Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Harmful Alcohol Use Among Healthcare Workers At The Beginning Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Kenya, Florence Jaguga, Edith Kamaru Kwobah, Ann Mwangi, Kirtika Patel, Thomas Mwogi, Robert Kiptoo, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Healthcare workers play a key role in responding to pandemics like the on-going COVID-19 one. Harmful alcohol use among them could result in inefficiencies in health service delivery. This is particularly concerning in sub-Saharan Africa where the health workforce is already constrained. The aim of this study is to document the burden and correlates of harmful alcohol use among healthcare workers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya with the aim of informing policy and practice.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from a parent online survey that investigated the burden …

Immigration, Politics, And Mental Health: An Undergraduate Independent Study, Abigail O. Akande, Erinn K. Rajapaksa

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The implications of a polarizing political climate on the plight of immigrants with disabilities in the United States are physiological and emotional. Rehabilitation and human services professionals are inclined to recognize the intersection of the process of immigration with related legislation and the presence of disability. Undergraduate students of relevant disciplines can benefit from the focused investigation that an independent study can provide – particularly because legislative directives evolve so rapidly, are directly associated with service provision and the availability of resources, and draw upon training and continuing education expectations from a variety of practitioner ethical codes.

Mental Health Problems And Service Gaps Experienced By Pregnant Adolescents And Young Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Joan Mutahi, Anna Larsen, Pim Cuijpers, Stefan Swartling Peterson, Jurgen Unutzer, Mary Mckay, Grace John-Stewart, Teresa Jewell, John Kinuthia, Manasi Kumar

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Pregnant adolescent girls and young women (AGYW, aged 12–24 years) are at high risk for mental health problems, particularly in the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of mental health studies among pregnant AGYW in SSA published between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2020 in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Global Index Medicus following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42021230980). We used Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model to frame and synthesize results from included studies.

Findings: Our search yielded 945 articles from which 18 studies were included (N = 8 quantitative, N = 9 qualitative, …

Morphometric And Structural Analysis Of Florida Manatee Spermatozoa, Jonathan R Cowart, Danielle M Collins, Daniel L Stanton, Gerhard Van Der Horst, Iskande V Larkin

Staff and Researcher Publications

Sperm characteristics, such as sperm morphology and sperm morphometry are important in assessing sperm quality. This is especially important for the management and conservation of endangered and exotic species, like the Florida manatee, where information of this nature is extremely limited. In this study, we fill this knowledge gap to better understand the reproductive physiology of Florida manatees by conducting the first extensive analysis of sperm morphometry and ultrastructure. Sperm were retrieved from the vas deferens of nine recently deceased Florida manatees. Computer-aided sperm morphology analysis (CASMA) was used for morphometric analysis and laser-scanning confocal microscopy and electron microscopy were …

(#Womeninddw) Persistent Speaker Gender Gap At The Premier Digestive Disease Event, Zubair Khan, Rabia Rukhshan, Asmeen Bhatt, Sushovan Guha, Srinivas Ramireddy, Prithvi Patil, Ricardo Badillo, Roy Tomas Davee, Nirav Thosani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades, advances have been made regarding gender equality starting from medical students to trainees, to leadership in academics. The female representation in specialty academic conferences not only reflects the existing gender disparities in that specialty but also can influence young female trainees to join that field. Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the premier digestive disease event. We aimed to calculate the proportion of female representation among speakers and moderators at the DDW meetings held from 2018 to 2020.

METHODS: The data for DDW 2018-2020 were collected via the online web-based planner. The gender of speakers …

Factors Associated With Opioid Overdose After An Initial Opioid Prescription, Scott G. Weiner, Sanae El Ibrahimi, Michelle A. Hendricks, Sara E. Hallvik, Christi Hildebran, Michael A. Fischer, Roger D. Weiss, Edward W. Boyer, Peter W. Kreiner, Dagan A. Wright, Diana P. Flores, Grant A. Ritter

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Importance: The opioid epidemic continues to be a public health crisis in the US. Objective: To assess the patient factors and early time-varying prescription-related factors associated with opioid-related fatal or nonfatal overdose. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study evaluated opioid-naive adult patients in Oregon using data from the Oregon Comprehensive Opioid Risk Registry, which links all payer claims data to other health data sets in the state of Oregon. The observational, population-based sample filled a first (index) opioid prescription in 2015 and was followed up until December 31, 2018. Data analyses were performed from March 1, 2020, to June …

