Racial Disparities in Sleep: Potential Mediation by Discrimination and Psychological Distress.

Previous research has demonstrated that experiences of discrimination contribute to racial disparities in sleep, and that psychological distress mediates these relationships. However, previous research has not included race as part of the mediation pathway and has had limited dimensions of sleep health and psychological mediators. In the current study, we examine serial mediation pathways by which race and sleep health are mediated through discrimination and subsequently through psychological distress (i.e., depressive symptoms, chronic stress, and loneliness). Data were from the 2010 wave of the Health Retirement Study (HRS). The analytic sample (n = 7,749) included Black and White participants who were included in the enhanced face-to-face interview in 2010 and who completed the psychosocial questionnaire. Race was reported as either Black or White. Sleep health was assessed with a 4-item questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the shortened CES-D, chronic stress via the ongoing chronic stressor scale, and loneliness via the UCLA loneliness scale. Covariates were included in all serial mediation models. Relative to White participants, Black participants reported increased experiences of discrimination, which was associated with increased psychological distress, and poorer sleep health. Findings demonstrate the significant adverse impact that discrimination has on both psychological well-being and sleep health.

Formal Reporting of Identity-Based Harassment at an Academic Medical Center: Incidence, Barriers, and Institutional Responses.

PURPOSE: To examine the incidence of, barriers to, and institutional responses to formal reporting of experiences of identity-based harassment at an academic medical center. METHOD: The authors invited 4,545 faculty and medical trainees at the University of Michigan Medical School to participate in a 2018 survey about civility and respect. This analysis focused on respondents who indicated experiencing at least 1 form of identity-based harassment (sexual harassment, gender policing harassment, heterosexist harassment, racialized sexual harassment) within the past year, perpetrated by staff, students, and faculty or by patients and patients' families. The authors assessed the incidence of formally reporting harassment to someone in authority, barriers to reporting, and institutional responses following reporting. RESULTS: Among the 1,288 (28.3%) respondents with usable data, 83.9% (n = 1,080) indicated experiencing harassment. Of the harassed individuals, 10.7% (114/1,067), including 13.1% (79/603) of cisgender women and 7.5% (35/464) of cisgender men, indicated they formally reported their harassment experiences. Among these reporters, 84.6% (66/78) of cisgender women and 71.9% (23/32) of cisgender men indicated experiencing positive institutional remedies. Many reporters indicated experiencing institutional minimization (42.9% [33/77] of cisgender women; 53.1% [17/32] of cisgender men) or retaliation (21.8% [17/78] of cisgender women; 43.8% [14/32] of cisgender men). Cisgender men were significantly more likely to indicate experiencing specific negative institutional responses, such as being considered a troublemaker (OR 3.56, 95% CI: 1.33-9.55). Among respondents who did not formally report harassment experiences, cisgender women were significantly more likely to cite concerns about institutional retaliation, such as being given an unfair performance evaluation or grade (OR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.33-2.70). CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents who experienced harassment did not formally report it to anyone in authority. Many reporters faced institutional minimization and retaliation. These findings suggest a need to reshape institutional harassment prevention and response systems in academic medicine.

Psychosocial profiles and longitudinal achievement of optimal cardiovascular risk factor levels: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

Psychosocial factors are associated with the achievement of optimal cardiovascular disease risk factor (CVDRF) levels. To date, little research has examined multiple psychosocial factors simultaneously to identify distinguishing psychosocial profiles among individuals with CVDRF. Further, it is unknown whether profiles are associated with achievement of CVDRF levels longitudinally. Therefore, we characterized psychosocial profiles of individuals with CVDRF and assessed whether they are associated with achievement of optimal CVDRF levels over 15 years. We included 1148 CARDIA participants with prevalent hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and/or diabetes mellitus in 2000-2001. Eleven psychosocial variables reflecting psychological health, personality traits, and social factors were included. Optimal levels were deemed achieved if: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) < 7.0%, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol < 100 mg/dl, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mm Hg. Latent profile analysis revealed three psychosocial profile groups "Healthy", "Distressed and Disadvantaged" and "Discriminated Against". There were no significant differences in achievement of CVDRF levels of the 3 targets combined across profiles. Participants in the "Distressed and Disadvantaged" profile were less likely to meet optimal HbA1c levels compared to individuals in the "Healthy" profile after demographic adjustment. Associations were attenuated after full covariate adjustment. Distinct psychosocial profiles exist among individuals with CVDRF, representing meaningful differences. Implications for CVDRF management are discussed.

