Examining sleep characteristics in Canada through a diversity and equity lens.

OBJECTIVE: To examine specific sleep characteristics of adults living in Canada according to sex, gender, ethnoracial background, socioeconomic status, immigration status, sexual orientation, and language spoken at home. METHODS: This cross-sectional and nationally representative study used self-reported data from the 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 39,346 adults aged 18 years and older). Sleep characteristics (sleep duration, nighttime insomnia symptoms, unrefreshing sleep, and difficulty staying awake) were assessed and compared across groups. RESULTS: Females were more likely than males to report nighttime insomnia symptoms (23.1% vs. 14.8%) and unrefreshing sleep (17.2% vs. 13.5%). The same was also observed for gender identity. Although White respondents were more likely to meet sleep duration recommendations (58.3%), they had the highest prevalence of nighttime insomnia symptoms (20.9%) compared to respondents with other ethnoracial backgrounds. Respondents coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more likely to report poorer sleep compared to those coming from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Insomnia symptoms were lower among immigrants (13.9%) compared to nonimmigrants (21.1%). Respondents with a sexual orientation not classified as heterosexual, gay, or lesbian reported poorer sleep. Finally, for language spoken at home, those who responded "French only" were more likely to meet sleep duration recommendations (64.1%) and were less likely to report unrefreshing sleep (8.8%). Nighttime insomnia symptoms were the lowest among those who reported speaking a language other than French or English at home (9.5%). CONCLUSION: This study highlights important sleep disparities among Canadians. Future intervention strategies should aim to reduce sleep health disparities.

Mixed-methods study exploring health service access and social support linkage to the mental well-being of Canadian Indigenous pregnant persons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore how the unprecedented stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to heightened levels of depression and anxiety among pregnant Indigenous persons, and identify protective individual-level factors. DESIGN: The current study used a mixed-methods design including standardised questionnaires and open-ended response questions. Using hierarchical regression models, we examined the extent to which COVID-19-related factors of service disruption (ie, changes to prenatal care, changes to birth plans and social support) were associated with mental well-being. Further, through qualitative analyses of open-ended questions, we examined the coping strategies used by pregnant Indigenous persons in response to the pandemic. SETTING: Participants responded to an online questionnaire consisting of standardised measures from 2020 to 2021. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 336 self-identifying Indigenous pregnant persons in Canada. RESULTS: Descriptive results revealed elevated rates of clinically relevant depression (52.7%) and anxiety (62.5%) symptoms among this population. 76.8% of participants reported prenatal care service disruptions, including appointment cancellations. Thematic analyses identified coping themes of staying informed, social and/or cultural connections and activities, and internal mental well-being strategies. Disruptions to services and decreased quality of prenatal care negatively impacted mental well-being of Indigenous pregnant persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Given the potential for mental well-being challenges to persist and long-term effects of perinatal distress, it is important to examine the quality of care that pregnant individuals receive. Service providers should advance policies and practices that promote relationship quality and health system engagement as key factors linked to well-being during the perinatal period for Indigenous persons.

Cluster-specific associations between the gut microbiota and behavioral outcomes in preschool-aged children.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota is recognized as a regulator of brain development and behavioral outcomes during childhood. Nonetheless, associations between the gut microbiota and behavior are often inconsistent among studies in humans, perhaps because many host-microbe relationships vary widely between individuals. This study aims to stratify children based on their gut microbiota composition (i.e., clusters) and to identify novel gut microbiome cluster-specific associations between the stool metabolomic pathways and child behavioral outcomes. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from a community sample of 248 typically developing children (3-5 years). The gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S sequencing while LC-MS/MS was used for untargeted metabolomics. Parent-reported behavioral outcomes (i.e., Adaptive Skills, Internalizing, Externalizing, Behavioral Symptoms, Developmental Social Disorders) were assessed using the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-2). Children were grouped based on their gut microbiota composition using the Dirichlet multinomial method, after which differences in the metabolome and behavioral outcomes were investigated. RESULTS: Four different gut microbiota clusters were identified, where the cluster enriched in both Bacteroides and Bifidobacterium (Ba2) had the most distinct stool metabolome. The cluster characterized by high Bifidobacterium abundance (Bif), as well as cluster Ba2, were associated with lower Adaptive Skill scores and its subcomponent Social Skills. Cluster Ba2 also had significantly lower stool histidine to urocanate turnover, which in turn was associated with lower Social Skill scores in a cluster-dependent manner. Finally, cluster Ba2 had increased levels of compounds involved in Galactose metabolism (i.e., stachyose, raffinose, alpha-D-glucose), where alpha-D-glucose was associated with the Adaptive Skill subcomponent Daily Living scores (i.e., ability to perform basic everyday tasks) in a cluster-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: These data show novel associations between the gut microbiota, its metabolites, and behavioral outcomes in typically developing preschool-aged children. Our results support the concept that cluster-based groupings could be used to develop more personalized interventions to support child behavioral outcomes. Video Abstract.

