Clinical and Advocacy Implications of the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization Ruling on Trafficked Persons.

The United States Supreme Court decision on the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization abolished federal protections of abortion, leaving abortion legislation at the discretion of individual states. Trafficked persons are a population especially vulnerable to the impacts of this ruling. Because there is no existing literature describing the effects of restrictive abortion legislation on this group, we described some of the potential consequences of restrictive abortion laws for sex and labor trafficked persons, based on real case examples. We describe steps that should be taken to sufficiently protect and support pregnant trafficked women in relation to the Dobbs law.

Strategies for healthcare professionals to identify and assist migrant children at risk of labour exploitation or trafficking.

Increasingly large numbers of children and youth are migrating across international borders with many seeking employment in both formal and informal work sectors. These young people are at high risk of exploitation. Healthcare professionals need to be able to recognise vulnerable patients and advocate for their protection and safety, yet there is a paucity of literature that provides guidance on how to accomplish this. The goal of this paper is to provide guidance to clinicians on identifying and assisting migrant paediatric patients at risk of being exploited in the work sector, including conducting a risk assessment and making decisions about mandatory reporting. First, the best interest of the youth within their cultural context should be examined respecting their desires and goals, as well as immediate and longer-term physical health, mental health and safety issues. Second, clinicians should consider the best interest of the family, with attention to varying socioeconomic and psychosocial conditions including acculturation, immigration challenges, as well as cultural norms and values. Third, the situation must be evaluated within the legal framework of the host country regarding child labour, exploitation and trafficking. Cultural humility, open-mindedness, the active engagement of patients and families and an understanding of child labour within cultural contexts and legal statutes will empower healthcare professionals to identify and support patients at risk of exploitation in work settings. These recommendations serve to prioritise the best interests of vulnerable working migrant children and youth. The healthcare and migration systems of the USA will be used as a case for exploration.

Obstetric violence is a misnomer.

The term "obstetric violence" has been used in the legislative language of several countries to protect mothers from abuse during pregnancy. Subsequently, it has been expanded to include a spectrum of obstetric procedures, such as induction of labor, episiotomy, and cesarean delivery, and has surfaced in the peer-reviewed literature. The term "obstetric violence" can be seen as quite strong and emotionally charged, which may lead to misunderstandings or misconceptions. It might be interpreted as implying a deliberate act of violence by healthcare providers when mistreatment can sometimes result from systemic issues, lack of training, or misunderstandings rather than intentional violence. "Obstetric mistreatment" is a more comprehensive term that can encompass a broader range of behaviors and actions. "Violence" generally refers to the intentional use of physical force to cause harm, injury, or damage to another person (eg, physical assault, domestic violence, street fights, or acts of terrorism), whereas "mistreatment" is a more general term and refers to the abuse, harm, or control exerted over another person (such as nonconsensual medical procedures, verbal abuse, disrespect, discrimination and stigmatization, or neglect, to name a few examples). There may be cases where unprofessional personnel may commit mistreatment and violence against pregnant patients, but as obstetrics is dedicated to the health and well-being of pregnant and fetal patients, mistreatment of obstetric patients should never be an intended component of professional obstetric care. It is necessary to move beyond the term "obstetric violence" in discourse and acknowledge and address the structural dimensions of abusive reproductive practices. Similarly, we do not use the term "psychiatric violence" for appropriately used professional procedures in psychiatry, such as electroshock therapy, or use the term "neurosurgical violence" when drilling a burr hole. There is an ongoing need to raise awareness about the potential mistreatment of obstetric patients within the context of abuse against women in general. Using the term "mistreatment in healthcare" instead of the more limited term "obstetric violence" is more appropriate and applies to all specialties when there is unprofessional abuse and mistreatment, such as biased care, neglect, emotional abuse (verbal), or physical abuse, including performing procedures that are unnecessary, unindicated, or without informed patient consent. Healthcare providers must promote unbiased, respectful, and patient-centered professional care; provide an ethical framework for all healthcare personnel; and work toward systemic change to prevent any mistreatment or abuse in our specialty.

Methods Used to Control the Reproductive Choices of Women Who Are Sex Trafficked: Considerations for Health Care Providers.

