Workplace violence, work-related exhaustion, and workplace cognitive failure among nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To examine the relationships between nurses' exposure to workplace violence and self-reports of workplace cognitive failure. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: An online questionnaire was administered in April 2023 to nurses in Michigan, US. Structural equation modelling was used to examine effects of physical and non-physical workplace violence (occupational stressors) and work efficiency and competence development (occupational protective factors) on workplace cognitive failure. RESULTS: Physical violence was a significant predictor of the action subscale of cognitive failure. There were no direct effects of non-physical violence, workplace efficiency, or competence development on any of the workplace cognitive failure dimensions. Both types of violence and efficiency had significant indirect effects on workplace cognitive failure via work-related exhaustion. Work-related exhaustion predicted significantly higher scores for workplace cognitive failure. CONCLUSION: Workplace violence and work efficiency exhibited primarily indirect effects on workplace cognitive failure among nurses via work-related exhaustion. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Nurses experiencing workplace violence may be at increased risk for workplace cognitive failure, especially if they are also experiencing work-related exhaustion. Workplaces that nurses perceive as more efficient can help to mitigate the effects of violence on nurses' cognitive failure. IMPACT: This study addressed the possible effects of workplace violence as well as work efficiency and competence development on nurses' cognitive failure at work. Analyses revealed primarily indirect effects of workplace violence, and indirect protective effects of work efficiency, on nurses' cognitive failure via work-related exhaustion. This research has implications for healthcare organizations and suggests that efforts made by healthcare workplaces to prevent violence and work-related exhaustion, and to enhance work efficiency, may help to mitigate workplace cognitive failure among nurses. REPORTING METHOD: We have followed the STROBE checklist in reporting this study. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or public contribution.

Designing and Evaluating Opioid Misuse Prevention Training for Rural Communities and Health Care Providers.

Through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funding, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension partnered with MSU's Family Medicine and Health Department of Northwest Michigan to implement trainings for community members and health care providers to increase awareness and improve prevention efforts addressing opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. We formed the Michigan Substance Use Prevention, Education and Recovery (MiSUPER) project to design and evaluate opioid misuse prevention trainings. A socio-ecological prevention model was an underlying conceptual framework for this project and drove strategies used in trainings, products created, and measurement. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of one-time online educational training events for rural community members and health care providers on community OUD issues, treatment options, and supports for those in recovery. Between 2020 and 2022, rural participants completed pre- and posttraining, and 30-day follow-up evaluation surveys. We report the demographic characteristics of community (n = 451) and provider (n = 59) participants, self-reported knowledge gained, and overall perceptions of the trainings. Findings show community members' knowledge increased from pre- to posttraining (p < .001) and was maintained at 3 months, while providers' knowledge was unchanged over time. Posttraining, community participants felt more comfortable speaking about addiction with family and friends (p < .001), and providers had better knowledge of local resources for patients who could not afford opioid misuse treatments (p < .05). All participants reported gaining knowledge of community resources for opioid misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery (p < .01). Opioid misuse prevention trainings may be most effective when adapted to leverage local resources.

Increased Substance Use among Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the nursing profession worldwide. Occupational strain has disrupted nurses' emotional wellbeing and may have led to negative coping behaviors, such as increased substance use, which could impair cognitive functioning. The aim of this study was to examine whether increased substance use in a sample of U.S. nurses during the pandemic was related to greater workplace cognitive failure. An online questionnaire was administered in May 2020 to Michigan nurses statewide via three nursing organizations (n = 695 respondents). A path model was used to test the direct effects of reported increased substance use on workplace cognitive failure and via parallel psychological mediators. The model had excellent fit to the observed data, with statistically significant, unique mediating effects of greater symptoms of anxiety (b = 0.236, z = 2.22, p = 0.027), posttraumatic stress disorder (b = 0.507, z = 4.62, p < 0.001) and secondary trauma (b = 1.10, z = 2.82, p = 0.005). Importantly, the direct effect of increased substance use on workplace cognitive failure was not statistically significant independent of the mediators (b = 0.133, z = 0.56, p = 0.576; 95% confidence interval: -0.33, 0.60). These results point to the importance of further delineating the mechanistic pathways linking adverse stress to workplace cognitive failure. As we emerge from the pandemic, healthcare systems should focus resources on supporting cognitive health by addressing the psychological and emotional welfare of nurses, many of whom may be struggling with residual trauma and increased substance use.

