Examining evidence for a relationship between human-animal interactions and common mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: COVID-19 lockdowns, shelter in place, closures of transportation and mental health services, and dearth of mental health providers created new barriers to obtaining support for mental health needs at a time of increased rates of anxiety and depression. During the pandemic, a record number of households owned and adopted pets, opening a potential avenue to investigate the relationship between pets and mental health. This systematic literature review examined the question: What is the evidence for a relationship between human-animal interaction and/or animal ownership and common mental disorders among adults who interacted with pets compared to adults who did not during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Methods: To address this question, four databases were searched: Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and SCOPUS for peer-reviewed literature published between 2020 and July 2023.

NorthBEAT: exploring the service needs of youth experiencing early psychosis in Northern Ontario.

Introduction: Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) is critical for best outcomes. Among 369 diseases, psychosis is among those causing the greatest disability. Evidence-based interventions for youth in early stages of psychosis (EPI programs) have prevented chronic disability.

Practical pathway for the management of depression in the workplace: a Canadian perspective.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and other mental health issues pose a substantial burden on the workforce. Approximately half a million Canadians will not be at work in any week because of a mental health disorder, and more than twice that number will work at a reduced level of productivity (presenteeism). Although it is important to determine whether work plays a role in a mental health condition, at initial presentation, patients should be diagnosed and treated per appropriate clinical guidelines.

Pilot implementation of MiLES: a web-based intervention targeted at managers with the aim of enhancing the successful return to work of employees with cancer.

Background: MiLES is a web-based intervention targeted at managers with the aim of enhancing the successful return to work (RTW) of employees with cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of implementing MiLES in organizations, from a manager's perspective.

Material And Methods: MiLES was implemented as a pilot in four organizations for six weeks.

Dutch workers' attitudes towards having a coworker with mental health issues or illness: a latent class analysis.

Introduction: Workplace mental health stigma is a major problem as it can lead to adverse occupational outcomes and reduced well-being. Although workplace climate is largely determined by managers and co-workers, the role of co-workers in workplace stigma is understudied. Therefore, the aims are: (1) to examine knowledge and attitudes towards having a coworker with Mental Health Issues or Illness (MHI), especially concerning the desire for social distance, (2) to identify distinct subgroups of workers based on their potential concerns towards having a coworker with MHI, and (3) to characterize these subgroups in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and background characteristics.

Real-World Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: How Much Uncertainty Is in the Results?

Cost-effectiveness analyses of new cancer treatments in real-world settings (e.g., post-clinical trials) inform healthcare decision makers about their healthcare investments for patient populations.

Virtual Acute Psychiatric Ward: Evaluation of Outcomes and Cost Savings.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic motivated rapid expansion of virtual care. In Winnipeg, Canada, the authors launched a virtual psychiatric acute care ward (vWARD) to divert patients from hospitalization through daily remote treatment by a psychiatry team using telephone or videoconferencing. This study examined vWARD patient characteristics, predictors of transfer to a hospital, use of acute care postdischarge, and costs of the vWARD compared with in-person hospitalization.

Leveraging Campus Landscapes for Public Health: A Pilot Study to Understand the Psychological Effects of Urban Sheep Grazing on College Campuses.

Since the 1980s, college students in the U.S. have self-reported a decline in their physical and emotional health.

Rapid Review of Real-World Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Cancer Interventions in Canada.

Cost-effectiveness analysis (CE Analysis) provides evidence about the incremental gains in patient outcomes costs from new treatments and interventions in cancer care. The utilization of "real-world" data allows these analyses to better reflect differences in costs and effects for actual patient populations with comorbidities and a range of ages as opposed to randomized controlled trials, which use a restricted population. This rapid review was done through PubMed and Google Scholar in July 2022.

Lessons from Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Smoking Cessation Programs for Cancer Patients.

Background: Smoking among patients diagnosed with cancer poses important health and financial challenges including reduced effectiveness of expensive cancer therapies. This study explores the value of smoking cessation programs (SCPs) for patients already diagnosed with cancer. It also identifies conditions under which SPCs may be wise investments.

A Comparison of Bioinformatics Pipelines for Enrichment Illumina Next Generation Sequencing Systems in Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Virus Strains.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly emerging virus well known as the major cause of the worldwide pandemic due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Major breakthroughs in the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) field were elucidated following the first release of a full-length SARS-CoV-2 genome on the 10 January 2020, with the hope of turning the table against the worsening pandemic situation. Previous studies in respiratory virus characterization require mapping of raw sequences to the human genome in the downstream bioinformatics pipeline as part of metagenomic principles.

