All Articles

Watson Kemper¹, Katie Ben-Judah², Akamu J. Ewunkem³, Uchenna B. Iloghalu^2*

¹Department of Biology, North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA

²Department of Biology, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, USA

³Department of Biological Sciences, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

COVID-19 has had lasting impacts on the physical and mental health of the global community. These impacts are multifaceted and spring from a range of physiological, psychological, economic origins. This review sought to demonstrate evidence of the damaging consequences that COVID-19 and its related effects have had on mental health. The findings showed significant increases in numbers of individuals seeking mental health care, experiencing negative mental health symptoms, and opting for medication management of mental health symptoms. In this review, we explore logistical aspects of both present and prospective zoonotic disease spillover events, as this information is key to mitigating future pandemic events. Furthermore, we summarize current knowledge of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health of the populations of Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Moreover, we discuss the influence of racial disparities in delivery of healthcare in the United States and their effects on the quality of, access to, and awareness of mental health care. Our awareness of these issues has the potential to inform further research, aid, and funding to the populations where it is most needed. Finally, we make recommendations for the direction of further research based on the findings of this article.

Sean Lynch^1,2, Faris Katkhuda^2,3, Lidia Klepacz^2,4, Eldene Towey^2,4, Stephen J. Ferrando^2,4*

¹Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, NY, USA

²Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College, School of Medicine, NY, USA

³Department of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts, USA

⁴Department of Psychiatry, Westchester Medical Center Health Network, Behavioral Health Center, NY, USA

Despite public interventions, the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to rise. In this focused review of the existing literature, the authors describe how increases in OUD, as well as opioid-related deaths, have occurred disproportionately among people of color. Black patients in particular are dying of overdose at an increased rate, however are less likely to receive any treatment for OUD. Additionally, Black patients are less likely to receive buprenorphine than White patients, but more likely to receive methadone. Potential causes of these disparities are discussed, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the successes of several pilot programs.

Asuka Suzuki¹, Kazue Yamaoka¹*, Mariko Inoue¹, Toshiro Tango^2,1

¹Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan

²Center for Medical Statistics, Tokyo, Japan

Background: Suicide mortality in Japan has declined over a period of more than 10 years, however, differences in longitudinal trajectories at a regional level are not well characterized. Objective was to clarify the longitudinal suicide mortality trajectories at the regional level in Tokyo from 2011 to 2021 by considering spatial smoothing, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This longitudinal cross-sectional analysis used fifty-four regions in Tokyo, Japan. Suicide mortality trends used data from the Cabinet Office of the Japanese government from 2011 to 2021. Regional social and environmental characteristics were used as 10 covariates. Empirical Bayes estimates for the standardized mortality ratio were obtained. A conditional autoregressive (CAR) model was applied to capture the spatial correlation for a crude and adjusted with 10 covariates using OpenBUGS. Spatial clusters were also identified by FlexScan, SaTScan, and Tango’s test.

Results: Longitudinal trajectories for both males and females were similar to a decreasing trend in all Japan until 2019. In 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the age-specific suicide deaths were the highest among those in their 20s. However, those were the highest among males in their 50s in 2021. The results of the CAR models adjusted for 10 covariates detected several regions as having higher suicide rates, but those regions were somewhat varied.

Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, both sexes in their 20s and males in their 50s showed a tendency toward an increase in suicides. The detected regions by spatial epidemiology varied with sex.