Association Between Inflammatory Biomarkers and Mental Health Symptoms in Middle Eastern Refugees in the US.

INTRODUCTION: Refugees are at increased risk for trauma-related mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The underlying biological mechanisms linking trauma to mental disorders need additional study, and the possible pathophysiological role of the immune system is attracting increasing interest. In this study, we investigated whether two well-known pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL-8) and IL-6) are associated with mental health symptoms in Middle Eastern refugees displaced to the United States. METHODS: Refugees (n=64, mean age=37.6 years) ages ranged from 21 to 74 years (mean=37.62, SD=11.84) were interviewed one month after arrival in Michigan, United States, using a validated survey in Arabic. Questions covered pre-displacement trauma, current anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms. Blood, collected immediately following the interview, was analyzed for the levels of interleukins. Multivariate linear regression was used to determine the association between mental health symptoms and IL-6 and IL-8. RESULTS: In multivariate modeling, older age (ß=0.37; p<0.01) and anxiety (ß=0.31; p<0.05) were positively associated with IL-8. Age (ß=0.28; p<0.05) and pre-displacement trauma (ß=0.40; p<0.05) were positively associated with IL-6. Depression (ß=-0.38) was negatively associated with IL-6. CONCLUSION/RELEVANCE: This study of inflammatory biomarkers suggests the possibility of differential associations between mental health symptoms (anxiety and depression) and pro-inflammatory markers (IL-6 and IL-8). To enhance our ability to prevent and more effectively treat trauma-exposed refugees, we need to better understand the neuroinflammatory mechanisms contributing to mental disorders.

Patient-reported factors associated with avoidance of in-person care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a national survey.

BACKGROUND: There has been a substantial decline in in-person care in inpatient and outpatient settings during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Avoidance of needed in-person care may contribute to an avoidable decline in patient health and an increase in mortality. While several systems and behavioral theories have been put forward to explain the decline, there is a lack of studies informed by patients' own experiences. The current study applied a socio-ecological model encompassing patient, environmental, and institutional-related variables to examine patient-reported factors associated with avoidance of in-person care. METHODS: Between October and December 2020, a total of 3840 persons responded to a nationwide online questionnaire that was administered using ResearchMatch and Facebook. Self-reported avoidance of in-person care among those who needed it was the main outcome. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with avoidance of needed care. FINDINGS: Out of a total of 3372 respondents who reported that they needed in-person care during the early phase of the pandemic, 257 (7.6%) avoided it. Patient-related variables associated with avoiding needed care included younger age (odds ratio (OR), 1.46, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.94, p<0.01; <45 y/o vs 45+), inability to afford care (OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.34, p<0.01), and greater COVID-related stress (OR = 1.36, CI 1.01 to 1.83, p<0.05). More frequent discussions about COVID with family and friends was the only significant environment-related avoidance of care variable (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.01-1.91, p < .05). Institution-related care avoidance variables included a negative patient healthcare experience rating (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.42, p<0.001), poor awareness of the institution's safety protocol (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.51, p<0.01), and low ratings of the institution's effectiveness in communicating their safety protocol (OR = 3.45, 95% CI 1.94 to 6.12, p<0.001). The final model predicted 11.9% of the variance in care avoidance. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that care avoidance of in-person care during the initial phase of the pandemic was influenced by a patient's demographics as well as environmental and healthcare institutional factors. Patients' previous experiences and their awareness of healthcare systems' safety protocols are important factors in care avoidance.

Applying machine learning to explore the association between biological stress and near misses in emergency medicine residents.

Physician stress is associated with near misses and adverse medical events. However, little is known about physiological mechanisms linking stress to such events. We explored the utility of machine learning to determine whether the catabolic stress hormone cortisol and the anabolic, anti-stress hormone dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), as well as the cortisol to DHEA-S ratio relate to near misses in emergency medicine residents during active duty in a trauma 1 emergency department. Compared to statistical models better suited for inference, machine learning models allow for prediction in situations that have not yet occurred, and thus better suited for clinical applications. This exploratory study used multiple machine learning models to determine possible relationships between biomarkers and near misses. Of the various models tested, support vector machine with radial bias function kernels and support vector machine with linear kernels performed the best, with training accuracies of 85% and 79% respectively. When evaluated on a test dataset, both models had prediction accuracies of around 80%. The pre-shift cortisol to DHEA-S ratio was shown to be the most important predictor in interpretable models tested. Results suggest that interventions that help emergency room physicians relax before they begin their shift could reduce risk of errors and improve patient and physician outcomes. This pilot demonstrates promising results regarding using machine learning to better understand the stress biology of near misses. Future studies should use larger groups and relate these variables to information in electronic medical records, such as objective and patient-reported quality measures.

