Concept Of Health Research Articles

Adolescents’ experiences of a whole-school preventive intervention addressing mental health and nonsuicidal self-injury: a qualitative study

BackgroundPrograms for mental health promotion and prevention of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in schools have gained increased focus during the last decades, but less is known about adolescents’ experiences of such interventions.MethodsA whole-school preventive intervention targeting mental health and NSSI was delivered to six secondary schools. Adolescents participated in the Youth Aware of Mental Health program combined with an NSSI-focused psychoeducation module. Caregivers and teachers were given online psychoeducation on NSSI, and school health care staff were given a workshop on self-injury. Eleven group interviews (n = 65 participants) were conducted with adolescents (ages 13–15 years, 65% females) exploring participant experiences. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted in light of a biopsychosocial understanding of adolescence.ResultsThe analysis generated two main themes. The first theme, Mental health in the context of adolescence, centered around adolescents’ conception of mental health, after having taken part in the intervention, framed in a context of coping with external stressors. The dilemma of autonomy versus help-seeking was also identified as part of the first main theme. The second theme, The who, when, what, and how of the intervention, described adolescents’ experiences of the intervention. This theme included increased awareness and knowledge of mental ill-health. The participants generally agreed that the topics included are important to adolescents and emphasized that the content needs to be relatable. Several factors that influence how a school-based program is received by adolescents were identified, such as who should be targeted and when. Adolescents also identified challenges and gave recommendations for future similar projects.ConclusionsAdolescents generally perceived addressing mental health and NSSI in schools as important. Help-seeking initiatives need to be balanced against adolescents’ need for autonomy when planning mental health prevention and intervention.

The Impact of Historical Art Movements on Medicine

Art and medicine have long influenced one another, with historical art movements shaping not only aesthetic trends but also conceptions of health, disease, and human anatomy. This paper examines the intertwined evolution of art and medicine across pivotal historical periods, highlighting the Renaissance’s focus on anatomical accuracy, Romanticism’s emotional engagement with the human condition, and Modernism’s reflection of trauma from warfare and disease. The analysis considers how visual representations, from anatomical sketches to symbolic portrayals of illness, have impacted public health perceptions and medical education. Additionally, the study examines the therapeutic uses of art in contemporary settings, underscoring the psychological benefits of art therapy in clinical care. By tracing these influences, this paper sheds light on art’s role in shaping healthcare practices, patient experience, and medical ethics, while advocating for continued interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance medical humanities and patient-centered care. Keywords: Art and Medicine, Historical Art Movements, Renaissance Anatomy, Modernism and Trauma, Art Therapy.

Health and Well-Being: Distinct and Intertwined Concepts.

The concepts of health and well-being are deeply intertwined and interdependent. Situating both health and well-being within a unified framework is important to ensure their inclusion in the full spectrum of health research and to achieve the crucial task of building a body of basic, translational, and clinical studies to guide the implementation of whole-person health care. This commentary proposes such a framework where an individual's own assessment of their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being complements objective measures of their physical and psychological function and where social, environmental, economic, educational, and vocational well-being are located within positive determinants of health.

Positioning plant health within the evolving human-animal-environmental health paradigms

The evolution of the global scenario, which involves such converging crises as the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, and the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine wars, has underscored the fragility of the current food systems and the interdependence of human, animal, plant, and environmental health. Plant health is an important element in all these crises as plants provide food and feed, fix CO2, produce oxygen, and stabilize the soil. As a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, the One Health concept has finally obtained the attention of scientists and funding agencies. However, despite their role in global nutrition, the economy, and in climate crisis, plants are often excluded from the One Health efforts and funding streams. This paper advocates the need for an updated and more holistic view of plant health as public goods within the context of the evolving global challenges and explores opportunities within the Circular Health paradigm.