Trajectories of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain interference in the perinatal and postpartum period.

Introduction: Chronic pain (pain >3 months) is a growing epidemic. Normal pregnancy may give rise to recurrent and sometimes constant pain for women. Women with worse pain symptoms are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or insomnia during the perinatal period, which may impact labor and delivery outcomes. We examined the relationship between demographic and psychological predictors of pain throughout pregnancy and into the postpartum. Objectives: To examine trajectories of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain interference during pregnancy and the early postpartum, and associated sociodemographic predictors of trajectory membership. Methods: One hundred forty-two pregnant women were assessed at 4 time points for measures of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, pain interference, and symptoms of insomnia, depression, and generalized anxiety. Women completed the first survey before 20 weeks' gestation and were reassessed every 10 weeks. Surveys were completed on average at 15 weeks', 25 weeks', and 35 weeks' gestation, and at 6-week postpartum. Using latent class mixed models, trajectory analysis was used to determine trajectories of pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, and pain interference. Results: A 1-class pain intensity model, 2-class pain catastrophizing model, and 3-class pain interference model were identified. Adaptive lasso and imputation demonstrated model robustness. Individual associations with trajectories included baseline symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and pain symptomology. Conclusion: These findings may help to identify women who are at high risk for experiencing pain symptoms during pregnancy and could aid in developing targeted management strategies to prevent mothers from developing chronic pain during their pregnancy and into the postpartum period.

COVID-19 and indigenous youth wellbeing: A review.

Indigenous youth in Canada and the United States of America (USA) have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the compounding of increased illness risk and legacies of colonization. This article reports the findings of a Cochrane rapid review of 23 studies that examined mental wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous youth from March 2020 to April 2023 in Canada and the USA. Reported pandemic-related mental wellbeing impacts included changes in alcohol and substance use, anxiety, depression, sleep, and suicidality. Protective factors emerged including cultural and community connection. Results suggest that mental wellbeing worsened for many Indigenous youth during COVID-19. Clinical implications are discussed alongside guidance for service provision improvements to support Indigenous youth wellbeing, from a lens of self-determination.

Risk for Developmental Delay Among Infants Born During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Attempts by governments around the world to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have substantially altered the early rearing environment, raising concerns about potential negative consequences for babies born during this time. The objective of this study was to determine whether infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic were at greater risk of screening positive for developmental delay compared with infants born before the pandemic. METHODS: Participants were from 2 longitudinal cohorts. The prepandemic cohort, Impact of Maternal and Paternal Postpartum Depression, recruited postpartum individuals in the period between 2015 and 2018. Infant development milestone data (Ages and Stages Questionnaire [ASQ-3]) were collected at 1-year postpartum (n = 2903), between 2016 and 2019. The pandemic cohort, Pregnancy during the Pandemic, recruited pregnant individuals between April 2020 and April 2021. Infant development milestone data (ASQ-3) were collected at 1-year postpartum (n = 3742), between May 2021 and December 2022. Sociodemographic information, pregnancy outcomes, and depression symptom data were also collected. RESULTS: In covariate-adjusted analyses, pandemic-born infants had lower mean scores and higher odds of screening positive for delay on the Communication, Gross Motor, and Personal-Social domains of the ASQ-3 compared with prepandemic infants. Sex differences showed that males and females screened "at risk" in different domains. CONCLUSION: Most pandemic-born infants display typical development, and differences between prepandemic and pandemic-born infants were small. Nevertheless, an increased risk for delayed development among pandemic-born infants suggests the need for ongoing monitoring to determine what, if any, resources and interventions are needed to support healthy child development.

Digital Parenting Interventions for Fathers of Infants From Conception to the Age of 12 Months: Systematic Review of Mixed Methods Studies.

