Substance use and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a longitudinal approach

Abstract Objective: To describe the changes in alcohol and drug use by Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (April-August 2021), and to analyze the relationship between alcohol use changes and psychiatric symptomatology. Methods: A secondary analysis with a longitudinal approach was performed with data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conductedin73publicmiddleschoolsinthreeBrazilian cities, to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug use prevention program. The sample included 535 students (61% girls; Mage = 15.2 years). Data were collected pre-intervention (February-March 2019), after 9 months (November-December 2019), and after 26 months (April-August 2021), when the students were in their first year of high school. The authors analyzed drug use prevalence (alcohol, binge drinking, tobacco, inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, and crack) in a lifetime, past year, and past month periods, and the association between alcohol use change subsamples with psychiatric symptoms. Logistic regressions were adjusted by sex, age, socioeconomic status, city, and group (control and intervention). Results: The present findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in past-year substance use and in past-month substance use frequency, despite the gradually increased (but decelerating) prevalence of lifetime use. However, some adolescents initiated, maintained, or increased the frequency of their alcohol use. Mainly, they were more likely to present behavioral problems, as well as symptoms of inattentive hyperactivity, and peer and emotional problems. Conclusions: Despite the extensive decline in substance use during the pandemic period, these results suggest an association between previous mental health conditions and behavioral risk factors, leading to increased alcohol consumption and behavioral disorders manifestations.

Deslizamiento en céntrica y la prevalencia de ruido y/o sintomatología mioarticular de las ATM. Estudio descriptivo

Introducción. El deslizamiento en céntrica (DC) y su incidencia en la sintomatología mioarticular ha sido un tema ampliamente estudiado, sin embargo, aún no está clara la relación entre ambos fenómenos. Objetivo. Evaluar la relación entre el DC y la prevalencia de ruido y/o sintomatología mioarticular de las articulaciones temporomandibulares en una muestra de pacientes. Material y Método. Se analizó una muestra de 183 modelos de estudio con dentición permanente completa excluyendo terceros molares. Se midió el DC en sentido sagital, vertical y transversal. Se recopilaron los datos del examen funcional de cada paciente para registrar las variables ruido y sintomatología mioarticular. Resultados. La magnitud del DC en los sentidos sagital, vertical y transversal está relacionada significativamente (p<0,05) con la presencia de ruido articular. El DC como variable dicotómica está relacionado significativamente, en sentido vertical, con la presencia de sintomatología mioarticular de las articulaciones temporomandibulares. El DC como magnitud y como variable dicotómica, en los sentidos sagital y transversal, están relacionados significativamente con la presencia de ruido y sintomatología mioarticular. Conclusión. Los pacientes que presentan DC con valores superiores a los normales presentan algún tipo de ruido y/o sintomatología mioarticular.

Introduction. Centric slide (CS) and its incidence in myoarticular symptoms have been widely studied: However, the relationship between both phenomena is still unclear. Objective. To evaluate the relationship between CS and the prevalence of noise and/or myoarticular symptoms of the temporomandibular joints in a sample of patients. Material and method. A sample of 183 study models with complete permanent dentition, excluding third molars, was analyzed. CS was measured in the sagittal, vertical, and transverse directions. Data from the functional examination of each patient were collected to record the "noise" and "myoarticular symptoms" variables. Results. The magnitude of CS in the sagittal, vertical, and transverse directions is significantly (p<0.05) related to the presence of joint noise. CS as a dichotomous variable is significantly related, vertically, to the presence of myoarticular symptoms of the temporomandibular joints. As a magnitude and as a dichotomous variable in the sagittal and transverse directions, CS is significantly related to the presence of noise and myoarticular symptoms. Conclusion. Patients with CS values ​​higher than normal present some type of noise and/or myoarticular symptoms.

Bayesian Networks for Prescreening in Depression: Algorithm Development and Validation.

