Paternal Postpartum Depression [English and Spanish versions]

While postpartum depression (PPD) has historically been associated primarily with mothers, recently there has been increased awareness of the experience of fathers and strategies to address postpartum depression in men. For fathers willing to seek help, the lack of recognition of paternal PPD results in limited supports and treatments. Given the potential implications of paternal PPD, it is essential for new fathers and their healthcare providers to recognize the prevalence of paternal PPD, the symptoms, and the challenges surrounding this issue for men. A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files

Enhancing the Social Networks of People with Mental Illnesses: A Qualitative Study on the Role of Peer-Operated Recovery Learning Communities [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. In 2014, researchers from the UMass Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center (SPARC) partnered with the Central Massachusetts Recovery Learning Communities (RLC) to complete a pilot study exploring the relationship between RLC participation and experiences of social integration. Utilizing participatory action research (PAR) principles, investigators from both SPARC and the RLC worked collaboratively to design an exploratory qualitative study, analyze data, and present findings

Protecting Research Participants: How Can We Reduce “Therapeutic Misconception in Clinical Research Trials? [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. Therapeutic Misconception and Scientific Reframing is a National Institute of Mental Health funded study led by Charles Lidz, Ph.D. The study’s goals are to: (1) Develop an innovative procedure that educates participants about clinical research trials to reduce Therapeutic Misconception (TM); and (2) Test this innovative procedure in a hypothetical clinical research trial to reduce TM without reducing study enrollment rates

Supported Education (SEd): State of the Practice [English and Spanish versions]

A Spanish translation of this publication is available to download under Additional Files below. Investigators at the Transitions Research and Training Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School partnered with RTI International to conduct the Feasibility Study for Demonstration of Supported Education to Promote Educational Attainment and Employment among Individuals with Serious Mental Illness . The study was funded by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

Availability of Food Preparation Supplies among Pregnant Women: Preliminary Results from the Decision Making, Eating, and Weight Gain during Pregnancy (DEW) Study

Background: Lack of cooking supplies may be a potential barrier to preparing healthy meals at home. We examined the availability of food preparation supplies among pregnant women in relation to sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: We used preliminary data (N=59) from an ongoing study which enrolled English-speaking women aged 18+ years, pregnant with singleton gestation \u3c36\u3eweeks, pre-pregnancy BMI 18.5-40 kg/m2, and planning to deliver at UMMHC. Women completed the Food Preparation Checklist (FPC) at home. The FPC asks women if 41 specific food preparation items; scores reflect number of items present in the home. Other variables were self-reported. Pearson’s correlation, t-tests, and ANOVAs provided comparisons. We constructed an adjusted linear regression model to explore FPC by sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Women were aged 30.3 (SD=4.1) years, 64.4% were non-Hispanic White, 84.8% were married or living with a partner, and 30.5% reported difficulty paying for basic expenses. Women were enrolled at 22.7 (SD=5.6) weeks gestation; 30.5% were primigravid. Mean pre-pregnancy BMI was 25.0 (SD=4.6) kg/m2; 25.4% were overweight and 17.0% obese. Average FPC score was 32.3 (SD=6.1; range:14-39). FPC scores were higher among Non-Hispanic White women (34.6±3.5 vs. 28.1±7.5, p\u3c0.0001), those with higher education (28.3±7.0 high school/GED or less, 31.0±6.2 some/college degree, vs. 34.7±4.6 some/degree graduate, p\u3c0.01), those married or living with a partner (33.3±5.7 vs. 26.9±5.7, p\u3c0.01), with lower pre-pregnancy BMI (r=-0.38, p\u3c0.01), and who had no difficulty paying for basic expenses (34.0±5.0 vs. 28.4±6.6, p\u3c0.001). In a model that additionally adjusted for pre-pregnancy BMI, non-Hispanic White women had on average 5.7 more food preparation items (95% CI: 3.2, 8.3) and those reporting difficulty paying for basic expenses 3.8 fewer items (95% CI: -6.8, -0.9). Conclusions: Understanding the food preparation supplies available to pregnant women may be useful when designing interventions to improve diet quality and promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy

Evening Snacking in Relation to Self-reported Declines in Sleep Quality during Pregnancy: Preliminary Results from the Decision-Making, Eating, and Weight Gain During Pregnancy (DEW) Study

