Experience sampling methods for the personalised prediction of mental health problems in Spanish university students: protocol for a survey-based observational study within the PROMES-U project

IntroductionThere is a high prevalence of mental health problems among university students. Better prediction and treatment access for this population is needed. In recent years, short-term dynamic factors, which can be assessed using experience sampling methods (ESM), have presented promising results for predicting mental health problems.Methods and analysisUndergraduate students from five public universities in Spain are recruited to participate in two web-based surveys (at baseline and at 12-month follow-up). A subgroup of baseline participants is recruited through quota sampling to participate in a 15-day ESM study. The baseline survey collects information regarding distal risk factors, while the ESM study collects short-term dynamic factors such as affect, company or environment. Risk factors will be identified at an individual and population level using logistic regressions and population attributable risk proportions, respectively. Machine learning techniques will be used to develop predictive models for mental health problems. Dynamic structural equation modelling and multilevel mixed-effects models will be considered to develop a series of explanatory models for the occurrence of mental health problems.Ethics and disseminationThe project complies with national and international regulations, including the Declaration of Helsinki and the Code of Ethics, and has been approved by the IRB Parc de Salut Mar (2020/9198/I) and corresponding IRBs of all participating universities. All respondents are given information regarding access mental health services within their university and region. Individuals with positive responses on suicide items receive a specific alert with indications for consulting with a health professional. Participants are asked to provide informed consent separately for the web-based surveys and for the ESM study. Dissemination of results will include peer-reviewed scientific articles and participation in scientific congresses, reports with recommendations for universities’ mental health policy makers, as well as a well-balanced communication strategy to the general public

La prevención universal del consumo de drogas en el entorno escolar: el valor de la monitorización continua

Data de publicació electrónica: 16-08-2021Este trabajo presenta la experiencia de gestión por los servicios de salud pública de la ciudad de Barcelona de dos programas de prevención universal del consumo de sustancias adictivas ofrecidos en educación secundaria, revisando el periodo de 1989-1990 a 2016-2017. Ambos programas mostraron su efectividad en evaluaciones con grupo de comparación, se promueven desde los servicios de salud pública de forma gratuita y son impartidos por los/las docentes usando manuales estandarizados, con material de apoyo y formación. La cobertura alcanzada en los últimos años ha bajado del 40% al 25% de las escuelas. Se observan cambios en la aceptación y la realización de los programas que podrían relacionarse con aspectos de seguimiento y logística de los servicios de salud pública, los cambios en la disponibilidad de sustancias psicoactivas y los recortes presupuestarios en educación. La monitorización de los programas efectivos por los servicios de salud pública es fundamental para preservar su realización

Universal prevention of substance use in school settings : the need for continuous monitoring La prevención universal del consumo de drogas en el entorno escolar: el valor de la monitorización continua

This paper documents the management of two programs for the universal prevention of substance use offered in secondary schools by the public health services of the city of Barcelona, reviewing the period from 1989-1990 to 2016-2017. Both programs had proven effectiveness in evaluations with a comparison group, they are promoted by the public health agency free of cost, and are taught by teachers, using standardized manuals with support materials and training. The coverage achieved over recent years declined from 40% to 25%. Changes observed in the acceptance and implementation of these programs could be related with logistics and follow-up by the public health services, changes in substance availability, and with budget cuts in education. The monitoring of effective programs by public health services is essential to preserve their actual implementation

Experience sampling methods for the personalised prediction of mental health problems in Spanish university students: protocol for a survey-based observational study within the PROMES-U project

