Effect of Predeployment Psychiatric Diagnoses on Postdeployment Long-Term Sickness Absence and Mental Health Problems Among Danish Military Personnel.

Military personnel may withhold information on mental health problems (MHPs) for fear of not being permitted to deploy. Past or current MHPs may, however, increase the risk of postdeployment MHPs. Using psychiatric diagnoses rather than self-report assessments in predeployment screening may be a more effective screening strategy for determining deployment fitness. This retrospective follow-up study investigated (a) the extent to which predeployment childhood and adult psychiatric diagnoses predicted postdeployment MHPs, measured as psychiatric diagnosis and the purchase of psychiatric drugs, and long-term sickness absence among formerly deployed Danish military personnel and (b) whether perceived combat exposure moderated or mediated the effect of predeployment psychiatric diagnoses. Complete data were available for 7,514 Danish military personnel who answered questions on perceived combat exposure between 6-8 months after returning from their first deployment to the Balkans, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Data on all psychiatric diagnoses given at Danish hospitals, all medicine purchases, and all sickness absences were retrieved from nationwide research registers. Personnel with predeployment psychiatric diagnoses had a statistically significant higher risk for both postdeployment long-term sickness absence, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.06, 95% CI [1.52, 2.80]; and postdeployment MHPs, HR = 2.38, 95% CI [1.73, 3.27], than personnel without a predeployment psychiatric diagnosis. Personnel with a predeployment psychiatric diagnosis demonstrated a higher risk of reporting high levels of perceived combat exposure. Perceived combat exposure was not found to moderate or mediate the effect of a predeployment psychiatric diagnosis on the two outcomes. Additional findings, limitations, and implications are discussed.

The return-to-work process of individuals sick-listed because of whiplash-associated disorder: a three-year follow-up study in a Danish cohort of long-term sickness absentees.

BACKGROUND: The chronic course of whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) has implications for both the individual and society. It has been shown that up to 50% of patients have not yet returned to work six months after a whiplash injury. We wanted to study the return-to-work (RTW) process in individuals sick-listed for more than eight weeks in six Danish municipalities. RTW in individuals sick-listed due to WAD was compared to that in those sick-listed for other musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). METHODS: Information about long-term sick-listed individuals in six Danish municipalities was retrieved from an existing database. Data on public transfer income were collected and the RTW process was followed on a weekly basis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of RTW was done four times during the first three years after the start of sick-listing. RESULTS: One hundred and four individuals were sick-listed due to WAD and 3,204 individuals were sick-listed due to other MSDs. After 6 months, the RTW was significantly lower in the WAD group. OR for RTW in the WAD group was 0.29 (0.18-0.49) compared to the MSD group. The RTW process for both groups stabilised after two years of follow-up; 44% returned to work in the WAD group as compared to 58% in the MSD group. CONCLUSION: Sick-listed individuals with whiplash-associated disorder are less likely to return to work than individuals who are sick-listed because of other musculoskeletal disorders. In both groups, RTW stabilised after two years of follow-up.

Combat Exposure and Risk of Suicide Attempt Among Danish Army Military Personnel.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the association between self-reported perceived danger during deployment, measured as combat exposure or witnessing the consequences of war, and post-deployment suicide attempts among military personnel. Furthermore, the effect of post-deployment symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or depression on the risk of suicide attempts was also evaluated.Methods: This observational cohort study included Danish Army military personnel who returned from deployment in international missions from 1998 to 2016 and had completed a post-deployment questionnaire. Perceived exposure to danger was ascertained by self-report. Data on suicide attempt were retrieved from national registers. Adjusted Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate if military personnel indicating high level of combat exposure were more likely to have attempted suicides post-deployment than military personnel with lower levels of combat exposure.Results: Eighty-three suicide attempts were registered after homecoming among 12,218 military personnel. Perceived higher exposure to combat was associated with the risk of suicide attempt (hazard ratio = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16). Furthermore, the association between combat exposure and suicide attempt was fully mediated by post-deployment symptoms of PTSD and/or depression. No association was found between witnessing consequences of war and the risk of post-deployment suicide attempt.Conclusions: This nationwide study found that combat exposure was associated with an increased risk of suicide attempt among military personnel. This association was, however, fully mediated by mental disorders (PTSD and/or depression). These findings suggest that better psychological follow-up of military personnel identified as having PTSD and/or depression may be warranted.

Development of a Novel and Scalable Simulation-Based Teamwork Training Model Using Within-Group Debriefing of Observed Video Simulation.