BACKGROUND: Identifying individuals with depressive symptomatology (DS) promptly and effectively is of paramount importance for providing timely treatment. Machine learning models have shown promise in this area; however, studies often fall short in demonstrating the practical benefits of using these models and fail to provide tangible real-world applications. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish a novel methodology for identifying individuals likely to exhibit DS, identify the most influential features in a more explainable way via probabilistic measures, and propose tools that can be used in real-world applications. METHODS: The study used 3 data sets: PROACTIVE, the Brazilian National Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde [PNS]) 2013, and PNS 2019, comprising sociodemographic and health-related features. A Bayesian network was used for feature selection. Selected features were then used to train machine learning models to predict DS, operationalized as a score of ≥10 on the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. The study also analyzed the impact of varying sensitivity rates on the reduction of screening interviews compared to a random approach. RESULTS: The methodology allows the users to make an informed trade-off among sensitivity, specificity, and a reduction in the number of interviews. At the thresholds of 0.444, 0.412, and 0.472, determined by maximizing the Youden index, the models achieved sensitivities of 0.717, 0.741, and 0.718, and specificities of 0.644, 0.737, and 0.766 for PROACTIVE, PNS 2013, and PNS 2019, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.736, 0.801, and 0.809 for these 3 data sets, respectively. For the PROACTIVE data set, the most influential features identified were postural balance, shortness of breath, and how old people feel they are. In the PNS 2013 data set, the features were the ability to do usual activities, chest pain, sleep problems, and chronic back problems. The PNS 2019 data set shared 3 of the most influential features with the PNS 2013 data set. However, the difference was the replacement of chronic back problems with verbal abuse. It is important to note that the features contained in the PNS data sets differ from those found in the PROACTIVE data set. An empirical analysis demonstrated that using the proposed model led to a potential reduction in screening interviews of up to 52% while maintaining a sensitivity of 0.80. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed a novel methodology for identifying individuals with DS, demonstrating the utility of using Bayesian networks to identify the most significant features. Moreover, this approach has the potential to substantially reduce the number of screening interviews while maintaining high sensitivity, thereby facilitating improved early identification and intervention strategies for individuals experiencing DS.

Substance use and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a longitudinal approach.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the changes in alcohol and drug use by Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (April-August 2021), and to analyze the relationship between alcohol use changes and psychiatric symptomatology. METHODS: A secondary analysis with a longitudinal approach was performed with data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial, conducted in 73 public middle schools in three Brazilian cities, to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug use prevention program. The sample included 535 students (61% girls; Mage = 15.2 years). Data were collected pre-intervention (February-March 2019), after 9 months (November-December 2019), and after 26 months (April-August 2021), when the students were in their first year of high school. The authors analyzed drug use prevalence (alcohol, binge drinking, tobacco, inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, and crack) in a lifetime, past year, and past month periods, and the association between alcohol use change subsamples with psychiatric symptoms. Logistic regressions were adjusted by sex, age, socioeconomic status, city, and group (control and intervention). RESULTS: The present findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in past-year substance use and in past-month substance use frequency, despite the gradually increased (but decelerating) prevalence of lifetime use. However, some adolescents initiated, maintained, or increased the frequency of their alcohol use. Mainly, they were more likely to present behavioral problems, as well as symptoms of inattentive hyperactivity, and peer and emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the extensive decline in substance use during the pandemic period, these results suggest an association between previous mental health conditions and behavioral risk factors, leading to increased alcohol consumption and behavioral disorders manifestations.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Parental Behavior and Adolescent Mental Health in Mexico: Insights into Excessive Alcohol Intake, Tobacco Use, Suicidal Behavior, and Depressive Symptomatology.