Heather Boagey^1,2, Jasleen K. Jolly^1,3,4, Anne E. Ferrey^5*

¹Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

²School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

³Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK

⁴Vision and Eye Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

⁵Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

A diagnosis of conditions leading to vision loss can be devastating and often impacts mental health. Understanding this allows us to consider what provisions might help those who are impacted. We undertook 18 semi-structured interviews with patients diagnosed with eye disease leading to vision loss to explore its psychological impact. Participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), providing a snapshot of their depression and anxiety levels at the time of interview. NVivo-12 software (QSR International Ltd, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA) was used to inductively analyse and code data to identify themes related to the psychological impact. Participants had a mean BDI score of 9.6, and thematic analysis generated five key themes and associated subthemes. Coming to terms with the diagnosis included discussion of subthemes of “denial” and moving towards “acceptance”. Effects on mental health included depression/low mood, anxiety, and stress-related worsening of vision. Loss included various losses following initial loss of vision. Effects on identity included facing a curtailed life, worry that visual impairment might define a person’s identity, and feelings of frustration with their own loss of function and with others’ reactions to their disability. The future included thoughts about long-term consequences, both negative and positive (e.g., maximizing experiences given the vision one has left). Although such a diagnosis will nearly always have a psychological impact and require work to move toward acceptance, support could mitigate impact on mental health, such as practical support (e.g., advice on low vision aids), and psychological support.

Simon Xin Min Dong

International Institute of Consciousness Science^®, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Peptic ulcers, including duodenal and gastric ulcers, were currently considered an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori. However, this etiology cannot explain the major characteristics and observations/phenomena of the disease. To address the challenge, a Complex Causal Relationship with its accompanying methodologies was applied to analyze the existing data. Peptic ulcers were identified as a psychosomatic disease triggered by psychological stress, whereas Helicobacter pylori plays a secondary role in the late phase of peptic ulceration. This etiology addresses all the characteristics, observations/phenomena, controversies, and mysteries of peptic ulcers in a series of 6 articles. This third article discusses the etiology in-depth, painting a complete picture of the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers. The early phase is a long-term abstract psychopathological process, starting from early life when the impacts of multiple psychosomatic factors are transformed into hyperplasia and hypertrophy of gastrin and parietal cells and/or negative life-views via superposition mechanism. These pre-existing abnormalities potentiate the individual’s response to current psychological stress in the intermediate phase, resulting in hypersecretion of gastric acid and/or pre-ulcer lesions. The late phase is a corrosion process caused by gastric acid, Helicobacter pylori, and/or NSAIDs, resulting in duodenal and/or gastric ulcers. This complete picture highlights the importance of past life experience in peptic ulcers and visualizes the non-causal roles of gastric acid, Helicobacter pylori, and NSAIDs. Significantly, the holistic view provided by the complete picture suggests that life phenomena and diseases are highly complex, and an advanced way of thinking is indispensable for life science and medical studies.

Simon Xin Min Dong

International Institute of Consciousness Science^®, Vancouver, BC, Canada

The first detailed description of the morphology of gastric ulcer was reported ~230 years ago, but the mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Moreover, peptic ulcers, including duodenal and gastric ulcers, are currently considered an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori, but how the infection leads to ulceration remains elusive. To address these challenges, a recently published Complex Causal Relationship was applied to analyze the existing data. Peptic ulcers were identified as a psychosomatic disease triggered by psychological stress, where Helicobacter pylori plays a secondary role in only the late phase of the disease. This etiology explained all the characteristics and observations/phenomena of peptic ulcers in a series of 6 articles. This second article focused on the pathogenesis of gastric ulcers. Based on hereditary predisposition, the accumulation of past life experiences incurs the formation of a negative lifeview. Consequently, the individual tends to negatively evaluate themselves or current life events, leading to acute psychological stress. The psychological stress triggers the release of aberrant neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, which in turn cause the transmission of pathogenic nerve impulses to the stomach, resulting in a ‘pre-ulcer lesion’ in the gastric wall and eventually, gastric ulcer. This psychopathological model elucidated 12 characteristics and 24 observations/phenomena of gastric ulcer, along with the roles of gastric acid, Helicobacter pylori, and NSAIDs. The effectiveness suggests that theoretical research and empirical study are equally important in medical explorations, and the guiding roles of philosophy are indispensable for the major progress of life science and medicine.

Young R. Shim^1*, Rebecca Eaker¹, Junkoo Park²

¹Department of Psychology, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia, USA

²Department of Mathematics, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia, USA

Objective: The present study examined whether psychoeducational tools are beneficial in improving awareness and reducing stigma regarding mental health. This study aims to increase mental health awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

Methods: The study is quantitative research. In this study, 147 students registered in the Abnormal Psychology course, which focuses on mental illness, were recruited. Students signed informed consent and participated in the study voluntarily. Students completed the demographic questions, Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale (BTMI), and Stig-9 questionnaire (stig-9).

