Understanding Of Mental Health Research Articles

Mental Illness in the 2 Years Prior to Pregnancy in a Population With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study: La maladie mentale dans les deux ans précédant une grossesse dans une population souffrant de lésion cérébrale traumatique : une étude transversale.

Existing studies, in mostly male samples such as veterans and athletes, show a strong association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental illness. Yet, while an understanding of mental health before pregnancy is critical for informing preconception and perinatal supports, there are no data on the prevalence of active mental illness before pregnancy in females with TBI. We examined the prevalence of active mental illness ≤2 years before pregnancy (1) in a population with TBI, and (2) in subgroups defined by sociodemographic, health, and injury-related characteristics, all compared to those without TBI. This population-based cross-sectional study was completed in Ontario, Canada, from 2012 to 2020. Modified Poisson regression generated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) of active mental illness ≤2 years before pregnancy in 15,585 females with TBI versus 846,686 without TBI. We then used latent class analysis to identify subgroups with TBI according to sociodemographic, health, and injury-related characteristics and subsequently compared them to females without TBI on their outcome prevalence. Females with TBI had a higher prevalence of active mental illness ≤2 years before pregnancy than those without TBI (44.1% vs. 25.9%; aPR 1.46, 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to 1.49). There were 3 TBI subgroups, with Class 1 (low-income, past assault, recent TBI described as intentional and due to being struck by/against) having the highest outcome prevalence. Females with TBI, and especially those with a recent intentional TBI, have a high prevalence of mental illness before pregnancy. They may benefit from mental health screening and support in the post-injury, preconception, and perinatal periods. Mental illness in the 2 years before pregnancy in a population with traumatic brain injury. Research has shown a strong association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental illness. Most previous studies have been conducted in primarily male samples, like veterans and professional athletes. Understanding mental health before pregnancy is important for deciding what supports people need before and during pregnancy. However, there are no studies on the frequency of mental illness in females with TBI before a pregnancy. We examined the frequency of mental illness 2 years before pregnancy in a population with TBI, and in subgroups defined by different social, health, and injury-related characteristics, compared to those without TBI. We undertook a population-wide study of all females with and without TBI in Ontario, Canada, with a birth in 2012-2020. We used statistical models to compare these groups on the presence of mental illness in the 2 years before pregnancy, before and after accounting for social and health characteristics. We also identified subgroups with TBI according to their social (e.g., poverty), health (e.g., chronic conditions), and injury-related characteristics (e.g., cause of injury) and subsequently compared them to females without TBI on their frequency of mental illness in the 2 years before pregnancy. Forty-four percent of females with TBI had mental illness in the 2 years before pregnancy compared to 25% of those without TBI. There were 3 TBI subgroups. Females with low-income, past assault, and injuries that were described as being intentional had the highest frequency of mental illness in the 2 years before pregnancy. Females with TBI may benefit from mental health screening and support post-injury and around the time of pregnancy.

Working effectively with consumers: Perspectives from students, teachers, nurses, and consumers.

Preparing enrolled nurses (ENs) to effectively work with mental health consumers is crucial to meeting Australia's healthcare demands. This qualitative study aimed to explore various stakeholders' perceptions regarding the mental health knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) required by ENs to engage with individuals experiencing mental health issues, thus guiding future training priorities. The sample comprised 44 participants including 18 students, 3 graduate ENs, 5 experienced ENs, 5 registered nurses (RNs), 4 nurse unit managers (NUMs), 5 teachers, and 5 consumers of mental health services. Focus groups were used to collect data from the students, whilst individual interviews were conducted with all other participants. A thematic analysis revealed communication was the most vital skill for effectively working with mental health consumers. Skills such as critical thinking and clinical reasoning were also deemed crucial, given the volatile nature of the mental health inpatient environment, necessitating effective responses to acute escalations to prevent adverse outcomes for both staff and consumers. Essential knowledge components included understanding mental health disorders, symptoms, and treatments, particularly medications used for mental health issues. Participants also emphasised the importance of attributes like confidence and empathy in supporting and caring for consumers, who often experienced trauma and vulnerability. These findings provide valuable insights into the content that should be incorporated into the diploma of nursing (DN) training to produce competent graduate ENs.

