Men's Health in Northern Ireland: Why do we need a men's health policy?

Males accounted for half the United Kingdom population in 2021 yet they fail to be prioritised in health and social policies. As examining the health of males and females collectively falls short in accounting for the complexities associated with gendered health outcomes, male health should be considered as a separate policy issue. The island of Ireland has two jurisdictions, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (NI); however, only the former has implemented a men's health policy. As well as a policy vacuum within NI, few studies have comprehensively examined male health. To address this shortcoming, a narrative review of males' physical and mental health trends in NI is presented to determine the need for a men's health policy. A collation of secondary administrative data and survey data was conducted. The narrative review highlights the importance of utilising a holistic framework to understand men's health. Key findings include high male suicide rates and young males being more likely to report certain mental health problems. The study concludes that a male health policy is needed. To achieve this, a Health Impact Pyramid was developed, and it illustrates practical steps that can be taken to support decision-makers, service providers and individual males.

Developing a consensus of recovery from suicidal ideations and behaviours: A Delphi study with experts by experience.

BACKGROUND: Understanding recovery in mental health has received significant attention and consequently, recovery has been incorporated into health policy across many countries in the Global North. In comparison, the concept of 'recovery' from suicidal thoughts and behaviours has received little attention. However, the few studies in this area appear to suggest that recovery is a complex and an idiosyncratic process with many contributing factors. This can present a challenge for clinicians and services seeking to become more recovery focused. Thus, it seems of importance to develop a consensus on how recovery from suicidal thoughts and behaviours is conceptualised. AIM: The study aimed to use the Delphi design to establish a consensus of how recovery is defined by those with lived experience of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The Delphi method draws on the expertise of a panel, often involving clinicians, researchers and lived experience experts to develop consensus over a topic by inviting them to rate the importance of, often a series of statements to a given topic area. METHOD: Lived experience experts were asked to complete two rounds of questionnaires distributed online to capture their views on recovery. RESULTS: A total of 196 individuals gave their views on the first round of the study and 97 gave their views on the second round. A final list of 110 statements was developed that 80% or more of participants defined as essential or important. Statements covered items that were important in defining, facilitation and hindering the process of recovery. CONCLUSION: Findings are consistent with the wider literature that suggests that recovery is an idiosyncratic process, but with many commonly shared features. Here we also show that a comprehensive definition of recovery must include factors that hinder the process of recovery. Implications and recommendations for practice, policy development and future research are discussed.

Youth Suicide in India: A Critical Review and Implication for the National Suicide Prevention Policy.

Youth suicide is a significant public health problem in Low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), including India. It is a distinct phenomenon with various bio-psycho-social determinants. Despite this, comprehensive literature on this topic is lacking from India. Thus, the current paper aimed to review the available literature on youth-suicide from India and other LMIC, discusses the contentious issues, including potential solutions for the possible roadblocks, and provides recommendations for the national suicide-prevention policy and strategy (NSPPS) in the Indian context. We found that the magnitude of youth suicide in India is substantial with the distinct bio-psycho-social determinants. Although, youth-specific suicide prevention and therapeutic intervention do exist; its feasibility and effectivity in the Indian context are yet to be established. The is an urgent need for the NSPPS; experiences from other LMIC should be incorporated while framing such policies. More research is required from India in this area.

Plano EVA-TO: plano de enfrentamento à violência autoprovocada do Estado do Tocantins com ênfase na atenção integral à saúde / EVA-TO Plan: plan to face self-inflicted violence in the State of Tocantins with an emphasis on comprehensive health care

O Plano de Enfrentamento à Violência Autoprovocada do Estado do Tocantins com Ênfase na Atenção Integral à Saúde foi desenvolvido para fortalecer a rede de atenção psicossocial, em colaboração com o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e o Sistema Único de Assistência Social (SUAS). Elaborado pelo Grupo de Trabalho "Flor de Pequi", o plano tem como objetivo qualificar a Rede de Atenção à Saúde, orientando gestores e profissionais de saúde na prevenção da violência autoprovocada, automutilação e suicídio, além de promover o acolhimento e compartilhamento do cuidado na rede de atenção à saúde. O documento foi elaborado em resposta a demandas relacionadas aos dados de violência autoprovocada, solicitações do Conselho Estadual de Defesa de Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente e do Conselho Regional de Psicologia. A metodologia, discussão, metas, ações e monitoramento também são abordados no plano.

