Effects of participation in and connectedness to the LGBT community on substance use involvement of sexual minority young people

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Introduction: Research shows disproportionate levels of substance use among sexual minority young people. A range of reasons for these disparities have been suggested, including connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community. Little is known about how these constructs are related to substance use involvement in sexual minority (sub)groups or how these relationships are affected by other factors. Methods: 1266 young sexual minority Australians completed a cross-sectional online survey. Multiple regressions were conducted to assess associations between connectedness to and participation in the LGBT community on substance use involvement, before and after controlling for other factors such as substance use motives, psychological distress, wellbeing, resilience, minority stress, and age. Results/conclusion: Most participants identified as homosexual (57%, n = 726) and male (54%, n = 683). In the overall sample, participation in and connectedness the LGBT community were significantly associated with increased substance use involvement before (F(2,1263) = 35.930, p ≤ 0.001, R 2 = 0.052) and after controlling for other variables (F(8,1095) = 33.538, p ≤ 0.001, R 2 = 0.191), with meaningfully higher effect sizes for participation than for connectedness. After controlling for other variables, connectedness only remained significant for homosexuals. Effect sizes for participation were higher for females than males, and bisexuals than homosexuals. However, participation in the LGBT Community was not associated with substance use in participants identifying with a non-binary gender identity. In conclusion, substance use involvement was associated with participation in the LGBT community, but connectedness to the LGBT community only had a weak association with substance use involvement in the homosexual subgroup

Healthy Body Healthy Mind: Trialling an exercise intervention for reducing depression in youth with major depressive disorder

Introduction: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has high prevalence among adolescents and young adults but evidence of any effective treatments is limited. Exercise as an effective treatment for adults has some support but studies in younger populations are lacking. MDD is associated with inflammation and exercise may contribute to reductions in inflammatory marker levels. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of brief motivational interviewing (MI) plus 12-weeks exercise training as a treatment for MDD in youth. Methods: Youth (15-25 years) with MDD were recruited to participate in a prospective trial investigating exercise as treatment for MDD. Twenty-six participants were screened (telephone then clinical psychology diagnosis) and 13 (9 females) were eligible (MDD from SCID, no psychotic illness, not pregnant, no physical barriers to exercise, not suicidal, no major eating disorder) to participate. Participants completed assessments at baseline and after 12 weeks training, which included questionnaires: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); blood samples for analysis of inflammatory biomarkers; and fitness measures: VO2max, YMCA bench press test, and a seated horizontal leg press endurance test. Prior to commencing the training program, participants engaged in a motivational interview with a psychologist to enhance engagement with the program. IL-6 was measured by ELISA. The exercise program consisted of small group trainer-led supervised exercise (resistance and endurance) training 3 times a week (1h per session) for 12 weeks, and encouragement to do at least 30min of physical activity on other days. Paired t-tests were used to determine changes from baseline and correlations used to explore relationships between changes in depression scores, training attendance and fitness levels. Results: 12 participants (mean±SD, aged 20.7±1.7 y) completed 12-week assessments; one withdrew due to family issues. Attendance at training averaged 66±25% of sessions; 3 participants completed less than 40% of training sessions. At baseline all participants met the criteria for MDD; at 12 weeks only 2 still met the criteria; depression severity (BDI-II) decreased (p\u3c0.001) from 32±9 to12±10. Aerobic fitness levels did not change with training. YMCA bench press repetitions increased (p\u3c0.001) from 20±11 to 27±11. IL-6 decreased (p\u3c0.05) from 1.39±0.78 to 0.73±0.80 pg.mL-1. Changes in depression symptom scores were significantly correlated (p\u3c0.05) with attendance (r=0.32), improvements in bench press endurance (r=0.65) and changes in IL-6 (r=0.34). Changes in IL-6 were also correlated with attendance (r=0.60) Conclusion: Exercise training is a feasible and potentially effective intervention for MDD in youth and reductions in depression severity are associated with reductions in IL-6

Brief online negative affect focused functional imagery training improves two-week drinking outcomes in hazardous student drinkers: a pilot randomised controlled trial

