How does gender and work location impact perceived worker stress during COVID-19? Findings from King County, WA.

Using an online survey, we explored workplace determinants of perceived stress during COVID-19 in n=2910 county government workers, and differences in perceived stress by gender and work arrangement (work from home v. do not work from home). We explored relationships with descriptive statistics and linear regression. Access to health and safety resources, increased workplace safety climate, support for work-life balance, and increased access to sick leave were related to lower stress; dependent care stress and female gender were related to higher stress. Among those working from home, higher stress related to an increase in workload and erosion of work/life boundaries. Findings show how the workplace impacts stress, differential determinants by gender/work arrangement, and areas to intervene to improve employee health and well-being.

The impact of military sexual trauma and gender on receipt of evidence-based medication treatment among veterans with opioid use disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder (OUD), a chronic illness associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, is common in veterans. Despite several national Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) initiatives over the last 15 years to increase access to medications to treat OUD (MOUD), MOUD remain underutilized. Women and veterans with mental health comorbidities are less likely to receive MOUD. The current study evaluated associations between military sexual trauma (MST), one common comorbidity among veterans, and receipt of MOUD among VA outpatients. We also evaluated whether gender moderated the MST-MOUD association and whether mental health conditions were associated with lower rates of MOUD across MST status. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study using a national sample of 80,845 veterans with OUD who sought care at VA facilities from 2009 to 2017, we fit mixed-effects logistic regression models to assess the association between MST and MOUD, adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, and with facility modeled as a random effect. Secondary analyses added interaction terms of MST x gender and MST x mental health diagnoses and compared average predicted probabilities to evaluate whether the MST and MOUD association varied by gender or mental health diagnoses. The study used a p-value threshold of .001 to determine significance due to multiple comparisons and large sample size. RESULTS: Overall, 35% of veterans with OUD received MOUD. MST (8.1% overall; 5.2% of men, 48.8% of women) was not significantly associated with receipt of MOUD in a fully adjusted model (OR = 1.08; 99% CI 1.00, 1.17). No significant MST x gender interaction (p = .377) and no significant MST x mental health interaction (p = .722) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Both men and women veterans with and without a history of MST received MOUD treatment at similar rates. Room for improvement exists in MOUD receipt and future research should continue to assess barriers to MOUD receipt.

Associations Among Military Sexual Trauma, Opioid Use Disorder, and Gender.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder and high-risk opioid prescription increase the risks for overdose and death. In Veterans, military sexual trauma is associated with increased risk for assorted health conditions. This study evaluates the association of military sexual trauma with opioid use disorder and high-risk opioid prescription and potential moderation by gender. METHODS: In a national sample of Veterans Health Administration outpatients receiving care from October 1, 2009 to August 1, 2017, logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the associations between military sexual trauma and opioid use disorder and high-risk opioid prescription, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. A second set of models included a gender X military sexual trauma interaction. Analyses were conducted in 2020-2021. RESULTS: Patients with history of military sexual trauma (n=327,193) had 50% higher odds of opioid use disorder diagnosis (AOR=1.50, 95% CI=1.45, 1.54, p<0.001) and 5% higher odds of high-risk opioid prescription (AOR=1.05, 95% CI=1.04, 1.07, p<0.001) than those without history of military sexual trauma (n=7,738,665). The effect of military sexual trauma on opioid use disorder was stronger in men than in women . The predicted probability of opioid use disorder among men with history of military sexual trauma (1.5%) was nearly double that of women with history of military sexual trauma (0.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Military sexual trauma was a significant risk factor for opioid use disorder and high-risk opioid prescription, with the former association particularly strong in men. Clinical care for Veterans with military sexual trauma should consider elevated risk of opioid use disorder and high-risk opioid prescription.

Health and safety risk perceptions and needs of app-based drivers during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: App-based drivers face work disruptions and infection risk during a pandemic due to the nature of their work, interactions with the public, and lack of workplace protections. Limited occupational health research has focused on their experiences. METHODS: We surveyed 100 app-based drivers in Seattle, WA to assess risk perceptions, supports, and controls received from the company that employs them, sources of trust, stress, job satisfaction, COVID-19 infection status, and how the pandemic had changed their work hours. Data were summarized descriptively and with simple regression models. We complemented this with qualitative interviews to better understand controls and policies enacted during COVID-19, and barriers and facilitators to their implementation. RESULTS: Drivers expressed very high levels of concern for exposure and infection (86%-97% were "very concerned" for all scenarios). Only 31% of drivers reported receiving an appropriate mask from the company for which they drive. Stress (assessed via PSS-4) was significantly higher in drivers who reported having had COVID-19, and also significantly higher in respondents with lower reported job satisfaction. Informants frequently identified supports such as unemployment benefits and peer outreach among the driver community as ways to ensure that drivers could access available benefits during COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: App-based drivers received few protections from the company that employed them, and had high fear of exposure and infection at work. There is increased need for health-supportive policies and protections for app-based drivers. The most effective occupational and public health regulations would cover employees who may not have a traditional employer-employee relationship.

A randomized trial of an online, coach-assisted self-management PTSD intervention tailored for women veterans.

