COVID-19 and the changing roles of social workers in minority communities: Lessons from the Israeli ultra-Orthodox community

Minority groups have been disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19's effects. Whereas, social workers have been instrumental in countering those effects, their roles have been understudied, particularly during the ‘new normal' that followed the outbreak. This gap is addressed by drawing on interviews with 28 social workers in the Jewish ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) society in Israel, held after the outbreak and during the ‘new normal'. Three main roles are identified: first responders, during the outbreak;a voice for community needs, in the ‘new normal';and policy translators – throughout. The findings contribute a temporal aspect to the literature by highlighting social workers' dynamic roles. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Social Work is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Experiences of queer women and nonbinary individuals with mental health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on mental health. Queer women and nonbinary individuals disproportionately experience mental health issues when compared to heterosexuals, often facing challenges in receiving care from providers who are sensitive to their concerns and competent in their care. Objective: To report experience of queer women and nonbinary individuals in the United States with mental health care services before and during the pandemic. Methods: Data were gathered via a 43-item survey about experiences with mental health care services before and during the pandemic that was posted on four social media sites, and flyers hung in university student centers and businesses friendly to LGBTQ individuals. Queer women and nonbinary individuals between the ages of 18 and 75 were invited to participate. Descriptive statistics and Spearman?s correlations were used for data analysis. Results: There were 175 participants who met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. During the pandemic, more survey participants received mental health services compared with before the pandemic. How they received care significantly changed from before the pandemic (mostly in-person) to during the pandemic (mostly remote). Participants reported being seen significantly more frequently for mental health care during the pandemic compared to before. A higher percentage of participants received both psychotherapy and medication during the pandemic compared with before. They were generally satisfied with their mental health care;however, satisfaction was significantly higher during the pandemic. Conclusion: During the pandemic, compared with before, significantly more participants received mental health care and there were significantly more virtual mental health visits, more frequent mental health visits, more intensive therapies, and higher patient satisfaction. Telehealth care was perceived to be beneficial by most participants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of confinement by COVID-19 on the academic year. Case study: Gypsy pupils

The urgent virtualisation of academic activity in educational centres forced by the confinement decreed in Spain between the months of March and May 2020 posed a challenge previously unknown to the entire educational community. Information and communication technologies became essential tools to guarantee the continuity of the course. This situation highlighted the lack of technological equipment for the most vulnerable groups of the population and further increased the << digital divide >>, putting at risk the monitoring and school performance of pupils in these sectors. Among the most affected groups is that of gipsy students, as demonstrated in schools such as CEIP Nueva Segovia, (Segovia, Spain). This paper is the result of a qualitative and quantitative research carried out in this school, which has made it possible to identify and analyse the technological devices available to gipsy students, the perception of the different members of the educational community on the use of technologies and, finally, the training of these members in relation to new technologies. The results reveal the needs not only for equipment, but also for training in new technologies that both families and students have. These results show the importance of a new curricular approach for pupils with educational compensation needs to eliminate this situation of inequality.

The South-East Asia Region: Societal Conditions for LGBT Health and Cancer Research

This chapter is a substitute for chapters that were not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu, this chapter on LGBT and cancer in the South-East Asia region provides an overview of recent changes in sexual and gender minorities' legal situation, various aspects of LGBT communities, and organizations. While cancer is recognized as a threat to the region, a literature review of LGBT health research shows that a wide range of different topics are explored, with infectious diseases being the main focus. The time appears right for an expansion of the scope of LGBT health research to more prominently address noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer. However, it might be possible that COVID-19 will further delay research on noncommunicable diseases among LGBT populations. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethnic minorities in Manchester: lessons from the early stage of the pandemic.