Emotion AI Use in U.S. Mental Healthcare: Potentially Unjust and Techno-Solutionist

Emotion AI, or AI that claims to infer emotional states from various data sources, is increasingly deployed in myriad contexts, including mental healthcare. While emotion AI is celebrated for its potential to improve care and diagnosis, we know little about the perceptions of data subjects most directly impacted by its integration into mental healthcare. In this paper, we qualitatively analyzed U.S. adults' open-ended survey responses (n = 395) to examine their perceptions of emotion AI use in mental healthcare and its potential impacts on them as data subjects. We identify various perceived impacts of emotion AI use in mental healthcare concerning 1) mental healthcare provisions; 2) data subjects' voices; 3) monitoring data subjects for potential harm; and 4) involved parties' understandings and uses of mental health inferences. Participants' remarks highlight ways emotion AI could address existing challenges data subjects may face by 1) improving mental healthcare assessments, diagnoses, and treatments; 2) facilitating data subjects' mental health information disclosures; 3) identifying potential data subject self-harm or harm posed to others; and 4) increasing involved parties' understanding of mental health. However, participants also described their perceptions of potential negative impacts of emotion AI use on data subjects such as 1) increasing inaccurate and biased assessments, diagnoses, and treatments; 2) reducing or removing data subjects' voices and interactions with providers in mental healthcare processes; 3) inaccurately identifying potential data subject self-harm or harm posed to others with negative implications for wellbeing; and 4) involved parties misusing emotion AI inferences with consequences to (quality) mental healthcare access and data subjects' privacy. We discuss how our findings suggest that emotion AI use in mental healthcare is an insufficient techno-solution that may exacerbate various mental healthcare challenges with implications for potential distributive, procedural, and interactional injustices and potentially disparate impacts on marginalized groups.

Cultivating Community Health and Well-being in Open Source: Mitigating Burnout and Prioritizing Mental Health

Purpose: This whitepaper addresses the critical but often overlooked mental health challenges within open-source communities, including stress and burnout. The collaborative spirit of open-source communities has undoubtedly accelerated technological innovation, but the mental well-being of their contributors is frequently neglected. The objective is to uncover the root causes of these mental health issues and evaluate their impact, thereby underscoring the need for supportive and inclusive community practices.
 Methodology: This paper uses the ‘Mixed methods’ research approach, analyzing data from industry surveys and extracting insights from personal narratives and experiences documented by contributors in blogs and forums. This comprehensive strategy allows for a detailed exploration of mental health within the open-source environment, facilitating the identification of key stress factors and mental health challenges associated with community participation.
 Findings: The investigation reveals a direct link between the operational dynamics of open-source projects and the prevalence of mental health problems among participants. Key stressors include high expectations regarding workload, the predominantly volunteer nature of contributions, social isolation, and a lack of formal support structures. Additionally, the study highlights a significant lack of awareness of these issues and the availability of intervention strategies, further increasing the risk of burnout and stress among community members.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy: This paper makes a novel contribution to understanding mental health in open-source communities by merging analytical data with qualitative insights from contributor narratives. It offers recommendations for a wide range of stakeholders, from contributors to leaders and policymakers, to cultivate a culture that supports mental well-being, diversity, and sustainability. This paper presents a comprehensive blueprint for nurturing healthier, more resilient open-source communities.

Trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundMost COVID-19-related mental health research focused on average levels of mental health parameters in the general population. However, considering heterogeneous groups and their long-term responses could deepen our understanding of mental health during community crises. This four-wave study aimed to (1) identify subgroups with different trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in the German general population, and (2) investigate associated risk factors. MethodsWe analyzed self-report data from N = 1257 German adults participating in a European cohort study, assessed in summer 2020 (T1), and at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 30 months (T4). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the PHQ-4. Sociodemographic, health-related, and pandemic-related variables were assessed at baseline. We applied growth mixture modeling to identify subgroups of symptom trajectories and conducted multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with class membership. ResultsWe identified six symptom trajectories: Low-stable (n = 971, 77.2 %), Continuous deterioration (n = 30, 2.4 %), Transient deterioration (n = 75, 6.0 %), Continuous improvement (n = 97, 7.7 %), Transient improvement (n = 38, 3.0 %) and Chronicity (n = 46, 3.7 %). Age, education, work status, mental health diagnoses, self-reported health, and pandemic-related news consumption were significantly associated with subgroup membership. LimitationsThe generalizability of the study is constrained by an unrepresentative sampling method, a notable dropout rate, and limited consideration of risk factors. ConclusionMost people experienced low symptoms or improvement during the pandemic, while others experienced chronic or transient symptoms. Specific risk factors were associated with these trajectories, revealing nuanced mental health dynamics.

Parent and Provider Differences in Ratings of Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concerns in Children with Neurologic Disorders.

Children with neurologic disorders face increased risks for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, with information often limited to parent report. To better understand mental health and neurodevelopmental needs in this population, a retrospective chart review of a convenience sample of children with neurologic disorders referred for a neuropsychological evaluation was conducted in the present study to explore interrater agreement between care team members (referring providers, parents, pediatric neuropsychologist). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the evaluation reports of 129 youth (9:0-17:11years old; 51.2% of female sex) with neurologic disorders (i.e., 38.0% traumatic brain injury, 27.1% epilepsy, 14.7% premature birth, 7.8% pediatric cancer, 3.9% prenatal substance exposure, and 14.7% other) who completed an evaluation in 2019. Over half the youth were flagged for unmet neurodevelopmental and mental health concerns and analyses revealed low interrater agreement for mental health concerns (κ = .324), better agreement for neurodevelopmental concerns (κ = .511), and low sensitivity of referring providers (Se = .326) and parents (Se = .366). One-way analyses of variance uncovered important factors (e.g., symptom severity, adaptive skills) that may account for missed concerns. Findings guide recommendations to strengthen methods for understanding mental health and/or neurodevelopmental concerns in children with neurologic disorders.

Applying the power threat meaning framework to the UK education system

ABSTRACT The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF; Johnstone & Boyle, 2018a, 2018b) has fundamentally changed both the practice of clinical psychology and the understanding of mental health since its conception in 2018. However, to date the PTMF (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018a, 2018b) has had little application to other contexts, despite being of clear relevance. Once such absence of application is to the educational context. The context of power within education has been outlined before by philosophers such as Michel Foucault, however, the PTMF (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018a, 2018b) elaborates further about how negative power operations create threat and therefore lead to responses of psychological distress. Thus, the PTMF (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018a, 2018b) could elaborate on Foucault’s theories and offer more understanding on the role of power and psychological distress in the field of education. Therefore, this paper will seek to outline the PTMF (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018a, 2018b) and highlight the ways in which the PTMF can apply to education through reference to the school structure, teachers, parents and students.

Depression and the Neighborhood Experience of Black and Latine Adults

Black and Latine adults living in high-burden urban neighborhoods are at risk for experiencing poor mental health and physical health outcomes. The current study examined the associations between neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion to depressive symptoms, via perceived fear of neighborhood crime. Participants included 585 adults (87% female; 54% Black and 46% Latine) who were parents or caregivers of children and adolescents, representing 30 high-burden urban neighborhoods within one large city in the United States. Nearly one in three adults indicated clinical levels of depressive symptomatology. There was a significant indirect association between neighborhood social cohesion and depressive symptoms for Black adults via heightened levels of fear of crime. Perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion were directly associated with depressive symptoms for Latine adults. These results emphasize the role of distinct neighborhood experiences in understanding mental health among Black and Latine adults living in high-burden urban neighborhoods.

