Mindfulness instruction for medication adherence among adolescents and young adults living with HIV: a randomized controlled trial.

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) 13-24 years old make up a disproportionate 21% of new HIV diagnoses. Unfortunately, they are less likely to treat HIV effectively, with only 30% achieving viral suppression, limiting efforts to interrupt HIV transmission. Previous work with mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown promise for improving treatment in AYA living with HIV (AYALH). This randomized controlled trial compared MBSR with general health education (HT). Seventy-four 13-24-year-old AYALH conducted baseline data collection and were randomized to nine sessions of MBSR or HT. Data were collected at baseline, post-program (3 months), 6 and 12 months on mindfulness and HIV management [medication adherence (MA), HIV viral load (HIV VL), and CD4]. Longitudinal analyses were conducted. The MBSR arm reported higher mindfulness at baseline. Participants were average 20.5 years old, 92% non-Hispanic Black, 51% male, 46% female, and 3% transgender. Post-program, MBSR participants had greater increases than HT in MA (p = 0.001) and decreased HIV VL (p = 0.052). MBSR participants showed decreased mindfulness at follow-up. Given the significant challenges related to HIV treatment in AYALH, these findings suggest that MBSR may play a role in improving HIV MA and decreasing HIV VL. Additional research is merited to investigate MBSR further for this important population.

Stress Among a Sample of Returning Citizens Living with HIV and Substance Use Disorder: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

This mixed-methods study asks: among a sample of returning citizens living with HIV and substance use disorder, how is stress experienced; and what are the leading stressors and stress-coping strategies? Data is from a parent study that randomized 36 people to a yoga intervention and 36 people to treatment as usual. Qualitative analysis found that securing basic life needs was more acute in early reentry, and challenges with HIV acceptance were greater among those with a more recent HIV diagnosis. Social support was the most widely employed coping strategy but many lacked social networks. Post-program, multiple regression found older age(ß = - 0.38, p < .05), greater income(ß = - 0.002, p < .01), shorter incarceration(ß = .03, p < .01) and randomization to yoga(ß = 6.92, p < .01) predicted lower levels of stress. Results indicate that reentry needs for people living with HIV and substance use disorder include basic life needs, social supports, and stress-coping interventions that address physical and mental stress symptoms (such as yoga).

Post-operative blood loss is higher among African American neonates undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass for CHD.

BACKGROUND: Neonates are at high risk of bleeding after open-heart surgery. We sought to determine pre-operative and intra-operative risk factors for increased bleeding after neonatal open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of neonates (0-30 days old) who underwent open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from January, 2009, to March, 2013. Cardiac diagnosis; demographic and surgical data; and blood products, haemostatic agents, and anti-thrombotic agents administered before, during, and within 24 hours after surgery were abstracted from the electronic health record and anaesthesia records. The outcome of interest was chest tube output (in ml/kg body weight) within 24 hours. Relationships between chest tube output and putative associated factors were evaluated by unadjusted and adjusted linear regression. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 107 neonates, of whom 79% had a Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (STAT) Mortality Category of 4 or 5. Median chest tube output was 37 ml/kg (range 9-655 ml/kg). Age, African-American race, and longer durations of surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass each had statistically significant associations with increased chest tube output in unadjusted analyses. In multivariable analysis, African-American race retained an independent, statistically significant association with increased chest tube output; the geometric mean of chest tube output among African-American neonates was 71% higher than that of Caucasians (95% confidence interval, 29-125%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among neonates with CHD undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, African-American race is independently associated with greater chest tube output over the first 24 hours post-operatively.

Pediatric Primary Care of Children With Intrauterine Opioid Exposure: Survey of Academic Teaching Practices.

OBJECTIVE: Intrauterine opioid exposure (IOE) has increased over the last 2 decades and is associated with additional needs after birth. To date, no clinical guidelines address the primary care of children with IOE. We aimed to characterize clinician-reported screening and referral practices, barriers to effective primary care for children with IOE, and clinician- and practice-level characteristics associated with perceived barriers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of pediatric residents, pediatricians, and advanced practitioners at 28 primary care clinics affiliated with 7 pediatric residency programs (April-June 2022). We assessed screening and other clinical practices related to IOE and perceived barriers to addressing parental opioid use disorder (OUD). We used descriptive statistics to analyze survey responses, assessed the distribution of reported barriers, and applied a 2-stage cluster analysis to assess response patterns. RESULTS: Of 1004 invited clinicians, 329 (32.8%) responses were returned, and 325 pediatric residents and pediatricians were included in the final analytic sample. Almost all (99.3%) reported parental substance use screening as important, but only 11.6% screened routinely. Half of the respondents routinely refer children with IOE to early intervention services and social work. Lack of standard screening for substance use was the most frequently selected barrier to addressing parental OUD. Participants reporting fewer barriers to addressing parental OUD identified having greater access to OUD treatment programs and home visiting programs. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians report variations in primary care screenings and referrals for children with IOE. Access to parental OUD treatment programs may mitigate perceived barriers to addressing parental OUD in the pediatric office.