Building a public health workforce for a university campus during a pandemic using a practicum framework: Design and outcomes.

Background: The reopening of college and university campuses was seen as presenting a high risk for transmission of COVID-19. Thus, these institutions faced with a new public health challenge never heretofore faced on this scale. To magnify the problem, they needed to rapidly develop and implement re-opening plans in an environment filled with uncertainty and for a population that was significantly less likely to observe COVID-19 mitigation behaviors.

Analyzing a Cost-Effectiveness Dataset: A Speech and Language Example for Clinicians.

Cost-effectiveness analysis, the most common type of economic evaluation, estimates a new option's additional outcome in relation to its extra costs. This is crucial to study within the clinical setting because funding for new treatments and interventions is often linked to whether there is evidence showing they are a good use of resources. This article describes how to analyze a cost-effectiveness dataset using the framework of a net benefit regression.

The Rationale for Economic Evaluation in Speech and Language: Cost, Effectiveness, and Cost-effectiveness.

Economic evaluation studies the costs and outcomes of two or more alternative activities to estimate the relative efficiency of each course of action. Economic evaluation is both important and necessary in the management of speech and language issues. Economic evaluation can help focus attention on interventions that provide value for improving population health.

Peer public health ambassadors and COVID-19 mitigating behaviors at a public university.

Objective: To examine how public health policy was reinforced by peer workers who were called Public Health Ambassadors (PHAs) at a West Coast university during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Descriptions of PHA community interactions were collected. Analyses were conducted using data from the 12-weeks of the 2020 Fall Quarter.

Occupational posttraumatic stress disorder and workplace violence in workers' compensation claims.

Acts of violence are the fifth leading cause of nonfatal occupational injuries in the United States. Experiencing a traumatic event at work can have serious mental health consequences, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of PTSD caused by workplace violence (WPV) in a statewide workers' compensation system and compare the outcomes and treatment of WPV cases versus those caused by other traumatic events.

How Economic Decision Modeling Can Facilitate Health Equity.

This article offers examples of how modeling can motivate health equity inquiry and research. This article also considers how equity fits into cost-effectiveness frameworks, how economic modeling can broaden the range of options for improving health equity, and how information other than results of cost-effectiveness analyses can inform health technology assessment.

A pilot study on the potential for formalized nature-based instruction to mitigate stress and increase social bonds in university students.

To seek to find a way to address stress and build social bonds among U.S. college students, an East Coast private institution and a West Coast state institution each offered an undergraduate Nature Rx course.

Workers' Decisions to Disclose a Mental Health Issue to Managers and the Consequences.

Stigma can be a barrier to accessing effective interventions and work accommodations for mental illnesses. Fear of stigma's concomitant prejudice and discrimination can inhibit workers from asking for help. Thus, it may be important to develop effective interventions addressing workplace stigma.

Line managers' hiring intentions regarding people with mental health problems: a cross-sectional study on workplace stigma.

Objectives: Stigma may negatively affect line managers' intention to hire people with mental health problems (MHP). This study aims to evaluate line managers' knowledge and attitudes concerning job applicants with MHP, and to assess which factors are associated with the intention (not) to hire an applicant with MHP.

Methods: A sample of Dutch line managers (N=670) filled out a questionnaire on their knowledge, attitudes and experiences concerning applicants/employees with MHP.

A simple screening tool for occupational burnout among dentists.

Background: Nearly 40% of US physicians experience occupational burnout. The actual prevalence rate of burnout among US dentists remains unknown. The authors examined a simplified 2-item burnout screening tool based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to identify possible occupational burnout among dentists.

Individual factors associated with recidivism among mental health court program clients.

There is growing evidence that diversion to a mental health court program (MHC) can reduce recidivism rates and improve the quality of life of clients. However, there is less known about MHC client characteristics and factors associated with recidivism. Yet, this information would be useful to increase the effectiveness of these programs.

Self-Report Measures of Presenteeism Are Not Strongly Correlated With Health Workers' Logged Activity.

Objective: Low productivity while at work (presenteeism) has been reported to produce significant cost excesses for organizations and economies. However, many of these reports have been based on estimates drawn from self-report instruments that are not supported by evidence showing their efficacy. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess associations between responses to leading self-report tests of presenteeism and self-recorded on-the-job productivity.

Exploring the Outcomes of a Pilot Education Program Tailored for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Mental Illness in a Community Mental Health Care Setting.

Objectives: People with mental illness and type 2 diabetes are more likely to experience diabetes complications than the general population. Diabetes management can be improved with tailored lifestyle intervention content. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate diabetes insights of mental health-care patients after participation in a tailored education intervention.