Linguistic Methodologies to Surveil the Leading Causes of Mortality: Scoping Review of Twitter for Public Health Data.

BACKGROUND: Twitter has become a dominant source of public health data and a widely used method to investigate and understand public health-related issues internationally. By leveraging big data methodologies to mine Twitter for health-related data at the individual and community levels, scientists can use the data as a rapid and less expensive source for both epidemiological surveillance and studies on human behavior. However, limited reviews have focused on novel applications of language analyses that examine human health and behavior and the surveillance of several emerging diseases, chronic conditions, and risky behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The primary focus of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive overview of relevant studies that have used Twitter as a data source in public health research to analyze users' tweets to identify and understand physical and mental health conditions and remotely monitor the leading causes of mortality related to emerging disease epidemics, chronic diseases, and risk behaviors. METHODS: A literature search strategy following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) extended guidelines for scoping reviews was used to search specific keywords on Twitter and public health on 5 databases: Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. We reviewed the literature comprising peer-reviewed empirical research articles that included original research published in English-language journals between 2008 and 2021. Key information on Twitter data being leveraged for analyzing user language to study physical and mental health and public health surveillance was extracted. RESULTS: A total of 38 articles that focused primarily on Twitter as a data source met the inclusion criteria for review. In total, two themes emerged from the literature: (1) language analysis to identify health threats and physical and mental health understandings about people and societies and (2) public health surveillance related to leading causes of mortality, primarily representing 3 categories (ie, respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19). The findings suggest that Twitter language data can be mined to detect mental health conditions, disease surveillance, and death rates; identify heart-related content; show how health-related information is shared and discussed; and provide access to users' opinions and feelings. CONCLUSIONS: Twitter analysis shows promise in the field of public health communication and surveillance. It may be essential to use Twitter to supplement more conventional public health surveillance approaches. Twitter can potentially fortify researchers' ability to collect data in a timely way and improve the early identification of potential health threats. Twitter can also help identify subtle signals in language for understanding physical and mental health conditions.

Minding the gap: Evidence, implementation and funding gaps in mental health services delivery for school-aged children.

State and local educational agencies are grappling with growing mental health needs among school-aged children that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. We undertake a case study of the experiences of one state, Tennessee, to examine the landscape of mental health interventions that are being deployed and to illuminate contextual factors that can support their implementation or exacerbate state and local challenges in addressing children's fast-rising mental health needs. We begin with an examination of the knowledge base on interventions and approaches that are commonly employed in K-12 schools to address children's mental health needs, including in Tennessee, with the aim to identify notable gaps in what we understand about their implementation and impacts on student outcomes. We find a lack of rigorous research that can inform efforts to improve the implementation and effectiveness of school-based mental health interventions. We bring this insight to our case-study analysis, which shows that this lack of guidance from research is compounded by inadequate, time-limited and fluctuating public funding that hinders local efforts to establish strong, ongoing programs that provide or connect K-12 students to essential mental health services. We call for more federal funding to support state and local implementation of proven and promising interventions for addressing children's mental health needs and more rigorous evaluations to strengthen the evidence base on their implementation and impacts.

Intention to Use eSanjeevani-OPD App: An Empirical Investigation Using Health Belief Model

Digital health interventions have become an essential component of every public health system since the COVID-19 pandemic. 'eSanjeevani OPD - Stay at Home OPD' is a telemedicine system that connects doctors and patients launched as part of the Ayushman Bharat project of the Indian government. This study analyses various factors affecting the intention to use eSanjeevani. A theoretical model integrating the health belief model and the theory of reasoned action was framed and empirically tested. Responses were collected using a survey questionnaire(n=248). A partial least square-structural equation modeling was used to analyze the linkages between the constructs. Perceived susceptibility and benefits were found to be the most contributing variables. Attitude has a significant mediating effect on the intention to use eSanjeevani. © 2023 IEEE.

