Gendered experiences of unemployment, suicide and self-harm: a population-level record linkage study.

BACKGROUND: Unemployment and being not in the labour force (NILF) are risk factors for suicide, but their association with self-harm is unclear, and there is continuing debate about the role of confounding by prior mental health conditions. We examine associations between employment status and self-harm and suicide in a prospective cohort, taking into account prior mental-health-related factors. METHODS: We used linked data from the New Zealand Integrated Data Infrastructure. The outcomes were chosen to be hospital presentation for self-harm and death by suicide. The exposure was employment status, defined as employed, unemployed, or NILF, measured at the 2013 Census. Confounders included demographic factors and mental health history (use of antidepressant medication, use of mental health services, and prior self-harm). Logistic regression was used to model effects. Analyses were stratified by gender. RESULTS: For males, unemployment was associated with an increased risk of suicide [odds ratio (OR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-1.84] and self-harm (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.45-1.68) after full adjustment for confounders. NILF was associated with an increased risk of self-harm (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.32-1.55), but less of an association was seen with suicide (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.94-1.49). For females, unemployment was associated with an increased risk of suicide (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.93-1.80) and of self-harm (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.43-1.62), and NILF was associated with a similar increase in risk for suicide (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 0.98-1.75) and self-harm (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.26-1.40). DISCUSSION: Exclusion from employment is associated with a considerably heightened risk of suicide and self-harm for both men and women, even among those without prior mental health problems.

Do psychosocial job stressors differentially affect the sleep quality of men and women? A study using the HILDA Survey.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether gender was an effect modifier of the relationship between three psychosocial job stressors and sleep quality, in a representative sample of 7280 employed Australians. We conducted linear regressions and effect measure modification analyses. Low job control, high job demands and low job security were associated with poorer sleep quality. There was evidence of effect modification of the relationship between job security and sleep quality by gender on the additive scale, indicating that the combined effect of being male and having low job security is greater than the summed interactive effect.

How do employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young workers? A systematic review.

PURPOSE: To assess the quality of the research about how employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young workers, and to summarize the available evidence. METHODS: We undertook a systematic search of three databases using a tiered search strategy. Studies were included if they: (a) assessed employment conditions such as working hours, precarious employment, contract type, insecurity, and flexible work, or psychosocial workplace exposures such as violence, harassment and bullying, social support, job demand and control, effort-reward imbalance, and organizational justice; (b) included a validated mental health measure; and (c) presented results specific to young people aged ≤ 30 years or were stratified by age group to provide an estimate for young people aged ≤ 30 years. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Exposures (ROBINS-E) tool. RESULTS: Nine studies were included in the review. Four were related to employment conditions, capturing contract type and working hours. Five studies captured concepts relevant to psychosocial workplace exposures including workplace sexual harassment, psychosocial job quality, work stressors, and job control. The quality of the included studies was generally low, with six of the nine at serious risk of bias. Three studies at moderate risk of bias were included in the qualitative synthesis, and results of these showed contemporaneous exposure to sexual harassment and poor psychosocial job quality was associated with poorer mental health outcomes among young workers. Longitudinal evidence showed that exposure to low job control was associated with incident depression diagnosis among young workers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review illustrate that even better studies are at moderate risk of bias. Addressing issues related to confounding, selection of participants, measurement of exposures and outcomes, and missing data will improve the quality of future research in this area and lead to a clearer understanding of how employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young people. Generating high-quality evidence is particularly critical given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on young people's employment. In preparing for a post-pandemic world where poor-quality employment conditions and exposure to psychosocial workplace exposures may become more prevalent, rigorous research must exist to inform policy to protect the mental health of young workers.

Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Mental Health and Substance Use in Young Men in Emerging Adulthood.

