Health Literacy and Serious or Persistent Mental Illness: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy is increasingly recognized as a major determinant of health; however, our insights into the health literacy strengths and needs of adults living with serious or persistent mental illness remain limited by a notable lack of research in this area. Improving our understanding is important because people in this group are especially vulnerable to numerous negative health outcomes, many preventable. OBJECTIVE: To assess the health literacy strengths and needs of people living with serious or persistent mental illness in terms of their ability to acquire, understand, and use information about their illness and the health services they require. METHODS: A cross-sectional convergent mixed methods design guided by the Ophelia Access and Equity Framework. People diagnosed with serious or persistent mental illness were offered participation. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaires (Health Literacy Questionnaire [HLQ], World Health Organization [WHO-5]) and semi-structured interviews. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified and grouped participants with similar health literacy scores into mutually exclusive groups, for the development of clinical vignettes. KEY RESULTS: Participants struggled most with the appraisal of health information (HLQ mean 2.72, standard deviation [SD] .63 [scale 1-4]) and navigating what they often perceived to be a confusing health care system (HLQ mean 3.29, SD .79 [scale 1-5]). On the other hand, most participants reported positive experiences with their health care providers (HLQ mean 3.19, SD .62 [scale 1-4]) and generally felt understood and supported. The cluster analysis suggests we should not assume people living with serious or persistent mental illness have homogeneous HL strengths and needs, meaning a one-size-fits-all solution for improving health literacy in this diverse group will likely not be a successful strategy. It will be important to explore solutions that embrace patient-centered care approaches. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of only a handful assessing the health literacy strengths and needs of people living with serious or persistent mental illness. By collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, then analyzing the results using sophisticated cluster analysis methods, the authors were able to develop clinical vignettes per the Ophelia Framework that offer results in a practical way that can be readily understood and acted upon by stakeholders. We found that the HLQ is a measure of HL that is acceptable to mental health clients, and our findings provide preliminary data on the use of this instrument in the mental health population. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2023;7(1):e2-e13.] Plain Language Summary: This study explored the health literacy strengths and needs of people living with serious or persistent mental illness. The results showed a mix of strengths and needs among our participants, though several consistent themes emerged. Most of our participants felt understood and supported by their health care providers, but many often struggle with judging the quality of health information and finding their way through the health care system.

Identifying long-term and imminent suicide predictors in a general population and a clinical sample with machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Machine learning (ML) is increasingly used to predict suicide deaths but their value for suicide prevention has not been established. Our first objective was to identify risk and protective factors in a general population. Our second objective was to identify factors indicating imminent suicide risk. METHODS: We used survival and ML models to identify lifetime predictors using the Cohort of Norway (n=173,275) and hospital diagnoses in a Saskatoon clinical sample (n=12,614). The mean follow-up times were 17 years and 3 years for the Cohort of Norway and Saskatoon respectively. People in the clinical sample had a longitudinal record of hospital visits grouped in six-month intervals. We developed models in a training set and these models predicted survival probabilities in held-out test data. RESULTS: In the general population, we found that a higher proportion of low-income residents in a county, mood symptoms, and daily smoking increased the risk of dying from suicide in both genders. In the clinical sample, the only predictors identified were male gender and older age. CONCLUSION: Suicide prevention probably requires individual actions with governmental incentives. The prediction of imminent suicide remains highly challenging, but machine learning can identify early prevention targets.

Retrospective study of the minor complicationsin the plastibell© circumcision / Estudo retrospectivo das complicações menores na circuncisão com Plastibell

Introduction. Published complications such as urinary retention, necrotizing faciites, uretral fistula or local infection regarding circumcision with Plastibell device© are too severe for such a simple procedure mostly if followed some important steps in its procedure. Objective. To present a retrospective analysis of minor complications of circumcision with Plastibell device© that were quite different from those presented in the literature. Methods. In a four years period, 492 boys between 1-10 years old were submitted to circumcision with Plastibell ©. Anesthesia was started with midazolam per oral followed by administration of sevoflurane through inhalation. A dorsal penile nerve block was performed in all 492 boys with bupivacaine 0,5%. Plastibell© was used in 4 different sizes: n.º 1.5 in 205 (41.7%) boys, n.º 1.3 in 118 (24%), n.º 1.7 in 103 (20.9%), and n.º 1.4 in 66 (13.4%). Results. Early complications were local hematoma in 40 (8.1%) boys, meatitis in 33 (6.7%), and slight bleeding in 18 (3.7%). Late complications occurred in 34 boys (6.9%) with preputial retraction, 18 (3.7%) with balanoposthitis and 5 boys (1%) with stenosis of the urethral meatus. None of them had to be re-operated because of these complications. There was only one case of paraphimosis that was treated with a simple hand reduction maneuver of the glans. Conclusion. There were no severe complications in this retrospective analysis as those described in the literature. Circumcision with Plastibell© is a fast and safe procedure, with low rate of light complications if observed important steps in the surgery procedure.

