Schizotypy in an online sample: Associations with functioning, wellbeing, and stigma toward psychological treatment

poster abstractBackground: Social functioning and positive attitudes toward treatment have been strongly linked with recovery in people with schizophrenia, yet less is known for schizotypy – traits that are associated with risk for schizophrenia. Previous studies of schizotypy have used primarily undergraduate or small community samples. The aim of the current study was to investigate correlates of schizotypy in a large online sample. We hypothesized that people with schizotypy traits would report lower functioning, well-being, and greater stigmatizing attitudes regarding treatment. Methods: In a sample (N=856) recruited using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), participants were dichotomized into non-schizotypy or schizotypy groups based on their endorsement of schizotypal traits on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief Revised (SPQ-BR; schizotypy group n=101; non-schizotypy group n=431). Participants completed a demographic survey and several measures related to functioning, well-being, and stigma, including the Romantic Relationship Functioning Scale (RRFS), the Social Adjustment Scale – Self-Report: Screener (SAS-SR: Screener), the SPQ-BR, the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12), and the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH). Independent-samples t-tests were conducted to compare schizotypy groups on these variables. Results: Those who reported high levels of schizotypy reported significantly poorer social functioning, t(122.74)=-10.66, p<.001; poorer romantic relationship functioning, t(129.01)=12.00, p<.001; poorer mental wellbeing ,t(132.58)=13.42, p=.001; and greater stigma toward receiving psychological treatment, t(137.06)=-3.89, p=.037. There was no significant difference in physical wellbeing. Discussion: These findings support the use of online samples and suggest schizotypy is associated with poorer functioning and wellbeing and increased stigma toward seeking treatment. Results support the emergence of deficits in key social domains among those at risk for developing greater psychosis symptoms. Given the links between these deficits and attitudes and poorer functioning in clinical samples, these findings suggest social functioning and help-seeking attitudes may be important targets of early intervention services