BACKGROUND: Digital interventions help address barriers to traditional health care services. Fathers play an important parenting role in their families, and their involvement is beneficial for family well-being. Although digital interventions are a promising avenue to facilitate father involvement during the perinatal period, most are oriented toward maternal needs and do not address the unique needs of fathers. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review describes the digital interventions that exist or are currently being developed for fathers of infants from conception to 12 months postpartum. METHODS: A systematic search of the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase (using Ovid), and CINAHL (using EBSCO) databases was conducted to identify articles from database inception to June 2022, of which 39 met the inclusion criteria. Articles were included if they were peer-reviewed and described a digital intervention that targeted fathers of fetuses or infants aged ≤12 months. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and opinion pieces were excluded. Data from these studies were extracted and themed using a narrative synthesis approach. Quality appraisal of the articles was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: A total of 2816 articles were retrieved, of which 39 (1.38%) met the inclusion criteria for eligibility after removing duplicates and screening. Eligible articles included 29 different interventions across 13 countries. Most articles (22/29, 76%) described interventions that were exclusively digital. There were a variety of digital modalities, but interventions were most commonly designed to be delivered via a website or web-based portal (14/29, 48%). Just over half (21/39, 54%) of the articles described interventions designed to be delivered from pregnancy through the postpartum period. Only 26% (10/39) of the studies targeted fathers exclusively. A wide range of outcomes were included, with 54% (21/39) of the studies including a primary outcome related to intervention feasibility. Qualitative and mixed methods studies reported generally positive experiences with digital interventions and qualitative themes of the importance of providing support to partners, improving parenting confidence, and normalization of stress were identified. Of the 18 studies primarily examining efficacy outcomes, 13 (72%) reported a statistically significant intervention effect. The studies exhibited a moderate quality level overall. CONCLUSIONS: New and expecting fathers use digital technologies, which could be used to help address father-specific barriers to traditional health care services. However, in contrast to the current state of digital interventions for mothers, father-focused interventions lack evaluation and evidence. Among the existing studies on digital interventions for fathers, there seem to be mixed findings regarding their feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. There is a need for more development and standardized evaluation of interventions that target father-identified priorities. This review was limited by not assessing equity-oriented outcomes (eg, race and socioeconomic status), which should also be considered in future intervention development.

Prenatal mental health data and birth outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic dataset.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a substantial stressor, especially for pregnant individuals. We aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19-related stresses on pregnant individuals and their infants and collected survey-based data across Canada as part of the Pregnancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic (PdP) project. The dataset described here provides baseline prenatal data and basic birth outcomes from PdP participants. This data includes information from pregnant individuals as well as their infants. At enrolment and time of completion of the baseline survey, participants were pregnant, ≥17 years of age, ≤35 weeks of gestation, living in Canada, and able to read and write in English or French. Baseline data were collected between April 2020-April 2021. Infant data were collected between May 2020-December 2021. All data were collected via self-report using online questionnaires in REDCAP. Questionnaires were available in both English and French. Data were checked for completeness and plausibility, and duplicates were removed. The dataset described here includes age, education, and household income of the pregnant individuals reported at the baseline/enrollment survey. Raw scores are provided for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the PROMIS Anxiety scale. Ratings are also given for three variables describing fear of the COVID-19 virus. Birth outcomes are provided for infants, including gestational age at birth, birthweight, length, mode of delivery, and whether the infant spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Delivery date is reported as month and year. These data will be beneficial for anyone interested in researching stress during pregnancy or birth outcomes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also be useful to researchers interested in examining more general effects of prenatal distress on birth outcomes in children. Data could also be compared to other datasets from the COVID-19 pandemic to establish generalizability, or to pre-pandemic datasets to determine the extent of changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prenatal depressive symptoms are associated with altered structural brain networks in infants and moderated by infant sleep.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of prenatal depressive symptoms has more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising substantial concerns about child outcomes including sleep problems and altered brain development. The objective of this work was to determine relationships between prenatal depressive symptoms, infant brain network structure, and infant sleep. METHODS: Pregnant individuals were recruited as part of the Pregnancy during the Pandemic (PdP) study. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured in pregnancy and postpartum. When infants of those participants were 3 months of age (n=66; 26 females), infants underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging and infant sleep was evaluated. Using tractography, we calculated structural connectivity matrices for the default mode (DMN) and limbic networks. We examined associations between graph theory metrics of infant brain networks and prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, with infant sleep as a moderator. RESULTS: Prenatal depressive symptoms were negatively related to average DMN clustering coefficient and local efficiency in infant brains. Infant sleep duration was related to DMN global efficiency and moderated the relationship between prenatal depressive symptoms and density of limbic connections such that infants who slept less had a more negative relationship between prenatal depressive symptoms and local brain connectivity. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal depressive symptoms appear to impact early topological development in brain networks important for emotion regulation. In the limbic network, sleep duration moderated this relationship, suggesting sleep may play a role in infant brain network development.