Reproductive control or reproductive coercion has negative health consequences but has not been systematically studied within the context of sex trafficking. Our goal is to identify the range of methods used by sex traffickers and buyers to control the reproductive choices of trafficked women and to provide specific examples of these methods. We searched PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo using the terms "reproductive control" or "reproductive coercion" and "human trafficking" or "sex trafficking," including papers that contained original, specific examples of reproductive control occurring within the context of sex trafficking. These reports were described and categorized into established domains of reproductive control. Eight articles were located that met our inclusion criteria, of which 6 described outcomes of birth control sabotage, 2 described pressuring into pregnancy, 5 described controlling the outcome of a pregnancy, and 2 described forced birth control or sterilization. Our findings have implications for how to take sexual histories and for identifying and assisting trafficked persons.

Human trafficking in the health care setting: recommendations for the physical medicine and rehabilitation provider.

PURPOSE: This study aims to provide trauma informed recommendations for screening and discusses responsibilities of the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) provider for responding and advocating for patients experiencing human trafficking. MATERIALS & METHODS: Existing literature relating to human trafficking across rehabilitation settings was reviewed. In addition, two cases of human trafficking in the rehabilitation setting are presented, including a confirmed case of human trafficking in an adult and a suspected case of human trafficking in a child. RESULTS: No literature describing human trafficking in the PM&R setting was found. Four articles were found focusing on human trafficking in occupational health settings as opposed to physiatry, which were published in occupational health journals. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of literature offering recommendations for screening and responding to suspected human trafficking situations in rehabilitation settings. Policies on human trafficking are needed in areas of rehabilitation such as polytrauma, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and musculoskeletal impairments in the adult and pediatric population. Those working with potential victims of human trafficking should employ a patient-centered, trauma-informed approach in which the patient's freedom of choice is emphasized. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Human Trafficking • There are no official policy statements on human trafficking by physical medicine & rehabilitation organizations. • Trafficked persons often present with impairments that may be treated in the rehabilitation setting. • Physiatrists may play a powerful role in identifying the needs of trafficked persons. • We recommend a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approach to managing these patients throughout their rehabilitation.

Creating a Collaborative Trauma-Informed Interdisciplinary Citywide Victim Services Model Focused on Health Care for Survivors of Human Trafficking.

Although human trafficking is recognized as a public health issue, research on the health effects of human trafficking and best intervention practices is limited. We describe 2 citywide collaborative victim services models, the THRIVE (Trafficking, Healthcare, Resources, and Interdisciplinary Victim Services and Education) Clinic at the University of Miami and Jackson Health System in Miami, Florida, and the Greater Houston Area Pathways for Advocacy-based, Trauma-Informed Healthcare (PATH) Collaborative at Baylor College of Medicine, CommonSpirit Health, and San Jose Clinic in Houston, Texas, funded in part by the Office for Victims of Crime, which focus on trauma-informed health care delivery for victims of human trafficking. From June 2015 through September 2021, the THRIVE Clinic served 214 patients with an average age of 28.7 years at the time of their first visit. From October 2017 through September 2021, the PATH Collaborative received 560 suspected trafficking referrals, 400 of which screened positive for labor or sex trafficking. These models serve as a framework for replication of interdisciplinary practices to provide health care for this unique population and preliminary information about the strategies put in place to assist victims during their recovery. Key lessons include the importance of a citywide needs assessment, patient navigators, interdisciplinary care, and building community partnerships to ensure safe housing, transportation, identification, health insurance, vocation services, input from survivors, peer-to-peer mentorship, and medical-legal services. Further research is needed to understand the detrimental health effects of trafficking and the health care needs of victims. In addition, a need exists to develop optimal models of care for recovery and reintegration for this patient population and to address public health, legal, and medical policies to ensure access to and sustainability of comprehensive, trauma-informed, interdisciplinary victim services.

Medical considerations in delusion of pregnancy: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Delusions of pregnancy are associated with functional impairment and psychological distress. Previous works have focused on characterizing their etiology and identifying contributory social and cultural factors. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the literature on medical or surgical comorbidities associated with delusions of pregnancy. METHODS: We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and PsycInfo using the terms "pregnancy delusion," "delusional pregnancy," "pseudocyesis", and "false/pseudo/phantom/spurious pregnancy" to identify all published cases of delusional pregnancies. We included cases in which medical or surgical factors might have contributed to the delusion. We extracted the following information from selected case reports: patient age, psychiatric diagnoses, medications, medical comorbidities, somatic complaints, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: We found that 23 of 140 cases (16.4%) were potentially influenced by concomitant medical or surgical conditions including gallstones, abdominal tumors, hyperprolactinemia, constipation, a tubal cyst, and esophageal achalasia. Medical or surgical treatment was pursued in 15 of these 23 cases, followed by mitigation of the delusion in ten cases. CONCLUSIONS: We emphasize the importance of a thorough workup including physical and gynecological examinations in patients presenting with a delusion of pregnancy. Clinicians should recognize and overcome potential barriers to undertaking comprehensive assessments in order to prevent delays in management and treatment of underlying medical or surgical conditions.