Digital mental health interventions for anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

University students are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues, with anxiety and depression identified as the most common conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, self-isolation, and difficulties linked to online teaching and learning have increased their burden of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Thus, the urgent need to intervene in favour of these vulnerable subjects, together with the difficulties in delivering in-person interventions because of lockdowns and restrictions, has led to prioritize digital mental health strategies. This study aimed at systematically reviewing the existing literature on digital mental health interventions targeting anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 emergency. Systematic searches of Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo databases identified eight randomized controlled trials. Regarding anxiety symptoms, digitally delivered cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, and mind-body practice techniques emerged as valid strategies, while digital positive psychology and mindfulness-based interventions showed mixed results. On the other hand, digitally delivered dialectical behaviour therapy and positive psychology interventions have shown some efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms. Overall, the available literature, albeit of low quality, seems to support the role of digital interventions in promoting the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The role of sovereignty in Indigenous community-based health interventions: A qualitative metasynthesis.

Indigenous peoples around the world suffer from health disparities attributed to a plethora of risk factors and social determinants of health stemming from colonialism and systemic oppression. Community-based health interventions have been identified as a means for addressing and reducing Indigenous health disparities by allowing for Indigenous sovereignty to be respected and centered. However, sovereignty relating to Indigenous health and well-being is underresearched. The present article explores the role of sovereignty in Indigenous community-based health interventions. A qualitative metasynthesis was conducted among 14 primary research studies co-authored by Indigenous people describing and evaluating Indigenous community-based health interventions. Five conceptual themes emerged as aspects of sovereignty which benefit Indigenous health and well-being outcomes: integration of culture; relocation of knowledge; connectedness; self-actualization; and stewardship. Implications are discussed, with the goal of creating a decolonial framework rooted in Indigenous epistemologies and perspectives for how sovereignty impacts Indigenous health, as well as strengthening a clear need for further research on and praxis of sovereignty in Indigenous healthcare.

Optimal interventions of infectious disease

The recent outbreak of novel coronavirus has highlighted the need for a benefit-cost framework to guide unconventional public health interventions aimed at reducing close contact between infected and susceptible individuals. In this paper, we propose an optimal control problem for an infectious disease model, wherein the social planner can control the transmission rate by implementing or lifting lockdown measures. The objective is to minimize total costs, which comprise infection costs, as well as fixed and variable costs associated with lockdown measures. We establish conditions concerning model primitives that guarantee the existence of a straightforward optimal policy. The policy specifies two switching points (Formula presented.), whereby the social planner institutes a lockdown when the percentage of infected individuals exceeds (Formula presented.), and reopens the economy when the percentage of infected individuals drops below (Formula presented.). We subsequently extend the model to cases where the social planner may implement multiple lockdown levels. Finally, numerical studies are conducted to gain additional insights into the value of these controls. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Experience of Students in Using Online Mental Health Interventions: A Qualitative Study

Online mental health interventions have been posited as a way to reduce the mental health treatment gap among students in higher education. The effectiveness of these interventions is often limited by low user adherence. A potential solution is to improve user adherence by producing user-centred interventions. A total of 452 students from University College Cork, Ireland participated in the survey, "Tell us About Your Mental Health Post-COVID-19”. The survey examined students' mental health over the past year, their use of technological supports, their use of mental health support services and their ratings of mental health support services used. This study explores students' experiences with technological support. The thematic analysis of 138 open-ended responses produced seven main themes: 1) Appeal 2) Barriers to Use 3) Discovery 4) Drawbacks 5) Purpose 6) Reasons for Stopping and 7) Usage Patterns. The results of this study revealed students' openness to using online mental health resources. It also revealed the barriers and facilitators to their use of these resources. Finally, based on our findings, we provide recommendations to researchers/designers developing online mental health interventions for university students. Some of these recommendations were to ensure safety in online communities, provide good user interfaces, support students in crises and improve the accessibility of online resources to students with learning disabilities. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