This review summarizes the economic impacts of the pandemic on ethnic minorities, focusing on the city of Manchester. It utilizes multiple reporting sources to explore various dimensions of the economic shock in the UK, linking this to studies of pre-COVID-19 economic and ethnic composition in Manchester and in the combined authority area of Greater Manchester. We then make inferences about the pandemic's short-term impact specific to the city region. Greater Manchester has seen some of the highest rates of COVID-19 and as a result faced particularly stringent "lockdown" regulations. Manchester is the sixth most deprived Local Authority in England, according to 2019 English Indices of Multiple Deprivation. As a consequence, many neighborhoods in the city were always going to be less resilient to the economic shock caused by the pandemic compared with other, less-deprived, areas. Particular challenges for Manchester include the high rates of poor health, low-paid work, low qualifications, poor housing conditions and overcrowding. Ethnic minority groups also faced disparities long before the onset of the pandemic. Within the UK, ethnic minorities were found to be most disadvantaged in terms of employment and housing-particularly in large urban areas containing traditional settlement areas for ethnic minorities. Further, all Black, Asian, and Minority ethnic (BAME) groups in Greater Manchester were less likely to be employed pre-pandemic compared with White people. For example, people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic backgrounds, especially women, have the lowest levels of employment in Greater Manchester. Finally, unprecedented cuts to public spending as a result of austerity have also disproportionately affected women of an ethnic minority background alongside disabled people, the young and those with no or low-level qualifications. This environment has created and sustained a multiplicative disadvantage for Manchester's ethnic minority residents through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stigma and health inequality experienced by ethnic minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Chinese community: an implication to health policymakers.

Introduction: Ethnic minorities are considered one of the most vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the explanatory pathway of how their disadvantaged experiences during epidemics are related to the embedded and longstanding stigmas against them and how these embedded stigmas can affect their resilience in disease outbreaks are not well understood. This study investigated the experiences of ethnic minorities in the COVID-19 pandemic, and how their experiences were related to the embedded stigma toward them. Methods: This study adopted a qualitative approach, interviewed 25 individuals (13 women and 12 men) from ethnic minority groups residing in Hong Kong from August 2021 to February 2022 in a semi-structured format. Thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data. Results: The participants were isolated and stereotyped as infectious during the COVID-19 pandemic at community and institutional levels. Their experiences did not occur suddenly during the pandemic but were embedded in the longstanding segregation and negative stereotypes toward ethnic minorities in different aspects of life before the pandemic. These negative stereotypes affected their resilience in living and coping with the pandemic. Conclusion: The participants' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic were mostly disadvantageous and predominantly initiated by the mainstream stigmatization toward them by the local Chinese residents and government. Their disadvantaged experiences in the pandemic should be traced to the embedded social systems, imposing structural disparities for ethnic minorities when accessing social and medical resources during a pandemic. Because of the preexisting stigmatization and social seclusion of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, the participants experienced health inequality, which stemmed from social inequality and the power differential between them and the Chinese locals. The disadvantaged situation of the participants negatively affected their resilience to the pandemic. To enable ethnic minorities better cope with future epidemics, merely providing assistance to them during an epidemic is barely adequate, but a more supportive and inclusive social system should be established for them in the long run.

Assessing Unique Risk Factors for COVID-19 Complications Among Cancer Patients: A Multi-ethnic Cohort Study.

A myriad of organ-specific complications have been observed with COVID-19. While racial/ethnic minorities have been disproportionately burdened by this disease, our understanding of the unique risk factors for complications among a diverse population of cancer patients remains limited. This is a multi-institutional, multi-ethnic cohort study evaluating COVID-19 complications among cancer patients. Patients with an invasive cancer diagnosis and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified from March to November 2020. Demographic and clinical data were obtained and a multivariate logistic regression was employed to evaluate the impact of demographic and clinical factors on COVID-19 complications. The study endpoints were evaluated independently and included any complication, sepsis, pulmonary complications and cardiac complications. A total of 303 patients were evaluated, of whom 48% were male, 79% had solid tumors, and 42% were Hispanic/Latinx (Hispanic). Malignant hematologic cancers were associated with a higher risk of sepsis (OR 3.93 (95% CI 1.58-9.81)). Male patients had a higher risk of sepsis (OR 4.42 (95% CI 1.63-11.96)) and cardiac complications (OR 2.02 (95% CI 1.05-3.89)). Hispanic patients had a higher odds of any complication (OR 2.31 (95% CI 1.18-4.51)) and other race was associated with a higher odds of cardiac complications (OR 2.41 (95% CI 1.01-5.73)). Clinically, fever, cough, and ≥2 co-morbidities were independently significantly associated with any complication. This analysis evaluated covariates that can significantly predict a myriad of complications among a multi-ethnic cohort of cancer patients. The conclusions drawn from this analysis elucidate a mechanistic understanding of differential illness severity from COVID-19.