Workplace Cognitive Failure among Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Numerous studies provide evidence of the physical and emotional strain experienced by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known regarding the impact of this occupational strain on nurses' cognitive function at work. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with workplace cognitive failure in a sample of U.S. nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire was administered in May 2020 to Michigan nurses statewide via three nursing organizations (n = 695 respondents). Path analysis was conducted to test the parallel effects of frequency of contact with COVID patients and personal protective equipment (PPE) supply on workplace cognitive failure scores. Mediation effects of stress, sleep quality, secondary trauma, and work-related exhaustion were examined for each exposure. Results revealed significant indirect effects of all mediators except sleep quality of contact with COVID patients (cumulative indirect effect = 1.30, z = 6.33, p < 0.001) and PPE (cumulative indirect effect = -2.10, z = -5.22, p < 0.001) on cognitive failure. However, 58% of the PPE effect was direct. To reduce the risk of cognitive failure, healthcare organizations need to provide nurses with protective equipment and work environments that allow nurses to strengthen their resilience to extreme working conditions.

Anticoagulants and the Hemostatic System: A Primer for Occupational Stress Researchers.

Anticoagulation, the body's mechanism to prevent blood clotting, is an internal biomarker of an individual's response to stress. Research has indicated that understanding the causes, processes, and consequences of anticoagulation can provide important insight into the experience of individuals facing emotional and occupational strain. Unfortunately, despite their importance, the mechanisms and implications of anticoagulation are unfamiliar to many researchers and practitioners working with trauma-exposed professionals. This paper provides an accessible primer on the topic of anticoagulation, including an overview of the biological process, the research connecting these processes with emotional and occupational functioning, as well as some potential methods for assessment.

The Development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Symptoms in Iraqi Refugees: Associations with Acculturation and C-reactive Protein.

ABSTRACT: Refugees experience distress from premigration trauma, often exacerbated by postmigration difficulties. To develop effective interventions, risk factors for mental health symptoms need to be determined. Male Iraqi refugees (N = 53) to the United States provided background information and reported predisplacement trauma and psychological health within 1 month of their arrival. An inflammatory biomarker-C-reactive protein (CRP) was assessed approximately 1.5 years after arrival, and a contextual factor-acculturation-and psychological health were assessed 2 years after arrival. We tested whether acculturation and CRP were associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms at the 2-year follow-up, controlling for baseline symptoms, age, body mass index, and predisplacement trauma. Acculturation was inversely related to depression, and CRP was positively related to both PTSD and depression at the 2-year follow-up. Interventions targeting acculturation could help reduce the development of depression symptoms in refugees. The role of CRP in the development of PTSD and depression symptoms warrants further research.

IL-10: A possible immunobiological component of positive mental health in refugees.

Objective: As the number of refugees continues to rise, there is growing concern about the impact from trauma exposures on their mental health. However, there is a limited understanding of possible biological mechanisms contributing to the substantial inter-individual differences in trauma-related outcomes, especially as it relates to positive mental health. Only sparse work has focused on the biology of positive mental health, including energy and sleep, in trauma-exposed persons. In this study, we analyzed cytokines in blood from newly arrived refugees with differential trauma exposures in relationship to self-reported energy, as a key marker of positive mental health. Methods: Within the first month of arrival in the USA, 64 refugees from Iraq and Syria were interviewed. Refugees completed the clinical DSM-IV PTSD-Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Ten psychiatrically healthy non-refugee persons were used as healthy controls to compare levels of cytokines. Blood samples were collected at the time of the interview and subsequently analyzed for IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α concentrations. Results: Energy correlated positively with current concentration ability and sleep quality, and negatively with stress, PCL-C, BAI and HADS scores (Spearman correlations, all p<0.05). Refugees had lower levels of IL-10 compared to controls (p<0.05). IL-10 levels in refugees correlated with higher energy levels (p<0.01). Conclusions: Results suggest that self-reported energy is a key component of positive mental health in newly arrived traumatized refugees. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 could be a marker of, or causally associated with positive mental health. A better understanding of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory states in highly traumatized individuals has the potential to create more targeted and effective treatments with implications for long-term health outcomes.

