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BackgroundEvidence from past pandemics suggests that fear, uncertainty, and loss of control during large-scale public health crises may lead to increased pandemic-related information seeking, particularly among persons predisposed to high anxiety. In such groups, a greater consumption of information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic may increase anxiety. ObjectiveIn this study, we examine the association between online activity and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scores in the United States. MethodsWe recruited participants for an online survey through advertisements on various platforms such as Google, Facebook, and Reddit. A total of 406 adult US participants with moderate to severe (≥10) GAD-7 scores met the inclusion criteria and completed the survey. Anxiety levels measured using the GAD-7 scale formed our primary outcome. Our key independent variables were average daily time spent online and average daily time spent online searching about COVID-19 within the past 14 days. We used as controls potential confounders of the relation between our key independent variables and GAD-7 scores, namely, sleep quality, the COVID-19 Fear Inventory scale, binge drinking, substance use, prescription drug abuse, and sociodemographic attributes. ResultsLinear multivariate regression analyses showed that GAD-7 scores were higher among those who spent >4 hours online (per day) searching for information about COVID-19 (coefficient 1.29, P=.002), controlling for all other covariates. The total time spent online was not statistically associated with GAD-7 scores. ConclusionsResults from this study indicate that limiting pandemic-related online information seeking may aid anxiety management in our study population.

OBJECTIVE: A 6-week study was conducted to test the effectiveness of the Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) intervention on anxiety, help seeking (requests for electronic resources [e-resources] on anxiety reduction), and online engagement. METHODS: Three hundred participants with moderate to severe anxiety (i.e., seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7] scores ≥10) were randomly assigned to social media (i.e., Facebook) groups with or without peer leaders. The study was conducted from April 5 to May 17, 2020. GAD-7 scores, e-resource requests, and online engagement were measured at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, and 6. RESULTS: GAD-7 scores improved in both intervention and control groups, with no difference between conditions. Participants in the intervention group were more likely than those in the control group to request e-resources (OR=10.27, 95% CI=4.52-23.35) and engage online (OR=2.84, 95% CI=1.70-4.76). CONCLUSIONS: The HOPE intervention effectively promoted mental health help-seeking behavior and online engagement.

ObjectiveWe sought to assess the effectiveness of using a peer-led online community to increase HIV self-testing among Latinx and African American men who have sex with men (MSM).DesignRandomized controlled trial.MethodsThroughout 6 waves, between February 18, 2017, and January 8, 2021, 900 HIV negative and/or serostatus unknown Los Angeles-based MSM (68.9% Latinx, 16.0% African American, and 7.4% White) participated in an online 12-week HIV prevention randomized controlled trial. A total of 79 trained role models (peer leaders) were randomly assigned to participants within clusters to build trust and deliver HIV testing information on Facebook groups. Participants in control groups were assigned to groups without peer leaders. Participants were not required to respond to peer leaders or to remain group members. Participants completed self-report assessments at baseline and 12-week follow-up and could receive a free HIV self-testing kit during the study period.ResultsCompared with control group participants, intervention group participants were significantly more likely to accept the offer for the HIV self-testing kit (intervention 130 of 450, 29%; control 102 of 450, 22.7%; odds ratio = 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 1.95, P = 0.03), report having taken an HIV self-test within the past 3 months (odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 2.13, P = 0.04), and report drinking fewer glasses of alcohol in an average week (P = 0.01). Effects seemed concentrated within later study waves. Study retention was greater than 93%.ConclusionsA peer-led online community seems to be an effective method of increasing HIV self-testing among MSM of color. We discuss the implications of the wave effects on public health research and policy.

ObjectivePersistent exposure to faecal pathogens due to open defecation may cause environmental enteropathy that, in turn, may lead to undernutrition and vaccine failure in under 5-year-old (u5) children. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) programme in India, launched in 2014, aimed to construct toilets for every household nationwide and reduce open defecation. This programme, if successful, had the potential to reduce the burden of four vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs): diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles. We examine whether increased household toilet availability in Indian districts following SBM corresponds with a reduction in diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and measles in u5 children.DesignObservational, ecological study.Setting532 districts in 28 Indian states, from 2013 to 2016.Primary outcome and exposureWe retrieved data on district-level change in the annual incidence (per 1000 u5 children) of four VPDs, from 2013 (pre-SBM) to 2016 (post-SBM). We obtained data on our exposure, the change in the percentage of households with toilets (per district), from three large national surveys conducted in 2013 and 2016. We used linear regression analysis, which controlled for change over time in socioeconomic factors, health system-related covariates and pre-SBM annual incidence of VPDs.ResultsA one percentage point increase in households with toilets corresponds with 0.33 fewer measle cases per 1000 u5 children in a district (coefficient: -0.33, 95% CI -0.0641 to -0.014; p