Results: Our findings revealed a significant difference in beliefs and awareness about mental health and a decrease in stigma after students completed the Abnormal Psychology course. The statistical analysis revealed that students believe mental health is more curable and less embarrassing after taking mental health education. Finally, our findings demonstrated a direct impact of the educational experience on student attitudes toward mental health.

Conclusion: Our finding indicates that mental health education is a promising tool to raise awareness and understanding and reduce the stigma regarding mental health. Providing students with mental health education and training enabled students to learn and understand issues with mental illness. This study demonstrated a direct impact on the educational experience on student attitudes toward mental health.

Seyed-Shahab Banihashem¹, Sahar Ashrafzadeh², Mehrshad Poursaied Esfahani³, Zeinab Morsalivachin⁴, Alireza Shamsi⁵, Somaye Motazedian⁶, Mohammadreza Mousavipour^7*

¹Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Taleghani Hospital Research Development Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

²David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

³Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁴Department of Surgery School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences. Tehran, Iran

⁵Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Taleghani Hospital

⁶Taleghani Hospital, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁷School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Purpose: To compare the effects of lithium and valproate on the body composition of psychiatric patients.

Methods: This prospective cohort study evaluated the effects of lithium and valproate on body composition. Twenty-eight patients with type I bipolar disorder aged 23-54 years who just had started monotherapy were recruited. Body weight, percent body fat (PBF), soft lean mass, body mass index (BMI), and total body water were measured at baseline, one month, and six months. Changes in the body composition parameters between patients taking lithium (n=14) versus valproate (n=14) were compared.

Findings: Overall mean age of study participants was 37.21 (±8) years, and 53.5% of patients were female. Average body weight gains in the first month were 1.3 kg and 2.2 kg for the lithium and valproate groups, respectively (p-value = 0.042). Mean body weight gain in the six months compared to the baseline was only 0.6 kg for the lithium group, while it was 4.3 kg for the valproate group (p-value < 0.001). The average increase in PBF at six months among patients treated with lithium versus valproate was 0.07% versus 2.2% respectively (p-value = 0.018). Patients treated with lithium had a smaller increase in their BMI in the sixth month of the study compared to the valproate group, with a mean change of 0.2 versus 2.3 kg/m², respectively (p-value = 0.019).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in patients with type I bipolar disorder, valproate leads to greater weight gain, BMI, and increase in PBF compared to lithium.

Simon Xin Min Dong^*

International Institute of Consciousness Science®, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Peptic ulcers, including duodenal and gastric ulcers, are currently studied as an infectious disease caused by Helicobacter pylori. However, this etiology cannot elucidate the major characteristics and observations/phenomena of the disease, as well as the roles of gastric acid and NSAIDs. Additionally, many patients with severe ulcer symptoms have no infection, suggesting bacterial eradication cannot prevent relapses in all ulcer patients. To address these challenges, a recently published Complex Causal Relationship with its accompanying methodologies was applied to analyze the existing data. Peptic ulcers were identified as a psychosomatic disease triggered by psychological stress, where Helicobacter pylori plays a secondary role in only the late phase of ulceration. An integration of five major etiological theories in history illustrated the entire pathogenesis of peptic ulcers, which addressed all the characteristics, observations/phenomena, controversies, and mysteries of the disease in a series of 6 articles. This first article focuses on the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcers. The hyperplasia and hypertrophy of gastrin and parietal cells induced by chronic stress potentiate the individual’s response to immediate stress, resulting in the hypersecretion of gastric acid and eventually, duodenal ulceration. This psychopathological mechanism resolved all the controversies associated with Helicobacter pylori and explicitly elucidated 7 characteristics of duodenal ulcers, as well as 42 observations/phenomena. The roles of gastric acid, Helicobacter pylori, and NSAIDs in duodenal ulcers were also identified. The effectiveness validated the etiology of duodenal ulcers identified by the Complex Causal Relationship, indicating stress management is essential for a complete cure of the disease without relapse.