Community Isolation Project

Introduction The authors of this summary are nursing students at Seattle Pacific University, and the project goal is focused on understanding feelings of isolation in elderly communities and whether fostering social activities, such as Bingo, would improve social interaction between residents in this community. For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered various aspects of social interaction. From masking to social distancing, societal norms and expectations evolved in a manner that promoted isolation and minimal interaction to inhibit the spread of Covid infection between individuals. Of the general populace, the most vulnerable and at risk for infection are the elderly and those with comorbidities. Subsequently, older individuals are more at risk for rigid social isolation precautions due to the risk of infection, affecting many of the individuals in this group who live in community settings such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities. This project ultimately seeks to understand how older individuals might feel after participating in community activities with one another as well as assess for any feelings of depression and social isolation post pandemic.  Background The population worked with is a subsidized living community for individuals over the age of 62. The 200-plus unit apartment complex is located in North Seattle just off the Aurora business district. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults living in communities such as this is a growing concern especially since the pandemic showing upwards of 29% of the elderly population to report being lonely in the U.S. (Taylor, et al., 2018). Although it is hard to precisely measure social isolation and loneliness, the evidence that does exist shows there is an increased risk for dementia alone, by fifty percent, with links to an increase in cardiovascular disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and suicide (CDC, 2021). More recent studies in populations of older adults residing in senior housing communities seem to experience higher levels of loneliness due to lower-income, being alone due to the death of a spouse/partner, having fewer confiding relationships, depression, and other significant comorbidities as mentioned, as compared to those living in conventional housing (Taylor, et al., 2018). This is attributed to having less contact with family and friends, social anxiety of meeting neighbors, and altogether feeling of not being supported (Taylor, et al., 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic added more barriers to social isolation and loneliness for the elderly due to early restrictions of in-person gatherings, recreational activities within the community, family gatherings being canceled, spiritual congregations canceled, and many deaths within the community, all adding to the sense of isolation, loneliness, and depression (Webb and Chen, 2021). As far as interventions to combat loneliness and social isolation, there have been many. It is difficult to analyze due to individual experience surrounding the issues (Fakoya et al., 2020). There is not a “one-size-fits all” standardization to address social isolation and loneliness in the elderly, showing that tailoring interventions to specific community and individual needs as being the best approach (Fakoya et al., 2020). Activities with Rationale When discussing what activities or events the project should center around, the team collaborated with the property manager at the senior living community to ensure the provided activity would be both fun and engaging for the residents, as well as beneficial and information-producing for our project and the property manager. After it was determined the project would center around targeting loneliness in elderly communities, an idea was landed on creating an event that would demonstrate the importance of connection and combat isolation. A transtheoretical model of change was used as the basis for this project. This change model states that behavior change takes place through the following stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. To measure this, pre- and post- surveys were filled out by residents to gather data to support the health promotion project’s claims. The project at the community included two Bingo days. The specific activity was determined through popular request by the residents who had mentioned playing and enjoying Bingo as a community in the past. A week prior to the first event, pre surveys were distributed asking the residents about their experience of isolation and/or loneliness if they had any. Residents were incentivized to attend the Bingo events with promised coffee, snacks, and small prizes for Bingo winners. Residents were even given a chance to be entered into a randomized drawing for a fifteen-dollar gift card to Sprouts, a local grocery store, which was conducted at the end of each Bingo day. After the events, those who participated in Bingo were then further encouraged to fill out post surveys. These surveys questioned how it felt to engage in the community and if their feelings or loneliness/isolation had changed in order to assess the impact the bingo event had on mood and affect. For the purposes of this project, it was important not only to gather information, but to model what having community events, such as Bingo, could look like and how they would positively impact the community. Outcomes To gain a better understanding of how the community felt regarding loneliness, isolation, and their willingness to participate in group activities, pre- and post-bingo surveys were provided utilizing the Likert scale. In return, 30 pre-surveys were returned from the community. Following the event, 30 post-surveys were filled out by the residents who participated in Bingo. After reviewing the results of the pre-surveys, it was concluded that the overall community often feels a sense of loneliness, but they have an ardent desire to participate in group activities. After 2 days of Bingo, residents who joined us were asked to fill out a post-survey to gauge if the group activity had any effect on them. In almost every single post activity survey received, residents answered that playing Bingo with their community positively impacted their mental health, they would play Bingo or attend another event again, and they found it easier to build relationships with their community members while engaging in Bingo together. The community engagement surveys revealed that group activities such as bingo led to an outcome of decreased loneliness and isolation. According to the data collected, hosting and facilitating social events, specifically for older adult populations, post pandemic, is extremely beneficial to mental health and overall wellness. Conclusion Although Covid has been around for two years now, it has proven to be very difficult to navigate, especially in community settings such as this subsidized living community. This pandemic has been exceptionally problematic as facilities search for a balance betweenl encouraging social activity, and also promoting physical safety from Covid-19. While preventing the spread of the virus is certainly a priority, mental health, arguably, is just as crucial to one\u27s well-being as their physical health. The surveys collected in this project revealed that while many individuals had a strong urge to engage in social activities, a sense of loneliness in the community still exists for many people. As mentioned in other studies, there’s no “correct” way to decrease feelings of isolation as the process of overcoming this sense of remoteness may be very specific to the community. Luckily, the staff at this site are very in tune with their population and they disclosed that Bingo is a popular activity among the residents. It was important that the activity was appropriate and engaging for people of all different backgrounds as the intent of the project was to foster community engagement and improve social interactions among the group. Overall, there was a great turnout of people at both the first and second Bingo events, further exemplifying the enthusiasm many individuals shared about wanting to be more engaged in the community. Because there was such a big turnout, the group had a few challenges to overcome. Firstly, accessibility and navigation within the conference room was a little tight the first time around which the group was able to overcome by rearranging tables to accommodate for walkers and wheelchairs. Secondly, while there was a provided space and Bingo set, the budget for prizes and snacks was also very limited which led to the group contributing personal funds to the project. Lastly, while the post-surveys offered great insight, they provided information on a very small percentage of the population. The results of the surveys are from the perspective of individuals who most likely often attend group activities, which ultimately skews the information as this may not accurately represent the entirety of the population at this senior community. For a more accurate representation of the community, there would need to be a larger sample number. The project proved to be successful as many of the residents answered in their post-surveys that the Bingo event decreased feelings of loneliness and isolation, therefore positively impacting their mental health. Many of the individuals also stated in their questionnaires that they would attend more Bingo events in the future. In addition, residents were also eager to suggest other fun group activities such as painting, gardening, picnics, and dances. Moving forward, it would be beneficial for future groups to try other activities in addition to Bingo. Different events may motivate social interaction from the individuals who don’t enjoy activities such as Bingo and would facilitate a feeling of excitement in anticipation for a communal gathering that is both entertaining and interactive. This health promotion project found Bingo to be a successful event in which participants were able to maintain a safe social distance, and engage together in a fun, community activity. References Fakoya, O., McCorry, N., & Donnelly, M. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation for older adults: A scoping review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 20(129). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8251-6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). Loneliness and social isolation linked to serious health conditions. (n.d.).  https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html#:~:text=A%20report%20from%20the%20National,considered%20to%20be%20socially%20isolated Taylor, H., Wang, Y., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2018). Loneliness in senior housing communities. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(6), 623-639. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2018.1478352 Webb, L., & Chen, C. (2021). The covid-19 pandemic\u27s impact on older adults\u27 mental health: Contributing factors, coping strategies, and opportunities for improvement. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. https://doi.org:10.1002/gps.564