Depression, suicidal behavior, excessive alcohol intake, and tobacco use are the main mental health problems in adolescents. To address these problems, it is necessary to understand the many factors associated with them, including parental factors. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between parental behavior and mental health problems in adolescents in Mexico. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) 2018-2019, representative for Mexico, were used. Households in which a parent-adolescent child pairing was identified (regardless of family type) were selected; n = 8758 households. The four outcomes of interest that were measured in the adolescents were: excessive alcohol intake, tobacco use, suicidal behavior, and depressive symptomatology. Logistic regression models using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated. Adolescents whose parents used alcohol or tobacco and reported depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior were more likely to present these behaviors themselves (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.17-1.85; AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.51-3.39; AOR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.88-3.61; AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.16-2.61, respectively). Child sexual abuse was also strongly associated with the four outcomes of interest in adolescents (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.06-3.36 for excessive alcohol intake; AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.49-5.91 for tobacco use; AOR = 5.15, 95% CI: 3.27-8.09 for depressive symptoms; AOR = 6.71, 95% CI: 4.25-10.59 for suicidal behavior). The family constitutes the central nucleus of care for children and adolescents; therefore, any effort to promote adolescent mental health must necessarily involve their parents and family.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the symptomatology and routine of medicated patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the routine of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and changes in symptoms and suicidal-related behavior, mainly in those with cleaning symptoms. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 58 patients completed an online self-report questionnaire that included the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Coronavirus Stress and Traumatic Events Scale, Coronavirus Health Impact Survey, Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression inventories, and Suicide-Related Behaviors Questionnaire. Comparisons were made with another pre-pandemic sample (n=524) regarding the last three measures. RESULTS: During the pandemic, the patients spent more days inside their homes (χ² = 33.39, p = 0.007), changed their alcohol consumption patterns (χ² = 87.6, p < 0.001), and increased social media usage (χ² = 68.83, p < 0.001). Participants with cleaning symptoms did not significantly differ from the others in relation to stress, anxiety/depressive symptoms, or suicidal-related behaviors. Finally, our sample did not differ from an equivalent OCD sample assessed before the pandemic in terms of anxiety and depressive symptom severity or suicidal-related behaviors. CONCLUSION: Overall, patients with OCD showed no lifestyle changes associated with higher stress levels during the pandemic. Patients with and without cleaning symptoms and patients before and during the pandemic presented similar results.

The Impact of Major Earthquakes on Students' Emotional Distress and Internalizing Symptoms, Externalizing Behaviors, and Coping During the Implementation of keepin' it REAL-Mexico.

This article reports on effects of two earthquakes in Mexico on adolescents attending middle school. The earthquakes struck in close succession during the implementation of a school-based prevention program, providing an opportunity to assess emotional distress due to the earthquakes and whether the life skills taught in the program affected how students coped with the natural disaster. The objectives were to (1) evaluate the earthquakes' impact on students' distress; (2) assess if distress is associated with internalizing symptomology and externalizing behaviors; and (3) investigate if students receiving the original and adapted versions of the intervention coped better with the events. A Mexico-US research team culturally adapted keepin' it REAL to address connections between substance use among early adolescents in Mexico and exposure to violence. A random sample of public middle schools from three cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey), stratified by whether they held morning or afternoon sessions, was selected. A total of 5522 7th grade students from 36 schools participated in the study. Students answered pretest and posttest questionnaires; the latter assessed earthquake-related distress and coping strategies. Earthquake-related distress was associated with all measures of undesired internalizing symptomology and externalizing behaviors. Compared to controls, students in the adapted intervention reported less aggressive and rule-breaking externalizing behavior and less violence perpetration. However, these intervention effects were not moderated by the level of earthquake-related distress, and they were not mediated by positive or negative coping. The findings have implications for prevention intervention research and policy as natural and human-made disasters occur more often.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the symptomatology and routine of medicated patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Objectives: To study the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on the routine of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and changes in symptoms and suicidal-related behavior, mainly in those with cleaning symptoms. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 58 patients completed an online self-report questionnaire that included the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Coronavirus Stress and Traumatic Events Scale, Coronavirus Health Impact Survey, Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression inventories, and Suicide-Related Behaviors Questionnaire. Comparisons were made with another pre-pandemic sample (n=524) regarding the last three measures. Results: During the pandemic, the patients spent more days inside their homes (χ2 = 33.39, p = 0.007), changed their alcohol consumption patterns (χ2 = 87.6, p < 0.001), and increased social media usage (χ2 = 68.83, p < 0.001). Participants with cleaning symptoms did not significantly differ from the others in relation to stress, anxiety/depressive symptoms, or suicidal-related behaviors. Finally, our sample did not differ from an equivalent OCD sample assessed before the pandemic in terms of anxiety and depressive symptom severity or suicidal-related behaviors. Conclusion: Overall, patients with OCD showed no lifestyle changes associated with higher stress levels during the pandemic. Patients with and without cleaning symptoms and patients before and during the pandemic presented similar results.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): An update of the literature and instrumental study with schoolchildren

Introduction: Considering the current controversy regarding the factorial structure of the SDQ, this paper aimed to analyse the dimensionality and reliability of the parents' version for children from 4 to 16 years of age, and to present descriptive data according to sociodemographic variables. Method: The factor structure of the original five- and three-factor models, and the reliability of the SDQ were examined among a sample of 621 parents of Uruguayan children between 7 and 12 years of age (52% girls) from different socioeconomic levels. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses did not provide support for the five- and three-factor models. Data adjusted to three factors (prosociality, externalising symptoms, internalising symptoms) in an exploratory analysis with adequate reliability indices. Conclusions: The results of this study show the relevance of continued investigation of the SDQ internal structure, and further analysis of the behaviour of several of its items.