The Plan for Confronting Self-Inflicted Violence in the State of Tocantins with an Emphasis on Comprehensive Health Care was developed to strengthen the psychosocial care network in collaboration with the Unified Health System (SUS) and the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS). Elaborated by the "Flor de Pequi" Working Group, the plan aims to enhance the Health Care Network by providing guidance to managers and health professionals in the prevention of self-inflicted violence, self-harm, and suicide, while promoting care and support within the health care system. The document was created in response to demands related to self-inflicted violence data, requests from the State Council for the Defense of the Rights of Children and Adolescents, and the Regional Psychology Council. The plan also addresses methodology, discussion, goals, actions, and monitoring.

El Plan de Enfrentamiento a la Violencia Autoinfligida en el Estado de Tocantins con Énfasis en la Atención Integral de Salud fue desarrollado para fortalecer la red de atención psicosocial en colaboración con el Sistema Único de Salud (SUS) y el Sistema Único de Asistencia Social (SUAS). Elaborado por el Grupo de Trabajo "Flor de Pequi", el plan tiene como objetivo calificar la Red de Atención a la Salud, brindando orientación a los gestores y profesionales de la salud en la prevención de la violencia autoinfligida, la automutilación y el suicidio, además de promover el cuidado y apoyo dentro de la red de atención sanitaria. El documento fue elaborado en respuesta a demandas relacionadas con datos de violencia autoinfligida, solicitudes del Consejo Estatal para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Niñez y la Adolescencia y del Consejo Regional de Psicología. El plan también aborda la metodología, la discusión, las metas, las acciones y el monitoreo

Healthcare Policy Agenda for a Sustainable Healthcare System in Korea: Building Consensus Using the Delphi Method.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to suggest priority tasks necessary for building a sustainable healthcare system in Korea based on the Delphi consensus among healthcare professionals. METHODS: Twenty-five items covering the three categories that make up healthcare policy (healthcare demand, supply, and environment) were selected based on a literature evaluation. Email surveys were also analyzed using a two-round modified Delphi method. Of 59 experts, 21 completed the first and second rounds. Each item asked about the degree of importance and urgency, and the answers were rated on a 9-point Likert scale. A coefficient of variation less than 50% for each item in the Delphi survey meant that consensus was reached. Only items that meet a predetermined threshold are prioritized (agreement ≥ 90%, average importance score and urgency score ≥ 6.5). RESULTS: Eight items that satisfy all three criteria were set as priorities for a sustainable healthcare system. These tasks are "Securing the financial soundness of the National Health Insurance (NHI)," "Solving the problem of low fertility," "Strengthening response to public health crises such as infectious or environmental diseases," "Bio-health technology innovation using D.N.A (Data, Network, AI)," "Intensive management of dementia patients," "Mental healthcare and suicide prevention," "Reform of the operation structure of the NHI Service," and "Reform the healthcare delivery system and payment system." CONCLUSION: The eight items for which consensus was reached in this study should be prioritized for Korea's sustainable healthcare system. Health policy makers will need to put considerable effort into researching and establishing these priorities.

Evidence of co-creation practices in suicide prevention in government policy: a directed and summative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, the collaborative involvement of stakeholders, especially those with lived experience in mental health and suicide prevention, has become important to government policy and practice at Federal and State levels. However, little is known about how governments translate this intention into frameworks of co-creation for policy, funding programs, service improvement, and research and evaluation. We investigated the extent to which publicly available government policies refer to collaborative practice using an established translation model. METHODS: An exploratory directed and summative content analysis approach was used to analyse the contents of Federal (also known as Commonwealth), State and Territories policy documents on mental health and suicide prevention published in Australia between 2010 and 2021. The data was extracted, compared to an existing translation model, and summated to demonstrate the evidence of co-creation-related concepts between government and stakeholders. RESULTS: 40 policy documents (nine at the Federal and 31 at the State and Territory level) were identified and included in the analysis. Only 63% of policy documents contained references to the concept of co-design. Six of the State policies contained references to the concept of co-production. Across all policy documents, there were no references to other concepts in the model adopted for this study, such as co-creation, co-ideation, co-implementation, and co-evaluation. CONCLUSION: Although the government at Federal, State and Territory levels appear to support collaborative practice through partnership and co-design, this study suggests a narrow approach to the theoretical model for co-creation at a policy level. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.

Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance: Depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm behaviors in youth are associated with functional impairment and suicide. Objective: To review the evidence on screening for depression or suicide risk in children and adolescents to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and trial registries through July 19, 2021; references, experts, and surveillance through June 1, 2022. Study Selection: English-language, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of screening for depression or suicide risk; diagnostic test accuracy studies; RCTs of psychotherapy and first-line pharmacotherapy; RCTs, observational studies, and systematic reviews reporting harms. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two reviewers assessed titles/abstracts, full-text articles, and study quality and extracted data; when at least 3 similar studies were available, meta-analyses were conducted. Main Outcomes and Measures: Test accuracy, symptoms, response, remission, loss of diagnosis, mortality, functioning, suicide-related events, and adverse events. Results: Twenty-one studies (N = 5433) were included for depression and 19 studies (N = 6290) for suicide risk. For depression, no studies reported on the direct effects of screening on health outcomes, and 7 studies (n = 3281) reported sensitivity of screening instruments ranging from 0.59 to 0.94 and specificity from 0.38 to 0.96. Depression treatment with psychotherapy was associated with improved symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory pooled standardized mean difference, -0.58 [95% CI, -0.83 to -0.34]; n = 471; 4 studies; and Hamilton Depression Scale pooled mean difference, -2.25 [95% CI, -4.09 to -0.41]; n = 262; 3 studies) clinical response (3 studies with statistically significant results using varying thresholds), and loss of diagnosis (relative risk, 1.73 [95% CI, 1.00 to 3.00; n = 395; 4 studies). Pharmacotherapy was associated with improvement on symptoms (Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised mean difference, -3.76 [95% CI, -5.95 to -1.57; n = 793; 3 studies), remission (relative risk, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.00 to 1.45]; n = 793; 3 studies) and functioning (Children's Global Assessment Scale pooled mean difference, 2.60 (95% CI, 0.78 to 4.42; n = 793; 3 studies). Other outcomes were not statistically significantly different. Differences in suicide-related outcomes and adverse events for pharmacotherapy when compared with placebo were not statistically significant. For suicide risk, no studies reported on the direct benefits of screening on health outcomes, and 2 RCTs (n = 2675) reported no harms of screening. One study (n = 581) reported on sensitivity of screening, ranging from 0.87 to 0.91; specificity was 0.60. Sixteen RCTs (n = 3034) reported on suicide risk interventions. Interventions were associated with lower scores for the Beck Hopelessness Scale (pooled mean difference, -2.35 [95% CI, -4.06 to -0.65]; n = 644; 4 RCTs). Findings for other suicide-related outcomes were mixed or not statistically significantly different. Conclusion and Relevance: Indirect evidence suggested that some screening instruments were reasonably accurate for detecting depression. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy were associated with some benefits and no statistically significant harms for depression, but the evidence was limited for suicide risk screening instruments and interventions.

Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents.

This JAMA Patient Page summarizes the US Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations on screening for depression and suicide risk in children and adolescents.