Domain Faktor Kesehatan Mental Pekerja Konstruksi

Construction industry is a labor-intensive sector that absorbs a large number of workers. Therefore, the industry must be able to pay attention to human resources which are a valuable asset. One of them is related to the mental health of construction workers. Even though the construction industry is known for its stressful environment, not much research has been conducted regarding the fulfillment of mental health aspects of construction workers, especially in Indonesia. In fact, various mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety can have an impact on the performance of construction workers and industry. This research aims to identify various factors related to mental health that influence construction workers through an integrative literature study. The results of the analysis succeeded in finding 68 factors related to mental health in the construction industry which were grouped into four domains, namely types, causes, impacts and solutions to overcome mental health disorders in the construction industry. Identification of these factors and domains is important as a means of understanding mental health aspects so that they can become a reference for stakeholders, especially the government and construction project organizations, in an effort to increase awareness on the importance of mental health in the construction work environment. In this way, the government and construction project organizations can be proactively involved in realizing the achievement of sustainable development goals, namely good health and well-being.

Differences between Germans in the ‘Young’, ‘Adult’, and ‘Over-40s’ Age Groups Regarding Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety and Satisfaction with Life

Depression and anxiety, the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide, are among the top four mental disorders in Germany, and both impact life satisfaction. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction in different age groups has not been sufficiently examined. The present cross-sectional study of a non-clinical sample of a German-speaking population analyzes the links between age—specifically, certain life stages—as predictors for depression and anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction. Therefore, three age groups were formed from all the participants (N = 478): ‘Young’ (18–24 years), ‘Adult’ (25–39 years), and ‘Over-40s’ (40 years and older). The German versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and the German Quality of Life Questionnaire (FLZ-A) were used for our analysis. Our statistical analysis consisted of χ2 tests and an ANCOVA for determining the associations between categorical variables. The Over 40s age group showed statistically significantly higher life satisfaction than the ‘Adult’ age group. Comparing levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms, there were no statistically significant differences across the age groups. These findings highlight the significance of considering age as a factor in understanding mental health and well-being. Further research is warranted to investigate supplementary factors that could potentially contribute to the variations observed within the different age groups.

Understanding the Barriers and Facilitators to Help-Seeking in Irish Equestrian Sport

Equestrian media has highlighted an interest in the impact of mental health on performance and help-seeking behaviours. Due to the dearth of research into equestrian sports, this study aimed to understand rider mental health in equestrian sport and identify the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking among equestrian athletes. Seven equestrian athletes participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences with mental health and the currently available services. The themes generated for riders’ understanding of mental health were multidimensional and cost. The themes for barriers were influences and education. Consequently, the facilitators of seeking help were strength and guidance. The findings support previous studies among jockeys and other athletic populations. Implications for this research highlight the potential for mental health literacy programmes and increased services. Further recommendations for future research suggest examining the current levels of mental health literacy and the differences experienced between disciplines.

The Impact of a Student-Led Health Education Clinic on the Health Literacy and Behaviors of a Rural Community in the State of Pennsylvania, USA.

Rural populations experience a number of disparities that place them at increased risk of morbidity and mortality related to chronic disease, including lower health literacy and greater distance to medical care. Community-based free healthcare education can offer targeted preventive care to these vulnerable populations; however, limited quantitative research exists measuring their impact, specifically on health literacy and likelihood for behavior change. To investigate this, a student-led health education clinic was held in January 2023 in the rural community of Lykens, Pennsylvania by the Student-run and Collaborative Outreach Program for Health Equity (SCOPE). Fifty-five pre- and post-clinic surveys using Likert-style questions measured the knowledge and likelihood of behavioral change for several preventive health topics, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer screenings, childhood vaccinations, skin cancer, mental health, addiction, and nutrition. From pre- to post-clinic, there was a significant increase in knowledge of hypertension (p = 0.023) and diabetes (p = 0.014), likelihood of attending cancer screenings (p = 0.038), and confidence in identifying cancerous moles (p = < 0.001). There was a non-significant increase in understanding of mental health and nutrition, and no change in understanding of addiction or childhood vaccinations. It is likely that the level of interaction in education provided and relevance of information to participants contributed to effective uptake of information. The results demonstrate an immediate impact on health literacy and likelihood of behavioral change for several important preventive health topics, and advocate for the use of student-run healthcare interventions in addressing the prevalence of chronic disease in rural communities.

