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1.
Transl Behav Med ; 14(3): 172-178, 2024 02 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37944050

ABSTRACT

Making decisions about disclosing mental health conditions in the workplace is complicated. A previous randomized controlled trial showed that web-based decision aid tool (READY?) helped employees make decisions and improved mental health. We aimed to evaluate the implementation of this tool and its outcomes when scaled up by a governmental health and safety agency. We used website analytics and event data of those using the decision aid tool, and self-report stage of decision-making, distress, engagement, and usability data from consenting users of READY? over the first year of it being made publicly available. Over the year 2021, 100 adults opted in to be involved in the research evaluation of the program. This study replicated the previous Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) that showed at post-intervention; a later stage of decision-making (t1,99 = 6.308, P < .001) with a large effect size (d = 0.87), and psychological distress was significantly reduced (t1,99 = 3.088, P < .001) with a moderate effect size (d = 0.41). READY? facilitated disclosure with 36.3% deciding to disclose after use. Disclosure was associated with a greater reduction in mental ill-health symptoms than non-disclosure [F(2,31) = 18.67, P < .001] with a moderate effect size (d = 0.64). Engagement, usage, and attrition rates were favourable when compared with other digital mental health approaches in community samples. This study shows that READY? is successfully implemented in a real-world sample. Aligning with the RCT results, for many, disclosure can be positive, research should continue to focus on developing organization-wide tools to create better supported and safe workplaces that promote disclosure.


Deciding whether to reveal mental health conditions at work is complex. An earlier study demonstrated that the READY? web-based decision aid tool improved employees' decision-making and mental well-being. This research aimed to assess the tool's implementation and outcomes when introduced in a real-world sample. The results mirrored the previous RCT, showing that after using READY?, individuals were more certain about sharing their mental health status, and experienced reduced distress. The tool facilitated disclosure for users, and sharing was linked to greater reduction in mental health symptoms compared with non-disclosure. Engagement, usage, and dropout rates were favourable compared with other digital mental health tools, especially those in real-world samples. The study confirms READY?'s successful real-world implementation and emphasizes the potential benefits of promoting open discussions about mental health in workplaces.


Subject(s)
Mental Disorders , Mental Health , Adult , Humans , Disclosure , Decision Making , Mental Disorders/psychology , Decision Support Techniques
2.
Br J Psychiatry ; 223(6): 533-541, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38108319

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Prior trials suggest that intravenous racemic ketamine is a highly effective for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but phase 3 trials of racemic ketamine are needed. AIMS: To assess the acute efficacy and safety of a 4-week course of subcutaneous racemic ketamine in participants with TRD. Trial registration: ACTRN12616001096448 at www.anzctr.org.au. METHOD: This phase 3, double-blind, randomised, active-controlled multicentre trial was conducted at seven mood disorders centres in Australia and New Zealand. Participants received twice-weekly subcutaneous racemic ketamine or midazolam for 4 weeks. Initially, the trial tested fixed-dose ketamine 0.5 mg/kg versus midazolam 0.025 mg/kg (cohort 1). Dosing was revised, after a Data Safety Monitoring Board recommendation, to flexible-dose ketamine 0.5-0.9 mg/kg or midazolam 0.025-0.045 mg/kg, with response-guided dosing increments (cohort 2). The primary outcome was remission (Montgomery-Åsberg Rating Scale for Depression score ≤10) at the end of week 4. RESULTS: The final analysis (those who received at least one treatment) comprised 68 in cohort 1 (fixed-dose), 106 in cohort 2 (flexible-dose). Ketamine was more efficacious than midazolam in cohort 2 (remission rate 19.6% v. 2.0%; OR = 12.1, 95% CI 2.1-69.2, P = 0.005), but not different in cohort 1 (remission rate 6.3% v. 8.8%; OR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.2-8.2, P = 0.76). Ketamine was well tolerated. Acute adverse effects (psychotomimetic, blood pressure increases) resolved within 2 h. CONCLUSIONS: Adequately dosed subcutaneous racemic ketamine was efficacious and safe in treating TRD over a 4-week treatment period. The subcutaneous route is practical and feasible.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant , Ketamine , Humans , Ketamine/adverse effects , Depression , Midazolam/adverse effects , Australia , Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant/drug therapy
3.
BJPsych Open ; 9(4): e104, 2023 Jun 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37282603

