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Tag: Psychology and Psychiatry

  • Expert: Addressing mental health will be crucial next step following deadly Maui wildfires

    Expert: Addressing mental health will be crucial next step following deadly Maui wildfires

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    How can first responders and others address mental health challenges following the widespread destruction of the deadly wildfires in Hawaii? 

    Tonya Hansel, PhD, associate professor in Tulane’s School of Social Work and expert in disaster mental health and trauma services, is available to speak to: 

    • Mental health symptoms following a disaster and what services should be made available
    • How disasters of this magnitude affect children
    • What mental health experts have learned about recovery from other weather-related disasters 

    “Like other disasters, the surrounding communities of Maui with less damage will likely spearhead disaster response to help displaced individuals and the affected area,” Hansel said. “Children are not too young to be affected. However, their reactions are very different than adults. Once safety has been established, routines are important to reestablish. This might not look exactly like pre-disaster, but having one expected routine is important. Getting back into school is also very important to that routine for school-age children. Importantly, with time, most children are resilient.”

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    Tulane University

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  • Remote learning during pandemic aids medical students with disabilities

    Remote learning during pandemic aids medical students with disabilities

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    BYLINE: Patricia DeLacey

    Newswise — Medical students who reported a disability to their school increased by more than 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study shows.

    The proportion of students reporting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or chronic health and/or psychological disabilities has increased between 2015 and 2021.

    Despite the increase in medical students reporting these conditions, the requests for more inclusive preclinical testing accommodations, like extra time for test completion or a less distracting environment, decreased during the pandemic between 2019 and 2021.

    According to authors of the new research letter in JAMA Network Open, the remote curriculum delivery during the pandemic may have allowed students to create an optimal learning and testing environment, decreasing the need for accommodation.

    “Medical education was at its most flexible during COVID,” said Lisa Meeks, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of learning health sciences and family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

    She adds that this could have reduced the need for testing accommodations, but it is unclear whether the need for accommodations will rise again after the recent return to in-person lectures and testing.

    Documenting the rise

    The study results are part of a long-term research project led by Meeks that follows the prevalence of medical students in the United States who disclose disabilities to their respective schools.

    This study on disability disclosure in medicine was the first large scale study of its kind, encompassing all types of disability, including psychological, learning, sensory, physical and chronic health conditions.

    Since 2015, researchers have seen an increase of medical students reporting a disability to their institution from 2.8% in 2015 to 4.7% in 2019, and to 5.9% in 2021.

    When asked to describe why we see such large increases in the population of medical students with disabilities, Meeks posited that “growth in this population could mean that we are reducing bias and stigma, and therefore people who were already in medicine are more willing to disclose.”

    “It could also mean that our research sparked a conversation to change policies, which then led to individuals with disabilities who didn’t think they could make it in medical school choosing to apply to these schools.”

    Doctors with disabilities improve patient care

    According to Meeks, there is still significant work to be done to increase the representation of doctors with disabilities in medicine.

    Only 5.9% of medical school students report a disability, but 27% of adults in the U.S. currently live with some type of disability.

    As the population ages, this number is expected to increase.

    “Physicians in the U.S. and many other countries report that they do not feel confident in their ability to provide equal quality of care to patients with disabilities as they provide to patients without disabilities,” said Karina Pereira-Lima, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Michigan Medicine neurology department.

    “The inclusion of professionals with disabilities in medicine can greatly improve the care for patients with disabilities and the health of the population overall.”

    Retaining medical trainees with disabilities

    Increasing the number of physicians with disabilities requires both the recruitment and retention of medical trainees.

    “Anonymous research with medical trainees with disability shows that about one in every five medical students and more than half of resident physicians do not request accommodations when they need them,” said Pereira-Lima.

    The two main reasons for not requesting needed accommodation were fear of stigma or bias and lack of a clear institutional process.

    “Program access, or simply having the ability to access accommodations should they need them, improves medical trainees with disabilities performance in relation to testing and patient care. It also reduces the likelihood of reporting depressive symptoms or burnout,” added Pereira-Lima.

    Meeks advocated for “standardization in support for students with disabilities in medical education.”

    “Medical education strives for parity and continuity between medical schools, but when it comes to disability services and reasonable accommodations, there’s no standardization whatsoever,” said Meeks.

    “One school could have an incredible specialized disability support services with a qualified disability resource professional running the office, while another school does not have a specialized disability support service at all.”

    ‘A wave of change’

    The team notes that addressing the second common barrier to attaining needed disability accommodations and fear of stigma or bias requires a continued culture shift in medicine.

    “Disability is still incredibly stigmatized, and ableism is rampant in medicine and medical education. At the same time, I think the work from our lab, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and others in medicine started a wave of change that is extraordinarily strong,” said Meeks.

    This work is bolstered by the matriculation of individuals that Meeks calls the post Americans with Disabilities Act generation into medical school.

    “This generation has a lot of disability pride. They’ve had accommodations their entire lives, they know the law, they know their rights and they’re not ashamed of being disabled,” said Meeks.

    Next steps

    As this long term study continues, the research team plans to assess how other identities interact with the disability identity.

    “People with disabilities have different racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses. We want to learn more about how the interaction between these different identities impacts the performance and mental health of medical students with disabilities,” said Pereira-Lima. 

    Meeks adds that thanks to new funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the DocsWithDisabilities team is doing just that.

    “We’re also developing methods to measure the efficacy of accommodations. We need to do more research on the quality of received accommodations and how easy the process was for them to receive the accommodations they needed” added Pereira-Lima.

    “Investing in a culture that acknowledges disability as a valuable form of diversity will improve patient care.”

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    Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

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  • New study shows algorithms promote bias–and that consumers cooperate

    New study shows algorithms promote bias–and that consumers cooperate

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    Newswise — Just watched a rom-com on Netflix? Well, now there are “top picks” just like it in your queue, thanks to the streaming service’s matching system.

    Every time you engage with Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix and other online sites, algorithms are busy behind the scenes chronicling your activities and queuing up recommendations tailored to what they know about you. The invisible work of algorithms and recommendation systems spares people from a deluge of information and ensures they receive relevant responses to searches.

    But Sachin Banker says a new study shows that subtle gender biases shape the information served up to consumers. The Journal of Consumer Psychology published the study, which was co-authored by Shelly Rathee, Arul Mishra and Himanshu Mishra.

    “Everything you’re consuming online is filtered through some kind of recommendation system,” said Banker, an assistant professor of marketing in the David Eccles School of Business, “and what we’re interested in understanding is whether there are subtle biases in the types of information that are presented to different people and how this affects behavior.”

    Banker, who researches how people interact with technology, said gender bias is relatively easy to study because Facebook provides information about that social characteristic. And it is not necessarily surprising that algorithms, which make word associations based by all the texts on the internet, pick up biases since they exist in human language. The bigger questions are to what extent is this happening and what are the consequences.

    In their multi-step study, the  researchers first demonstrated that gender biases embedded in language are incorporated in algorithms—associating women with negative psychographic attributes such as  impulsivity, financially irresponsibility and irrationality.