Introduction: Our goal in this study was to identify stimulant abuser patients who are at specifically high risk of suicide attempt (SAT), in order to prioritize them in preventive and risk mitigation programs.Methods: We used the California State Emergency Department Database (SEDD) to obtain discharge information for 2011. The SEDD contains discharge information on all outpatient ED encounters, including uninsured patients and those covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. We identified SAT and stimulant abuse by using the relevant International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes.Results: The study included 10,124,598 outpatient ED visits. Stimulant abuse was observed in 0.97% of ED visits. Stimulant abuse was more common among young and middle-aged males and people with low median household income. Moreover, it was more common among Native American (1.8%) and Black (1.8%), followed by non-Hispanic White (1.1%) patients. The prevalence of SAT was 2.0% (N = 2000) for ED visits by patients with a history of stimulant abuse, and 0.3% (N = 28,606) for ED visits without a history of stimulant abuse (odds ratio 7.29, 95% confidence interval, 6.97-7.64). The SATs were directly associated with stimulant abuse, younger age (age groups >10), and non-Hispanic White and Native American race. Association of SAT with stimulant abuse was stronger in female patients.Conclusion: Stimulant abuse was the only modifiable risk factor for suicide attempt in our study. Reaching out to populations with higher prevalence of stimulant abuse (young and middle-aged individuals who are Native American or Black, with lower household income) to control the stimulant abuse problem, may reduce the risk of SAT. In this regard, people who are at higher risk of SAT due to non-modifiable risk factors (younger age, and Native American or White race) should be prioritized. Moreover, controlling stimulant abuse among women may be specifically effective in SAT prevention.

ObjectivePrevious literature finds an increase in depressive symptoms, substance use, and suicidal ideation following the COVID-19 pandemic in the US - suicides do not appear to increase. We examine whether 1) state lockdown policies in the US precede an increase in mental health symptoms; and 2) the extent to which using substances amplifies or attenuates the relation.MethodsWe specified, as our exposure variable, the timing of state-level lockdown orders. We used, as the outcome variable, the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) that measures anxiety and depression symptoms. We utilized the Understanding America Study (UAS), a nationally representative sample of 7,597 adults across 50 states in the US, surveyed biweekly between March 10, 2020 and November 11, 2020. Linear fixed effect analyses controlled for time-invariant individual factors, as well as employment status, household income, and previous mental health diagnosis.ResultsRegression results indicate an increase in PHQ-4 scores of approximately 1.70 during lockdown, relative to no lockdown (p < 0.05). Relative to no lockdown, an increase in alcohol use corresponds with a 0.08 unit decrease in PHQ-4 scores during lockdown (p < 0.05).ConclusionState lockdown policies precede greater mental health symptoms. Increases in consuming alcohol attenuates the relation between state lockdown policies and mental health symptoms. Results may portend greater addiction following the pandemic warranting further investigation into utilization of substance use treatment.

BackgroundGeoffrey Rose's paper "Sick Individuals, Sick Populations" highlights the counterintuitive finding that the largest share of morbidity arises from populations engaging in low- to moderate-risk behavior. Scholars refer to this finding as the prevention paradox. We examine whether this logic applies to SARS-CoV-2 infected persons considered low to moderate risk.MethodsWe conducted a population-representative survey and sero-surveillance study for SARS-CoV-2 among adults in Orange County, California. Participants answered questions about health behaviors and provided a finger-pin-prick sample from 10 July to 16 August 2020.ResultsOf the 2979 adults, those reporting low- and moderate-risk behavior accounted for between 78% and 92% of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Asymptomatic individuals, as well as persons with low and moderate scores for self-reported likelihood of having had SARS-CoV-2, accounted for the majority of infections.ConclusionsOur findings support Rose's logic, which encourages public health measures among persons who self-identify as unlikely to have SARS-CoV-2. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B860.