When the Blue Marble Health concept challenges our current understanding of One Health

When the Blue Marble Health concept challenges our current understanding of One Health

إسهامات السنة النبوية في تعزيز الاستدامة الصحية: دراسة تحليلية

The prophetic guidelines serve as a rich source for understanding how to promote public health through sustainable means, contributing to addressing current health challenges. The significance of this research lies in the urgent need to tackle global health issues, such as chronic diseases and pollution, which demand effective and sustainable solutions. The research problem revolves around exploring how to utilize prophetic texts to develop health strategies that enhance well-being and disease prevention. This study focuses on analysing the prophetic sayings that address various aspects of health, including the importance of cleanliness, moderation in food, and healing practices, aiming to connect these principles with contemporary health practices. The choice of this topic stems from the desire to reclaim the prophetic heritage as a foundation for developing health models that align with modern challenges. The results have shown a significant alignment between prophetic principles and contemporary health concepts, reflecting the importance of prevention and the necessity of maintaining individual and community health. It is recommended to integrate these prophetic guidelines into health awareness programs to foster a sustainable health culture in accordance with Islamic values, which underscores the importance of this research titled "The Contributions of Prophetic Sayings in Promoting Health Sustainability: An Analytical Perspective.

Overview of β-Lactam-Resistance Genes in Pandemic Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A Troublesome Pathogen in the Indian Intensive Care Unit

Objectives: Acinetobacter baumannii is responsible for many infections in admitted patients, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). Several risk factors may lead to an enhanced risk of A. baumannii colonization and infections. β-lactam antibiotics are frequently administered to treat Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial infections due to their minimum side effects, but the acquisition of β-lactamase genes has been the most challenging and troublesome situation and an imminent threat to the world as it increases mortality, medical expenses, and hospital stays. Hence, the present systematic review focused on the screening of β-lactam resistance genes that have been identified in the A. baumannii isolates’ genome and the nosocomial infections they cause in the Indian ICU. Material and Methods: This review has been done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline 2020. After screening, 317 genomes were included in this systematic review. We downloaded data from the bv-brc.org website on an Excel spreadsheet for statistical analysis. We presented categorical data in percentages (%) and in the form of a graph and pie chart. Results: Among the 317 isolates, pneumonia was caused by 189 strains (59.62%), bacteremia was caused by 109 strains (34.38%), respiratory infection by 12 isolates (3.79%), sepsis by 5 isolates (1.58%), and wound infection by 2 isolates (0.63%), which indicated that A. baumannii strains are highly involved in pneumonia followed by bacteremia. We did comparative genome analysis and found 26 β-lactamase genes; among them, the ADC2 gene was found to be in higher frequency (312) and was identified in 98.42% of A. baumannii isolates, followed by the OXA23 gene (303), which was found in 95.58% of isolates. The NDM-1 gene was identified in 181 (57.09%) isolates. OXA66 was found in 156 (49.21%) isolates. Our findings show a higher frequency of the ADC2 gene, followed by the OXA23 gene, in all these nosocomial infections. We have found that NDM-1, ADC2, OXA23, and OXA-66 genes coexisted in higher frequency in the A. baumannii isolates (137; 43.21%), followed by OXA23, OXA-66, and ADC2 (52; 16.40%). Conclusion: A. baumannii is a notorious pandemic pathogen, designated as a “priority of concern” by the World Health Organization. Our study indicates a high prevalence of the ADC2 gene, which gives resistance against the cephalosporin group and co-existence of β-lactamase genes (ADC2, OXA23, OXA66, and NDM-1) in various A. baumannii isolates’ genomes. This is a worrisome situation. Global molecular surveillance and the “One Health Concept” are crucial, as are research studies on plant extracts’ in vitro and in vivo efficacy against A. baumannii. Combating multidrug-resistant A. baumannii requires a multifaceted approach that involves infection control measures, antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, education, research, and collaboration. Implementing these strategies and staying vigilant in the face of this resilient pathogen is essential to minimize its impact on health-care systems and public health.