Exploring associations between the gut microbiota and full-scale intelligence in preschool children.

The relationship between the gut microbiota and neurocognitive outcomes is becoming increasingly recognized; however, findings in humans are inconsistent. In addition, few studies have investigated the gut microbial metabolites that may mediate this relationship. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between full-scale intelligence (FSIQ) and the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolome in preschool children. Stool samples were collected from a community sample of 245 typically developing children (3-5 years) from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort. The faecal microbiome was assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and the metabolome using LC-MS/MS. FSIQ and scores on the Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Working Memory indices of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV were used to assess neurocognition. Associations between the gut microbiota and FSIQ were determined using Pearson and Spearman correlations, which were corrected for multiple testing and relevant covariates. Verbal Comprehension correlated negatively with both Shannon alpha diversity (r = -0.14, p = 0.032) and the caffeine-derived metabolite paraxanthine (r = -0.22, p < 0.001). No other significant correlations were observed. Overall, the weak to modest correlations between Verbal Comprehension with alpha diversity and paraxanthine provide limited evidence of an association between the gut microbiota and neurocognitive outcomes in typically developing preschool children.

First-trimester preeclampsia screening and prevention: impact on patient satisfaction and anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia affects between 2% and 5% of pregnant people in North America. First-trimester preeclampsia screening based on the Fetal Medicine Foundation risk calculation algorithm combined with treatment of high-risk patients with aspirin effectively reduces the incidence of preterm preeclampsia more than the currently used risk factor-based screening. However, the impact of such screening on patient satisfaction and maternal anxiety is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of first-trimester prediction and prevention of preterm preeclampsia on patient satisfaction and anxiety. STUDY DESIGN: Consenting pregnant patients participating in a local first-trimester (11-13+6 weeks) preterm preeclampsia screening and prevention implementation study1 were contacted 6 weeks postpartum to complete an online patient satisfaction survey, designed to assess their satisfaction with the screening program and their levels of trait anxiety (using an abbreviated version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAIT-5]). In addition to assessing overall patient satisfaction, the level of patient satisfaction was stratified and compared according to levels of patient risk for preterm preeclampsia. RESULTS: Between June 2021 and December 2021, surveys were emailed to 765 participants. The response rate was 47.80% (358/765). Overall, 93% of participants reported high levels of satisfaction with preterm preeclampsia screening (70%-100%), and 98% stated that they would recommend the screening to all pregnant patients. With respect to levels of satisfaction with the program's support in reducing feelings of worry and anxiety, 87.9% of the total sample reported high satisfaction (70%-100%). The level of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety did not differ significantly between low- and high-risk groups (8% vs 10.8%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Overall, first-trimester preeclampsia screening was associated with high patient satisfaction and did not lead to differences in patient anxiety between those with high- and low-risk screen results.

Bedtime digital media use, sleep and fatigue among survivors of childhood cancer, their siblings and healthy control sibling pairs.

Bedtime digital media use (BDM) is linked to poor sleep and fatigue in many populations. Pediatric cancer patients have been observed to engage in BDM in clinical settings, but it is unknown whether BDM rates are higher in this population or how this impacts their sleep and fatigue during treatment and into survivorship. The goal of this study was to evaluate patterns of BDM and its relationship with sleep and fatigue in a sample of pediatric cancer survivors and to compare these patterns with children from their own family (i.e. siblings) and children from unaffected families (i.e. healthy matched controls and siblings of controls). Ninety-nine children (4 groups: 24 acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors, 13 survivor siblings, 33 controls, 29 control siblings) ages 8-18 were recruited from a long-term survivor clinic at a large children's hospital and via community advertisements. Survivors were 2-7 years post-treatment (M = 4.80 years). Children's BDM was parent-reported. Children completed 7 consecutive days of sleep actigraphy and the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale. Most survivors (66.67%) engaged in BDM; smartphones were the most common medium. BDM patterns were equivalent across survivors, their siblings, controls, and control siblings. Statistical trends suggested that BDM was associated with fewer minutes of sleep and greater fatigue for all children; these relationships were equivalent across groups. BDM was common among survivors, but usage was not different from their own siblings or compared to healthy control children and sibling pairs. This study underscores the importance of assessing bedtime digital media use in childhood cancer survivors, although other factors impacting sleep should be explored. Clinicians should emphasize established recommendations for healthy media use and sleep habits in pediatric oncology settings.