Brain Health: Attitudes towards Technology Adoption in Older Adults.

(1) Background: There is increasing scholarly support for the notion that properly implemented and used, technology can be of substantial benefit for older adults. Use of technology has been associated with improved self-rating of health and fewer chronic conditions. Use of technology such as handheld devices by older adults has the potential to improve engagement and promote cognitive and physical health. However, although, literature suggests some willingness by older adults to use technology, simultaneously there are reports of a more cautious attitude to its adoption. Our objective was to determine the opinions towards information technologies, with special reference to brain health, in healthy older adults either fully retired or still working in some capacity including older adult workers and retired adults living in an independent elderly living community. We were especially interested in further our understanding of factors that may play a role in technology adoption and its relevance to addressing health related issues in this population; (2) Methods: Two focus groups were conducted in an inner-city community. Participants were older adults with an interest in their general health and prevention of cognitive decline. They were asked to discuss their perceptions of and preferences for the use of technology. Transcripts were coded for thematic analysis; (3) Results: Seven common themes emerged from the focus group interviews: physical health, cognitive health, social engagement, organizing information, desire to learn new technology, advancing technology, and privacy/security; and (4) Conclusions: This study suggests that in order to promote the use of technology in older adults, one needs to consider wider contextual issues, not only device design per se, but the older adult's rationale for using technology and their socio-ecological context.

Perceptions of virtual primary care physicians: A focus group study of medical and data science graduate students.

BACKGROUND: Artificial and virtual technologies in healthcare have advanced rapidly, and healthcare systems have been adapting care accordingly. An intriguing new development is the virtual physician, which can diagnose and treat patients independently. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This qualitative study of advanced degree students aimed to assess their perceptions of using a virtual primary care physician as a patient. Four focus groups were held: first year medical students, fourth year medical students, first year engineering/data science graduate students, and fourth year engineering/data science graduate students. The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and content analyses of the transcripts was performed using a data-driven inductive approach. Themes identified concerned advantages, disadvantages, and the future of virtual primary care physicians. Within those main categories, 13 themes emerged and 31 sub-themes. DISCUSSION: While participants appreciated that a virtual primary care physician would be convenient, efficient, and cost-effective, they also expressed concern about data privacy and the potential for misdiagnosis. To garner trust from its potential users, future virtual primary physicians should be programmed with a sufficient amount of trustworthy data and have a high level of transparency and accountability for patients.

Nurse Reports of Stressful Situations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of Survey Responses.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed nurses to conditions that threaten their health, well-being, and ability to work. It is therefore critical to study nurses' experiences and well-being during the current crisis in order to identify risk groups for ill health and potential sources of organizational intervention. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of the most salient sources of stress in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in a sample of U.S. nurses. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among a sample of 695 U.S. nurses in May 2020. Content analysis was conducted on nurses' responses (n = 455) to an open-ended question on the most stressful situations they had experienced during the pandemic. Six distinct themes emerged from the analysis: exposure/infection-self; illness/death-others; workplace; personal protective equipment/supplies; unknowns; opinions/politics. Two sub-themes concerned restrictions associated with the pandemic and feelings of inadequacy/helplessness regarding patients and their treatment. More than half of all comments concerned stress related to problems in workplace response to the pandemic. Healthcare institutions should provide opportunities for nurses to discuss the stress they are experiencing, support one another, and make suggestions for workplace adaptations during this pandemic.

