scholarly journals Highly public anti-Black violence is associated with poor mental health days for Black Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (17) ◽  
pp. e2019624118
Author(s):  
David S. Curtis ◽  
Tessa Washburn ◽  
Hedwig Lee ◽  
Ken R. Smith ◽  
Jaewhan Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
National Interest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Racial Violence ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
Racial Incidents

Highly public anti-Black violence in the United States may cause widely experienced distress for Black Americans. This study identifies 49 publicized incidents of racial violence and quantifies national interest based on Google searches; incidents include police killings of Black individuals, decisions not to indict or convict the officer involved, and hate crime murders. Weekly time series of population mental health are produced for 2012 through 2017 using two sources: 1) Google Trends as national search volume for psychological distress terms and 2) the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) as average poor mental health days in the past 30 d among Black respondents (mean weekly sample size of 696). Autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models accounted for autocorrelation, monthly unemployment, season and year effects, 52-wk lags, news-related searches for suicide (for Google Trends), and depression prevalence and percent female (for BRFSS). National search interest varied more than 100-fold between racial violence incidents. Black BRFSS respondents reported 0.26 more poor mental health days during weeks with two or more racial incidents relative to none, and 0.13 more days with each log10 increase in national interest. Estimates were robust to sensitivity tests, including controlling for monthly number of Black homicide victims and weekly search interest in riots. As expected, racial incidents did not predict average poor mental health days among White BRFSS respondents. Results with national psychological distress from Google Trends were mixed but generally unsupportive of hypotheses. Reducing anti-Black violence may benefit Black Americans’ mental health nationally.

scholarly journals Increase in searches for erectile dysfunction during winter: seasonal variation evidence from Google Trends in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belén Mora Garijo ◽  
Jonathan E. Katz ◽  
Aubrey Greer ◽  
Mia Gonzalgo ◽  
Alejandro García López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Erectile Dysfunction ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Kidney Stones ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Search Volume

AbstractSeveral diseases associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), are known to have seasonal variation, with increased incidence during winter months. However, no literature exists on whether this chronological-seasonal evolution is also present within ED symptomatology. We hypothesized ED would follow the seasonal pattern of its lifestyle-influenced comorbid conditions and exhibit increased incidence during winter months. In order to investigate the seasonal variation of ED in the United States between 2009 and 2019, Internet search query data were obtained using Google Trends. Normalized search volume was determined during the winter and summer seasons for ED, other diseases known to be significantly associated with ED (T2DM and CAD), kidney stones (positive control), and prostate cancer (negative control). There were significantly more internet search queries for ED during the winter than during the summer (p = 0.001). CAD and T2DM also had significantly increased search volume during winter months compared to summer months (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). By contrast, searches for kidney stones were significantly increased in the summer than in the winter (p < 0.001). There was no significant seasonal variation in the relative search frequency for prostate cancer (p = 0.75). In conclusion, Google Trends internet search data across a ten-year period in the United States suggested a seasonal variation in ED, which implies an increase in ED during winter. This novel finding in ED epidemiology may help increase awareness of ED’s associated lifestyle risk factors, which may facilitate early medical evaluation and treatment for those at risk of both ED and cardiovascular disease.

Young construction workers: substance use, mental health, and workplace psychosocial factors

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Pidd ◽  
Vinita Duraisingam ◽  
Ann Roche ◽  
Allan Trifonoff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Young Australian workers are at elevated risk of mental health and alcohol and other drug related problems. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between alcohol and drug (AOD) use, psychological wellbeing, and the workplace psychosocial environment among young apprentices in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of a cohort of 169 construction industry apprentices in their first year of training was undertaken. The survey included measures of psychological distress (K10), quantity/frequency measures of alcohol and illicit drug use, and workplace psychosocial factors. Findings Construction industry apprentices are at elevated risk of AOD related harm and poor mental health. Levels of psychological distress and substance use were substantially higher than age/gender equivalent Australian population norms. Job stress, workplace bullying, and general social support accounted for 38.2 per cent of the variance in psychological distress. General social support moderated the effects of job stress and bullying on psychological distress. Substance use was not associated with psychological distress. However, workplace social support accounted for 2.1 per cent of the variance in AUDIT-C scores, and 2.0 per cent of the variance in cannabis use. Workplace bullying explained 2.4 per cent of the variance in meth/amphetamine use. Practical implications Construction trades apprentices are a high-risk group for harmful substance use and poor mental health. Study results indicate that psychosocial wellbeing interventions are warranted as a harm reduction strategy. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind to describe a cohort of Australian construction trade apprentices in terms of their substance use and psychological wellbeing. The study shows workplace psychosocial factors may predict young workers psychological wellbeing.