Implementing CommonGround in a Community Mental Health Center: Lessons in a Computerized Decision Support System

Objective: Although shared decision making (SDM) is a key element of client-centered care, it has not been widely adopted. Accordingly, interventions have been developed to promote SDM. The aim of this study was to explore the implementation process of one SDM intervention, CommonGround, which utilizes peer specialists and a computerized decision support center to promote SDM. Method: As part of a larger study, CommonGround was implemented in 4 treatment teams in a community mental health center. The implementation process was examined by conducting semistructured interviews with 12 staff members that were integral to the CommonGround implementation. Responses were analyzed using content analysis. Program fidelity and client program use were also examined. Results: Although key informants identified several client and staff benefits to using CommonGround, including improved treatment engagement and availability of peer specialists, most clients did not use CommonGround consistently throughout the implementation. Key informants and fidelity reports indicated a number of program (e.g., technological difficulties, increased staff burden) and contextual barriers (e.g., poor fit with service structure, decision support center location, low staff investment and high turnover) to the successful implementation of CommonGround. Strategies to maximize the implementation by increasing awareness, buy-in, and utilization are also reported. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: This implementation of CommonGround was limited in its success partly as a result of program and contextual barriers. Future implementations may benefit from incorporating the strategies identified to maximize implementation in order to obtain the full program benefits

Rise and Recharge: Exploring Employee Perceptions of and Contextual Factors Influencing an Individual-Level E-Health Smartphone Intervention to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Time at Work.

This feasibility study explored the contextual factors influencing office workers' adherence to an e-health intervention targeting total and prolonged sedentary time over 12 weeks. A three-arm quasi-randomized intervention included prompts at 30 or 60 min intervals delivered via a smartphone application, and a no-prompt comparison arm. Fifty-six office workers completed baseline (64% female) and 44 completed the 12 week follow-up (80% retention). Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) captured contextual data, with 82.8 ± 24.9 EMA prompt questionnaires completed weekly. Two focus groups with n = 8 Prompt 30 and 60 participants were conducted one-month post-intervention to address intervention acceptability and feasibility. Contextual findings indicate that when working on a sedentary task (i.e., reading or screen-based work) and located at an individual workstation, hourly prompts may be more acceptable and feasible for promoting a reduction in total and prolonged sedentary time compared to 30 min prompts. Interpersonal support also appears important for promoting subtle shifts in sedentary working practices. This novel study gives a real-time insight into the factors influencing adherence to e-health prompts. Findings identified unique, pragmatic considerations for delivering a workplace e-health intervention, indicating that further research is warranted to optimize the method of intervention delivery prior to evaluation of a large-scale intervention

Rise and Recharge: Effects on Activity Outcomes of an e-Health Smartphone Intervention to Reduce Office Workers' Sitting Time.

