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Adolescents' mental health was severely compromised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal real-world studies on changes in the mental health of adolescents during the later phase of the pandemic are limited. We aimed to quantify the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' mental health outcomes based on electronic health records. This was a retrospective cohort study using the computerized database of a 2.5 million members, state-mandated health organization in Israel. Rates of mental health diagnoses and psychiatric drug dispensations were measured among adolescents 12 to 17 years of age with and without pre-existing mental history, for the years 2017 to 2021. Relative risks were computed between the years, and interrupted time series (ITS) analyses evaluated changes in monthly incidence rates of psychiatric outcomes. The average population size was 218,146 in 2021. During the COVID-19 period, a 36% increase was observed in the incidence of depression (95% CI = 25-47), 31% in anxiety (95% CI = 23-39), 20% in stress (95% CI = 13-27), 50% in eating disorders (95% CI = 35-67), 25% in antidepressant use (95% CI = 25-33), and 28% in antipsychotic use (95% CI = 18-40). A decreased rate of 26% (95% CI = 0.80-0.88) was observed in ADHD diagnoses. The increase of the examined outcomes was most prominent among youth without psychiatric history, female youth, general secular Jewish population, youth with medium−high socioeconomic status, and those 14 to 15 years of age. ITS analysis confirmed a significantly higher growth in the incidence of psychiatric outcomes during the COVID-19 period, compared to those in previous years. This real-world study highlights the deterioration of adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests that youth mental health should be considered during health policy decision making. We worked to ensure sex and gender balance in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As protection from COVID-19 following two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed a time dependent waning, a third (booster) dose was administrated. This study aims to compare the antibody response following the third dose versus the second and to evaluate post-booster seroconversion. A prospective observational study conducted in Maccabi Healthcare Services. Serial SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG tests, 1,2,3 and 6 months following the second vaccine dose and one month following the third were obtained. Neutralizing antibody levels were measured in a subset of participants. Per individual SARS-CoV-2 Spike IgG titer ratios were calculated one month after the booster administration compared to titers one month following the second dose and prior to booster. Among 110 participants, 56 (51%) were women. Mean age was 61.7 ± 1.9 years and 66 (60%) were immunocompromised. One month after third dose, IgG titers were induced 7.83 (95 %CI 5.25–11.67) folds and 2.40 (95 %CI 1.90–3.03) folds compared to one month after the second, in the immunocompromised and immunocompetent groups, respectively. Of the 17 immunocompromised participants who were seronegative after the second dose, 4 (24%) became seropositive following the third. Comparing the titers prior to the third dose, an increase of 50.7 (95 %CI 32.5–79.1) fold in the immunocompromised group and 25.7 (95 %CI 19.1–34.7) fold in and immunocompetent group, was observed. A third BNT162b2 vaccine elicited robust humoral response, superior to the response observed following the second, among immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in Israel began in December 2020. This is a retrospective analysis of serological data, showing SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG kinetics in 116 Israeli health care workers receiving BNT162b2. Sero-conversion occurred in 14 days in all study participants, with IgG levels peaking approximately 30 days after initiation of the vaccination series. A statistically significant difference was observed in IgG levels between subjects younger than 50 years and older participants, although in all cases, IgG levels were well above the level considered reactive by the test's manufacturer. The importance of this difference needs to be studied further, but a potential difference in vaccine efficacy and vaccine effect length could possibly be present between these two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Previous research on diagnosis of distress among patients with physical ailments has focused on physicians who specialize in the treatment of chronic illness. This study explores family physicians’ accuracy in diagnosing patients’ emotional distress. Methods Questionnaires were administered to family physicians ( N = 61) and their patients ( N = 496) immediately after a medical encounter. Patients reported their distress levels. Physicians evaluated patients’ distress levels and filled out a questionnaire measuring perspective-taking, i.e., the tendency to perceive the point of view of others. Results Mixed model analyses of nested data showed a moderate positive relationship between physicians’ evaluations of patients’ distress and patients’ self-reported distress. Diagnosis of distress was more accurate among family physicians with a better ability to take the patient’s perspective. Conclusion Family physicians’ capacity to accurately diagnose patient distress is positively related to their ability to adopt patients’ viewpoint. Practice implications Family physicians’ training should include enhancement of physicians’ ability to take the patient’s perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]