Introdução. Complicações publicadas tais como retenção urinária, facites necrosantes, fistula uretral ou infecção local relacionadas a circuncisão com Plastibell© são demasiado intensas para um simples procedimento principalmente se seguindo a importantes passos no seu procedimento. Objetivo. Apresentar análise retrospectiva de complicações menores de circuncisão com Plastibell© as quais foram diferentes daquelas apresentadas na literatura Métodos. Em um período de quatro anos, 492 meninos de 1 a 10 anos foram submetidos à circuncisão com Plastibell© A anestesia foi iniciada com midazolam por via oral seguida pela administração de sevoflurano por meio de inalação. O bloqueio do nervo dorsal do pênis foi realizado em todos os pacientes com bupivacaina 0,5%. foi usado Plastibell© em quatro diferentes tamanhos: n.º 1,5 em 205 (41,7%) meninos, n.º 1,3 em 118 (24,0%), n.º 1,7 em 103 (20,9%) e n.º 1,4 em 66 (13,4%). Resultados. As complicações precoces foram hematoma local em 40 (8,1%) meninos, meatites em 33 (6,7%) e pequeno sangramento em 18 (3,7%). Complicações tardias ocorreram em 34 meninos (6,9%) com retraçãoprepucial, 18 (3,7%) com balanopostites e cinco meninos (1,0%) com estenose de meato uretral. Nenhum deles necessitou ser reoperado devido a essas complicações. Ocorreu um caso de parafimose que foi tratada com uma simples manobra manual de redução da glande. Conclusão. Não ocorreu nenhuma das complicações graves nesta análise retrospectiva como descrito na literatura. A circuncisão com Plastibell© é um rápido e seguro procedimento, com menor taxa de leves complicações se observados importantes passos nos procedimentos cirúrgicos.

Bovine pericardium as a lasting option tocorrect agenesis of the left hemidiaphragm:a five years follow-up / Uso do pericárdio bovino como opção duradoura para a correção da agenesia do hemidiafragma esquerdo: seguimento de cinco anos

Different surgical approaches for large congenital diaphragmatic defects have been described in the last fifity years. Synthetic patches have been proposed but have not always lead to good results due to reherniations, absence of growth of the patch, and future definitive operations. Few options of biological patches to reconstruct those large congenital defects are described in the literature, such as: dorsal muscle flap, lyophilized dura patch, small intestine submucosa and autologous fascia lata. There was no report of bovine pericardium patches as an alternative to treat congenital defects such as the total agenesis of the left hemidiaphragm, although experimental studies has shown that bovine pericardium seemed to be a very safe and resistant material to used in this congenital defect. We present a 4-years old girl that was re-operated with a patch of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium after Silistic® patch had failed twice when she was born. We hypothesized that the bovine pericardium patch would be a lasting alternative to reconstruct agenesis of the left hemidiaphragm in this patient because of the attributes of the material: strength, elasticity, resistance to sutures and the possibility of growth. The aim of this communication is to present this biological material as a better and long-term alternative for correction of large congenital diaphragmatic defects, since our patient completed four years after the procedure without any deformities or respiratory complications.

Várias abordagens cirúrgicas têm sido descritas nos últimos cinqüenta anos para a correção dos grandes defeitos congênitos do diafragma. Material sintético tem sido proposto, mas não tem apresentado bons resultados devido às recidivas do defeito. O remendo sintético não cresce com a criança e apresenta necessidade de futuras reoperações. Poucas opções de materiais biológicos vêm sendo descritas na literatura para a correção dos grandes defeitos congênitos do diafragma, como: retalho muscular dorsal, duramáter liofilizada, submucosa de intestino delgado e fáscia lata autóloga. Não existem relatos na literatura a respeito do pericárdio bovino como opção ao tratamento dos defeitos congênitos do diafragma como agenesia total do hemidiafragma esquerdo, embora estudos experimentais mostram que o pericardium bovino parece ser material seguro e resistente que pode ser usado neste defeito congênito. Este é o relato de uma menina de 5 anos de idade que foi reoperada com remendo biológico de pericárdio bovino preservado em glutaraldeído, aos 4 meses de idade após duas tentativas frustradas de correção com remendo sintético (silicone). Os autores acreditam que o remendo de pericárdio bovino poderia ser opção mais duradoura para a correção da agenesia total do hemidiafragma esquerdo nesses pacientes devido às suas vantagens, como forte estrutura do material, elasticidade, resistência a suturas e possibilidade de crescimento. O objetivo deste relato é apresentar esse material biológico como melhor escolha, mais duradoura para correção dos grandes defeitos congênitos do diafragma, já que a criança completou quatro anos após o procedimento sem apresentar deformidade e ou complicações respiratórias.