Psychosocial and psychiatric-related stress and cigarette smoking among Black and Latinx adults with psychiatric disorders.

While the cigarette smoking prevalence in the United States has decreased, smoking disparities persist for individuals with psychiatric disorders and individuals who identify as racial/ethnic minorities. These groups also experience higher levels of psychosocial stress. This study was the first to examine the relationship between psychosocial and psychiatric-related stressors and cigarette smoking status in a sample of Black and Latinx adults with psychiatric illness. Stress associated with friend strain, lifetime discrimination, and attending appointments for psychotropic medication management were associated with cigarette smoking. The present results have implications for integrating smoking cessation interventions into mental health treatment settings.

Schools on the front lines: School based health centers amidst COVID-19.

School based health centers (SBHCs) are often at the front line of medical and mental health services for students in the schools they serve. Citywide school closures in New York City in March 2020 and ongoing social distancing procedures resulted in significant changes in SBHC services as well as access to these services. Furthermore, the combination of COVID-19 related stressors and the increased likelihood of adverse childhood events experienced by urban youth creates conditions for the exacerbation of mental health concerns among youth in metropolitan areas. The following article will explore the role of SBHCs as community agents focused on prevention and reduction of mental health concerns prior and during the current pandemic, as well as existing health disparities experienced by urban youth populations. The authors will also discuss research examining mental health concerns already present in global populations affected by COVID-19 as it may foreshadow the challenges to be faced by U.S. urban youth. Lastly, the authors describe recommendations, practice implications, and opportunities for preventative strategies and therapeutic interventions in school based health settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Attitudes and Perceptions of Research in Aging and Dementia in an Urban Minority Population.

In dementia trials, minority participation is low. We assessed attitudes toward research in a community based urban poor minority sample of elderly adults attending senior center talks using the 7-item Research Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ). Presentations on cognitive aging were given at senior centers, and 123 attendees completed the RAQ-7. On trust and safety questions, a significant minority (42-48%) responded neutrally or negatively. Encouragingly, on questions concerning the importance of research, 72-81% answered positively. More work can be done to capitalize on these findings to engage and foster trust, and this can be a focus of outreach.

A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from the perspective of brain networks.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood, which affects more than 5% of the population worldwide. ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate behaviors of inattention, and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity. These behavioral manifestations contribute to diminished academic, occupational and social functioning, and have neurobiological bases. Neuronal deficits, especially in the attention and executive function processing networks, have been implicated in both children and adults with ADHD by using sophisticated structural and functional neuroimaging approaches. These structural and functional abnormalities in the brain networks have been associated with the impaired cognitive, affective, and motor behaviors seen in the disorder. The goal of this review is to summarize and integrate emerging themes from the existing neuroimaging connectivity studies based on advanced imaging techniques, applied in data of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging, electroencephalography and event related potential; and to discuss the results of these studies when considering future directions for understanding pathophysiological mechanisms and developmental trajectories of the behavioral manifestations in ADHD. We conclude this review by suggesting that future research should put more effort on understanding the roles of the subcortical structures and their structural/functional pathways in ADHD.