Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Data Driven Classification Of Opioid Patients Using Machine Learning - An Investigation, Saddam Al Amin, Md Saddam Hossain Mukta, Md Sezan Mahmud Saikat, Md Ismail Hossain, Md Adnanul Islam, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Sami Azam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The opioid crisis has led to an increased number of drug overdoses in recent years. Several approaches have been established to predict opioid prescription by health practitioners. However, due to the complex nature of the problem, the accuracy of such methods is not yet satisfactory. Dependable and reliable classification of opioid dependent patients from well-grounded data sources is essential. Majority of the previous studies do not focus on the users’ mental health association for opioid intake classification. These studies do not also employ the latest deep learning based techniques such as attention and knowledge distillation mechanism to find better insights. …

Mental Health Benefits Of Physical Activity In Older Adults, Adrian Kurt Zitzmann

Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner

Physical activity is the fountain of youth, strengthening both the physical body as well as the mind, leading to better emotional stability and a general sense of well-being. The population over age 65 is nearing retirement age and are transitioning from a high paced work and family life to a slower and less active “empty nest” lifestyle. Among adults over age 65, will implementing an exercise program for 30 minutes per day increase mental well-being? The benefits of physical activity will be supported by gathering a group of older adults ages 65 and up from a local retirement community to …

Implementation Of Provider Education Regarding Exercise As Adjunctive Treatment For Common Mental Health Diagnoses, Lauren Grace Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental and physical health are inextricably linked. The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic reduced physical activity levels while worsening mental health symptoms. Pharmacological treatments are frequently used to treat mental health conditions; however, side effects can worsen metabolic issues. There is significant evidence that exercise can improve mental health conditions. The purpose of this project was to utilize provider education as an intervention to increase the use of exercise as an adjunctive treatment in the psychiatric treatment plan. This project was implemented at Nevada Mental Health, an outpatient behavioral health clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. The investigator conducted a chart …

Suicide Among South Asians In The United States: A Growing Public Health Problem, Aruna Jha, Manik Ahuja, Rajvi J. Wani

ETSU Faculty Works

This research study quantifies and describes suicide among South Asian Americans (SAAs), an emerging population that are underrepresented group in suicide research. The purpose of this study was to examine key characteristics of suicide deaths among SAAs. Data were employed from DuPage County, IL, a county with a large SAA population. Following federal recommendations for disaggregating Asian American data at a granular level, four SAA researchers used name recognition to identify all SAA cases classified as suicide in the DuPage County coroner’s database from 2001 to 2017 (N = 38). Coroner’s reports were analyzed for contextual details and correlating …

Mental Health Needs Among Minority Aviation Students, Jorge L. D. Albelo Ph.D., Stacey Mcintire

Publications

Higher education, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, benefit our society and economic growth. However, overcoming gender disparity and increasing the retention of underrepresented minorities within these programs is challenging. Mental health across higher education has shown to be on the rise, and when it comes to the mental health needs of aviation students, research shows that underrepresented minorities experience unique challenges in achieving academic success. This paper focused on identifying aviation minority students' unique challenges in a small STEM university. This mixed-methods action research study collected quantitative data using an adapted version of the Counseling Center Assessment …

Does Social Pension Buy Improved Mental Health And Mortality Outcomes For Senior Citizens? Evidence From South Africa's 2008 Pension Reform, Cyprian Mostert, Diana Mackay, Alex Awiti, Manasi Kumar, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

In South Africa, men were traditionally eligible to receive government pensions at 65 years. However, that eligibility criterion was changed in 2008 to allow men to receive a pension payout at 60 years. This study is designed to quantify the impact of the 2008 pension reform on mental health outcomes (depression and traumatic stress) and deaths among 60-year-old men from disadvantaged households without advanced education. This analysis used secondary data issued by Statistic South Africa- General Household Survey. Men who reported earning a pension at 60 years from 2008 to 2014 were exposed to the 2008 pension reform and thus …

Interpersonal Psychotherapy’S Problem Areas As An Organizing Framework To Understand Depression And Sexual And Reproductive Health Needs Of Kenyan Pregnant And Parenting Adolescents: A Qualitative Study, Manasi Kumar, Obadia Yator, Vincent Nyongesa, Martha Kagoya, Shillah Mwaniga, Joseph Kathono, Isaiah Gitonga, Nancy Grote, Helena Verdeli, Keng Yen Huang

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Peripartum adolescents experience signifcant interpersonal transitions in their lives. Depression and emotional distress are often exacerbated by adolescents’ responses to these interpersonal changes. Improved understanding of pregnancy-related social changes and maladaptive responses to these shifts may inform novel approaches to addressing the mental health needs of adolescents during the perinatal period. The paper aims to understand the sources of psychological distress in peripartum adolescents and map these to Interpersonal Psychotherapy’s (IPT) problem areas as a framework to understand depression.