    The team then tweaked a single word in an ad—“responsible” versus “irresponsible”—to see who subsequently received it; they found ads with negative psychographic attributes were more likely to be delivered to women even though there was no basis for such differentiation.

    It’s a self-perpetuating loop, the researchers found, because undiscerning consumers reinforce the algorithmic gender bias by often clicking on the ads and accepting the recommendations they receive.

    “There are actual consequences of this bias in the marketplace,” Banker said. “We’ve shown that people are split into different kinds of consumption bubbles and that influences your thoughts and behaviors and reinforces historical biases.”

    For online technology companies, the study indicates a greater need for proactive work to minimize gender bias in algorithms used to serve up consumer ads and recommendations, Banker said. People advertising products may want to test an ad before launch to detect any subtle bias that might affect delivery. And consumers should be aware of the biases at play as they scroll through their feeds and visit online sites and engage in healthy skeptism about ads and recommendations.

    Most people, he said, don’t totally understand how these things work because the online giants don’t disclose much about their algorithms, though Amazon appears to be providing more information to consumers about the recommendations they receive.

    And while this study focused on gender bias, Banker said biases likely exist for other social characteristics, such as age, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, etc.

     

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    University of Utah

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  • Ánimo Counseling Program Nationally Recognized for Supporting Latinx Communities

    Ánimo Counseling Program Nationally Recognized for Supporting Latinx Communities

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    Newswise — For its dedication to increasing mental health support for the Latinx community, Cal State Fullerton’s Ánimo Latinx Counseling Emphasis was recognized as one of 19 Examples of Excelencia Finalists in the nation for 2023. 

    The award from Excelencia in Education, a national nonprofit organization that champions Latinx success in higher education, highlights programs across the country that have demonstrated a commitment to accelerating Latinx student success. Excelencia in Education previously named Ánimo one of 10 “Programs to Watch” in 2022 for the curriculum’s use of shared culture and language, which fosters a sense of belonging and academic achievement.

    The program, launched in 2018, trains aspiring mental health professionals to effectively approach a variety of clinical issues, including those related to the Latinx community, such as intergenerational family conflict, ethnic identity, immigration and intersectionality. 

    Olga Mejía, associate professor of counseling and program director, says the Latinx community has a high need for culturally responsive bilingual and bicultural clinical skills. 

    Mejía said: “Ánimo is very close to my heart personally and professionally. Building Ánimo is a way to give back to my own community. I strongly work on infusing Latinx cultural values into all my work within the program.”

    Read more about Mejía and the program.

    About Cal State Fullerton: The largest university in the CSU and the only campus in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton offers 110 degree programs and Division 1 athletics. Recognized as a national model for supporting student success, CSUF excels with innovative, high-impact educational practices, including faculty-student collaborative research, study abroad and competitive internships. Our vibrant and diverse campus is a primary driver of workforce and economic development in the region. CSUF is a top public university known for its success in supporting first-generation and underrepresented students, and preparing all students to become leaders in the global marketplace. Our It Takes a Titan campaign, a five-year $250 million comprehensive fundraising initiative, prioritizes investments in academic innovation, student empowerment, campus transformation and community enrichment. Visit fullerton.edu.

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    California State University, Fullerton

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  • Impact of Psychedelic Drugs on Rat Brain Functions Explored

    Impact of Psychedelic Drugs on Rat Brain Functions Explored

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    Newswise — Researchers at Lund University have developed a technique for simultaneously measuring electrical signals from 128 areas of the brain in awake rats. They have then used the information to measure what happens to the neurons when the rats are given psychedelic drugs. The results show an unexpected and simultaneous synchronisation among neurons in several regions of the brain.

    The idea that electrical oscillations in the brain could be used to teach us more about our experiences was conceived several years ago. Pär Halje and the research team was studying rats with Parkinson’s disease that had problems with involuntary movements. The researchers discovered a tone – an oscillation or wave in the electrical fields – of 80 hertz in the brains of the rats with Parkinson’s disease. It turned out that the wave was closely connected to the involuntary movements. 

    “A Polish researcher had observed similar waves after giving rats the anaesthetic ketamine. The ketamine was given at a low dose so that the rats were conscious, and the equivalent dose in a human causes psychedelic experiences. The waves they saw were in more cognitive regions of the brain than in the rats with Parkinson’s, and the frequency was higher, but that still made us consider whether there were links between the two phenomena. Perhaps excessive brain waves in the motor regions of the brain cause motor symptoms, while excessive waves in cognitive regions give cognitive symptoms,” says Pär Halje, researcher in neurophysiology at Lund University.

    The research team that Pär Halje belongs to has developed a method that uses electrodes to simultaneously measure oscillations from 128 separate areas of the brain in awake rats. The electrical waves are caused by the cumulative activity in thousands of neurons, but the researchers also succeeded in isolating signals from individual neurons.

    “For several of these areas, it is the first time anyone has successfully shown how individual neurons are affected by LSD in awake animals. When we gave the rats the psychedelic substances LSD and ketamine, the waves were clearly registered.”

    Collective wave patterns 

    Despite ketamine and LSD affecting different receptors in the brain – they have completely different ways into the nervous system – they resulted in the same wave patterns even if the signals from individual cells differed. When the rats were given LSD, researchers saw that their neurons were inhibited – they signalled less – in all parts of the brain. Ketamine seemed to have a similar effect on the large neurons – pyramidal cells – which saw their expression inhibited, while interneurons, which are smaller neurons that are only collected locally in tissue, increased their signalling. 

    Pär Halje interprets the results seen in the study, which is published in Communication Biology, to mean that the wave phenomenon is connected to the psychedelic experience. 

    “Activity in the individual neurons caused by ketamine and LSD looks quite different, and as such cannot be directly linked to the psychedelic experience. Instead, it seems to be this distinctive wave phenomenon – how the neurons behave collectively – that is most strongly linked to the psychedelic experience.”

    Research model for psychoses

    Even if what is happening in individual cells is interesting, Pär Halje argues that the whole is bigger and more exciting than the individual parts.

    “The oscillations behave in a strange way. One might think that a strong wave starts somewhere, which then spreads to other parts of the brain. But instead, we see that the neurons’ activity synchronises itself in a special way – the waves in the brain go up and down essentially simultaneously in all parts of the brain where we are able to take measurements. This suggests that there are other ways in which the waves are communicated than through chemical synapses, which are relatively slow.” 

    Pär Halje emphasises that it is difficult to know whether the waves cause hallucinations or are merely an indication of them. But, he argues, it opens up the possibility that this could be used as a research model for psychoses, where no good models exist today.

    “Given how drastically a psychosis manifests itself, there ought to be a common pattern that we can measure. So far, we have not had that, but we now see a very specific oscillation pattern in rats that we are able to measure.”

    Can the waves reveal more about consciousness?

    There is also a dream – that the model will help us in the hunt for the mechanisms behind consciousness and that the measurements may be a way to study how consciousness is shaped. 