Climate Change and Healthscapes: Toward a Postcolonial Critique for Planetary Well-being

ABSTRACT Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to human development. Despite recent efforts by organizations like the IPCC to integrate social perspectives, the article contends that a more substantial contribution from social scientists is essential. This article argues for the integration of social scientific perspectives, particularly within the realm of health, to comprehend climate change as both a consequence and a driver of social change and human behavior. It highlights the necessity of acknowledging the interplay between socioeconomic systems, capitalist expansion, and environmental degradation, particularly emphasizing the impact of climate change on health. By reframing climate change as contingent on social phenomena, new avenues for understanding and addressing the issue emerge. The article proposes a shift from a narrow focus on direct health impacts of extreme weather events to a broader consideration of subtler yet equally detrimental effects on health, such as reduced food and water availability, increased infections, mental health concerns, displacement, and migration. Furthermore, it advocates for embracing an expanded conception of health, integrating planetary health principles that underscore the interconnectedness of ecosystems and human well-being. In addition, the article contends that existing frameworks still lack adequate incorporation of postcolonial perspectives, necessitating a deeper examination of historical legacies of conquest and exploitation. By adopting an assemblage model that acknowledges the complex interplay of historical continuums and global inequalities, this article offers a critical appraisal of current interpretations of climate change and health. It emphasizes the imperative of rehabilitating planetary health as a prerequisite for human well-being while acknowledging and addressing the enduring impacts of colonialism and colonial logics of conquest on land, bodies, and histories.

Mapping Sahelian groundwater-dependent ecosystems based on an updated typology

AbstractThe functionality of certain ecosystems depends on, or partially depends on, the presence of water under the ground or on its emergence to the surface. These ecosystems, referred to as groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs), underpin national economies by sustaining essential goods such as fish, timber, and various nontimber products, as well as providing critical services such as water storage, purification, and flood control. Within GDEs, biotopes and biocenoses actively contribute to sustaining and improving human well-being by facilitating these vital conditions and processes. In water-scarce environments, groundwater assumes a central role at the nexus of integrated human, animal, and environmental health, known as the One Health concept. Considering the groundwater requirements of GDEs, it is then indispensable to practice sustainable water management, enabling sustainable development and shared prosperity. This paper seeks to enhance the comprehension of GDEs, enabling practical applications within the arid and semiarid regions of the Western and Central Sahel. Based on an exhaustive literature review and subsequently incorporating insights from interviews with researchers in the Sahel region, it proposes a typology for Sahelian GDEs. This typology, rooted in geomorphological, hydrological, and socioeconomic contexts, comprises four primary categories: inland surface-water ecosystems, coastal and marine ecosystems, oasis and spring ecosystems, and terrestrial vegetation ecosystems. It serves as a framework for identifying an initial set of 251 GDEs in the Sahel, addressing the challenge of limited available data in this geographic area. By integrating the socioeconomic dimension of GDEs, this work underscores the pivotal role of robust conservation policies within a developmental strategy.

Mental Health and Work: A Systematic Review of the Concept

Background: The association between mental health and work has led to multiple meanings and definitions, leading to generalizations and equivalences that do not always reflect similar meanings. Objectives/Methods: To map and analyze the definitions of mental health related to work in the literature and identify the professional practices arising, a systematic review was carried out following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Six databases were selected for consultation, which was carried out in March 2023. Results: From the search, 26 articles were selected and most of them do not define the concept of mental health, nor the influence of work on mental health–illness processes. Few articles report working conditions and the professional environment as generators of stress. Even if these conditions exist, the studies highlight that individuals already had previous personality traits that made them susceptible to disorders. Conclusions: Failure to adopt clear theoretical–methodological references regarding the concept of mental health and its relationship with work weakens the field and professional practice. Moreover, the literature does not point to changes in work or indicate possibilities for returning to assisted/ compatible work, vocational reorientation, or other means of overcoming the problem within work and organizations, with significant impacts on the design of public policies in the field.