Emerging adulthood is a neglected phase of the life course in health research. Health problems and risk behaviors at this time of life can have long-term consequences for health. The 2016 Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing reported that the influence of socioeconomic factors was under-researched among adolescents and young adults. Moreover, the influence of socioeconomic factors on health has been little researched specifically in emerging adult men. We aimed to investigate associations between socioeconomic disadvantage and mental health, suicidal behavior, and substance use in young adult Australian men. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between Year 12 (high school) completion and area disadvantage on mental health, suicidal behavior, and substance use in 2,281 young men age 18-25 participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men). In unadjusted analysis both Year 12 non-completion and area disadvantage were associated with multiple adverse outcomes. In adjusted analysis Year 12 non-completion, but not area disadvantage, was associated with poorer mental health, increased odds of suicidal behavior, and substance use. Retaining young men in high school and developing health-promotion strategies targeted at those who do exit education early could both improve young men's mental health and reduce suicidal behavior and substance use in emerging adulthood.

A systematic review on the effect of work-related stressors on mental health of young workers.

PURPOSE: There is no review on the effect of work-related stressors on mental health of young workers. We systematically reviewed epidemiological evidence on this relationship. METHODS: The review searched eight databases: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Informit, PsycINFO, and Scopus from their respective start dates until May 2017. Studies that have examined a mental health outcome in relation to a work-related stressor as exposure in young workers were included. The review was reported based on the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: Three cross-sectional studies and six longitudinal cohort studies were included. Cross-sectional evidence showed that adverse work conditions including working overtime, job boredom, low skill variety, low autonomy, high job insecurity, and lack of reward were associated with poor mental health of young workers. Longitudinal evidence showed that high job demands, low job control, effort-reward imbalance, and low work support (men only) were associated with poor mental health. There was evidence on the contemporaneous relationship between two or more adverse work conditions and poor mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Although more research (particularly high-quality longitudinal studies) is warranted in this area, our review indicates that work-related stressors have a negative impact on the mental health of young workers. The current review suggests that workplace interventions and policy are required to improve the quality of work for young workers.

The relationship between an electronic mental health stigma campaign and suicidal thoughts and behaviours: a two-arm randomized controlled trial in the Australian construction industry.

Males employed in the construction industry are at greater risk of suicide than other employed males. It is plausible that a high level of stigma against mental health problems explains the elevated rates of suicide among this group. This study sought to test the effectiveness of an electronic mental health stigma intervention on suicide ideation, communication about suicide and attempts. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a series of brief contact interventions over a 6-week period or a wait list control. Suicidal ideation, communication about suicide and suicide attempts were assessed using the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised at post-intervention. We used linear regression to assess effectiveness at post-intervention, adjusting for relevant covariates using both conventional methods and a propensity score approach. Results indicate that the intervention had no significant impact on suicidal thoughts, communication or suicide attempts. There was some indication that individuals in the intervention group reported a slight increase in attempts and communication about suicide. These observations underscore an urgent need for more research to understand the complex and nuanced relationship between stigma and suicide in non-clinical populations.

Exposure to discrimination and subsequent changes in self-rated health: prospective evidence from the UK's Life Opportunities Survey.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to estimate risk of poor self-rated health (SRH) following exposure to disability-related and other forms of overt discrimination in a cohort of working age adults. STUDY DESIGN: The study design is a population-based cohort survey. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data collected in Waves 1 and 2 of the UK's Life Opportunities Survey which at Wave 2 involved the participation of 12,789 working age adults. Adjusted prevalence rate ratios were used to estimate the impact of exposure to disability and non-disability discrimination on two measures of SRH at Wave 2, controlling for SRH status at Wave 1. RESULTS: Exposure to disability discrimination in the previous year was reported by 3.9% of working age British adults. Other forms of discrimination were reported less frequently (age: 3.7%, ethnicity: 2.5%, gender: 1.6%, religion: 0.8%, sexual orientation: 0.4%). In all analyses, there were stronger associations between exposure to disability discrimination and poor SRH at Wave 2 when compared with exposure to other forms of discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Disability discrimination represents a violation of human rights. It is also likely to be a major contributor to the health inequities experienced by working age adults with disability.

A blended face-to-face and smartphone intervention for suicide prevention in the construction industry: protocol for a randomized controlled trial with MATES in Construction.

