospitalization leads to economic drain, disability, poor outcome, stigma and discrimination. Repeated hospitalizations are one of the main causes of disability and dysfunction amongst the mentally ill as well as consuming more than 90 % of the mental health budget. This drain deprives consumers of a major part of allocated health resources. Identifying the potential risk factors for repeated hospitalization, interrelationships between risk factors, and vulnerability will help us take the appropriate measures to prevent …

Cannabis And Psychosis: Transition To Psychosis, Amresh Srivastava, Kristen , Terpstra, Yves Bureau

Amresh Srivastava

Cannabis has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia, however, but the pathway of cannabis causing psychosis is not well understood. It appears that cannabis does not cause any structural changes per say but deficits in areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotion do show some changes. Recent studies suggest that cannabinoids such as CB1 have a pharmacological profile similar to that of atypical antipsychotic drugs. This mechanisms may involve dopamine, GABA, and glutamate neurotransmission; It is still not known if these changes are transitory or permanent, and whether or not they contribute to …

Measurement Of Clinical Risk Of Stigma And Discrimination Of Mental Illnesses, Amresh Srivastava, Yves Bureau, Nitika Rewari, Megan Johnston, Arman Panday, Nilesh Shah

Amresh Srivastava

Abstract

Background: Stigma and discrimination continue to be a reality in the lives of people suffering from mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, and prove to be some of the greatest barriers to access care, continue to remain under care, and regain a normal lifestyle and health. Research advances have defined stigma, assessed its implications and have even examined intervention strategies for dealing with stigma. The delay in treatment due to stigma causes potential complications like suicide, violence, harm to others and deterioration in capacity to look after one’s physical health. These are preventable clinical complications. In order to deal with the …

Transition To Psychosis In Cannabis Abusers, Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

Transition to psychosis in Cannabis abusersSchizophrenia is a debilitating disease of major public health importance, the incidence of which shows prominent worldwide variation (up to fivefold) and is about 40% greater in men than in women. Furthermore, epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence is higher among those who grow up in urban areas and among migrants. Recent evidence indicates that, although the neurochemical origins of schizophrenia do not necessarily lie in dopamine dysregulation, this operates as the final common pathway underlying positive psychotic symptoms and may also play a role in negative and cognitive symptoms. The last few years …