Method: We conducted interviews in two Nairobi primary care clinics with peripartum adolescents ages 16–18 years (n=23) with …

Cultural And Contextual Adaptation Of Mental Health Measures In Kenya: An Adolescent-Centered Transcultural Adaptation Of Measures Study, Vincent Nyongesa, Shillah Mwaniga, Joseph Kathono, Obadia Yator, Beatrice Madeghe, Sarah Kanana, Beatrice Amugune, Naomi Anyango, Darius Nyamai, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction: There is paucity of culturally adapted tools for assessing depression and anxiety in children and adolescents in low-and middle-income countries. This hinders early detection, provision of appropriate and culturally acceptable interventions. In a partnership with the University of Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenyatta National Hospital, and UNICEF, a rapid cultural adaptation of three adolescent mental health scales was done, i.e., Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and additional scales in the UNICEF mental health module for adolescents.

Materials and methods: Using a qualitative approach, we explored adolescent participants’ views on cultural acceptability, comprehensibility, relevance, and completeness of …

Health And Socioeconomic Resource Provision For Older People In South Asian Countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan And Sri Lanka Evidence From Neesama, Natasha Roya Matthews, George James Porter, Mathew Varghese, Nidesh Sapkota, Murad Khan, Ammu Lukose, Stella-Maria Paddick, Malathie Dissanayake, Naila Zaman Khan, Richard Walker

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The global population is ageing rapidly, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) undergoing a fast demographic transition. As the number of older adults in LMICs increases, services able to effectively address their physical and mental health needs will be increasingly important.

Objective: We review the health and socioeconomic resources currently available for older people in South Asian countries, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to identify gaps in available resources and assess areas for improvement.

Methods: We conducted a search of grey and published literature via Google Search, Compendex, EBSCO, JSTOR, Medline, Ovid, ProQuest databases, …

Re-Imaging The Future In Urban Studies And Built Environment Discourse: A Neurourbanism Perspective, Emeka Ndaguba, Jua Cilliers, Sijekula Mbanga, Kerry Brown, Sumita Ghosh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Neurological constructs are being applied in various fields; within urban studies and built environments, neurourbanism stands out. To understand this concept, this study seeks to conduct a scientometric analysis of the concept of neurourbanism. To do so, we gauged the intellectual structure and clarified the influencers and emerging themes while seeking to identify essential gaps in neurourbanism research in urban studies and the built environment. Data were sorted from Dimensions Artificial Intelligence platform because of its reliability in providing the needed dataset accurately, and the Citespace software was used to analyze the data. Our results suggest plurality in explaining the …

Ползи От Физически Активен И Здравословен Живот, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

身体活跃和健康生活方式的好处, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Infographic. Benefits Of A Physically Active & Healthy Lifestyle, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Bénéfices D'Un Mode De Vie Physiquement Actif Et Sain, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

활동적이고 건강한 라이프스타일의 이점, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

活動的で健康な生活の利点, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Преимущества Физически Активного И Здорового Образа Жизни, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Benefícios De Uma Vida Ativa E Saudável, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Beneficios De Un Estilo De Vida Activo Y Saludable, Myra J. Bloom, Gladys Y. X. Chen, Victor R. C. Gomes, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S. I. D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Ericka R. Mcmahan, Jonathan A. Merheb, Jingee Mok, Philip P. Nelson, Deborah A. Skinstad, Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

This research infographic describes how physical activity, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle behaviours are significantly correlated with undergraduate academic performance and student wellbeing.