    “In light of the development of AI, it is becoming increasingly important to clarify what we mean by intelligence and what we mean by consciousness. Can self-awareness occur spontaneously, or is it something that needs to be built in? We do not know this today, because we do not know what the required ingredients for consciousness in our brains are. This is where it is exciting, the synchronised pattern we see, and whether this can help us to track down the neural foundations of consciousness,” says Pär Halje.

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    Lund University

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  • Clinical Trial Aims to Reduce Depression, Improve Quality of Life After Stroke

    Clinical Trial Aims to Reduce Depression, Improve Quality of Life After Stroke

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    BYLINE: Julie Kiefer

    Newswise — Following up on positive results from preliminary research, scientists at University of Utah Health are evaluating whether an eight-week program based on positive psychology techniques can improve the mood and well-being of people who have had a stroke and those who care for them. The National Institutes of Health-funded ReStoreD (Resilience in Stroke survivor-care partner Dyads) clinical trial involves both the stroke survivor and their spouse or care partner. Together, the couple takes part in planned activities that can be done at home.

    The study will recruit 200 couples in which one partner has had a stroke within the past three months to three years. Couples must have lived together for at least six months and may reside anywhere in the U.S.

    “This approach is different from others that address pathology or things that are wrong,” says Alexandra Terrill, Ph.D., leader of the new clinical trial and associate professor of occupational and recreational therapies at U of U Health. “Instead, we’re taking a ‘building what’s strong’ approach.”

    In the eight-week program, couples coping with stroke learn and practice goal setting, communication strategies, and positive psychology activities, such as expressing gratitude, finding meaning, and fostering connections. As a part of each module, participants view educational videos or read materials to learn about topics, such as resilience, coping, and well-being, that relate to adjusting to life after stroke. Then, they carry out activities related to the week’s theme. 

    Activities can be as simple as writing a thank you note, performing a good deed, or reflecting on an enjoyable experience.

    “We’re very good at prescribing blood pressure medicines and anti-thrombotics to help prevent the next stroke,” says Jennifer Majersik, M.D., a neurologist and stroke specialist at U of U Health who is a collaborator on the study. “But stroke survivors need something beyond just a pill to really help them reintegrate into their family lives and the community.”

    Addressing post stroke depression and resilience

    Preliminary research with 34 couples showed that the intervention decreased post stroke depression and improved resilience in stroke survivors, and these changes were maintained for at least three months after the program ended. Resilience is having the ability to adapt and cope when faced with challenges. Findings were more mixed for care partners, but those who had depressive symptoms and lower resilience also saw improvements. The studies’ results were based on self-report questionnaires and standardized measures. 

    The new trial seeks to confirm these results on a larger scale and provide additional evidence that the behavioral intervention lowers emotional distress in both partners. The trial will also examine effects on relationship quality, stroke-related stress, and engagement in meaningful activities.

    “There is a common assumption that feeling depressed or anxious is to be expected after sustaining a stroke and that mental health issues will resolve spontaneously once a person returns home,” Terrill says. “Unfortunately, this is often not the case.”

    Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, affecting nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. every year. The life-changing event can alter speech, movement, or cognition, causing a stroke survivor to lose their independence. As a result, 30 to 50 percent of people coping with stroke, along with their partners, experience depression or emotional distress. 

    Positive psychology could be a relatively simple, cost-effective solution to this problem, Terrill says. She is a clinical psychologist with specialized training in rehabilitation. More broadly, she researches the role of relationships and positive psychology in managing chronic conditions. If successful, the novel approach being tested in ReStoreD could become a sustainable and accessible means to improve recovery and quality of life.

    “I’ve seen it affect patients and their partners in a positive way,” Majersik says. “It’s shown me that we can continue to bend the curve of stroke recovery, not just by medicines or technology but also by using what I consider to be pretty simple tools. And that matters.”

    Watch this video to learn more about the research.

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    University of Utah Health

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  • How people feel about their sleep matters to their well-being, new research suggests

    How people feel about their sleep matters to their well-being, new research suggests

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    How people feel about their sleep has a greater impact on their well-being than what sleep-tracking technology says about their sleep quality, research led by the University of Warwick has found.  

    Across a two-week period, over 100 participants aged 18-22 years were asked to keep a daily sleep diary about the previous night’s sleep, including what time they went to bed, time they got ready to fall asleep, the amount of time it took them to fall asleep, what time they woke up, what time they got out of bed, and how satisfied they were with their sleep in general.  

    Five times throughout the following day, participants were asked to rate their positive and negative emotions and how satisfied they were with their life. Participants also wore an actigraph on their wrist which measures a person’s movement, for the duration of the study, to estimate their sleep patterns and rest cycles.  

    Researchers compared the actigraphy data with the participants’ perceptions of their sleep and how they felt throughout the following day. They wanted to find out how fluctuations from people’s usual sleep patterns and quality are related to their mood and life satisfaction the next day. 

    Lead author Dr Anita Lenneis, from the University of Warwick’s Department of Psychology, said: “Our results found that how young people evaluated their own sleep was consistently linked with how they felt about their well-being and life satisfaction.  

    “For example, when participants reported that they slept better than they normally did, they experienced more positive emotions and had a higher sense of life satisfaction the following day. However, the actigraphy-derived measure of sleep quality which is called sleep efficiency was not associated with next day’s well-being at all.  

    “This suggests there is a difference between actigraphy-measured sleep efficiency and people’s own perception of their sleep quality in how they link to people’s evaluations of their well-being.”  

    Professor Anu Realo, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick added: “Our findings are consistent with our previous research that identified people’s self-reported health, and not their actual health conditions, as the main factor associated with their subjective well-being and especially with life satisfaction.  

    “It’s people’s perception of their sleep quality and not the actigraphy-based sleep efficiency which matters to their well-being.”  

    Overall, the study suggests that evaluating your sleep positively may contribute to a better mood on the next day.   

    “Even though a sleep tracking device might say that you slept poorly last night, your own perception of your sleep quality may be quite positive. And if you think that you slept well, it may help better your mood the next day,” Dr Lenneis added.   

    “On the contrary, if a sleep tracker tells you that you slept well, but you did not experience the night as such, this information may help you to reassess how well you actually slept. A sleep tracker offers information about your sleep which is typically not accessible whilst being asleep. So, it may improve your subjective perception of last night’s sleep and thereby your overall next day’s well-being.”   

    The study, The Influence of Sleep on Subjective Well-Being: An Experience Sampling Study, is published in Emotion.  

     

    ENDS    

    Notes to Editors  

    The study, The Influence of Sleep on Subjective Well-Being: An Experience Sampling Study, is published in Emotion. DOI: 10.1037/EMO0001268   

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    University of Warwick

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  • New study: Political animosity is global

    New study: Political animosity is global

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    Newswise — EAST LANSING, Mich. – A new study by an interdisciplinary team of researchers across six different countries found that affective polarization, or the tendency to dislike people who belong to opposing political parties while favoring people from their own political party, is a global bias — not just an American one. The research further indicates that the dislike grows stronger when two people think about political issues the same way but come away with different beliefs about those issues.  