Associations between COVID-19 vaccine uptake, race/ethnicity, and political party affiliation.

Despite widespread availability of vaccines, COVID-19 is a leading cause of death in the United States (US), and sociodemographic disparities in vaccine uptake remain. Race/ethnicity, partisanship, and perception of peer vaccination status are strong predictors of vaccine uptake, but research is limited among some racial/ethnic groups with small populations. The current study used an online survey to examine the relationship between these factors among a diverse sample of US adults (n = 1,674), with oversampling of racial and ethnic minorities. Respondents provided sociodemographic information and answered questions regarding COVID-19 vaccination status, political affiliation, perception of peers' vaccination status, COVID-19 death exposure, and previous COVID-19 infection. Respondents who identified as Asian American had higher odds of being vaccinated, whereas those who identified as Black/African American or American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) had lower odds. Respondents who identified as Independent/Other or Republican had lower vaccination odds. Respondents who perceived anything less than nearly all of their peers were vaccinated had lower vaccination odds. Further, lack of a primary care provider, younger age, and lower educational attainment were associated with lower vaccination odds. Findings may help to determine where additional work is needed to improve vaccine uptake in the US. Results indicate the need for intentional and tailored vaccination programs in Black/African American and AIAN communities; the need to understand how media and political actors develop vaccination messaging and impact vaccine uptake; and the need for additional research on how people estimate, understand, and form decisions around peer vaccination rates.

Changes in Acute ED Visits by Race/Ethnicity During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.

Emergency department (ED) visits for conditions unrelated to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic decreased during the early pandemic, raising concerns about critically ill patients forgoing care and increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. It is unclear if Hispanic and Black adults, who have a high prevalence of chronic conditions, sought medical assistance for acute emergencies during this time. This study used 2018-2020 ED visit data from the largest safety net hospital in Los Angeles County to estimate ED visit differences for cardiac emergencies, diabetic complications, and strokes, during the first societal lockdown among Black and Hispanic patients using time series analyses. Emergency department visits were lower than the expected levels during the first societal lockdown. However, after the lockdown ended, Black patients experienced a rebound in ED visits while visits for Hispanics remained depressed. Future research could identify barriers Hispanics experienced that contributed to prolonged ED avoidance.

VA Research and Operations Uniting to Combat COVID-19 Inequities.

As novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) began to spread across the United States in early 2020, health care systems faced extreme demands on resources. As the country's largest single-payer health care system, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was uniquely positioned to study how the virus impacted different communities and work to improve care provided to all. Early on, a literature review of prior epidemics revealed that occupational exposures and an inability to socially distance could impact some groups more than others. The VA's Office of Health Equity leveraged a general sense of community to create a collaborative research space and a dedicated analytic space to inform pandemic operations. VA researchers and operations staff were able to quickly share information and respond to updates to produce accurate and reliable publications for medical professionals and the general public. Partnerships with VA Medical Centers and Veteran Service Organizations helped to increase communication across the nation and determine the most critical needs. Although COVID-19 was dynamic in nature, VA's intentional examination of social and structural factors was crucial in informing a more equitable approach. Moving forward, these inequities must be intentionally addressed in future pandemic responses.

Predictors of Mpox vaccine uptake among sexual and gender minority young adults living in Illinois: Unvaccinated vs. double vs. single dose vaccine recipients.

