Pathways and identity: toward qualitative research careers in child and adolescent psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: Qualitative research methods are based on the analysis of words rather than numbers; they encourage self-reflection on the investigator's part; they are attuned to social interaction and nuance; and they incorporate their subjects' thoughts and feelings as primary sources. Despite appearing well suited for research in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP), qualitative methods have had relatively minor uptake in the discipline. We conducted a qualitative study of CAPs involved in qualitative research to learn about these investigators' lived experiences, and to identify modifiable factors to promote qualitative methods within the field of youth mental health. METHODS: We conducted individual, semi-structured 1-h long interviews through Zoom. Using purposive sample, we selected 23 participants drawn from the US (n = 12) and from France (n = 11), and equally divided in each country across seniority level. All participants were current or aspiring CAPs and had published at least one peer-reviewed qualitative article. Ten participants were women (44%). We recorded all interviews digitally and transcribed them for analysis. We coded the transcripts according to the principles of thematic analysis and approached data analysis, interpretation, and conceptualization informed by an interpersonal phenomenological analysis (IPA) framework. RESULTS: Through iterative thematic analysis we developed a conceptual model consisting of three domains: (1) Becoming a qualitativist: embracing a different way of knowing (in turn divided into the three themes of priming factors/personal fit; discovering qualitative research; and transitioning in); (2) Being a qualitativist: immersing oneself in a different kind of research (in turn divided into quality: doing qualitative research well; and community: mentors, mentees, and teams); and (3) Nurturing: toward a higher quality future in CAP (in turn divided into current state of qualitative methods in CAP; and advocating for qualitative methods in CAP). For each domain, we go on to propose specific strategies to enhance entry into qualitative careers and research in CAP: (1) Becoming: personalizing the investigator's research focus; balancing inward and outward views; and leveraging practical advantages; (2) Being: seeking epistemological flexibility; moving beyond bibliometrics; and the potential and risks of mixing methods; and (3) Nurturing: invigorating a quality pipeline; and building communities. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified factors that can support or impede entry into qualitative research among CAPs. Based on these modifiable findings, we propose possible solutions to enhance entry into qualitative methods in CAP (pathways), and to foster longer-term commitment to this type of research (identity).

Ethics of identity concordance requests in patient-clinician encounters.

Systemic injustice has resulted in significant baseline inequality amongst populations according to gradients of privilege. What is the ethical approach to situations wherein equity may require differential treatment to correct for baseline disadvantages as a necessary means to its attainment? We explore this concept through the issue of patient requests for clinician identity concordance, when patients request a clinician who matches their race, ethnicity, or gender. Firstly, we discuss ethical grounds for refusing requests by exploring the balance between patient autonomy, a physician's obligation to not abandon one's patients, and the right of a clinician to be free from violence of any form. Next, we explore the ethics surrounding conditional acceptance through the frames of intent and clinical outcomes. We note the legacy of trauma experienced by marginalized patients at the hands of medicine and the abundance of data suggesting that identity concordance can mitigate disparities.

Almajiri health; a scoping review on disease, health literacy and space for participatory research.

INTRODUCTION: Almajirai are male children in Northern Nigeria and Southern Niger who study Islam in the almajiranci system. Almajiranci has been associated with non-participation in formal education, abuse, poverty, and underdevelopment. However, the peer-reviewed literature around health among almajirai remains limited. We conduct a scoping review around almajiri health to synthesize evidence for health problems, draw links between findings, identify research gaps, indicate areas for intervention, and assess participatory approaches in this literature. METHODS: We searched the academic literature for articles concerning almajiri heath using a framework integrating the biopsychosocial and socio-ecological models of health. We included articles in English and French published between 2000 and 2022. For each study we collected information regarding authorship, study year and location(s), study design and aims, sample characteristics, findings, and almajiri participation in research design, execution, interpretation and dissemination. RESULTS: Of 1,944 studies, 17 were found relevant for data extraction. These included 14 cross-sectional studies, 2 descriptive articles, and one case-control study. All were conducted in Nigeria, though one included Nigerien almajirai. No study engaged almajirai in participatory roles. Domains evaluated included infectious disease (10 studies), oral health (2 studies), workplace injury, nutrition, health status, health determinants, and mental health (1 study each). Almajirai included ranged from 3 to 28 years old. Included studies found high rates of malaria, intestinal parasitosis, urinary tract infection, N. meningitidis, and occupational injury among almajirai. Studies comparing almajirai to controls found significantly higher rates of cholera, urinary schistosomiasis, and psychiatric disorders, lower levels of rabies awareness and poorer oral hygiene among almajirai (p<0.05). One study, concerning nutrition, described an intervention to improve almajiri health, though did not provide health outcomes for that intervention. CONCLUSION: We find that the literature around almajiri health has concerned a broad range of domains, though the number of studies within each domain remains limited. We further note limitations in the geographic scope of this literature, interventions to improve almajiri health, and the consideration of demographic features, like age, that may influence almajiri health. We stress the need for further study in these areas, and for participatory approaches, which may be more likely to effectively improve almajiri health.

