The Role of Social Integration and Anti-Immigration Attitudes in Motivating Support for Brexit

Right-wing populism has experienced a surge in popularity among advanced democracies around the world. The success of right-wing populism has changed the course of history for the United Kingdom, which will become the first state to ever leave the European Union due to the success of Brexit. Recent research has identified several potential grievances that have motivated support for right-wing populism. The first theory points to the economic grievances that result from the economic displacement that accompanies modernization. The second theory emphasizes cultural grievances, with those that feel their traditional values have been challenged and displaced taking part in a “cultural backlash.” The declinism theory states that populism is a result of people viewing society as declining, whether that be socially, culturally, or economically. The fourth and final theory states that those who lack social recognition and respect are the most likely to feel “left behind” and support right-wing populism. This analysis will focus on the “left behind” theory which accounts for educational and class differences that past theories have not been able to explain. We hypothesize that those who feel they are no longer respected or recognized in society are the most likely to support Brexit. Using an OLS regression, we find that those who perceive themselves to be part of a lower social class, feel they are not treated with respect, and maintain anti-immigration attitudes are more likely to support Brexit

The Macroeconomic Determinants of Remittances Received in Four Regions

This paper will analyze the macroeconomic determinants of remittances received for four regions: (1) East Asia and Pacific (EAP), (2) Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), (3) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and (4) South Asia (SA). In order to better capture developing countries in these regions, high-income countries are excluded from all regions (Table 1). The macroeconomic determinants in each region will be found using multiple regression analysis and yearly remittance data from 1970 through 2016. Past findings have identified a wide variety of significant macroeconomic variables that influence remittances received by the home country

Mental health, wellbeing and resilience after the 2019-20 bushfires: The Australian national bushfire health and wellbeing survey - A preliminary report

This report provides an overview of the mental health and wellbeing following Australia’s 2019-20 bushfires, with data recorded 12-18 months after the bushfire season ended. Findings are based on 3,083 adults' responses in an online survey to standard measures of psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and posttraumatic stress disorder), loneliness, social connectedness, financial security and psychological resilience (i.e., resilient coping, posttraumatic growth and psychological wellbeing). A novel framework for classifying respondents' severity of bushfire exposure is used based on respondents' range of experiences, rather than their postal code alone. High rates of depression, anxiety and stress were recorded across the whole sample, with severity of bushfire exposure associated with greater severity of distress. For men and women with high bushfire exposure, one in five reported symptoms associated with the clinical cut-off for PTSD. Parents with dependents impacted by bushfire reported more behavioural and emotional challenges in their children than children in communities not impacted by bushfire. Psychological distress among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was especially high among women affected by bushfire, compared to Indigenous men and non-Indigenous people. Markers of psychological resilience across the whole sample included endorsement of resilient coping, personal growth and psychological wellbeing. Notably, bushfire-affected, Indigenous, and parent respondents all reported higher levels of wellbeing and growth. Six key recommendations are put forward to meet the ongoing mental health and wellbeing needs of people affected by bushfire.This research was supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Stream 2: Mental health impacts of bushfires on affected communities (Grant ID: APP1201732)

The Brief Solastalgia Scale: A Psychometric Evaluation and Revision

Witnessing degradation and loss to one’s home environment can cause the negative emotional experience of solastalgia. We review the psychometric properties of the 9-item Solastalgia subscale from the Environmental Distress Scale (Higginbotham et al. (EcoHealth 3:245–254, 2006)). Using data collected from three large, independent, adult samples (N = 4229), who were surveyed soon after the 2019/20 Australian bushfires, factor analyses confirmed the scale’s unidimensionality, while analyses derived from Item Response Theory highlighted the poor psychometric performance and redundant content of specific items. Consequently, we recommend a short-form scale consisting of five items. This Brief Solastalgia Scale (BSS) yielded excellent model fit and internal consistency in both the initial and cross-validation samples. The BSS and its parent version provide very similar patterns of associations with demographic, health, life satisfaction, climate emotion, and nature connectedness variables. Finally, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated comparable construct architecture (i.e. configural, metric, and scalar invariance) across validation samples, gender categories, and age. As individuals and communities increasingly confront and cope with climate change and its consequences, understanding related emotional impacts is crucial. The BSS promises to aid researchers, decision makers, and practitioners to understand and support those affected by negative environmental change

Integrated collaborative care teams to enhance service delivery to youth with mental health and substance use challenges : Protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