An Agent-based Modeling and Simulation Tool for the Exploration of the Effects of Masks and Vaccines on COVID-19 Spread

The pandemic's complexity made it difficult to understand the epidemiological impacts of health interventions, primarily masks and vaccines. Compartmental models alone, which are frequently employed, fall short in evaluating complex systems and heterogeneity of individuals, thus limiting research on these control measures. This study aims to explore the effects of health interventions on Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread using agent-based modeling and simulation. The SEIR framework of compartmental models is employed along with the specific interventions implemented with NetLogo. Exploring the different scenarios demonstrated that respirators and medical masks, for the types of masks, and Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, for the brands of vaccines, are the most effective in reducing infection curve peaks, total infection, and death, when used uniformly. The model can be further extended to comprehend other scenarios and combinations of different control measures for effective planning and policymaking in mitigating the effects of COVID-19. © 2022 IEEE.

A qualitative exploration of college students' experiences using mobile apps to improve self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This project examines students' experiences using a mental health mobile application (app) as part of a class assignment developed to support student well-being. Participants: Data was collected from 265 undergraduate students enrolled in a psychology course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Students developed a self-care goal and used an app to support progress toward it. Thematic analysis was applied to students' written reflections about their experiences using the app and practicing self-care. Results: Students reported using an app for self-care was 1) more helpful than expected for improving focus, productivity, motivation, sleep, and mental health symptoms; 2) challenging due to loss of interest, slow improvement, difficulty integrating into routine, or negative feelings triggered; and 3) influenced by the pandemic and transition to remote learning. Conclusions: A classroom assignment designed to promote self-care using a mental health app shows promise. Future research is needed to better understand engagement and impact.

Social Media and the Influence of Fake News on Global Health Interventions: Implications for a Study on Dengue in Brazil.

Social media usage is growing globally, with an exponential increase in low- and middle-income countries. Social media changes the ways in which information-sharing occurs, intensifying the population's exposure to misinformation, including fake news. This has important repercussions for global health. The spread of fake news can undermine the implementation of evidence-based interventions and weaken the credibility of scientific expertise. This is particularly worrisome in countries, such as Brazil, in a sociopolitical context characterized by a lack of popular trust in public institutions. In this project report, we describe our experience with the spread of fake news through the social media platform WhatsApp during the implementation of a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at reducing dengue incidence in children in Fortaleza (Brazil). During initial visits to selected clusters, the research team was met with resistance. Then, soon after data collection started, fake news began circulating about the study. As a result, the research team developed strategies to dispel suspicion and further promote the study. However, the climate of violence and mistrust, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, forced the interruption of the study in 2019. The lessons learned from our experience in Fortaleza can be useful to other researchers and practitioners implementing large-scale interventions in this era of health-related misinformation.

Facilitating engagement of universal school-based digital mental health solutions through user experience: A qualitative exploration.

Digital mental health intervention (DMHI) programs offered in schools present a readily-accessible and flexible means for educating, empowering, and supporting adolescents in maintaining a balanced mental health, especially during uncertain and stressful times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies indicate that the effectiveness of DMHI programs in improving students' mental well-being and in preventing from their mental health complications depends on the users' engagement. This study focuses on identifying the user experience factors that can facilitate user engagement with universal school-based DMHI programs (i.e., the DMHI programs delivered to the students regardless of their mental health risks or conditions). To identify said factors, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of perceptions, opinions, and preferences of actual end-users (i.e., the adolescents) regarding their experiences with both digital and non-digital mental health resources. Specifically, interviews were conducted with two participant groups to uncover the reasons that could lead the adolescents to better engage with school-based DMHI programs, as well as the shortcomings that could prevent that from happening: (a) adolescent users who had either a high or a low level of engagement with universal DMHI programs of a specific school-based digital mental health solution; and (b) adolescents who had voluntarily used non-digital or non-school-based digital mental health resources for purposes other than treatment. Through a thematic analysis of interview data, the most important (or primary) and the additionally desirable (or secondary) factors that could lead to a higher engagement level for school-based DMHI programs were identified. Lastly, using the evidence gathered from our interviews, specific recommendations are proposed that could help in targeting each identified engagement factor and in increasing the likelihood that school-based DMHI programs achieve their desired outcome for high school students.

