Presence, resilience, and compassion training in clinical education (PRACTICE): Evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention for residents.

Background: Residents' well-being tends to decline in the course of training, yet research on preventive and restorative interventions for residents is limited. Mindfulness-based interventions have been successfully employed to support well-being in practicing physicians, but their impacts on residents are not well established. Objective: This paper describes the structure, content, and evaluation of a pilot mindfulness-based intervention program designated PRACTICE (presence, resilience and compassion training in clinical education) that was designed specifically to support resident well-being. Methods: A combined sample of 14 postgraduate year one residents from two residency training programs participated in a four-session (8 h) mindfulness-based intervention in the Fall/Winter of 2018. Participants were surveyed before, after, and at 3 months postintervention, on measures of wellness (Professional Fulfillment Index) and mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-4), along with measures of program engagement. Results: Participants demonstrated a significant reduction in burnout at the conclusion of the program. Depression and anxiety screening scores also trended toward improvement. However, participants were not able to sustain these gains. Three months after the conclusion of the program wellness measures had returned to preintervention levels. Conclusions: The results of this study support the use of mindfulness-based interventions in resident wellness programs. The lack of an enduring effect indicates the need for a maintenance phase intervention.

Changes in PTSD symptomatology and mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Changes in mental health symptoms throughout pregnancy and postpartum may impact a woman's experience and adjustment during an important time. However, few studies have investigated these changes throughout the perinatal period, particularly changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine longitudinal changes in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptomatology during pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnant women of ethnically diverse backgrounds receiving services for prenatal care at an outpatient obstetric-gynecology clinic or private physicians' office were assessed by interview on symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and general stress up to four times, including their first, second, and third trimester, and postpartum visits. Overall, during pregnancy there was a declining trend of PTSD symptoms. For anxiety, there was no overall significant change over time; however, anxiety symptoms were individually variable in the rate of change. For both depression and general stress symptoms, there was a declining trend, which was also variable in the individual rate of change among women during their pregnancy. Visual and post hoc analyses also suggest a possible peak in PTSD symptoms in the weeks prior to delivery. While most mental health symptoms may generally decrease during pregnancy, given the individual variability among women in the rate of change in symptoms, screening and monitoring of symptom fluctuations throughout the course of pregnancy may be needed. Further studies are needed to examine potential spiking of symptoms in the perinatal period.

Disparities in psychiatric emergency department visits among youth in Hawai'i, 2000-2010.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency and patient characteristics of emergency department encounters for mental health among youth, and to examine differences in utilization and treatment patterns. STUDY DESIGN: Data were obtained from the Hawai'i Health Information Corporation database of emergency department records between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010. Analyses were limited to records of visits by patients aged <18 years with a diagnosis of mental disorder or a suicide attempt. RESULTS: The annual average rate was 49.7 emergency department visits related to mental health issues per 10 000 youth, accounting for 2.1% of all emergency department visits among youth. Rates of mental health-related visits significantly and steadily increased, from a low of 25.8 in 2000 to a high of 67.4 in 2010. Rural areas consistently exhibited higher rates and acceleration at a steeper incline across time. Rural youth were more likely to be discharged or transferred for inpatient care or outpatient services compared with urban youth (6.3% vs 12.4%; χ(2) = 61.42; df = 3; P < .001). CONCLUSION: The trend in emergency department utilization for mental health-related issues in adolescents is apparently increasing, with significantly higher rate and morbidity for youth in rural areas. Several recommendations are described for creating a responsive and integrated system of mental health care for youth, covering training, consultation, screening, and brief interventions.