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this recordBackground Negative affect plays an important role in motivating problematic alcohol use. Consequently, training imagery-based adaptive responses to negative affect could reduce problematic alcohol use. The current study tested whether personalised online functional imagery training (FIT) to utilise positive mental imagery in response to negative affect would improve drinking outcomes in hazardous negative affect drinking students. Method Participants were 52 hazardous student drinkers who drink to cope with negative affect. Participants in the active group (n = 24) were trained online over 2 weeks to respond to personalised negative drinking triggers by retrieving a personalised adaptive strategy they might use to mitigate negative affect, whereas participants in the control group (n = 28) received standard risk information about binge drinking at university. Measures of daily drinking quantity, drinking motives, self-efficacy and use of protective behavioural strategies were obtained at baseline and 2 weeks follow-up. Results There were three significant interactions between group and time in a per-protocol analysis: the active intervention group showed increased self-efficacy of control over negative affect drinking and control over alcohol consumption and decreased social drinking motives from baseline to 2-week follow-up, relative to the control intervention group. There were no effects on drinking frequency. Conclusion These findings provide initial evidence that online training to respond to negative affect drinking triggers by retrieving mental imagery of adaptive strategies can improve drinking-related outcomes in hazardous, student, negative affect drinkers. The findings support the utility of FIT interventions for substance use.Alcohol Change UKMedical Research Council (MRC

Evaluating the long-term effectiveness of school-based depression, anxiety, and substance use prevention into young adulthood: Protocol for the climate school combined study

Background: Mental health and substance use disorders are the leading causes of global disability in children and youth. Both tend to first onset or escalate in adolescence and young adulthood, calling for effective prevention during this time. The Climate Schools Combined (CSC) study was the first trial of a Web-based combined universal approach, delivered through school classes, to prevent both mental health and substance use problems in adolescence. There is also limited evidence for the cost-effectiveness of school-based prevention programs. Objective: The aim of this protocol paper is to describe the CSC follow-up study, which aims to determine the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the CSC prevention program for depression, anxiety, and substance use (alcohol and cannabis use) up to 7 years post intervention. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial (the CSC study) was conducted with 6411 participants aged approximately 13.5 years at baseline from 2014 to 2016. Participating schools were randomized to 1 of 4 conditions: (1) control (health education as usual), (2) Climate Substance Use (universal substance use prevention), (3) Climate Mental Health (universal mental health prevention), or (4) CSC (universal substance use and mental health prevention). It was hypothesized that the CSC program would be more effective than conditions (1) to (3) in reducing alcohol and cannabis use (and related harms), anxiety, and depression symptoms as well as increasing knowledge related to alcohol, cannabis, anxiety, and depression. This long-term study will invite follow-up participants to complete 3 additional Web-based assessments at approximately 5, 6, and 7 years post baseline using multiple sources of locator information already provided to the research team. The primary outcomes include alcohol and cannabis use (and related harms) and mental health symptoms. An economic evaluation of the program will also be conducted using both data linkage as well as self-report resource use and quality of life measures. Secondary outcomes include self-efficacy, social networks, peer substance use, emotion regulation, and perfectionism. Analyses will be conducted using multilevel mixed-effects models within an intention-to-treat framework. Results: The CSC long-term follow-up study is funded from 2018 to 2022 by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1143555). The first follow-up wave commences in August 2018, and the results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2022. Conclusions: This is the first study to provide a long-term evaluation of combined universal substance use and mental health prevention up to 7 years post intervention. Evidence of sustained benefits into early adulthood would provide a scalable, easy-to-implement prevention strategy with the potential for widespread dissemination to reduce the considerable harms, burden of disease, injury, and social costs associated with youth substance use and mental disorders

Validation of spinal motion with the spine reposition sense device

© 2009 Petersen and Rundquist; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

A mobile phone app to support young people in making shared decisions in therapy (Power Up): study protocol

Background: Evidence suggests that young people want to be active participants in their care and involved in decisions about their treatment. However, there is a lack of digital shared decision-making tools available to support young people in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Objective: The primary aim of this paper is to present the protocol of a feasibility trial for Power Up, a mobile phone app to empower young people in CAMHS to make their voices heard and participate in decisions around their care. Methods: In the development phase, 30 young people, parents, and clinicians will take part in interviews and focus groups to elicit opinions on an early version of the app. In the feasibility testing phase, 60 young people from across 7 to 10 London CAMHS sites will take part in a trial looking at the feasibility and acceptability of measuring the impact of Power Up on shared decision making. Results: Data collection for the development phase ended in December 2016. Data collection for the feasibility testing phase will end in December 2017. Conclusions: Findings will inform the planning of a cluster controlled trial and contribute to the development and implementation of a shared decision-making app to be integrated into CAMHS

Imaging with ultrasound in physical therapy: What is the PT’s scope of practice? A competency-based educational model and training recommendations.