Translated versions are available:

English (Original Version)
Bulgarian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Chinese (Translated by Shaofan Li and Gladys Y. X. Chen)
French (Translated by Samuel Saltzmann)
German (Translated by Jan H. R. Woerner)
Japanese (Translated by Nanhee Paik)
Korean (Translated by Ju Yeong Lee)
Portuguese (Translated by Victor R. C. Gomes)
Russian (Translated by Aleksandra P. Turtova)
Spanish (Translated by Enrique F. Valderrama-Araya)

Educational Intervention To Increase Confidence And Knowledge Of Pediatric Nurses Caring For Pediatric Mental Health Patients, Alexa M. Wroblewski, Allyson Neal, Janie R. Holmes

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Background: Given the rise in the mental health crisis, there is an increase of non-psychiatric nurses caring for pediatric mental health patients. This crisis leads nurses to experience feelings of doubt, hopelessness, stress, and insecurities in caring for this population. These feelings, combined with a lack of support and training, create a powerlessness loop of care. Local problem: In a Pediatric ICU, there is a lack of training and resources available to the nurses caring for pediatric mental health patients. Despite the lack of training, 35% of total admissions in 2020 were pediatric patients experiencing an acute mental health crisis. …

Exposure To Unpredictability And Mental Health: Validation Of The Brief Version Of The Questionnaire Of Unpredictability In Childhood (Quic-5) In English And Spanish, Natasha G. Lindert, Megan Y. Maxwell, Sabrina R. Liu, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia Poggi Davis, Victoria B. Risbrough, Dewleen G. Baker, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Unpredictability is increasingly recognized as a primary dimension of early life adversity affecting lifespan mental health trajectories; screening for these experiences is therefore vital. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) is a 38-item tool that measures unpredictability in childhood in social, emotional and physical domains. The available evidence indicates that exposure to unpredictable experiences measured with the QUIC predicts internalizing symptoms including depression and anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to validate English and Spanish brief versions (QUIC-5) suitable for administration in time-limited settings (e.g., clinical care settings, large-scale epidemiological studies). Five representative items were identified from …

Understanding The Mental Health Impact And Needs Of Public Healthcare Professionals During Covid-19 In Pakistan : A Qualitative Study, Waqas Hameed, Anam Shahil Feroz, Bilal Iqbal Avan, Bushra Khan, Zafar Fatmi, Noreen Afzal, Hussain Jafri, Mansoor Ali Wassan, Sameen Siddiqi

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: A dearth of qualitative studies constrains in-depth understanding of health service providers' perspectives and experiences regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. This study explored the mental health impact and needs of of public sector healthcare workers during COVID-19 who working in secondary-level and tertiary-level healthcare settings of Pakistan.
Design: An exploratory qualitative study.
Setting: Twenty-five secondary-level and eight tertiary-level public hospitals of Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.
Participants: In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 health service providers and 40 administrative personnel. Study data were analysed on NVivo V.11 using the conventional content analysis technique.
Results: …

Exploring Graduate Student Mental Health And Service Utilization By Gender, Race, And Year In School, Mikhila N. Wildey, Meghan E. Fox, Kelly A. Machnik, Deborah Ronk

Peer Reviewed Articles

Objective: The current study explored differences in mental health problems, services utilization, and support of graduate students by gender, race/ethnicity, and year in school.

Participants: Participants consisted of 734 graduate students from a large, Midwestern university.

Methods: Graduate students answered a series of questionnaires in fall 2021 assessing their mental health, services utilization, and perception of services.

Results: Women (vs men) and participants in their second year and beyond (vs first year) reported greater mental health problems, negative impact of the pandemic, and more services utilization. White (vs non-White) participants reported greater negative impact of the pandemic, greater services utilization, …

Factors Associated With Loss Of Motivation And Hesitation To Work Amongst Frontline Health Care Providers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey From A Developing Country, Mehreen Malik, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Farheen Malik, Jawad Ahmed, Chaudhary Abdul Fatir, Hassan Ul Hussain, Asiyah Aman, Muhammad Junaid Tahir

Department of Anaesthesia

Background: The COVID-19 took over the world in 2020 and a lockdown has been imposed seeing its fast spread. Frontline health care workers (HCWs) were reported frequently with a lack of motivation, hesitancy and unwillingness to perform their duties during this pandemic. This cross-sectional survey aims to evaluate the factors associated with lack of motivation and increased hesitancy among the frontline HCWs to perform their duties during COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and methods: A total of 239 HCWs were included in this web-based cross-sectional study, who have worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous online questionnaire was sent to all faculty, …