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Public and patient expectations of treatment influence health behaviours and decision-making. AIMS: We aimed to understand how the media has portrayed the therapeutic use of ketamine in psychiatry. METHOD: We systematically searched electronic databases for print and online news articles about ketamine for psychiatric disorders. The top ten UK, USA, Canadian and Australian newspapers by circulation and any trade and consumer magazines indexed in the databases were searched from 2015 to 2020. Article content was quantitatively coded with a framework encompassing treatment indication, descriptions of prior use, references to research, benefits and harms, treatment access and process, patient and professional testimony, tone and factual basis. RESULTS: We found 119 articles, peaking in March 2019 when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved esketamine. Ketamine treatment was portrayed in an extremely positive light (n = 82, 68.9%), with significant contributions of positive testimony from key opinion leaders (e.g. clinicians). Positive research results and ketamine's rapid antidepressant effect (n = 87, 73.1%) were frequently emphasised, with little reference to longer-term safety and efficacy. Side-effects were frequently reported (n = 96, 80.7%), predominantly ketamine's acute psychotomimetic effects and the potential for addiction and misuse, and rarely cardiovascular and bladder effects. Not infrequently, key opinion leaders were quoted as being overly optimistic compared with the existing evidence base. CONCLUSIONS: Information pertinent to patient help-seeking and treatment expectations is being communicated through the media and supported by key opinion leaders, although some quotes go well beyond the evidence base. Clinicians should be aware of this and may need to address their patients' beliefs directly.

4.
Int Arch Occup Environ Health ; 96(5): 641-649, 2023 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36800032

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The emergence of digital health interventions for mental ill-health in the workplace is expansive. Digital interventions delivered in male-dominated settings are less so. This pilot study aimed to assess the usability, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an online intervention in a male-dominated organization. We focus on male-dominated as mental ill-health is frequently unrecognized and underdiagnosed among males. METHODS: Unwind, a 7-week internet-based program with stress-management components, was tested in a pre-post pilot study. Unwind gets users to identify and understand their stress triggers and assists them to develop adaptive ways to manage these and their stress. Participants were Australian adults employed in a mining company. Follow-up assessment occurred 8 weeks after baseline. The primary outcome measure was change in stress symptoms, with secondary outcomes; change in depression, anxiety, insomnia, well-being, and alcohol use. User feedback and program data were analyzed to assess usability, engagement, and intervention adherence. RESULTS: Eligible participants n = 87 showed significant reductions in stress (g = 0.46, p < 0.001), depression (g = 0.47, p < 0.001), anxiety (g = 0.50, p < 0.001), insomnia (g = 0.44, p < 0.001), and well-being (g = 0.32, p = 0.004) post-intervention. Significant improvements were observed in both well and unwell (mental ill-health) and male and female participants. There was no gender effect on outcomes. A dose-response was observed as the number of modules used was related positively to improvement in anxiety (F1,86 = 5.735, p = 0.019; R2 = 0.25). Overall users rated Unwind as useful and engaging. CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence base that Unwind is a feasible and acceptable approach to reducing employees' mental health-related symptoms in typically difficult-to-reach male-dominated industries. Unwind is feasible for larger scale delivery within male-dominated industries.


Subject(s)
Mental Health , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders , Adult , Humans , Male , Female , Pilot Projects , Feasibility Studies , Australia
5.
Disabil Rehabil ; 45(9): 1508-1516, 2023 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35508414

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Employment rates for autistic people are low, despite increasing employment-focused programmes. Given the reported complexities for autistic people in finding and keeping work and flourishing there, further exploration is needed to understand how best to help employers accommodate autistic employees. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed 88 employed autistic adults, without comorbid intellectual disability and examined whether self-reported disability and mental health symptoms were associated with two measures of vocational functioning: disability days off work and vocational disability. RESULTS: Nearly half (47%) reported at least one disability day absence in the previous month. Autism severity and IQ were not associated with either measure of vocational functioning. Greater disability and higher mental health symptoms were associated with both types of vocational functioning. However, the associations of anxiety and stress with both vocational outcomes were attenuated to null in a multivariable model. Disability (B = 6.74, p = 0.009; B = 1.18, p < 0.001) and depression (B = 4.46, p = 0.035; B = 1.01, p = 0.049) remained independently associated with both outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians and vocational support programmes addressing modifiable factors may need to focus on addressing mental health comorbidities, specifically depression rather than anxiety, or core features of autism to improve vocational outcomes for autistic people. Implications for RehabilitationIndividual-level interventions that reduce disablement, particularly in social areas, and depressive symptoms as a way of reducing days off work and improving workplace activities in autistic employees are recommended.Organisations can accommodate autistic employees by encouraging use of mental health programmes or looking at how the workplace environment can be adapted to limit social disability.


Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder , Disabled Persons , Adult , Humans , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Mental Health , Anxiety/psychology , Workplace
6.
J Med Internet Res ; 24(9): e37776, 2022 09 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36166285

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mental health conditions are considered the leading cause of disability, sickness absence, and long-term work incapacity. eHealth interventions provide employees with access to psychological assistance. There has been widespread implementation and provision of eHealth interventions in the workplace as an inexpensive and anonymous way of addressing common mental disorders. OBJECTIVE: This updated review aimed to synthesize the literature on the efficacy of eHealth interventions for anxiety, depression, and stress outcomes in employee samples in organizational settings and evaluate whether their effectiveness has improved over time. METHODS: Systematic searches of relevant articles published from 2004 to July 2020 of eHealth intervention trials (app- or web-based) focusing on the mental health of employees were conducted. The quality and bias of all studies were assessed. We extracted means and SDs from publications by comparing the differences in effect sizes (Hedge g) in standardized mental health outcomes. We meta-analyzed these data using a random-effects model. RESULTS: We identified a tripling of the body of evidence, with 75 trials available for meta-analysis from a combined sample of 14,747 articles. eHealth interventions showed small positive effects for anxiety (Hedges g=0.26, 95% CI 0.13-0.39; P<.001), depression (Hedges g=0.26, 95% CI 0.19-0.34; P<.001), and stress (Hedges g=0.25, 95% CI 0.17-0.34; P<.001) in employees' after intervention, with similar effects seen at the medium-term follow-up. However, there was evidence of no increase in the effectiveness of these interventions over the past decade. CONCLUSIONS: This review and meta-analysis confirmed that eHealth interventions have a small positive impact on reducing mental health symptoms in employees. Disappointingly, we found no evidence that, despite the advances in technology and the enormous resources in time, research, and finance devoted to this area for over a decade, better interventions are being produced. Hopefully, these small effect sizes do not represent optimum outcomes in organizational settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020185859; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=185859.


Subject(s)
Occupational Health , Telemedicine , Anxiety Disorders , Humans , Mental Health , Workplace
7.
Hepatol Int ; 16(5): 1170-1178, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36006547

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a serious complication of chronic liver disease. Lenvatinib is an oral multikinase inhibitor registered to treat advanced HCC. This study evaluates the real-world experience with lenvatinib in Australia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients treated with lenvatinib for advanced HCC between July 2018 and November 2020 at 11 Australian tertiary care hospitals. Baseline demographic data, tumor characteristics, lenvatinib dosing, adverse events (AEs) and clinical outcomes were collected. Overall survival (OS) was the primary outcome. Progression free survival (PFS) and AEs were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 155 patients were included and were predominantly male (90.7%) with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 59-75). The main causes of chronic liver disease were hepatitis C infection (40.0%) and alcohol-related liver disease (34.2). Median OS and PFS were 7.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.8-14.0) and 5.3 months (95% CI: 2.8-9.2) respectively. Multivariate predictors of mortality were the need for dose reduction due to AEs (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, p < 0.01), new or worsening hypertension (HR 0.42, p < 0.01), diarrhoea (HR 0.47, p = 0.04) and more advanced BCLC stage (HR 2.50, p = 0.04). Multivariable predictors of disease progression were higher Child-Pugh score (HR 1.25, p = 0.04), the need for a dose reduction (HR 0.45, p < 0.01) and age (HR 0.96, p < 0.001). AEs occurred in 83.9% of patients with most being mild (71.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Lenvatinib remains safe and effective in real-world use. Treatment emergent diarrhoea and hypertension, and the need for dose reduction appear to predict better OS.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Hypertension , Liver Neoplasms , Quinolines , Aged , Australia/epidemiology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Cohort Studies , Diarrhea/chemically induced , Diarrhea/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Hypertension/chemically induced , Hypertension/drug therapy , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Phenylurea Compounds/adverse effects , Quinolines/adverse effects , Retrospective Studies
8.
Postgrad Med J ; 98(1161): e10, 2022 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33688068

