Mapping the evidence of self-compassion in caregiver wellbeing for caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease: A scoping review.

Objectives: Caregivers of those with neurodegenerative disease (ND) manage complex symptoms which impact their wellbeing. Self-compassion can promote maintenance of wellbeing during challenging experiences, including caregiving. Little guidance exists for observationally studying self-compassion or targeted interventions for this population.

Major Depressive Disorder and Driving Behavior Among Older Adults.

Importance: Depression and antidepressant use are independently associated with crash risk among older drivers. However, it is unclear what factors impact daily driving that increase safety risk for drivers with depression.

Objective: To examine differences in naturalistic driving behavior and safety between older adults with and without major depressive disorder (MDD).

HIV interventions across the care continuum for adolescents in high-burden countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Adolescents (10-19 years old) have poor outcomes across the prevention-to-treatment HIV care continuum, leading to significant mortality and morbidity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions that documented HIV outcomes among adolescents in HIV high-burden countries.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library for studies published between January 2015 and September 2024, assessing at least one HIV outcome along the prevention-to-care cascade, including PrEP uptake, HIV testing, awareness of HIV infections, ARV adherence, retention, and virological suppression.

How community connection, homophobia, and racism shape gene expression in sexual minority men with and without HIV.

Objective: Although sexual minority men experience substantial discrimination, in addition to increased risk for several serious mental and somatic health problems, the biological mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. To address this issue, we examined how experiences of social safety (i.e.

Typologies and Correlates of Caregiver-adolescent Sexual Health Communication among Adolescent Girls in Southwestern Uganda.

Caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication can reduce sexual risk attitudes and behaviors, but less is known about caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication in Uganda. Using a risk-focused approach, this paper seeks to characterize caregiver-adolescent sexual health communication and associated individual and family-based attributes, and associations with adolescents' sexual risk attitudes. We used latent class analyses to derive typologies (classes) of sexual health communication and assess their relationships with respondents' socio-demographic characteristics and sexual risk-taking attitudes.

Substance Use Disorders Among Human Trafficking Victims: Evidence from the 2019 to 2021 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Background: Human trafficking (HT) survivors are at risk for substance use disorder (SUD), although assessing the SUD epidemiology of HT survivors is difficult. This study used data from the 2019 to 2021 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to estimate the prevalence of SUD for HT survivors utilizing emergency departments (ED) in the United States of America (US).

Methods: We included visits for patients aged 12-64 years with any International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes documenting HT as a cause of morbidity ( 1,688,  141) or history of HT ( 2,524,  218).

A feasibility study on the virtual adaptation of Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care.

Childhood behavioral problems are common; despite evidence that parenting interventions improve outcomes, the use of these programs is limited. Virtual delivery may ameliorate attendance barriers, but little is known on the acceptability and feasibility of virtual group parenting interventions. This mixed-methods study explored the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the virtual delivery of a parenting intervention, Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care (PriCARE) among 18 caregivers and 8 facilitators.

Impact of race on discharge location for stroke survivors: Associations with home discharge from a retrospective analysis.

Background: White stroke survivors often experience better outcome compared to their counterparts. Poststroke discharge location influences the subsequent rehabilitation that can support recovery and improve outcomes. However, few studies have looked at the association of race and discharge to home.

Development and validation of the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Minority Stress (TASS-MS).

Objective: This study aimed to create and validate a novel measure of gender-related minority stress in transgender and non-binary adolescents (TNBA). TNBA face higher risks of varied behavioral health concerns compared to their cisgender peers, a disparity often attributed to the presence of minority stress due to discrimination. To date, no comprehensive measures of gender-related minority stress exist for use with TNBA.

Advancing Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in Missouri (MO-PAT): Innovation at the Speed of Safety.

The United States is facing a growing behavioral health crisis. Now more than ever, novel, safe and effective treatments are needed. Over the past decade, clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies (PAT) have shown promising results for treating a number of common behavioral health conditions with minimal adverse effects.

Investigating Mechanisms Between Child Marriage, Intimate Partner Violence, and Psychological Distress in Malawi and Uganda: An Application of Generalized Structural Equation Models.

