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Mortality due to suicide is amongst the largest public health concerns across the world today in Bharat (India). There have been concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to worsening mental health outcomes across the world, including in Bharat. Furthermore, long COVID has been proposed to be a major consequence of COVID-19, which can also worsen mental health outcomes. Therefore, our objective in this study was to analyse trends in suicide mortality across Bharat and to compare these trends to changes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; in addition, we aimed to analyse if long COVID had any role in these changes. It was found that, at a national level, the average annual increase in the suicide rate between 2019 and 2022 was 0.7 per 100,000 people (a 6.41% increase). There was also an average annual rise in suicide rates across 27 states/union territories (out of the 33 that were analysed). States/UTs with the highest annual increases since the start of the COVID-19, despite a decrease from 2018 to 2019, were Tamil Nadu (increased by 2.7; a 15.17% increase) and Telangana (increased by 1.9; a 9.22% increase). Multi-linear regression showed that the annual suicide rate changes were not associated with COVID-19 deaths per 10,000 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.077; p = 0.605) but were associated with COVID-19 cases per 100 people (standardized beta coefficient = 0.578; p < 0.001). It has been shown that suicide mortality has worsened, and long COVID may have a potential role in this in Bharat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medical students have been known to face numerous mental health issues at disproportionately high rates. Of pertinence, medical students have been shown to have high rates of suicidal thoughts and behavior. However, little is known about the risks and warning signs for death by suicide in this group. We therefore conducted a systematic review regarding the factors associated with medical student suicide mortality. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted searches in six different databases. Studies with stratified data on at least one suicide death by a medical student were eligible for inclusion. Results: Searches produced a total of 1744 articles, and of those, 13 articles were eligible for inclusion. There was a pooled total of 362 suicide deaths of medical students across five different countries. 67.6% of deaths occurred among male students, primarily in their early twenties. Students in their later years of medical school were shown to be more likely to die by suicide, as were those with a history of psychiatric issues such as depression. Motivations for suicide were academic stress/failure, harassment/bullying, and relationship issues. Warning signs for suicide among medical students were recent changes in mood/behavior and leaving a suicide note. Discussion: Numerous risks and warning signs of suicide have been described in our review. Medical schools may have an important role in lowering suicide deaths by medical students; impactful change can occur through better support, changes in curriculum, and appropriate data collection. HIGHLIGHTS: Numerous modifiable risk factors have been linked to suicide in medical students Warning signs include recent changes in mood/behavior, and leaving a suicide note Medical schools need proactive, multi-level approaches to reduce medical student suicide [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which encompasses both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is a major health burden worldwide. There are increasing concerns surrounding the impacts of this disease due to significant rises in the prevalence rates of IBD across the world. In consideration of the complexities of managing IBD along with this marked rise in prevalence and incidence, developing new forms of treatment for this condition has become a major priority. In recent years, a potential new form of treatment for IBD has emerged in the form of biologic therapies. While there is a high level of optimism due to the development of these therapies, there is also a clear need to evaluate their effectiveness, and their overall safety profiles. For this review, we have evaluated three specific biologics used for the treatment IBD. More precisely, the focus of this review is to analyze and critically appraise the literature for vedolizumab, ustekinumab, and golimumab, and determine their roles in the management of UC and CD, respectively. After doing so, we have also briefly synthesized important new findings regarding the role of dietary and nutritional approaches. In doing so, we have aimed to contextualize the findings regarding biologics, and, in order to evaluate potential new treatment approaches for the future to augment biologic therapies, we have discussed the potential for combined approaches that incorporate the usage of both biologics and nutritional interventions for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are very important in New York City (NYC), a place greatly affected by the opioid epidemic. Access to SEPs and health-care services located in proximity to each other is critical for reducing overdose deaths. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine if SEPs are appropriately located near health facilities in NYC. Publicly available data on population totals, as well as location data of SEPS, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) across NYC, were obtained for the purpose of mapping. Thereafter, we conducted a proximity analysis of SEPs to hospitals and FQHCs. There are a total of 13 SEPs across NYC. Proximity analysis shows that, while there are numerous FQHCs located in close proximity to SEPs, there are minimal hospitals in close proximity to SEPS. Furthermore, there are notably higher population totals living in close proximity to SEPs compared to those living farther away from these facilities. Our findings illustrate that health-care centers currently tend to be located distantly from SEPs, particularly in Richmond County. In an effort to expand services to address the opioid epidemic across NYC, the development of SEPs needs to be closer to health-care resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's objectives were to provide university faculty and administration examples of the challenges students face during COVID-19 and give students a chance to process their experiences with one another. A team of student researchers and interdisciplinary faculty members conducted a photo-elicitation study. Participants were instructed to take photographs for up to 10 days that helped them describe life during the pandemic. The students were subsequently interviewed about their photos over a video conferencing platform. We conducted semistructured photo-elicitation interviews with 43 university students from April 20, 2020, to May 26, 2020. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts revealed that students were affected by the pandemic at three levels: individual, interpersonal, and organizational. Participant responses are a call to action for educators to prioritize safety, connection, and wellness in their pedagogical practices. The students who participated in this project made a clear statement to faculty about their learning and well-being needs. Learning cannot be prioritized over loss of safety amid the pandemic, health concerns, or social injustices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]