School-based mindfulness instruction for urban male youth: a small randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been shown to improve mental health and reduce stress in a variety of adult populations. Here, we explore the effects of a school-based MBSR program for young urban males. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: In fall 2009, 7th and 8th graders at a small school for low-income urban boys were randomly assigned to 12-session programs of MBSR or health education (Healthy Topics-HT). Data were collected at baseline, post-program, and three-month follow-up on psychological functioning; sleep; and salivary cortisol, a physiologic measure of stress. RESULTS: Forty-one (22 MBSR and 19 HT) of the 42 eligible boys participated, of whom 95% were African American, with a mean age of 12.5 years. Following the programs, MBSR boys had less anxiety (p=0.01), less rumination (p=0.02), and showed a trend for less negative coping (p=0.06) than HT boys. Comparing baseline with post-program, cortisol levels increased during the academic terms for HT participants at a trend level (p=0.07) but remained constant for MBSR participants (p=0.33). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, MBSR participants showed less anxiety, improved coping, and a possible attenuation of cortisol response to academic stress, when compared with HT participants. These results suggest that MBSR improves psychological functioning among urban male youth.

Rationale, formative research, and protocol for Calma, Conversa, y Cría: A pilot mindful parenting intervention with Latina women.

Background: Latina mothers' stress is associated with their children's health behaviors and risk for obesity; however, existing pediatric health promotion programs have not focused on maternal stress reduction. Methods: Herein we describe a study design that will examine the acceptability and feasibility of Calma, Conversa, y Cría (CCC) a 6-week mindful parenting intervention designed to reduce stress. We present the results of qualitative research with Latina mothers and experts in Latinx health and mindfulness who provided culturally-relevant feedback on existing mindful parenting strategies to inform the development of CCC. Fifty Latina mothers of children ages 3-11 years will be randomly assigned to CCC or an enhanced usual care health education intervention. Acceptability will be assessed through participant satisfaction surveys and exit interviews. Feasibility will be determined through detailed tracking of recruitment, retention, and attendance rates. A signal regarding any group differences in maternal stress, health-related parenting practices, child diet, child physical activity, and child quality of life will be explored. Discussion: The development of interventions that can reduce maternal stress and risk for obesity in Latinx children is critical to significantly reduce negative health impacts in this underserved population. Our approach includes the identification of effective cultural adaptations that should improve the feasibility and acceptability of mindful parenting strategies in Latinx families, ideally reducing maternal stress and improving parenting behaviors related to child health. If successful, CCC will be examined in a larger efficacy trial involving the measurement of objective biomarkers of children's chronic disease risk.

Feasibility and acceptability of using a meditation app in adults with rheumatic disease.

OBJECTIVE: Meditation is a stress-reduction and contemplative technique that can improve emotional distress in people with chronic disease and may be especially beneficial for patients with rheumatic diseases. However, patient access to in-person programs is challenging. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility/acceptability associated with physician-directed use of a widely available smartphone application (app), Calm©. METHODS: In this single-arm, pre-post intervention study with recruitment over a 10-month period, adults with rheumatic disease were asked to use the app for ≥5 min/day for 30 days. Participants completed sociodemographic surveys and validated health related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaires from the Patient Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) and NIH Toolbox at baseline and 30-days. RESULTS: Thirty-five participants who were mostly well-educated (66% ≥college degree) females (91%) with a mean age of 50 (SD 13) completed baseline questionnaires; 18 participants completed post-study questionnaires ("full completers"). Full completers had higher baseline stress, anxiety, pain, and patient global assessment scores (p's <0.05) compared to partial completers. Full completers who provided data used the app on average for 283 min/30 days (SD 257; n = 16) and showed significant improvements in fatigue (-7.6 T-Score units, p = 0.017), with trends for improvement in perceived stress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, self-efficacy for managing symptoms, and pain intensity (p's <0.15). CONCLUSIONS: A 30-day meditation, stress-reduction app used by patients with rheumatic disease revealed that this is a feasible non-pharmacologic modality to target HRQL and problematic symptoms like fatigue. More rigorous study on app use and potential effect is needed.

