Associations between Health-Related Use of Social Media and Positive Lifestyle Behaviors: Findings from a Representative Sample of US Adult Smokers.

Background: Cigarette smokers have elevated cardiovascular risk factors, which contributes significantly to mortality. Although social media is a potential avenue to deliver smoking interventions, its role in health promotion among smokers remains relatively unexplored.Objective: To examine the uptake and impact of health-related social media use in cigarette smokers.Methods: Using data from the 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey, we evaluated differences in health-related social media use between smokers and nonsmokers. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the association between social media use and positive health behaviors.Results: We included 1863 current smokers and 13,560 nonsmokers; Most participants were women (51.0%), White (64.6%), and 49.2% were aged ≥50 years. Smokers who used ≥1 social media site for health-related purposes in the past year were significantly more likely to meet the guideline recommendations for: (i) weekly physical activity (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.23-3.24), (ii) daily vegetable intake (AOR 2.48, 95% CI 1.10-5.59), and (iii) weekly strength training (AOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.10-2.94). However, the odds of reporting intentions to quit smoking (AOR 1.81, 95% CI 0.98-3.34) and attempts at smoking cessation (AOR 1.68, 95% CI 0.90-3.12) did not differ by health-related social media use.Conclusion: Smokers use social media for health-related purposes at comparable rates to nonsmokers. While our findings indicate that these platforms present a novel opportunity for health promotion among smokers, future research exploring the utility of social media in smoking cessation is crucial.

Bridging science and spirituality: the intersection of religion and public health in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had global impacts on social interactions and religious activities, leading to a complex relationship between religion and public health policies. This article reviews impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious activities and beliefs in relation to the spread of the virus, as well as the potential of religious leaders and faith communities in mitigating the impact of the pandemic through public health measures and community engagement. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, with search terms including "religion," "COVID-19," "pandemic," "coronavirus," and "spirituality." We included English articles published between January 2020 and September 2022, focusing on intersection of religion and COVID-19. Results: We identified two main themes emerging, with the selected 32 studies divided in 15 studies focused on the relationship between religious practices, beliefs, and the spread of COVID-19, while 17 studies explored the role of religious leaders and faith communities in coping with and mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Religious activities were found to correlate with virus spread, particularly in early days of the pandemic. The relationship between religiosity and adherence to government guidelines was mixed, with some studies suggesting increased religiosity contributed to misconceptions about the virus and resistance to restrictions. Religious beliefs were also associated with vaccine hesitancy, particularly conservative religious beliefs. On the other hand, religious leaders and communities played a crucial role in adapting to COVID-19 measures, maintaining a sense of belonging, fostering emotional resilience, and upholding compliance with public health measures. The importance of collaboration between religious leaders, institutions, and public health officials in addressing the pandemic was emphasized. Conclusions: This review highlights the essential role of religious leaders, faith-based organizations, and faith communities in promoting education, preparedness, and response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Engaging with religious leaders and communities can improve pandemic control and prevention efforts. Collaboration between religious leaders, governments, and healthcare professionals is necessary to combat vaccine hesitancy and ensure successful COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The insights from this review can guide future research, policy development, and public health interventions to minimize the impact of the pandemic and improve outcomes for individuals and communities affected.

A Systematic Review of Abuse or Overprescription of Bupropion in American Prisons and a Synthesis of Case Reports on Bupropion Abuse in American Prison and Non-prison Systems.

Illicit drug use is a huge problem in the US prison system. The objectives of this study are (1) to systematically investigate the prevalence of bupropion abuse in American prisons along with associated problems, and (2) to synthesize available case reports on this topic in both prison and non-prison settings. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, we searched five databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) and used Covidence software for screening and reviewing identified articles. The final search date was February 21, 2023. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and ROBINS-I tool were used for risk of bias assessment. We included original studies of populations aged 18 years and above in American prisons. We found 77 unique articles, none of which met our eligibility criteria. A synthesis of 22 case reports that we found showed bupropion abuse to be more common in young males, and intranasal administration was the most common method of abuse. More frequent desired and adverse effects were "cocaine-like highs" and seizures, respectively. Although several cases of bupropion abuse have been reported in US prisons, no study has been done to understand its prevalence and associated effects. The absence of original studies on bupropion abuse in US prisons and the observed patterns in this case report synthesis further highlight the need for a study to investigate the prevalence of bupropion abuse in US prisons. The limitations of this study include that it is an empty systematic review and the absence of all pertinent data in many of the included case reports. The authors did not receive any funding for this work. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO with registration number CRD42021227561.