Fayez Mahamid^*, Denise Ziya Berte, Naeem Salameh

An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine

Forensic Psychology is the branch of psychology focused on the production and application of psychological principles to the legal process including competency, validity of defenses based on mental health behavior, predicting violent behavior, assessing injury and child custody¹. Forensic Psychology has evolved in the United States since 2001 when it was recognized as a specialty of the American Psychological Association (APA) and psychologists are now serving the court systems in a wide variety of tasks². Unfortunately, in developing nations such as Palestine both access to and understanding of the specialty of Forensic Psychology is minimal, leaving critical functions of legal systems where psychological data is needed, unserved and uninformed³.

The following study was conducted in Nablus, West Bank Palestine where the first Master of Clinical Psychology program has produced a cohort of mental health professionals with an expertise in Forensic Psychology. The intervention focused on the training of lawyers (with a specialty in domestic violence and family protection) on the general principles and uses of psychology in the legal system and an introduction of how they could use forensic psychologists to the benefit of the court. The data determined that participants in the one-day training module gain significant understanding and motivation to use forensic psychologists in their practice (.002 level of significance) and that the effect was undifferentiated by age, gender, place of residence or education level).

The current study determines that with a minimal effort legal professionals can gain both understanding and a motivation to use psychological professionals, even in systems where there was no previous exposure to the field. Such openings can change the practice of law and legal systems in a positive way to include the expertise of mental health professionals at every level of governance and jurisdiction. Having access to and incorporating psychological data from qualified professionals into developing legal institutions is critical in insuring human rights and scienced based evidence at every level of societal systems.

Kalsang Tshering

NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, NY, USA

Healthcare systems have long recognized the impact of adverse health events on patients and families, and in recent years have gone further to identify the resulting emotional strains on the healthcare workforce. This attention to emotional health, which has been described as the overall state of one's emotions and the ability to manage and adapt to stressors, is also referred to as "emotional wellness" or "wellbeing." As this concept of wellness expands and evolves in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic into a priority on the wellbeing of those in the helping professions, the current review explores the existing literature on the impact of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and their relationship to occupational burnout, with the conclusion that the emotional wellness of healthcare stakeholders and the health of an organization itself are not mutually exclusive. A review of these identified areas of occupational wellness is conducted, as well as a summary of findings emphasizing its significant implications for the healthcare workforce moving forward, both in relation to tangible costs to the healthcare industry and its reach to the bedside in the form of reported patient experience.

Felix Diotte¹, Stephane Potvin², Donna Lang³, Amal Abdel-Baki⁴, Alicia Spidel⁵, Marie Villeneuve⁶, Tania Lecomte^1*

¹Departement of psychology, University of Montréal

²Departement of psychiatry and addiction, University of Montréal, Canada,

³Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Canada,

⁴Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Canada,

⁵University of Fraser Valley, Fraser Health, Canada,

⁶Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada

As many as 43% of methamphetamine users will have a psychotic episode in their lifetime. Of these, 30% will develop a primary psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. The current state of the literature does not currently allow us to determine who will develop a primary psychotic disorder following a methamphetamine-induced psychosis (MIPD). This distinction is important, since people with a first episode of a psychotic disorder need specific and rapid treatments to ensure optimal recovery. Social cognition could help predict distinct profiles. The aim of this scoping review is to evaluate the literature in order to extract the differences between MIPD and primary psychotic disorders in the domain of social cognition. Articles were recovered from PsychINFO, Medline and Web of science and were retained if they met the following inclusion criteria: (a) original research or meta-analyses, (b) complete or partial sample with a psychotic disorder diagnosis with comorbid methamphetamine use, or MIPD, (c) studies focusing on the difference between a methamphetamine-induced psychosis and a primary psychotic disorder, and (d) studies focusing on social cognition in psychotic or methamphetamine using population. A total of 17 articles were identified, with none directly aiming at distinguishing MIPD and primary psychotic disorder using social cognition. Future studies on social cognition are needed in order to determine differences in the severity of deficits between the two profiles.

