Examining the relationship between COVID-19 and suicide in media coverage through Natural Language Processing analysis

Background and objectives Suicide is a major public health concern, media can influence its awareness, contagion, and prevention. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and suicide in media coverage through Natural Language Processing analysis (NPL). Methods To study how suicide is depicted in news media, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data techniques were used to analyze news and tweets, to extract or classify the topic to which they belonged. Results A granger causality analysis showed with significant p-value that an increase in covid news at the beginning of the pandemic explains a later rise in suicide-related news. An analysis based on correlation and structural causal models show a strong relationship between the appearance of subjects “health” and “covid”, and also between “covid” and “suicide”. Conclusions Our analysis also uncovers that the inclusion of suicide-related news in the category health has grown since the outbreak of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an inflection point in the way suicide-related news are reported. Our study found that the increased media attention on suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic may indicate rising social awareness of suicide and mental health, which could lead to the development of new prevention tools. (AU)

Diagnostic trajectories of mental disorders in children and adolescents: a cohort study.

Mental disorders in children and adolescents may follow different trajectories, such as remission, change of diagnosis, or addition of two or more comorbid diagnoses, showing a heterotypic pattern. This study aims to describe the main diagnostic trajectories across a broad range of mental disorder diagnostic categories, from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to young adulthood in a clinical population. A prospective study was conducted among a clinical sample of children and adolescents who were aged 3-17 years at the face-to-face baseline interview. Electronic health records of these participants were reviewed 10 years later. The diagnostic stability over time was examined using the kappa coefficient, and factors associated with stability were explored using simple logistic regression. The study included a sample of 691 participants. The kappa coefficient for diagnostic stability across all diagnoses was 0.574 for the transition from childhood to adulthood, 0.614 from childhood to adolescence, and 0.733 from adolescence to adulthood. Neurodevelopmental diagnoses had the highest stability. Factors associated with higher diagnostic stability included family history of mental disorders, receiving psychopharmacological treatment, and symptom severity at baseline. We found a variable diagnostic stability across different diagnoses and age categories. The different life transitions represent complex periods that should not be overlooked from a clinical standpoint. An appropriate transition from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services may have a positive impact on children and adolescents with mental disorders.

Equine-Assisted Therapy in Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Alternative treatments for Post-traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) have attracted attention, especially Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) including psychotherapy and occupational therapy involving horses. In this work, we measured the effectiveness of EAS in PTSD through a meta-analysis. An intensive bibliography search focusing in EAS and PTSD was conducted following the PRISMA recommendations. The search was not restricted by date. For the quantitative analyses, 5 works were selected. They were chosen based on the instrument utilized for the assessment of PTSD symptoms: the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). A random effects model was carried out, showing significant results in the reduction of PTSD symptoms. In the qualitative synthesis, 10 studies were included which showed interesting results in the improvement of PTSD symptoms and other variables. In conclusion, EAS are beneficial for post-traumatic symptoms in the short term follow-up period. However, EAS require further research and major standardization.

Relationship between Strength and Professional Quality of Life of Nurses Working Hospital Emergency Departments.

Optimal quality of professional life can allow coping with stressful situations and avoiding fatigue. This is instrumental in jobs undergoing very demanding situations, such as nurses working in Emergency Departments. In this study, we investigated the relationship between functional and physiological indicators and the quality of professional life in nurses of Emergency Departments of two public hospitals. Fifty-nine professionals participated in the study. Cortisol (an indicator of stress) and post-test lactate (an indicator of fatigue) were analyzed in saliva and in the blood, respectively, at the beginning and at the end of the morning shift. The CVP-35 survey (Spanish version of the QPL-35 questionnaire) was used to assess the quality of professional life. Post-dynamometry circulating lactate levels increased significantly; meanwhile, salivary cortisol decreased in participants at the end of the working shift. Regarding dynamometry, no significant changes were observed. CVP-35/QPL-35 scores did not show significant changes in participants from both hospitals in all dimensions analyzed. In conclusion, nurses participating in the study displayed adaptation to stress accompanied by an acceptable level of professional quality of life. However, certain fatigue appears at the end of the working day. Altogether, results suggest that a better organization must be implemented at work, improving ergonomic, safe, and healthy conditions.