Provision of E-Modules on Adolescent Mental Health Understanding

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Mental health frequently receives inadequate attention and is often disregarded by individuals who tend to prioritize physical health over mental well-being. The occurrence of mental disorders in adolescents (aged 15-24 years) is associated with a depression rate of 6.2%. Severe depression tends to lead to self-harm and suicide. Approximately 80-90% of suicide cases can be attributed to depression and anxiety.&#x0D; A comprehensive understanding of adolescent mental health is essential for determining appropriate actions to make adolescents aware that mental health is equally essential. Preventing mental health issues in adolescents is crucial for avoiding further mental disorders or psychological problems. Prevention can be effectively achieved through health education for adolescents, enabling them to comprehend the significance of their mental health.&#x0D; E-modules provide an ideal medium for reaching adolescents, as they adapt conventional modules by incorporating information technology, making them more engaging and interactive. This enhances their appeal as an engaging and interactive learning resource. Digital modules (e-modules) enriched with audiovisual technology are expected to apprehend students' interests and create a conducive learning environment.&#x0D; The research objective was to investigate the effect of E-modules on adolescents' understanding of mental health. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using a quasi-experimental research design with a pre-posttest without control, conducted through intervention with a single group. The study was conducted at SMP 8 Surakarta and data were collected before and after the intervention. Data analysis employed the Wilcoxon test was used to obtain a significant result with a p-value of 0.01 (p &lt; 0.05). Based on these findings, E-modules affected adolescents' mental health acquaintances.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Characterizing the Impact of Disorders of the Gut-Brain Interaction on Mental and Physical Health Functioning Among Spanish-Speaking Latino Adults Living in the United States.

Latino individuals are underrepresented in the disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI) literature, and no work has explored how disorders of the gut-brain interaction affect health and well-being in this group. This study sought to explore how disorders of the gut-brain interaction affect health factors in a sample of Latino individuals (N = 292; 80.80% female; M age = 37.65 years, SD = 11.98) with (n = 60) and without (n = 232) a disorder of the gut-brain interaction based on current Rome Foundation diagnostic criteria (Rome IV). DGBI was associated with increased pain intensity, pain disability, cardiovascular risk, depressive symptoms, and anxiety/panic symptoms and lower physical health-related quality of life and mental health-related quality of life controlling for age, sex, and nativity. Better understanding mental health and treatment-seeking behaviors among Latino individuals may help clinical gastroenterologists engage their Latino patients to a greater extent and thus provide higher quality of care.

Measuring mental health literacy in children: the development of the CHILD-MHL scale

Abstract Background One child out of 5 is affected by a mental health problem before the age of 12 years. Among the determinants of children's mental health, Mental Health Literacy (MHL) is a theory including 6 dimensions: understanding mental health; help-seeking actions; supports available; influences on mental health; coping and resilience; and stigma. High levels of MHL correspond to better children's mental health. Measuring children's MHL is essential to inform the development of interventions pro-MHL, evaluate their impact and conceive related policies. We describe here the process of developing the CHILD-MHL scale. Methods Two public health researchers generate some MHL items in French. These are discussed by a group of 30 experts (ex. psychologists, psychiatrists), parents and teachers to verify their content and wording (Delphi study). An artist co-draw with 5 children (8-11 years old) the illustrations of the items (visual scale). Then, the scale is tested in the school setting by 30 children with feedback through qualitative interviews. Finally, the scale is administered to 500 children and undergoes psychometric analyses. Results Results are preliminary. We have produced 50 items telling a story based on MHL through the characters of Émile and Amélie, two children facing mental health problems. Examples of MHL items are: “Emile doesn’t say nice things about himself, he doesn’t want to spend time with his friend Amélie anymore, do you think he might be depressed?” and “Emile feels very worried and nervous, do you think he is anxious?”. Conclusions Developing a scale is a complex process. The CHILD-MHL scale is the first instrument measuring MHL in children in France and worldwide. It can be included in large French cohorts to obtain prevalence of MHL in representative samples of children at the national level. The scale will also be translated in 3 other languages (English, Spanish, Italian) with an international outreach and for cross-cultural comparison.