scholarly journals Cyberbullying victimisation and internalising and externalising problems among adolescents: the moderating role of parent–child relationship and child's sex

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sampasa-Kanyinga ◽  
K. Lalande ◽  
I. Colman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parent Child Relationship ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Externalising Problems ◽  
Bullying Victimisation ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Aims Previous research has found links between cyberbullying victimisation and internalising and externalising problems among adolescents. However, little is known about the factors that might moderate these relationships. Thus, the present study examined the relationships between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress, suicidality, self-rated poor mental health and substance use among adolescents, and tested whether parent–child relationship and child's sex would moderate these relationships. Methods Self-report data on experiences of cyberbullying victimisation, self-rated poor mental health, psychological distress, suicidality and substance use were derived from the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide school-based survey of students in grades 7 through 12 aged 11–20 years (N = 5478). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, subjective socioeconomic status and involvement in physical fighting, bullying victimisation and perpetration at school. Results Cyberbullying victimisation was associated with self-rated poor mental health (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.64–2.81), psychological distress (OR 2.41; 95% CI 1.90–3.06), suicidal ideation (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.83–3.08) and attempts (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.27–3.38), smoking tobacco cigarette (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.45–2.65), cannabis use (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.32–2.51), and binge drinking (OR 1.44; 95% CI 1.03–2.02). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was modified by parent–child relationship and child's sex (three-way interaction term p < 0.05). The association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychological distress was much stronger among boys who have a negative relationship with their parents. Conclusions Findings suggest that cyberbullying victimisation is strongly associated with psychological distress in most adolescents with the exception of males who get along well with their parents. Further research using a longitudinal design is necessary to disentangle the interrelationship among child's sex, parent–child relationship, cyberbullying victimisation and mental health outcomes among adolescents in order to improve ongoing mental health prevention efforts.

scholarly journals Prepregnancy Depression and Breastfeeding Duration: A Look at Maternal Age

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordyn T. Wallenborn ◽  
Anny-Claude Joseph ◽  
Whitney C. Graves ◽  
Saba W. Masho
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Breastfeeding Duration ◽  
Pregnancy Risk ◽  
Care Models ◽  
History Of

Background. In the United States, major depressive disorder affects one in five women aged 20-40 years. During these childbearing years, depression can negatively impact maternal behaviors that are crucial for infant growth and development. This study examined the relationship between prepregnancy depression and breastfeeding duration by maternal age. Methods. Data from Phase 7 (2012-2013) of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (N=62,483) were analyzed. Prepregnancy depression was dichotomized while breastfeeding duration was categorized as never breastfed, breastfed 8 weeks or less, and breastfed more than 8 weeks. Maternal age was a significant effect modifier; therefore, results were stratified by maternal age. Multinomial logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. For women aged 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34 years with prepregnancy depression, the odds of never breastfeeding and breastfeeding 8 weeks or less were significantly higher than in women with no history of prepregnancy depression. Notably, among women aged 25-29 with prepregnancy depression, the odds of never breastfeeding and breastfeeding 8 weeks or less were 93% (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.93, 95% CI =1.57-2.37) and 65% (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.37-1.99) higher compared to women with no history of prepregnancy depression, respectively. Conclusions. Having a history of poor mental health before pregnancy may increase the likelihood of premature breastfeeding cessation. A woman’s mental health status before pregnancy should be considered in reproductive and prenatal care models. Efforts should be made to understand challenges women of specific age groups face when trying to breastfeed.

scholarly journals Psychological Distress Among the U.S. General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christi J. Guerrini ◽  
Sophie C. Schneider ◽  
Andrew G. Guzick ◽  
Gifty N. Amos Nwankwo ◽  
Isabel Canfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Behaviors ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Amazon's Mechanical Turk