Noboru Iwata^1*, Takashi Shimizu²

¹Faculty of Healthcare, Kiryu University, Gunma, Japan.

²Japan Medi-Mental Institute, Tokyo, Japan

Objective: The present study examined the association of anxiety- and anger-related components to depressive symptomatology for men and women.

Methods: The study relied on a cross-sectional design. of 2,054 Japanese workers affiliated with two occupational settings, complete responses on measures for depression, anxiety, and anger, were obtained from 1,862 workers (90.7%: 1,521 men, 341 women). A stepwise regression analysis was executed by gender and age group.

Results: Stepwise regression analysis revealed that main components were almost the same for both genders, i.e., trait anxiety, state anger and anger suppression. However, the explaining variances of anger were much larger for men, whereas those of state anxiety were larger for women. Anger expression outward was selected for men, but not for women.

Conclusions: Depressive symptomatology was largely explained by trait anxiety, state anger, and anger expression style. For men, state anger and either expression of feelings of anger inward or outward were exacerbating their depression as compared to women. This could explain in part the gender differences in depression.

Natasha M. Simske, Trenton Rivera, Bryan O. Ren, Alex Benedick, Megen Simpson, Sarah B. Hendrickson, Heather A. Vallier

MetroHealth System, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

Mental illness is pervasive among trauma populations and is linked to worse outcomes and recidivism. The Victims of Crime Advocacy and Recovery Program (VOCARP) prospectively provides patient services such as educational materials, compensation, advocacy and mental health care to patients with physical injuries. The purpose was to assess for relationship between resource use and development of mental illness after injury. Two control groups: a random selection of patients who did not use VOCARP (n=212) and 201 patients with non-violent trauma were obtained. Over 22 months 1,019 patients utilized VOCARP. Of all 1,432 patients, 43% had preexisting mental illness, and 17% had a new or worsening mental illness after injury. Patients with VOCARP use had more preexisting mental illness (47% vs. 35%, p<0.01), particularly depression and stress disorders. Conversely, VOCARP use was associated with lower rates of mental illness post-injury (15% vs. 22%). Following injury, VOCARP users had more stress disorders (57% vs. 37%), but less depression (25% vs. 41%) and suicidal ideation (7% vs. 24%), all p<0.05. 113 patients (11% of 1,019) used mental health services, which was associated with lower recidivism for new violent injury (4.4% vs. 11.7%, p=0.016). On regression analysis, unemployment (OR: 0.61, p=0.012) and use of VOCARP services (OR: 0.54, p=0.008) were predictive of decreased risk for new mental illness. Mental illness is pervasive among patients with injuries resulting from violence. VOCARP programming appears beneficial for limiting risk of new mental illness after injury.

Connor Patros^1*, Michael Genovese^2*

¹Mindyra Health Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

²Acadia Healthcare, Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Gonzalo Segrelles-Calvo¹*, Estefanía Llopis-Pastor¹, Glauber Ribeiro de Sousa Araújo², Inés Escribano¹, Esther Antón¹, Laura Rey¹, Nestor Rodriguez Melean¹, Marta Hernández¹, Javier Carrillo¹, Celia Zamarro¹, Mercedes García-Salmones¹, Susana Frases².

¹Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit, Respiratory Department, University Rey Juan Carlos Hospital, Madrid, Spain

²Laboratorio de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Introduction: The study aimed to analyse the clinical response and short-term outcomes with the use of high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) with bilevel positive airway pressure, or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in severe COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We conducted an observational, prospective, single-center study, approved by Ethics Committee of “Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz” (EO102-20-HRJC).

We included a total of 130 patients ≥18 years-old, with proved SARS-CoV-2 infection and secondary Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF) that required treatment with Non-invasive Respiratory Support (NIRS). We collected data about population demographic characteristics, clinical factors, and evolution during the incoming. A baseline of patients treated with HFO, CPAP and NIMV were compared with one-way ANOVA test, while categorical variables were expressed as numbers and percentages and were compared using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test when appropriate.

