Association of Exposure to Police Violence With Prevalence of Mental HealthSymptoms Among Urban Residents in the United States

Importance Police violence is reportedly widespread in the United States and may pose a significant risk to public mental health. Objective To examine the association between 12-month exposure to police violence and concurrent mental health symptoms independent of trauma history, crime involvement, and other forms of interpersonal violence exposure. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional, general population survey study of 1221 eligible adults was conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, and New York City, New York, from October through December 2017. Participants were identified through Qualtrics panels, an internet-based survey administration service using quota sampling. Exposures Past 12-month exposure to police violence, assessed using the Police Practices Inventory. Subtypes of violence exposure were coded according to the World Health Organization domains of violence (ie, physical, sexual, psychological, and neglectful). Main Outcomes and Measures Current Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) score, past 12-month psychotic experiences (World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview), and past 12-month suicidal ideation and attempts. Results Of 1221 eligible participants, there were 1000 respondents (81.9% participation rate). The sample matched the adult population of included cities on race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, 339 [33.9%]; non-Hispanic black/African American, 390 [39.0%]; Hispanic/Latino, 178 [17.8%]; other, 93 [9.3%]), age (mean [SD], 39.8 [15.2] years), and gender (women, 600 [60.0%]; men, 394 [39.4%]; transgender, 6 [0.6%]) within 10% above or beyond 2010 census distributions. Twelve-month prevalence of police violence was 3.2% for sexual violence, 7.5% for physical violence without a weapon, 4.6% for physical violence with a weapon, 13.2% for psychological violence, and 14.9% for neglect. Police violence exposures were higher among men, people of color, and those identified as homosexual or transgender. Respondents reported suicidal ideation (9.1%), suicide attempts (3.1%), and psychotic experiences (20.6%). The mean (SD) K6 score was 5.8 (6.1). All mental health outcomes were associated with police violence exposure in adjusted logistic regression analyses. Physical violence with a weapon and sexual violence were associated with greater odds of psychotic experiences (odds ratio [95% CI]: 4.34 [2.05-9.18] for physical violence with a weapon; 6.61 [2.52-17.36] for sexual violence), suicide attempts (odds ratio [95% CI]: 7.30 [2.94-18.14] for physical violence with a weapon; 6.63 [2.64-16.64] for sexual violence), and suicidal ideation (odds ratio [95% CI]: 2.72 [1.30-5.68] for physical violence with a weapon; 3.76 [1.72-8.20] for sexual violence). Conclusions and Relevance Police violence was commonly reported, especially among racial/ethnic and sexual minorities. Associations between violence and mental health outcomes did not appear to be explained by confounding factors and appeared to be especially pronounced for assaultive forms of violence

Commentary on Degenhardt et al. (2018): Cause or consequence? Disentangling the relationship between psychosis and substance use.

Research findings on relationships between substance use and psychosis are moving the field away from the idea of a unidirectional relationship (‘substance use causes psychosis’) to more nuanced causal interpretations, including the possibility of bidirectional and reverse causal effects. ......

Seasonal Allergies and Psychiatric Disorders in the United States

Seasonal allergies have been associated with mental health problems, though the evidence is still emergent, particularly in the United States. We analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication and the National Latino and Asian American Survey (years 2001–2003). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the relations between lifetime allergies and lifetime psychiatric disorders (each disorder in a separate model), adjusting for socio-demographic variables (including region of residence) and tobacco use. Analyses were also stratified to test for effect modification by race and sex. A history of seasonal allergies was associated with greater odds of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, but not alcohol or substance use disorders, after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and tobacco use. The associations between seasonal allergies and mood disorders, substance use disorders, and alcohol use disorders were particularly strong for Latino Americans. The association between seasonal allergies and eating disorders was stronger for men than women. Seasonal allergies are a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Individuals complaining of seasonal allergies should be screened for early signs of mental health problems and referred to specialized services accordingly

Child loss and psychosis onset: Evidence for traumatic experience as an etiological factor in psychosis

Previous research suggests that trauma may contribute to psychosis onset. In this study, we examine the effect of parental loss of a child on the onset of psychotic experience using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, hypothesizing that child loss will precede the onset of psychosis and will be associated with a later age of onset. We likewise tested this association for six other psychiatric conditions to demonstrate specificity for psychosis. Individuals with a psychotic disorder who had lost a child had a significantly later age of onset, particularly in males, even when controlling for demographic variables and co-occurring substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. Psychosis onset frequently occurred within a year of child loss. No associations were found between child loss and onset of other psychiatric conditions, supporting specificity of the effect on psychosis. The presented findings implicate child loss as an etiological factor in the onset of psychosis, providing converging evidence with previous studies demonstrating associations between more widely studied trauma exposures (abuse, neglect, and assault) and psychosis. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Sibship size, birth order and psychotic experiences:Evidence from 43 low- and middle-income countries