Introducción: Considerando la controversia vigente respecto a la estructura factorial del SDQ, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar la validez de constructo y fiabilidad de la versión para padres de niños de 4 a 16 años y presentar datos descriptivos según variables sociodemográficas. Método: Se examinó la estructura factorial de los modelos originales de cinco y tres factores y la fiabilidad del SDQ en una muestra de 621 padres de niños uruguayos entre 7 y 12 años (52 % niñas) de distintos niveles socioeconómicos. Resultados: Los análisis factoriales confirmatorios no pudieron dar apoyo a los modelos de cinco y tres factores. Los datos se ajustaron a tres factores (prosocialidad, síntomas externalizantes y síntomas internalizantes) en un análisis exploratorio con adecuados índices de fiabilidad. Conclusiones: Los resultados de este estudio muestran la pertinencia de continuar investigando la estructura interna del SDQ y analizar con mayor profundidad el comportamiento de algunos de sus ítems.

Abuso sexual en niños, niñas y adolescentes: factores de riesgo y sintomatología

Objetivo: Analizar avances en la literatura científica sobre factores de riesgo y sintomatología a corto y largo plazo del abuso sexual en niños, niñas y adolescentes. Método: Mediante una revisión de artículos científicos en inglés y en español, se seleccionaron 27 investigaciones disponibles en APA PsycArticles, Dialnet, Springer y ScienceDirect, entre 2011 y 2020 con información cuantitativa o cualitativa sobre factores de riesgo y sintomatología del abuso sexual en niños, niñas y adolescentes. Resultados: Se identifican factores de riesgo asociados a grupos etarios, principalmente entre 6-7 y 12-13 años, tipos de familias reconstituidas, así como a la presencia de cuidadores distintos a los padres. Entre los síntomas a corto plazo, se identifican cambios bruscos de comportamiento, dificultades en las relaciones interpersonales, angustia, miedo y culpa. Además, se registran lesiones físicas y alteraciones somáticas. A largo plazo se identifican síntomas asociados a estrés postraumático, conductas suicidas, trastornos alimenticios, dificultades de interacción social y en menor medida drogodependencia. Conclusiones: Respecto a los factores de riesgo se visibiliza el uso de redes sociales como un referente a considerar en las dinámicas actuales. Sin embargo, la literatura enfatiza en seguir consolidando el análisis de estos factores y su articulación con acciones pertinentes para la prevención y atención oportuna del abuso. En cuanto a la sintomatología se evidencian avances en el análisis a corto plazo, pues no sólo se aborda lo físico y fisiológico sino también desde lo psicosocial. Similarmente, el análisis de la sintomatología a largo plazo se orienta principalmente a procesos psicosociales.

Objective: To analyze current scientist literature advances about risk factors and symptomatology of sexual abuse in children and adolescents. Method: A literature review was conducted by consulting english and spanish documents available in APA PsycArticles, Dialnet, Springer and Science Direct databases. 27 research papers published between 2011 and 2020 was selected. They provide quantitative or qualitative information about risk factors and symptomatology of sexual abuse in children and adolescents. Results: Main findings describe risk factors associated with age groups, mainly between 6-7 and 12-13 years, types of reconstituted families, as well as the presence of caregivers different to parents. Short-term symptoms include abrupt changes in behavior, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, anguish, fear and guilt. In addition, physical injuries and somatic alterations are identified. In the long term, symptoms are associated with post-traumatic stress, suicidal behaviors, eating disorders, difficulties in social interaction and sometimes with drugs abuse. Discussions: Regarding risk factors, the use of social media is visible as a reference to be considered in current dynamics. However, the literature emphasizes the need to continue consolidating the analysis of these factors and their articulation with pertinent actions for the prevention and timely attention of abuse. Regarding symptomatology, there is evidence of progress in the short-term analysis, since not only the physical and physiological aspects are addressed, but also the psychosocial aspects. Similarly, the analysis of long-term symptomatology is mainly oriented to psychosocial processes.

Epidemiological and clinical differences of confirmed and discarded Mpox cases on the 2022 Chilean outbreak.