An Interventional Pilot Of Customized Adherence Enhancement Combined With Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Medication (Cae-L) For Poorly Adherent Patients With Chronic Psychotic Disorder In Tanzania, Christopher J. Burant, Carol E. Blixen, Kristin A. Cassidy, Jennifer B. Levin, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Chronic psychotic disorders (CPD) impose a particularly significant burden in resource-limited settings. Combining long-acting antipsychotic medication (LAI) with a customized adherence enhancement intervention (CAE-L) has potential to advance care. Methods: Nineteen adults ≥ age 18 with CPD who self-reported missing ≥20% of antipsychotic medication within the last month were stabilized on oral haloperidol prior to transitioning to monthly haloperidol decanote for 25 weeks. Outcome evaluations were conducted at baseline and Week 25. Primary outcomes were oral medication adherence assessed via the Tablet Routines Questionnaire (TRQ) and LAI injection frequency. Secondary outcomes included CPD symptoms measured by the Brief Psychiatric …

Rural Pregnant Women’S Experiences With Substance Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study, Cami Weber

Dissertations

Rural pregnant women with substance use disorder (SUD) are an understudied vulnerable population that often experiences poor pregnancy outcomes (Higgins et al., 2019; Jumah, 2016; Kramlich et al., 2018; Shaw et al., 2015). Despite the high prevalence and high burden associated with SUD, rural women are less likely than non-pregnant women to seek addiction treatment and complete an outpatient treatment program during pregnancy (Shaw et al., 2015). This study aimed to give voice to rural Missouri women with SUD. The research questions explored the life experiences and motivations for seeking treatment using a qualitative, descriptive research design with grounded theory …

Machine Learning For Predicting Risk Of Early Dropout In A Recovery Program For Opioid Use Disorder, Assaf Gottlieb, Andrea Yatsco, Christine Bakos-Block, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: An increase in opioid use has led to an opioid crisis during the last decade, leading to declarations of a public health emergency. In response to this call, the Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES) was established and created an emergency access pathway into long-term recovery for individuals with an opioid use disorder. A major contributor to the success of the program is retention of the enrolled individuals in the program.

METHODS: We have identified an increase in dropout from the program after 90 and 120 days. Based on more than 700 program participants, we developed a machine learning …

“Why Should The Fish Feel Safe? I Don’T Feel Safe!”: An Audit Of Pet Ownership Within An Nhs Service For Adults With Severe Mental Illness, With Lessons For Service Improvement, Abigail Alfrey, Steve Church, Niki Christodoulou, Emma Harding

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background—Several studies have identified that pets can promote mental health, wellness, and recovery. However, little is known about the impact of pet ownership upon those with a severe mental illness (SMI), or whether mental health services are offering sufficient support that is specific to the needs of pet-owning service users. Aims—To identify the proportion of pet owners among an urban, U.K.-based community psychosis service; and to elicit service users’ views on pet ownership, to better understand and support this population’s particular needs. Method—The proportion of pet owners among this sample (n = 212) was compared with U.K. population data …

Optimism And Lipid Profiles In Midlife: A 15-Year Study Of Black And White Adults, Farah Qureshi, Jackie Soo, Ying Chen, Brita Roy, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Laura D. Kubzansky, Julia K. Boehm

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

Optimism is associated with better cardiovascular health, yet little is known about the underlying mechanisms and whether protective relationships are consistently observed across diverse groups. This study examines optimism's association with lipid profiles over time and separately among Black and White men and women.

Methods

Data were from 3,206 middle-aged adults in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Optimism was measured in 2000–2001 using the Revised Life Orientation Test. Triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurements were obtained at 5-year intervals through 2015–2016. Linear mixed models evaluated relationships between optimism and …

The Power And Challenge Of Lipid (A)Symmetry Across The Membrane And Cell, Heather E Webber, Joy M Schmitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Current treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) are far from ideal, with no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacotherapies to treat stimulant and other use disorders. New approaches are urgently needed to combat the increasing prevalence of SUDs and overdose deaths. It is widely accepted that addiction is a chronic disease of the brain involving changes in neural circuitry associated with cognitive and reward functioning. Brain stimulation techniques are novel methods that can modulate these circuits directly and thus hold considerable promise for treating SUDs.

A Fond Farewell, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

In this From the Editor introduction to Volume 9, Issue 1, the retiring editor-in-chief of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews recalls the history and initial aims of JPCRR, discusses the contents of articles in the current issue, and says good-bye.