Evaluating the Efficiency and Equity of Autism Diagnoses via Telehealth During COVID-19.

Given existing barriers to a timely autism diagnosis, this study compares the efficiency and equity of diagnoses conducted in-person vs. telehealth in a developmental behavioral pediatrics setting. The transition to telehealth was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eleven months of clinic data in electronic medical records were retrospectively analyzed for children diagnosed with autism in-person (N = 71) vs. telehealth (N = 45). Time to autism diagnosis, patient demographics, and deferred diagnoses did not significantly differ across visit types. However, privately insured patients and families living farther from the clinic had a longer time to diagnosis via telehealth vs. in-person. Results of this exploratory study highlight the feasibility of telehealth evaluations for autism and which families may benefit from additional support to ensure a timely diagnosis.

Does Cocaine Use Increase Medication Noncompliance in Bipolar Disorders? A United States Nationwide Inpatient Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Medication noncompliance among bipolar disorder (BD) is often linked with comorbid substance use disorders. This study aims to investigate cocaine use (CU) association with medication noncompliance in hospitalized BD patients. Methods Using data on 266,303 BD hospitalizations between 2010-2014 from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we obtained medication noncompliance rates stratified by demographics and cocaine use. Logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with medication noncompliance. Results Overall mean age, the prevalence of CU, and medication noncompliance were 41.58 (+0.11) years, 8.34%, and 16.08%, respectively. More than half of BD patients with comorbid CU were between 40-64 years (54.4%), while more male patients with BD were in the CU group (53.9%). With univariable logistic regression, CU (odds ratio [OR]: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.66-1.88) increased the odds of medication noncompliance among BD patients, and after adjusting for other variables there was sustained increased odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.32-1.50). Conclusion This study showed that CU is associated with medication noncompliance among hospitalized BD patients. This highlights the importance of addressing CU among BD patients. Given the possible association of CU with medication noncompliance among BD patients, collaborative work between general adult psychiatry and addiction services is imperative in improving the management outcome of BD patients with comorbid CU.

The Effectiveness of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Catatonia in a Case of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (Anti-NMDA) Receptor Encephalitis.

Catatonia is a symptom seen in a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including anti-N-Methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. When associated with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, catatonia is resistant to standard therapy. However, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has shown promising success in management. This case report presents a 25-year-old African American female who presented to the emergency room with nervousness, sweating, insomnia, and visual and auditory hallucinations. She was treated symptomatically for anxiety but returned to the hospital after she continued to experience worsening symptoms. Her anxiety worsened, and she became more agitated, warranting an extensive workup, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG), which showed normal findings. She also had an anti-NMDA receptor antibodies titer done, which showed a positive titer result. She was treated with intravenous steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin G (IgG), plasma exchange, and rituximab, which did not improve her symptoms, and she was discharged home after a prolonged hospital stay. On follow-up visits, she reported worsening confusion, aggression, and suicidal behaviors. The patient was readmitted, during which she experienced catatonia and psychiatric symptoms, and her anti-NMDAR titer had increased to 1:1280. Further treatments with intravenous steroids, intravenous IgG, plasma exchange, and rituximab, including haloperidol and clonazepam, failed to improve her condition. However, her condition improved remarkably following treatment with 12 rounds of ECT. No randomized control trial has been done to demonstrate the effectiveness of ECT in the treatment of anti-NMDAR encephalitis despite various reports of the effectiveness of this treatment modality. This case report adds to the growing clinical evidence in support of the use of ECT in anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients with catatonia. ECT can be incorporated as standard protocol in the treatment of catatonia and associated psychiatric symptoms when managing a patient with anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with catatonic features.

Akathisia as an Extrapyramidal Side Effect of Fluoxetine.

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is commonly prescribed for major depressive disorder (MDD). Akathisia is one of the well-recognized extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) of antipsychotics and antiemetics, but also a rare manifestation of antidepressants. There are various documentations of EPS of antidepressants including acute dystonia, Parkinsonism, and tardive dyskinesia. Akathisia is not only a rare extrapyramidal manifestation of fluoxetine but a frequently unrecognized phenomenon in those using this medication. This case report describes a case of akathisia observed in a 69-year-old Caucasian female using fluoxetine. Various factors that may have contributed to the development of akathisia in this patient were also discussed as well as implications for clinical practice and future research.