Qualitative exploration of the potential for adverse events when using an online peer support network for mental health: Cross-sectional survey

Background: Online peer support networks are a growing area of mental health support for offering social connection, identity, and support. However, it has been reported that not all individuals have a positive experience on such networks. The potential for adverse events within a moderated online peer support network is a new area of research exploration. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine if use of an online moderated peer networks leads to adverse events for users. Methods: Four biannual online surveys (October 2014 to March 2016) were conducted by a large national UK mental health charity, with users of their online peer support network exploring personal safety, moderation, experiences on the site, and how the site could be improved. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis by 2 independent researchers using a priori themes: negative experiences of moderation, social exclusion, contagion, negative interactions with other users, online relationships, co-rumination and collusion, and other. Results: In total, 2353 survey responses were logged with 197 (8.37%) documenting an adverse event of negative experience. A dominant theme of negative experiences of moderation emerged (73/197, 37.1%) with evidence of social exclusion (50/197, 25.4%). Reading user posts was shown to be a cause of worry and distress for a few users, and analysis highlighted several instances of depressogenic and emotional contagion as well as some limited evidence of behavioral contagion (46/197, 23.4%). Very limited evidence of co-rumination (1/197, 0.5%) and no evidence of collusion were identified. Conclusions: Evidence of adverse events was identified at low levels in the sample of respondents, although we have no comparison data to indicate if levels are low compared with comparable platforms. Not all users of online peer support networks find them wholly beneficial. Research must explore what works for whom. The next stage of service development should consider which users may be likely to receive no benefit, or even deteriorate, as a result of using the service

Mapping Flow-Obstructing Structures on Global Rivers

To help store water, facilitate navigation, generate energy, mitigate floods, and support industrial and agricultural production, people have built and continue to build obstructions to natural flow in rivers. However, due to the long and complex history of constructing and removing such obstructions, we lack a globally consistent record of their locations and types. Here, we used a consistent method to visually locate and classify obstructions on 2.1 million km of large rivers (width ≥30 m) globally. We based our mapping on Google Earth Engine’s high resolution images, which for many places have meter-scale resolution. The resulting Global River Obstruction Database (GROD) consists of 30,549 unique obstructions, covering six different obstruction types: dam, lock, low head dam, channel dam, and two types of partial dams. By classifying a subset of the obstructions multiple times, we are able to show high classification consistency (87% mean balanced accuracy) for the three types of obstructions that fully intersect rivers: dams, low head dams, and locks. The classification of the three types of partial obstructions are somewhat less consistent (61% mean balanced accuracy). Overall, by comparing GROD to similar datasets, we estimate GROD likely captured >90% of the obstructions on large rivers. We anticipate that GROD will be of wide interest to the hydrological modeling, aquatic ecology, geomorphology, and water resource management communities

Longitudinal relationships between visual acuity and severe depressive symptoms in older adults: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation study

OBJECTIVES: To assess the longitudinal relationship between visual acuity (VA) and depressive symptoms (DS) among older adults. METHODS: A population-based sample of 2,520 white and black individuals aged 65–84 years in 1993–1995 were assessed at baseline and at two, six, eight years later. Presenting and best-corrected visual acuity were assessed using ETDRS chart. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Severe Depression subscale of GHQ-28. Latent Growth Curve models estimated visual acuity and depressive symptom trajectories and age-adjusted associations between trajectories. RESULTS: Best-corrected logMAR VA worsened over time (slope=0.026, intercept=0.013, both p<0.001). No change in DS over time was observed (slope=−0.001, p=0.762; intercept=1.180, p<0.001). However, a small change in DS was observed in participants who completed all rounds (slope=0.005, p=0.015). Baseline VA levels correlated with baseline DS levels (r=0.14, p<0.001). Baseline DS were associated with best-corrected VA change (r=0.17, p=0.01). Baseline best-corrected VA was not associated with DS change (r=0.017, p=0.8). Best-corrected VA change was not significantly associated with depressive symptom change (r=−0.03, p=0.7). DISCUSSION: Depressive symptoms are significantly associated with visual acuity cross-sectionally, and persons with higher baseline DS scores were more likely to experience worsening VA over time. The complex relationship between visual impairment and DS suggests the need for a continued effort to detect and treat both visual decline and severe depressive symptoms in a growing elderly population

The impact of secondary notation on process model understanding

Models of business processes are usually created and presented using some visual notation. In this way, one can express important activities, milestones, and actors of a process using interconnected graphical symbols. While it has been established for other types of models that their graphical layout is a factor in making sense of these, this aspect has not been investigated in the business process modeling area. This paper proposes a set of propositions about the effects of the secondary notation, which entails layout, on process model comprehension. While individual graphical readership and pattern recognition skills are known mediators in interpreting visual cues, these propositions take expertise into account. The goal of this paper is to lay the foundation of follow-up, empirical investigations to challenge these propositions