Teachers’ Experiences with and Helping Behaviour Towards Students with Mental Health Problems

The aim of the current study was to examine secondary school teachers’ experiences with and helping behaviour towards students with mental health problems. Data from 176 teachers were analysed. Altogether, 91.5% of participating teachers reported that they already had students with a mental health problem (particularly mood disorders) in their classes. About ¾ of teachers (74.7%) were also willing to help a student with a mental health problem, particularly by listening attentively or by recommending professional help. The self-rated mental health literacy of teachers was significantly and positively associated with help provision and with the assessment that ‘asking students about suicidal thoughts’ is helpful. In contrast, the perception of not having the necessary experience/training to help or that other people are better suited to help were seen as barriers to providing help. Based on the results, it is concluded that increasing teachers’ mental health literacy and the confidence in their ability to help (including asking students about suicidal thoughts) might increase their helping behaviour directed towards students with mental health problems

The Swiss Youth Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Survey: Study methodology, survey questions/vignettes, and lessons learned

Background and objectives Mental health literacy and stigma towards mentally ill people have hitherto mainly been studied in relation to depression and schizophrenia and in adult samples. The Swiss Youth Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Survey (SYMHLSS) was planned and carried out to address these gaps. The aims of this article are to (1) outline and reflect on the methodology of the SYMHLSS in order to build a sound methodological foundation for preparing and conducting similar future surveys; and (2) advance school-based survey methods more generally. Methods The Australian National Survey of Youth Mental Health Literacy and Stigma (telephone survey) served as basis for the Swiss survey. As in the Australian survey, vignettes describing a person with a mental disorder were the core element to which most subsequent survey questions referred. Five vignettes were used in the online-based Swiss survey that used a representative school-based sample of roughly 5000 students: (1) depression; (2) alcohol abuse; (3) depression and alcohol abuse combined; (4) schizophrenia, and (5) social anxiety disorder. Results and conclusions The current paper describes (1) the aims and research questions of the SYMHLSS against the backdrop of some essential research gaps in the field; (2) the rationale for selecting the particular vignettes mentioned above; (3) the adaption and development process of the SYMHLSS (including pilot testing); (4) the reasoning for using a school-based online survey with in situ guidance of research staff; (5) and methodological insights gained during data collection. The provided information might be used as guiding references for other researchers who aim to adapt and develop vignette-based surveys in the field of mental health literacy or stigmatizing attitudes or who are planning a school-based online survey with in situ presence of research staff

LDC debt rescheduling: calculating who gains, who loses

Developing countries ; Loans, Foreign

Understanding the relationship between physical activity and physical self-perception in adolescent females: the role of body image

The aim of this study was to explore the role of body image concern in the relationship between physical activity and physical self-concept. A total of 441 Spanish adolescent college females aged 12 to 17 completed the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire (CAF), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and Gardner´s Scale for the Assessment of Body Image. Data on body mass index (BMI) and participation in physical activity were also collected. The results showed a positive relationship between physical activity and physical self-concept with all its subdimensions, as well as general self-concept. This relationship was notably higher in the absence of body image concern. However, no relationship was found between exercise and the subdimension of body attractiveness in the case of adolescents who were dissatisfied with their bodies. This emphasizes the importance of a healthy body image in shaping an adolescent female’s self-concept

Time-sequenced Multi-Radio-Frequency Observations of Cygnus X-3 in Flare

Multifrequency observations from the VLA, VLBA and OVRO Millimeter Array of a major radio outburst of Cygnus X-3 in 2001 September are presented, measuring the evolution of the spectrum of the source over three decades in frequency, over a period of six days. Following the peak of the flare, as the intensity declines the high-frequency spectrum at frequency nu steepens from nu^{-0.4} to nu^{-0.6}, after which the spectral index remains at this latter terminal value; a trend previously observed but hitherto not satisfactorily explained. VLBA observations, for the first time, track over several days the expansion of a sequence of knots whose initial diameters are approximately 8 milliarcseconds. The light-crossing time within these plasmons is of the same order as the time-scale over which the spectrum is observed to evolve. We contend that properly accounting for light-travel time effects in and between plasmons which are initially optically thick, but which after expansion become optically thin, explains the key features of the spectral evolution, for example the observed timescale. Using the VLBA images, we have directly measured for the first time the proper motions of individual knots, analysis of which shows a two-sided jet whose axis is precessing. The best-fit jet speed is roughly beta = 0.63 and the precession period is about 5 days, significantly lower than fitted for a previous flare. Extrapolation of the positions of the knots measured by the VLBA back to zero-separation shows this to occur approximately 2.5 days after the detection of the rise in flux density of Cygnus X-3.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Ap

Exploring the evidence base for national and regional policy interventions to combat resistance

The effectiveness of existing policies to control antimicrobial resistance is not yet fully understood. A strengthened evidence base is needed to inform effective policy interventions across countries with different income levels and the human health and animal sectors. We examine three policy domains—responsible use, surveillance, and infection prevention and control—and consider which will be the most effective at national and regional levels. Many complexities exist in the implementation of such policies across sectors and in varying political and regulatory environments. Therefore, we make recommendations for policy action, calling for comprehensive policy assessments, using standardised frameworks, of cost-effectiveness and generalisability. Such assessments are especially important in low-income and middle-income countries, and in the animal and environmental sectors. We also advocate a One Health approach that will enable the development of sensitive policies, accommodating the needs of each sector involved, and addressing concerns of specific countries and regions

Pathogenic Parkinson’s disease mutations across the functional domains of LRRK2 alter the autophagic/lysosomal response to starvation

LRRK2 is one of the most important genetic contributors to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Point mutations in this gene cause an autosomal dominant form of PD, but to date no cellular phenotype has been consis- tently linked with mutations in each of the functional domains (ROC, COR and Kinase) of the protein product of this gene. In this study, primary fibroblasts from individuals carrying pathogenic mutations in the three central domains of LRRK2 were assessed for alterations in the autophagy/lysosomal pathway using a combination of biochemical and cellular approaches. Mutations in all three domains resulted in alterations in markers for autophagy/lysosomal function compared to wild type cells. These data high- light the autophagy and lysosomal pathways as read outs for pathogenic LRRK2 function and as a marker for disease, and provide insight into the mechanisms linking LRRK2 function and mutations

The Clinical Promise of Biomarkers of Synapse Damage or Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease

BACKGROUND: Synapse damage and loss are fundamental to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and lead to reduced cognitive function. The goal of this review is to address the challenges of forging new clinical development approaches for AD therapeutics that can demonstrate reduction of synapse damage or loss. The key points of this review include the following: Synapse loss is a downstream effect of amyloidosis, tauopathy, inflammation, and other mechanisms occurring in AD.Synapse loss correlates most strongly with cognitive decline in AD because synaptic function underlies cognitive performance.Compounds that halt or reduce synapse damage or loss have a strong rationale as treatments of AD.Biomarkers that measure synapse degeneration or loss in patients will facilitate clinical development of such drugs.The ability of methods to sensitively measure synapse density in the brain of a living patient through synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, concentrations of synaptic proteins (e.g., neurogranin or synaptotagmin) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or functional imaging techniques such as quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) provides a compelling case to use these types of measurements as biomarkers that quantify synapse damage or loss in clinical trials in AD. CONCLUSION: A number of emerging biomarkers are able to measure synapse injury and loss in the brain and may correlate with cognitive function in AD. These biomarkers hold promise both for use in diagnostics and in the measurement of therapeutic successes