"I value music so much more": The impact of COVID-19 on the value of music listening

This study explores people’s contemporary (and technologically-mediated) listening practices while accounting for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It extends our previous work (Krause et al., 2021) which explored young adults' consideration of the value of music listening. Previously, almost one-third of participants stated that music listening was an activity they valued and appreciated because of its beauty and/or the enjoyment they received from listening, suggesting respondents placed value in music listening as a ‘means in and of itself’ – a phrase supported by philosophical and ethical considerations of intrinsic value. Our previous data acknowledged music’s intrinsic value, irrespective of tandem extrinsic motivations they may have had for using music to fulfill various functions. Recent studies have found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults consumed more media content (music listening, television, social media, video games) as a coping mechanism due to significant restrictions on movement. Therefore, in this study we interrogate whether the value young adults attribute to music listening has changed during the pandemic, and if so, how? We asked participants (N = 153; Mage = 19.74, SDage = 3.01) to complete an online survey. A thematic analysis of open-text survey responses is currently underway. These findings will advance our understanding not only of the impact of the pandemic, but also on how individual music listening practices and experiences are valued

Cultivating self-compassion through music listening

Music listening exerts a powerful effect on human emotion. However, self-compassion, a strong predictor of mental health, has received little attention in existing music listening literature. As such, this study seeks to advance the current literature by investigating music listening and its role in cultivating self-compassion with a primary focus on its three key aspects: self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, as well as its opposite elements: self-judgement, isolation, and overidentification. As a result of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many people have experienced increased mental health concerns, feelings of isolation, and depression, with research indicating that young adults are using music as a coping mechanism during the pandemic. A total of 153 university students residing in Australia aged 18 – 33 years (M = 19.84, SD = 3.01) completed a mixed-methods questionnaire measuring self-compassion, music listening preferences, and well-being. Preliminary results indicate that 81% of the sample experienced self-compassion while listening to music during the Covid-19 pandemic, while 32% experienced it’s opposite. A thematic analysis of the open-ended responses regarding individual experiences of self-compassion as a result of listening to music is currently underway. The findings aim to enrich existing literature on music and emotions, build on previous studies demonstrating self-compassion's ability to improve mental health and broaden understanding of the pandemic's impact

A catalyst for self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of music listening

Introduction: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have experienced increased mental health concerns (Williams et al., 2020). As a response to these challenging circumstances, young adults have increasingly turned to music as a coping mechanism (Wulf et al., 2022). Indeed, music listening can have a profound impact on human emotions (Juslin & Laukka, 2004). However, existing literature on music listening has limited focus on self-compassion, which involves acknowledging, alleviating, and preventing personal suffering (Gilbert, 2010). Given the correlation between mental health and self-compassion (Inwood & Ferrari, 2018), this study aimed to explore the role everyday music listening plays in cultivating self-compassion. Methods: A total of 296 Australian university students aged 17-33 years (M = 19.32, SD = 2.37) completed a mixed-methods questionnaire on self-compassion and music listening. Participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF) (Raes et al., 2010), along with an author adapted version of the SCS-SF to explore music listening's role in fostering self-compassion. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions, exploring experiences of music listening and its impact on self-compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Results indicate that 82% of participants experienced self-compassion while listening to music during the pandemic, with 87% reporting an increase in this listening outcome since the pandemic began. Thematic analysis suggests that music listening fosters self-compassion across various areas, including emotion regulation, cognition, connection, and outlet. Discussion: This study provides new insight into how self-compassion and music listening are connected, particularly in challenging circumstances like the pandemic. Future research could consider alternative frameworks to gain a more comprehensive understanding of self-compassion. Conclusion: As this research explores the relationship between music and self-compassion, it allows us to gain a deeper understanding of people's musical lives during a historical moment of challenge and collective trauma. These findings have implications when considering the possible process loop of how music listening cultivates self-compassion in turn improving mental health

Postmortem changes in brain cell structure: a review

Brain cell structure is a key determinant of neural function that is frequently altered in neurobiological disorders. Following the global loss of blood flow to the brain that initiates the postmortem interval (PMI), cells rapidly become depleted of energy and begin to decompose. To ensure that our methods for studying the brain using autopsy tissue are robust and reproducible, there is a critical need to delineate the expected changes in brain cell morphometry during the PMI. We searched multiple databases to identify studies measuring the effects of PMI on the morphometry (i.e. external dimensions) of brain cells. We screened 2119 abstracts, 361 full texts, and included 172 studies. Mechanistically, fluid shifts causing cell volume alterations and vacuolization are an early event in the PMI, while the loss of the ability to visualize cell membranes altogether is a later event. Decomposition rates are highly heterogenous and depend on the methods for visualization, the structural feature of interest, and modifying variables such as the storage temperature or the species. Geometrically, deformations of cell membranes are common early events that initiate within minutes. On the other hand, topological relationships between cellular features appear to remain intact for more extended periods. Taken together, there is an uncertain period of time, usually ranging from several hours to several days, over which cell membrane structure is progressively lost. This review may be helpful for investigators studying human postmortem brain tissue, wherein the PMI is an unavoidable aspect of the research

Classical sickle beta-globin haplotypes exhibit a high degree of long-range haplotype similarity in African and Afro-Caribbean populations