Lifestyle and psychosocial factors associated with maintenance of normal body mass index in college students: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify lifestyle and psychosocial factors associated with maintenance of normal body mass index (BMI, 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). Undergraduate students (n = 2781; 7.1% response rate) at a Big Ten university responded to a survey in 2018. BMI was calculated from the reported weight and height at the time of the survey and upon entering the university. Logistic regression analyses examined lifestyle and psychosocial health factors associated with maintenance of normal BMI by academic year. RESULTS: Current BMI was within normal range for 68.8% of freshmen and 60.6% of seniors. Never consuming fast food was a significant predictor for maintaining normal BMI in sophomores (OR 3.78; 95% CI 1.61, 8.88; p < 0.01) and juniors (OR 7.82; 95% CI 2.14, 28.65; p < 0.01). In seniors, better psychosocial health (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.12, 1.76; p < 0.01) was the only significant predictor for maintaining one's normal freshman BMI category. Among those within the normal BMI range upon entering the university, psychosocial health (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.10, 1.55; p < 0.01) was the only predictor of retaining one's absolute BMI within ± 3% as a senior. Prospective studies are needed to better understand the interaction between environment, behavior, and psychological health involved in retaining normal weight.

Misalignment of Stakeholder Incentives in the Opioid Crisis.

The current opioid epidemic has killed more than 446,000 Americans over the past two decades. Despite the magnitude of the crisis, little is known to what degree the misalignment of incentives among stakeholders due to competing interests has contributed to the current situation. In this study, we explore evidence in the literature for the working hypothesis that misalignment rooted in the cost, quality, or access to care can be a significant contributor to the opioid epidemic. The review identified several problems that can contribute to incentive misalignment by compromising the triple aims (cost, quality, and access) in this epidemic. Some of these issues include the inefficacy of conventional payment mechanisms in providing incentives for providers, practice guidelines in pain management that are not easily implementable across different medical specialties, barriers in adopting multi-modal pain management strategies, low capacity of providers/treatments to address opioid/substance use disorders, the complexity of addressing the co-occurrence of chronic pain and opioid use disorders, and patients' non-adherence to opioid substitution treatments. In discussing these issues, we also shed light on factors that can facilitate the alignment of incentives among stakeholders to effectively address the current crisis.

Enhancing healthcare efficiency to achieve the Quadruple Aim: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: Healthcare is battling a conflict between the Quadruple Aims-reducing costs; improving population health, patient experience, and team well-being-and productivity. This quasi-experimental pilot study tested a 2 week intervention aimed to address the Quadruple Aims while improving productivity. Participants were 25 employees and their patients in a primary care clinic. One provider and their team implemented an efficiency-focused intervention that modified work roles and processes focused on utilizing all team members' skills as allowable by applicable licensure restrictions. The five remaining providers and their teams comprised the reference group, who continued patient care as usual. Study outcomes were measured via provider/staff and patient surveys and administrative data. RESULTS: In total, 46 team surveys and 156 patient surveys were collected. Clinic output data were retrieved for 467 visits. Compared to the reference team, the intervention team performed better in all Quadruple Aims and productivity measures. The intervention group offered 48% more patient slots than the average reference team. These preliminary results support the feasibility of introducing substantial process changes that show promising improvement in both the Quadruple Aims and productivity. A larger-scale study over a longer time period is needed to confirm findings and examine feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

Personal Protective Equipment and Mental Health Symptoms Among Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and mental health outcomes among a sample of U.S. nurses. METHODS: An online questionnaire was administered in May 2020 to Michigan nurses via three statewide nursing organizations (n = 695 respondents). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Nurses lacking access to adequate PPE (24.9%, n = 163) were more likely to report symptoms of depression (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.31, 2.94; P = 0.001), anxiety (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.12, 2.40; P = 0.01) and post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.22, 2.74; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare organizations should be aware of the magnitude of mental health problems among nurses and vigilant in providing them with adequate PPE as the pandemic continues.

Nurse-Reported Bullying and Documented Adverse Patient Events: An Exploratory Study in a US Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Negative nurse work environments have been associated with nurse bullying and poor nurse health. However, few studies have examined the influence of nurse bullying on actual patient outcomes. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine the association between nurse-reported bullying and documented nursing-sensitive patient outcomes. METHODS: Nurses (n = 432) in a large US hospital responded to a survey on workplace bullying. Unit-level data for 5 adverse patient events and nurse staffing were acquired from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. Generalized linear models were used to examine the association between bullying and adverse patient events. A Bayesian regression analysis was used to confirm the findings. RESULTS: After controlling for nurse staffing and qualification, nurse-reported bullying was significantly associated with the incidence of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to address bullying, a malleable aspect of the nurse practice environment, may help to reduce adverse patient events.