Corrigendum a Masculinidades y salud de los hombres en la Región de las Américas

Corrigendum a Recálculo de las tendencias de mortalidad por accidentes, suicidios y homicidios en Argentina, 1997-2018. La Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública llama la atención de los lectores sobre los siguientes errores en el artículo publicado en julio 2022, señalado por los autores: de Keijzer B, Cuellar AC, Valenzuela Mayorga A, Hommes C, Caffe S, Mendoza F, et al. Masculinidades y salud de los hombres en la Región de las Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2022;46:e93. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2022.93. En la página 1, el nombre de uno de los autores aparece como, Sonia Caffe, y debe ser Sonja Caffe. En la página 1, la afialiación del autor Alexis Valenzuela Mayorga aparece como Organización Panamericana de Salud Pública y debe ser Universidad Central de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Corrigendum to Masculinities and men’s health in the Region of the Americas. The Pan American Journal of Public Health draws readers' attention to the following errors in the article published in July 2022, pointed out by the authors: de Keijzer B, Cuellar AC, Valenzuela Mayorga A, Hommes C, Caffe S, Mendoza F, et al. Masculinidades y salud de los hombres en la Región de las Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2022;46:e93. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2022.93. On page 1, the name of one of the authors appears as Sonia Caffe, and should be Sonja Caffe. On page 1, the affiliation of author Alexis Valenzuela Mayorga appears as Organización Panamericana de Salud Pública and should be Universidad Central de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Corrigendum à Masculinidades e saúde dos homens na Região das Américas. O Pan American Journal of Public Health chama a atenção dos leitores para os seguintes erros no artigo publicado em julho de 2022 publicado em julho de 2022, apontado pelos autores: de Keijzer B, Cuellar AC, Valenzuela Mayorga A, Hommes C, Caffe S, Mendoza F, et al. Masculinidades e saúde masculina na Região das Américas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2022;46:e93. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2022.93. Na página 1, o nome de um dos autores aparece como Sonia Caffe, e deve ser Sonja Caffe. Na página 1, a filiação do autor Alexis Valenzuela Mayorga aparece como Organización Panamericana de Salud Pública e deveria ser Universidad Central de Chile Santiago, Chile.

Preventive health behaviors among people with suicide ideation using nationwide cross-sectional data in South Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the association between suicide ideation and health-related behaviors and preventive health service use behaviors. We used data from the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a nationally representative survey. The final sample included 4486 participants aged 40 years or older. Preventive health behaviors were assessed for smoking, high-risk drinking, physical activities, regular meal intake, influenza vaccination, general health examination, and cancer screening. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between suicide ideation and preventive health behaviors with a series of adjustments for covariates. In general, suicide ideation was associated with unfavorable outcomes of preventive health behaviors, except for flu vaccination. For example, the adjusted prevalence of suicide ideation and non-suicide ideation groups were 54.3% vs. 43.7% for flu vaccination, 23.1% vs. 41.6% for physical activity, and 24.8% vs. 18.6% for high-risk alcohol drinking. After adjustment for covariates, the associations of suicide ideation with behaviors remained significant for physical activity (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.81) and high-risk alcohol drinking (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.34-3.69). Suicide ideation leads to the disruption of self-management of health behaviours, especially for physical activity and high-risk alcohol drinking, independently of depressive feelings.

Comportamento Suicida e Políticas Públicas: Estudo Comparativo entre as Atitudes dos Profissionais da Atenção Básica / Suicidal Behavior and Public Policies: Comparative Study between the Attitudes of Primary Care Professionals / Comportamiento Suicida y Políticas Públicas: Estudio Comparativo entre Actitudes de los Profesionales en Atención Primaria

O comportamento suicida é um tema cada vez mais presente nos serviços de Saúde e Assistência Social. Dado sua complexidade, buscou-se investigar as atitudes dos profissionais que atuam na Atenção Básica das políticas de Saúde (n=44) e de Assistência Social (n=36) em relação ao comportamento suicida, uma vez que estas são determinantes para o cuidado. Utilizou-se o Questionário de atitudes em relação ao comportamento suicida (QUACS) e um questionário sociodemográfico. Havia a hipótese que a política pública e a formação profissional seriam variáveis que trariam diferenças entre as atitudes encontradas. Profissionais da Saúde apresentaram atitudes mais positivas em relação ao paciente e maior percepção da sua capacidade profissional. Profissionais da Assistência Social indicaram atitudes menos moralistas em relação ao direito ao suicídio. As variáveis política pública, sexo, formação profissional e religião foram significativas para os fatores da escala, validando a hipótese inicial. Há necessidade de capacitação dos profissionais sobre a temática, uma vez que diferentes atitudes podem indicar fragilidades que interferem na conduta dos profissionais e na oferta de cuidado. Além disso, é preciso fomentar o debate sobre a articulação entre as duas políticas públicas, a fim de garantir a integralidade e construir o trabalho em rede.