INTRODUCTION: The 2022 global outbreak of Monkeypox virus (Mpox), which has primarily spread through the sexual networks of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, has introduced new public health challenges. While an efficacious Mpox vaccine is in active circulation, few Mpox vaccine studies have examined its uptake among SGM groups. The aims of this study were to investigate (a) the prevalence of Mpox vaccine uptake among SGM and (b) the contextual, Mpox-disease specific, and Mpox-vaccine specific factors associated with Mpox vaccine among SGM. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Illinois, USA in September 2022; 320 young SGM completed self-administered questionnaires. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the contextual, Mpox-disease specific, and Mpox-vaccine specific factors associated with Mpox vaccine uptake. Adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) and 95 % Confidence Intervals (CI) are reported. RESULTS: Approximately 50 % of the SGM participants included in this study had received at least their first dose of the Mpox vaccine. Multinomial regression analysis showed that individuals who had recently experienced food insecurity, had higher degrees of fear of social rejection due to Mpox acquisition, and were more Mpox-vaccine hesitant were more likely to be unvaccinated. Conversely, knowing people who have contracted Mpox, having higher formal educational attainment, having higher degrees of Mpox-related internalized heterosexism, and being more concerned about one's safety regarding Mpox morbidity were more likely to be double-dosers. CONCLUSION: Approximately 50 % of the SGMs included in this study received at least their first dose of the Mpox vaccine; however, only one-quarter of participants completed the recommended 2-dose Mpox regimen. Our findings indicate that socioeconomic stability, fear of social rejection due to disease acquisition, and Mpox-specific vaccine hesitancy may be important structural targets to consider when developing vaccine-uptake prevention and intervention strategies tailored to the needs of sexual and gender minorities.

Spatial Dimensions of Vulnerability: Meatpacking, Socioeconomics, and the Outbreak of COVID-19 in the High Plains of Texas

In May 2020, 2 months after COVID-19 arrived in the High Plains of Texas, meatpacking plant workers were discovered to be contracting the virus in large numbers. Working conditions in the plants-close spacing on the disassembly lines, cold temperatures, noise (shouting to be heard), etc.;along with congregant settings among the immigrant workers before and after work-were all implicated in the infections. Although much has been written on the vulnerabilities of meatpacking workers, little research has investigated the spatial spread of the virus. In this study we analyze COVID-19 case rates for May 15 (the first spike in daily case numbers), for the 41 counties of the region in relation to meat-packing influence, ethnicity, and socioeconomic structure of the counties. We find that meatpacking influence had the strongest relationship to COVID-19 rates across the counties;that the presence of Asian and African immigrants was also significant;and that rurality and isolation insulated more than half the counties from high virus rates. Further analysis, for later spikes in cases (July 1 and November 25), revealed a decline in meatpacking influence, a surge in COVID-19‘s infection of counties with large domestic minorities, and an amplification of low COVID-19 cases for rural, older, Anglo counties. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Are We Really Going to Get out of COVID-19 Together? Secured Legal Status and Trust Among Refugees and Migrants

Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disproportionately suffering from the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Insecure legal status is an additional stressor that may accentuate social cleavages and ultimately impair their trust in host society and institutions. Based on a diverse sample of refugees and migrants in Belgium (N = 355), the present study investigates direct and indirect effects of legal status-measured as the type of residence permit held by participants -on social and political trust during the COVID-19 outbreak. Secured legal status was positively associated with social and political trust directly, and indirectly via a serial mediation composed by two cumulative stages. First, participants with a more secured legal status experienced less material difficulties to cope with the pandemic (i.e., first material stage). Second, participant who experienced less material difficulties identified more with the host society (i.e., second symbolic stage). In turn, reduced material difficulties and increased identification with the host society were both positively associated with social and political trust. Our findings advocate for securing legal status of refugees and migrants to help societies cope cohesively with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Blood donation from gay and bisexual men: contextualizing the approval of the federal supreme court / Donación de sangre de hombres homosexuales y bisexuales: contextualizando la aprobación del supremo tribunal federal / Doação de sangue de homens gays e bissexuais: contextualizando a aprovação do supremo tribunal federal

ABSTRACT Objective: to discuss the process of allowing blood donation by the LGBTQIAP+ community by the Federal Supreme Court in contrast to the Legislation of the Regulatory Agency for Blood and Blood Components. Method: this is a reflective study, considering the principles and concepts of Pierre Bourdieu's symbolic capital as a theoretical-methodological framework. Analysis was carried out in documents that dealt with the permission of blood donation by gay and bisexual men, such as bills, FSC decisions and media materials relevant to the proposed theme. Results: we argue that two historical events were decisive for the vote on the act of unconstitutionality by the Federal Supreme Court: the mobilization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social movements and the coronavirus pandemic. Conclusion: validation of the right to blood donation contributes to the exercise of citizenship of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