High-fat diet during lactation, as opposed to during adolescence or gestation, programs cardiometabolic and autonomic dysfunctions in adult offspring

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept has been established for three decades. Many studies have shown that, besides pregnancy, other plastic phases (mainly preconception, lactation, and infancy–adolescence) are also sensitive to environmental changes, including nutritional conditions, that can program health or disease later in life. This study compared the susceptibility of the gestation, lactation and adolescence to a high-fat diet (HFD) intervention to program rats into autonomic nervous system imbalance and cardiometabolic dysfunction in adulthood. Four groups of rats were studied: offspring from mothers exposed to a HFD (35% fat) or a standard chow diet (4.5% fat) during gestation (GEST and CONT groups, respectively), offspring from mothers exposed to the HFD during lactation (LAC), and adolescent rats exposed to the HFD (ADOL). Mothers treated during pregnancy exhibited a higher body mass, but nursing mothers presented the highest food energy intake and higher adiposity. Compared to the other groups, the LAC rats showed increased body mass gain, food energy intake, body fat, glucose intolerance and blood pressure. LAC group also showed increased parasympathetic activity. In contrast, LAC sympathetic nerve activity decreased compared with the other groups. The ADOL group exhibited mostly similar responses but of a smaller magnitude. This suggests that the lactation phase is the most sensitive to HFD programming for cardiometabolic dysfunction in adulthood and that early overnutrition may affect neural connections by altering the autonomic nervous system balance.

Mental health literacy and the public perception of persons with depression and schizophrenia in Vietnam

BackgroundVietnam’s mental health care system is undergoing significant changes since the government has initiated large-scale programs to reform and develop the mental health care infrastructure. Cultural belief systems on mental illnesses influence help-seeking behavior and compliance. This study investigates the belief systems about people with schizophrenia and depression among people living in the Hanoi area.Method1077 Vietnamese participants answered two open-ended questions after reading an unlabeled vignette describing a character with the symptoms of schizophrenia or depression. The answers were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsOf all participants, 88,4% associated the presented cases with a mental illness, with 91,5% in the case of schizophrenia and 85,1% in the case of depression, so both disorders were conceptualized as mental illnesses. 18,6% mentioned depression when presented with the depression vignette, while only 3,6% recognized schizophrenia in the schizophrenia condition.ConclusionsAlmost 9 out of 10 participants considered the presented cases as an example of mental illness, suggesting a high mental health awareness among our participants. The majority did not identify the presented cases as examples of schizophrenia or depression, reflecting little familiarity with Western mental health concepts. It could be interpreted as a sign of relatively low mental health literacy among the study participants.

Medicine for a Changing Planet: Online Clinical Cases in Planetary Health and Infectious Diseases

Abstract Planetary health and One Health have become key concepts in public health, scientific, and veterinary training, yet these concepts remain incompletely integrated into clinical medical education. Recognizing this gap, we created a free online curriculum called “Medicine for a Changing Planet,” geared towards training the next generation of health professionals in clinical skills to detect and manage the impacts of global and local environmental change on their patients. Using a case conference-style format familiar to medical trainees, we created 11 clinical case studies teaching both planetary health concepts and clinical competencies, leveraging Bloom’s Taxonomy. Here we describe the creation of these clinical cases, highlighting those centered on emerging infectious diseases that teach clinical skills related to the human-animal interface, globalization, and climate change. The online cases have been visited by over 4,000 unique users from 99 countries, piloted with residency and medical school programs, and made available for CME credit.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Older Adults’ Cognitive Impairments and Effects on Road Safety

Driving is challenging for older adults, especially those with cognitive impairments. This paper systematically reviewed 39 peer-reviewed studies to examine the impact of cognitive deficits on older adults’ driving abilities, focusing on the discussion of neuropsychological assessments including Trail Making Tests, Useful Field of View, Maze Test, and Mini-Mental Status Exam. The study proposed the concept of Road Safety Cognitive Health, which encompasses the cognitive processes crucial for safe driving, aiming to inform future driver training, licensing regulations, roadway designs, and vehicle technology innovations. Concussively, this research advances understanding of road safety challenges for cognitively impaired older adults and advocates for an integrative approach to ensure their driving safety.