Objectives: To improve Mpox diagnosis by identifying distinctive symptoms in confirmed vs discarded cases due to outdated case definition. Methods: This is a case-control study conducted using data from the Institute of Public Health database, encompassing all suspected cases analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction between June 1 and September 30, 2022. We calculated means, frequencies, performed Fisher's test, and computed odds ratios (OR) using RStudio and Microsoft Excel. Results: Among 1415 suspected Mpox cases, 87% were men aged 30-39 with exanthema. Confirmed cases had higher rates of lymphadenopathy (31% vs 12%), fever (42% vs 29%), myalgia (35% vs 25%), and specific lesions: pustules (36% vs 27%), scabs (25% vs 17%), and umbilicated lesions (24% vs 7%) (P <0.05). Key risk factors for Mpox included contact with a positive case (OR 2.33), multiple sexual partners (OR 3.52), and male gender (OR 29.93). Conclusion: The symptomatology of confirmed Mpox cases closely aligns with that reported in the current outbreak. The primary risk factors identified include prior contact with another positive case, having multiple sexual partners, and male gender. However, to facilitate a more complete analysis, more evidence needs to be investigated.

The management of osteoarthritis symptomatology through nanotechnology: a patent review.

Osteoarthritis is considered a degenerative joint disease that is characterised by inflammation, chronic pain, and functional limitation. The increasing development of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems has provided new ideas and methods for osteoarthritis therapy. This review aimed to evaluate patents that have developed innovations, therapeutic strategies, and alternatives using nanotechnology in osteoarthritis treatment. The results show patents deposited from 2015 to November 2021 in the online databases European Patent Office and World Intellectual Property Organisation. A total of 651 patents were identified for preliminary assessment and 16 were selected for full reading and discussion. The evaluated patents are focused on the intraarticular route, oral route, and topical route for osteoarthritis treatment. The intraarticular route presented a higher patent number, followed by the oral and topical routes, respectively. The development of new technologies allows us to envision a promising and positive future in osteoarthritis treatment.

Co-Active Coping Inventory: Development and Validation for the Chilean Population.

Co-active coping is a fundamental construct in organizational and work environments as it allows for the exploration of individual and group behaviors within organizations. The aim of this study was to develop a new scale called the Co-Active Coping Inventory in the Chilean context. The sample was comprised of 1,442 workers with an average age of 30.48 years (SD = 11.13). 55% were public-sector workers, 34.5% were workers in private commercial organizations, and 10.5% belonged to non-profit private organizations. Different exploratory factor analyses were performed, and the best exploratory model was verified with a confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, multiple linear regressions were used to analyze which dimensions of co-active coping helped predict workers' burnout (emotional exhaustion, affective hardening, and personal fulfillment) and symptomatology (psychological and somatic). Based on the exploratory and confirmatory approach, the Co-Active Coping Inventory showed a good fit to a structure of five correlated factors (Reflective Action, Rash Action, Search for Spiritual Support, Search for Affective Support and Evasion), demonstrating measurement invariance in terms of sex and type of organization. The different domains of co-active coping explain between 20% (emotional exhaustion) and 41% (affective hardening) of occupational burnout and around 3-5% of workers' symptomatology, with reflective action being the most important variable. These results indicate that the new scale has suitable psychometric properties; it can assess coping strategies in the Chilean organizational context in a reliable and valid way. These coping strategies have demonstrated certain importance in relation to organizational and clinical variables.

Transcultural Pilot Study of the Efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy for Mexican and Spanish Older Adults with Different Levels of Cognitive Decline.

The main objective for this study is to analyze the impact of a positive reminiscence therapy program (REMPOS) in cognitive functioning and depressive symptomatology for older adults in different vital situations (healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease).This is a transcultural comparative study (older people from Spain and Mexico). A randomized design with pre-posttest measurement and twelve groups was formulated, during a period of six months of intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain). The design had: 6 experimental groups with REMPOS intervention (3 in Mexico and 3 in Spain) during a period of six months and 6 control groups that received cognitive stimulation.While a key aspect of this study is the cross-cultural differences, an important part is to determine whether each experimental group had similar results in terms of the change in magnitude between the pre and post analysis. In general, intervention significantly improved cognitive function and decreased depressive symptoms.These findings provide further evidence about the efficacy of the REMPOS therapy between different types of aging and both geographical and cultural contexts (Spain and Mexico).

