[Mental health and psychological burden of children and adolescents during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic-results of the COPSY study]. / Seelische Gesundheit und psychische Belastungen von Kindern und Jugendlichen in der ersten Welle der COVID-19-Pandemie ­ Ergebnisse der COPSY-Studie.

BACKGROUND: The drastic changes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: COPSY is the first national, representative German study to examine mental health and quality of life of children and adolescents during the pandemic. Results are compared with data of the representative longitudinal BELLA study conducted before the pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Internationally established instruments for measuring health-related quality of life and mental health (including anxiety and depressive symptoms) were administered to n = 1586 parents with 7­ to 17-year-old children and adolescents, of whom n = 1040 11- to 17-year-olds also provided self-reports, from 26 May to 10 June 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate tests. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the children and adolescents and 75% of the parents felt burdened by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the time before the pandemic, the children and adolescents reported a lower health-related quality of life, the percentage of children and adolescents with mental health problems almost doubled, and their health behavior worsened. Socially disadvantaged children felt particularly burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two-thirds of the parents would like to receive support in coping with their child during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a mental health risk to children and adolescents. Schools, doctors, and society are called to react by providing low-threshold and target-group-specific prevention and mental health promotion programs.

Participatory Action Research in Public Mental Health and a School of Nursing: Qualitative Findings from an Academic-Community Partnership.

An academic-community partnership between a school of nursing (SON) at a public university (the University of Virginia, or UVA) and a public mental health clinic developed around a shared goal of finding an acceptable shared decision making (SDM) intervention targeting medication use by persons with serious mental illness. The planning meetings of the academic-community partnership were recorded and analyzed. Issues under the partnership process included 1) clinic values and priorities, 2) research agenda, 3) ground rules, and 4) communication. Issues under the SDM content included: 1) barriers, 2) information exchange, 3) positive aspects of shared decision making, and 4) technology. Using participatory-action research (PAR), the community clinic was able to raise questions and concerns throughout the process, be actively involved in research activities (such as identifying stakeholders and co-leading focus groups), participate in the reflective activities on the impact of SDM on practice and policy, and feel ownership of the SDM intervention.

Shared decision making in mental health treatment: qualitative findings from stakeholder focus groups.

PURPOSE: This article reports on findings from seven stakeholder focus groups conducted in exploring shared decision making (SDM) between provider and consumer in mental health (MH) treatment in public MH. BASIC PROCEDURES: Seven focus groups were conducted with stakeholders-consumers, family members, prescribers, MH clinicians, and rural providers. Each of the focus groups was recorded digitally, transcribed into text, and analyzed qualitatively for recurring themes. MAIN FINDINGS: Provider barriers to SDM include history of the medical model, MH crises, lack of system support, and time. Consumer-related barriers included consumer competency, fears, insight, literacy, and trauma from past experiences. Information-exchange issues include consumer passivity, whether consumers could be viewed as experts, and importance of adequate history information. New skills needed to practice SDM included provider's knowledge about alternative treatments, mastery of person-first language, and listening skills; consumer's ability to articulate their expert information; and computer skills for both providers and consumers. Outcomes expected from practice of SDM include greater sharing of power between provider and consumer, greater follow-through with treatment plans, greater self-management on the part of consumers, and improved therapeutic alliances. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Implementing SDM in public MH will impact consumers and their families, providers, prescribers, and administrators. More SDM trials in public MH are needed to answer some of the many questions that remain.

Pattern of chlorine gas exposures reported to Texas poison control centers, 2000 through 2005.

Exposure to chlorine gas can result in serious adverse effects including death. From 2000 through 2005, approximately 9000 chlorine gas exposures were reported annually to poison control centers in the United States. Because a review of the literature failed to produce any Texas-specific data concerning chlorine gas exposures, we conducted a retrospective review of Texas poison control center calls and found that 2643 calls related to human exposures to chlorine gas occurred during these 6 years. The number of these calls increased during this period. Of the exposures, 750% occurred at home and 65% occurred during the months of May through August. Inhalation was the primary mode of exposure. While most exposures resulted in no or minor affects, approximately one-fourth required that the affected person be seen at a health care facility. Preventive activities are needed to educate people about the potential dangers associated with products that contain chlorine.