Results: The cohort was distributed as follows: CPAP 54.6% (n = 71), NIMV 30% (n = 39), HFO 15.4% (n = 20). There were no differences between NIRS subgroups regarding age, comorbidity, or functional status. At the beginning of NIRS treatment, PaO₂/FiO₂ value was 149.3 ± 69.7. After 24 hours, PaO₂/FiO₂ was significantly higher in the CPAP group (CPAPvsNIMV, p-value = 0.0042; CPAPvsHFO, p-value = 0.000169).

The overall ICU admission evaded rate was 69.1% and TF rate was 43.8%, without differences between the three therapies (p-value = 0.281). The mortality rate was 37.2%, without significant differences between subgroups.

Conclusions: Our data suggest that CPAP versus treatment with NIMV or HFO improves PaO₂/FiO₂ rate in severe ARF patients, significantly reducing ICU admission. No differences were observed in mortality or therapeutic failure.

Gigi Tevzadze¹, Elene Zhuravliova^2,3, David Mikeladze^2,3*

¹4-D Research Institute, Ilia State University, 3/5 Cholokashvili av, Tbilisi, 0162, Georgia

²Institute of Chemical Biology, Ilia State University, 3/5 Cholokashvili av, Tbilisi, 0162, Georgia

³I. Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine 14, Gotua Str., Tbilisi 0160, Georgia

Shervin Assari*

Department of Urban Public Health & Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Background: According to the Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs), highly educated African American (AA) and Latino people remain at high risk of tobacco use. One hypothesis suggests that this high risk of tobacco use stems from AA and Latino people remaining unrealistically optimistic, resulting in the risks of tobacco use being discounted. Aims: To better understand the role of cognitive bias as a mechanism behind the high risk of smoking in highly educated minorities, we studied ethnic variation in the association between smoking intensity and perceiving oneself as a smoker among young American adult established current smokers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of 2,475 young adults (18-24 years) who were current established smokers. The data came from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH; 2013) study, a nationally representative survey in the US. The independent variable was smoking intensity. The dependent variable was not perceiving oneself as a smoker (probably due to optimistic cognitive bias and discounting the risk). Age, gender, and education were the covariates. Ethnicity was the moderator. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the data.

Results: From the total number of 2,475 current smokers, 2106 (85.1%) perceived themselves-as a smoker, and 369 (14.9%) smokers perceived themselves as a non-smoker. A high level of smoking intensity was associated with lower odds of not perceiving oneself as a smoker. Two significant interactions were found between Latino and AA ethnicity and smoking intensity, suggesting that the effect of smoking intensity on perceiving oneself as a smoker is weaker in AAs than Whites and Latinos than non-Latinos.

Conclusions:While tobacco use intensity is associated with a lower likelihood of optimistic cognitive bias and not perceiving oneself as a smoker, Latino and AA young adults who smoke many cigarettes a day are more likely than their non-Latino White counterparts with the same smoking risk not to perceive themself as a smoker. This finding suggests a psychological discounting of risk among AA and Latino smokers. Such cognitive bias may help them avoid cognitive dissonance and reduce their own perceived risk of cancer and other fatal conditions from smoking. A cognitive bias may increase the smoking burden of AA and Latino young adults through discounting smoking risk.

Kevin J. Rivera¹, Jenny Y. Zhang², David C. Mohr³, Annie B. Wescott⁴, Aderonke Bamgbose Pederson^2*

¹Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa. 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States

²Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. 446 E. Ontario St, #7-200, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

³Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. 680 N. Lake Shore Dr, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

⁴Galter Health Sciences Library, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. 320 E Superior St, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