ObjectivesStricter firearm policies correlate with lower suicides by firearm in the US. However, much work examines policies in isolation and does not investigate firearm policies as they relate to US pro-gun culture. We examine the relation between permissiveness of state firearm laws, gun culture, and suicides by firearm.Study designPanel longitudinal study.MethodsThe count of suicides by firearm for 50 US states from 2000 to 2016 served as the outcome. Permissiveness of multiple state firearm laws, based on ratings from the Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States, served as the exposure. These ratings, measured at the state-year, capture not only the overall policy environment but also the extent to which the state exhibits a pro-gun culture. We applied a fixed effects negative binomial count model, which controls for the population-at-risk, to examine suicides overall and by race/ethnicity and gender.ResultsA 10-unit increase in permissiveness of state firearm laws corresponds with 2% greater suicides by firearm overall (Incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.02; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) and among non-Hispanic white males ([IRR] = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02).ConclusionsFindings, if replicated, indicate that states enacting more restrictive firearm policies, and lessening a pro-gun culture, may lead to reductions in suicide by firearm.

BackgroundLack of toilets and the widespread practice of open defecation may contribute to India's large burden of child undernutrition.ObjectivesWe examine whether a large national sanitation campaign launched in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), precedes a reduction in stunting and wasting among under 5-y-old (u5) children in India.MethodsIn this observational study, we used district-level data from before (2013-2014) and after (2015-2016) SBM from 3 national surveys to derive, as our outcomes, the percentage of u5 children per district who are stunted and wasted. We defined our exposures as 1) binary indicator of SBM and 2) percentage of households with toilets per district. Our analytic sample comprised nearly all 640 Indian districts (with ∼1200 rural/urban divisions per district per time point). Linear regression analyses controlled for baseline differences in districts, linear time trends by state, and relevant covariates.ResultsRelative to pre-SBM, u5 stunting declines by 0.06% (95% CI: -0.10, -0.01; P = 0.009) with every percentage increase in households with toilets post-SBM. Rural regions and districts with higher pre-SBM toilet availability show greater decline in u5 stunting post-SBM.ConclusionsAn increase in toilet availability on a national scale, precipitated by the SBM sanitation campaign, is associated with a reduction in undernutrition among u5 children in India over the early phase of the campaign.

BackgroundThe rise in opioid-related mortality and opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits has stimulated research on whether broader economic declines, such as the Great Recession, affect opioid-related morbidity. We examine in New York City whether one measure of morbidity-opioid-related ED visits-responded acutely to the large negative "shock" of the Great Recession.MethodsData comprise outpatient "treat and release" opioid-related ED visits in New York City for the 72 months spanning January 2006 to December 2011, taken from the Statewide Emergency Department Database (n = 150,246). We modeled the monthly incidence of opioid-related ED visits using Autoregressive, Integrated, Moving Average (ARIMA) time-series methods to control for patterning in ED visits before examining its potential association with the economic shock of the Great Recession.ResultsNew York City shows a mean of 1761 outpatient ED visits per month for opioid dependence and abuse. Unexpectedly large drops in employment coincide with fewer than expected opioid dependence and abuse ED visits in that same month. The result (coefficient = 0.046, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.002, 0.090) represents a 0.8% drop in overall incidence of opioid dependence and abuse ED visits during the Great Recession. We, however, observe no association between the Great Recession and ED visits for prescription opioid overdose or heroin overdose, or with inpatient ED visits for opioid dependence and abuse.ConclusionsFindings, if replicated, indicate distinct short-term reductions in opioid-related morbidity following the Great Recession. This result diverges from previous findings of increased opioid use following extended economic downturns.