EARLY MENTAL HEALTH SELF-DETECTION USING SMART-SENYUM APPLICATION

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with stresses, develop their capabilities, perform well in school or work settings, and contribute to their communities. However, mental health problems among adolescents and early adults are high, with an estimated 12 million cases worldwide. Not to mention that access to mental health professionals is still limited, as they are generally only available in big hospitals or health centers. Thus, mental health understanding and access to mental health professionals are major problems. The aim of this study was to examine adolescents’ understanding of mental health and develop a mental help self-screening assessment tool based on the Smart-Senyum application. The mental health self-screening application was adapted from the Self-Report Questionnaire, which was translated into Indonesian and validated for the adolescent age group in Indonesia. The population and sample of this study were adolescents aged 15 – 18 years (N = 36; M-age =16.3), who were students of the learning center Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) 26 Bintaro, West Jakarta. The results showed that there was an increase in 5-pointers in understanding mental health. It was also found that 40% of the students showed symptoms of non-psychotic mental problems and 60% of the students were in a mentally healthy condition. The conclusion of the study, that early screening youth mental health is important and need further research as program implementation to prevent mental disorder

“The Grind Never Stops” Mental Health and Expectations of Productivity in the North American University

Using a critical phenomenology approach, I explore how the neoliberal social context of the North American university produces normative expectations which both interact with and pattern student experiences and understandings of mental health struggles in this environment. The data I analyze comes from semi-structured interviews with 24 university students between 18 and 24 years of age who self-identify as experiencing mental health struggles, as well as participant observation at university wellness events. In this context, both students and the university understand wellness as the ability to maintain constant academic productivity. While university wellness programming promotes goal-oriented individualized “self”-care as the gold standard for attaining and maintaining wellness, students often view self-care activities as unproductive, instead prioritizing academic productivity over subjective well-being in striving to maintain an image as the “good” student. I argue that understanding mental health in this way both causes and exacerbates harm, introducing the conceptual contrast between “Student Wellness”—academic success—and “Human Wellness”—subjective well- being—as a means of understanding how university attempts to increase wellness often support neoliberal agendas to the detriment of their students’ well-being.

Race/Ethnicity, Nativity, and Gender Disparities in Mental Health Trajectories from Mid- to Later-Life: A Life Course-Intersectional Approach.

Numerous studies have highlighted mental health disparities based on race/ethnicity, nativity, and gender across different life stages. However, few have investigated how the intersectionality of these factors influences mental health trajectories during midlife to late life. This study fills this gap by adopting a life course-intersectional approach, viewing mental health trajectories as dynamic processes shaped by the combined influences of race/ethnicity, nativity, and gender. It explores social, psychological, and physiological pathways contributing to these disparities. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2018; N = 38,049 observations) and growth curve models, this study examines how intra-individual trends in depressive symptoms (measured as CES-D scale, 07) are influenced by the intersection of race/ethnicity, nativity, and gender. It also investigates the impact of objective and subjective social isolation and physical health on group disparities in mental health trajectories. The findings reveal that, during mid- to early late-life, most Black and Hispanic Americans experience higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to their White counterparts (disparities ranging from 0.184 to 0.463 for men and 0.117 to 0.439 for women). However, this disadvantage diminishes for US-born Hispanic men and US-born Black women (0.014-0.031 faster decrease rates compared to US-born White), while it intensifies for Hispanic immigrants (0.017-0.018 slower decrease rates compared to US-born White) in advanced ages. Mediation analysis demonstrates that both social isolation and physical health contribute to these disparities, with physical health explaining a larger portion, particularly in differences between immigrant Hispanic women and US-born Whites. This study underscores the importance of a life course-intersectional approach in understanding mental health disparities. It emphasizes the need for improved social welfare systems and community-level interventions targeting the specific challenges faced by older Hispanic immigrants, especially women who encounter multiple forms of oppression.