Potential impacts to human health from climate change: A comparative life-cycle assessment of single-use versus reusable devices flexible ureteroscopes

Climate change poses a significant global health challenge, with medical procedures contributing substantially to CO2 emissions. Urology, as part of the broader healthcare sector, has begun integrating Planetary Health concepts to address this issue. While earlier studies have focused on Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of urological procedures, these evaluations remain data-dependent, and insights into intra-hospital emissions are limited. This study introduces a methodical approach for analyzing intra-institutional processes of LCA for single-use and reusable flexible ureterorenoscopes (fURS). The LCA method was applied to assess the greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalents, CO2-eq) generated across the life cycle of fURS, including production, use-phase, reprocessing, maintenance, and disposal. The study approximated the Global Warming Potential (GWP) per one-hour use and evaluated associated health impacts using the ReCiPe2016(H) method, which measures Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Results showed that for reusable fURS, assuming 133 usages per device and maintenance after every 11th use, each application generated 1.24 kg CO2-eq, equivalent to 1.15E-06 DALYs. In contrast, single-use fURS generated 4.93 kg CO2-eq and 4.57E-06 DALYs per application. The production and reprocessing stages were identified as having the greatest environmental and health impacts. For reusable fURS, electricity required during refurbishment and use phases was a key contributor, whereas the production phase accounted for most of the impact in single-use devices. Overall, singleuse fURS had a substantially higher potential environmental and health impact than their reusable counterparts. This study underscores the environmental and health impacts of ureterorenoscopy and highlights the importance of incorporating Planetary Health principles into healthcare practices. It provides a foundation for further analyses and research, aiming to drive transformative action in the healthcare sector toward sustainability.

Exploring mental health literacy and formal and informal help-seeking intentions among Palestinian adolescents in Israel: insights from the MHLS-Arabic-adolescents tool.

Mental health literacy (MHL) is a crucial concept in mental health because it promotes positive mental health outcomes and behaviors across various demographics, including adolescents. This study utilized the MHLS-Arabic-Adolescents tool to investigate MHL among Palestinian adolescents in Israel, aiming to explore its significance in determining intentions to seek formal and informal mental health help separately. A cohort of 172 adolescents (with a mean age of 16.25 ± 1.25 years, comprising 64% females) completed assessments measuring their intention for both formal and informal help-seeking, levels of psychological distress, MHL, and various sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. This study uses the same dataset from previous research on formal help-seeking, with an expanded focus on informal help-seeking and MHL using an adapted tool. Participants reported medium to high levels of MHL factors, demonstrating stronger intentions to seek informal help compared to formal. "Knowledge of where to seek information" and "Attitude toward mental illness" emerged as the significant MHL factors determining formal help-seeking intentions, whereas 'attitudes toward mental illness' was identified as the sole determinant of intentions to seek informal help. This study highlights the importance of MHL factors in shaping adolescents' intentions to seek formal and informal mental health help. It emphasizes the need to strengthen informal support networks, improve adolescents' attitudes toward mental illness, and facilitate access to mental health information. These insights offer valuable guidance for intervention programs aimed at promoting both formal and informal help-seeking behaviors among Palestinian Arab adolescents in Israel and similar groups.

Research, HIV/AIDS, and Turning Waria into a Key Population in Indonesia: An Ethnographic Oral History

ABSTRACT The history of HIV/AIDS is often told from the Global North, a viewpoint that is naturalized in policies and programs that privilege biomedical models of treatment and prevention. This article explores how one Indonesian transgender population known as waria became the subject of various forms of research since the 1980s. Research was one way that waria came to be classified as part of the key population of “transgender people.” Drawing on an oral history project conducted in 2021/2022, we show how – while necessarily hierarchical – ethnographic accounts of other HIV/AIDS histories can rethink fundamental global health concepts.

Mental health pluralism.