Suicidal behavior is an increasingly present theme in Health and Social Care services. Given its complexity, this study investigated the attitudes of primary care professionals working in Health (n = 44) and Social Assistance (n = 36) policies in relation to suicidal behavior, since these are determinants of care. The Suicidal Behavior Attitude Questionnaire (SBAQ) and a sociodemographic questionnaire has been used. There was the hypothesis that public policy and professional training would be variables that would bring about differences between the attitudes founded. Health professionals showed more positive attitudes towards the patient who shows suicidal behavior and greater perception of their professional capacity. Social Assistance professionals indicated less moralistic attitudes towards the right to suicide. Public policy, sex, professional training and religion were significant variables for the scale factors, validating the initial hypothesis. There is a need for training professionals on the subject, since different attitudes can indicate weaknesses that interfere in the conduct of professionals and in the provision of care. In addition, it is necessary to foster the debate on the articulation between the two public policies, in order to guarantee integrality and build networking.

La conducta suicida es un tema cada vez más presente en Salut y Servicios Sociales. Dada su complejidad se investigó las actitudes de los profesionales que trabajan en la Atención Primaria de las políticas de Salud (n = 44) y Asistencia Social (n = 36) en relación con el comportamiento suicida, ya que son factores determinantes para la atención. Se utilizó el cuestionario de actitudes sobre el comportamiento suicida (QUACS) y un cuestionario sociodemográfico. Se planteó la hipótesis de que las políticas públicas y la formación profesional varían, provocando diferencias entre las actitudes encontradas. Los profesionales de la salud mostraron actitudes más positivas en relación con el paciente y una mayor percepción de su capacidad profesional. Los profesionales de asistencia social indicaron actitudes menos moralistas hacia el derecho al suicídio. Las variables sexo, formación profesional y religión fueron significativas, validando la hipótesis inicial. Hay necesidad de formación de los profesionales sobre el tema, ya que diferentes actitudes pueden indicar debilidades que interfieren con la prestación de cuidados por parte de dos profesionales. Además, es necesario promover o debatir la articulación entre las dos políticas públicas, a fin de garantizar la integralidad y la construcción o desempeño en red.

Evaluación de un Programa Intensivode Prevención de Reintento de Suicidio (PIPRS) en un Área de Salud de 430.000 personas / Evaluation of an Intensive-Reattempt-Prevention Programme based on problem solving therapy in a catchment area of 430.000 people in Madrid, Spain

Introducción. La prevención del suicidio es objetivo prioritario en salud mental. Tener un antecedente de intento de suicidio se considera factor de alto riesgo para la repetición. Este estudio persigue evaluar la efectividad de un programa de prevención de reintentos de suicidio en un área sanitaria de 430.000 habitantes. Metodología. Se realizó un estudio de seguimiento de 12 meses con todas (871) las personas que entre el 1 de enero de 2013 y el 31 de diciembre de 2015 habían realizado intentos de suicidio y solicitaron atención en salud mental del área. De estas, 292 recibieron tratamiento en un Programa Intensivo de Prevención de Reintentos de Suicidio (PIPRS) mediante terapia breve de solución de problemas y enfoque de gestión de caso y se compararon con 357 pacientes que recibieron tratamiento convencional (Treatment as usual, TAU). Resultados. Repitieron intento de suicidio el 9,0% en el PIPRS frente al 23,3% del TAU (Prueba exacta de Fisher p<0,001) y un NNT=7, IC 95% (5-11). El análisis multivariante de Regresión de Cox mostró que el grupo que recibió TAU tenía una HR= 2,68, IC 95% (1,65-4,35) respecto al grupo PIPRS. La ventaja del PIPRS se mantuvo al controlar por las características no homogéneas de los grupos. Conclusiones. La aplicación de un programa de prevención mediante psicoterapia breve y enfoque de gestión de caso, tras un intento de suicidio, reduce y retrasa en el tiempo la repetición de intentos durante el año siguiente. Destaca un esfuerzo clínico (NNT=7) muy rentable.(AU)

