Use of virtual meeting and survey technology to assess Covid-19-related mental well-being of healthcare workers.

Background And Aims: Healthcare workers (HCWs) throughout the world have been exposed to economic and existential stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. The American Medical Association (AMA) has documented that increased healthcare burden correlates with increased stress, burnout, and psychological burden in HCWs. However, limits on personnel, time, and in person interactions make it challenging to assess mental health outcomes during a pandemic.

Social media use and body image issues among adolescents in a vulnerable Louisiana community.

Widespread concern has been expressed regarding unrealistic body image and adolescent eating disorder promoting content on social media (SM) platforms. Numerous research studies have examined the impact of SM on body image as well as social vulnerability on negative mental health outcomes. Despite this, few previous studies have examined the impact of SM on body image specifically in vulnerable, underserved, or predominantly minority communities.

Teen Advisory Council Survey's Factors Associated With Self-Harming Thoughts.

Background: The evaluation of teens with self-harming thoughts (SHT) is a high-stakes task for physicians in community and emergency department (ED) settings. The lived experience of adolescents with stress and SHT provides an important source of insight for mental health professionals who evaluate and treat teens A snapshot of the lived experience of teens in northwest Louisiana was captured by the Step Forward Teen Advisory Council (TAC) in 2019. The TAC surveyed peers with the goal of identifying common stressors experienced by local teens in order to inform policy and practices in the local school system.

Elucidating the Role of Trauma and Significant Life Stress in the Disease of Addiction may Provide New Targets for Medication Development.

The role of previous life stress and trauma in addiction has been understudied and underappreciated. To date, much previous research has emphasized other aspects of the disease of addiction, including the reward-based neural circuitry. While previous research has offered tremendous value and shaped human understanding of addiction, an increased emphasis on the role of stress and trauma in addiction may provide new targets for therapeutic development.

Benzodiazepines: Uses, Dangers, and Clinical Considerations.

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are among one of the most widely prescribed drug classes in the United States. BZDs are a class of psychoactive drugs known for their depressant effect on the central nervous system (CNS). They quickly diffuse through the blood-brain barrier to affect the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and exert sedative effects.