This feasibility study evaluated the effects of an individual-level intervention to target office workers total and prolonged sedentary behaviour during working hours, using an e-health smartphone application. A three-arm (Prompt-30 or 60 min Intervention arm and a No-Prompt Comparison arm), quasi-randomised intervention was conducted over 12 weeks. Behavioural outcomes (worktime sitting, standing, stepping, prolonged sitting, and physical activity) were monitored using accelerometers and anthropometrics measured at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Cardiometabolic measures were taken at baseline and 12 weeks. Fifty-six office workers (64% female) completed baseline assessments. The Prompt-60 arm was associated with a reduction in occupational sitting time at 6 (-46.8 min/8 h workday [95% confidence interval = -86.4, -6.6], p 0.05). Both Intervention arms reduced time in prolonged sitting bouts at 12 weeks (Prompt-30: -27.0 [-99.0, 45.0]; Prompt-60: -25.8 [-98.4, 47.4] min/8 h workday; both p > 0.05). There were no changes in steps or cardiometabolic risk. Findings highlight the potential of a smartphone e-health application, suggesting 60 min prompts may present an optimal frequency to reduce total occupational sedentary behaviour

Co-resident Parents and Young People Aged 15–34: Who Does What Housework?

Young adults are now more likely to co-reside with their parents than previous generations, but domestic work patterns among this family type are largely unexplored. This study addresses this issue using Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Surveys (1992, 1997, 2006) and Poisson–Gamma regression analyses. It examines patterns in and correlates of domestic labor in two-generation households in which young people aged 15–34 co-reside with their parents (n = 1,946 households comprised of 2,806 young people and 5,129 parents). It differentiates between routine indoor tasks (cooking, cleaning, laundry), non-routine tasks (outdoor work, household management and maintenance, car care) and grocery shopping. Predictors of more time in some domestic activities by young people include being in neither employment nor education/training (NEET), being older, having a single parent and being in a non-English speaking household (young women). Young people being NEET, or female, are associated with less cooking time for mothers, but in the main when young people do perform domestic activities, they do not relieve their parents of those same activities, suggesting more time is spent by the household in total

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p&lt;0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p&lt;0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p&lt;0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP &gt;5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Fear of missing out (FoMO) and rumination mediate relations between social anxiety and problematic Facebook use

Introduction: Prior research has found that psychopathology constructs such as depression and anxiety are associated with problematic use of Facebook (PFU). In the present study, we examined a structural equation model whereby depression, social anxiety and lower life satisfaction predicted PFU severity, while analyzing mediating variables including rumination, fear of missing out (FoMO), and frequency of Facebook use, as well as age and gender as covariates. Method: Participants were 296 college students administered a web survey of instruments measuring these constructs. Results: Modeling results demonstrate that FoMO and rumination were significantly related to PFU severity. Facebook use frequency was related to PFU severity. FoMO and rumination each mediated relations between social anxiety and PFU severity. Conclusions: Results are discussed in the context of prior work on FoMO and excessive technology use, as well as several relevant theoretical frameworks. Keywords: Social networking site use, Problematic social networking site use, Fear of missing out, Rumination, Social anxiet

Additional file 3 of Electronic monitoring of doffing using video surveillance to minimise error rate and increase safety at Howard Springs International Quarantine Facility

Additional file 3. Detail on methods used to estimate the daily number of staff entrances to the resident zone