Improving the Generalizability of Depression Detection by Leveraging Clinical Questionnaires

Automated methods have been widely used to identify and analyze mental healthconditions (e.g., depression) from various sources of information, includingsocial media. Yet, deployment of such models in real-world healthcareapplications faces challenges including poor out-of-domain generalization andlack of trust in black box models. In this work, we propose approaches fordepression detection that are constrained to different degrees by the presenceof symptoms described in PHQ9, a questionnaire used by clinicians in thedepression screening process. In dataset-transfer experiments on three socialmedia datasets, we find that grounding the model in PHQ9's symptomssubstantially improves its ability to generalize to out-of-distribution datacompared to a standard BERT-based approach. Furthermore, this approach canstill perform competitively on in-domain data. These results and ourqualitative analyses suggest that grounding model predictions inclinically-relevant symptoms can improve generalizability while producing amodel that is easier to inspect.<br

Improving the Generalizability of Depression Detection by Leveraging Clinical Questionnaires

Automated methods have been widely used to identify and analyze mental health conditions (e.g., depression) from various sources of information, including social media. Yet, deployment of such models in real-world healthcare applications faces challenges including poor out-of-domain generalization and lack of trust in black box models. In this work, we propose approaches for depression detection that are constrained to different degrees by the presence of symptoms described in PHQ9, a questionnaire used by clinicians in the depression screening process. In dataset-transfer experiments on three social media datasets, we find that grounding the model in PHQ9's symptoms substantially improves its ability to generalize to out-of-distribution data compared to a standard BERT-based approach. Furthermore, this approach can still perform competitively on in-domain data. These results and our qualitative analyses suggest that grounding model predictions in clinically-relevant symptoms can improve generalizability while producing a model that is easier to inspect

Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Peri-Diagnostic Exercise Behaviour Change Among Women With Suspected Breast Cancer

Approximately 1 in 9 Canadian women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime (CCS, 2013). Over the past 30 years, population-based screening programs have contributed to decreased mortality rates (CCS, 2013), however the psychosocial sequelae associated with screening for breast cancer cannot be ignored (Holland et al., 2010). Although the majority of women screened will receive a benign diagnosis, the threat of malignancy can induce elevated levels of distress (Andrykowski et al., 2002). We conducted a mixed methods pilot study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-week self-managed exercise behaviour change intervention to attenuate distress in women with suspected breast cancer during the peri-diagnostic phase (N = 7). Patients were recruited through the Breast Care Program of St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario. Facility-based exercise sessions and assessments were completed at the Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario. Using concurrent mixed methods, we explored illness representations and coping responses among the women who participated in the program at one week and 12 weeks post-biopsy. Qualitative interviews were conducted with all participants at the one month follow-up study visit, and with clinic personnel at the recruitment site (N = 5). Although the small sample size precludes computation of meaningful inferential statistics, self-reported exercise behaviour increased and subjective distress decreased from pre- to post-intervention. A deductive qualitative analysis revealed that exercising during the peri-diagnostic phase was an effective coping resource for these women. The inductive analysis revealed emergent themes that illuminated unique characteristics of this sample, e.g., resilience. The findings from this pilot study offer comprehensive insight into the challenges and future considerations associated with implementation of a self-managed exercise intervention for women with suspected breast cancer in the peri-diagnostic phase

Teachers\u27 Perspectives On School Bullying: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the K-12 teachers\u27 perception of school bullying, prevention, and effective coping approaches in the Southeastern region. The central phenomenon of the study focused on K-12 teachers\u27 perspective of bullying. The theory guiding the study was social cognitive as it related to observing individuals through the lens of lived experiences, social interactions, modeling, and self-efficacy. The methodological approach conducted in this study consisted of a qualitative phenomenological design. The phenomenological design validated this approach as it enabled stakeholders such as teachers to address the (i.e., social-emotional, verbal/physical, self-esteem, and poor academic) effects that bullying has had on victims and/or those that bully. The study was conducted with 12 participants with at least 3 or more years of teaching experience in K-12 grades. Triangulation was a resource utilized to collect concise data in this qualitative study through individual interviews, journal prompts, and letter-writing prompt. The three identified themes that arose from the data analysis were as follows: professional development training, isolation, and children\u27s mental health

Partner inflicted brain injury as a consequence of intimate partner violence

Public Health Significance Intimate partner violence is a major public health problem with an estimated one in three women experiencing abuse in her lifetime. Two common acts of violence in IPV situations are blows to the head and attempted strangulation, which both increase the risk of brain injury in survivors. Although this population is likely to sustain more brain injuries than the general population, survivors of IPV are not well represented in brain injury research. This is likely due in part to several barriers to identification of IPV survivors who have endured hits to the head or oxygen deprivation, including social stigma surrounding abuse victimization. Methods A review of the limited literature available on the topic of IPV-related brain injury was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Results The literature search resulted in 25 relevant articles that included both empirical articles and reviews. Several researchers have attempted to estimate the prevalence rate of brain injuries in the IPV population with small convenience samples. Overall, research suggests that IPV-related brain injuries are common and cause a myriad of negative health consequences that may be masked by or attributed to IPV experience. Additionally, this population is exposed to high levels of environmental stress and likely repeated injuries to the head leading to potentially worse outcomes than other brain injury populations. Conclusions Due to lack of published literature and specific factors in IPV context, it is clear that more research in this specific area is necessary and that applying findings from research in other populations is not sufficient. Future research should include longitudinal studies in the IPV survivor population and accurate, nationally representative estimates of IPV-related brain injury are needed. Improvement of screening practices and development of community partnerships are critical for the success of this field moving forward and for the creation and implementation of targeted interventions