Undue burdens created by the Texas Abortion Law for vulnerable pregnant women.

The new Texas abortion law requires the physician to determine whether a fetal heartbeat is present and prohibits abortion after a heartbeat has been documented. An exception is allowed when a "medical emergency necessitated the abortion." These and other provisions of the statute are to be enforced through "civil actions" brought by private citizens. This article identifies 3 populations of vulnerable women who will experience undue burdens created by the Texas abortion law. We begin with an account of the concept of undue burden in the jurisprudence of abortion, as expressed in the 1992 US Supreme Court case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey of Southeastern Pennsylvania. We then provide an evidence-based account of the predictable, undue burdens for 3 populations of vulnerable women: pregnant women with decreased freedom of movement; pregnant minors; and pregnant women with major mental disorders and cognitive disabilities. The Texas law creates an undue burden on these 3 populations of vulnerable women by reducing or even eliminating access to abortion services outside of Texas. The Texas law also creates an undue burden by preventably increasing the risks of morbidity, including loss of fertility, and mortality for these 3 populations of vulnerable women. For these women, it is indisputable that the Texas law will create undue burdens and is therefore not compatible with the jurisprudence of abortion as set forth in Planned Parenthood v. Casey because a "significant number of women will likely be prevented from obtaining an abortion." Federal courts should therefore strike down this law.

Motivational Interviewing as a Therapeutic Strategy for Trafficked Persons.

It is estimated that 40 million people worldwide have experienced human trafficking (UN, International Labour Organization & Walk-Free Foundation, 2019), with 313,000 trafficked persons in the state of Texas alone (Busch-Armendariz et al., 2016). These staggering numbers are indicative of human trafficking as a growing public health concern. To date researchers have neither studied nor proposed a specific psychotherapeutic modality in the treatment of trafficked persons. Given the unique concerns of this populations, including mistrust of authority, emotional coercion, and abuse by traffickers, often co-occurring substance use concerns, and difficulty with standard treatment adherence, we propose a therapeutic strategy that might assist providers in addressing a broad range of concerns, particularly assisting trafficked persons in the effort to leave their situation. This strategy is motivational interviewing (MI; Miller et al., 2009) and has shown substantial efficacy to enhance motivation to change as applied within in a broad range of healthcare settings. We briefly review the broad tenants of MI and illustrate its application within two hypothetical cases of trafficking. Future research that examines the potential benefits of MI within trafficking populations is warranted.

Potential Impact of Climate Change on Human Trafficking: A Narrative Review.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is a threat to the public health with wide-reaching impacts that are becoming more studied and recognized. An aspect of climate change that has not yet gained adequate scholarly attention is its potential impact on human trafficking. We review the potential impact of climate change on risk factors to human trafficking including poverty, gender inequality, political instability, migration or forced displacement, and weather disasters. We conclude that climate change is a crucially important consideration in understanding the complex and multifactorial risks for human trafficking. These findings add to the priority for health professionals to embrace efforts to prevent and to mitigate the effects of climate change and to take account of these risk factors in screening and identifying trafficked persons.

Food Refusal Secondary to Psychosis: A Case Series and Literature Review.

The aim of this article is to emphasize that starvation is an important potential consequence of psychosis and to provide recommendations for management of this condition. A review of the literature on food refusal and starvation in patients with psychotic illnesses was performed. Our search strategy returned 54 articles with one article meeting inclusion criteria. Additional independent research returned an additional four cases of patients with psychosis engaging in self-starvation. The cases of several patients from our institution who engaged in self-starvation behaviors as a result of psychosis are also presented. The management and outcomes of each of these 10 patients are discussed. Starvation secondary to psychosis is an important but underappreciated consequence of psychosis that can lead to serious adverse outcomes in these patients. Few cases have been reported in the literature. More study is warranted to develop evidence-based management guidelines.