Reducing The Stigma Of Nurses In Recovery: Substance Use Disorder And Alternative-To-Discipline Program Education For Nurses, Daniel Paul Del Toro, Pamela Hardesty

Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Decades of previous studies suggest that approximately 10-15% of all actively licensed nurses in the United States may be impaired by or in recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical professionals are experiencing unprecedented amounts of stress, fatigue and emotional distress that when coupled with poor coping mechanisms and easily accessible addictive substances may result in an increased risk for developing substance use disorder. By providing education to nurses regarding substance use disorder (SUD) and alternative to discipline programs (ADP), previous studies have shown that the risk of nurses developing SUD can …

The Effect Of Isolation On The Mental Health Of Older Adults, Christina Yates

Senior Honors Theses

As individuals age and lose mobility and cognitive functioning, many require full-time care which their loved ones are unable to provide. This often results in placement into long-term care facilities, and these facilities are notorious for being understaffed. Physical health becomes the only priority, depriving the client of having their mental and emotional needs fulfilled. Family and friends may decrease visitation due to distance or convenience. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic closed the doors of many facilities to nearly all visitors. Thus, the only individuals the residents of these facilities experienced interaction with were overworked staff members looking intimidating in …

Effect Of Yoga And Mindfulness Intervention On Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Young Adolescents Attending Middle School: A Pragmatic Community-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial In A Racially Diverse Urban Setting, Alessandra N. Bazzano, Yaoyao Sun, Vaughne Chavez-Gray, Temitope Akintimehin, Jeanette Gustat, Denise Barrera, Cody Roi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Mental health conditions in childhood and adolescence are increasing in the U.S. population and require early intervention, as highlighted by a recent Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health. These health issues, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, impair functioning, and may lead to longer term reductions in quality of life. Young adolescents are likely to experience stressors including academic pressure, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and excessive exposure to social media, all of which have been made worse by the pandemic and associated disruptions. Universal preventive programs at school serve as an important strategy for equipping …

Testing The Pragmatic Effectiveness Of A Consumer-Based Mindfulness Mobile App In The Workplace: Randomized Controlled Trial, Jennifer L. Huberty, Hallie M. Espel-Huynh, Taylor L. Neher, Megan E. Puzia

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Mental health and sleep problems are prevalent in the workforce, corresponding to costly impairment in productivity and increased health care use. Digital mindfulness interventions are efficacious in improving sleep and mental health in the workplace; however, evidence supporting their pragmatic utility, potential for improving productivity, and ability to reduce employer costs is limited.

Objective: This pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the experimental effects of implementing a commercially available mindfulness app—Calm—in employees of a large, multisite employer in the United States. Outcomes included mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress), sleep (insomnia and daytime sleepiness), resilience, productivity impairment …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Depression In Pregnant Adolescents In Nairobi, Kenya, Albert Tele, Joseph Kathono, Shillah Mwaniga, Vincent Nyongesa, Obadia Yator, Onesmus Gachuno, Dalton Wamalwa, Beatrice Amugune, Zul Merali, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Adolescent parenthood can be associated with a range of adverse outcomes for young mothers such as depression, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Identification of depression and understanding risk factors among pregnant adolescents is important for development of appropriate interventions and programs focused on adolescent mental health. This paper reports on the findings of the prevalence of depression and its associated risk factors among pregnant adolescents in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: We recruited 153 pregnant adolescent (14-18 years) who were accessing maternal health services in one of two Nairobi County primary health care facilities in the cross-sectional survey …

A Call For Prudent Taxation Of Cannabis Corporates To Fund Mental Health Programmes, Cyprian Mostert, Jasmit Shah, Lukoye Atwoli, Zul Merali, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Cannabis consumption increases the incidence of psychotic disorders, violence, and cognitive impairments [1]. Governments need to implement progressive tax legislation, such as that which requires the cannabis sector to accept responsibility and account for its contribution to the worsening of these mental health conditions in developing countries. Excise taxes are rarely imposed on the cannabis sector [2], despite the lucrative wealth amassed by this industry. For example, current estimates show that the global cannabis sector was valued at $25 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $176 billion by 2030, driven solely by cannabis inhalation demands [3]. The projected …