Introduction: Toxicologic exposures (TE) are a major preventable public health issue, with most cases due to unintentional causes. Although these cases are well documented and reported via the National Poison Data System, there is little information regarding toxicologic exposure cases in the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to identify demographic groups at risk for potential poisoning.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We used data from the California State Emergency Department Database (SEDD) 2011 for statistical analysis. Results: The study included 10,124,598 ED visits in California in 2011. The prevalence of TE was 383.4 (379.6-387.3) per 100,000 visits. Toxicologic exposures were most common among patients aged

Persons with high temporal discounting tend to value immediate gratification over future gains. Low self-reported lifespan (SRL)-an individual's assessment of a relatively short future lifespan-concentrates in low-income populations and may reflect high temporal discounting. We use casino-based cash dividends among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) as a quasi-experiment to test whether large income gains among EBCI members translate into increased SRL. We used SRL data for EBCI and White youth, aged 19 to 28, participating in two waves of the Life Time Trajectory of Youth (LTI-Y) survey from 2000 to 2010. We controlled for unobserved confounding across individuals, time, and region through a longitudinal design using a difference-in-difference analytic approach (N = 294). We conducted all analyses separately by gender and by quartile of socioeconomic status. Cash dividends correspond with a 15.23 year increase in SRL among EBCI men below the lowest socio-economic quartile at baseline relative to Whites (standard error = 5.39, p

ObjectiveTo test whether rapid expansion of mental health services in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) reduces African American/white disparities in youth psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits.Data sourcesSecondary ED data for psychiatric care for 3.3 million African American and white youth in nine states, 2006-2011. We used the HCUP SEDD and SID. We obtained FQHC service data from the Uniform Data System.Study designThe psychiatric ED visit is the dependent variable. Logistic regression methods control for individual risk factors for ED use, as well as county-level health system factors and county and year fixed effects. Key independent variables include indicators of mental health service capacity in FQHCs in a county-year.Data extraction methodsWe extracted ED psychiatric visits for 3.3 million African American and white youth in nine states, 2006-2011, from the HCUP SEDD and SID, and FQHC data from the Uniform Data System.Principal findingsOverall mental health visits at FQHCs correlate positively with psychiatric ED visits among African American youth. However, increases in the number of mental health visits per FQHC patient corresponds with fewer outpatient psychiatric ED visits among African American youth, relative to white youth (odds ratio = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.94, 0.98).ConclusionsIncreases in the intensity of services offered per mental health patient at FQHCs-rather than increases in overall capacity-may reduce African American youth's overreliance on the ED for psychiatric care.

ObjectiveRegional primary health care system capacity may affect the demand for psychiatric visits to the emergency department (ED). In the United States, community health centers (CHCs), which serve low-income regions regardless of individuals' ability to pay, expanded primary care services by over 70% in the past decade. No research, however, evaluates whether this expansion affects overall psychiatric ED visits. This hypothesis is tested in 143 U.S. counties that expanded CHC services.MethodsFor the years 2006 through 2011, 18.84 million psychiatric outpatient ED visits were aggregated by county-year for the 143 U.S. counties with a participating CHC. The rate of psychiatric ED cases in a county-year is the dependent variable. Two independent variables were examined: total patients seen at CHCs and total patients receiving mental health services at CHCs. Fixed-effects regression methods controlled for county effects, year effects, and other health care and sociodemographic factors.ResultsPsychiatric ED visits fell below expected levels in county-years where the volume of overall CHC patients rose (coefficient=-0.059; standard error=0.027, p=0.03). Findings indicate no relation between the volume of mental health patients seen at CHCs and psychiatric ED visits.ConclusionsAn increase in general primary health care to an underserved population, in the form of CHCs, corresponds with a decline in psychiatric ED visits. This result coheres with a recent Medicaid expansion experiment in which increased access to general primary care reduced the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated depression. Findings, if replicated, may hold policy implications for regional health systems.

Community Health Centers (CHCs) target medically underserved communities and expanded by 70% in the last decade. We know little, however, about mental health services at CHCs. We analyzed data from 2006 to 2015 and determined county-level drivers of these services. Mental health patients at CHCs fall from 2006 to 2007 but then rise consistently from 2007 to 2015. Counties with fewer physicians, greater percent insured and greater percent white population show faster growth in mental health services. Increases in mental health services at CHCs outpace general CHC growth and reflect federal efforts to integrate behavioral health care into primary care.