The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review and Case Report.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the potential for safe and effective use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating eating disorders (EDs) in patients with and without comorbid psychiatric disorders. METHODS: A review of the literature pertaining to the use of ECT in patients with EDs was performed through PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Search terms included "Electroconvulsive Therapy," "ECT," and "Electroshock" each combined with "Anorexia Nervosa," "Bulimia Nervosa," "Binge Eating Disorder," "Eating Disorder," "EDNOS," and "OSFED." Additionally, a case in which ECT was used in treating a patient with anorexia nervosa is presented. RESULTS: Eighty-nine articles were reviewed, and 11 were selected for inclusion. These articles detailed 14 patients with active EDs who received ECT during their course of treatment. Of these patients, 13 were noted to have shown improvement in disordered eating after receiving ECT, and no adverse medical outcomes were reported. Our case detailed an additional patient who benefitted from ECT. CONCLUSIONS: There are limited data supporting the use of ECT in treating EDs; however, there is evidence to support that ECT is safe in this population and has been effective in cases of patients with AN with and without psychiatric comorbidities as well as binge eating disorder. More research is needed for treatment guidelines.

Identifying Human Trafficking Victims on a Psychiatry Inpatient Service: a Case Series.

Human trafficking is a serious and prevalent human rights violation that closely intersects with mental health. Limited empirical attention has been paid to the presentations and identification of trafficking victims in psychiatric settings. The primary goal of this paper is to describe the varied presentations of trafficking victims on an urban inpatient psychiatric unit. A literature review was conducted to identify relevant empirical articles to inform our examination of cases. Adult inpatient cases meeting criteria for known or possible human trafficking were systematically identified and illustrative cases were described. Six cases were identified including one male and five females. Two had been labor trafficked and four were suspected or confirmed to have been sex trafficked. The cases demonstrated a tremendous diversity of demographic and psychiatric identifying factors. These cases indicate the importance of routinely screening for trafficking victims in inpatient psychiatry settings. Identification of cases is a requisite step in providing informed and evidence-based treatments and enabling the secondary prevention of re-exploitation. Additional research is warranted given the limited current empirical research on this topic area.

Towards a Definition of "Self-Neglect" in Psychiatric Patients: Descriptions of a Case Series.

Self-neglect, although frequently studied in geriatric populations, has received only limited attention in psychiatric populations. To address this gap, we utilize a behavioral framework to present a set of case examples in order to illustrate the complex relationship between self-neglect behaviors and conditions and various psychiatric illness. Cases are discussed with respect to ascending severity of presentations of self-neglect in adult non-geriatric inpatient psychiatric populations. Self-neglect is conceptualized as a range of behaviors, as well as an overall condition that affects an individual's functioning in several major domains. The concept of self-neglect in non-geriatric psychiatric patients warrants additional study, including development of a formal definition, as well as evaluation of its associated manifestations and implications for treatment and prognosis.

VISIT-TS: A multimedia tool for population studies on tic disorders.

Population-based assessment of Tourette syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders produces a paradox. On one hand, ideally diagnosis of tic disorders requires expert observation. In fact, diagnostic criteria for TS explicitly require expert assessment of tics for a definite diagnosis. On the other hand, large-scale population surveys with expert assessment of every subject are impracticable. True, several published studies have successfully used expert assessment to find tic prevalence in a representative population (e.g. all students in a school district). However, extending these studies to larger populations is daunting. We created a multimedia tool to demonstrate tics to a lay audience, discuss their defining and common attributes, and address features that differentiate tics from other movements and vocalizations. A first version was modified to improve clarity and to include a more diverse group in terms of age and ethnicity. The result is a tool intended for epidemiological research. It may also provide additional benefits, such as more representative minority recruitment for other TS studies and increased community awareness of TS.

Content-Area Framework for Conducting Family Meetings for Acutely Ill Psychiatric Patients.

Family meetings are a critically important component of managing acutely psychiatrically ill patients, and learning how to conduct such a meeting is critically important in the training of psychiatrists. Because we found no published comprehensive tools that dealt with the biopsychosocial content areas to be covered in family meetings in acute psychiatric settings, we developed and present such a comprehensive tool that is based in part on a review of existing tools utilized by other disciplines. This article describes the specific steps involved in premeeting planning, the formal topic areas that might be canvassed during the meeting, and postmeeting documentation and debriefing. The general content areas for discussion during the meeting include the setting of goals and expectations, relevant history-gathering, assessment of the family's understanding of the issues at stake, formal psychoeducation, and review of specific treatment strategies and clinical progress. The meeting may also include a discussion of resources available to the patient and family members and a review of issues related to the safety of the patient and others, management of early warning signs, and sensitive topics such as trauma, abuse, or violence that may play a role in the presentation or treatment of the patient to best translate established goals into a longer term plan of care. Implementation of this comprehensive and necessarily structured model should enhance the patient's and family's understanding of the issues at stake and should improve satisfaction, promote trust and an effective working alliance, and enhance the quality of the biopsychosocial care plan.