68 research outputs found
Could a brief assessment of negative emotions and self-esteem identify adolescents at current and future risk of self-harm in the community? A prospective cohort analysis
Background: Self-harm is common in adolescents, but it is often unreported and undetected. Available screening
tools typically ask directly about self-harm and suicidal ideation. Although in an ideal world, direct enquiry and
open discussion around self-harm would be advocated, non-psychiatric professionals in community settings are
often reluctant to ask about this directly and disclosure can be met with feeling of intense anxiety. Training
non-specialist staff to directly ask about self-harm has limited effects suggesting that alternative approaches are
required. This study investigated whether a targeted analysis of negative emotions and self-esteem could identify
young adolescents at risk of self-harm in community settings.
Methods: Data were collected as part of a clinical trial from young people in school years 8–11 (aged 12–16) at
eight UK secondary schools (N = 4503 at baseline, N = 3263 in prospective analysis). The Short Mood and Feelings
Questionnaire, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, personal failure (Children’s
Automatic Thoughts Scale), and two items on self-harm were completed at baseline, 6 and 12 months.
Results: Following a process of Principal Components Analysis, item reduction, and logistic regression analysis,
three internally reliable factors were identified from the original measures that were independently associated with
current and future self-harm; personal failure (3 items), physical symptoms of depression/anxiety (6 items), positive
self-esteem (5 items). The summed score of these 14 items had good accuracy in identifying current self-harm
(AUC 0.87 girls, 0.81 boys) and at six months for girls (0.81), and fair accuracy at six months for boys (AUC 0.74) and
12 months for girls (AUC 0.77).
Conclusions: A brief and targeted assessment of negative emotions and self-esteem, focusing on factors that are
strongly associated with current and future self-harm, could potentially be used to help identify adolescents who
are at risk in community settings. Further research should assess the psychometric properties of the items identified
and test this approach in more diverse community contexts
Over-the-Counter Monocyclic Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Environment—Sources, Risks, Biodegradation
Recently, the increased use of monocyclic
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has resulted in
their presence in the environment. This may have
potential negative effects on living organisms. The
biotransformation mechanisms of monocyclic nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs in the human body
and in other mammals occur by hydroxylation and
conjugation with glycine or glucuronic acid.
Biotransformation/biodegradation of monocyclic
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the environment
may be caused by fungal or bacterial microorganisms.
Salicylic acid derivatives are degraded by
catechol or gentisate as intermediates which are
cleaved by dioxygenases. The key intermediate of
the paracetamol degradation pathways is hydroquinone.
Sometimes, after hydrolysis of this drug, 4-
aminophenol is formed, which is a dead-end metabolite.
Ibuprofen is metabolized by hydroxylation or
activation with CoA, resulting in the formation of
isobutylocatechol. The aim of this work is to attempt
to summarize the knowledge about environmental risk
connected with the presence of over-the-counter antiinflammatory
drugs, their sources and the biotransformation
and/or biodegradation pathways of these
drugs
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