Provider-identified barriers to performance at seven Nigerian accident & emergency units: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria hosts much of Africa's morbidity and mortality from emergency medical conditions. We surveyed providers at seven Nigerian Accident & Emergency (A&E) units about (i) their unit's ability to manage six major types of emergency medical condition (sentinel conditions) and (ii) barriers to performing key functions (signal functions) to manage sentinel conditions. Here, we present our analysis of provider-reported barriers to signal function performance. METHODS: 503 Health Providers at 7 A&E units, across 7 states, were surveyed using a modified African Federation of Emergency Medicine (AFEM) Emergency Care Assessment Tool (ECAT). Providers indicating suboptimal performance ascribed this performance to any of eight multiple-choice barriers [infrastructural issues, absent and broken equipment, inadequate training, inadequate personnel, requirement of out-of-pocket payment, non-indication of that signal function for the sentinel condition, and hospital-specific policies barring signal function performance] or an open-ended "other" response. The average number of endorsements for each barrier was obtained for each sentinel condition. Differences in barrier endorsement were compared across site, barrier type and sentinel condition using a three-way ANOVA test. Open-ended responses were evaluated using inductive thematic analysis. Sentinel conditions were Shock, Respiratory Failure, Altered Mental Status, Pain, Trauma, and Maternal & Child Health. Study sites were the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the Federal Medical Center, Katsina, the National Hospital Abuja, the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (Kwara), and the Federal Medical Center Owerri (Imo). FINDINGS: Barrier distribution varied widely by study site. Just three study sites shared any one barrier to signal function performance as their most common. The two barriers most commonly endorsed were (i) non-indication of, and (ii) insufficient infrastructure to perform signal functions. A three-way ANOVA test found significant differences in barrier endorsement by barrier type, study site and sentinel condition (p<0.05). Thematic analysis of open-ended responses highlighted (i) considerations disfavoring signal function performance and (ii) lack of experience with signal functions as barriers to signal function performance. Interrater reliability, calculated using Fleiss' Kappa, was found to be 0.5 across 11 initial codes and 0.51 for our two final themes. INTERPRETATION: Provider perspective varied with regards to barriers to care. Despite these differences, the trends seen for infrastructure reflect the importance of sustained investment in Nigerian health infrastructure. The high level of endorsement seen for the non-indication barrier may signal need for better ECAT adaptation for local practice & education, and for improved Nigerian emergency medical education and training. A low endorsement was seen for patient-facing costs, despite the high burden of Nigerian private expenditure on healthcare, indicating limited representation of patient-facing barriers. Analysis of open-ended responses was limited by the brevity and ambiguity of these responses on the ECAT. Further investigation is needed towards better representation of patient-facing barriers and qualitative approaches to evaluating Nigerian emergency care provision.

Development and Validation of the Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness Scale to Measure Trust Among Minoritized Racial and Ethnic Groups in Biomedical Research in the US.

Importance: Historically, trust in biomedical research has been lower among minoritized racial and ethnic groups who are underrepresented in and excluded from research, with the same groups experiencing worse health outcomes. Unfortunately, instruments that measure trust may not capture components of trust relevant to minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Objective: To develop and validate a scale to measure trust in biomedical research among minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional, community-based survey study compared trust and distrust in biomedical research among Black, Latino, and White subgroups in the US using the Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness (PoRT) scale. The scale was developed between March 22, 2016, and September 19, 2018, as part of this study, and its structure, reliability, and validity were examined during pilot (n = 381) and validation (n = 532) phases between February 4, 2019, and July 27, 2021. Convenience samples of adult participants (aged ≥18 years) were recruited locally (Nashville, Tennessee, and San Antonio, Texas) and nationally through the ResearchMatch and Cint online platforms. Main Outcomes and Measures: Overall and individual item Trust and Distrust subscale scores were compared. Overall Trust and Distrust scores were compared by race and ethnicity using a Kruskal-Wallis H test and individual item scores were compared using independent samples t test. Results: Of the 532 participants in the scale validation study, 144 (27.1%) were Black, 90 (16.9%) were Latino, and 282 (53.0%) were White. Participants had a median age of 43 years (range, 18-90 years), 352 (66.2%) were women, and 198 (37.2%) had educational attainment levels less than a college degree. Factor analysis of the 18-item PoRT scale revealed a 2-factor structure with two 9-item PoRT subscales (Trust and Distrust), which demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.72 and 0.87, respectively). Mean (SD) Trust subscale scores were lower among Black (34.33 [2.02]) and Latino (34.55 [1.97]) participants compared with White participants (36.32 [1.81]; P < .001). Mean (SD) Distrust subscale scores were higher among Black (21.0 [2.15]) and Latino (20.53 [2.21]) participants compared with White participants (18.4 [2.03]; P < .001). Individual item results showed that Black and Latino participants were less trusting and more distrusting than White individuals on items related to risks, harms, secrecy, confidentiality, and privacy. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that the PoRT scale incorporates trust and trustworthiness concepts relevant among Black and Latino individuals and may allow more precise assessment of trust in research among these groups.