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a significant global toll on emotional well-being, but evidence of mental health impacts in the United States remains limited. In April 2020, we conducted an exploratory survey of U.S. residents to understand prevalence of and factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Data collection was conducted using Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and U.S. adult respondents were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. Among 1,366 respondents, 42% (n = 571) reported clinically significant anxiety and 38% (n = 519) reported clinically significant depression. Factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms included Hispanic/Latino ethnicity; younger age; lower income; employment as or living with a health care worker-first responder; caregiver status; SARS-CoV-2 infection status; decreased frequency of engagement in healthy behaviors; and changed frequency of engagement in unhealthy behaviors. That some of these factors are associated with elevated distress during the pandemic is not yet widely appreciated and might be useful in informing management of mental health care resources.

Prevalence and epidemiological associates of novel psychedelic use in the United States adult population

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1058-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D Sexton ◽  
Michael S Crawford ◽  
Noah W Sweat ◽  
Allyson Varley ◽  
Emma E Green ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychosocial Characteristics ◽  
Illicit Use ◽  
Directed Research

Background: Novel psychedelics approximate classic psychedelics, but unlike classic psychedelics, novel psychedelics have been used by humans for a shorter period of time, with fewer data available on these substances. Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of novel psychedelic use and the associations of novel psychedelic use with mental health outcomes. Methods: We estimated the prevalence of self-reported, write-in lifetime novel psychedelic use and evaluated the associations of novel psychedelic use with psychosocial characteristics, past month psychological distress, and past year suicidality among adult respondents pooled from years 2008–2016 of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (weighted n=234,914,788). Results: A fraction (weighted n=273,720; 0.12%) reported lifetime novel psychedelic use. This cohort tended to be younger, male, and White, have greater educational attainment but less income, be more likely to have never been married, engage in self-reported risky behavior, and report lifetime illicit use of other drugs, particularly classic psychedelics (96.9%). (2-(4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine) (2C-B) (30.01%), (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine) (2C-I) (23.9%), and (1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylphenyl)-2-aminoethane) (2C-E) (14.8%) accounted for the majority of lifetime novel psychedelic use. Although lifetime novel psychedelic use was not associated with psychological distress or suicidality compared to no lifetime novel psychedelic use or classic psychedelic use, relative to lifetime use of classic psychedelics but not novel psychedelics, lifetime novel psychedelic use was associated with a greater likelihood of past year suicidal thinking (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=1.4 (1.1–1.9)) and past year suicidal planning (aOR=1.6 (1.1–2.4)). Conclusion: Novel psychedelics may differ from classic psychedelics in meaningful ways, though additional, directed research is needed.

Predicting Public Interest in Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures Using Google Trends

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 1253-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D Tijerina ◽  
Shane D Morrison ◽  
Ian T Nolan ◽  
Matthew J Parham ◽  
Rahim Nazerali
Keyword(s):  
Hyaluronic Acid ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Fat Transfer ◽  
Laser Hair Removal ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Search Volume

Abstract Background Google Trends (GT) provides cost-free, customizable analyses of search traffic for specified terms entered into Google’s search engine. GT may inform plastic surgery marketing decisions and resource allocation. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine GT’s utility in tracking and predicting public interest in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and to examine trends over time of public interest in nonsurgical procedures. Methods GT search volume for terms in 6 ASPS and ASAPS nonsurgical procedure categories (Botox injections, chemical peel, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion and soft tissue fillers [subcategories: collagen, fat, and hyaluronic acid]) were compared with ASPS and ASAPS case volumes for available dates between January 2004 and March 2019 with the use of univariate linear regression, taking P &lt; 0.01 as the cutoff for significance. Results Total search volume varied by search term within the United States and internationally. Significant positive correlations were demonstrated for 17 GT terms in all 6 ASPS and ASAPS categories: “Botox®,” “collagen injections,” “collagen lip injections” with both databases; and “chemical skin peel,” “skin peel,” “acne scar treatment,” “CO2 laser treatment,” “dermabrasion,” “collagen injections,” “collagen lip injections,” “fat transfer,” “hyaluronic acid fillers,” “hyaluronic acid injection,” “hyaluronic acid injections,” “Juvederm®,” and “fat transfer” with just 1 database. Many search terms were not significant, emphasizing the need for careful selection of search terms. Conclusions Our analysis further elaborates on recent characterization of GT as a powerful and intuitive data set for plastic surgeons, with the potential to accurately gauge global and national interest in topics and procedures related to nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.