One in five women aged 20-24 years are first married before adulthood. Using the Violence against Children Surveys from Uganda and Malawi, we decomposed the total relationship between child marriage and psychological distress into an indirect relationship via intimate partner violence (IPV) and a direct relationship (above and beyond IPV). In Uganda, delaying marriage during adolescence reduced the probability of IPV and psychological distress in young adulthood; 45% of the total relationship between age at first marriage and psychological distress was mediated through IPV.

Insights About Dyadic Cancer Survivorship Interventions for Black Women and Their Caregivers: A Rapid Qualitative Analysis of Collaborator Perspectives.

Background: Breast cancer patients and their informal caregivers often report unmet psychosocial, relational, and physical health needs. Dyadic interventions may improve patient and caregiver outcomes, but few have been integrated into clinical care or designed for Black breast cancer patients and their female caregivers. We used the Health Equity Implementation Framework to design for dissemination by identifying facilitators and barriers to implementing a dyadic survivorship intervention delivered via video teleconferencing (e.

Potential Harm in the Psychological Treatment of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals show disproportionately high rates of mental distress relative to their cisgender, heterosexual peers resulting from minority stress, or unique identity-related stressors. The majority of research on minority stress and mental health in SGM individuals has focused on adults, a notable gap given that SGM youth face unique developmental factors that intersect with identity development and availability of support resources. SGM youth therefore represent a critical population for the mental health workforce to serve competently.

Balancing work and earnings: The long-term impact on mental health.

Earnings and work hours (e.g., weekly work hours) are key determinants of one's mental health.

Dementia Risk and Social Determinants of Health Among Adults Racialized as Black: A Community-Based System Dynamics Perspective.

Background: The aging population in the USA is projected to increase significantly, with a corresponding rise in dementia cases, particularly among racial minorities. This study examines the key drivers of racial disparities in dementia risk among older Black adults in the St. Louis area, a region characterized by entrenched structural racism.

War-Affected South Sudanese in Settings of Preflight, Flight, and Resettlement: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Trauma-Associated Mental Disorders.

Background: South Sudanese have experienced prolonged exposure to conflict and displacement regionally and globally, with studies in different settings yielding vastly inconsistent rates of trauma-associated mental disorders. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the methodological approach and quality, trauma exposure, risk and protective factors, and aggregate available data on the prevalence of trauma-associated mental disorders among South Sudanese in different settings to gain better understanding of the impact of war trauma in this population.

Methods: Guided by the new (2020) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies published from 1981 to 2021.

Does volunteering reduce epigenetic age acceleration among retired and working older adults? Results from the Health and Retirement Study.

Objectives: The current study aims to explore the relationship between the frequency of volunteering and biological aging, as measured by epigenetic age acceleration. It also investigates whether this relationship differs between retired and working older adults. Understanding this connection could inform interventions promoting healthy aging and reducing age-related chronic health conditions.

Breaking the cycle between caregiver mental health and child behavioral issues: Does food insecurity matter?

Food insecurity is a key determinant of not only caregiver's mental health but also children's emotional problems and hyperactivity symptoms. Although substantial studies have explored such a relationship, it is unclear to us whether this relation would vary when considering that caregiver's mental health and aforementioned children's behavioral issues can be the cause and effect of each other. Addressing this research gap is a key to advancing our understanding of how to promote a healthier family dynamic, especially for those facing material needs.

Low HIV Viral Load Suppression and Its Implications for Controlling HIV among Refugee Adolescents and Youth Living in Refugee Settlements in Uganda: A Cross-sectional Analysis.

Viral load suppression (VLS) is considered crucial in the global efforts to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic and young people lag behind adults in this important indicator. However, little is known about VLS among refugee adolescents and youth (RAY), a vulnerable group, often ignored by research, with multiple intersecting risk factors and unique challenges. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of VLS and examine associated risk and protective factors among RAY in refugee settlements in Uganda, a country severely affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and currently hosting the most refugees in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Evaluating a virtual facilitation workshop with antimicrobial stewardship teams within a cluster randomized stepped-wedge trial.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) often function naturally as facilitators within clinical hospital settings, by working with individuals and teams to reduce unnecessary antibiotics. Within implementation science, facilitation has been studied and evaluated as an implementation strategy that can accelerate and improve fidelity to implementation efforts. This study describes a novel, virtual facilitation strategy developed and served as an intervention within the optimizing perioperative antibiotics for children trial (OPERATIC trial).