Physical therapists employ ultrasound (US) imaging technology for a broad range of clinical and research purposes. Despite this, few physical therapy regulatory bodies guide the use of US imaging, and there are limited continuing education opportunities for physical therapists to become proficient in using US within their professional scope of practice. Here, we (i) outline the current status of US use by physical therapists; (ii) define and describe four broad categories of physical therapy US applications (ie, rehabilitation, diagnostic, intervention and research US); (iii) discuss how US use relates to the scope of high value physical therapy practice and (iv) propose a broad framework for a competency-based education model for training physical therapists in US. This paper only discusses US imaging— not ’therapeutic’ US. Thus, ’imaging’ is implicit anywhere the term ’ultrasound’ is used.pre-print847 K

Soccer Attenuates the Asymmetry of Rectus Abdominis Muscle Observed in Non-Athletes

Purpose: To determine the volume and degree of asymmetry of the rectus abdominis muscle (RA) in professional soccer players. Methods: The volume of the RA was determined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 15 professional male soccer players and 6 non-active male control subjects. Results: Soccer players had 26% greater RA volume than controls (P<0.05), due to hypertrophy of both the dominant (28% greater volume, P<0.05) and non-dominant (25% greater volume, P<0.01) sides, after adjusting for age, length of the RA muscle and body mass index (BMI) as covariates. Total volume of the dominant side was similar to the contralateral in soccer players (P = 0.42) and in controls (P = 0.75) (Dominant/non-dominant = 0.99, in both groups). Segmental analysis showed a progressive increase in the degree of side-to-side asymmetry from the first lumbar disc to the pubic symphysis in soccer players (r = 0.80, P<0.05) and in controls (r = 0.75, P<0.05). The slope of the relationship was lower in soccer players, although this trend was not statistically significant (P = 0.14). Conclusions: Professional soccer is associated with marked hypertrophy of the rectus abdominis muscle, which achieves a volume that is 26% greater than in non-active controls. Soccer induces the hypertrophy of the non-dominant side in proximal regions and the dominant side in regions closer to pubic symphysis, which attenuates the pattern of asymmetry of rectus abdominis observed in non-active population. It remains to be determined whether the hypertrophy of rectus abdominis in soccer players modifies the risk of injury

Low back pain in microgravity and bed rest studies

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of low back pain (LBP) for astronauts in space (68%) is higher than the 1-mo prevalence for the general population on Earth (39%). It is unclear whether differences occur between healthy subjects and astronauts with a history of LBP. Knowledge of this issue is important to assess whether a history of LBP could have an operational impact. METHODS: We evaluated LBP prospectively during short duration spaceflight (15 d; N=20) and compared this with similar data collected during two bed rest studies (N=40). Astronauts completed a questionnaire 5-10 d preflight, during each flight day, and 5-10 d postflight. RESULTS: All astronauts with a history of LBP also developed LBP in flight. These astronauts reported a significantly longer duration of LBP and a different pain location. LBP was most often experienced in the central area of the lower back during spaceflight with an incidence of 70% and a mean pain level of 3 (on a scale of 0-10). Pain resolved within 10 d of flight. No neurological signs were present. The most frequently reported countermeasure was assuming a &quot;knees to chest (fetal tuck) position&quot; combined with stretching. Greater LBP intensity was reported in spaceflight than bed rest with a trend indicating a greater number of days of pain during spaceflight. DISCUSSION: The current study represents a prospective study of LBP in spaceflight. The results indicate that LBP is self-limiting in spaceflight and should not pose an operational risk. Prior LBP on Earth appears to be a risk factor for LBP in spaceflight

Exploring the use of ultrasound imaging by physiotherapists: An international survey

Background: National surveys in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom suggest ultrasound imaging (USI) use by physiotherapists is increasing. However, concerns exist regarding clarity for scopes of practice, and availability and standardisation of training. Objectives: To investigate physiotherapists' understanding of scopes of practice for the use of USI; clarify the professional contexts, clinical uses and levels of training; and identify barriers preventing physiotherapists' USI use. Design: A cross-sectional, observational survey. Methods: An Internet-based survey, offered in 20 different languages, was used including items covering five domains: (1) demographic and professional characteristics; (2) knowledge of scope of practice; (3) USI use; (4) USI training content and duration; and (5) perceived barriers to physiotherapists' use of USI. Results: 1307 registered physiotherapists from 49 countries responded; 30% were unsure of the scope of practice for physiotherapists' USI use. 38% of participants were users of USI, reporting varied contexts and clinical uses, reflected in the broader categories of: (i) biofeedback; (ii) diagnosis; (iii) assessment; (iv) injection guidance; (v) research; (vi) and teaching. The training users received varied, with formal training more comprehensive. 62% were non-users, the most common barrier was lack of training (76%). Conclusion: These findings suggest physiotherapists' USI use is increasing in various contexts; however, there is uncertainty regarding scopes of practice. There are discrepancies in training offered, with a lack of training the most common barrier to physiotherapists' use of USI. International guidelines, including a USI training framework, are needed to support the consistent and sustainable use of USI in physiotherapy