OBJECTIVE: Scalable, efficiently delivered treatments are needed to address the needs of women Veterans with PTSD. This randomized clinical trial compared an online, coach-assisted cognitive behavioral intervention tailored for women Veterans with PTSD to phone monitoring only. METHOD: Women Veterans who met diagnostic criteria for PTSD were randomized to an 8-week web-based intervention, called DElivery of Self TRaining and Education for Stressful Situations (DESTRESS)-Women Veterans version (WV), or to phone monitoring only (N = 102). DESTRESS-WV consisted of online sessions and 15-min weekly phone calls from a study coach. Phone monitoring included 15-min weekly phone calls from a study coach to offer general support. PTSD symptom severity (PTSD Symptom-Checklist-Version 5 [PCL-5]) was evaluated pre and posttreatment, and at 3 and 6 months posttreatment. RESULTS: More participants completed phone monitoring than DESTRESS-WV (96% vs. 76%, p = 0.01), although treatment satisfaction was significantly greater in the DESTRESS-WV condition. We failed to confirm the superiority of DESTRESS-WV in intent-to-treat slope changes in PTSD symptom severity. Both treatments were associated with significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity over time. However, post hoc analyses of treatment completers and of those with baseline PCL ≥ 33 revealed that the DESTRESS-WV group had greater improvement in PTSD symptom severity relative to phone monitoring with significant differences at the 3-month follow-up assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Both DESTRESS-WV and phone monitoring resulted in significant improvements in women Veterans' PTSD symptoms. DESTRESS-WV may be an appropriate care model for women Veterans who can engage in the demands of the treatment and have higher baseline symptoms. Future research should explore characteristics of and the methods of reliably identifying women Veterans who are most likely to benefit. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Race/Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation Disparities in Mental Health, Sexism, and Social Support among Women Veterans.

OBJECTIVE: To identify patterns of risk and resilience by the intersections of race/ethnicity and sexual orientation in mental health symptom severity, sexism, and social support among U.S. women veterans. METHODS: A national sample of women veterans (n = 648, 38% sexual minority, 15% racial/ethnic minority) was recruited online in 2013 using social networking websites and listservs. Using cross-sectional survey data, we evaluated main and interactive associations between race/ethnicity and sexual orientation on depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, unhealthy alcohol use, sexism, and social support. Models were adjusted for other demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Across depression, anxiety, and sexism, White heterosexual women reported the least distress and racial/ethnic minority heterosexual women the most distress (race/ethnicity x sexual orientation interactions p < .05). Among White women, sexual minority women reported greater levels of depression, anxiety, and sexism than heterosexual women. The effects were the opposite among racial/ethnic minority women, where heterosexual women reported similar or worse depression, anxiety, and sexism than sexual minority women. There were no race/ethnicity or sexual orientation interaction effects on posttraumatic stress symptoms or unhealthy alcohol use and marginally significant effects on social support. CONCLUSIONS: Among women veterans, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation were associated with mental health and sexism, alone and in combination. Findings suggest that those who were both racial/ethnic and sexual minorities may develop resilience from their lived experience. On the other hand, women veterans with a minority race/ethnicity or a minority sexual orientation appeared more vulnerable to adverse outcomes and may need targeted care.

Military Sexual Assault in Transgender Veterans: Results From a Nationwide Survey.

There is limited understanding about the frequency of military sexual assault (MSA) in transgender veterans, characteristics associated with MSA, or subsequent mental and behavioral health problems. To address this gap, we used an online national survey of 221 transgender veterans to identify prevalence of MSA and to assess its association with demographic characteristics, past history of sexual victimization, and stigma-related factors. We also evaluated the association between MSA and several mental and behavioral health problems. Overall, 17.2% of transgender veterans experienced MSA, but rates differed significantly between transgender women (15.2%) and transgender men (30.0%). Using adjusted regression models, MSA was associated with adult sexual assault prior to military service, odds ratio (OR) = 4.05, 95% CI [1.62, 10.08], and distal minority stress during military service, OR = 2.98, 95% CI [1.28, 6.91]. With respect to health outcomes, MSA was associated with past-month posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, B = 10.18, 95% CI [3.45, 16.91]; current depression symptom severity, B = 3.71, 95% CI [1.11, 6.30]; and past-year drug use, OR = 3.17, 95% CI [1.36, 7.40]. Results highlight the vulnerability of transgender veterans to MSA, and the need for military prevention programs that acknowledge transgender individuals' heightened risk. Furthermore, clinicians should consider clinical screening for PTSD, depression, and drug use in transgender veterans who have a history of MSA.

American Cancer Society Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline.

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE The American Cancer Society Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline was developed to assist primary care clinicians and other health practitioners with the care of head and neck cancer survivors, including monitoring for recurrence, screening for second primary cancers, assessment and management of long-term and late effects, health promotion, and care coordination. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PubMed through April 2015, and a multidisciplinary expert workgroup with expertise in primary care, dentistry, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, clinical psychology, speech-language pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, the patient perspective, and nursing was assembled. While the guideline is based on a systematic review of the current literature, most evidence is not sufficient to warrant a strong recommendation. Therefore, recommendations should be viewed as consensus-based management strategies for assisting patients with physical and psychosocial effects of head and neck cancer and its treatment. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:203-239. © 2016 American Cancer Society.