Tell Me About It: Adolescent Self-Disclosure with an Online Robot for Mental Health

Self-disclosure to a social robot is a mental health intervention that can decrease stress for adolescents. Online digital robots provide the potential to scale this intervention especially in COVID-19 social distancing situations. However, self-disclosure interactions with digital social robots remain relatively unexplored. We conducted two online self-disclosure studies with adolescents (13-19 years old): our Active Listening Study compared experiences sharing positive, negative, and neutral feelings with a social robot, while our Journaling Study explored differences in sharing stressors by speaking with and without a social robot and by writing. We found that positive prompt tone improved mood while neutral prompt decreased stress, and less negative attitudes toward robots correlate with more qualitatively positive experiences with robot interactions.We also found robot disclosure interactions hold promising potential as a preferred method of self-disclosure over solo speaking, moderated by negative attitudes toward robots. This paper outlines limitations and future work from these studies. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

The integration of technology: Benefits and challenges

Every effort to ensure that palliative care is effective and meaningful has been touched by technology. Digital health interventions may be used, for example, to facilitate targeted communications to individuals through reminders and health promotion messaging in order to stimulate demand for services and broaden access to health information. Palliative social workers have an opportunity to utilize the various forms of technology to enhance overall care. The rise of telehealth services, including telemedicine and teletherapy, began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when use escalated rapidly as critical services needed to continue while practicing social distancing for safety and well- being. Additionally, palliative social workers have an opportunity to improve quality of care by using technology to create social connectedness, help minimize loneliness and isolation, and enhance the patient and family's knowledge base. Technology enables a world of information to be readily available at one's fingertips, and this can have significant implications for patients and families. Palliative social workers have the task of incorporating technology into the process of seeing and supporting the strengths and being present to the vulnerabilities of patients and families while identifying when the technology causes harm. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Insights from Government Officials on Strategies and Practices for Managing the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Background: The study focuses on the challenges faced by government officials in implementing public health interventions to control the spread of COVID-19 in the Lahore District, Pakistan. Material(s) and Method(s): This qualitative study used in-depth interviews to collect data from 45 government officials involved in implementing COVID-19 control measures in Lahore District. Result(s): The study identified several themes related to the challenges faced by government officials, including contact tracing and coordination, disease management and vaccination, public perception and engagement, international travellers management, and implementation strategies. Strategies implemented to address the challenges posed by the pandemic included the utilization of technology, provision of training to staff, coordination with other organizations, identification of high transmission areas, and targeting specific communities or populations at higher risk of infection. Conclusion(s): The effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic requires a coordinated and multi-faceted response that incorporates various strategies and practices aimed at controlling the spread of the disease and mitigating its impact on communities. The authors recommend prioritizing clear and consistent communication, community engagement, and capacity building in pandemic management strategies.Copyright © 2023 Lahore Medical And Dental College. All rights reserved.

A Staging Prediction Model for COVID-19 Pandemic under Strong Public Health Interventions

With the extensive implementation of the strong public health interventions in China, many models proposed to predict COVID-19 epidemic are no longer applicable to the current epidemic development. In this paper, a COVID-19 prediction method is proposed based on a staging SEITR model with consideration of strong public health interventions in China. The method simulates preventive and control measures such as mass nucleic acid testing and quarantine of close contacts by introducing the role of Isolates and the transformation of Exposed to Isolated. The experimental evaluation uses real epidemic data from six cities including Nanjing, Yangzhou, and etc. The accuracy of prediction for total number of infections reaches 95.8% with the data of the first 15 days of the outbreak. In addition, the prediction accuracy of the end of the pandemic is 95.07%. These show that the proposed method can effectively predict the course of the epidemic and it is practical for relevant departments to formulate reasonable prevention and control measures. © 2022 IEEE.

Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 vaccination programme's timing and speed on health benefits, cost-effectiveness, and relative affordability in 27 African countries.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 vaccine supply shortage in 2021 constrained roll-out efforts in Africa while populations experienced waves of epidemics. As supply improves, a key question is whether vaccination remains an impactful and cost-effective strategy given changes in the timing of implementation. METHODS: We assessed the impact of vaccination programme timing using an epidemiological and economic model. We fitted an age-specific dynamic transmission model to reported COVID-19 deaths in 27 African countries to approximate existing immunity resulting from infection before substantial vaccine roll-out. We then projected health outcomes (from symptomatic cases to overall disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted) for different programme start dates (01 January to 01 December 2021, n = 12) and roll-out rates (slow, medium, fast; 275, 826, and 2066 doses/million population-day, respectively) for viral vector and mRNA vaccines by the end of 2022. Roll-out rates used were derived from observed uptake trajectories in this region. Vaccination programmes were assumed to prioritise those above 60 years before other adults. We collected data on vaccine delivery costs, calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) compared to no vaccine use, and compared these ICERs to GDP per capita. We additionally calculated a relative affordability measure of vaccination programmes to assess potential nonmarginal budget impacts. RESULTS: Vaccination programmes with early start dates yielded the most health benefits and lowest ICERs compared to those with late starts. While producing the most health benefits, fast vaccine roll-out did not always result in the lowest ICERs. The highest marginal effectiveness within vaccination programmes was found among older adults. High country income groups, high proportions of populations over 60 years or non-susceptible at the start of vaccination programmes are associated with low ICERs relative to GDP per capita. Most vaccination programmes with small ICERs relative to GDP per capita were also relatively affordable. CONCLUSION: Although ICERs increased significantly as vaccination programmes were delayed, programmes starting late in 2021 may still generate low ICERs and manageable affordability measures. Looking forward, lower vaccine purchasing costs and vaccines with improved efficacies can help increase the economic value of COVID-19 vaccination programmes.

Digital health interventions and quality of home-based primary care for older adults: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: The use of digital health interventions has expanded, particularly in home-based primary care (HBPC), following the increase in the older adult population and the need to respond to the higher demand of chronic conditions, weakness and loss of autonomy of this population. There was an even greater demand with COVID-19 and subsequent isolation/social distancing measures for this risk group. The objective of this study is to map and identify the uses and types of digital health interventions and their reported impacts on the quality of HBPC for older adults worldwide. Methods and analysis: This is a scoping review protocol which will enable a rigorous, transparent and reliable synthesis of knowledge. The review will be developed from the theoretical perspective of Arksey and O'malley, with updates by Levac and Peters and respective collaborators based on the Joanna Briggs Institute manual, and guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Data from white literature will be extracted from multidisciplinary health databases such as: the Virtual Health Library, LILACS, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cinahl and Embase; while Google Scholar will be used for gray literature. No date limit or language restrictions will be determined. The quantitative data will be analyzed through descriptive statistics and qualitative data through thematic analysis. The results will be submitted to stakeholder consultation for preliminary sharing of the study and will later be disseminated through publication in open access scientific journals, scientific events and academic and community journals. The full scoping review report will present the main impacts, challenges, opportunities and gaps found in publications related to the use of digital technologies in primary home care. Discussion: The organization of this protocol will increase the methodological rigor, quality, transparency and accuracy of scoping reviews, reducing the risk of bias.