    For instance, two people from two separate political parties both may think that tax policy and trade should be thought of together as a package. The researchers found that even though these two people share a way of thinking about political issues, they will have the largest degree of affective polarization if they end up having different conclusions. This suggests that sharing cognitive frameworks with political outgroups can intensify negative attitudes toward them.

    “You can imagine how frustrating it is to interact with someone who seems to think about things in a similar way and who shares the same basic logic of how things work as you do, but yet come to opposite conclusions,” said Mark Brandt, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University and a researcher in the field of social psychology. “We think that sharing a way of thinking about issues with a political outgroup is likely a signal that they are competitors in the political system.”

    This study, led by Felicity Turner-Zwinkels, a social psychologist from Tilburg University’s Department of Sociology, investigated the underlying factors contributing to affective polarization. The findings indicate that across many different countries, we dislike political outgroups the more we disagree with them.

    “This study matters because we examined a topic (affective polarization) that is heavily discussed and studied in America and brought it to a global scale. This shows that it is global and not just an American phenomenon,” said Brandt. “People should care because it helps better explain the way humans interact with each other in the realm of politics.”

    “Why do we dislike each other so much even when we think about an issue similarly? This helps explain it,” said Brandt. “This tells us that these feelings are widespread. Americans might think we’re special in our political entrenchment, but it turns out we’re not.”

    The research suggests two potential interventions that were not directly tested: highlighting shared opinions across political groups, which could reduce affective polarization, and encouraging individuals to contemplate political issues and their interconnectedness in new and unique ways.

     

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    Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world’s leading research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

    For MSU news on the Web, go to MSUToday. Follow MSU News on Twitter at twitter.com/MSUnews.

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    Michigan State University

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  • Extroverts More Likely to Resist Vaccines, Study Shows

    Extroverts More Likely to Resist Vaccines, Study Shows

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    Newswise — EL PASO, Texas (Aug. 2, 2023) – Which types of personalities were more hesitant about COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic’s peak? Extroverts — according to a new study on more than 40,000 Canadians.

    “We expected that people who were especially high in extroversion would be more likely to get the vaccine,” said Melissa Baker, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor at The University of Texas at El Paso. “We figured those people would want to get back out in the world and socialize, right? It’s actually the opposite.”

    The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, can help with future public health messaging and vaccination campaigns, according to the team of scientists, based at UTEP and the University of Toronto. It also offers a unique perspective in vaccine hesitancy research, a field that has largely focused on political affiliation.

    “We wanted to look at vaccine hesitancy a different way,” said Baker who is a member of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. “Of course, politics can help explain some of it, but there are personal differences between people, too — and that led us to this personality aspect.”

    The study is based on surveys of more than 40,000 Canadian adults, taken between November 2020 and July 2021. Online questions evaluated each participant’s personality, based on a model known as “big five,” which gauges an individual’s openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability. 

    Additional questions probed how respondents felt about vaccination. One question, for example, asked, “When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, will you be vaccinated?” As the vaccine rollout began, questions were altered to reflect their availability.

    Most of the team’s hypotheses were supported. For instance, people who were more open and agreeable were more likely to get the vaccine.

    “Those are the kind of people who are open to new things, new information and just like to go with the flow,” Baker said. “We also expected that for people with high conscientious because they are detail-oriented and big planners.”

    On the other hand, those with low emotional stability — or those who experience extreme emotions — were less likely to be vaccinated. And extroverts, to their surprise, were 18 percent more likely to refuse the vaccine.

    While the pandemic is over, the team said the findings could help with future public health messaging strategies for vaccination from various diseases, not just COVID-19.

    Baker explained, “If we know you need to reach a certain type of personality, we can think about the message that will actually reach and persuade that person.

    ###

     About The University of Texas at El Paso 

    The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving University. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 169 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

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    University of Texas at El Paso

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  • Harmful impact of activewear shopping on women

    Harmful impact of activewear shopping on women

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    Newswise — Though it’s just as likely to be worn while lounging on the couch as in the gym, a large driver of activewear’s popularity among women is its association with a dynamic lifestyle, positive wellbeing and overall good health.

    However, two new Edith Cowan University (ECU) studies suggest online shopping for activewear may in fact be harmful to women’s body image.

    Sales of “Athleisure” — a hybrid style of athletic clothing typically worn as everyday wear — have risen rapidly following the onset of COVID-19 and are expected to be worth more than $548 billion globally by 2024.

    Led by ECU psychology researcher Dr Ross Hollett, the new studies are the first to use an eye-tracking experiment to explore online clothing shopping for activewear and its psychological outcomes.

    During laboratory sessions, women were randomly allocated to browse an activewear, casualwear or home decor website for 15-20 minutes.

    Their body image and self-esteem were then measured using a combination of self-report and reaction time measures.

    After the shopping activity, researchers used eye tracking technology to measure the women’s eye gaze behaviour towards a new set of female images, to see if the websites they browsed led to changes in where they focused their attention.

    Both studies found women felt worse about their looks and experienced lower self-esteem after browsing an activewear website.

    In comparison, browsing for casual clothing or homewares did not lead to negative body image or lower self-esteem.

    Dr Hollett said activewear retailers deliberately used body-focused marketing to promote their products, which tended to be tight, form-fitting or revealing.

    “Activewear marketers often use images of toned athletic models who are cropped to focus on specific body parts, for example buttocks or breasts,” he said.

    “This type of imagery can be very threatening to women’s body image because it promotes an idealised and difficult to attain physique.”

    Clues from gaze behaviour

    Dr Hollett said the first experiment found an interesting pattern of attention when researchers tracked women’s eyes towards a new set of female images after the activewear shopping activity.

    “Women who browsed for activewear showed much lower body gaze, meaning they preferred to gaze at faces, compared to women who browsed for casualwear,” he said.

    “One potential reason for this finding is that women who browsed for activewear may have felt their body image was threatened by the body-focussed imagery used by the activewear website.

    “When body image is threatened, women may be less likely to continue looking at other women’s bodies after browsing for activewear because they feel more uncomfortable.”

    Choose websites wisely to protect your self-esteem

    Almost 100 per cent of women involved in Dr Hollett’s study had shopped online for clothes in their lifetime, and 80 per cent had done so in the past month.

    They spent about 90-100 minutes per week browsing for clothes online, with activewear one of the most popular clothing categories — second only to casualwear.

    “In one of our studies, we found a general reduction in negative mood across all the shopping websites, suggesting that online shopping might be used by women to alleviate negative mood by offering a distraction from everyday stresses,” Dr Hollett said.

    However, Dr Hollett said if women do engage with online shopping to reduce negative mood, the choice of website is important.

    “Browsing some apparel websites might put women at risk of negative self-concept because they are comparing themselves with fit and toned models in tight fitting clothing which may contribute to longer term issues such as body shame and depression,” he said.

    Dr Hollett said clothing retailers are under increasing pressure to operate in ethically responsible ways, such as reducing environmental impact or avoiding exploitative labour.