RESUMEN Objetivo: discutir el proceso de autorización de la donación de sangre por parte de la comunidad LGBTQIAP+ por parte del Supremo Tribunal Federal en contraste con la Legislación de la Agencia Reguladora de Sangre y Hemoderivados. Método: estudio reflexivo, considerando los principios y conceptos del capital simbólico de Pierre Bourdieu como marco teórico-metodológico. El análisis se llevó a cabo en los documentos que trataban sobre el permiso de donación de sangre por parte de hombres homosexuales y bisexuales, como proyectos de ley, decisiones del STF y materiales de prensa relevantes para el tema propuesto. Resultados: argumentamos que dos hechos históricos fueron decisivos para la votación del acto de inconstitucionalidad por parte del Supremo Tribunal Federal: la movilización de los movimientos sociales de lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y transexuales y la pandemia del coronavirus. Conclusión: la validación del derecho a la donación de sangre contribuye al ejercicio de la ciudadanía de las personas lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y transgénero.

RESUMO Objetivo: discutir o processo de permissão da doação de sangue pela comunidade LGBTQIAP+ pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal em contraponto à Legislação da Agência Reguladora de Sangue e Hemoderivados. Método: estudo do tipo reflexivo, considerando os princípios e conceitos do capital simbólico de Pierre Bourdieu como referencial teórico-metodológico. A análise foi realizada nos documentos que tratavam da permissão da doação de sangue por homens gays e bissexuais tais como: projetos de lei, decisões do STF e materiais de mídias pertinentes ao tema proposto. Resultados: argumentamos que dois eventos históricos foram decisivos para a votação do ato de inconstitucionalidade pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal: a mobilização dos movimentos sociais de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais e Transgênero e a Pandemia de Coronavírus. Conclusão: a validação do direito à doação de sangue contribui para o exercício da cidadania das pessoas Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais e Transgênero.

Positive Changes in Safety Perception Among Blacks with HIV and Comorbidities: Assessment of Social Determinants of Health During COVID-19.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on social determinants of health (SDOH) among Blacks with HIV and a comorbid diagnosis of hypertension or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This was a longitudinal survey study. The inclusion criteria were adults ≥ 18 years and the presence of hypertension and/or diabetes, along with a positive HIV diagnosis. This study enrolled patients in the HIV clinics and chain specialty pharmacies in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. A survey of ten questions examining SDOH was conducted before, during, and after the lockdown. A proportional odds mixed effects logistic regression model was applied to assess differences between time points. RESULTS: A total of 27 participants were included. Respondents felt significantly safer in their living place post-lockdown than in the pre-lockdown period (odds ratio = 6.39, 95% CI [1.08-37.73]). No other statistically significant differences in the responses were found over the study timeframe. However, borderline p values indicated better SDOH status post-lockdown as compared to pre-lockdown. CONCLUSION: Study participants feel safer one year after lockdown compared to pre-lockdown. The CARES Act and the moratorium on rent and mortgage are among the factors that may explain this increase. Future research should include designing and evaluating interventions for social equity enhancement.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitalization trends in a third level Child Neuropsychiatry Unit