The experiences and views of adults with intellectual disabilities accessing digital mental health interventions: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Technology is ubiquitous in all aspects of daily life and research interest in the topic of digital mental health interventions (DMHI) for people with intellectual disabilities is growing. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technology use in delivering mental health supports. METHOD: This review used a qualitative systematic literature review methodology with the aim of collating the views and experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities accessing DMHI. The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and SCOPUS were searched in March 2022. RESULTS: Five studies were selected in this review, and three major narrative themes were generated, each with sub-themes: (1) User experience with DMHI (personal experience, digital experience); (2) Relationships fostered through technology (interpersonal support, relating to virtual characters, computer as skilled helper); (3) Psychological benefits (new skills development, personal autonomy development). CONCLUSION: This review highlights that, although there is a diversity of views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, the evidence suggests that DMHI has potential to support this population given the right opportunities. Findings also point to the benefit of technology as a complement to therapy, but not necessarily as a replacement to in-person therapeutic encounters.

Black women social workers: Workplace stress experiences

Black women social workers (BWSWs) represent essential workforce members who are burdened by ongoing COVID-19 circumstances. Strategies to deal with highly stressful situations on the job, such as those experienced in 2020, were absent from the research literature leaving intervention strategies to support highly stressed BWSWs unknown. This study aimed to uncover the various ways BWSWs experienced their organizations as they performed work duties. Atlas.ti. 9 was used to analyze verbatim transcripts from 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews given by BWSWs across the United States in February 2021. Hermeneutic phenomenology was implemented to interpret interview data. The convenience sample was drawn from professional organizations where BWSWs claimed membership and volunteered to be electronically interviewed for 2 hours generating themes such as stress perceptions, institutional barriers to efficient work productivity and recommendations for workplace support. BWSWs reported high stress work environments in the past year. Some believed that their health and mental health declined because of the inability to find work-home life balance. Findings suggest BWSWs persevere regardless of high levels of stress and being unsupported in the workplace in order to maintain a livelihood. BWSWs play a crucial role in the lives of vulnerable populations, but need to attend to ways to be healthier given the polarization associated with racism, classism, and sexism experienced. Thematically, the data revealed stressful situations in the workplace and how organizations have failed to implement strategies in order to improve social worker health. Suggestions for workplace supports were also identified. © The Author(s) 2023.

SARS-CoV-2 incidence and risk factors in a national, community-based prospective cohort of U.S. adults.

BACKGROUND: Prospective cohort studies of SARS-CoV-2 incidence complement case-based surveillance and cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys. METHODS: We estimated the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a national cohort of 6,738 U.S. adults, enrolled March-August 2020. Using Poisson models, we examined the association of social distancing and a composite epidemiologic risk score with seroconversion. The risk score was created using LASSO regression to identify factors predictive of seroconversion. The selected factors were household crowding, confirmed case in household, indoor dining, gathering with groups ≥ 10, and no masking in gyms/salons. RESULTS: Among 4,510 individuals with ≥1 serologic test, 323 (7.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.5%-8.1%) seroconverted by January 2021. Among 3,422 participants seronegative in May-September 2020 and retested during November 2020-January 2021, 161 seroconverted over 1,646 person-years of follow-up (9.8 per 100 person-years [95%CI 8.3-11.5]). Seroincidence rate was lower among females compared to males (IRR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.94) and higher among Hispanic (IRR: 2.09, 95% CI 1.41-3.05) participants compared to White non-Hispanic. In adjusted models, participants who reported social distancing with people they did not know (IRRalways vs. never: 0.42, 95% CI 0.20-1.0) and with people they knew (IRRalways vs. never 0.64, 95%CI 0.39-1.06; IRRsometimes vs. never 0.60, 95% CI 0.38-0.96) had lower seroconversion risk. Seroconversion risk increased with epidemiologic risk score (IRRmedium vs. low 1.68, 95% CI 1.03-2.81; IRRhigh vs. low 3.49, 95% CI 2.26-5.58). Only 29% of those who seroconverted reported isolating and 19% were asked about contacts. CONCLUSION: Modifiable risk factors and poor reach of public health strategies drove SARS-CoV-2 transmission across the U.S.