Publications by authors named "Jeyasakthi Venugopal"

Article Synopsis
  • * Out of 7,902 deaths analyzed, 13% had a history of chronic pain, with these individuals typically being older, unemployed, and having higher rates of mental health issues and past trauma or surgery.
  • * The research highlights the connection between unmanaged chronic pain and an increased risk of death from substance toxicity, suggesting the need for better harm reduction strategies and patient support to address these complexities.
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Background: Cannabis poisonings among children are of public health concern. Existing evidence from the US and from four provinces in Canada (Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia) indicate an increase in pediatric cannabis-related poisonings since the legalization of cannabis. This study evaluates trends in cannabis-related poisoning pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in Canada and addresses a gap in literature by describing trends and context around cannabis edible-related poisoning cases using data from a Canadian sentinel surveillance system.

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Introduction: There is evidence that some frontline and essential workers have increased their alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, this has not been examined in Canada.

Methods: Using the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health 2020, weighted prevalence and 95% confidence intervals of self-reported increased alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking were calculated for each of the population groups: frontline workers, essential workers, and nonfrontline or essential workers (NFEW). Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between social determinants of health, mental health and alcohol use for each group.

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Although the long-term harms associated with vaping remain largely unknown, there have been numerous accounts of acute vaping-related injuries in the paediatric population. The study of vaping-related injuries is an important yet challenging undertaking, complicated by a lack of appropriate reporting mechanisms and the absence of consensus on definitions and diagnostic codes. We discuss the results of a 12-month national cross-sectional study from the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program conducted in 2021-2022 and situate these results within the broader context of other Canadian surveillance and reporting mechanisms.

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Objective: To assess the individual and community health effects of task shifting for emergency care in low-resource settings and underserved populations worldwide.

Methods: We systematically searched 13 databases and additional grey literature for studies published between 1984 and 2019. Eligible studies involved emergency care training for laypeople in underserved or low-resource populations, and any quantitative assessment of effects on the health of individuals or communities.

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Article Synopsis
  • Task shifting and sharing (TS/S) is a strategy to redistribute health tasks to improve access to health services and address shortages in health workers, but a clear conceptual framework for it was previously lacking.
  • An international panel of experts utilized an online Delphi process to develop the COATS Framework, achieving consensus on key concepts and effective practices for implementing TS/S after three rounds of questionnaires.
  • The COATS Framework provides a refined definition and guidance for TS/S initiatives, outlining eight necessary conditions for successful implementation and aims to enhance policy and program development related to TS/S globally.
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Introduction: Many Indigenous peoples around the world are disproportionately affected by mental health challenges, due to intergenerational and collective trauma stemming from historical losses and ongoing colonialism. A growing body of literature suggests that mental wellness initiatives are more culturally safe and result in more successful and sustainable outcomes when they are developed by, for and with Indigenous communities using community-driven approaches that prioritize and privilege Indigenous leadership, knowledge systems, beliefs and practices. However, knowledge has not been synthesized on mental wellness initiatives and the extent of community engagement during the development, implementation, and evaluation stages of these initiatives.

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As the effects of COVID-19 have been unfolding, growing attention has been paid to the intersection of COVID-19 and substance use and the related harms. However, there are few theories and little empirical evidence to guide investigations in this area. To advance this emerging area of inquiry, we present a conceptual model that synthesizes evidence, information and knowledge on substance use and related harms in the context of the pandemic.

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Introduction: Task shifting interventions have been implemented to improve health and address health inequities. Little is known about how inequity and vulnerability are defined and measured in research on task shifting. We conducted a systematic review to identify how inequity and vulnerability are identified, defined and measured in task shifting research from high-income countries.

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