Depression Disorders in Mexican Adolescents: A Predictive Model.

Depression is a type of mood disorder that can impact individuals of any age. A variety of factors, including biological, psychological, and environmental factors, can contribute to the likelihood of developing depression. If the environment in which a person exists does not support its occurrence, the disorder may not manifest. The current research follows a retrospective, correlational approach, utilizing a non-probability sample of 557 high school students from public schools in Mexico City. This sample includes 181 males and 376 females, aged between 15 and 18 years, with an average age of 15.66 and a standard deviation of 0.68. The main objective of this research is to identify the variables that serve as risk factors for the development of depressive disorders in Mexican adolescents in high school. The data show that 78% of the adolescents in the total sample were at risk of depression, which is consistent with what has been reported by other researchers. The regression model shows that alcohol and drug consumption is associated with and influences the emergence and presence of depressive symptomatology and major depressive disorder. Adolescents with different sexual orientations than heterosexuals are twice as likely to suffer depression and emotional dysregulation. It was confirmed that the developmental stage and adolescence contributes as a context that favors the evolution of such a symptomatology.

Caracterización clínica y sociodemográfica de Diabetes Mellitus en pacientes pediátricos del Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía, Yopal, Colombia

Introducción: La Diabetes Mellitus (DM) es una alteración metabólica crónica, creciente en la población pediátrica que conduce a múltiples complicaciones micro y macrovasculares. Es un problema de salud pública por los altos costos que conlleva el diagnóstico y tratamiento. Según la Federación Internacional de Diabetes (IFD), la incidencia anual en el mundo está aumentando, debido a que la prevalencia de edad entre 0-14 años es de 98.2% y de 0-19 años es de 128.9% entre el 2019 y 2021 con una incidencia de 108.3% y 149.5%, respectivamente, por 100.000 habitantes en 215 países. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas de un grupo de niños y adolescentes que ingresaron al servicio de urgencias del Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía (HORO) de Yopal-Casanare, en el período 2019 -2020 con diagnóstico de novo o previo de diabetes mellitus. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo, tipo serie de casos, donde se incluyeron pacientes menores de 18 años con diagnóstico de novo o previo de diabetes mellitus en el período de 2019 -2020 en el Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía. Se analizaron un total de 15 pacientes. Resultados: Se muestra la clasificación de los pacientes según grupo de edades y sexo, se encuentra predominio del género masculino con un 53,3% de los 15 pacientes que cumplían con los criterios diagnósticos, mientras que la población femenina fue de 46,6%. La edad promedio de los pacientes pediátricos fue de 13 ± 13.2 Conclusiones: En el estudio realizado en el Hospital regional de la Orinoquía, la edad entre 11 - 13 años es la más frecuente para DM, con un predominio significativo del sexo masculino, provenientes de áreas urbanas. Se halló que el bajo peso es un dato alarmante, además de valores de glicemia alterados que se relacionan con las complicaciones presentadas al momento del ingreso del paciente, lo cual representa un problema de salud pública entre niños y adultos jóvenes debido a la heterogeneidad, del factor genético y ambiental.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that is increasing in the pediatric population and leads to multiple microvascular and macrovascular complications. It is a public health problem due to the high costs of diagnosis and treatment. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IFD) the annual incidence in the world is increasing, due to an age prevalence between 0-14 years of 98.2% and 0-19 years of 128.9% between 2019 and 2021 with an incidence of 108.3% and 149.5% respectively per 100,000 inhabitants in 215 countries. Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of a group of children and adolescents admitted to the emergency department of the Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía (HORO) in Yopal-Casanare in the period 2019 to 2020 with de novo or previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Methodology: An observational, descriptive, and retrospective study, case series type, where patients under 18 years of age with de novo or previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were included in the period from 2019 to 2020 in the Orinoquía Regional Hospital. Results: The classification of the patients according to age group and sex shows a predominance of the male gender with 53.3% of the 15 patients who met the diagnostic criteria, while the female population was 46.6%. The average age of the pediatric patients was 13 ± 13.2 Conclusions: The study carried out at the Hospital Regional de la Orinoquía showed that the most frequent age group was 11 to 13 years old, with a significant predominance of males, coming from urban areas. It was found that low weight is an alarming fact plus altered glycemia values are related to the complications presented at the time of the patient's admission, which represents a public health problem among children and young adults due to the heterogeneity of the genetic and environmental factors.