    However, he said minimising the negative impact of retail imagery on the psychological wellbeing of consumers was also their responsibility.

    “Our research offers some of the first experimental evidence that the use of sexually objectifying imagery by some online apparel retailers is threatening to women’s wellbeing,” he said.

    “These findings provide an impetus to explore alternative marketing strategies which achieve the retailer’s objectives while minimising threats to the self-worth of consumers.”

    The study ‘Gaze behaviour, body image in women and online apparel shopping’ was published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies and the study ‘Experimental evidence that browsing for activewear lowers explicit body image attitudes and implicit self-esteem in women’ was published in the Journal Body Image.

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    Edith Cowan University

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  • TikTok health videos: trends, topics, influencers

    TikTok health videos: trends, topics, influencers

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    Newswise — PULLMAN, Wash. –Sexual health, diet and exercise are the three topics that steal the show when it comes to popular health-related videos on TikTok. Unfortunately, there’s little else in terms of engaging health-related content on the video sharing platform, a Washington State University study found. 

    The social media platform’s mostly young audience also seems to prefer health-related videos featuring popular influencers’ role model appeals, such as their diet or exercise routine, rather than expert medical advice, according to the study in the Journal of Health Communication. 

    “Not surprisingly, we saw a great deal of role model appeals as influencers have a strong voice on this platform,” said Nicole O’Donnell, a WSU assistant professor of communications and lead author of the study. “The issue we have with this from a health communication perspective is that most of these videos weren’t providing attainable steps for behavior change but rather sharing aesthetic details of what is often a highly unobtainable lifestyle.”

    Compared to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, TikTok is a relatively new platform with user patterns that scientists are still trying to understand. To address this knowledge gap, the research team, comprised of O’Donnell and communications Ph.D. students Sultana Ismet Jerin and Di Mu, analyzed 400 health-related videos from TikTok’s #EduTok campaign. 

    They found most of the videos focused on mental health diet, exercise, or sexual health, which are areas of interest likely influenced by TikTok’s younger audiences. However, mental health videos had relatively low levels of audience engagement, and other important topics that are especially relevant to teens, such as substance abuse prevention, bullying and sexual violence prevention, were largely absent. 

    Unsurprisingly, they also found that videos employing ‘role model’ appeals, such as a famous actress or sports star encouraging a healthier lifestyle, had the highest levels of engagement. Videos designed to shock or scare people from participating in a certain type of behavior also did well in terms of viewership. But both these types of videos often lacked essential factual information and fell short of promoting attainable behavior changes. 

    “Almost 50% of the videos had role model appeals in them,” Jerin said. “Our results indicate that audiences highly engage with personal stories. The emotional appeal of the content is also a factor that influences audience engagement. In another study, we are specifically looking at emotional appeals of mental health messaging to learn more about engagement as mental health videos appeared the least engaging although being the most frequently covered health topic in EduTok videos.”

    Another worrisome trend that the researchers identified was the prevalence of videos promoting self-diagnosis of mental health issues, with O’Donnell noting the potentially serious implications of individuals, especially young people, diagnosing their own health issues based on brief social media videos.

    “Videos of people self-diagnosing their depression, anxiety or other issues related to mental health tended to have very high engagement which is a problematic trend that we would hope to have some public messaging about in the future,” O’Donnell said. “We plan to look more closely at the topic of mental health in general and the emotional appeals that creators are using.” 

    Moving forward, the researchers hope is that healthcare providers as well as state and federal agencies can use their findings to better engage with young people on a variety of health-related topics. 

    “Authentic stories about people’s lives tended to generate a lot more engagement than a person in a white coat sharing their opinion,” O’Donnell said. “And so, one strategy we would recommend is to have health professionals find ways to share people’s authentic stories while also providing credible and reliable information.” 

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    Washington State University

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  • Experts call for urgent mental health support for people living with long term autoimmune diseases

    Experts call for urgent mental health support for people living with long term autoimmune diseases

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    Newswise — More than half of patients with auto-immune conditions experience mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, yet the majority are rarely or never asked in clinic about mental health symptoms, according to new research from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London.

    In a study published today in Rheumatology, researchers found that over half of the patients had rarely or never reported their mental health symptoms to a clinician, and that the range of possible mental health and neurological symptoms is much wider than has been previously reported.

    The team surveyed neurological and psychiatric symptoms amongst 1,853 patients with systemic auto-immune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers also surveyed 289 clinicians, mostly rheumatologists, psychiatrists and neurologists, and conducted 113 interviews with patients and clinicians. 

    The 30 symptoms that the team asked about included fatigue, hallucinations, anxiety and depression. Among the patients in the study, experience of most of these symptoms was very widespread. 

    55% of SARD patients were experiencing depression, 57% experiencing anxiety, 89% had experienced severe fatigue and 70% had experienced cognitive dysfunction, for example. The overall prevalence of symptoms was significantly higher than previously thought, and much higher than in a control group of healthy volunteers.

    The mental health symptoms described by patients contrasted strongly with clinician estimates. For example, three times as many lupus patients reported experiencing suicidal thoughts compared to the estimate by clinicians (47% versus 15%). Clinicians were often surprised and concerned by the frequency and wide range of symptoms that patients reported to the researchers. 

    Some clinicians were much more focused on joint symptoms over mental health symptoms as they held the opinion that SARDs do not commonly affect the brain.

    However, other clinicians felt that these symptoms were under-estimated because patients were rarely asked about them in clinic. One rheumatology nurse interviewed said: “Doctors don’t go looking for it [hallucinations], so if we don’t ask we don’t think it exists much.”

    The study found disagreements between clinicians specialising in different aspects of care, but very few hospitals had effective systems where rheumatologists, neurologists and psychiatrists worked together.

    Dr Tom Pollak from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, said the study highlights the importance of all clinicians asking their patients about mental health: “We have known for some time that having a systemic autoimmune disease can negatively affect one’s mental health, but this study paints a startling picture of the breadth and impact of these symptoms. Everyone working in healthcare with these patients should routinely ask about mental wellbeing, and patients should be supported to speak up without fear of judgement. No patient should suffer in silence.” 

    The study showed that patients were often reticent to report to clinicians mental health problems they might be having, sometimes feeling that they might be stigmatised. Patients frequently said that even when they did share their mental health symptoms with clinicians, they were often not commented on or not documented accurately or at all. 

    One patient expressed how this felt: “Feel guilty and useless as well as depressed and very unwell. I don’t really feel supported, understood, listened to, hopeful at all. It is awful living like this…. All just feels hopeless.” 

    Dr Melanie Sloan from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge said: “The low level of reporting we identified is a major concern as problems with mental health, fatigue and cognition can be life-changing, and sometimes life-threatening. It’s only by fully engaging patients in their healthcare and by asking them for their views that we will be able to determine the extent of these often hidden symptoms, and help patients get the understanding, support and treatment they need.”