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Junior doctors are exposed to occupational and traumatic stressors, some of which are inherent to medicine. This can result in burnout, mental ill-health and suicide. Within a crossover pilot study comparing personalised, trauma-informed yoga to group-format exercise, qualitative interviews were conducted to understand the experience of junior doctors and whether such interventions were perceived to help manage these stressors. METHODS: Twenty-one doctors, 76% female, were order-randomised to consecutive 8-week yoga and exercise programmes. Fifty-two interviews were recorded before and after each programme. RESULTS: Many participants reported being time poor, sleep-affected, frequently stressed and occasionally in physical pain/distress. Major stressor themes were workplace incivility, death/human suffering and shift work with minimal support. Both interventions were acceptable for different reasons. Personalised yoga offered a therapeutic alliance, time to check-in and reduced anxiety/rumination. Group exercise provided energy and social connection. One participant found yoga beneficial following an acute workplace trauma: 'It was really eye opening how much I felt my body just needed to detox … I wouldn't have gone to a group fitness the next day … I just wanted to relax and breathe …We still had a big debrief which was great … (but) I almost felt like … I dealt with it physically and emotionally before going into it (P20).' CONCLUSION: Junior doctors found both interventions useful for stress management adjunctive to other organisational programmes though for different and complementary reasons, possibly related to delivery mode. Personalised, trauma-informed yoga provided a confidential therapeutic alliance whereas group exercise offered social connection.


Subject(s)
Yoga , Anxiety , Exercise , Female , Humans , Male , Medical Staff, Hospital/psychology , Pilot Projects , Yoga/psychology
9.
Autism ; 25(7): 2124-2134, 2021 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34271838

ABSTRACT

LAY ABSTRACT: Many autistic adults have trouble in social situations and at work. Researchers do not know exactly why autistic people might find it difficult in these environments, and no studies to date have looked the way anxiety or other cognitive processes might affect autistic peoples' ability to socialise and succeed in getting and keeping jobs. Anxiety (how much you worry) and difficulty with getting stuff done or switching attention (known as executive function) can be concerns for autistic people and may contribute to social and work difficulties. This study looked at the relationships between the way autistic people perceived their anxiety and executive functioning and their ability to socialise and work. Sixty-two autistic participants completed questionnaires related to their ability to socialise and work, their social anxiety and their executive function. We found that participants who thought that they had poorer ability to work also found themselves to have more difficulties with executive function and they were more socially anxious. Our results showed that how autistic participants perceived their social anxiety and executive function were important in their perception of their social skills and work ability. This study supports the idea that anxiety and executive function could be targeted in interventions to support autistic people and their social and work outcomes.


Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autistic Disorder , Adult , Anxiety , Executive Function , Humans , Perception
10.
J Occup Environ Med ; 63(8): e512-e525, 2021 Aug 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34050095

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To justify the capital investment, employers require proof of benefit of digital mHealth beyond symptomatic improvement. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify studies investigating digital mHealth interventions for employees and their effects on workplace outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 28 eligible studies, (8023 employees) comparing digital mHealth interventions to controls. Small significant effects at postintervention in engagement (g = 0.19), and productivity (g = 0.16) were found. Sustained effects were observed, engagement (g = 0.24) and productivity (g = 0.20). There was a wide range of study heterogeneity (I2 = 16% to 94%). CONCLUSION: In RCTs digital mHealth interventions demonstrate small, potentially sustained efficacy on employee's engagement and productivity. Similar small yet non-significant effect sizes were seen for absenteeism and presenteeism. This supports the need to find ways of enabling employers to deliver these low-cost digital mHealth interventions that can help improve employee's mental health.


