Outness, Discrimination, and Psychological Distress Among LGBTQ+ People Living in the Southern United States.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) people face mental health disparities. These disparities are amplified in the Southern regions of the United States. This study assessed the role of outness, discrimination, and other demographic variables on possible serious mental illness (SMI) among LGBTQ+ Southerners.

Preferences for Shigellosis-Related Health Promotion Materials for Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: Results From a Qualitative Assessment, Atlanta, GA.

Background: Shigellosis, an acute diarrheal disease, is the third most common bacterial infection in the United States. Shigellosis most commonly affects children younger than 5 years; however, clusters and outbreaks of shigellosis have been reported among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Evidence suggests that knowledge of shigellosis among MSM is low, indicating health promotion outreach is needed for this population.

Conversion Therapy in the Southern United States: Prevalence and Experiences of the Survivors.

Numerous studies have determined that conversion therapy, a practice meant to change one's sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender, can be ineffective and severely harmful. However, few studies have documented the prevalence or characteristics of its survivors. This study is a quantitative analysis of the LGBTQ Institute Southern Survey that estimates the prevalence of conversion therapy (specifically SOCE) in the Southern United States and documents its significant association with negative mental health outcomes.

Factors Associated With HIV Testing Among Atlanta's Homeless Youth.

Homeless youth experience increased risk of contracting HIV, making HIV testing imperative in this population. We analyzed factors associated with HIV testing among homeless youth in Atlanta, Georgia using data from the 2015 Atlanta Youth Count and Needs Assessment. The analysis included 693 homeless youth aged 14-25 years, of whom 88.

Shigellosis Among Gay and Bisexual Men: A Qualitative Assessment to Examine Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices.

Background: Shigellosis is a highly contagious enteric bacterial disease transmitted through the fecal-oral route. It is primarily transmitted through person-to-person contact and via contaminated food and water. Outbreaks of shigellosis among men who have sex with men (MSM) attributed to sexual person-to-person contact have been reported.

Assessment of risk behaviors in patients with opioid prescriptions: A study of indiana's inspect data.

Background And Objectives: Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) can serve as screening tools and support the clinical decision-making process in patients receiving opioids. The objective of the study was to utilize 2014 INSPECT (Indiana's PDMP) data to identify factors that increase patients' likelihood to engage in opioid-related risk behaviors.

Methods: Based on a literature review, four risk behaviors were identified: Receiving >90 morphine milligram equivalents (MME), having >4 opioid prescribers, obtaining opioids from >4 pharmacies, and concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines.

A qualitative analysis of prescribers' and dispensers' views on improving prescription drug monitoring programs.

Background: Prescription drug abuse is epidemic in the United States (US). To help address the problem, most states operate prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). PDMPs are designed to monitor and help control the distribution of controlled therapeutic medications and to assist prescribers and dispensers in making informed clinical decisions.

Older Gay Men and Their Support Convoys.

Objective: We used the convoy model and the network type construct to identify the relationship quality profiles found among older gay men and to examine how they define a satisfactory network.

Method: We used a network mapping strategy and in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 participants in Atlanta. During the interviews, all network members were discussed, regardless of relationship or map position.

Promoting consistent use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) in outpatient pharmacies: Removing administrative barriers and increasing awareness of Rx drug abuse.

Background: Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are proving to be valuable resources in fighting the prescription drug abuse epidemic through improved access to patient drug histories. Ninety-four percent of Indiana pharmacists have heard of Indiana's PDMP (INSPECT), only 71% of them reported using the program in 2012.

Objective: To identify barriers to PDMP use in outpatient pharmacies and determine the impact these barriers have on utilization.

Integration of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) in pharmacy practice: Improving clinical decision-making and supporting a pharmacist's professional judgment.

Background: Pharmacists have shared responsibility to investigate the validity of controlled substance prescriptions (CSPs) that raise concerns, or red flags, and subsequently exercise their right to refuse to dispense a CSP if its validity cannot be verified. Improving access to clinical practice tools, such as prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), may increase availability of a patient's drug history, which is critical to making informed clinical decisions about dispensing CSPs.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine how integration and consistent use of a PDMP in pharmacy practice impacts pharmacists' dispensing practices related to CSPs.

State-level marriage equality and the health of same-sex couples.

Objectives: We assessed the association between the health of people in same-sex relationships and the degree and nature of the legal recognition of same-sex relationships offered in the states in which they resided.

Methods: We conducted secondary data analyses on the 2010 to 2013 Current Population Survey and publicly available data from Freedom to Marry, Inc. We estimated ordered logistic regression models in a 4-level framework to assess the impact of states' legal stances toward same-sex marriage on self-assessed health.

Sexuality and intimacy among people living with serious mental illnesses: Factors contributing to sexual activity.

Objective: Limited research has focused on sexuality for those diagnosed with a severe mental illness. We aimed to extend existing work by exploring relationships between mastery (perception of control of one's life and future), sexual self-esteem (perceptions of one's capacity to engage in healthy sexual behavior), sexual attitudes (permissive ideas about sexuality), and perceived importance of relationships/sexuality and number of sexual partners.

Method: A secondary analysis of survey data from adult participants living with a severe mental illness (N = 401) in the Indiana Mental Health Services and HIV-Risk Study (Perry & Wright, 2006) was conducted.

