The Impact of Social Media on College Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Multinational Review of the Existing Literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: During the COVID-19 pandemic, both social media use and rates of anxiety and depression among college students have increased significantly. This begs the question, what is the relationship between social media use and college student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic? RECENT FINDINGS: Prior studies have found mixed results regarding the relationship between social media use and college student mental health. This relationship has become increasingly complex during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that excessive or problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with worse mental health outcomes that could be mitigated by dialectical thinking, optimism, mindfulness, and cognitive reappraisal. The COVID-19 pandemic acts as a moderator by strengthening the relationship between social media use and mental health. Future studies should consider the impact of social media on college student mental health and concentrate on intervention initiatives to ensure the psychological well-being of college students during a global pandemic outbreak.

Family planning in carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers have a high lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian malignancies. Given the risks and significant ramifications of undergoing risk-reducing surgeries, many pathogenic variant carriers unaffected by cancer (previvors) struggle with family planning and reproductive decision making. The objective of this study was to determine the attitudes and practices of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers with respect to family planning decision making. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of BRCA1 and BRCA2 previvors at four Northeastern medical centers. The survey was administered electronically via email using REDCap. The survey included demographic information as well as questions about genetic testing, prophylactic surgeries, family planning, and partnering. Data were analyzed with Fisher's exact tests and t tests. The survey was completed by 139 of 422 BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant carriers (response rate 33%). Thirteen were excluded from analysis due to self-reported cancer history. Of the remaining 126, 21 (16.7%) were male and 105 (83.3%) were female. Female participants <35 years old at the time of genetic testing were significantly more likely than those 35 or greater to report feeling urgency to have a family after finding out about their BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant (p < 0.0001). Younger women also reported their genetic status had a stronger impact on their romantic relationships (p = 0.029). Men were significantly more likely to report that they felt no urgency to have a family compared to women (p < 0.0001). Our study reflects the complex decision making for previvors and the intricacies of family planning in this population. Providers can use this knowledge as a guide to counsel patients about reproductive options.

Identifying Psychiatric Comorbidities for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Biomedical Literature and Electronic Health Record.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common diseases among Americans, affecting between 5 and 20% of the population. While there is existing evidence of numerous comorbid conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, the vast majority of this evidence has focused explicitly on cardiovascular morbidities and excluded any mental or behavioral disorders. The goal of this study was to examine psychiatric comorbidities of OSA in two types of sources: (1) biomedical literature in the MEDLINE/PubMed database (focusing on MeSH descriptors) and Semantic MEDLINE Database (SemMedDB; for semantic predications), and (2) electronic health record data in the MIMIC-III database. Approximately 300 unique psychiatric comorbidities were identified, ranked, and compared across MEDLINE/PubMed, SemMedDB, and MIMIC-III. The preliminary results highlight the potential of this multi-angled approach for suggesting opportunities for further investigation that may contribute to improving mental health in persons afflicted with OSA.