BACKGROUND: Construction workers are at elevated risk of suicide. MATES in Construction (MATES) is one of the few suicide prevention programs that explicitly address this problem. The MATES program includes an integrated system of services that supports prevention, early intervention and recovery (i.e., primary, secondary and tertiary prevention) for mental health problems among construction workers. In this protocol, we describe a proposed evaluation of MATESmobile, an electronic platform which will be accessed by workers who have undergone MATES training. METHODS/DESIGN: In this protocol, we describe a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) which seeks to assess whether MATESmobile results in improved literacy regarding suicide prevention, and improved help-seeking and help-offering attitudes among those who have attended MATES training. Secondary outcomes include changes in suicide ideation, suicide attempt and psychological distress. Workers will be recruited prior to MATES face-to-face training. In total, 295 workers will be randomly assigned to the intervention condition (MATESmobile + face-to-face training) and 295 will be randomly allocated to the control (face-to-face training). The intervention will run for 8 weeks. Assessments will be run immediately post intervention, and at 3, 6, and 12 months DISCUSSION: MATESmobile offers the potential to reinforce and enhance the effects of face-to-face training, resulting in greater skills and knowledge in suicide prevention, as well as a reduction in suicidality and distress. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12619000625178 ; 26 April 2019).

Treatment seeking by employment characteristics among Australian males: a longitudinal study from the Ten to Men study.

OBJECTIVES: Men are less likely to seek treatment for mental health problems than women; however, the structural employment-related factors influencing this relationship are unknown. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study. METHODS: Using the Australian Ten to Men cohort (N = 6447), we examined the relationship between being in a male-dominated occupation and treatment seeking from a mental health professional compared to being in a gender-equal occupation. Models were fit using logistic regression. RESULTS: There was some evidence of a stepwise gradient between male-dominated occupations and treatment seeking for mental health problems. However, results were only significant for the most male-dominated occupations after adjustment (odds ratio [OR] 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52 to 0.94, P = 0.017). We also found evidence that individuals who more strongly adhered to masculine norms had a lower likelihood of treatment seeking (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.99, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This supports the idea that occupational-related factors influence male treatment seeking for mental health problems.

Gender, parental education, and experiences of bullying victimization by Australian adolescents with and without a disability.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization between adolescents with and without a disability and between adolescents with and without borderline intellectual functioning or intellectual disability (BIF/ID). We also sought to assess whether the relationships between either disability or BIF/ID and bullying victimization vary by gender and parental education. METHODS: The sample included 3,956 12- to 13-year-old adolescents who participated in Wave 5 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Three indicators of bullying were used: physical bullying victimization, social bullying victimization, and "any bullying victimization." We used Poisson regression to obtain the prevalence risk ratios (PRR) of bullying by disability status adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: In adjusted models, we found evidence that social bullying victimization was more prevalent among adolescents with a disability than those without a disability (PRR 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.42) and between adolescents with BIF/ID than those without (PRR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.44). Adolescents with BIF/ID were also more likely to experience "any bullying victimization"(PRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00-1.22). Having a disability and living in a family with low parental education were associated with an elevated risk of social bullying victimization BIF/ID. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with disabilities and BIF/ID are at elevated risk of social bullying victimization. School-based antibullying initiatives should concentrate on enhancing the inclusion of adolescents with disabilities, with an emphasis on adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Ultrafast Magnetization of a Dense Molecular Gas with an Optical Centrifuge.

Strong laser-induced magnetization of oxygen gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is achieved experimentally on the subnanosecond time scale. The method is based on controlling the electronic spin of paramagnetic molecules by means of manipulating their rotation with an optical centrifuge. Spin-rotational coupling results in a high degree of spin polarization on the order of one Bohr magneton per centrifuged molecule. Owing to the nonresonant interaction with the laser pulses, the demonstrated technique is applicable to a broad class of paramagnetic rotors. Executed in a high-density gas, it may offer an efficient way of generating macroscopic magnetic fields remotely (as shown in this work) and producing a large amount of spin-polarized electrons.

How do the two visual streams interact with each other?