    The research team suggests that though they found neurological and psychiatric symptoms to be under-elicited in clinic, under-identified in research and under-represented in clinical guidelines, they described almost all clinicians as highly motivated to improve care. Rapidly evolving knowledge – including the behavioural and cognitive impacts of chronic inflammation and a widening range of potential biomarkers – means that there is grounds for optimism. 

    Sarah Campbell, Chief Executive of the British Society for Rheumatology, commented: “This study highlights the urgent need for improvements in the access patients have to integrated mental health support. Given what the study finds on the prevalence of this issue and the deep impact neurological and psychiatric symptoms have on patients, it should be of grave concern to policymakers that only 8% of rheumatology departments in England and Wales have a psychologist embedded in their team. We fully support the study team’s conclusion that more inter-disciplinary and patient-clinician collaboration is needed to ensure equity in the care of patients’ mental and physical health.”

    The Rt Hon the Lord Blunkett said: “It’s both surprising and deeply concerning that almost half of lupus patients have experienced suicidal thoughts, and that clinicians greatly under-estimate the mental health burden of these chronic diseases. This highlights the importance of extra funding for the NHS and the holistic care that is urgently needed for these patients. I echo the British Society of Rheumatologists’ concerns about the poor current provision of mental health support. Now is the time for the Government to act to give them the support they desperately need.”

    The research was funded by The Lupus Trust and LUPUS UK 

    Reference

    Sloan, M et al. Prevalence and identification of neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: an international mixed methods study. Rheumatology; 26 Jul 2023; DOI: 10.1093/rhe/kead369

    ENDS 

    Once the embargo has lifted, the study will be live at: https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/rhe/kead369

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    University of Cambridge

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  • CSUF Study Examines Ways to Deter Cheating Online

    CSUF Study Examines Ways to Deter Cheating Online

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    Newswise — As the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to conduct classes online, colleges and universities around the world experienced increases in academic dishonesty. 

    A new study by Cal State Fullerton faculty members is among the first to explore the outcomes and motivations of passive versus active proctoring on academic honesty. Gerard Beenen, professor of management, and Sinjini Mitra, professor of information systems and decision sciences, are the co-authors of “Deterring Cheating Online: Passive Versus Active Proctoring Through a Social Facilitation Lens.”

    The paper was selected for the Academy of Management’s Best Paper in Management Education and Development Award.

    The researchers found that academic dishonesty appeared to be less likely in conditions of active (live instructor) versus passive (invisible instructor) proctoring. In addition, the strongest motivational mechanisms for deterring academic dishonesty were self-awareness and evaluation apprehension. 

    Beenen and Mitra said: “Given the potential for cheating in online exams…it is important to identify strategies to mitigate academic dishonesty for online assessments.

    “To our knowledge, this is the first research to examine potential differences in student cheating motivations, intentions and behaviors for a continuum of passively to actively proctored exams.”

    Read more about Beenen and Mitra’s research.

    About Cal State Fullerton: The largest university in the CSU and the only campus in Orange County, Cal State Fullerton offers 110 degree programs and Division 1 athletics. Recognized as a national model for supporting student success, CSUF excels with innovative, high-impact educational practices, including faculty-student collaborative research, study abroad and competitive internships. Our vibrant and diverse campus is a primary driver of workforce and economic development in the region. CSUF is a top public university known for its success in supporting first-generation and underrepresented students, and preparing all students to become leaders in the global marketplace. Visit fullerton.edu.

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    California State University, Fullerton

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  • Ketamine shows efficacy for treatment-resistant depression

    Ketamine shows efficacy for treatment-resistant depression

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    Newswise — A low-cost version of ketamine to treat severe depression has performed strongly in a double-blind trial that compared it with placebo.

    In research published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers led by UNSW Sydney and the affiliated Black Dog Institute found that more than one in five participants achieved total remission from their symptoms after a month of bi-weekly injections, while a third had their symptoms improve by at least 50 per cent. The study was a collaboration between six academic clinical mood disorder units in Australia and one in New Zealand and was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    “For people with treatment-resistant depression – so those who have not benefitted from different modes of talk-therapy, commonly prescribed antidepressants, or electroconvulsive therapy – 20 per cent remission is actually quite good,” lead researcher Professor Colleen Loo says.

    “We found that in this trial, ketamine was clearly better than the placebo – with 20 per cent reporting they no longer had clinical depression compared with only 2 per cent in the placebo group. This is a huge and very obvious difference and brings definitive evidence to the field which only had past smaller trials that compared ketamine with placebo.”

    How the trial worked

    The researchers recruited 179 people with treatment-resistant depression. All were given an injection of either a generic form of ketamine that is already widely available in Australia as a drug for anaesthesia and sedation – or placebo. Participants received two injections a week in a clinic where they were monitored for around two hours while acute dissociative and sedative effects wore off – usually within the first hour. The treatment ran for a month and participants were asked to assess their mood at the end of the trial and one month later.

    As a double-blind trial, neither participants nor researchers administering the drug were aware which patients received generic ketamine or placebo, to ensure psychological biases were minimised. Importantly, a placebo was chosen that also causes sedation, to improve treatment masking. Midazolam is a sedative normally administered before a general anaesthetic, while in many previous studies the placebo was saline.

    “Because there are no subjective effects from the saline, in previous studies it became obvious which people were receiving the ketamine and which people received placebo,” Prof. Loo says.

    “In using midazolam – which is not a treatment for depression, but does make you feel a bit woozy and out of it – you have much less chance of knowing whether you have received ketamine, which has similar acute effects.”

    Other features of the recent trial that set it apart from past studies included accepting people into the trial who had previously received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

    “People are recommended ECT treatment for their depression when all other treatments have been ineffective,” Prof. Loo says.

    “Most studies exclude people who have had ECT because it is very hard for a new treatment to work where ECT has not.”

    Another difference about this trial was that the drug was delivered subcutaneously (injected into the skin) rather than by drip, thus greatly reducing time and medical complexity. The study is also the largest in the world to date that compares generic ketamine with placebo in treating severe depression.

    Much more affordable

    Apart from the positive results, one of the standout benefits of using generic ketamine for treatment-resistant depression is that it is much cheaper than the patented S-ketamine nasal spray currently in use in Australia. Where S-ketamine costs about $800 per dose, the generic ketamine is a mere fraction of that, costing as little as $5, depending on the supplier and whether the hospital buys it wholesale. On top of the cost for the drug, patients need to pay for the medical care they receive to ensure their experience is safe – which at Black Dog Institute clinics, comes to $350 per session.

    “With the S-ketamine nasal spray, you are out of pocket by about $1200 for every treatment by the time you pay for the drug and the procedure, whereas for generic ketamine, you’re paying around $300-350 for the treatment including the drug cost,” Prof. Loo says.

    She adds that for both S-ketamine and generic ketamine treatments, the positive effects often wear off after a few days to weeks, so ongoing treatment may be required, depending on someone’s clinical situation. But the prohibitive costs of the drug and procedure make this an unsustainable proposition for most Australians.

    “This is why we’re applying for a Medicare item number to fund this treatment now, because it’s such a powerful treatment.