Subject(s)
Telemedicine , Workplace , Absenteeism , Efficiency , Humans , Presenteeism
11.
J Med Internet Res ; 23(2): e24607, 2021 02 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33595441

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a scalable option for treating sleep disturbances at a population level. However, there is a lack of clarity about the development and evaluation of evidence-based mHealth apps. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to provide evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. METHODS: A systematic search of studies published from the inception of databases through February 2020 was conducted using 5 databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and CINAHL). RESULTS: A total of 6015 papers were identified using the search strategy. After screening, 15 papers were identified that examined the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of 8 different mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. Most of these apps delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I, n=4) or modified CBT-I (n=2). Half of the apps (n=4) identified adopting user-centered design or multidisciplinary teams in their design approach. Only 3 papers described user and data privacy. End-user acceptability and engagement were the most frequently assessed implementation metrics. Only 1 app had available evidence assessing all 4 implementation metrics (ie, acceptability, engagement, usability, and adherence). Most apps were prototype versions (n=5), with few matured apps. A total of 6 apps had supporting papers that provided a quantitative evaluation of clinical outcomes, but only 1 app had a supporting, adequately powered randomized controlled trial. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first systematic review to synthesize and examine evidence for the design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation of mHealth apps for sleep disturbance. The minimal number of apps with published evidence for design engineering and clinical implementation and evaluation contrasts starkly with the number of commercial sleep apps available. Moreover, there appears to be no standardization and consistency in the use of best practice design approaches and implementation assessments, along with very few rigorous efficacy evaluations. To facilitate the development of successful and evidence-based apps for sleep disturbance, we developed a high-level framework to guide researchers and app developers in the end-to-end process of app development and evaluation.


Subject(s)
Mobile Applications/standards , Sleep Wake Disorders/epidemiology , Telemedicine/methods , Humans , Research Design
12.
Front Glob Womens Health ; 2: 793602, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35072152

ABSTRACT

Background: From late 2019, COVID-19 disease has infiltrated the global population causing widespread challenges to public health. One cohort that has received less attention, but who may be more vulnerable to the mental and physical health related impacts of COVID-19 restrictions are postpartum mothers. The aim of this study was to explore the mental health, well-being, and health behaviours of mothers up to 12 months postpartum whilst living in Australia under COVID-19 level 3 and 4 restrictions. Methods: 351 women in their first year postpartum residing in Australia whilst under level 3/4 social distancing restrictions (during April 13 and June 11, 2020) were recruited to participate in an online questionnaire. The survey measured symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS), wellness (SF-36), physical activity (Godin-Shephard score), perceived value of health outcomes, diet, and sleep. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions were performed. Results: Data was analysed for 139 eligible women. Of these women, 74% scored "normal" for depression, 84% for anxiety, and 72% for stress. Over half (58%) of women reported being worn out all, most, or a good bit of the time and 77% reported being a happy person all, most, or a good bit of the time. Analysis of the perceived values of health outcome revealed women had high value for "getting out of the house," "achieving a better overall mood," and "to feel better physically." Women were considered physically active according to the Godin Leisure score, however only 41% of women met the current Australian national physical activity guidelines of 150 min.week-1. Conclusions: Overall the majority of postpartum mums that were surveyed, have normal mental health symptoms, and despite being worn out most are happy at least a good bit of the time. This study highlights the importance of health values in maintaining leisure physical activity and mental health. In addition it appears women may benefit from virtual group exercise and community programs to encourage being physically active and socialising with friends simultaneously.

13.
JMIR Form Res ; 4(11): e23337, 2020 Nov 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33155982

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Decisions of whether to disclose mental health conditions are extremely personal and require the consideration of multiple factors associated with the disclosure process (eg, weighing the risks and benefits). Decision aid tools help people make these complex decisions. Such an aid needs to be confidential, easily accessible, and easy to use with the potential to access the tool on multiple occasions. Web programs are well suited to meet these requirements and, if properly developed, can provide feasible, accessible, affordable, and effective workplace interventions. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to gain insights from potential end users, in this case both employees and organizations, into what type of components including language, style, and content would avoid potential stigma and ensure that elements of clear value for users would be built into a web-based decision aid tool that aims to assist employees in making decisions about the disclosure of their mental health condition at work. METHODS: A participatory design approach was used to allow developers, researchers, experts, and end users to collaborate in co-designing the tool. During the user research phase of the development of the web-based tool, a participatory design workshop approach was selected as a part of a larger study of focus groups. Australian employees and managers in rural, suburban, and urban locations participated in an exploratory qualitative study involving participatory workshops designed to elicit their perspectives and preferences for a decision aid tool. RESULTS: A total of 2 workshops were conducted with 13 participants. The majority were from a transport company (9/13, 69%), male (8/13, 62%), and employed full time (11/13, 85%). Six employees had previous experience disclosing their own mental health condition, and 7 were in a supervisory role and had previously been disclosed to. In any co-design development, there are certain trade-offs that need to be made between the views of experts, developers, end users, and the available budget. In this specific instance of a very delicate, personal decision, the end users provided valuable design insights into key areas such as language, and they were very antipathetic to a key feature, the avatar, which was thought to be desirable by experts and developers. Findings including aspects of the tool where all stakeholders were in agreement, aspects where some stakeholders disagreed and adaptations were implemented, where disagreements could not be implemented because of financial constraints, and misalignment between stakeholders and how to decide on a balance were shared. CONCLUSIONS: The co-design with a lived experience approach is useful for contributing much to the design, language, and features. The key in this study was balancing the needs of the workers and the potential impact for the managers and organizations, while ensuring legislation and regulation requirements were upheld.

