Comparing Email Versus Text Messaging as Delivery Platforms for Supporting Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) poses significant global health challenges, with available treatments often insufficient in achieving remission for many patients. Digital health technologies, such as SMS text messaging-based cognitive behavioral therapy, offer accessible alternatives but may not reach all individuals. Email communication presents a secure avenue for health communication, yet its effectiveness compared to SMS text messaging in providing mental health support for patients with MDD remains uncertain.

2023 Wildfires in Canada: Living in Wildfire Regions in Alberta and Nova Scotia Doubled the Odds for Residents to Experience Likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms.

Wildfires have become increasingly prevalent in various regions, resulting in substantial environmental and psychological consequences that have garnered increasing attention. This study aims to examine the prevalence of likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and explore the determinants of likely GAD during the wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia. Data were collected online through a cross-sectional survey from 14 May-23 June 2023.

Burnout among elementary and high school teachers in three Canadian provinces: prevalence and predictors.

Background: Burnout is a longstanding issue among educators and has been associated with psychological and physical health problems such as depression, and insomnia.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and predictors of the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of professional accomplishment) among elementary and high school teachers.

Methods: This is a quantitative cross-sectional study with data collected via an online survey.

Devastating Wildfires and Mental Health: Major Depressive Disorder Prevalence and Associated Factors among Residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada.

: Since March 2023, hundreds of fires have burned from coast to coast throughout the country, placing Canada on track to have the worst wildfire season ever recorded. From East to West, provinces such as Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and British Columbia have been particularly affected by large and uncontrollable wildfires. : The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression symptoms and predictors among residents living in extreme climate conditions during the Canadian wildfires of 2023 in Alberta and Nova Scotia and to update the literature with data related to those wildfires.

Mobile Apps to Support Mental Health Response in Natural Disasters: Scoping Review.

Background: Disasters are becoming more frequent due to the impact of extreme weather events attributed to climate change, causing loss of lives, property, and psychological trauma. Mental health response to disasters emphasizes prevention and mitigation, and mobile health (mHealth) apps have been used for mental health promotion and treatment. However, little is known about their use in the mental health components of disaster management.

Reducing wait times and avoiding unnecessary use of high-cost mental health services through a Rapid Access and Stabilization Program: protocol for a program evaluation study.

Background: Emergency psychiatric care, unplanned hospital admissions, and inpatient health care are the costliest forms of mental health care. According to Statistics Canada (2018), almost 18% (5.3 million) of Canadians reported needing mental health support.

Distributed Medical Education (DME) in psychiatry: perspectives on facilitators, obstacles, and factors affecting psychiatrists' willingness to engage in teaching activities.

Background: Distributed Medical Education (DME), a decentralized model focused on smaller cities and communities, has been implemented worldwide to bridge the gap in psychiatric education. Faculty engagement in teaching activities such as clinical teaching, supervision, and examinations is a crucial aspect of DME sites. Implementing or expanding DME sites requires careful consideration to identify enablers that contribute to success and barriers that need to be addressed.

Mitigating Psychological Problems Associated with the 2023 Wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia: Six-Week Outcomes from the Text4Hope Program.

In 2023, wildfires led to widespread destruction of property and displacement of residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada. Previous research suggests that wildfires increase the psychological burden of impacted communities, necessitating population-level interventions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based text message interventions, Text4HopeAB and Text4HopeNS, were launched in Alberta and Nova Scotia, respectively, during the 2023 wildfire season to support the mental health of impacted individuals.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation With and Without Text4Support for the Treatment of Resistant Depression: Protocol for a Patient-Centered Multicenter Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Background: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is the inability of a patient with major depressive disorder (MDD) to accomplish or achieve remission after an adequate trial of antidepressant treatments. Several combinations and augmentation treatment strategies for TRD exist, including the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and new therapeutic options are being introduced. Text4Support, a text message-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy that allows patients with MDD to receive daily supportive text messages for correcting or altering negative thought patterns through positive reinforcement, may be a useful augmentation treatment strategy for patients with TRD.

Exploring Current Practices, Needs, and Barriers for Expanding Distributed Medical Education and Scholarship in Psychiatry: Protocol for an Environmental Scan Using a Formal Information Search Approach and Explanatory Design.