Electronic health records identify timely trends in childhood mental health conditions

BackgroundElectronic health records (EHRs) data provide an opportunity to collect patient information rapidly, efficiently and at scale. National collaborative research networks, such as PEDSnet, aggregate EHRs data across institutions, enabling rapid identification of pediatric disease cohorts and generating new knowledge for medical conditions. To date, aggregation of EHR data has had limited applications in advancing our understanding of mental health (MH) conditions, in part due to the limited research in clinical informatics, necessary for the translation of EHR data to child mental health research.MethodsIn this cohort study, a comprehensive EHR-based typology was developed by an interdisciplinary team, with expertise in informatics and child and adolescent psychiatry, to query aggregated, standardized EHR data for the full spectrum of MH conditions (disorders/symptoms and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), across 13 years (2010–2023), from 9 PEDSnet centers. Patients with and without MH disorders/symptoms (without ACEs), were compared by age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance, and chronic physical conditions. Patients with ACEs alone were compared with those that also had MH disorders/symptoms. Prevalence estimates for patients with 1+ disorder/symptoms and for specific disorders/symptoms and exposure to ACEs were calculated, as well as risk for developing MH disorder/symptoms.ResultsThe EHR study data set included 7,852,081 patients < 21 years of age, of which 52.1% were male. Of this group, 1,552,726 (19.8%), without exposure to ACEs, had a lifetime MH disorders/symptoms, 56.5% being male. Annual prevalence estimates of MH disorders/symptoms (without exposure to ACEs) rose from 10.6% to 2010 to 15.1% in 2023, a 44% relative increase, peaking to 15.4% in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. MH categories with the largest increases between 2010 and 2023 were exposure to ACEs (1.7, 95% CI 1.6–1.8), anxiety disorders (2.8, 95% CI 2.8–2.9), eating/feeding disorders (2.1, 95% CI 2.1–2.2), gender dysphoria/sexual dysfunction (43.6, 95% CI 35.8–53.0), and intentional self-harm/suicidality (3.3, 95% CI 3.2–3.5). White youths had the highest rates in most categories, except for disruptive behavior disorders, elimination disorders, psychotic disorders, and standalone symptoms which Black youths had higher rates. Median age of detection was 8.1 years (IQR 3.5–13.5) with all standalone symptoms recorded earlier than the corresponding MH disorder categories.ConclusionsThese results support EHRs’ capability in capturing the full spectrum of MH disorders/symptoms and exposure to ACEs, identifying the proportion of patients and groups at risk, and detecting trends throughout a 13-year period that included the Covid-19 pandemic. Standardized EHR data, which capture MH conditions is critical for health systems to examine past and current trends for future surveillance. Our publicly available EHR-mental health typology codes can be used in other studies to further advance research in this area.

Children and youth’s perceptions of mental health—a scoping review of qualitative studies

BackgroundRecent research indicates that understanding how children and youth perceive mental health, how it is manifests, and where the line between mental health issues and everyday challenges should be drawn, is complex and varied. Consequently, it is important to investigate how children and youth perceive and communicate about mental health. With this in mind, our goal is to synthesize the literature on how children and youth (ages 10—25) perceive and conceptualize mental health.MethodsWe conducted a preliminary search to identify the keywords, employing a search strategy across electronic databases including Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Sociological abstracts and Google Scholar. The search encompassed the period from September 20, 2021, to September 30, 2021. This effort yielded 11 eligible studies. Our scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR Checklist.ResultsAs various aspects of uncertainty in understanding of mental health have emerged, the results indicate the importance of establishing a shared language concerning mental health. This is essential for clarifying the distinctions between everyday challenges and issues that require treatment.ConclusionWe require a language that can direct children, parents, school personnel and professionals toward appropriate support and aid in formulating health interventions. Additionally, it holds significance to promote an understanding of the positive aspects of mental health. This emphasis should extend to the competence development of school personnel, enabling them to integrate insights about mental well-being into routine interactions with young individuals. This approach could empower children and youth to acquire the understanding that mental health is not a static condition but rather something that can be enhanced or, at the very least, maintained.