Prescription drug monitoring program inquiry in psychiatric assessment: detection of high rates of opioid prescribing to a dual diagnosis population.

Objective: An epidemic of prescription drug abuse is disproportionately impacting the mentally ill. We examined the utility of a state prescription drug monitoring database for assessing recent controlled substance prescribing to patients presenting for dual diagnosis treatment.

Method: In a community mental health center that provides integrated dual diagnosis care, we queried the Indiana Scheduled Prescription Electronic Collection and Tracking (INSPECT) system for all cases that were open as of August 2, 2011, and had been practitioner-diagnosed (per DSM-IV criteria) by January 2, 2012.

The iatrogenic epidemic of prescription drug abuse: county-level determinants of opioid availability and abuse.

Background: Opioid use and abuse in the United States continues to expand at an alarming rate. In this study, we examine the county-level determinants of the availability and abuse of prescription opioids to better understand the socio-ecological context, and in particular the role of the healthcare delivery system, on the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

Methods: We use community-level information, data from Indiana's prescription drug monitoring program in 2011, and geospatial regression methods to identify county-level correlates of the availability and abuse of prescription opioids among Indiana's 92 counties.

Predicting outcomes among adolescents with disruptive disorders being treated in a system of care program.

Background: "Systems of care" are strengths-based approaches to treating adolescents and others with disruptive disorders. However, little is known about why some adolescents improve and others do not.

Objective: To examine changes in personal strengths and family functioning as predictors of behavioral and social functioning among adolescents with disruptive disorders who participated in a system of care program.

Perceived mental illness stigma, intimate relationships and sexual risk behavior in youth with mental illness.

The current study examines the role of mental illness-related stigma on romantic or sexual relationships and sexual behavior among youth with mental illness (MI), including youths' experiences of stigma, the internalization of these experiences, and the behavior associated with managing stigma within romantic and sexual relationships. We conducted in-depth interviews with N=20 youth with mental illness (MI) (55% male, 16-24 years, 75% Latino) from 4 psychiatric outpatient clinics in New York City. We conducted a thematic analysis to investigate shared experiences of MI stigma and its impact on youth's sexual or romantic relationships and associated behaviors.

Service utilization, expenditures, and success in a well-established system of care for young people with serious emotional disorders.

A major challenge in the implementation of systems of care is creating mechanisms to pay for services that are provided across social services systems and by multiple agencies. Using a managed care approach to coordinate service provision may be one way to effectively bridge the gap across agencies while also providing quality care. The authors explore the benefits of a managed care approach to service delivery within a well established system of care by describing the treatment planning process used by the system of care; describing the type and patterns of services provided to young people; and by describing the process used to bill for services.

Perceived Mental Illness Stigma Among Youth in Psychiatric Outpatient Treatment.

This research explores the experiences of mental illness stigma in 24 youth (58.3% male, 13-24 years, 75% Latino) in psychiatric outpatient treatment. Using Link and Phelan's (2001) model of stigmatization, we conducted thematic analysis of the interview texts, examining experiences of stigma at individual and structural levels, in addition to the youths' social-psychological processes.

Medical sociology and health services research: past accomplishments and future policy challenges.

The rising costs and inconsistent quality of health care in the United States have raised significant questions among professionals, policy makers, and the public about the way health services are being delivered. For the past 50 years, medical sociologists have made significant contributions in improving our understanding of the nature and impact of the organizations that constitute our health care system. In this article, we discuss three central findings in the sociology of health services: (1) health services in the U.

Intraprocedural tissue diagnosis during ERCP employing a new cytology preparation of forceps biopsy (Smash protocol).

Objectives: Techniques of tissue sampling at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have been underutilized due to technical demands, low yield, and lack of immediate intraprocedural diagnosis. The objective of this study was to describe a new inexpensive, highly efficient ERCP tissue processing, and interpretation technique to address these issues.

Methods: A retrospective, institutional review board approved, single-center study was done at a tertiary-care medical center.

Relationship of stigma to HIV risk among women with mental illness.

Urban women with severe mental illness (SMI) are vulnerable to stigma and discrimination related to mental illness and other stigmatized labels. Stigma experiences may increase their risk for negative health outcomes, such as HIV infection. This study tests the relationship between perceived stigma and HIV risk behaviors among women with SMI.

Gay-related development, early abuse and adult health outcomes among gay males.

This study examined relationships between timing of gay-related developmental milestones, early abuse, and emergence of poor health outcomes in adulthood among 1,383 gay/bisexual men in the Urban Men's Health Study. Latent Profile Analysis grouped participants as developing early, middle or late based on the achievement of four phenomena including age of first awareness of same-sex sexual attractions and disclosure of sexual orientation. Participants who developed early were more likely, compared to others, to experience forced sex and gay-related harassment before adulthood.

HIV prevention services for adults with serious mental illness in public mental health care programs.

Despite well-documented need, little is known about the HIV prevention services provided to adults with serious mental illness in the public mental health system. This study examined the types, frequency, and client-level correlates of HIV prevention services provided to a representative sample of clients in five public mental health care programs. Although results indicate that HIV prevention care is infrequent, clients identified as being at higher risk for HIV infection reported receiving prevention interventions more frequently.