Background: Distributed medical education (DME) offers manifold benefits, such as increased training capacity, enhanced clinical learning, and enhanced rural physician recruitment. Engaged faculty are pivotal to DME's success, necessitating efforts from the academic department to promote integration into scholarly and research activities. Environmental scanning has been used to gather, analyze, and apply information for strategic planning purposes.

User Satisfaction With a Daily Supportive Text Message Program (Text4PTSI) for Public Safety Personnel: Longitudinal Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Public safety personnel (PSP) are exposed to traumatic events due to their work environments, which increases the risk of mental health challenges. Providing effective and evidence-based interventions, such as SMS text messaging programs, can improve PSP's overall mental well-being with high user satisfaction rates.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate users' satisfaction, receptiveness, and perceptions of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based supportive SMS text messaging intervention (Text4PTSI).

Text4PTSI: A Promising Supportive Text Messaging Program to Mitigate Psychological Symptoms in Public Safety Personnel.

Background: Public safety personnel experience various mental health conditions due to their work's complex and demanding nature. There are barriers to seeking support and treatment; hence, providing innovative and cost-effective interventions can help improve mental health symptoms in public safety personnel.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of Text4PTSI on depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress-related symptoms, and the resilience of public safety personnel after six months of providing supportive text message intervention.

Improving Mental Health Literacy and Reducing Psychological Problems Among Teachers in Zambia: Protocol for Implementation and Evaluation of a Wellness4Teachers Email Messaging Program.

Background: Primary, basic, secondary, and high school teachers are constantly faced with increased work stressors that can result in psychological health challenges such as burnout, anxiety, and depression, and in some cases, physical health problems. It is presently unknown what the mental health literacy levels are or the prevalence and correlates of psychological issues among teachers in Zambia. It is also unknown if an email mental messaging program (Wellness4Teachers) would effectively reduce burnout and associated psychological problems and improve mental health literacy among teachers.

Augmenting Mental Health Support for Patients Accessing Different Degrees of Formal Psychiatric Care through a Supportive Text Messaging Program: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Patients feel more vulnerable when accessing community mental health programs for the first time or after being discharged from psychiatric inpatient units. Long wait times for follow-up appointments, shortage of mental health professionals, lack of service integration, and scarcity of tailored support can weaken their connection to the health care system. As a result, patients can present low adherence, dissatisfaction with treatment, and recurrent hospitalizations.

Burnout and Associated Psychological Problems Among Teachers and the Impact of the Wellness4Teachers Supportive Text Messaging Program: Protocol for a Cross-sectional and Program Evaluation Study.

Background: Stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression continue to be a problem among teachers worldwide. It is not presently known what the prevalence and correlates for these psychological problems are among teachers in Alberta and Nova Scotia. It is also not known if a supportive text message program (Wellness4Teachers) would be effective in reducing stress, burnout, anxiety, or depression symptoms among teachers.

A Digital Health Platform to Deliver Tailored Early Stimulation Programs for Children with Developmental Delays.

Developmental delay is a deviation from the regular development of normative milestones during childhood. Early stimulation is a standardized and straightforward technique to support children with developmental delays (aged 0-3 years) in reaching basic motor skills, which are essential for the execution of everyday activities, such as playing, feeding and locomotion. In doing so, early stimulation reduces the chances of permanent motor impairment, thus allowing the child to live a more functional life.

A Mobile Early Stimulation Program to Support Children with Developmental Delays in Brazil.

Developmental delay is a deviation development from the normative milestones during the childhood and it may be caused by neurological disorders. Early stimulation is a standardized and simple technique to treat developmental delays in children (aged 0-3 years), allowing them to reach the best development possible and to mitigate neuropsychomotor sequelae. However, the outcomes of the treatment depending on the involvement of the family, to continue the activities at home on a daily basis.

Leucine reduces the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells through DNA damage and cell senescence.

Leucine (Leu) is an essential branched-chain amino acid, present in dairy products, which has been investigated for its important role in cell signaling. The effects of Leu on several kinds of cells have been studied, altough little is known on its action upon bone cells and cell proliferation. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Leu supplementation on the proliferation of pre-osteoblasts from MC3T3-E1 lineage.