Long-term functional ability trajectories and mental health among older people before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset in Chile.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the advances in understanding the complex association between functional abilities and mental health in old age, studies have overlooked two important aspects. First, traditionally, research has employed cross-sectional designs, measuring limitations at a single time point. Second, most gerontological studies on this field have been conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic onset. This study aims to explore the association between diverse long-term functional ability trajectories across late adulthood and old age, and older people's mental health in Chile, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset. METHODS: We use data from the population-representative and longitudinal 'Chilean Social Protection Survey', sequence analysis to reconstruct functional ability trajectory types from 2004 to 2018, and bivariate and multivariate analyses to measure their association with depressive symptoms in early 2020 (N = 891) and late 2020 (N = 672). We analyzed four age groups defined by their age at baseline (2004): people aged 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, and 61-65. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that erratic or equivocal patterns of functional limitations across time (with people transiting back and forth between low and high levels of limitations) show the worst mental health outcomes, both before and after the pandemic onset. Prevalence of people with depression increased after the COVID-19 onset in most groups, being particularly high among those with previous equivocal functional ability trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between functional ability trajectories and mental health calls for a new paradigm, moving away from age as the main policy guide, and highlighting the need to adopt strategies to improve population-level functional status as an efficient policy to address the challenges of population aging.

Psycho-Emotional Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms during Lockdown Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mexican Population.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, leading to the increase of depressive symptoms. Identifying these symptoms and the factors associated with them in women and men will allow us to understand possible mechanisms of action and develop more specific interventions. An online survey was conducted from 1 May to 30 June 2020 using snowball sampling; the final sample comprised 4122 adult inhabitants of Mexico; 35% of the total sample displayed moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, with a greater proportion of depression being among female respondents. A logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals under 30 years of age, those with high levels of stress due to social distancing, those with negative emotions, and those who reported a significant impact of the pandemic on their lives have a higher risk of depression. Women with a history of mental health treatment and men with a history of chronic disease were also more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Social environment and sex are factors that intervene in the development of depressive symptoms, meaning that appropriate early identification and intervention models should be designed for the care of men and women in highly disruptive situations such as the recent pandemic.

The Prevalence of Symptomatology and Risk Factors in Mental Health in Mexico: The 2016-17 ENCODAT Cohort.

There is little recent information about the prevalence of symptomatology of mental health disorders in representative population samples in Mexico. To determine the prevalence of mental health symptoms in Mexico and its comorbidity with tobacco, alcohol, and drug use disorder (SUD), we used the 2016-17 National Survey of Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use (Encuesta Nacional de Consumo de Drogas, Alcohol y Tabaco, ENCODAT 2016-2017). The data were collected from households using a cross-sectional, stratified, multistage design, with a confidence level of 90% and a response rate of 73.6%. The final sample included 56,877 completed interviews of individuals aged 12-65, with a subsample of 13,130 who answered the section on mental health. Symptoms of mania and hypomania (7.9%), depression (6.4%), and post-traumatic stress (5.7%) were the three main problems reported. Of this subsample, 56.7% reported using a legal or illegal drug without SUD, 5.4% reported SUD at one time on alcohol, 0.8% on tobacco, and 1.3% on medical or illegal drugs, 15.9% reported symptoms related to mental health, and 2.9% comorbidity. The prevalence found is consistent with those reported in previous studies, except for an increase in post-traumatic stress, which is consistent with the country's increase in trauma.

COVID-19 in a Pre-Omicron Era: A Cross-Sectional Immuno-Epidemical and Genomic Evaluation.

The seventh human coronavirus was discovered and reported primarily in Wuhan, China. After intense seasons with repercussions in all areas of humanity, the pandemic demonstrates a new perspective. In Brazil, the pandemic concept had impacts in vast areas, including healthcare hospitals. This present study aims to describe and synthesize data from a determined period from the year 2021 that correlate the symptoms of passive and/or active patients for COVID-19 and their respective results of IgG/IgM serological tests in hospitals in the city of Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil. The form had been applied to 333 people and obtained conclusive results and several symptoms were presented; in addition, asymptomatic cases were also analyzed and directed in the genomic study of variants of concern, as well as vaccination data in the study region.