Abstracts 2017: Highlights of Student Research and Creative Endeavors

What follows is a collection of abstracts summarizing the scholarship conducted by undergraduates at Columbus State University during the 2016-2017 academic year. These projects highlight undergraduates research in a variety of disciplines, ranging from literary analysis to laboratory based sciences. The abstracts represent many ongoing projects on our campus and catalog those that have been published or presented. This volume begins with projects that have been selected for presentations at national, regional and statewide disciplinary conferences. Among them are several that have garnered awards for outstanding undergraduate scholarship. Projects that have received competitive research grants, including our campus Student Research and Creative Endeavor (S-RACE) Grants, are also featured. Many undergraduates have presented their work with our local community, either through the dissemination of best practices in nursing to regional hospitals, colloquium presentations of lecture-recitals at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, or at Columbus State University\u27s Tower Day held in April 2017. Together these abstracts demonstrate the commitment of our faculty to engage students in their disciplines and represent outstanding mentorship that occurs on and off our campus throughout the year. Our students have amassed an impressive collection of projects that contributes to both academia and our local community, and these abstracts will hopefully inspire others to delve into scientific and creative inquiry.https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/abstracts/1011/thumbnail.jp

Dimensions Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Sluggish Cognitive Tempo As Predictors Of Executive Functioning, Depression, Anxiety, Substance Use, And Convergence Insufficiency

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In addition to the well-known ADHD symptom clusters, a fourth dimension has been identified as sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and describes symptoms of sluggishness, drowsiness, and daydreaming. SCT represents a unique symptom domain than cannot be accounted for by the other ADHD dimensions. The current study sought to replicate and expand upon the extant literature, hypothesizing that ADHD/SCT symptoms would significantly predict: 1a) impairment in executive functioning on a self-report measure; 1b) impairment on laboratory measures of executive functioning; 2) symptoms of depression and anxiety; 3) symptoms of substance use disorders; and 4) symptoms of convergence insufficiency. These hypotheses were tested using a series of multiple linear regressions. A total of 103 university students completed this laboratory study. Results indicated ADHD/SCT symptoms significantly predicted impairment on self-reported, but not laboratory measures of executive functioning. SCT symptoms, but not any of the traditional ADHD dimensions, significantly predicted symptoms of depression and anxiety. Conversely, ADHD dimensions significantly predicted problematic substance use while SCT symptoms did not. Lastly, only SCT symptoms predicted symptoms of convergence insufficiency. Overall, these findings suggest that ADHD dimensions and SCT symptoms are distinct in predicting different deficits and comorbidities in a community sample of college students

Preventing overweight and improving parenting skills from birth to age 3 years: preliminary results

Background. Parenting has been associated with child weight status. This study aims to evaluate the effects on parenting skills and BMI-SDS of the BBOFT+ overweight prevention program, compared to care-as-usual (CAU). Method. In a cluster-randomized trial, 2500 parents participated. Parent-reported weight and length were used. Parenting was measured with subscales control and reinforcement of the parenting strategies for eating and activity scale (PEAS) and the warmth subscale from the Child Rearing Questionnaire. Results. The first univariate analyses show that at age 15 months, no statistically significant differences in BMI- SDS, parental control, reinforcement or warmth were found between the BBOFT+ and the CAU group. Further cluster analyses need to be conducted. Results from age 36 months will be presented during the conference, which will include all subscales of the PEAS and an assessment of parenting styles. Conclusion. The intervention does not seem to have an effect on BMI-SDS or parenting

Contraceptive Negotiation: The Context of Intimate Partner Relationships

Background: Unintended pregnancy is a problem that is widely exacerbated by lack of access to and use of contraceptives. Contraceptive decision-making often occurs within the context of intimate partner relationships. This study assessed how contraceptive negotiation occurs within the context of intimate partner relationships. Methods: Qualitative interviews were administered to a sample of 15 women recruited from family planning clinics. The analysis for this study examined themes around contraceptive negotiation. Results: Themes represented types of negotiation ranging from open and egalitarian exchanges to closed and manipulative contraceptive negotiation. Findings demonstrate that contraceptive negotiation has no set format, and that it occurs through various contexts. Conclusion: Results solidify the importance of contraceptive negotiation within the context of intimate partner relationships. Specifically, findings highlight the strong role that intimate partner relationships play in contraceptive decision-making. Deeper understanding of contraceptive negotiation processes is necessary to reduce unintended pregnancy and to improve health outcomes

TB STIGMA – MEASUREMENT GUIDANCE

TB is the most deadly infectious disease in the world, and stigma continues to play a significant role in worsening the epidemic. Stigma and discrimination not only stop people from seeking care but also make it more difficult for those on treatment to continue, both of which make the disease more difficult to treat in the long-term and mean those infected are more likely to transmit the disease to those around them. TB Stigma – Measurement Guidance is a manual to help generate enough information about stigma issues to design and monitor and evaluate efforts to reduce TB stigma. It can help in planning TB stigma baseline measurements and monitoring trends to capture the outcomes of TB stigma reduction efforts. This manual is designed for health workers, professional or management staff, people who advocate for those with TB, and all who need to understand and respond to TB stigma