Suicide Classification for News Media Using Convolutional Neural Networks.

Currently, the process of evaluating suicide is highly subjective, which limits the efficacy and accuracy of prevention efforts. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a mean of investigating large datasets to identify patterns within 'big data' that can determine the factors on suicide outcomes. Here, we used AI tools to extract the topic from (press and social) media texts. However, news media articles lack of suicide tags. Using tweets with hashtags related to suicide, we trained a neuronal model that identifies if a given text has a suicide-related topic. Our results suggest a high level of impact of suicide cases in the media, and an intrinsic thematic relationship of suicide news. These results pave the way to build more interpretable suicide data from the media, which may help to better track, understand its origin, and improve prevention strategies.

Professional Quality of Life of Healthcare Workers in Hospital Emergency Departments.

In previous publications, we have reported that professionals in emergency departments undergo high levels of stress according to the amounts of salivary biomarkers (α-amylase and cortisol). The stress seems to be counteracted by increased levels of dehydroepiandrosterone. This hypothesis is confirmed in the answers to different tests indicating no working stress, no anxiety, optimal self-efficacy, and good sleeping quality. Altogether, these previous results suggest an optimal adaptation of these workers to the demanding situations that occur in emergency departments. To complete this research, we decided to evaluate the quality of life of health professionals working in the emergency departments of two Spanish hospitals. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out during the pre-pandemic months of July and August 2019. We determined the professional quality of life through the QPL-35 questionnaire in 97 participants, including nurses (n = 59) and medical doctors (n = 38). Answers to the test indicate that the studied participants working in emergency departments have a good perception of professional quality of life. This is reflected in the three dimensions of the questionnaire: managerial support, workloads, and intrinsic motivation. Based on the results of all answered tests, emergency healthcare staff seem to have adequate professional management, with levels of stress, sleep, and quality of life in line with a controlled lifestyle. Altogether, this would allow a correct adaptation to the demanding situations experienced in emergency departments. The relevance to clinical practice is that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this controlled professional management.

Nitric-Oxide-Inducing Factors on Vitamin D Changes in Older People Susceptible to Suffer from Sarcopenia.

Calcium and magnesium, together with vitamin D and the hormones testosterone and cortisol, are key elements in muscle function, to maintain physical fitness. This study aims to analyze if supplementation with NO precursors (L-arginine, L-citrulline and beetroot extract) modulates the circulating levels of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and steroid hormones in elders. Sixty-one volunteers (65.1 years old, 164.6 cm of height and 71.2 kg of weight) susceptible to develop sarcopenia participated in a physical activity program for 6 weeks. Participants were divided into four groups: one placebo and three taking one of the indicated supplements. Physical capacity was assessed through the following tests: (a) distance covered in 6 min by walking (endurance indicator); (b) hand grip (upper-body strength indicator); (c) time to cover 4 m by walking (speed indicator); and (d) time to perform five full squats (lower-body strength indicator). We concluded that there is a disparity in the association of steroid hormones, vitamin D levels and physical fitness. However, a significant inverse correlation between speed and endurance indicators was observed. Higher circulating vitamin D levels were observed in the L-arginine- and beetroot-supplemented groups. In conclusion, vasodilators increase vitamin D circulating levels that, in the long term, could maintain mineral homeostasis, improving muscular function.

l-Arginine and Beetroot Extract Supplementation in the Prevention of Sarcopenia.