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak and related confinement measures have disturbed the psychological well-being of young children and adolescents, especially in at-risk groups. Aim of the study was to evaluate the trend and severity of children' and adolescents' neuropsychiatric diseases in the context of a prolonged state of confinement measures. Materials and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from all subjects aged between 4 and 16 years +/- 6 months, admitted to the Child Neuropsychiatry ward of the Gaslini Children Hospital between 01/01/20 and 30/05/21. Demographic and clinical characteristics were noted for each subject. Subjects were then divided in admitted before or after COVID outbreak, considered as the 9th Match 2020. Data of psychiatric patients about subjects' functioning (Children Global Assessment Scale, C-GAS) and disease severity (Global Impression- Severity, CGI-S) were collected. Results: Of 561 inpatients, 105 were admitted before the COVID-19 outbreak and 456 after, with an absolute increment of 30% for psychiatric diseases compared to neurological ones (33/105, 31.43% before vs. 187/456, 41.0% after;p = .013). For psychiatric diseases, there was an increase in the hospitalization duration (3.91 +/- 4.07 vs. 13.02 +/- 4.25;p = .04), an increase of subjects with previous neuropsychiatric disorders (27.7%, 9/33 vs. 47.7%, 89/187;p = .034), a decrease of CGAS scores (56,24 +/- 13,87 vs. 51,63 +/- 17,797;p = .050) and an increase disease severity worsening (CGI-S 3.76 +/- 1.12 vs. 4. 48 +/- 1.36;p = .006). In the female gender and in the ethnic minorities' subgroup, number of hospitalizations have statistically increased, with CGI-S and CGAS scores more impaired after the COVID-19 outbreak. On multivariate analysis, being female, having a previous psychiatric diagnosis, and belonging to an ethnic minority appeared to influence patients' overall impairment index (p < .005). Conclusions: The COVID-19 outbreak and the measures adopted to contain the virus spread had an impact on the severity of the course of psychiatric admissions, with greater influence on subjects who were already psychologically vulnerable, female, and who belonged to ethnic minorities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Italian) Introduzione: Lo scoppio della pandemia da COVID-19 e le relative misure di confinamento hanno minato il benessere psicologico della popolazione in eta evolutiva, soprattutto nelle categorie a rischio. Scopo dello studio e stato quello di valutare andamento e gravita dei soggetti accolti per patologia neuropsichiatrica nel contesto di uno stato prolungato di prosecuzione di misure di contenimento del contagio. Materiali e metodi: Sono state retrospettivamente raccolti i dati di tutti i soggetti di eta compresa fra 4 e 16 anni +/- 6 mesi ricoverati presso la UO di Neuropsichiatria Infantile dell'Ospedale Gaslini tra lo 01/01/20 e il 30/05/21. Per ciascun caso sono state annotate le caratteristiche demografiche e cliniche. I soggetti sono stati divisi tra ricoverati prima e dopo l'inizio della pandemia, considerato come data il 9 marzo 2020. Per i casi psichiatrici sono state applicate scale di funzionamento Children Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS) e di gravita Global Imression-Severity (CGI-S). Risultati: Di 561 accessi, 105 sono avvenuti preCOVID e 456 postCOVID, con un incremento assoluto del 30% degli accessi per patologia psichiatrica rispetto a quella neurologica (33/105, 31,4% preCOVID vs 187/456, 41,0% postCOVID;p = ,013). Per la patologia psichiatrica, si e assistito ad un aumento dei giorni di ospedalizzazione (3,91 +/- 4,07 vs 13,02 +/- 4,25;p = ,04), un aumento dei soggetti con precedente diagnosi neuropsichiatrica (27,7%, 9/33 vs 47,7%, 89/187;p = ,034), una diminuzione dei punteggi CGAS (56,24 +/- 13,87 vs 51,63 +/- 17,797;p = ,050) ed un aumento della gravita di patologia (CGI-S 3,76 +/- 1,12 vs 4,48 +/- 1,36;p = ,006). Nel sottogruppo di soggetti di genere femminile e delle minoranze etniche, i ricoveri per patologia psichiatrica sono risultati significativamente aumentati con punteggi CGI-S e CGAS maggiormente compromessi dopo lo scoppio del COVID-19. All'analisi multivariata, il sesso femminile, una pregressa diagnosi psichiatrica e l'appartenenza a minoranze etniche appaiono avere un effetto sull'indice di compromissione globale dei pazienti (p < ,005). Conclusioni: La pandemia da COVID-19 e le misure adottate per contenere il contagio hanno impattato la gravita del decorso dei ricoveri neuropsichiatrici, con maggiore effetto su soggetti gia fragili, di genere femminile ed appartenenti a minoranze etniche. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Health Disparities in Oral Health