Among African Americans, the chronicity and severity of mental illness correlates with worse health outcomes and widens health disparities. Stigma related to mental illness compounds mental health disparities by creating barriers to help-seeking behavior. We examine the current tools designed to reduce mental illness stigma and promote improved mental health outcomes among African Americans. The authors reviewed the current evidence in the literature for such stigma reduction interventions. The review team developed a focused search across four databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and APA PsycINFO. Initial searches identified 120 articles, from which six studies were included as reporting on mental illness stigma reduction interventions among African Americans. We describe these four quantitative and two qualitative studies. There have been various interventions used among African Americans to reduce mental illness stigma, and the level of efficacy and effectiveness is not well studied. Our review demonstrated a need for more robust studies to yield strong evidence on effectiveness among stigma reduction interventions in this target population. The evidence does support tailoring intervention studies to this population. Effectively engaging and partnering with key stakeholders, including schools, community organizations, and faith-based institutions enhances the acceptance and delivery of stigma reduction interventions.

Allen Azizian

Department of Criminology, California State University, Fresno, USA

The term evidence-based is increasingly found in treatment manuals and program titles designed for individuals convicted of a sexual offense. However, whether the presented evidence truly qualifies as “evidence-based” is questionable. I will share my experience as the clinical director for a private outpatient agency where we designed a program based on the existing peer-reviewed literature on individuals convicted of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) offenses. I will describe the steps that we followed in developing a workgroup to explore and apply the knowledge from research to our clinical practice. We adapted the term evidence-informed to acknowledge that the program relied on existing literature in combination with the experiences and expertise of our clinical team. A fictitious case that reflects an amalgamation of facts is presented to demonstrate the assessment and treatment processes. Implications for organizational consensus to conduct program evaluation and research are discussed.

Aderonke Bamgbose Pederson^1*, Valerie Earnshaw², Crystal T. Clark^1*, Katelyn Zumpf¹, Inger Burnett-Zeigler¹

¹Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, United Sates

²Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, United Sates

Background: Mental health stigma results in unmet mental health needs. Research describing predictors of stigma remains limited among Black immigrants. We aim to examine stigma associated with mental illness among a group of Black immigrant women.

Methods: We examined data from 22 women from two Black immigrant community centers. We collected surveys on demographics, cultural beliefs, migration status, religiosity and mental health stigma. Simple linear regression was used to model the unadjusted association between each component variable and overall stigma scores. All analyses were conducted using R and assumed a two-sided, 5% level of significance.

Results: A linear relationship was found between author-generated scale, the Stigma and Culture Survey (SCS) and the Depression Self Stigma Scale (DSSS). Among respondents, use of religious resources was associated with less stigma (p-value: 0.04). Whereas spirituality and morality was associated with greater stigma (p-value: 0.003). United States citizenship was associated with less stigma (p-value: 0.0001).

Discussion/Conclusion: Religion and spirituality are critical to understanding mental health stigma among Black immigrants. Studies aimed at assessing and reducing stigma need to critically engage with cultural and religious factors.

Danielle M. Viola*

Tranquil Tides Mental Health & Wellness, LLC, USA

Cell phone and social media usage have become intriguing topics to explore and discuss over recent years. This research aims to review correlations of negative effects in mental and physical health caused by cell phone and social media use in the past two decades. The history of cell phones and their capabilities will be introduced. The need for human connection will be emphasized.  Exploration of the connection between unbalanced use and different aspects of health will be evaluated such as addiction, social influences, brain changes, and multitasking. Lastly, resources and recommendations to find balance and support for anyone being adversely affected by cell phones and social media will be provided. Current literature reveals that there is a negative correlation between increased cell phone and social media use with human connection, mental health, and physical health.