Background: Sibship size and birth order may be contributing factors to the multifactorial etiology of psychosis. Specifically, several studies have shown that sibship size and birth order are associated with schizophrenia. However, there are no studies on their association with psychotic experiences (PE). Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based data from 43 low- and middle-income countries which participated in the World Health Survey were analyzed. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to identify four types of past 12-month PE. The association of sibship size and birth order with PE was assessed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: The final sample consisted of 212,920 adults [mean (SD) age 38.1 (16.0) years; 50.7% females]. In the multivariable analysis, compared to individuals with no siblings, the OR increased linearly from 1.26 (95%CI = 1.01\u20131.56) to 1.72 (95%CI = 1.41\u20132.09) among those with 1 and 65 9 siblings, respectively. Compared to the first-born, middle-born individuals were more likely to have PE when having a very high number of siblings (i.e. 659). Conclusions: Future studies should examine the environmental and biological factors underlying the association between sibship size/birth order and PE. Specifically, it may be important to examine the unmeasured factors, such as childhood infections and adversities that may be related to both family structure and PE. \ua9 2018 Elsevier B.V

The separate and joint effects of recent interpersonal abuse and cannabis use on psychotic experiences: findings from students in higher education in the United States

BACKGROUND: Various forms of interpersonal abuse (e.g., physical, emotional, sexual) and cannabis use across the lifespan have both been known to increase odds of psychotic experiences; however, there have been few studies examining their separate and joint effects in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (2020-2021) and used multivariable logistic regression and interaction contrast ratios to assess separate and joint effects of interpersonal abuse (past 12 months) and cannabis use (past 30 days) on psychotic experiences (past 12 months). RESULTS: Students who only used cannabis had significantly greater odds of psychotic experiences (aOR: 1.70; 95% CI 1.58-1.82), as well as those who only experienced interpersonal abuse (aOR: 2.40; 95% CI 2.25-2.56). However, those who reported both cannabis use and interpersonal abuse had the greatest odds, exceeding the sum of these individual effects (the combined effect aOR: 3.46; 95% CI 3.19-3.76). CONCLUSIONS: Recent interpersonal abuse and recent cannabis use both separately and jointly increase odds of having recent psychotic experiences. Future research should continue to examine the potential interactive and additive impact of multiple known exposures to better inform primary and secondary prevention efforts

Depression, sleep problems, and perceived stress among informal caregivers in 58 low-, middle-, and high-income countries:A cross-sectional analysis of community-based surveys

none7Caregiving has been associated with adverse health outcomes. However, there is a paucity of multi-country, population-based studies on mental health outcomes of caregivers especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we assessed the association of caregiving with depression, sleep problems, and perceived stress in 10 high-, 27 middle-, and 21 low-income countries. Cross-sectional community-based data of the World Health Survey including 258,793 adults aged ≥18 years were analyzed. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the association of past 12-month caregiving with past 12-month DSM-IV depression, and past 30-day perceived stress [range 0 (low)-100 (high)] and severe/extreme sleep problems. Nearly 20% of the individuals were engaged in caregiving with particularly high rates observed in high-income countries (HICs) (e.g., Finland 43.3%). Across the entire sample, after adjustment for potential confounders, caregivers had a significantly higher likelihood of having depression (OR = 1.54; 95%CI = 1.37-1.73), sleep problems (OR = 1.37; 95%CI = 1.25-1.50), while their mean perceived stress score was 3.15 (95%CI = 2.46-3.84) points higher. These associations tended to be stronger in HICs. A greater number of caregiving activities was associated with a greater likelihood of depression, sleep problems, and perceived stress regardless of country income levels. In conclusion, caregiving has a negative impact on mental health worldwide with possibly greater effects in HICs. Given the growing contribution of caregivers in long-term care, interventions and policies to alleviate the mental health burden of caregivers are urgently needed to maintain sustainable and effective care practices.noneKoyanagi, Ai; Devylder, Jordan E; Stubbs, Brendon; Carvalho, André F; Veronese, Nicola; Haro, Josep M; Santini, Ziggi I.Koyanagi, Ai; Devylder, Jordan E; Stubbs, Brendon; Carvalho, André F; Veronese, Nicola; Haro, Josep M; Santini, Ziggi I