Toward Sustainable and Comprehensive Control of Schistosomiasis in China: Lessons from Sichuan

Triggered by a fascinating publication in the New England Journal of Medicine detailing China's new multi-pronged strategy to control and eventually interrupt the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum, this PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Debate critically examines the generalizability and financial costs of the studies presented from the marshlands of the lake region. Edmund Seto from the University of California and colleagues emphasize that the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis varies according to the social-ecological context. They conjecture that the successful intervention packages piloted in the lake region is not fully fit for the hilly and mountainous environments in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and hence call for more flexible, setting-specific, and less expensive control strategies. In response, Xiao-Nong Zhou from the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases at the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues explain the steps from designing pilot studies to the articulation and implementation of a new national control strategy through a careful process of scaling-up and adaptations. Finally, the two opponents converge. The need for integrated, intersectoral, and setting-specific control measures is stressed, supported by rigorous surveillance and continuous research. Experiences and lessons from China are important for shaping the schistosomiasis elimination agenda

The Relationship between Mother’s Child Abuse Potential and Current Mental Health Symptoms: Implications for Screening and Referral

This analysis examined data from mothers at 2 of the 9 sites participating in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration\u27s (SAMHSA\u27s) national Women Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS). According to previous literature, it was hypothesized that women in the WCDVS would be at high risk of perpetrating child abuse. This research examined mothers\u27 potential for physical child abuse and assessed the association between child abuse potential, current mental health symptoms, alcohol and drug use severity, and trauma. Results revealed that participants had significant potential for child abuse. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that current mental health symptoms were the strongest predictor of mothers\u27 scores on the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory. This study highlights the important relationships between commonly used instruments across the mental health, substance, and child welfare fields and the potential dual use of these instruments. Implications for policy and practice are discussed