Dysfunctional neuroplasticity in newly arrived Middle Eastern refugees in the U.S.: Association with environmental exposures and mental health symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Psychological war trauma among displaced refugees is an established risk factor for mental health disorders, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Persons with trauma-induced disorders have heightened neuroplastic restructuring of limbic brain circuits (e.g., amygdala and hippocampus), which are critical factors in the pathophysiology of PTSD. Civilians in war are exposed to both psychological trauma and environmental hazards, such as metals. Little is known about the possible mental health impact from such environmental exposures, alone or in combination with trauma. It is of special interest to determine whether war exposures contribute to dysfunctional neuroplasticity; that is, an adverse outcome from sustained stress contributing to mental health disorders. The current study examined Middle Eastern refugees in the United States to determine the relationships among pre-displacement trauma and environmental exposures, brain derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF)-two neurotrophins reported to mediate neuroplasticity responses to stress-related exposures-and mental health. METHODS: Middle Eastern refugees (n = 64; 33 men, 31 women) from Syria (n = 40) or Iraq (n = 24) were assessed 1 month after arrival to Michigan, US. Participants were interviewed in Arabic using a semi-structured survey to assess pre-displacement trauma and environmental exposure, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and self-rated mental health. Whole blood was collected, and concentrations of six heavy metals as well as BDNF and NGF levels were determined. Because these two neurotrophins have similar functions in neuroplasticity, we combined them to create a neuroplasticity index. Linear regression tested whether psychosocial trauma, environmental exposures and biomarkers were associated with mental health symptoms. FINDINGS: The neuroplasticity index was associated with PTSD (standardized beta, ß = 0.25, p < 0.05), depression (0.26, < 0.05) and anxiety (0.32, < 0.01) after controlling for pre-displacement trauma exposures. In addition, pre-displacement environmental exposure was associated with PTSD (0.28, < 0.05) and anxiety (0.32, < 0.05). Syrian refugees and female gender were associated with higher scores on depression (0.25, < 0.05; 0.30, < 0.05) and anxiety scales (0.35, < 0.01; 0.27, < 0.05), and worse on self-rated mental health (0.32, < 0.05; 0.34, < 0.05). In bivariate analysis, the neuroplasticity index was related to blood lead levels (r = 0.40; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirms the adverse effects of war trauma on mental health. Higher levels of biomarkers of neuroplasticity correlated with worse mental health and higher blood lead levels. Higher neurotrophin levels in refugees might indicate dysfunctional neuroplasticity with increased consolidation of adverse war memories in the limbic system. Such a process may contribute to psychiatric symptoms. Further research is needed to clarify the pathobiological mechanisms linking war trauma and environmental exposures to adverse mental health.

Neighborhood air pollution and household environmental health as it relates to respiratory health and healthcare utilization among elderly persons with asthma.

Objective: The study investigated the associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5; <2.5 µm in diameter), indoor environment, pulmonary function, and healthcare utilization in a vulnerable group of elderly persons with asthma. We hypothesized that environmental conditions were associated with adverse pulmonary health outcomes. Methods: The study involved elderly (n = 76; mean age 64.6 years; 48 women) vulnerable persons in Detroit, Michigan, USA, with physician-diagnosed asthma. Exposure variables included measured outdoor PM2.5, self-rated outdoor and household environmental pollutants. Outcome variables were self-rated and measured pulmonary function, and asthma-related healthcare utilization. Results: Mean ambient PM2.5 concentrations during the study was 14.14 ± (S.D. 6.36) µg/m3 during the summer and 14.20 (6.33) during the winter (p = 0.95). In multiple regression analyses, adjusting for age and gender, mean 6-month concentration of PM2.5 was related to shortness of breath (SHOB; standardized ß = 0.26, p = 0.02) and inversely with self-rated respiratory health (SRRH; ß = 0.28, p = 0.02). However, PM2.5 did not predict lung function (FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC). However, PM2.5 was related to use of asthma controller drugs (ß = 0.38, p = 0.001). Participants' air pollution ratings predicted total healthcare utilization (ß = 0.33, p = 0.01). Conclusions: In elderly persons with asthma, living near heavy industry and busy highways, objective and perceived environmental pollution relate to participants' respiratory health and healthcare utilization. Importantly, air pollution might increase use of asthma controller drugs containing corticosteroids with implication for elderly persons' risk to develop osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.