THE CHALLENGE: Effective teamwork and communication skills are essential for safe and reliable health care. These skills require training and practice. Experiential learning is optimal for training adults, and the industry has recognized simulation training as an exemplar of this approach. Yet despite decades of investment, this training is inaccessible and underutilized for most of the more than 12 million health care professionals in the United States. DESIGNING A SOLUTION: This report describes the design process of an adapted simulation training created to overcome the key barriers to scaling simulation-based teamwork training: access to technology, time away from clinical work, and availability of trained simulation educators. The prototype training is designed for delivery in one-hour segments and relies on observation of video simulation scenarios and within-group debriefing, which are promising variations on traditional simulation training. To our knowledge, these two simulation approaches have not been previously combined. The resulting prototype minimizes the need for an on-site trained simulation educator. This report details the development of a training model, its subsequent modification based on pilot testing, and the evaluation of the resulting redesigned prototype. PRELIMINARY EVALUATION: Participant evaluations of the redesigned prototype were highly positive, with 92% reporting that they would like to participate in additional, similar training sessions. Positive results were also found in assessment of feasibility, acceptability, psychological safety, and behavioral intention (reported intention to alter behavior).

Determinants of return to work after long-term sickness absence in six Danish municipalities.

BACKGROUND: Different follow-up times and methods in return to work (RTW) research make it difficult to compare results between studies, and not all intervention effects and determinants may be constant over time. AIMS: This study aimed to describe the RTW process of a population of long-term sickness-absent workers over a 3-year period in terms of the effect of selected determinants over time. METHODS: A total of 7780 sickness-absent persons were registered by social workers in six different municipalities and were followed up for 2 to 3 years. Estimates from multiple logistic regression analyses conducted for every 4 weeks were plotted against time to identify changes in the effects of selected determinants. RESULTS: After 1.5 years, 55.2% of the population had returned to work and this level was maintained through the remaining follow-up period. All the included potential determinants were found to be significantly related to RTW at 1 and 3 years. The effects of sex, ethnicity, and income were found to be nearly constant over time. The effects of municipality, diagnosis, and age changed markedly over time and mostly during the first year. CONCLUSIONS: RTW increased during the first 1.5 years after which a steady level was maintained. The effect of diagnosis, age, and municipality changed markedly over time.

Just-in-time postnatal education programees to improve newborn care practices: needs and opportunities in low-resource settings.

Worldwide, many newborns die in the first month of life, with most deaths happening in low/middle-income countries (LMICs). Families' use of evidence-based newborn care practices in the home and timely care-seeking for illness can save newborn lives. Postnatal education is an important investment to improve families' use of evidence-based newborn care practices, yet there are gaps in the literature on postnatal education programees that have been evaluated to date. Recent findings from a 13 000+ person survey in 3 states in India show opportunities for improvement in postnatal education for mothers and families and their use of newborn care practices in the home. Our survey data and the literature suggest the need to incorporate the following strategies into future postnatal education programming: implement structured predischarge education with postdischarge reinforcement, using a multipronged teaching approach to reach whole families with education on multiple newborn care practices. Researchers need to conduct robust evaluation on postnatal education models incorporating these programee elements in the LMIC context, as well as explore whether this type of education model can work for other health areas that are critical for families to survive and thrive.

Mental Health Care for Service Members and Their Families Across the Globe.

The U.S. Defense Department partnered with the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership on effective leadership and operational practices for delivery of mental health (MH) as well as addiction services throughout the world for Service Members (SM) and beneficiaries. A Military Issues Work Group (MIWG) was established in 2011 to focus on challenges experienced by military SM and beneficiaries among countries. The MIWG found common concerns related to MH care delivery to rural and remote beneficiaries. Gaps in access to care were identified and prioritized to explore. This led to better collaboration and understanding of telemental health (TMH) practices and technology applications (apps) which increase access to care for rural and remote SMs and beneficiaries. An assessment of the number of SMs and dependents distant from MH care services in the USA was conducted, as well as an environmental scan for psychological health-focused mobile apps and TMH services geared toward SM, veterans, and beneficiaries. The MIWG is developing a compendium of existing military TMH programs and apps that address MH concerns and extant literature on use of technology to extend global access to care for military members and their families across the world.

The yield and composition of switchgrass and coastal panic grass grown as a biofuel in southern England.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and coastal panic grass (Panicum amarum A.S. Hitchc. & Chase) are perennial grasses indigenous to North America. Switchgrass has been shown to have good potential as a biofuel crop in both the US and Canada. In the study reported here, seven varieties of switchgrass and one panic grass were evaluated for 5 years under the temperate maritime conditions in Southern England. Both species had 0 or 60 kg N ha(-1) applied annually in spring as treatment. Yield was measured after flowering and when stems were dead in the winter. Yield increased annually for 4-5 years except for the variety Dacotah, and in the fifth year dead stem yields ranged from 8.82 to 13.97 t dm ha(-1). There was no response to N except for one variety in one year. Mineral concentration in biomass was higher at flowering than at dead stem harvest and delaying harvesting further provided more time for P, K and Cl to be leached but yield also declined.