Background. Suicide prevention is a primary goal of mental health care and a past history of suicide attempts is considered a high-risk factor for subsequent attempts. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive suicide-reattempt-prevention program (ISRPP) in a health catchment area of 430.000 inhabitants. Methods. A 12-month follow-up study was conducted with all individuals who, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015, had attempted suicide and sought mental health care in the area. Out of a total of 871 patients treated, 292 received treatment as part of ISRPP using short-term problem-solving therapy and a case management approach. Results were compared to those of 357 patients who received treatment as usual (TAU). Results. Attempted suicide was repeated by 9,0% in the ISRPP group, compared to 23,3% in the TAU (Fisher’s exact test p<0,001). The number needed to treat (NNT) was=7; 95% CI 95% (5-11). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the TAU group had a hazard ratio (HR)=2,68; 95% CI (1,65-4,35) compared to the ISRPP group. The advantage of ISRPP was maintained when controlling for the non-homogeneous characteristics of the groups. Conclusions. Applied after a suicide attempt, an intensive prevention programme based on brief cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and case management reduces and delays repeat suicide attempts at one-year follow-up. The clinical effort is remarkable (NNT=7).(AU)

Injury Prevention Activities in US Schools, School Health Policies and Practices Survey 2014.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to injury and violence early in life increases the risk of experiencing injury and violence later in life. In 2019, the top 3 leading causes of death among 15- to 18-year-olds in the United States were unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide. This study examines the extent to which schools promote injury and violence prevention. METHODS: This study examined injury- and violence-related school policies and practices using nationally representative data from the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study. The social ecological model served as the theoretical framework to identify level of impact. RESULTS: For many injury-related topics, more than 75% of schools nationwide had relevant policies and practices to address those topics. However, this study showed differences in schools' injury-related policies and practices by urbanicity. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding and identifying gaps in school policies and practices is essential for reducing and preventing the injury and violence children experience. Collecting data on school policies and practices allows for better monitoring and evaluation to determine which are efficacious and aligned with the best available evidence.

Conditions for the Successful Integration of an eHealth Tool "StopBlues" Into Community-Based Interventions in France: Results From a Multiple Correspondence Analysis.

BACKGROUND: For over a decade, digital health has held promise for enabling broader access to health information, education, and services for the general population at a lower cost. However, recent studies have shown mixed results leading to a certain disappointment regarding the benefits of eHealth technologies. In this context, community-based health promotion represents an interesting and efficient conceptual framework that could help increase the adoption of digital health solutions and facilitate their evaluation. OBJECTIVE: To understand how the local implementation of the promotion of an eHealth tool, StopBlues (SB), aimed at preventing psychological distress and suicide, varied according to local contexts and if the implementation was related to the use of the tool. METHODS: The study was nested within a cluster-randomized controlled trial that was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the promotion, with before and after observation (NCT03565562). Data from questionnaires, observations, and institutional sources were collected in 27 localities where SB was implemented. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to assess the relations between context, type of implementation and promotion, and use of the tool. RESULTS: Three distinct promotion patterns emerged according to the profiles of the localities that were associated with specific SB utilization rates. From highest to lowest utilization rates, they are listed as follows: the privileged urban localities, investing in health that implemented a high-intensity and digital promotion, demonstrating a greater capacity to take ownership of the project; the urban, but less privileged localities that, in spite of having relatively little experience in health policy implementation, managed to implement a traditional and high-intensity promotion; and the rural localities, with little experience in addressing health issues, that implemented low-intensity promotion but could not overcome the challenges associated with their local context. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the substantial influence of local context on the reception of digital tools. The urban and socioeconomic status profiles of the localities, along with their investment and pre-existing experience in health, appear to be critical for shaping the promotion and implementation of eHealth tools in terms of intensity and use of digital communication. The more digital channels used, the higher the utilization rates, ultimately leading to the overall success of the intervention. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s13063-020-04464-2.

Cannabis use and suicidal ideation among youth: Can we democratize school policies using digital citizen science?