Communication between neonatologists and parents when prognosis is uncertain.

OBJECTIVE: When an infant's prognosis is uncertain, communication between neonatologists and parents surrounding goals of care and decision-making can be challenging. This qualitative study explored communication between neonatologists and parents to discover qualities which may enhance or impede parent-clinician partnership under such difficult circumstances. STUDY DESIGN: Guided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Patient Centered Communication framework, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and analyzed regarding neonatologist and parent perceptions of their communication. Subjects consisted of nine dyads of neonatologists and English-speaking parents whose infant had an uncertain prognosis. RESULTS: Parents were overall satisfied with neonatologists' communications concerning their infant's uncertain trajectory. Nonetheless, both experienced challenges and distress during communication, impeding collaboration and engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Families and neonatologists value principles of patient centered communication but report challenges implementing this practice. Incorporating a multidisciplinary approach in settings of prognostic uncertainty to foster patient centered communication, may enhance communication surrounding NICU care.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated central nervous system lymphoproliferative disease in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome responsive to highly active antiretroviral therapy.

A 20-year-old man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and central nervous system (CNS) lymphoproliferative disease experienced improvement with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) without radiation therapy. Our experience highlights the importance of biopsy in evaluating multifocal radiographic CNS lesions and the central role of HAART in treating AIDS-related CNS disease.

The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma.

Research suggests that many children are exposed to adverse experiences in childhood. Such adverse childhood exposures may result in stress and trauma, which are associated with increased morbidity and mortality into adulthood. In general populations and trauma-exposed adults, mindfulness interventions have demonstrated reduced depression and anxiety, reduced trauma-related symptoms, enhanced coping and mood, and improved quality of life. Studies in children and youth also demonstrate that mindfulness interventions improve mental, behavioral, and physical outcomes. Taken together, this research suggests that high-quality, structured mindfulness instruction may mitigate the negative effects of stress and trauma related to adverse childhood exposures, improving short- and long-term outcomes, and potentially reducing poor health outcomes in adulthood. Future work is needed to optimize implementation of youth-based mindfulness programs and to study long-term outcomes into adulthood.

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Latino Children in Immigrant Families.

Latino children in the United States, whether immigrants themselves or children in immigrant families, are at high risk for mental health disorders stemming from poverty, exposure to trauma, assimilation stressors, and discrimination. The timely identification and treatment of mental health disorders in Latino children are compromised by limited healthcare access and quality as well as the lack of routine mental health screening in pediatric primary care. Here we review Spanish-language validity and implementation studies of Bright Futures previsit mental health screening tools and models of care. We identify strengths and weaknesses in the literature and suggest tools for use in mental health care assessment, management, and treatment for Latino children in pediatric primary care. Pediatricians can improve care of Latino children through awareness of risk factors for mental health disorders, integration of evidence-based screening tools, and advocacy for culturally tailored mental health resources.

Pediatric patients with sickle cell disease: use of complementary and alternative therapies.

OBJECTIVE: Despite clinical advances, sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a difficult, chronic medical condition for many children and youth. Additional treatment strategies, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, would be welcome to enhance the clinical care of SCD patients. This study's objective was to identify CAM therapies that are currently used by families for children with SCD, and to investigate SCD families' interest in CAM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven (57) parents of pediatric SCD patients participated in this cross-sectional telephone survey in early 2000. A SCD Severity Scale was developed by combining the general health assessment and four measures of SCD severity (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). RESULTS: Fifty-four percent (54%) of the sample used CAM therapies for the SCD children. Forty-two percent (42%) used bioenergetic therapies (prayer, spiritual and energy healing), 28% used lifestyle/mind?body CAM (relaxation techniques, exercise, imagery, and diet), 12% used biochemical therapies (herbal medicines, megavitamins, and folk remedies), and 5% used biomechanical therapy (massage). CAM use for the SCD children was positively associated with the child's age, SCD Severity Scale score, respondent education, and respondent CAM use. The use of relaxation techniques was associated with greater SCD severity. Most respondents (83%) felt that CAM can be helpful. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAM therapies is common for children with SCD. Prayer, relaxation techniques, and spiritual healing were the most commonly reported CAM therapies. Because clinical studies have shown the benefit of spiritual and relaxation practices for SCD and this study shows that these CAM therapies are being used commonly by SCD families, future research should focus on spiritual and relaxation practices for children with SCD.

Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Children and Youth.