Witnessed Incivility and Perceptions of Patients and Visitors in Hospitals.

Research has examined instances of incivility witnessed by physicians, nurses, or employees in hospitals. Although patients and visitors are members in hospitals, witnessed incivility from their perspective has rarely been empirically investigated. The aims of the current study are 2-fold: (1) to investigate the forms of incivility patients/visitors witness in hospitals and (2) to examine whether these patients/visitors believe these incivilities impact the target's sense of perceived control. An integration of interpretative phenomenological analysis and thematic analysis was used to code qualitative data (N = 77). Eight themes of witnessed incivility and 3 themes for impact on perceived control were identified. The results illuminate patterns of incivility targeted at marginalized groups, historically underrepresented in hospital-focused incivility research (eg, homeless individuals, incarcerated individuals, the elderly individuals). The majority of witnesses believed the incident of incivility would negatively impact the target's perception of control, possibly affecting their experience and health. The current study demonstrates that empirically investigating witnessed incivility from the patient/visitor perspective provides critical information about the unique patterns of mistreatment occurring within hospital contexts.

Discrimination, perceived control, and psychological health among African Americans with hypertension.

Hypertensive individuals represent a "vulnerable" population regarding psychological health. While African Americans are disproportionally burdened with hypertension, pathways predicting their psychological health remain understudied. We examine if discrimination is associated with psychological health, through an indirect effect of perceived control within a sample of African American individuals with prevalent hypertension (n = 990). Discrimination was significantly associated with an increase psychological distress and a decrease in psychological well-being through a reduction in perceived control, supporting Minority Stress Theory. Cardiovascular disease risk factor management implications are discussed.

Incidence and Group Comparisons of Harassment Based on Gender, LGBTQ+ Identity, and Race at an Academic Medical Center.

Background: A key recommendation from the landmark National Academies report called for research examining experiences of underrepresented and/or vulnerable groups, including people of color and sexual- and gender-minority people. We examine the prevalence of gender policing harassment (GPH), heterosexist harassment (HH), and racialized sexual harassment (RSH), by gender, LGBTQ+, race, and department grouping, which has not been previously examined in academic medicine. Materials and Methods: All faculty (n = 2723), fellows, residents, and first through third year medical students (n = 1822) at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) who had been working at the organization for at least 1 year were invited to complete a 20-minute online survey. We assessed harassment within the past year, perpetrated by insiders (i.e., staff, students, and faculty) and from patients and patients' families. Results: A total of 705 faculty (25.9% of the targeted sample) and 583 trainees (32.0% of the targeted sample) were in the analytic sample. Women were significantly more likely to experience GPH from both sources than men, and LGBTQ+ individuals were more likely to face HH from both sources than cisgender heterosexual participants. Underrepresented minorities, Asian/Asian American, and female participants had higher rates of RSH perpetrated by insiders. There were significant department-group differences across harassment types. Conclusions: Less-studied forms of harassment are common within academic medicine and are perpetrated from various sources. Identity-based harassment should be investigated further to gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact within academic medicine. Clinical Trial Registration Number not applicable.