BACKGROUND: School policies and programs are important in preventing Cannabis use among youth. This study uses an innovative digital citizen science approach to determine the association between Cannabis use and suicidal ideation among youth while investigating how school health policies mediate this association. METHODS: The study engaged 818 youth (aged 13-18 years) and 27 educators as citizen scientists via their own smartphones. Youths responded to time-triggered validated surveys and ecological momentary assessments to report on a complex set of health behaviours and outcomes. Similarly, educators' reported on substance misuse and mental health school policies and programs. Multivariable logistic regression modeling and mediation analyses were employed. RESULTS: 412 youth provided data on substance misuse and suicidal ideation. Cannabis use and other factors such as bullying, other illicit drug use, and youth who identified as females or other gender were associated with increased suicidal ideation. However, school policies and programs for substance misuse prevention did not mediate the association between Cannabis use and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: In the digital age, it is critical to reimagine the role of schools in health policy interventions. Digital citizen science not only provides an opportunity to democratize school policymaking and implementation processes, but also provides a voice to vulnerable youth.

Emerging public health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi: A review.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has posed new and has aggravated already existing public health challenges in Malawi and worldwide. Having a better understanding of these challenges can help facilitate the identification of solutions and designing further public health interventions and policies for effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article presents an overview of the situation of COVID-19 in Malawi and identifies emerging public health challenges that the country is facing amidst this pandemic. It is based on a review of relevant key policy documents, reports, and publications. Some of the key emerging challenges identified in Malawi are worsening population health and socio-economic status; health system challenges like inadequate financing and human resources, disruption of essential health services; a rise in mental health conditions and suicide rates; teenage pregnancies and early marriages; and changes in some health policies. The findings point to the need to invest more in strategies for health promotion, health system strengthening and avoiding disruptions and recovery of services. These should include COVID-19 vaccination promotion campaigns, improvement of the public health surveillance system, strengthening the health workforce, implementation of health financing strategies, procurement of adequate essential medicines and supplies, and strengthening of youth-friendly reproductive health services, community health services and community engagement. These will ensure that the health system in Malawi is well-equipped to deliver resilient, sustainable and quality health services amidst and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic thereby promoting progress toward the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Malawi.

Examining the Relationship Between LGBTQ-Supportive School Health Policies and Practices and Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Students.

Purpose: We examined the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ)-supportive school policies and practices with psychosocial health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), and heterosexual students. Methods: The 2014 and 2016 School Health Profiles data from principals and health educators from 117 schools assessed LGBTQ-supportive school policies and practices. We computed the sum of school policies and practices, indicating the number available for each student. The 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 75,638 students from the same schools measured psychosocial health outcomes. We conducted multilevel cross-sectional logistic regressions of the associations of school-level policies and practices with student-level health outcomes by sexual identity while controlling for sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and school priority. Results: Several LGBTQ-supportive school policies and practices were significantly associated with lower odds of feeling threatened at school, suicide-related behaviors, and illicit drug use among LGB students. For heterosexual students, having a gay-straight alliance or similar club was linked to multiple health outcomes, whereas other policies and practices were significantly associated with lower odds of safety concerns at school, forced sexual intercourse, feeling sad or hopeless, and illicit drug use. Increasing the sum of policies and practices was linked to lower odds of suicide-related behaviors among LGB students and safety concerns and illicit drug use among heterosexual students. Conclusion: These findings suggest that LGBTQ-supportive school policies and practices are significantly associated with improved psychosocial health outcomes among both LGB and heterosexual students, although more research is needed to better understand these relationships.

[Suicides in Germany: results from the official cause of death statistics]. / Suizide in Deutschland: Ergebnisse der amtlichen Todesursachenstatistik.

The cause of death statistics is an elementary basis for determining important indicators such as death rates, years of life lost, and avoidable deaths as well as their changes over time. The results are used in epidemiological and medical research and provide important recommendations for prevention programs and for health policy in general.This article first gives an overview of the history, legal basis, and methodology of the cause of death statistics in Germany. This is followed by the presentation of the data on suicides in Germany with a focus on the year 2019. These data are mapped based on the characteristics of age, gender, region, and method of suicide. Comparisons with older data available since 1980 are made. The outlook gives an overview of the further development of the cause of death statistics, the reasons for current weaknesses in the data collection process, and possible solutions.