The impact of an interactive online informational and peer support application (app) for patients with low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) on quality of life: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) describes bowel dysfunction post-restorative proctectomy (RP) and is associated with poor quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an interactive online informational and peer support App on participants' QoL (primary outcome), LARS, and emotional distress (secondary outcomes).

Methods: A multicentre, randomized, parallel-group trial was conducted across five Canadian colorectal surgery practices.

Addressing the challenges of integrating care for perinatal depression in primary care in Nigeria.

Purpose: This report provides the results of a task-shared approach for integrating care for perinatal depression (PND) within primary maternal and child healthcare (PMCH), including the factors that may facilitate or impede the process.

Methods: This hybrid implementation-effectiveness study guided by the Replicating Effective Programmes framework was conducted in 27 PMCH clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. The primary implementation outcome was change in the identification rates of PND by primary health care workers (PHCW) while the primary effectiveness outcome was the difference in symptom remission (EPDS score ≤ 5) 6 months postpartum.

Cascade training for scaling up care for perinatal depression in primary care in Nigeria.

Background: Task-shared care is a demonstrated approach for integrating mental health into maternal and child healthcare (MCH) services. Training and continued support for frontline providers is key to the success of task sharing initiatives. In most settings this is provided by mental health specialists.

Incidence and Factors Associated With Mental Health Disorders in Patients With Rectal Cancer Post-Restorative Proctectomy.

Background: Most patients with rectal cancer experience bowel symptoms post-restorative proctectomy. The incidence of mental health disorders post-restorative proctectomy and its association with bowel symptoms are unknown.

Objectives: This study aimed 1) to describe the incidence of mental health disorders in patients who underwent restorative proctectomy for rectal cancer and 2) to study the association between incident mental health disorders and bowel dysfunction after surgery.

Effect of intervention delivered by frontline maternal care providers to improve outcome and parenting skills among adolescents with perinatal depression in Nigeria (the RAPiD study): A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Perinatal depression is more common and is associated with greater negative consequences among adolescents than adults. Psychosocial interventions designed for adults may be inadequate at addressing the unique features of adolescent perinatal depression.

Methods: In a two-arm parallel cluster randomized trial conducted in thirty primary maternal care clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria (15-intervention and 15-control) we compared age-appropriate intervention consisting of problem-solving therapy, behavioral activation, parenting skills training, and parenting support from a self-identified adult to care as usual.

"Who needs an app? Fertility patients' use of a novel mobile health app".

Objective: The number of couples experiencing infertility treatment has increased, as has the number of women and men experiencing infertility treatment-related stress and anxiety. Therefore, there is a need to provide information and support to both men and women facing fertility concerns. To achieve this goal, we designed a mhealth app, that provided men and women with tailored medical, psychosocial, lifestyle, and legal information.

Evaluation of a Mobile Health App Offering Fertility Information to Male Patients With Cancer: Usability Study.

Background: Cancer and its treatment can adversely affect male fertility. Although sperm banking is an effective fertility preservation method, there is an unmet need for information and support surrounding these issues.

Objective: This usability study evaluates a mobile health app providing male patients with cancer with credible information about the impact of cancer and its treatment on fertility and fertility preservation.

Maternal anxiety, depression and vascular function during pregnancy.

Objective: We aim to clarify whether type and timing of mental health symptoms in early pregnancy distinctly contribute to maternal-fetal vascular function, independent from the psychotropic medications given to treat these conditions.

Methods: Data from a prospective cohort study (n = 1678) were used to test whether self-reported fears about giving birth and depressive symptoms prior to 16 weeks of gestation were associated with vascular outcomes predictive of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) i.e.

Risky Business: Increasing Fertility Knowledge of Men in the General Public Using the Mobile Health Application .

Male infertility presents a public health concern. As most men wish to become fathers, it is important to increase men's awareness of infertility risk factors. We developed a mobile health application (mHealth app), , to promote men's reproductive health.

An mHealth App to Support Fertility Patients Navigating the World of Infertility (Infotility): Development and Usability Study.

Background: The experience of infertility and its treatment engenders considerable stress and is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. A mobile health (mHealth) app may be a novel solution to address the psychoeducational and psychosocial support needs of fertility patients because of its potential to reduce stress and increase patient empowerment. There are a few fertility-related apps that provide information and support to both men and women undergoing fertility treatment; however, none have documented their development and evaluation process.

Evaluating Methylation of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene and the Oxytocin Intergenic Region.

Oxytocin and its paralogue, vasopressin, are widely studied biomarkers in relation to pregnancy and birth, maternal and social behavior, and mental health. Epigenetics is a biological mechanism that mediates the link between environmental influences and behavioral patterns. In a candidate gene approach, we describe here a DNA methylation assay of two regions within the oxytocin system, using human buccal cells and next-generation sequencing.

Scaling up care for perinatal depression for improved maternal and infant health (SPECTRA): protocol of a hybrid implementation study of the impact of a cascade training of primary maternal care providers in Nigeria.

Background: The large treatment gap for mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) necessitates task-sharing approaches in scaling up care for mental disorders. Previous work have shown that primary health care workers (PHCW) can be trained to recognize and respond to common mental disorders but there are lingering questions around sustainable implementation and scale-up in real world settings.