The world is becoming more diverse as the population of older adults continues to increase. According to the CDC, approximately 36% of the population belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group. Older adults are living longer and are expected to comprise an estimated 24% of the population by 2060. The older population is more likely to experience greater health challenges that include oral complications. Oral diseases such as tooth decay, tooth loss, gum disease, dry mouth, oral cancer and precancer, as well as chronic diseases are the most common. While there has been significant improvement in life expectancy, oral health, and overall health in the United States, there is a greater prevalence of oral disease and health disparities in minority and poor populations. Social determinants of health such as education, income, race, and access to care are contributing factors that are related to these health disparities among older adults. African Americans and other older adult people of color are disproportionately affected. Health literacy, dental coverage, and living conditions are other health disparities that contribute to the oral health of older adults. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Promoting racial equity in COVID-19 resource allocation.

Due to COVID-19's strain on health systems across the globe, triage protocols determine how to allocate scarce medical resources with the worthy goal of maximising the number of lives saved. However, due to racial biases and long-standing health inequities, the common method of ranking patients based on impersonal numeric representations of their morbidity is associated with disproportionately pronounced racial disparities. In response, policymakers have issued statements of solidarity. However, translating support into responsive COVID-19 policy is rife with complexity. Triage does not easily lend itself to race-based exceptions. Reordering triage queues based on an individual patient's racial affiliation has been considered but may be divisive and difficult to implement. And while COVID-19 hospital policies may be presented as rigidly focused on saving the most lives, many make exceptions for those deemed worthy by policymakers such as front-line healthcare workers, older physicians, pregnant women and patients with disabilities. These exceptions demonstrate creativity and ingenuity-hallmarks of policymakers' abilities to flexibly respond to urgent societal concerns-which should also be extended to patients of colour. This paper dismantles common arguments against the confrontation of racial inequity within COVID-19 triage protocols, highlights concerns related to existing proposals and proposes a new paradigm to increase equity when allocating scarce COVID-19 resources.

Addressing the Shortage of Health Professionals in Official Language Minority Communities to Strengthen Retention Strategies for the Benefit of New Brunswick Francophone and Acadian Communities: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Design.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has highlighted already existing human resource gaps in health care systems. New Brunswick health care services are significantly weakened by a shortage of nurses and physicians, affecting regions where Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) reside. Since 2008, Vitalité Health Network (the "Network"), whose work language is French (with services delivered in both official languages, English and French), has provided health care to OLMCs in New Brunswick. The Network currently needs to fill hundreds of vacant physician and nurse positions. It is imperative to strengthen the network's retention strategies to ensure its viability and maintain adequate health care services for OLMCs. The study is a collaborative effort between the Network (our partner) and the research team to identify and implement organizational and structural strategies to upscale retention. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to support one of New Brunswick health networks in identifying and implementing strategies to promote physician and registered nurse retention. More precisely, it wishes to make 4 important contributions to identify (and enhance our understanding of) the factors related to the retention of physicians and nurses within the Network; determine, based on the "Magnet Hospital" model and the "Making it Work" framework, on which aspects of the Network's environment (internal or external) it should focus for its retention strategy; define clear and actionable practices to help the Network replenish its strength and vitality; and improve the quality of health care services to OLMCs. METHODS: The sequential methodology combines quantitative and qualitative approaches based on a mixed methods design. For the quantitative part, data collected through the years by the Network will be used to take stock of vacant positions and examine turnover rates. These data will also help determine which areas have the most critical challenges and which ones have more successful approaches regarding retention. Recruitment will be made in those areas for the qualitative part of the study to conduct interviews and focus groups with different respondents, either currently employed or who have left it in the last 5 years. RESULTS: This study was funded in February 2022. Active enrollment and data collection started in the spring of 2022. A total of 56 semistructured interviews were conducted with physicians and nurses. As of manuscript submission, qualitative data analysis is in progress and quantitative data collection is intended to end by February 2023. Summer and fall 2023 is the anticipated period to disseminate the results. CONCLUSIONS: Applying the "Magnet Hospital" model and the "Making it Work" framework outside urban settings will offer a novel outlook to the knowledge of professional resource shortages within OLMCs. Furthermore, this study will generate recommendations that could contribute to a more robust retention plan for physicians and registered nurses. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/41485.