Aging is associated with a significant decline in neuromuscular function, leading to a reduction in muscle mass and strength. The aim of the present report was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with nitric oxide precursors (l-arginine and beetroot extract) in muscular function during a training period of 6 weeks in elderly men and women. The study (double-blind, placebo-controlled) involved 66 subjects randomly divided into three groups: placebo, arginine-supplemented and beetroot extract-supplemented. At the end of this period, no changes in anthropometric parameters were observed. Regarding other circulating parameters, urea levels were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in women of the beetroot-supplemented group (31.6 ± 5.9 mg/dL) compared to placebo (41.3 ± 8.5 mg/dL) after 6 weeks of training. In addition, the circulating creatine kinase activity, as an index of muscle functionality, was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in women of the arginine- (214.1 ± 162.2 mIU/L) compared to the beetroot-supplemented group (84.4 ± 36.8 mIU/L) at the end of intervention. No significant effects were noticed with l-arginine or beetroot extract supplementation regarding strength, endurance and SPPB index. Only beetroot extract supplementation improved physical fitness significantly (p < 0.05) in the sprint exercise in men after 6 weeks (2.33 ± 0.59 s) compared to the baseline (2.72 ± 0.41 s). In conclusion, beetroot seems to be more efficient during short-term training while supplementing, preserving muscle functionality in women (decreased levels of circulating creatine kinase) and with modest effects in men.

Effects of Eccentric vs. Concentric Sports on Blood Muscular Damage Markers in Male Professional Players.

BACKGROUND: Repetitive eccentric contractions can lead to higher degree of damage compared to repetitive concentric contractions. However, this type of exercise does not reproduce the real situations during the season in competitive sport disciplines. METHODS: We analyzed the pattern of muscle damage blood markers in male professionals from three disciplines: cycling (n = 18), mainly concentric, vs. basketball (n = 12) and volleyball (n = 14), both mainly eccentric. Circulating muscle markers were analyzed in two moments of the regular season: after a 20-day training (no competition) period (T1) and after a 20-day period of high demanding competition (T2). RESULTS: Blood levels of creatine kinase and myoglobin (muscle markers) increased in all groups at T2 compared to T1 as a result of competition intensity. The lower increases were noticed in cyclists at the end of both periods. Testosterone levels decreased at T2 compared to T1 in all disciplines, with lower levels found in cyclists. However, cortisol plasma levels decreased in basketball and volleyball players at T2, but increased significantly in cyclists, suggesting a limited adaptation to the effort. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of circulating muscle markers is different depending of the demanding efforts (training vs. competition) of each particular discipline.

The Immunomodulatory Function of Vitamin D, with Particular Reference to SARS-CoV-2.

Vaccines are the only way to reduce the morbidity associated to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The appearance of new mutations urges us to increase the effectiveness of vaccines as a complementary alternative. In this context, the use of adjuvant strategies has improved the effectiveness of different vaccines against virus infections such as dengue, influenza, and common cold. Recent reports on patients infected by COVID-19 reveal that low levels of circulating vitamin D correlate with a severe respiratory insufficiency. The immunomodulatory activity of this micronutrient attenuates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and at the same time, increases antibody production. Therefore, the present review proposes the use of vitamin D as adjuvant micronutrient to increase the efficacy of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Effects of Vitamin D in Post-Exercise Muscle Recovery. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Vitamin D is a key micronutrient modulating function and health in skeletal muscle. Therefore, we sought to systematically review the role of vitamin D in muscle recovery. A search in different databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, WOS, Google Scholar, and Scopus) was carried out following PRISMA® and PICOS. The search period was from inception to April 2020. Changes in post-exercise muscle damage were quantified comparing experimental group vs. placebo in each study by using number of participants, standardized mean difference (SMD), and standard error of the SMD. Hedges's g was used to calculate the SMDs for each study group and biased by the inverse of variance that allows calculating an overall effect and the 95% confidence interval (CI). The net vitamin D supplementation effect was calculated by subtracting the placebo SMD from SMD of the experimental group. The DerSimonian and Laird method was used as a random effect model, taking into account that the effect of vitamin D on muscular damage may vary according to the dose administered and additional moderators. Six studies were selected. In conclusion, regarding circulating levels of muscle biomarkers and additional limitations of the studies, it cannot be concluded that vitamin D supplementation exerts an effect in post-exercise muscle recovery. Likely, the anti-inflammatory action of vitamin D is quicker than the recovery of tissue structure and function. This aspect is pending verification in future research.

