Do children interpret informants' confidence as person-specific or situational?

Children prefer to learn from confident rather than hesitant informants. However, it is unclear how children interpret confidence cues: these could be construed as strictly situational indicators of an informant's current certainty about the information they are conveying, or alternatively as person-specific indicators of how "knowledgeable" someone is across situations. In three studies, 4- and 5-year-olds (Experiment 1: N = 51, Experiment 3: N = 41) and 2- and 3-year-olds (Experiment 2: N = 80) saw informants differing in confidence. Each informant's confidence cues either remained constant throughout the experiment, changed between the history and test phases, or were present during the history but not test phase. Results suggest that 4- and 5-year-olds primarily treat confidence cues as situational, whereas there is uncertainty around younger preschoolers' interpretation due to low performance.

Psychological distress among adults from the urban and rural areas affected by the Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PURPOSE: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is associated with high anxiety and multiple bereavement that can induce severe psychological distress (SPD) in individuals living in affected communities. Using data from the EVD and Mental Health project (EboMH), this study assessed the prevalence and determinants of SPD symptoms in a representative sample of adults in communities affected by EVD. METHODS: A representative sample of 1614 adults (50% women) aged 18-85 years completed measures assessing exposure level to EVD, stigmatization related to EVD, and psychological distress. RESULTS: In total, 45.58% of individuals from the cities and villages affected by EVD reported SPD. Results showed significant differences for residence area, employment, age, education level, and religion, but not for gender. Exposure level to EVD (ß = 0.11, p < 0.001; OR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.08-1.16]), stigmatization related to EVD (ß = 0.06, p < 0.001; OR = 1.06, 95% CI [1.05-1.07]), and living in rural areas (ß = 0.67, p < 0.001; OR = .51, 95% CI [.36-.72]) predicted SPD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence-based global mental health programs in high-risk mortality epidemic contexts should take into account the high psychological distress in the affected areas.

Prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress among populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and Psychological distress (PD) related to COVID-19 among affected populations. METHODS: We searched articles in Medline, Embase, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science. Random-effects meta-analyses on the proportions of individuals with symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, and PD were generated and between-group differences for gender, healthcare workers (HCWs), and regions where studies were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 2189 articles were screened, 136 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Fifty-five peer-reviewed studies met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis (N=189,159). The prevalence of depression (k=46) was 15.97% (95%CI, 13.24-19.13). The prevalence of anxiety (k=54) was 15.15% (95%CI, 12.29-18.54). The prevalence of insomnia (k=14) was 23.87% (95%CI, 15.74-34.48). The prevalence of PTSD (k=13) was 21.94% (95%CI, 9.37-43.31). Finally, the prevalence of psychological distress (k=19) was 13.29% (95%CI, 8.80-19.57). Between-group differences were only found in HCWs (z=2.69, p < 0.05) who had a higher prevalence of insomnia than others. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the short-term mental health consequences of COVID-19 are equally high across affected countries, and across gender. However, reports of insomnia are significantly higher among HCWs than the general population.

Racial disparities in child welfare in Ontario (Canada) and training on ethnocultural diversity: An innovative mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Despite continuous reports showing the overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada's most populous and ethnically diverse province, knowledge in the factors contributing to this issue remain scarce. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore questions relating to caseworker's training on ethnocultural diversity in connection with racial disparities and overrepresentation of Black children in child welfare services. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS: This two-fold mixed-methods study included (1) a qualitative methodology based on four focus groups with child welfare caseworkers from a Children's Aid Society (CAS) in Ontario and community facilitators (N = 24), and (2) an analysis of academic curriculums from all 36 Ontarian colleges and universities offering social work programs. METHODS: We used an innovative and complementary mixed-method design based on grounded theory. RESULTS: Results from categorical content analyses with NVivo revealed that community facilitators perceived a lack of ethnocultural competency amongst CAS caseworkers. Similarly, CAS caseworkers reported inadequate training on ethnocultural diversity during and following their post-secondary education (college or university). Corroborating these findings, results from documentary analyses of Ontarian university and college curriculums in social work revealed that barely one in two programs had a mandatory course on cultural issues. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a need for additional efforts to provide adequate training to child welfare caseworkers on ethnocultural diversity, starting with undergraduate training programs, in order to understand and tackle the overrepresentation of Black children in child welfare services. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The 2010 earthquake in Haiti caused significant human and material damages, thousands of deaths and injuries, and 1.5 million homeless. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize research on the prevalence and factors associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety symptoms, and other mental health problems among survivors. METHODS: We searched six databases and retained 50 articles for the systematic review, 28 of which were included in three random effects meta-analyses on the prevalence of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in survivors. RESULTS: Following the earthquake, more than one out of four individuals (28.44%,CI 95%,17.68%-42.37%; k = 24) reported severe symptoms of PTSD, one out of three reported severe symptoms of depression (32.16%,CI 95%,23.60%-42.11%; K=14), and one out of five reported severe symptoms of anxiety (20.49%,CI 95%,15.74%-26.24%;k=5). Studies revealed important rates of other mental health problems (including psychological distress and disturbance, suicidal ideations, and increased alcohol consumption) in survivors. Females were 41.38% more likely than males to experience severe symptoms of PTSD (OR = 1.41,CI 95%,1.22-1.64). Time was a moderator for depression and anxiety but not for PTSD, while the average age of participants only moderated depression. LIMITATIONS: The studies included are observational and most used self-reported measures. CONCLUSIONS: In a global context where natural disasters tripled since 1980, this first systematic review showed that human and material damages associated with the earthquake were sufficiently traumatic to induce severe symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Clinical and research implications are discussed. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018115430.

A Mixed Methods Approach of End-of-Life Care, Social Rites, and Bereavement Outcomes: A Transnational Perspective.

The current article focused on examining the potential benefits of the End-of-Life (EoL) informal caregiving, communication, and ritualistic behaviors in adaptation to the conjugal bereavement across two different cultural-background contexts: France and Togo, West Africa. The investigation adopted a transnational approach including a total of 235 bereaved spouses. Despite the variation in the length of time since death, no significant difference was found between the Togolese and French bereaved with respect to the level of complicated grief symptoms. However, the Togolese bereaved perceived a significant postloss growth, fostered by EoL communication with the dying and the performance of ritualistic behaviors. In the French sample, bereaved individuals who had experienced more intimate communication with their dying spouse reported a high level of postloss growth. Moreover, findings showed that EoL caregiving without ritualistic support or communication is associated with poor postbereavement outcomes. These findings suggest a clinical need to promote informal caregiving to the dying, communication with the dying, and ritualistic support during the process of dying as entangled components of EoL care.