The current consensus divides primate cortical visual processing into two broad networks or "streams" composed of highly interconnected areas (Milner and Goodale 2006, 2008; Goodale 2014). The ventral stream, passing from primary visual cortex (V1) through to inferior parts of the temporal lobe, is considered to mediate the transformation of the contents of the visual signal into the mental furniture that guides memory, recognition and conscious perception. In contrast the dorsal stream, passing from V1 through to various areas in the posterior parietal lobe, is generally considered to mediate the visual guidance of action, primarily in real time. The brain, however, does not work through mutually insulated subsystems, and indeed there are well-documented interconnections between the two streams. Evidence for contributions from ventral stream systems to the dorsal stream comes from human neuropsychological and neuroimaging research, and indicates a crucial role in mediating complex and flexible visuomotor skills. Complementary evidence points to a role for posterior dorsal-stream visual analysis in certain aspects of 3-D perceptual function in the ventral stream. A series of studies of a patient with visual form agnosia has been instrumental in shaping our knowledge of what each stream can achieve in isolation; but it has also helped us to tease apart the relative dependence of parietal visuomotor systems on direct bottom-up visual inputs versus inputs redirected via perceptual systems within the ventral stream.

Access to means of suicide, occupation and the risk of suicide: a national study over 12 years of coronial data.

BACKGROUND: Availability of lethal means is a significant risk factor for suicide. This study investigated whether occupations with greater access to lethal means had higher suicide rates than those without access, and further, whether this relationship differed for females versus males. METHODS: A retrospective mortality study was conducted across the Australian population over the period 2001 to 2012. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which collects Census information on occupation for the Australian population, and the National Coroners Information System, which records information on suicide deaths, were combined. Employed suicide records were coded by occupation and work-related access to lethal means. Descriptive analysis and negative binomial regression were used to assess the relationship between access to means and suicide. RESULTS: Persons in occupations with access to firearms, medicines or drugs, and carbon monoxide more frequently used these methods to end their lives than those without access to means. Females employed in occupations with access to means had suicide rates that were 3.02 times greater (95% CI 2.60 to 3.50, p < 0.001) than those employed in occupations without access. Males in occupations with access had suicide rates that were 1.24 times greater than those without access (95% CI 1.16 to 1.33, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Work-related access to means is a risk factor for suicide in the employed population, but is associated with a greater risk for females than males. The findings of this study suggest the importance of controlling access to lethal methods in occupations where these are readily available.

Probing molecular potentials with an optical centrifuge.

We use an optical centrifuge to excite coherent rotational wave packets in N2O, OCS, and CS2 molecules with rotational quantum numbers reaching up to J≈465, 690, and 1186, respectively. Time-resolved rotational spectroscopy at such ultra-high levels of rotational excitation can be used as a sensitive tool to probe the molecular potential energy surface at internuclear distances far from their equilibrium values. Significant bond stretching in the centrifuged molecules results in the growing period of the rotational revivals, which are experimentally detected using coherent Raman scattering. We measure the revival period as a function of the centrifuge-induced rotational frequency and compare it with the numerical calculations based on the known Morse-cosine potentials.

Psychosocial job stressors and thoughts about suicide among males: a cross-sectional study from the first wave of the Ten to Men cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Psychosocial job stressors are known to be associated with poor mental health. This research seeks to assess the relationship between psychosocial working conditions and suicidal ideation using a large dataset of Australian males. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Data from wave 1 of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health (Ten to Men) was used to assess the association between suicidal ideation in the past two weeks and psychosocial working conditions using logistic regression. The sample included 11,052 working males. The exposures included self-reported low job control, high job demands, job insecurity and low fairness of pay. We controlled for relevant confounders. RESULTS: In multivariable analysis, persons who were exposed to low job control (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.26, P = 0.003), job insecurity (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.44-1.99, P < 0.001) and unfair pay (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.27, P < 0.001) reported elevated odds of thoughts about suicide. Males employed casually or on fixed-term contracts reported higher odds of suicidal ideation (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09-1.61, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Psychosocial job stressors are highly prevalent in the working population and workplace suicide prevention efforts should aim to address these as possible risk factors.

NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Poland, 2012-14: inter-regional outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 and sporadic cases.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM)-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates reported in Poland in 2012-14. METHODS: Representative isolates were typed by PFGE and MLST. NDM and other ß-lactamase genes were amplified and sequenced. Plasmids with blaNDM genes were analysed by nuclease S1 plus hybridization profiling, by transfer assays and by PCR-based replicon typing. The blaNDM genetic context was studied by PCR mapping assays. RESULTS: Of 374 cases of infection/colonization with NDM-positive Enterobacteriaceae identified in 2012-14, 370 cases in 40 hospitals, 10 outpatient clinics and 1 nursing home were associated with a Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak with epicentres in Poznan and Warsaw. The outbreak strain of K. pneumoniae ST11 was similar to an isolate from the Czech Republic from 2013. Like the Czech strain, many of the isolates had two blaNDM-1-carrying IncFII- and IncR-type plasmids of variable size, sharing a blaNDM-1-containing segment. The early isolates also produced CTX-M-15 co-encoded by the IncR-type plasmids, and differentiated later by extensive plasmid rearrangements. Four other NDM cases were reported in 2013, three being associated with arrivals from Montenegro, India or Afghanistan. The Indian Escherichia coli ST448 NDM-5 isolate revealed similarity to a recent isolate from Spain, including the blaNDM genetic context observed previously in E. coli strains in Poland and France (of Congolese and Indian origins, respectively). The Afghani Proteus mirabilis was the second isolate of this species with a chromosomal blaNDM-1 location. CONCLUSIONS: The largest NDM outbreak in a non-endemic country has been observed, being an alarming phenomenon in resistance epidemiology in Poland.

Age and gender differences in the influence of social support on mental health: a longitudinal fixed-effects analysis using 13 annual waves of the HILDA cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Perceived social support is associated with better mental health. There has been limited attention to how these relationships are modified by age and gender. We assessed this topic using 13 years of cohort data. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: The outcome was the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5), a reliable and valid screening instrument for mood disorders. The main exposure was a social support scale composed of 10 items. We used longitudinal fixed-effects regression modelling to investigate within-person changes in mental health. Analytic models controlled for within-person sources of bias. We controlled for time-related factors by including them into regression modelling. RESULTS: The provision of higher levels of social support was associated with greater improvements in mental health for people aged under 30 years than for older age groups. The mental health of females appeared to benefit slightly more from higher levels of social support than males. Improvements in the MHI-5 were on a scale that could be considered clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of social support for young people may be connected to age-related transitions in self-identity and peer friendship networks. Results for females may reflect their tendency to place greater emphasis on social networks than males.

Perception of Mattering and Suicide Ideation in the Australian Working Population: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

Thoughts about suicide are a risk factor for suicide deaths and attempts and are associated with a range of mental health outcomes. While there is considerable knowledge about risk factors for suicide ideation, there is little known about protective factors. The current study sought to understand the role of perceived mattering to others as a protective factor for suicide in a working sample of Australians using a cross-sectional research design. Logistic regression analysis indicated that people with a higher perception that they mattered had lower odds of suicide ideation than those with lower reported mattering, after controlling for psychological distress, demographic and relationship variables. These results indicate the importance of further research and intervention studies on mattering as a lever for reducing suicidality. Understanding more about protective factors for suicide ideation is important as this may prevent future adverse mental health and behavioural outcomes.

Does Gender Explain the Relationship Between Occupation and Suicide? Findings from a Meta-Analytic Study.

This report investigated whether suicide risk by occupational groups differed for males and females. We examined this using a sub-set of articles examined in a recent meta-analysis and stratified by gender. For certain occupational groups, males and females had a similar risk of suicide (the military, community service occupations, managers, and clerical workers). There was some indication of gender differences for other occupations (technicians, plant and machine operators and ship's deck crew, craft and related trades workers, and professionals), although these did not reach statistical significance. These findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between occupation and suicide and suggest the possible role of a range of individual, work-related and social-environmental risk factors that may differ for males and females.

Sound emission from the gas of molecular superrotors.

We use an optical centrifuge to deposit a controllable amount of rotational energy into dense molecular ensembles. Subsequent rotation-translation energy transfer, mediated by thermal collisions, results in the localized heating of the gas and generates strong sound wave, clearly audible to the unaided ear. For the first time, the amplitude of the sound signal is analyzed as a function of the experimentally measured rotational energy and linear proportionality between the two observables is established.