In addressing the question of what mental health is we might proceed as if there is a single phenomenon-mental health-denoted by a single overarching concept. The task, then, is to provide an informative analysis of this concept which applies to all and only instances of mental health, and which illuminates what it is to be mentally healthy. In contrast, mental health pluralism is the idea that there are multiple mental health phenomena denoted by multiple concepts of mental health. Analysis and illumination of mental health may still be possible, but there isn't a single phenomenon or concept to be analysed in addressing the question of what mental health is. The question of pluralism has been overlooked in the philosophy of mental health. The discussion to follow is an attempt to get us to take mental health pluralism seriously. To that end, in this essay I have three primary goals: (1) to give a precise account of what mental health pluralism is, (2) to show that the question of pluralism should not be neglected in debate about what mental health is, and (3) to argue for mental health pluralism. I also draw out some implications of this discussion for philosophy, science, and psychotherapy.

Instruments for assessing social health in the context of cognitive decline and dementia: a systematic review.

The concept of social health has recently received increasing attention in dementia research. Various notions of what social health is and how it can be measured are circulating. They may pose challenges for comparing results and interpreting them for the development of interventions. This systematic review aims to classify existing instruments that measure various domains of social health. To achieve this, we applied a new multidimensional framework consisting of six key domains of social health. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and CINAHL were searched for studies published between January 2000 and July 2023. A total of 227 studies (longitudinal, case-control, and cross-sectional cohort studies) with 102 single instruments were included. The search terms were as follows: (1) dementia (i.e., Alzheimer's, cognitive impairment); (2) social health markers (i.e., decision-making, social participation, loneliness); and (3) instruments (i.e., tools, measures). The instruments are mainly self-reported, and the number of items ranges from 3 to 126. Despite the wide array of instruments available, most focus on individual domains of social health. We recommend the development of more conceptually robust instruments that can comprehensively evaluate psychosocial interventions and adequately capture all domains of social health.

Culture-Independent Quantitative PCR Detected Mobilized Colistin Resistance Genes (mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, mcr-4, and mcr-5) in Chicken Gut Contents in Bangladesh

Inappropriate antimicrobial use in food animal farming propels antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that affects all health domains. Colistin is a ‘Reserve’ antibiotic for human treatment to be conserved for multidrug-resistant pathogens; however, it is being used as an animal growth promoter in many developing countries. The evolution of mobilized colistin resistance (mcr) gene-mediated colistin resistance has been reported to be associated with rampant colistin use. This study investigated the current variants of the mcr gene in chicken gut contents in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the mcr-1 to mcr-5 genes in 80 fresh poultry droppings from commercial poultry farms and 40 poultry droppings from household farms. DNA was extracted from each poultry dropping using commercial kits (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed using the qTOWER3 thermal cycler (Analytik Jena GmbH, Jena, Germany) to analyze the mcr gene variants in the extracted DNA. This study observed that 47.5% (57/120) of the samples exhibited the presence of at least one mcr gene out of the five variants investigated. The individual detection rates of the mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, mcr-4, and mcr-5 genes were 42.5% (51/120), 2.5% (3/120), 1.7% (2/120), 5% (6/120), and 9.2% (11/120), respectively. The co-carriage of two or more genes was found in over 10% (10/57) of the samples. The triple occurrence of mcr genes was identified in three samples with the combination of mcr-1+mcr-2+mcr-4, mcr-1+mcr-3+mcr-5, and mcr-1+mcr-4+mcr-5. Overall, a significantly higher number of mcr genes were identified in the commercial farm chicken droppings compared to the household chicken droppings (p = 0.007). The existence of mcr genes in poultry feces in Bangladesh emphasizes the importance of proper poultry waste disposal and good hygiene practices in poultry livestock and its value chain. The potential impact of environmental ARGs should be considered in national and global policy documents. An integrated and combined approach to the One Health concept should be applied in all domains to understand and control the environment’s role in the evolution and transmission of AMR.