14.
BMC Vet Res ; 16(1): 223, 2020 Jun 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32605630

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can become entangled in fishing line and other marine debris. Infrequently, dolphins can be successfully disentangled, released back into the wild, and later examined postmortem to better understand the pathology and long-term effects of these entanglements. CASE PRESENTATION: An entangled common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) calf was observed in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA, with monofilament fishing line wrapped tightly around its maxilla. A multi-agency team successfully disentangled the dolphin for immediate release back into its natural habitat. A year after disentanglement, photos and observations indicated that the now independent calf showed a decline in body condition, characterized by grossly visible ribs and a prominent post-nuchal depression. More than 2 years post-disentanglement, the freshly dead carcass of this juvenile dolphin was recovered with extensive predation wounds. Despite the forestomach being ~ 50% full of ingesta (fish), the dolphin was emaciated. During postmortem examination, we collected and evaluated photographs and measurements of the maxillary damage resulting from the entanglement. CONCLUSION: The monofilament entanglement caused permanent, bilateral deformation of the maxillary dental arcade, including a 4.0-4.2 cm long, 0.5 cm deep linear groove where the entanglement eroded the lateral edges of the maxilla. There was no evidence of maxillary fracture and the dolphin survived for more than 2 years after disentanglement. External evidence of propeller scars and a fishing hook discovered embedded in the laryngeal mucosa at necropsy indicated repeated human interactions.


Subject(s)
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin/injuries , Fisheries , Maxilla/injuries , Animals , Florida , Human Activities , Male , Predatory Behavior , Wounds and Injuries/veterinary
15.
J Trauma Dissociation ; 21(5): 536-573, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32453668

ABSTRACT

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), with postures, breath, relaxation, and meditation, such as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and yoga, are complex interventions increasingly used for trauma-related psychiatric conditions. Prior reviews have adopted a disorder-specific focus. However, trauma is a risk factor for most psychiatric conditions. We adopted a transdiagnostic approach to evaluate the efficacy of MBIs for the consequences of trauma, agnostic to diagnosis. AMED, CINAHL, Central, Embase, Pubmed/Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched to 30 September 2018 for controlled and uncontrolled trials of mindfulness, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong in people specifically selected for trauma exposure. Of >12,000 results, 66 studies were included in the systematic review and 24 controlled studies were meta-analyzed. There was a significant, pooled effect of MBIs (g = 0.51, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.71, p < .001). Similar effects were observed for mindfulness (g = 0.45, 0.26 to 0.64, p < .001), yoga (g = 0.46, 0.26 to 0.66, p < .001), and integrative exercise (g = 0.94, 0.37 to 1.51, p = .001), with no difference between interventions. Outcome measure or trauma type did not influence the effectiveness, but interventions of 8 weeks or more were more effective than shorter interventions (Q = 8.39, df = 2, p = .02). Mindfulness-based interventions, adjunctive to treatment-as-usual of medication and/or psychotherapy, are effective in reducing trauma-related symptoms. Yoga and mindfulness have comparable effectiveness. Many psychiatric studies do not report trauma exposure, focusing on disorder-specific outcomes, but this review suggests a transdiagnostic approach could be adopted in the treatment of trauma sequelae with MBIs. More rigorous reporting of trauma exposure and MBI treatment protocols is recommended to enhance future research.