The Building Emotional Awareness and Mental health (BEAM) program developed with a community partner for mothers of infants: protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Drastic increases in the rates of maternal depression and anxiety have been reported since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Most programs aim to improve maternal mental health or parenting skills separately, despite it being more effective to target both concurrently. The Building Emotional Awareness and Mental health (BEAM) program was developed to address this gap. BEAM is a mobile health program aiming to mitigate the impacts of pandemic stress on family well-being. Since many family agencies lack infrastructure and personnel to adequately treat maternal mental health concerns, a partnership will occur with Family Dynamics (a local family agency) to address this unmet need. The study's objective is to examine the feasibility of the BEAM program when delivered with a community partner to inform a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS: A pilot RCT will be conducted with mothers who have depression and/or anxiety with a child 6-18 months old living in Manitoba, Canada. Mothers will be randomized to the 10 weeks of the BEAM program or a standard of care (i.e., MoodMission). Back-end App data (collected via Google Analytics and Firebase) will be used to examine feasibility, engagement, and accessibility of the BEAM program; cost-effectiveness will also be examined. Implementation elements (e.g., maternal depression [Patient Health Questionnaire-9] and anxiety [Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7]) will be piloted to estimate the effect size and variance for future sample size calculations. DISCUSSION: In partnership with a local family agency, BEAM holds the potential to promote maternal-child health via a cost-effective and an easily accessible program designed to scale. Results will provide insight into the feasibility of the BEAM program and will inform future RCTs. TRIAL REGISTRATION {2A}: This trial was retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrial.gov ( NCT05398107 ) on May 31st, 2022.

Effect of Remote Peer-Counsellor- delivered Behavioral Activation and Peer-support for Antenatal Depression on Gestational Age at Delivery: a single-blind, randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal depression (AD) is the most common complication of pregnancy in developed countries and increases the risk of preterm birth (PTB). Many pregnant individuals with AD do not obtain treatment due in part to risks associated with antidepressant medications, the expense and wait times for psychological services, and perceived stigma. Accessible and timely treatment of antenatal depression is crucial to minimize foetal impacts and associated long-term child health outcomes. Previous studies show that behavioural activation and peer support are promising avenues of treatment for perinatal depression. Additionally, remote and paraprofessional counselling interventions show promise as more accessible, sustainable, and cost-effective treatment avenues than traditional psychological services. The primary aim of this trial is to test the effectiveness of a remote, behavioural activation and peer support intervention, administered by trained peer para-professionals, for increasing gestational age at delivery among those with antenatal depression. The secondary aims are to evaluate the effectiveness for treating AD prior to delivery, with persistence into the postpartum; improving anxiety symptoms; and improving parenting self-efficacy compared to controls. METHODS: A two-arm, single-blinded, parallel groups randomized controlled trial (RCT) with repeated measures will be conducted. Participants scoring >10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale will be recruited from the larger P3 cohort and invited to enroll. Assessments will be conducted prior to 27 weeks' gestation at trial intake (T1), post-intervention, prior to delivery (T2), 5-6 months postpartum (T3), and 11-12 months postpartum (T4) and will include self-report questionnaires and linked medical records. DISCUSSION: Our remote, peer paraprofessional-delivered behavioural activation plus peer support intervention has the potential to successfully reduce symptoms of AD, which may in turn decrease the risk of PTB and subsequent health impacts. The current trial builds on previous findings and uses a patient-oriented approach to address priorities for patient care and to provide a cost-effective, accessible, and evidence-based treatment to pregnant individuals with AD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) registry (ISRCTN51098220) ISRCTN51098220. Registered on April 7, 2022.

Binge-spectrum symptoms in their association with higher gestational weight gain.

