Low-Income Parents' Perceptions of Oral Health and Acceptance of Mid-level Dental Providers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore low-income parents' perceptions of oral health and of mid-level dental providers as a means of improving access to care. As states increasingly consider adding mid-level providers to the dental workforce, understanding the views of potential patients toward such providers is important, since the success of this strategy will depend, in part, upon the willingness of potential patients to be treated by them. METHODS: Because little is known about the social acceptability of mid-level dental providers, the researchers employed a qualitative methodology, conducting in-depth interviews with 20 low-income parents in order to assess their perceptions of oral health, access to and need for dental care, and potential acceptance of mid-level dental providers. Interview transcripts were analyzed by a team of researchers using interpretive research methods. RESULTS: Respondents' descriptions of experiences with oral health and dental care demonstrate their strong desire to maintain their families' oral health, as well as their perception that they face significant barriers to receiving needed care. The vast majority of respondents expressed positive inclinations toward the introduction of mid-level dental providers, particularly once they understood that such providers would be fully trained professionals. Though in reality the cost to a patient would likely not vary, many respondents expressed increased interest in treatment by mid-level providers if it were less expensive than treatment by dentists, indicating the significant barrier that cost posed for many in the sample. CONCLUSION: The low-income parents in this sample would likely seek care from mid-level dental providers if such providers were introduced in the U.S. The success of mid-level providers in meeting the needs of this population would potentially be even greater if public education clearly explained their training and professionalism.

Implementing the Collaborative Care Model as Part of a Countywide Initiative.

This column describes the planning and implementation of an integrated behavioral health project which was facilitated and endorsed by a developing accountable health community, the Washtenaw Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI is a voluntary countywide coalition of academic, community, health system, and county government agencies dedicated to improving access to high-quality health care for low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid populations. When lack of access to mental health services was identified as a pressing concern, the WHI endorsed pilot testing of collaborative care, an evidence-based treatment model, in county safety-net clinics. Challenges, outcomes, and relevance of this initiative to other counties or regional entities are discussed.

Facebook use and depressive symptomatology: Investigating the role of neuroticism and extraversion in youth.

The popularity of social networking sites, such as Facebook, has increased rapidly over the past decade, especially among youth. Consequently, the impact of Facebook use on mental health problems (e.g., depressive symptomatology) has become a recent area of concern. Yet, evidence for such a link has been mixed and factors that contribute to heterogeneity of findings have not been identified. In this study, we examined whether the association between Facebook use and depressive symptoms is moderated by individual factors (i.e., personality and sex). To this end, we measured Facebook use, depressive symptoms, and personality domains (i.e., extroversion and neuroticism) among 237 young adults. No direct association was found between Facebook use and depressive symptoms. However, for females with high neuroticism, more frequent Facebook use was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest a complex relationship between Facebook use and depressive symptomatology that appears to vary by sex and personality. Facebook use may be protective against depressive symptoms for female users with high levels of neuroticism, while Facebook use may be unrelated to depressive symptoms among males.