Subject(s)
Meditation , Mindfulness , Psychological Trauma , Yoga , Humans
16.
Occup Environ Med ; 76(9): 595-602, 2019 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31413183

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Making decisions about disclosing a mental illness in the workplace is complicated. Decision aid tools are designed to help an individual make a specific choice. We developed a web-based decision aid to help inform decisions about disclosure for employees. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of this tool. METHOD: We conducted a randomised controlled trial with recruitment, randomisation and data collection all online. Participants had access to the intervention for 2 weeks. Assessments occurred at baseline, postintervention and 6 weeks' follow-up. The primary outcome was decisional conflict. Secondary outcomes were stage and satisfaction of decision-making and mental health symptoms. RESULTS: 107 adult employees were randomised to READY (n=53) or the control (n=54). The sample was predominantly female (83.2%). Participants using READY showed greater reduction in decisional conflict at postintervention (F(1,104)=16.8, p<0.001) (d=0.49, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9) and follow-up (F(1,104)=23.6, p<0.001) (d=0.61, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9). At postintervention the READY group were at a later stage of decision-making (F(1,104)=6.9, p=0.010) which was sustained, and showed a greater reduction in depressive symptoms (F(1,104)=6.5, p=0.013). Twenty-eight per cent of READY users disclosed, and reported a greater improvement in mental health than those who did not disclose. CONCLUSIONS: READY provides a confidential, flexible and effective tool to enhance employee's decision-making about disclosure. Its use led to a comparative improvement in depressive symptoms compared with the current information provided by a leading mental health non-governmental organisation, without apparent harm. READY seems worth evaluating in other settings and, if these results are replicated, scaling for wider use. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12618000229279.


Subject(s)
Decision Making , Decision Support Techniques , Internet , Mentally Ill Persons/psychology , Truth Disclosure , Workplace/psychology , Adult , Conflict, Psychological , Female , Humans , Intention to Treat Analysis , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult
17.
Cell Commun Adhes ; 24(1): 1-10, 2018 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29498307

ABSTRACT

Kru¨ppel like factor 4 (KLF4) is a transcription factor that regulates genes related to differentiation and proliferation. KLF4 also plays a role in metastasis via epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Here, we investigate the function of Klf4 in migration and invasion using mouse embryonic fibroblasts and the RKO human colon cancer cell line. Compared to wild-type, cells lacking Klf4 exhibited increased migration-associated phenotypes. In addition, overexpression of Klf4 in Klf4-/- MEFs attenuated the presence of stress fibers to wild-type levels. An invasion assay suggested that lack of Klf4 resulted in increased invasive capacity. Finally, analysis of RhoA showed elevated RhoA activity in both RKO and MEF cells. Taken together, our results strongly support the novel role of KLF4 in a post-translational regulatory mechanism where KLF4 indirectly modulates the actin cytoskeleton morphology via activity of RhoA in order to inhibit cellular migration and invasion.


Subject(s)
Cell Movement , Fibroblasts/cytology , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/metabolism , rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism , Animals , Cell Shape , Embryo, Mammalian/cytology , Guanosine Triphosphate/metabolism , Kruppel-Like Factor 4 , Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors/deficiency , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Stress Fibers/metabolism , Up-Regulation/genetics , rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/genetics , rhoC GTP-Binding Protein/genetics , rhoC GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism
18.
Front Psychiatry ; 9: 684, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30618865

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Deciding to disclose a mental illness in the workplace requires thoughtful informed decision making. Decision aids are increasingly used to help people make complex decisions, but need to incorporate relevant factors for the context. This study aimed to identify factors and processes that influence decision making about such disclosure to inform the development of a disclosure decision aid tool for employees in male dominated industries. Methods: We invited 15 partner organisations in male dominated industries to facilitate the recruitment of employees who either had disclosed a mental health condition in their workplace; or occupied a position to whom employees disclosed to focus groups addressing the aims. Results: The majority of the organisations had explicit policies that employees must disclose and so were unable to be seen countenancing non-disclosure as an option. Two focus groups were conducted (n = 13) with mainly male (62%), full-time employees (85%), and both disclosed (46%) and authority (54%) groups. Six themes, all barriers, were identified as influencing decision making processes: knowledge about symptoms, and self-discrimination (internal), stigma and discrimination by others, limited managerial support, dissatisfaction with services, and/or a risk of job or financial loss (external). Conclusion: Decisions to disclose mental health conditions, even by those who had done so, appear driven entirely by consideration of negative aspects. This suggests that anti-discrimination policy, legislation, awareness campaigns, and manager training have yet to change negative perceptions, and that any decision aid tool needs to incorporate counterfactual positive aspects that appear not to be an important consideration in such male dominated workplaces. There is a disconnect between organisational policies favouring disclosure and employees favouring non-disclosure that has caused tension within the organisational culture. Decision aid tools may assist employees with an active disclosure without waiting for an event to occur, giving the control of the decision back to the employee.