OBJECTIVE: Gestational weight gain (GWG) above or below recommendations is common and has implications for parent and infant health. Bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder during pregnancy have been associated with higher GWG. Yet, little research has examined the associations between binge-spectrum symptoms and GWG. Likewise, few interventions exist to adequately prevent GWG. The current study investigated a broad range of predictors of GWG, with the goal of identifying potentially modifiable risk factors. METHOD: We conducted secondary data analyses of a subsample of individuals from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcome and Nutrition (APrON) longitudinal cohort study. Multinomial logistic regression estimated the odds of gestational weight gain (GWG) outside of Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations and linear regression was used to examine total GWG continuously. RESULTS: Of the 1644 participants included, 848 (51.6%) exceeded the IOM's guidelines for GWG, and 272 (16.5%) gained below these recommendations. Binge-spectrum symptom symptomatology during pregnancy was not associated with exceeding GWG recommendations after accounting for post-secondary education, identifying as European Canadian, and higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). However, greater self-reported binge-spectrum symptomatology during pregnancy was associated with higher total GWG after accounting for age, parity, and pre-pregnancy BMI. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to replicating identified predictors of higher GWG, we found that greater binge-spectrum symptomatology was associated with higher total GWG. These findings suggest that routine screening for eating pathology during pregnancy may identify those at risk for excess GWG. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Gestational weight gain (GWG) outside of recommended ranges is associated with adverse outcomes. Little work has examined the associations between eating disorder symptoms and GWG. This study found that bulimia and binge-eating symptoms were uniquely associated with higher GWG beyond known risk factors. These findings support routine screening of eating disorder symptoms and interventions to help individuals gain within GWG recommendations during pregnancy.

Paternal Perinatal Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Framework Analysis of the Reddit Forum Predaddit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new parents were disproportionately affected by public health restrictions changing service accessibility and increasing stressors. However, minimal research has examined pandemic-related stressors and experiences of perinatal fathers in naturalistic anonymous settings. An important and novel way parents seek connection and information is through online forums, which increased during COVID-19. The current study qualitatively analyzed the experiences of perinatal fathers from September to December 2020 through the Framework Analytic Approach to identify unmet support needs during COVID-19 using the online forum predaddit on reddit. Five main themes in the thematic framework included forum use, COVID-19, psychosocial distress, family functioning, and child health and development, each with related subthemes. Findings highlight the utility of predaddit as a source of information for, and interactions of, fathers to inform mental health services. Overall, fathers used the forum to engage with other fathers during a time of social isolation and for support during the transition to parenthood. This manuscript highlights the unmet support needs of fathers during the perinatal period and the importance of including fathers in perinatal care, implementing routine perinatal mood screening for both parents, and developing programs to support fathers during this transition to promote family wellbeing.

Trait mindfulness and sleep: Interactions between observing and nonreactivity in the association with sleep health.

The current study investigated the associations between trait mindfulness and sleep health and examined the interactions between theoretically related mindfulness subscales. Participants (n = 162, Mage = 19.93) reported trait levels of mindfulness and sleep was assessed using questionnaires and actigraphy. Higher mindfulness scores in awareness, nonreactivity, and nonjudgment were associated with better sleep health. The associations between observing and sleep health were moderated by nonreactivity. Results indicate that observing is associated with better sleep health at higher levels of nonreactivity and worse sleep health at lower levels, helping to explain the often-contradictory findings between observing and health outcomes.

Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): an open-pilot and feasibility study of a digital mental health and parenting intervention for mothers of infants.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mental health concerns and parenting stress in the first few years following childbirth are common and pose significant risks to maternal and child well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in maternal depression and anxiety and has presented unique parenting stressors. Although early intervention is crucial, there are significant barriers to accessing care. METHODS: To inform a larger randomized controlled trial, the current open-pilot trial investigated initial evidence for the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a newly developed online group therapy and app-based mental health and parenting program (BEAM) for mothers of infants. Forty-six mothers 18 years or older with clinically elevated depression scores, with an infant aged 6-17 months old, and who lived in Manitoba or Alberta were enrolled in the 10-week program (starting in July 2021) and completed self-report surveys. RESULTS: The majority of participants engaged in each of the program components at least once and participants indicated relatively high levels of app satisfaction, ease of use, and usefulness. However, there was a high level of attrition (46%). Paired-sample t-tests indicated significant pre- to post-intervention change in maternal depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, and in child internalizing, but not externalizing symptoms. Effect sizes were in the medium to high range, with the largest effect size observed for depressive symptoms (Cohen's d = .93). DISCUSSION: This study shows moderate levels of feasibility and strong preliminary efficacy of the BEAM program. Limitations to program design and delivery are being addressed for testing in adequately powered follow-up trials of the BEAM program for mothers of infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04772677 . Registered on February 26 2021.