Shervin Assari*^1,2, MD, MPH

¹Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA

²Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA 

Background: In the United States, due to residential segregation, racial minorities and families with low socioeconomic status (SES) tend to live in less safe neighborhoods than their White and high SES counterparts. As such, in the US, race, and SES closely correlate with neighborhood safety. Due to the high chronicity of stress in unsafe neighborhoods, perceived neighborhood safety may be a mechanism through which race and SES are linked to children’s mental health. Simultaneously, race and SES may alter the effects of perceived neighborhood safety on children's mental health. Aim: To explore racial and SES differences in the effects of neighborhood safety on children's internalizing symptoms, we compared racially and SES diverse groups of American children for the effects of parents’ perceived neighborhood safety on children's internalizing symptoms. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 10484 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Mixed-effects regression was used for data analysis. The predictor variable was parents’ perceived neighborhood safety which was treated as a continuous measure. The primary outcome was children's internalizing symptoms reported by children. Race, parental education, household income, and family structure were moderators. Results: Overall, the parents' high neighborhood safety was associated with lower levels of internalizing symptoms in children. Race and household income showed statistically significant interactions with subjective neighborhood safety on children's internalizing symptoms. Parents’ perceived neighborhood safety showed a stronger inverse association with children's internalizing symptoms for Black than White families. Parents’ perceived neighborhood safety showed a stronger inverse association with children's internalizing symptoms for high-income than low-income families. Parental education or family structure did not show any significant interaction with parents’ perceived neighborhood safety on children’s internalizing symptoms. Conclusion: The degree to which neighborhood safety may be associated with children's internalizing symptoms may depend on race and household income. Some of the effects of race and SES on children’s mental health outcomes may be due to interactions with contextual factors such as neighborhood safety. More research is needed on why and how diverse racial and SES groups differ in the association between perceived neighborhood safety and children’s well-being.

Kathryn Pitten^*

Territory Business Manager, Boston, Alkermes, USA

Background: There has long been an association between family history and mental illness; however, recently, researchers have focused on the correlation between childhood adverse events and mood disorders, specifically bipolar disorder.
Methods: A literature search of peer reviewed journals published from 2015 to 2020 was conducted using the keywords: childhood adverse events, childhood adversity, childhood trauma, bipolar disorder, mental illness, and mood disorders from the EBSCO database which included, APA PsychArticles, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and MEDLINE.
Results: : The results demonstrate a strong correlation between childhood adverse events and bipolar disorder specifically, sexual abuse in females, maternal separation, economic difficulties and family history of mental illness. Specific childhood adverse events show a correlation with specific types of mental illness. The recollection of abuse is associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. Additionally, childhood adverse events are associated with clinical outcomes of bipolar disorder including age of onset, chronicity, psychotic episodes and suicidality.
Conclusion: : The findings suggest that females that experience childhood adverse events may be at a higher risk for developing bipolar disorder and the clinical outcome of bipolar disorder may also be affected by the type and number of childhood adverse events. The results also suggest that schizophrenic spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are associated with different childhood adverse events. Females who have recollections of childhood abuse are at an increased risk for depressive symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. Psychosocial interventions that are geared towards limiting childhood adverse events may reduce the incidence of mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder.

Aman Dule¹*, Gutema Ahmed², Worknesh Tessema², Matiwos Soboka²

 

¹Mettu University, College of health science, Department of psychiatry, Mettu, Ethiopia

²Jimma University, Institute of health science, Faculty of medicine, Department of psychiatry, Jimma, Ethiopia

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the quality of sleep and contributing factors in treated patients with schophrenia.

Materials and methods: The sleep quality of 411 subjects in treatment for schizophrenia was assessed. A cross-sectional study design was used to determine mediating factors. A consecutive sampling technique was used for recruitment. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess outcome variables, and the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and the four-item Morisky-Green test (MGT) was used for symptom severity and medication adherence. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factor association and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and a p-value < 0.05 determined statistical significance.

Results: More than half of the patients were poor sleepers. Sleep determinants were: a) urban residence AOR=3.08 [2.57, 8.12], b) family size ≥6 AOR=2.72 [1.38, 5.08], c) current khat use AOR=2.30 [1.22, 4.31], d) low antipsychotics adherence AOR=6.23 [3.61, 10.75], e) positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) for positive symptoms greater than mean AOR=2.99 [1.69, 5.30] and PANSS for general symptoms greater than mean AOR=4.22 [2.22, 8.05]. These were all significantly associated with sleep quality on multiple logistic regressions.

Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of poor sleep quality among schizophrenia patients and risk factors are known. It is time to address these factors clinically to ensure better health for this population.