19.
PLoS One ; 12(12): e0189904, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29267334

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many organisations promote eHealth applications as a feasible, low-cost method of addressing mental ill-health and stress amongst their employees. However, there are good reasons why the efficacy identified in clinical or other samples may not generalize to employees, and many Apps are being developed specifically for this group. The aim of this paper is to conduct the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the evidence for the effectiveness and examine the relative efficacy of different types of eHealth interventions for employees. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted for relevant articles published from 1975 until November 17, 2016, of trials of eHealth mental health interventions (App or web-based) focused on the mental health of employees. The quality and bias of all identified studies was assessed. We extracted means and standard deviations from published reports, comparing the difference in effect sizes (Hedge's g) in standardized mental health outcomes. We meta-analysed these using a random effects model, stratified by length of follow up, intervention type, and whether the intervention was universal (unselected) or targeted to selected groups e.g. "stressed". RESULTS: 23 controlled trials of eHealth interventions were identified which overall suggested a small positive effect at both post intervention (g = 0.24, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.35) and follow up (g = 0.23, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.42). There were differential short term effects seen between the intervention types whereby Mindfulness based interventions (g = 0.60, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.85, n = 6) showed larger effects than the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) based (g = 0.15, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.29, n = 11) and Stress Management based (g = 0.17, 95%CI -0.01 to 0.34, n = 6) interventions. The Stress Management interventions however differed by whether delivered to universal or targeted groups with a moderately large effect size at both post-intervention (g = 0.64, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.85) and follow-up (g = 0.69, 95% CI 0.06 to 1.33) in targeted groups, but no effect in unselected groups. INTERPRETATION: There is reasonable evidence that eHealth interventions delivered to employees may reduce mental health and stress symptoms post intervention and still have a benefit, although reduced at follow-up. Despite the enthusiasm in the corporate world for such approaches, employers and other organisations should be aware not all such interventions are equal, many lack evidence, and achieving the best outcomes depends upon providing the right type of intervention to the correct population.


Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/prevention & control , Telemedicine , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Humans , Mental Disorders/therapy , Mindfulness , Program Evaluation , Stress, Psychological
20.
PLoS One ; 10(2): e0117248, 2015.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25671657

ABSTRACT

A multi-year unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) was declared in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) with an initial start date of February 2010 and remains ongoing as of August 2014. To examine potential changing characteristics of the UME over time, we compared the number and demographics of dolphin strandings from January 2010 through June 2013 across the entire GoM as well as against baseline (1990-2009) GoM stranding patterns. Years 2010 and 2011 had the highest annual number of stranded dolphins since Louisiana's record began, and 2011 was one of the years with the highest strandings for both Mississippi and Alabama. Statewide, annual numbers of stranded dolphins were not elevated for GoM coasts of Florida or Texas during the UME period. Demographic, spatial, and temporal clusters identified within this UME included increased strandings in northern coastal Louisiana and Mississippi (March-May 2010); Barataria Bay, Louisiana (August 2010-December 2011); Mississippi and Alabama (2011, including a high prevalence and number of stranded perinates); and multiple GoM states during early 2013. While the causes of the GoM UME have not been determined, the location and magnitude of dolphin strandings during and the year following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including the Barataria Bay cluster from August 2010 to December 2011, overlap in time and space with locations that received heavy and prolonged oiling. There are, however, multiple known causes of previous GoM dolphin UMEs, including brevetoxicosis and dolphin morbillivirus. Additionally, increased dolphin strandings occurred in northern Louisiana and Mississippi before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Identification of spatial, temporal, and demographic clusters within the UME suggest that this mortality event may involve different contributing factors varying by location, time, and bottlenose dolphin populations that will be better discerned by incorporating diagnostic information, including histopathology.


Subject(s)
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin , Mortality , Animals , Bays , Demography/statistics & numerical data , Gulf of Mexico
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