Objective: To test whether monthly declines in aggregate employment precede a rise in African American psychiatric-related ED visits (PREDVs) relative to white visits among low-income, working-age populations. Design: This study used repeated cross-sectional time series data for 6.7 million PREDVs among African Americans and white individuals from the State Emergency Department Database in 48 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) across four states (Arizona, California, New York, New Jersey) from 2006 to 2011. MSA-level monthly employment data were obtained from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The outcome was specified as the race of a PREDV (African American = 1, white = 0). The exposure was operationalized as monthly percent change in MSA-level aggregate employment lagged by 0 to 3 months. Analysis included logistic regressions with county, month and year fixed effects, and clustered standard errors to examine the relation between odds of an African American PREDV (relative to white) following 0 to 3 months lag of MSA-level aggregate employment change. Findings: Logistic regression results indicate that the odds of PREDVs for publicly insured, working-age African Americans (relative to white individuals) increase 3 months after ambient employment decline (OR: 0.994, 95% CI: [0.990 0.998]). Conclusion: Economic downturns may marginally increase psychiatric help-seeking in EDs among publicly insured (low-income), working-age African Americans relative to white individuals. Findings from this study may contribute to the theoretical understanding of dynamic drivers of racial disparities in psychiatric ED visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent COVID-19–related federal legislation has resulted in time-limited increases in Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) set-aside dollars for coordinated specialty care (CSC) throughout the United States. The state of Ohio has opted to apply these funds to establish a learning health network of Ohio CSC teams, promote efforts to expand access to CSC, and quantify the operating costs and rates of reimbursement from private and public payers for these CSC teams. These efforts may provide other states with a model through which they can apply increased MHBG funds to support the success of their own CSC programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a prevalent sleep disorder that leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and poor quality of life. OSAS is characterized by intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and neurocognitive disorders. The focus of our article is to discuss the approach to diagnosis and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to assess the effectiveness of using a peer-led online community to increase HIV self-testing among Latinx and African American men who have sex with men (MSM)., Design: Randomized controlled trial., Methods: Throughout 6 waves, between February 18, 2017, and January 8, 2021, 900 HIV negative and/or serostatus unknown Los Angeles-based MSM (68.9% Latinx, 16.0% African American, and 7.4% White) participated in an online 12-week HIV prevention randomized controlled trial. A total of 79 trained role models (peer leaders) were randomly assigned to participants within clusters to build trust and deliver HIV testing information on Facebook groups. Participants in control groups were assigned to groups without peer leaders. Participants were not required to respond to peer leaders or to remain group members. Participants completed self-report assessments at baseline and 12-week follow-up and could receive a free HIV self-testing kit during the study period., Results: Compared with control group participants, intervention group participants were significantly more likely to accept the offer for the HIV self-testing kit (intervention 130 of 450, 29%; control 102 of 450, 22.7%; odds ratio = 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 1.95, P = 0.03), report having taken an HIV self-test within the past 3 months (odds ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 2.13, P = 0.04), and report drinking fewer glasses of alcohol in an average week (P = 0.01). Effects seemed concentrated within later study waves. Study retention was greater than 93%., Conclusions: A peer-led online community seems to be an effective method of increasing HIV self-testing among MSM of color. We discuss the implications of the wave effects on public health research and policy., Competing Interests: S.Y. is on the board within the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to advise on STI-related research and policy; S.Y. is an advisor to digital health startups, including ElevateU, which helps substance use and HIV researchers conduct online studies. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Less than half of African American youth with severe mental disorders receive psychiatric care. When they do receive care, African American youth use the Emergency Department at higher rates than whites. We examine whether rapid expansion of primary mental health care at Community Health Centers reduces Emergency Department visits for psychiatric care especially among African American youth. Through four studies, we examine (1) the impact of mental health service capacity on the disparity of psychiatric care among African American youth; (2) how Community Health Center mental health visits vary with repeat psychiatric emergency visits; (3) the county-level drivers of the expansion of Community Health Centers; and (4) how Community Health Center expansion affects overall psychiatric emergency care. Results indicate that increased continuity of mental health care at Community Health Centers corresponds with a reduction in racial disparities in youth psychiatric ED visits. In addition, an increase in Community Health Center capacity varies inversely with repeated psychiatric Emergency Department visits and inversely with psychiatric Emergency Department visits overall. And finally, results show an increase in Community Health Center mental health services among counties with greater poverty, lower physician availability, and higher percentage of uninsured. Our studies indicate that expansion of federally-funded primary mental health services affects the overall system of emergency psychiatric care. However, this expansion does not appear to dramatically reduce racial/ethnic disparities in psychiatric emergency department visits., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.