Background: Poor sleep in non-pregnant adults has been associated with increased evening snacking, which may contribute to weight gain. Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy. Objective: To examine the association between changes in sleep quality from pre-pregnancy and evening snacking. Methods: In an ongoing prospective cohort study, pregnant women were recruited from UMMHC obstetric practices and the community. Participants are 18+ years, with singleton gestationweeks, pre-pregnancy BMI 18.5-40 kg/m2, English-speaking, and with plans to deliver at UMMHC. Participants were asked “compared to the three months before you became pregnant, how is your sleep quality now?”; we combined responses of “about the same”/“a little better”/“a lot better” versus “a little worse”/“much worse”. Participants completed three 24-hour dietary recalls (2 weekdays, 1 weekend day). Evening snacks were defined as eating occasions after dinner but before bedtime during which food items other than water was consumed. Fisher’s Exact tests and t-tests provided comparisons for evening snacking (yes/no), number of snacks, and energy intake. Results: Women with complete data (n=55) were 58% non-Hispanic White and aged 30.0 (SD:4.3) years; gestational age at study visit was 23.0 (SD:5.9) weeks. Of 866 meals reported, 94 were evening snacks. 71% (n=39) reported that their current sleep quality was worse than before pregnancy. Evening snacks were reported by 90% of women reporting worse sleep and 69% same/better (p=0.1028). While the number of snacks among snackers did not differ by change in sleep quality (M[SD]: 2.2[1.2] versus 1.6[0.8], p=0.2372), energy intake from these snacks was higher among women whose sleep quality had declined (M[SD]: 630[488] versus 309[331] kcal, p=0.0480). Conclusions: Declines in sleep quality during pregnancy may be linked to evening snacking. More research is needed to understand the role of sleep quality, eating behavior, and weight gain during pregnancy

Feasibility Study for Demonstration of Supported Education to Promote Educational Attainment and Employment among Individuals with Serious Mental Illness: Final Report

The project focused on answering a series of research questions about Supported Education program composition, implementation, service context, the experiences of individuals involved in Supported Education programs, available Supported Education data sources and ongoing evaluations, Supported Education policies, financing, and gaps in the Supported Education knowledge base. This final project report includes chapters describing the results from each task, as well as a final synthesis chapter that identifies future Supported Education needs and opportunities. Prepared for Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Supported Education for Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities: State of the Practice and Policy Implications

OBJECTIVE: Supported education (SEd) is a promising practice that supports and encourages educational goals and attainment among individuals with psychiatric disabilities. This paper provides insights into how SEd objectives are pursued in different settings, assesses the evidence base, and discusses policy implications. METHOD: Insights from 3 data sources were synthesized: published literature, an environmental scan, and 3 site visits to programs that support the education goals of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. RESULTS: While setting, target populations, level of coordination with supported employment, and financing strategies varied, common SEd components emerged: specialized and dedicated staffing, one-on-one and group skill-building activities, assistance with navigating the academic setting and coordinating different services, and linkages with mental health counseling. The evidence base is growing; however, many published studies to date do not employ rigorous methodology. Conclusions and Implications for Policy and Practice: Continued specification, operationalization, and testing of SEd core components are needed. The components of the evolving SEd model would benefit from rigorous testing to evaluate impact on degree completion and other key impacts such as employment; health, mental health, or recovery; and community participation. In addition to funding streams from special education and Medicaid, new opportunities for increasing the availability of SEd include the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) reauthorization, which requires state vocational rehabilitation agencies to fund preemployment services for transition-age individuals. New set-aside requirements for the Mental Health Services Block Grant will increase funding for early intervention services for individuals with serious mental illness, potentially including SEd

The Interaction between Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 1A and eIF5 Retains eIF1 within Scanning Preinitiation Complexes

Scanning of the mRNA transcript by the preinitiation complex (PIC) requires a panel of eukaryotic initiation factors, which includes eIF1 and eIF1A, the main transducers of stringent AUG selection. eIF1A plays an important role in start codon recognition; however, its molecular contacts with eIF5 are unknown. Using nuclear magnetic resonance, we unveil eIF1A’s binding surface on the carboxyl-terminal domain of eIF5 (eIF5-CTD). We validated this interaction by observing that eIF1A does not bind to an eIF5-CTD mutant, altering the revealed eIF1A interaction site. We also found that the interaction between eIF1A and eIF5-CTD is conserved between humans and yeast. Using glutathione <i>S</i>-transferase pull-down assays of purified proteins, we showed that the N-terminal tail (NTT) of eIF1A mediates the interaction with eIF5-CTD and eIF1. Genetic evidence indicates that overexpressing eIF1 or eIF5 suppresses the slow growth phenotype of eIF1A-NTT mutants. These results suggest that the eIF1A–eIF5-CTD interaction during scanning PICs contributes to the maintenance of eIF1 within the open PIC