Method: This project is a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study guided by the Replicating Effective Programmes Framework.

'How did you cope with such concerns?': insights from a monitored online infertility peer support forum.

The Research Question posed was 'What coping strategies do fertility patients and trained peer supporters discuss in an online infertility peer support forum?' A thematic analysis was used to examine 244 online posts from a sample of 39 users (37 women and two men) for themes in coping with fertility-related stressors. Data were collected from Connect, a monitored online discussion forum with trained peer supporters. Connect users ranged from 27 to 44 years of age (mean = 34.

'I felt less alone knowing I could contribute to the forum': psychological distress and use of an online infertility peer support forum.

Background: Feelings of loss, shame and stigmatization, reduced quality of life, isolation and loneliness are common among men and women with infertility. Fertility patients may seek peer mentoring and support, specifically through the use of online forums, to fulfil their needs for shared experience and guidance through the fertility treatment process.

Objective: To assess the use and benefits of an online fertility-related peer support forum through two research questions: (1) do socio-demographics, stress, and anxiety differ between posters on the forum, lurkers who read messages but did not post, and people who chose not to use it?; and (2) how did forum users describe their experiences?

Design: A sample of 220 male and female fertility patients aged 23-54 years old (M = 35.

Information needs of people seeking fertility services in Canada: a mixed methods analysis.

Background: Infertility is a challenging experience associated with high levels of psychological distress. Many people seeking fertility services use the internet to obtain information about their conditions and treatments.

Objectives: This mixed-methods study aimed to describe the information-seeking experience of people seeking fertility services with respect to the fulfillment of their individually defined information needs and explore relationships between the fulfillment of information needs and psychological outcomes.

Effectiveness and Predictors of Outcomes in a Psychiatric Day Treatment Program for Elementary-Age.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to (1) assess the effectiveness of an intensive multimodal day treatment program in improving externalizing problems and function in elementary-age children and (2) examine 3 predictors of the treatment outcome (i.e., family functioning, baseline severity, and comorbid disorders).

Interactive online informational and peer support application for patients with low anterior resection syndrome: patient survey and protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial.

Aim: Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) refers to a constellation of bowel symptoms that affect the majority of patients following restorative proctectomy. LARS is associated with poorer quality of life (QoL), and can lead to distress, anxiety and isolation. Peer support could be an important resource for people living with LARS, helping them normalize and validate their experience.

A prospective study on the course of sleep disturbances in first-time fathers during the transition to parenthood.

Introduction: This study examined sleep disturbances in first-time fathers from the third trimester of their partner's pregnancy to 2 months postpartum to determine prevalence, incidence, and persistence of sleep disturbances and identify associated determinants.

Methods: Men expecting their first child were recruited from local prenatal classes and university-affiliated obstetric clinics. During their partner's third trimester of pregnancy and 2 months postpartum, 459 men completed standardized online self-report questionnaires measuring sociodemographics, lifestyle, and psychosocial variables and sleep quality.

Perinatal Mental Healthcare Needs Among Women at a Community Hospital.

Objective: Mental health problems affect up to 20% of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study aimed to describe the mental health services and resources accessed by women with perinatal mental health problems (PMH) and to identify their unmet mental health care needs and preferences for support, as well as the barriers to accessing this support.

Methods: Participants were 18 years of age or older and spoke English or French.

Creating a Multisite Perinatal Psychiatry Databank: Purpose and Development.

Mental health issues during the perinatal period are common; up to 29% of pregnant and 15% of postpartum women meet psychiatric diagnostic criteria. Despite its ubiquity, little is known about the longitudinal trajectories of perinatal psychiatric illness. This paper describes a collaboration among six perinatal mental health services in Quebec, Canada, to create an electronic databank that captures longitudinal patient data over the course of the perinatal period.

Predictors of infertility-related concerns in a Canadian survey of men and women seeking fertility treatment.

Objective: To examine if and how factors associated with infertility-related concerns and opportunity to discuss concerns differ between male and female fertility patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 313 female and 254 male patients recruited from Canadian fertility clinics. An online survey asked about sociodemographic characteristics, psychological distress, the severity of psychosocial concerns on a scale of 0 (not concerned) to 5 (very concerned) related to fertility treatment, and their opportunity and desire to discuss concerns with healthcare providers (HCPs).

Responding to the challenge of Adolescent Perinatal Depression (RAPiD): protocol for a cluster randomized hybrid trial of psychosocial intervention in primary maternal care.

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a pressing public health issue globally, and particularly in low and middle-income countries. Depression occurring in the perinatal period is common among women and more so among adolescent mothers. Effective treatments for the condition have been demonstrated in adults but the needs of adolescents are often unique, making such treatments unlikely to meet those needs.

Disordered sleep is related to delusional ideation and depression during the perinatal period.

Objectives: This study investigates the associations between sleep disturbances, delusional ideation (DI), and depressive symptomatology across the perinatal period.

Methods: A community sample of 316 mothers completed the Sleep Symptom Checklist, Peters Delusional Inventory, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at three time points: second trimester of pregnancy (12-14 weeks gestation), third trimester (32-34 weeks gestation), and two months postpartum.

Results: Longitudinal path analysis revealed a bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbance and DI across pregnancy.