Project description:BackgroundDeliberate Self-Harm (DSH) is a common problem among children and adolescents in clinical and community populations, and there is a considerable amount of literature investigating factors associated with DSH risk and the effects of DSH on the child. However, there is a dearth of research examining the impact of DSH on parents, and there are few support programmes targeted at this population. This cross-sectional study examines the profile of a sample of parents of young people with DSH who participated in a support programme (Supporting Parents and Carers of young people with self-harm: the SPACE programme), with the goal of investigating pre-test parental well-being, family communication, parental satisfaction, perceived parental social support, and child strengths and difficulties.MethodsParticipants were 130 parents who attended the SPACE programme between 2009 and 2012, and who completed six questionnaires at baseline: the General Health Questionnaire-12, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Kansas Parenting Satisfaction Scale, General Functioning Scale of the McMaster Family Assessment Device, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a demographic questionnaire.ResultsThe majority of parents met criteria for minor psychological distress (86%) and rated the quantity and severity of their children's difficulties as being in the abnormally high range (74%) at baseline. A majority of participants (61%) rated their perceived social support as being poor. Lower parental well-being was significantly correlated with poorer family communication, poorer parenting satisfaction, and a greater number of difficulties for the child. Perceived social support was not significantly correlated with parental well-being. Parents whose children were not attending school at baseline had significantly lower well-being scores than those whose children were. Parents whose children had received a formal diagnosis of a mental health disorder also had significantly lower well-being scores than those whose children had not.ConclusionsParents of young people with DSH behaviours face considerable emotional and practical challenges; they have low levels of well-being, parenting satisfaction, social support, and experience poor family communication. Given the importance of parental support for young people with DSH behaviours, consideration should be given to the need for individual or group support for such parents.
Project description:ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to determine whether 1) residents trained in the SEEK (A Safe Environment for Every Kid) model would report improved attitudes, knowledge, comfort, competence, and practice regarding screening for psychosocial risk factors (parental depression, parental substance abuse, intimate partner violence, stress, corporal punishment, and food insecurity); 2) intervention residents would be more likely to screen for and assess those risk factors; and 3) families seen by intervention residents would report improved satisfaction with their child's doctor compared to families receiving standard care from control residents.MethodsPediatric residents in a university-based pediatrics continuity clinic were enrolled onto a randomized controlled trial of the SEEK model. The model included resident training about psychosocial risk factors, a Parent Screening Questionnaire, and a study social worker. Outcome measures included: 1) residents' baseline, 6-month, and 18-month posttraining surveys, 2) medical record review, and 3) parents' satisfaction regarding doctor-parent interaction.ResultsNinety-five residents participated. In 4 of 6 risk areas, intervention residents scored higher on the self-assessment compared to control subjects, with sustained improvement at 18 months. Intervention residents were more likely than control subjects to screen and assess parents for targeted risk factors. Parents seen by intervention residents responded favorably regarding interactions with their doctor.ConclusionsThe SEEK model helped residents become more comfortable and competent in screening for and addressing psychosocial risk factors. The benefits were sustained. Parents viewed the intervention doctors favorably. The model shows promise as a way of helping address major psychosocial problems in pediatric primary care.
Project description:IntroductionShortage and high turnover intention rate of physicians are concerning problems in China. Professional identity has been shown as an influential factor for physicians' turnover intention. Enhancing physicians' professional identity in their early phase of career, standardized residency training program (SRTP), may help reduce the turnover rate. This study aimed to investigate the current status of professional identity and explore its associated psychosocial factors among Chinese SRTP trainees, hoping to provide evidence in strengthening the available medical human resources in China.MethodsThe final sample was comprised of 2,267 Chinese SRTP trainees in this cross-sectional survey conducted from 9 March to 20 March in 2023. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Bivariate analyses and hierarchical multiple linear regression were used to analyze potential associated factors of Chinese SRTP trainees' professional identity.ResultsThe average score of respondents' professional identity was 47.68 (standard deviation, SD = 8.61). Results from hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis showed that being married (β = 0.066, p < 0.01), having work experience before SRTP (β = 0.036, p < 0.05), being satisfied with annual income (β = 0.062, p < 0.01), psychological distress (β = -0.144, p < 0.001), depersonalization (β = -0.053, p < 0.05), emotional exhaustion (β = -0.380, p < 0.001) and resilience (β = 0.169, p < 0.001) were associated with professional identity (F = 114.301, p < 0.001). All associated factors can explain 41.1% of the variance in professional identity, and individual psychological variables make up a substantial portion (28.6%) of this influence.DiscussionIndividual psychological variables are strongly associated with professional identity. Helping SRTP trainees reduce psychological distress, alleviate burnout and enhance resilience may be effective ways to promote the formation of their professional identity.