Mindfulness meditation is a useful adjunct to behavioral and medical interventions to manage a range of symptoms, including psychological and physical responses to stress, anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior. Mindfulness approaches can be taught to children, adolescents, and their parents to improve self-regulation, particularly in response to stress. Mindfulness may be particularly relevant for youth and families who have an increased risk for exposure to chronic stress and unique stressors associated with medical and/or social-contextual considerations. Moreover, mindfulness parenting techniques can augment traditional behavioral approaches to improve children׳s behavior through specific parent-child interactions. A growing body of empirical studies and clinical experience suggest that incorporating mindfulness practices will enable clinicians to more effectively treat youth and their families in coping optimally with a range of challenging symptoms.

School-Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many urban youth experience significant and unremitting negative stressors, including those associated with community violence, multigenerational poverty, failing educational systems, substance use, limited avenues for success, health risks, and trauma. Mindfulness instruction improves psychological functioning in a variety of adult populations; research on mindfulness for youth is promising, but has been conducted in limited populations. Informed by implementation science, we evaluated an adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program to ameliorate the negative effects of stress and trauma among low-income, minority, middle school public school students. METHODS: Participants were students at two Baltimore City Public Schools who were randomly assigned by grade to receive adapted MBSR or health education (Healthy Topics [HT]) programs. Self-report survey data were collected at baseline and postprogram. Deidentified data were analyzed in the aggregate, comparing MBSR and HT classes, by using regression modeling. RESULTS: Three hundred fifth- to eighth-grade students (mean 12.0 years) were in MBSR and HT classes and provided survey data. Participants were 50.7% female, 99.7% African American, and 99% eligible for free lunch. The groups were comparable at baseline. Postprogram, MBSR students had significantly lower levels of somatization, depression, negative affect, negative coping, rumination, self-hostility, and posttraumatic symptom severity (all Ps < .05) than HT. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that mindfulness instruction improves psychological functioning and may ameliorate the negative effects of stress and reduce trauma-associated symptoms among vulnerable urban middle school students. Additional research is needed to explore psychological, social, and behavioral outcomes, and mechanisms of mindfulness instruction.

Parent-pediatrician communication about complementary and alternative medicine use for children.

Anonymous self-report surveys of a convenience sample of caregivers accompanying children to the pediatrician for acute or well visits at 4 pediatric practices in the Washington, DC area from July through November 1998 were evaluated. Three hundred seventy-eight (85%) of 443 caregivers approached participated. The 348 surveys completed by parents (92%) were analyzed. As previously reported, in this sample 21% of parents used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their child. Overall, 53% of parents expressed the desire to discuss CAM with their pediatrician, increasing to 75% (p<0.001) among those who used CAM themselves and 81% (p<0.01) among those who used CAM for their child. Among parents who used CAM for their child, 36% had discussed it with their pediatrician. Factors associated with increased disclosure to the pediatrician were CAM use in children younger than 6 years (p<0.05), "bioenergetic" CAM use (p<0.02), and parent CAM non-use (p<0.05). Despite parents' significant interest in discussion about CAM, few factors were associated with adequate parent-pediatrician communication.

A small mixed-method RCT of mindfulness instruction for urban youth.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the specific effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for urban youth by comparing it with an active control program, designed to control for time, positive peer-group experience, and positive adult instructor. METHODS: Patients between the ages of 13-21 years who received primary pediatric care at our urban outpatient clinic were eligible for study participation. Those who were interested were consented and randomly assigned to an eight-week program of MBSR or Healthy Topics (HT), a health education curriculum. To increase sensitivity to outcomes of interest, mixed methods were used to assess psychological symptoms, coping, and program experience. Analysis of variance and regression modeling were used; interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and coded for key themes. RESULTS: A total of 43 (26 MBSR, 17 HT) youths attended one or more sessions, of whom 35 [20 MBSR (77%), 15 HT (88%)] attended the majority of the sessions and were considered completers. Program completers were African American, 80% female, with average age of 15.0 years. Statistical analysis of survey data did not identify significant post-program differences between groups. Qualitative data show comparable positive experiences in both programs, but specific differences related to MBSR participants׳ use of mindfulness techniques to calm down and avoid conflicts, as well as descriptions of internal processes and self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with an active control program, MBSR did not result in statistically significant differences in self-reported survey outcomes of interest but was associated with qualitative outcomes of increased calm, conflict avoidance, self-awareness, and self-regulation for urban youths. Importantly, based on qualitative results, the HT program functioned as an effective active control for MBSR in this sample, facilitating a more rigorous methodological approach to MBSR research in this population. We believe the promising effects elucidated in the qualitative data have the potential for positive affective and behavioral outcomes.