When Law and Order Works: Boston's Innovative Approach to the Problem of Racial Violence

1986 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-223 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Police Department ◽  
The United States ◽  
Racial Violence ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Law And Order ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Racial Incidents

Racial and ethnic violence continues to be a major problem in the United States. Boston, which experienced hightened racial turmoil since its desegregation process, presents an excellent case study of a police department that faced the problem in a straightforward manner. Traditional methods of classifying and investigating racial incidents were viewed as ineffective. The Boston Police Department developed an innovative approach to the handling of racially motivated crime, which involved implementing a departmentwide policy and creating a specialized police unit. This unit was highly successful in uncovering incidents that under traditional reporting methods appeared commonplace. Upon further examination, these incidents, taken together, indicated persistent and compelling patterns of racial animus. The uncovering of these incidents, the subsequent relabeling of them into “community disorders,” and the development of innovative strategies are described. Policy implications and recommendations are presented. Critics may question the allocation of police resources to a problem that on the surface may appear minor. However, racial violence viewed in the aggregate form has dramatic impact on the quality of life for the victim. A police department that recognizes the significance of this problem is making an important statement about the kind of society we are and what we as a nation stand for.

scholarly journals Mental health inequalities in healthcare, economic, and housing disruption during COVID -19: an investigation in 12 longitudinal studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Di Gessa ◽  
Jane Maddock ◽  
Michael J Green ◽  
Ellen J Thompson ◽  
Eoin McElroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Medication Access

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated virus suppression measures have disrupted lives and livelihoods, potentially exacerbating inequalities. People already experiencing mental ill-health may have been especially vulnerable to disruptions. Aim: Investigate associations between pre-pandemic psychological distress and disruptions during the pandemic to (1) healthcare, economic activity, and housing, (2) cumulative disruptions and 3) whether these differ by age, sex, ethnicity or education. Methods: Data were from 59,482 participants in 12 UK longitudinal adult population surveys with data collected both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants self-reported disruptions since the start of the pandemic to: healthcare (medication access, procedures, or appointments); economic activity (negative changes in employment, income or working hours); and housing (change of address or household composition). Logistic regression models were used within each study to estimate associations between pre-pandemic psychological distress scores and disruption outcomes. Findings were synthesised using a random effects meta-analysis with restricted maximum likelihood. Results: Between one to two-thirds of study participants experienced at least one disruption during the pandemic, with 2.3-33.2% experiencing disruptions in 2 or more of the 3 domains examined. One standard deviation higher pre-pandemic psychological distress was associated with: (i) increased odds of any healthcare disruptions (OR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.40) with fully adjusted ORs ranging from 1.33 [1.20 to 1.49] for disruptions to prescriptions or medication access and 1.24 [1.09 to 1.41] for disruption to procedures; (ii) loss of employment (OR=1.13 [1.06 to 1.21]) and income (OR=1.12 [1.06 to 1.19]) and reductions in working hours/furlough (OR=1.05 [1.00 to 1.09]); (iii) no associations with housing disruptions (OR=1.00 [0.97 to 1.03]); and (iv) increased likelihood of experiencing a disruption in at least two domains (OR=1.25 [1.18 to 1.32]) or in one domain (OR=1.11 [1.07 to 1.16]) relative to experiencing no disruption. We did not find evidence of these associations differing by sex, ethnicity, education level, or age. Conclusion: Those suffering from psychological distress before the pandemic were more likely to experience healthcare disruptions, economic disruptions related to unemployment and loss of income, and to clusters of disruptions across multiple domains during the pandemic. Considering mental ill-health was already unequally distributed in the UK population, the pandemic may exacerbate existing mental health inequalities. Individuals with poor mental health may need additional support to manage these pandemic-associated disruptions.

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