Project description:The development of extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is driven by chronic inflammatory responses and acquired genetic changes. To investigate its genetic bases, we performed targeted sequencing of 93 genes in 131 MALT lymphomas including 76 from the thyroid. We found frequent deleterious mutations of TET2 (86%), CD274 (53%), TNFRSF14 (53%), and TNFAIP3 (30%) in thyroid MALT lymphoma. CD274 was also frequently deleted, together with mutation seen in 68% of cases. There was a significant association between CD274 mutation/deletion and TNFRSF14 mutation (p = 0.001). CD274 (PD-L1) and TNFRSF14 are ligands for the co-inhibitory receptor PD1 and BTLA on T-helper cells, respectively, their inactivation may free T-cell activities, promoting their help to malignant B-cells. In support of this, both the proportion of activated T-cells (CD4+CD69+/CD4+) within the proximity of malignant B-cells, and the level of transformed blasts were significantly higher in cases with CD274/TNFRSF14 genetic abnormalities than those without these changes. Both CD274 and TNFRSF14 genetic changes were significantly associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (p = 0.01, p = 0.04, respectively), and CD274 mutation/deletion additionally associated with increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, CD274/TNFRSF14 inactivation in thyroid MALT lymphoma B-cells may deregulate their interaction with T-cells, promoting co-stimulations and impairing peripheral tolerance.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) can form the foundation of competency-based assessment in medical training, focused on performance of discipline-specific core clinical activities. OBJECTIVE: To identify EPAs for the Internal Medicine (IM) Educational Milestones to operationalize competency-based assessment of residents using EPAs. METHODS: We used a modified Delphi approach to conduct a 2-step cross-sectional survey of IM educators at a 3-hospital IM residency program; residents also completed a survey. Participants rated the importance and appropriate year of training to reach competence for 30 proposed IM EPAs. Content validity indices identified essential EPAs. We conducted independent sample t tests to determine IM educator-resident agreement and calculated effect sizes. Finally, we determined the effect of different physician roles on ratings. RESULTS: Thirty-six IM educators participated; 22 completed both surveys. Twelve residents participated. Seventeen EPAs had a content validity index of 100%; 10 additional EPAs exceeded 80%. Educators and residents rated the importance of 27 of 30 EPAs similarly. Residents felt that 10 EPAs could be met at least 1 year earlier than educators had specified. CONCLUSIONS: Internal medicine educators had a stable opinion of EPAs developed through this study, and residents generally agreed. Using this approach, programs could identify EPAs for resident evaluation, building on the initial list created via our study.
Project description:Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects the gastric epithelia of its human host. Everyone who is colonized with these pathogenic bacteria can develop gastric inflammation, termed gastritis. Additionally, a small proportion of colonized people develop more adverse outcomes, including gastric ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma, or gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The development of these adverse outcomes is dependent on the establishment of a chronic inflammatory response. The development and control of this chronic inflammatory response are significantly impacted by CD4+ T helper cell activity. Noteworthy, T helper 17 (Th17) cells, a proinflammatory subset of CD4+ T cells, produce several proinflammatory cytokines that activate innate immune cell antimicrobial activity, drive a pathogenic immune response, regulate B cell responses, and participate in wound healing. Therefore, this review was written to take an intricate look at the involvement of Th17 cells and their affiliated cytokines (interleukin-17A [IL-17A], IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, and IL-26) in regulating the immune response to H. pylori colonization and carcinogenesis.
Project description:This paper reports on the development and validation of the COVID Psychosocial Impacts Scale (CPIS), a self-report measure that comprehensively examines both positive and negative psychosocial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first part of the program of work in which the CPIS was administered and compared with a measure of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, K-10) and wellbeing (World Health Organization Well-Being Index, WHO-5). The data were obtained online in 2020 and 2022 at two distinct time points to capture different exposures to the pandemic in the New Zealand population to a non-representative sample of 663 and 687 adults, respectively. Two hundred seventy-one participants took part in both surveys. Findings indicate a unidimensional structure within CPIS subscales and inter-relatedness among CPIS stress-related subscales. The scatter plots and correlation matrix indicate CPIS having a positive moderate correlation with K10 and a negative moderate correlation with WHO-5, indicative of construct validity. The paper outlines contextual factors surrounding CPIS development and makes suggestions for future iterations of CPIS. Further work will examine its psychometric properties across cultures.
Project description:PurposeIt has been shown that in large vestibular schwannomas (VS), radiosurgery (SRS) is inferior with respect to tumor control compared to microsurgical resection (SURGERY). However, SURGERY poses a significantly higher risk of facial-function deterioration (FFD). The aim of this study was to illustrate the effectiveness in terms of number-needed-to-treat/operate (NNO), number-needed-to-harm (NNH), and likelihood-of-harm/help (LHH) by comparing both treatment modalities in large VS.MethodsThis was a retrospective, dual-center cohort study. Tumor size was classified by Hannover Classification. Absolute risk reduction and risk increase were used to derive additional estimates of treatment effectiveness, namely NNO and NNH. LHH was then calculated by a quotient of NNH/NNO to illustrate the risk-benefit-ratio of SURGERY.ResultsFour hundred and forty-nine patients treated met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of tumor recurrence was significantly higher in SRS (14%), compared to SURGERY (3%) resulting in ARR of 11% and NNO of 10. At the same time, SURGERY was related to a significant risk of FFD resulting in an NNH of 12. Overall, the LHH calculated at 1.20 was favored SURGERY, especially in patients under the age of 40 years (LHH = 2.40), cystic VS (LHH = 4.33), and Hannover T3a (LHH = 1.83) and T3b (LHH = 1.80).ConclusionsDue to a poorer response of large VS to SRS, SURGERY is superior with respect to tumor control. One tumor recurrence can be prevented, when 10 patients are treated by SURGERY instead of SRS. Thus, LHH portrays the benefit of SURGERY in large VS even when taking raised FFD into account.