    “And if you consider that many of these people might spend many months in hospital, or be unable to work and are often quite suicidal, it’s quite cost effective when you see how incredibly quickly and powerfully it works. We’ve seen people go back to work, or study, or leave hospital because of this treatment in a matter of weeks.”

    The researchers will next be looking at larger trials of generic ketamine over longer periods, and refining the safety monitoring of treatment.

    ENDS

    Participating trial sites

    • UNSW / Black Dog Institute
    • Royal Prince Alfred Hospital / University of Sydney
    • NeuroCentrix Research Institute
    • Royal Adelaide Hospital / University of Adelaide
    • Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre / Monash University
    • University of Otago
    • Gold Coast University Hospital

     

    Institutions of non-site collaborators

    • Deakin University
    • University of Newcastle
    • The George Institute for Global Health
    • University of Western Australia

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    University of New South Wales

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  • Enhancing urban planning through virtual reality

    Enhancing urban planning through virtual reality

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    Newswise — Lab kit for urban scenarios

    Construction measures that transform urban settings change the environment of both the people who live there permanently and those who visit them temporarily. It’s not always possible to foresee the effects in advance. In such cases, it helps to recreate the setting in a 3D model which people can experience through immersion. To this end, the cartographers working with Marco Weißmann use software that was originally designed to programme computer game environments. “We’ve developed a lab kit of sorts in which you can simulate an environment virtually, complete with traffic,” explains Weißmann. The researchers can use it to directly visualise the effects of planned structural changes: how does the traffic flow? Do cars and pedestrians get in each other’s way or not?

    Measuring the implicit effects of spaces

    Moreover, the space that surrounds us affects our well-being. We do notice it sometimes, but not always. “People who’ve lived on a noisy street for a long time, for example, might think they don’t even hear the noise anymore,” says Julian Keil. “But we know that, objectively speaking, residents in such streets experience significantly higher stress levels than others.” In order to determine such implicit effects of urban planning measures before a lot of money has been poured into them, the cartography team developed a method to measure them in advance. For this purpose, they programmed an urban environment in virtual reality and had test participants experience the scenarios. At the same time, they measured the skin conductivity of the test persons, which provides information about their stress level.

    They showed that a higher traffic volume in a street clearly upset the test persons, as measured by their skin conductivity. To corroborate their findings, a study is planned to incorporate more physical measurements that will provide information about the participants’ stress levels and various emotions, including heart rate, blood pressure and pupil size. “Until now, residents and other stakeholders have been involved in the planning stage of construction measures, but only in the form of surveys, i.e. explicit statements,” says Keil, whose background is in psychology. “Our method enables spatial planners to assess implicit effects of possible measures and to include them in the planning, too.”

    Climate-friendly experiments

    The experiments for both studies were conducted in a climate-friendly way using electricity from a mobile solar system on the roof of the institute building.

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    Ruhr-Universitat Bochum

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  • Pets don’t alleviate severe mental illness, study finds

    Pets don’t alleviate severe mental illness, study finds

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    Newswise — Living with and having a close bond with a companion animal does not necessarily lead to significant mental health improvements in people with a serious mental illness, say researchers.

    A survey, conducted by the University of York, revealed that living with an animal – a dog, cat, fish or bird for example – did not improve wellbeing or reduce depression, anxiety or feelings of loneliness for owners with serious mental illness, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, compared to those who live without an animal.

    The researchers, who followed up on an earlier survey conducted in 2021 on investigating aspects of animal ownership and mental health during COVID-19, say their findings counteract the increasingly held belief that animals boost mental health and wellbeing in all contexts.

    In a survey of 170 UK participants with serious mental illness, 81 reported having at least one animal, and more than 95% reported that their animal provided them with companionship, a source of consistency in their life, and made them feel loved. 

    Dogs and cats were reported as the most frequently owned pet, consistent with the general population. The majority of participants perceived the bond with their animal to be strong.

    However, compared to people with serious mental illness who did not have an animal, no statistically significant improvements in mental health and feelings of loneliness were found in the study.

    In the 2021 survey, which used the same cohort of participants, the team had found that having an animal was, in fact, associated with a self-reported decline in mental health among people with serious mental illness which may have been due to pandemic restrictions and the challenges of looking after their animal in the context of the lockdown.

    Dr Emily Shoesmith, from the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences, said: “It is now increasingly assumed that companion animals are beneficial for all owners’ mental health in most or all circumstances, but this may not be the case.

    “The pandemic provided a unique opportunity in which to look more closely at this question, and we found that whilst many participants with serious mental illness reported that their animal was a ‘lifeline’ during this time, the benefits may have been outweighed by the additional stress and anxiety caused by caring for an animal in the lockdown context. 

    “These new data were collected after pandemic restrictions had been lifted, and although we found small improvements in terms of reported wellbeing outcomes since the previous survey, we did not find that animal ownership was significantly associated with enhanced wellbeing, depression, anxiety, or loneliness.” 

    Despite this, most participants perceived there to be a strong human-animal bond with their closest companion animal, and reported their animal provided them with companionship and a source of constancy in their life.

    The researchers point out that companion animals may still be a vital part of the social network of people who have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness, but that more work is needed to understand the nuances of the relationship, such as whether the type of animal makes a difference, as well as other external factors that might cause additional stress.

    Dr Elena Ratschen, from the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences, said: “One possible explanation for our current findings could be that the added responsibility of animal ownership may still exacerbate other potential stressors experienced by people living with severe mental illness. This includes the cost of food, veterinary bills and uncertainty over housing.

    ‘The findings suggest that the nature of human-animal interactions is complex. The bond between owners and animals was perceived to be high in this study and is undoubtedly very important in people’s lives. 

    “It is not necessarily reasonable, however, to assume that it is a means to improve symptoms of serious mental illness or disperse feelings of loneliness in a highly disadvantaged population of people with these illnesses.”

    The study, published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions, states that future research would benefit from recruiting a larger sample size and comparing a wider variation of species identified as the animal the participant felt closest to.

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    University of York

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  • Netherlands Study Finds Factors Linked to Learning Disabilities and Autism Resulted in Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Requests

    Netherlands Study Finds Factors Linked to Learning Disabilities and Autism Resulted in Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Requests

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    Newswise — A Kingston University, London study found several people with learning disabilities and autism in the Netherlands chose to die legally through euthanasia and assisted suicide due to feeling unable to cope with the world, changes around them or because they struggled to form friendships.

    There were almost 60,000 cases of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide between 2012 and 2021 in the Netherlands. More than 900 case reports were recorded on an online, searchable database. This form of dying is legal in the country provided six due care criteria are met, one of which is that the patient’s suffering is unbearable, with no prospect of improvement.

    Study lead and Professor of Intellectual Disability and Palliative Care at Kingston University Irene Tuffrey-Wijne and colleagues examined the database to understand the situations where people with learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorders had been granted requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide, and the main causes of suffering that led to the request.

