Assessing Communicative Resilience in Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities: A Qualitative Analysis of Community Conversations.

PURPOSE: Since LGBTQ + communities experience disproportionate rates of suicidality; it is important to identify strategies for suicide prevention. Research shows that supportive interpersonal communication and identity affirmation helps prevent suicide. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the role of communicative resilience in suicide prevention among LGBTQ + communities. APPROACH: This analysis is part of a community-based participatory research project. SETTING: In November 2021, a Community-Academic Partnership hosted a virtual town hall, via Zoom, immediately followed by five Community Conversation (CC) groups. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were aged 18 years or older and identified as an LGBTQ + community member or active ally. We define active ally as an individual who, through their personal relationships, service to the community, or professional work, actively advocates for and supports members of LGBTQ + communities. METHOD: CC groups were audio-recorded and transcribed (n= 25 participants). Transcripts were inductively coded for thematic analysis and identified themes were deductively coded using Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) to identify observations of communicative resilience (MaxQDA2020). RESULTS: Themes aligned with CTR, including importance of peer and professional support, affirming identities, reducing stigma, cultivating hope, and advocating for equitable policies. CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate that through communication, members of LGBTQ + communities enact processes of resilience that support and promote suicide prevention. These findings support community mobilization, communicative resilience, and advocacy to help save lives.

Considerations for Social Needs Screening in a Local Public Health Agency.

CONTEXT: The social determinants of health impact the health outcomes of local public health agency clients. This report shows how the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH) sought to address this for its clients. PROGRAM: This midstream intervention identified individual DOH client needs and navigated clients to community resources to address these social needs. IMPLEMENTATION: During the 2019 program, 768 DOH clients were screened, with 77% reporting having 1 or more social needs. EVALUATION: Staff and clients identified various challenges clients faced navigating resources on their own, and the value in having resource navigators within the local public health agency. DISCUSSION: Program findings demonstrated alignment with priorities in the Community Health Assessment, leading to engagement of specific partners and planning for population-level policy interventions. Social needs screenings present a unique opportunity for local public health agencies to improve the circumstances of clients and implement health equity approaches in their communities.

Screening by Self-Report Underestimates Sickle Cell Trait in High-School Athletes.

BACKGROUND:  Sickle cell trait (SCT) has received attention as a cause of death in college athletes, leading to mandatory lab SCT screening in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. High-school athletes are commonly screened by self-report. There are no known studies for evaluating whether this method is effective as a screening tool. HYPOTHESIS:  The local prevalence rate of SCT as self-reported on the preparticipation evaluation (PPE) forms would be lower than the national accepted average. METHODS: PPE forms from the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of the University of Florida (UF) were reviewed between January 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018. The Florida High School PPE form includes a yes/no question to assess the diagnosis of SCT. The prevalence established by self-report was then compared with the national prevalence for SCT in the comparable race/ethnicity groups reported by the CDC. The response rate of SCT questions was also compared to other common cardiac screening questions. RESULTS:  A total of 401 forms were reviewed. Six (1.5%) students answered "yes," 351 answered "no," and 44 left the SCT question blank. All six athletes who self-reported "yes" were Black and made up 3.7% of the 162 known Black respondents. This self-report rate for Black/African Americans was well below the expected 7.3% described by the CDC. Response rates were also lower than the comparable cardiac screening questions. CONCLUSIONS:  Self-report SCT status rates are lower than the accepted prevalence in a similar population. Significant inconsistencies in reporting were also determined. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:  This is a rare study to evaluate the self-reported prevalence of SCT in high-school athletes. Below average reporting of SCT and inconsistency in completion of the forms increase the concern for accuracy and effectiveness of current high-school SCT screening methods relying on self-report.