L-Citrulline Supplementation and Exercise in the Management of Sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is a process associated to aging. Persistent inflammation and oxidative stress in muscle favour muscle wasting and decreased ability to perform physical activity. Controlled exercise can optimize blood flux and moderate the production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, supplements that can work as a vasodilators and control oxidative stress, might be beneficial for active elders. In this context, we have tested citrulline supplementation in a group of 44 participants aged from 60-73 years that followed a physical activity program adapted to their age and capacities. Volunteers were divided in two groups: placebo (n = 22) and citrullline supplemented (n = 22). Different physical tests and blood extractions were performed at the beginning and at the end of intervention (six weeks). Strength and endurance showed a tendency to increase in the citrulline supplemented group, with no significant differences respect to placebo. However, walking speed in the citrulline supplemented group improved significantly compared to placebo. Markers of muscle damage as well as circulating levels of testosterone, cortisol and vitamin D showed no significant changes, but a tendency to improve at the end of intervention in the supplemented group compared to placebo. Additional studies are necessary to confirm the effect of citrulline supplementation in sarcopenia delay.

Variations in Salivary Stress Biomarkers and Their Relationship with Anxiety, Self-Efficacy and Sleeping Quality in Emergency Health Care Professionals.

Hospital healthcare workers of emergency departments (EDs) face a variety of occupational stressors on a daily basis. We have recently published that emergency professionals display increased salivary levels of α-amylase and dehydroepiandrosterone during the working day. The pattern of these markers may suggest a counteracting mechanism of dehydroepiandrosterone against the stress reflected by amylase increases. In order to verify this hypothesis, we have analysed different psychological aspects in the same group of healthcare professionals through different tests related to behaviours resulting from stress. These include the state-trait anxiety inventory, the self-efficacy test and the sleeping quality questionnaire. The tests were provided at the beginning of the working day and collected at the end. STAI scores (trait and state) were indicative of no anxiety. Self-efficacy scores were considered optimal, as well as those from the sleeping quality questionnaire. This is supported by the modest correlation between STAI scores and salivary levels of α-amylase and dehydroepiandrosterone. In conclusion, the emergency professionals of the studied hospitals seem to have adequate work management. Altogether it means that the stress generated during work performance is controlled, allowing a correct adaptation to the demanding situations undergone in emergency departments.

Effect of Glutamine Supplementation on Muscular Damage Biomarkers in Professional Basketball Players.

Scientific evidence supports the role of L-glutamine in improving immune function. This could suggest a possible role of L-glutamine in recovery after intense exercise. To this end, the present report aimed to study if oral L-glutamine supplementation could attenuate muscle damage in a group of players of a mainly eccentric sport discipline such as basketball. Participants (n = 12) were supplemented with 6 g/day of glutamine (G group) or placebo (P group) for 40 days in a crossover study design (20 days with glutamine + 20 days with placebo and vice versa). Blood samples were obtained at the beginning and at the end of each period and markers from exercise-induced muscle damage were determined. The glutamine supplemented group displayed significantly low values of aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase and myoglobin in blood, suggesting less muscle damage compared to the placebo. In addition, adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were lower in the glutamine supplemented group than in the placebo. As a result, the circulating cortisol levels did not increase at the end of the study in the glutamine supplemented group. Altogether, the results indicate that glutamine could help attenuate exercise-induced muscle damage in sport disciplines with predominantly eccentric actions.