Introduction: Among youth, the prevalence of mental health and addiction (MHA) disorders is roughly 20%, yet youth are challenged to access evidence-based services in a timely fashion. To address MHA system gaps, this study tests the benefits of an Integrated Collaborative Care Team (ICCT) model for youth with MHA challenges. A rapid, stepped-care approach geared to need in a youth-friendly environment is expected to result in better youth MHA outcomes. Moreover, the ICCT approach is expected to decrease service wait-times, be more youth-friendly and familyfriendly, and be more cost-effective, providing substantial public health benefits. Methods and analysis: In partnership with four community agencies, four adolescent psychiatry hospital departments, youth and family members with lived experience of MHA service use, and other stakeholders, we have developed an innovative model of collaborative, community-based service provision involving rapid access to needs-based MHA services. A total of 500 youth presenting for hospital-based, outpatient psychiatric service will be randomised to ICCT services or hospital-based treatment as usual, following a pragmatic randomised controlled trial design. The primary outcome variable will be the youth's functioning, assessed at intake, 6 months and 12 months. Secondary outcomes will include clinical change, youth/family satisfaction and perception of care, empowerment, engagement and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Intent-to-treat analyses will be used on repeated-measures data, along with cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses, to determine intervention effectiveness. Ethics and dissemination: Research Ethics Board approval has been received from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, as well as institutional ethical approval from participating community sites. This study will be conducted according to Good Clinical Practice guidelines. Participants will provide informed consent prior to study participation and data confidentiality will be ensured. A data safety monitoring panel will monitor the study. Results will be disseminated through community and peer-reviewed academic channels

Connecting to Hong Kong

Blog created by Olivia Heffernan for the 2017 Freeman Asian Internship Progra

Right-Wing Populism under Majoritarian Conditions: A Comparison of Support for Brexit and Trump

Much of the early literature on right-wing populism in advanced democracies suggested that PR electoral rules offer an advantageous opportunity structure for the emergence and success of populist radical right (PRR) parties. By extension, scholars have assumed that, even where demand is ripe for a populist surge, majoritarian institutions will act as a bulwark against the influence of the PRR. The recent success of the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald Trump as US President challenge that orthodoxy. If those events are in fact majoritarian expressions of right-wing populist success, then support for Brexit and Donald Trump should be accounted for through models already articulated in the general literature. Recent studies suggest that those most displaced by the combination of economic and cultural changes associated with post-modernism feel that they have been “left behind.” These voters have a sense that they are not recognized, valued, or integrated into their societies. They tend to view society, the economy, and politics as being in a state of decline and are particularly vulnerable to populist promises to “take the country back” or “make the country great again.” Marshalling data from two different surveys, this study finds that those who do not feel socially recognized and maintain anti-immigration sentiments are the most likely to support Brexit, while those in the US that view society in a state of economic decline, live in rural areas, and identify as born again Christians are the most likely to support Trump. These findings are consistent with the literature and indicate that those who feel left behind are the most likely to offer their support for right-wing populist leaders and movements, even in majoritarian structures

Identifying the Needs of GLBTQ Youth in Western New York

Youth identifying as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning (GLBTQ) have historically experienced greater risk associated with their psychosocial development, interpersonal relationships, and safety when compared to their non-GLBTQ peers (Russell & Fish, 2016). While there appears to be growing acceptance of gender variance and sexual minority-identifying individuals in the nation, overall, it is unclear whether GLBTQ youth are benefiting from this change. Gay and Lesbian Youth Services (GLYS) is a local health and human service organization committed to providing an accepting environment to enhance the personal growth of GLBTQ youth. The organization is conducting a needs assessment, in collaboration with Daemen College, to identify the critical issues faced by this population. This poster presentation identifies key themes gleaned from focus groups with youth as well as key informant interviews with health and human service professionals. Specific recommendations for developing relevant services and supports are shared

Association of Congenital and Acquired Cardiovascular Conditions With COVID-19 Severity Among Pediatric Patients in the US

Importance: Identifying the associations between severe COVID-19 and individual cardiovascular conditions in pediatric patients may inform treatment. Objective: To assess the association between previous or preexisting cardiovascular conditions and severity of COVID-19 in pediatric patients. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from a large, multicenter, electronic health records database in the US. The cohort included patients aged 2 months to 17 years with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or a diagnosis code indicating infection or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 at 85 health systems between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Exposures: Diagnoses for 26 cardiovascular conditions between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019 (before infection with SARS-CoV-2). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was severe COVID-19, defined as need for supplemental oxygen or in-hospital death. Mixed-effects, random intercept logistic regression modeling assessed the significance and magnitude of associations between 26 cardiovascular conditions and COVID-19 severity. Multiple comparison adjustment was performed using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate procedure. Results: The study comprised 171 416 pediatric patients; the median age was 8 years (IQR, 2-14 years), and 50.28% were male. Of these patients, 17 065 (9.96%) had severe COVID-19. The random intercept model showed that the following cardiovascular conditions were associated with severe COVID-19: cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR], 9.92; 95% CI, 6.93-14.20), cardiogenic shock (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.90-4.96), heart surgery (OR, 3.04; 95% CI, 2.26-4.08), cardiopulmonary disease (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.56-2.34), heart failure (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.46-2.26), hypotension (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.38-1.79), nontraumatic cerebral hemorrhage (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.24-1.91), pericarditis (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.17-1.94), simple biventricular defects (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.29-1.62), venous embolism and thrombosis (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.11-1.73), other hypertensive disorders (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.09-1.63), complex biventricular defects (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.14-1.54), and essential primary hypertension (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.38). Furthermore, 194 of 258 patients (75.19%) with a history of cardiac arrest were younger than 12 years. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that some previous or preexisting cardiovascular conditions are associated with increased severity of COVID-19 among pediatric patients in the US and that morbidity may be increased among individuals children younger than 12 years with previous cardiac arrest