    They found 39 cases that involved people with either learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, or in some cases, both. Of these, 19 were male and 20 were female, with 18 of the 39 under the age of 50.

    Published in the BJPsych Open Journal, the study found a majority, around two-thirds, chose that path solely, or mostly, due to characteristics associated with their condition, such as anxiety, loneliness and not feeling they had a place in society.  In eight of the 39 cases the reasons for the individual’s suffering were exclusively related to the learning disability or autism, with people feeling unable to cope with the world, changes around them and a struggle to make friendships and connections.

    The research team said the findings highlighted a need for an international philosophical and ethical debate around criteria for euthanasia and assisted suicide and how to deal with such requests from vulnerable patient groups.

    Within the study, a further eight said their autism or learning disability made it hard to cope with non-life-threatening physical illness or decline, while the same number stated their condition combined with psychiatric problems like anxiety and loneliness was their reason for wanting to die. Of the 39 cases, causes of suffering that led people to asked for help to die included loneliness (77 per cent of cases), a dependence on others (62 per cent), a lack of resilience or coping strategies (56 per cent) and a lack of flexibility and difficulty adapting to change (44 per cent).

    Finally, in a third of the cases, doctors noted explicitly that the individual’s learning disabilities or autism were not treatable and that this was a key consideration in their assessment that there was no prospect of improvement and therefore an assisted death was the only remaining option for the patient.

    Commenting on the findings, Professor Tuffrey-Wijne said that alongside the need for a wider debate on the ethics of dealing with requests from vulnerable groups, the research also highlighted the importance of investing in highly individualised support services around the world. “What these individuals needed was a society where they felt they belonged, with people around them who not just accept and accommodate, but welcome their unique ways of being,” she said.

    “There is no doubt some people feel helpless, suffer deeply and profoundly and the support needed is complex but hopefully there can be a culture shift and a big investment in services that are significantly under-resourced.”

    In addition to this work, Professor Tuffrey-Wijne gave oral evidence at a government health and social care select committee about an assisted dying and suicide inquiry earlier this month.

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    Kingston University

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  • Movement as Medicine: The Many Health Benefits of Dancing

    Movement as Medicine: The Many Health Benefits of Dancing

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    BYLINE: Robin Frank

    Newswise — With physical distancing no longer a concern for most people, dancing for fun, exercise and social connection is back on the agenda for adults of all ages. Its popularity is apparent on Meetup.com, which lists numerous dance events around the country. 

    Kathleen Davenport, MD, a physiatrist at HSS Florida in West Palm Beach, is not surprised. She specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of orthopedic injuries and conditions, with special expertise in dance medicine. HSS Florida is the regional outpatient location of New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, consistently ranked the number one hospital for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report and other organizations.

    “I have patients ranging in age from young children to 90-year-old adults who enjoy Latin and other styles of dancing,” says Dr. Davenport, who serves as company physician for the Miami City Ballet and is president-elect of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. At HSS Florida, she treats both professional and recreational dancers.

    A competitive ballroom dancer herself, she enthusiastically supports the activity for its physical and psychological benefits. “I like to say that dancing checks a lot of boxes. In social dancing, you interact with different people and can make new friends, which has multiple psychological benefits,” she explains. “On the physical side, you need good balance, you need core strength, you need strength in your lower and upper extremities if you’re doing partner work. Dancing can also be an excellent cardio workout.”

    Some studies show that physical exercise is also good for brain health. “When dancing you need to remember the steps and how to do them. We have found that dancing is beneficial for people of all ages as it can help keep memory active as we go through our years,” Dr. Davenport says.

    Perhaps best of all, dancing just feels good, with many people experiencing a sensation similar to the so-called “runner’s high.” “When you do something enjoyable, particularly physical exercise, endorphins are released, which are our ‘happy’ hormones. By releasing these hormones, our body encourages us to keep engaging in these activities,” she explains.

    As with any athletic activity, good practices help prevent injury. Dr. Davenport offers advice to get the most out of dancing for fun and physical fitness:

    • It’s all about technique. If new to social dancing, take some lessons to learn the correct steps and the proper technique. Many social events start with a group lesson and warm up.
    • Start slowly. Ramp up gradually as you build muscle strength and endurance. Don’t start out by dancing for hours without a time out. This is hard on the body and can lead to injury.
    • Warm up ahead of time. Do a cool down after the dance with some gentle stretching.
    • Listen to your body. If you’re tired, take a rest. It may be advisable to skip an event if you overdid it dancing the day before. This will help you avoid an overuse injury.
    • Stay hydrated. Dancing can provide an excellent workout, so keep water on hand to ensure adequate fluid intake.
    • If you experience pain or a potential injury, however slight, come off the dance floor. Continuing to dance could turn a minor problem into a more serious injury.
    • Choose the right shoe for your style of dance.
    • Take an honest look at your footwear. For Latin dancing, for example, heels are generally recommended, but it’s not the right shoe for all women. Make sure you’re in a shoe that is supporting the activity and not causing pain.
    • Parents are advised to check their children’s dance shoes every year. Adults should check their shoes at least every two years or after recovering from a foot injury to make sure they still fit well.
    • If you’re a former or experienced dance enthusiast who has taken a break, ease back into it. Transition slowly back to your previous level.
    • At some venues, the music is very loud. Consider asking the DJ to lower the volume or wear ear plugs if it becomes uncomfortable.
    • People just starting out may want to learn about dance etiquette. Studios and dance clubs often post helpful information on their websites.

    Dr. Davenport says engaging in good practices can help everyone reap the benefits of dancing now and in the future.

    About HSS

    HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 13th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2022-2023), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2022-2023). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a third consecutive year (2023). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest complication and readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 145 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

     

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    Hospital for Special Surgery

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  • Find the latest expert commentary on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions here

    Find the latest expert commentary on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions here

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    This Thursday, the United States Supreme Court rejected affirmative action at colleges and universities around the nation, declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. Now on Friday, the Supreme Court decided to block the Biden administration’s student debt relief program and sided with a Christian web designer in Colorado who refuses to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings out of religious objections. Despite their limited federal elected power, Conservatives have racked up more huge wins in the great political battles of the early 21st century.

    Newswise is your source for expert commentary. Below is a roundup of recent expert pitches concerning the United States Supreme Court.

    Sociologists Available to Discuss Affirmative Action Ruling in College Admissions

    – American Sociological Association (ASA)

    Law and diversity experts react to Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision

    – Tulane University

    Three important takeaways from SCOTUS decision in Groff v. DeJoy

    – University of Georgia

    SCOTUS decision on race-based admission: experts can comment

    – Indiana University

    U law expert available to comment on Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

    – University of Utah

    Recent SCOTUS decision puts to rest extreme 2020 presidential election claims, confirms state judicial input on states’ election rules

    – University of Georgia

     

     

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    Newswise

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  • Laughter: The Ultimate Medicine

    Laughter: The Ultimate Medicine

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    Laughter and humour are potent tools that can significantly impact our wellbeing, according to research conducted by the University of Warwick.

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    University of Warwick

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