Use of Ecological Momentary Assessment to Study Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: a Systematic Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a recently introduced approach to patient evaluation that consists of asking patients questions in real time and in their usual habitat. This method seeks to contribute to suicide prevention by providing psychiatrists with detailed information about suicidal thoughts and behavior, how these fluctuate over short periods of time, and the short-term risk factors presented by patients. We conducted a systematic review of published research using EMA to study suicidal thoughts and behavior. RECENT FINDINGS: Several systematic reviews of EMA in mental health have been conducted to date, and the literature contains numerous theoretical papers and compilations on EMA and suicide phenomena. To date, however, no systematic reviews have explored the use of this tool to study suicidal thoughts and behavior. We performed a systematic review of five databases (i.e., PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) to identify studies on EMA and suicidal thoughts and behavior. An initial search revealed 544 articles. Following the study selection process, 35 studies were included in the review. Almost three-quarters of the studies were published in the last 4 years. The studies reviewed concluded that EMA was generally feasible and well accepted. EMA findings correlated well with the results of a retrospective assessment, though tended to over-represent symptom severity. Our review points to important aspects of suicidal thoughts and behavior, such as its wide fluctuation over short periods of time. Negative affect and disturbed sleep, among others, emerged as short-term predictors of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Therefore, EMA is a potentially useful tool in clinical practice, although not without drawbacks, such as participant fatigue with questionnaires and ethical concerns.

Stress Salivary Biomarkers Variation during the Work Day in Emergencies in Healthcare Professionals.

OBJECTIVE: The work of health professionals in hospital emergency rooms is highly demanding due to the decisions they must take. In the present study, we consider assessing stress response in emergency health workers, measuring related biomarkers such as cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and salivary α-amylase during the whole working day. METHOD: An analytical, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. The study was conducted in the emergency rooms of two public hospitals. Ninety-seven professionals participated, 45 corresponding to one hospital and 52 to the other. Four salivary samples were obtained according to circadian rhythms: at 8:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 00:00 h/24 h. The data were subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: Cortisol levels decreased throughout the working day, with minimum values being at 24 h. A similar pattern was observed in DHEA. The α-amylase levels increased throughout the working day, reaching its peak at 15:00 h, and decreasing at 24 h, compared to the data from the rest of the working day. CONCLUSIONS: Since reference/baseline values are not presented, this work is focused on a stress situation experienced during one regular working day in emergency rooms with no extreme situations. In this context, stress, measured through cortisol and α-amylase, is present in emergency room doctors and nurses. However, the increase in DHEA, due to its anabolic condition, could counteract their effect, suggesting a positive effect on their professional actions.

Early administration of aripiprazole long-acting injectable in acute inpatients with schizophrenia: a clinical report.

Fifty-one patients suffering an acute episode of schizophrenia and treated with aripiprazole long-acting injectable (ALAI) were chosen to elaborate an observational study in two in-patient units in Spain, in order to examine the effects of early administration during a hospital admission. When treatment with ALAI is administered in the first week of admission (in 31 patients, 60.78%), hospitalization time is significantly reduced, 12.1 days on average. It can be concluded that ALAI is an effective treatment for these patients. Analysis in economic terms and comparison with other LAI antipsychotics are interesting lines for further research.

Diagnostic stability of schizophrenia: A systematic review.

The objective is to systematically review previous literature on the diagnostic stability of schizophrenia, particularly to investigate prospective and retrospective consistency. We carried out a systematic literature search in PubMed and other minor sources from 1980 to July 2017. Specifically, prospective and retrospective consistency were examined. Thirty-nine studies were included, 5 focused on schizophrenia, 23 on psychotic episodes and 11 on psychiatric disorders in general. Samples sizes range from 60 to 10 058 subjects (total N = 39 965). The majority of studies (n = 26, 66.67%) were performed in Europe and North America and they had a prospective design (n = 27, 69.23%), with a median follow-up of 3 years. Prospective and retrospective consistency means were 84.29% and 67.15% respectively. Diagnostic change was also frequently measured (n = 12, mean 31.28%). The factors more commonly associated with diagnostic stability were: male sex, older age at the study inception, older age at onset, late stages of illness, family history of mental illness, poorer functioning and longer length of stay. Schizophrenia was found to have high diagnostic stability over time, although research on this topic is mainly focused in first psychotic episodes. More standardized methods are needed to further research diagnostic stability of schizophrenia over time and its determinants.