Depressive Symptoms Are Associated with Reduced Cardiac Function Among Hispanics: Results from the PREVENCION Study.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are common among patients with heart failure and are often associated with adverse outcomes, including re-hospitalization and mortality. However, little is known about the association between depressive symptoms and subclinical markers of heart failure and cardiac function in community-based samples and little research has focused on South American Hispanics. The current study examined the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms and cardiac function in South American Hispanic community-based adults. METHODS: Participants included 527 adults enrolled in the Peruvian Study of Cardiovascular Disease (PREVENCION). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Markers of cardiac function were assessed by impedance cardiography and included cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume, and stroke volume index. Several multiple regression analyses were used to examine the association between depressive symptoms and markers of cardiac function. RESULTS: In adjusted analyses, depressive symptoms were associated with reduced cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume, and stroke volume index. These associations remained significant between depressive symptoms and cardiac output (ß = - 0.106, p = 0.014), cardiac index (ß = - 0.099, p = 0.029), and stroke volume (ß = - 0.095, p = 0.022), and a trend was still observed between depressive symptoms and stroke index (ß = - 0.083, p = 0.061), even after having controlled for demographic factors (age, gender, education), cardiovascular risk factors (smoking status, body mass index, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, serum creatinine), and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia). CONCLUSIONS: In the PREVENCION sample tested, depressive symptoms were independently associated with cardiac function among Hispanic adults, even above and beyond pertinent factors such as demographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors, and comorbidities. Future studies should determine whether depressive symptoms are prospectively associated with systolic dysfunction, and examine the bio-behavioral pathways of this association.

Experiences of Patient Incivility: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Incivility is one of the most prevalent forms of interpersonal mistreatment. Although studies have examined the full range of experiences of incivility against nurses and other hospital personnel, very few studies examined the forms of incivility that patients face in a hospital. OBJECTIVE: To empirically investigate the range of uncivil experiences targeted against patients. Our study furthers our understanding of the phenomenology of incivility from the patients' perspective. METHOD: We used interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyze participant's (n = 173) experiences of incivility in a hospital. RESULTS: We identified 6 major themes of incivility, namely Insensitivity, Identity Stigma, Gaslighting, Infantilization, Poor Communication, and Ignored. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight that instances of incivility are present in almost all aspects of the patient experience and take on unique forms, given the patient's role in the hospital. Implications for health consequences are discussed.

The double edge sword of John Henryism: Impact on patients' health in the People's Republic of China.

The People's Republic of China has experienced extraordinary economic growth, which is associated with increases in chronic health stressors. We examined the impact of John Henryism-a coping mechanism-on various health indicators in a sample of patients (n = 642) in China. John Henryism significantly related to increased medical adherence (B=.03,p<.001) and health-promotional behaviors (B=.02,p<.001). John Henryism predicted several indicators of psychological health through social support. John Henryism was also related to increased alcoholism (B=.04,p<.05). The findings highlight the complexity and paradoxical implications of John Henryism on health. Implications are discussed in relation to China's epidemiological and age demographic shifts.

Perceptions of control and improved psychological, physical, and social functioning in postmenopausal women.

Throughout life, social messages about women's bodies put them at greater risk of specific psychological health conditions than men; yet little is known about what psychological factors can help promote mental health in older women. In this study, we examine how perceptions of control relate to perceptions of psychological health, in addition to physical health, and social functioning in a sample of postmenopausal women. Results suggest that increased perceptions of control relate to improved perceptions of health via a reduction in negative affect. Implications for promoting health and reducing gendered mental health disparities are discussed.

#MedToo: A Large-Scale Examination of the Incidence and Impact of Sexual Harassment of Physicians and Other Faculty at an Academic Medical Center.

Background: A landmark National Academies report highlighted the need for rigorous evaluation of sexual harassment in medicine. We examined the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment using the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire, the standard for measurement of sexual harassment, but which has not been previously applied within academic medicine. Materials and Methods: A 20-minute online survey was administered to all faculty who had been working at University of Michigan Medical School for at least 1 year (n = 2723). We assessed sexual harassment within the past year from insiders (i.e., from staff, students, and faculty) and from patients and patients' families. We also evaluated mental health, job satisfaction, sense of safety at work, and turnover intentions. Results: In the final sample (n = 705; which included 25.9% of the originally targeted population), most respondents, 82.5% of women and 65.1% of men, reported at least one incident of sexual harassment from insiders in the past year; 64.4% of women and 44.1% of men reported harassment from patients and patients' families. The most frequently experienced dimension of sexual harassment for women and men was sexist gender harassment. Increased experiences of harassment were independently associated with lower mental health, job satisfaction, and sense of safety at work, as well as increased turnover intentions, with no significant interactions by gender. Conclusions: Sexual harassment against medical faculty is alarmingly common at an institution that is not expected to be atypical. Interventions must address sexual harassment, which affects mental health and career outcomes of male and female physicians.