Prevalence Of Mental Health Conditions Among 6078 Individuals With Down Syndrome In The United States, Anne Rivelli, Veronica Fitzpatrick, Sagar Chaudhari, Laura Chicoine, Gengjie Jia, Andrey Rzhetsky, Brian Chicoine

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Findings from a recent study of the largest documented cohort of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in the United States described prevalence of common disease conditions and strongly suggested significant disparity in mental health conditions among these individuals as compared with age- and sex-matched individuals without DS. The retrospective, descriptive study reported herein is a follow-up to document prevalence of 58 mental health conditions across 28 years of data from 6078 individuals with DS and 30,326 age- and sex-matched controls. Patient data were abstracted from electronic medical records within a large integrated health system. In general, individuals with DS had …

Directly Observed Weekly Fluoxetine For Major Depressive Disorder Among Hemodialysis Patients: A Single-Arm Feasibility Trial, Kelley M. Kauffman, Jacqueline Dolata, Maria Figueroa, Douglas Gunzler, Anne Huml, Julie Pencak, Martha Sajatovic, Ashwini R. Sehgal

Faculty Scholarship

Rationale & Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among hemodialysis patients, but treatment can add to their pill burden and may be limited by nonadherence. We sought to investigate the value of directly observed, once-weekly fluoxetine dosing in MDD. Study Design: Feasibility trial of adult hemodialysis patients with untreated MDD. The diagnosis of MDD was determined using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Setting & Participants: 16 patients at 15 hemodialysis facilities in Northeast Ohio. Intervention: Patients were initially prescribed 20 mg of fluoxetine once daily for 2 weeks to assess their tolerance. The patients took this daily fluoxetine unobserved …

Sociodemographic And Clinical Characteristics Associated With Improvements In Quality Of Life For Participants With Opioid Use Disorder, Assaf Gottlieb, Christine Bakos-Block, James R Langabeer, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System was established to create an access pathway into long-term recovery for individuals with opioid use disorder. The program determines effectiveness across multiple dimensions, one of which is by measuring the participant's reported quality of life (QoL) at the beginning of the program and at successive intervals.

Methods: A visual analog scale was used to measure the change in QoL among participants after joining the program. We then identified sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with changes in QoL.

Results: 71% of the participants (n = 494) experienced an increase in their QoL scores, …

Should Dogs Have A Seat In The Classroom? The Effects Of Canine Assisted Education On College Student Mental Health, Christine A. Kivlen, Allison Quevillon, Dani Pasquarelli

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Students continue to face an increase in mental health concerns related to their role of being college students, including increased academic expectations; organizational and time management demands; and, often, a transition to an independent living situation. Mental health symptoms, such as stress and anxiety, have negatively affected students’ academic performance more than any other factors in college students’ lives, and nontraditional inexpensive interventions that can reach a large number of students, such as animal assisted intervention, continue to be explored. Thus, the researchers in this study investigated the effects of canine assisted education (CAE) on students’ stress and anxiety, distractibility, …

Ecospirituality In Forensic Mental Health: A Preliminary Outcome Study, Clark Patrick Heard, Jared Scott, Stephen Yeo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: In this study, the personal experience of spirituality in nature (the concept of ecospirituality) was supported by occupational therapy and spiritual care staff enabling a community-based group for persons affiliated with a forensic mental health system in Ontario, Canada. Spirituality is a key, though debated, tenet in occupational therapy practice. At the same time, immersive participation in nature has been linked to positive health outcomes.

Methods: A qualitative method consistent with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed. Data was collected via the completion of semi-structured interviews (n = 9). Collected data was transcribed verbatim and then coded for …

Embodied Digital Storytelling With Ancestral Legacy, Giselle Ruzany

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Embodied Digital Storytelling with Ancestral Legacy is a study of one's ancestral legacy with a diverse group of professional dancers who were asked to engage in an embodied inquiry. Research questions were: What is the experience of creating embodied digital storytelling when exploring one’s ancestral legacy? What can be learned from identity, sense of belonging, and resilience through this process? The study included an interview about each dancer's ancestral story, the creation of embodied digital storytelling (EDS), a final interview, and a group member checking meeting for the purpose of confirming the transcripts and findings. This meeting also served as …

Gestational Exposure To Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers And Social Skills And Problem Behaviors In Adolescents: The Home Study, Kim Hartley, Melinda C. Macdougall, Brandon Terrizzi, Yingying Xu, Kim M. Cecil, Aimin Chen, Joseph M. Braun, Bruce P. Lanphear, Nicholas C. Newman, Ann M. Vuong, Andreas Sjödin, Kimberly Yolton

Epidemiology & Biostatistics Faculty Research

Background: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent environmental pollutants used as flame retardants. Gestational PBDE exposure has been associated with a variety of behavior problems in children, but little is known about its impact into adolescence, particularly on social skills, which are important for achieving social competence, establishing identity, and forming lasting relationships. Objective: We investigated associations between gestational exposure to PBDEs and social skills and problem behaviors in early adolescence in a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort in Cincinnati, Ohio (recruited 2003–2006). Methods: We measured maternal serum concentrations of five PBDE congeners during gestation. At age 12, we measured …