Background: The sickle (βs) mutation in the beta-globin gene (HBB) occurs on five "classical" βs haplotype backgrounds in ethnic groups of African ancestry. Strong selection in favour of the βs allele - a consequence of protection from severe malarial infection afforded by heterozygotes - has been associated with a high degree of extended haplotype similarity. The relationship between classical βs haplotypes and long-range haplotype similarity may have both anthropological and clinical implications, but to date has not been explored. Here we evaluate the haplotype similarity of classical βs haplotypes over 400 kb in population samples from Jamaica, The Gambia, and among the Yoruba of Nigeria (Hapmap YRI). Results: The most common βs sub-haplotype among Jamaicans and the Yoruba was the Benin haplotype, while in The Gambia the Senegal haplotype was observed most commonly. Both subtypes exhibited a high degree of long-range haplotype similarity extending across approximately 400 kb in all three populations. This long-range similarity was significantly greater than that seen for other haplotypes sampled in these populations (P < 0.001), and was independent of marker choice and marker density. Among the Yoruba, Benin haplotypes were highly conserved, with very strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) extending a megabase across the βs mutation. Conclusion: Two different classical βs haplotypes, sampled from different populations, exhibit comparable and extensive long-range haplotype similarity and strong LD. This LD extends across the adjacent recombination hotspot, and is discernable at distances in excess if 400 kb. Although the multicentric geographic distribution of βs haplotypes indicates strong subdivision among early Holocene sub-Saharan populations, we find no evidence that selective pressures imposed by falciparum malaria varied in intensity or timing between these subpopulations. Our observations also suggest that cis-acting loci, which may influence outcomes in sickle cell disease, could lie considerable distances away from β-globin

Cross sectional analysis of depression amongst Australian rural business owners following cyclone-related flooding

Background: Flooding is an increasingly prevalent natural hazard worldwide and can have a profound impact on the mental health of those directly and indirectly affected. Little is known about the impact on business owners, who may be particularly vulnerable to the mental health complications of flooding given the additional economic stressors. Methods: A large cross-sectional survey was conducted six months after severe flooding in the rural Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in 2017. The survey assessed demographics, probable depression (using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2), flood exposure, flood-related financial factors, prior flood exposure and support from various organisations. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of probable depression in 653 of the 745 participants who identified as business owners. Results: The prevalence of probable depression in our sample was 17.0%. A quarter (25.1%) of business owners whose business was flooded suffered from probable depression, compared to 12.4% of non-flooded business owners. The multivariable model for probable depression demonstrated elevated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for business owners who had to evacuate their business (AOR = 2.11, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.25–3.57) compared to those who did not evacuate. Insurance disputes/rejections were a strong predictor for probable depression (AOR = 3.76, CI 1.86–7.60). Those whose income was reduced due to the flood and had not returned to normal six months post-flood demonstrated an increased AOR for probable depression (AOR 2.53, CI 1.26–5.07) compared to those whose income had returned to normal. The univariable analysis found elevated crude odds ratios (OR) for the cumulative effect of multiple flood exposures and unmet support needs by the state government (OR = 2.74, CI 1.12–6.68). The majority of business owners felt their needs were not met by most organisations providing flood-related support. Conclusion: The impact of flood exposure and flood-related financial factors on probable depression was highly significant for the business owner population. Furthermore, business owners felt under-supported by flood-related services. These findings highlight the vulnerability of exposed business owners and the need for increased support. Disaster planning programs in conjunction with system level changes such as infrastructure and education are vital for disaster preparedness

Reliability of Routinely Collected Hospital Data for Child Maltreatment Surveillance

Background: Internationally, research on child maltreatment-related injuries has been hampered by a lack of available routinely collected health data to identify cases, examine causes, identify risk factors and explore health outcomes. Routinely collected hospital separation data coded using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) system provide an internationally standardised data source for classifying and aggregating diseases, injuries, causes of injuries and related health conditions for statistical purposes. However, there has been limited research to examine the reliability of these data for child maltreatment surveillance purposes. This study examined the reliability of coding of child maltreatment in Queensland, Australia. Methods: A retrospective medical record review and recoding methodology was used to assess the reliability of coding of child maltreatment. A stratified sample of hospitals across Queensland was selected for this study, and a stratified random sample of cases was selected from within those hospitals. Results: In 3.6% of cases the coders disagreed on whether any maltreatment code could be assigned (definite or possible) versus no maltreatment being assigned (unintentional injury), giving a sensitivity of 0.982 and specificity of 0.948. The review of these cases where discrepancies existed revealed that all cases had some indications of risk documented in the records. 15.5% of cases originally assigned a definite or possible maltreatment code, were recoded to a more or less definite strata. In terms of the number and type of maltreatment codes assigned, the auditor assigned a greater number of maltreatment types based on the medical documentation than the original coder assigned (22% of the auditor coded cases had more than one maltreatment type assigned compared to only 6% of the original coded data). The maltreatment types which were the most ‘under-coded’ by the original coder were psychological abuse and neglect. Cases coded with a sexual abuse code showed the highest level of reliability. Conclusion: Given the increasing international attention being given to improving the uniformity of reporting of child-maltreatment related injuries and the emphasis on the better utilisation of routinely collected health data, this study provides an estimate of the reliability of maltreatment-specific ICD-10-AM codes assigned in an inpatient setting