Introduction: There is a high prevalence of mental health problems among university students. Better prediction and treatment access for this population is needed. In recent years, short-term dynamic factors, which can be assessed using experience sampling methods (ESM), have presented promising results for predicting mental health problems. Methods and analysis: Undergraduate students from five public universities in Spain are recruited to participate in two web-based surveys (at baseline and at 12-month follow-up). A subgroup of baseline participants is recruited through quota sampling to participate in a 15-day ESM study. The baseline survey collects information regarding distal risk factors, while the ESM study collects short-term dynamic factors such as affect, company or environment. Risk factors will be identified at an individual and population level using logistic regressions and population attributable risk proportions, respectively. Machine learning techniques will be used to develop predictive models for mental health problems. Dynamic structural equation modelling and multilevel mixed-effects models will be considered to develop a series of explanatory models for the occurrence of mental health problems. Ethics and dissemination: The project complies with national and international regulations, including the Declaration of Helsinki and the Code of Ethics, and has been approved by the IRB Parc de Salut Mar (2020/9198/I) and corresponding IRBs of all participating universities. All respondents are given information regarding access mental health services within their university and region. Individuals with positive responses on suicide items receive a specific alert with indications for consulting with a health professional. Participants are asked to provide informed consent separately for the web-based surveys and for the ESM study. Dissemination of results will include peer-reviewed scientific articles and participation in scientific congresses, reports with recommendations for universities' mental health policy makers, as well as a well-balanced communication strategy to the general public. Study registration: osf.io/p7csq

Lifetime Dual Disorder Screening and Treatment Retention : A Pilot Cohort Study

The coexistence of a substance use disorder and another mental disorder in the same individual has been called dual disorder or dual diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of lifetime dual disorder in individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorder and their retention in treatment. We conducted a pilot cohort study of individuals (n = 1356) with alcohol or cocaine use disorder admitted to treatment in the public outpatient services of Barcelona (Spain) from January 2015 to August 2017 (followed-up until February 2018). Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and a multivariable Cox regression model were estimated. The lifetime prevalence of screening positive for dual disorder was 74%. At 1 year of follow-up, >75% of the cohort remained in treatment. On multivariable analysis, the factors associated with treatment dropout were a positive screening for lifetime dual disorder (HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.00-1.60), alcohol use (HR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.04-1.77), polysubstance use (alcohol or cocaine and cannabis use) (HR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.03- 2.49) and living alone (HR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.04-1.72). Lifetime dual disorder is a prevalent issue among individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorders and could influence their dropout from treatment in public outpatient drug dependence care centres, along with alcohol use, polysubstance use and social conditions, such as living alone. We need a large-scale study with prolonged followup to confirm these preliminary results

Mental well-being of the general population: direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic, relational and health factors

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the association between individual mental well-being and social, economic, lifestyle and health factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 13,632 participants (> 15y/o) from the Catalan Health Interview Survey 2013-2016 editions. Mental well-being was assessed with the Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Linear regressions were fitted to associate well-being and sociodemographic, relational, lifestyle and health variables according to minimally sufficient adjustment sets identified using directed acyclic graphs. Predictors entered the model in blocks of variable types and analysed individually. Direct and total effects were estimated. Results: Health factors significantly contributed to mental well-being variance. Presence of a mental disorder and self-reported health had the largest effect size (eta2 = 13.4% and 16.3%). The higher individual impact from a variable came from social support (β = - 12.8, SE = 0.48, eta2 = 6.3%). A noticeable effect gradient (eta2 = 4.2%) from low to high mental well-being emerged according to economic difficulties (from β = 1.59, SE = 0.33 for moderate difficulties to β = 6.02 SE = 0.55 for no difficulties). Younger age (β = 5.21, SE = 0.26, eta2 = 3.4%) and being men (β = 1.32, SE = 0.15, eta2 = 0.6%) were associated with better mental well-being. Direct gender effects were negligible. Conclusions: This study highlights health and social support as the most associated factors with individual mental well-being over socioeconomic factors. Interventions and policies aimed to these factors for health promotion would improve population mental well-being

Lifetime dual disorder screening and treatment retention: a pilot cohort study

The coexistence of a substance use disorder and another mental disorder in the same individual has been called dual disorder or dual diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of lifetime dual disorder in individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorder and their retention in treatment. We conducted a pilot cohort study of individuals (n = 1356) with alcohol or cocaine use disorder admitted to treatment in the public outpatient services of Barcelona (Spain) from January 2015 to August 2017 (followed-up until February 2018). Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and a multivariable Cox regression model were estimated. The lifetime prevalence of screening positive for dual disorder was 74%. At 1 year of follow-up, >75% of the cohort remained in treatment. On multivariable analysis, the factors associated with treatment dropout were a positive screening for lifetime dual disorder (HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.00-1.60), alcohol use (HR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.04-1.77), polysubstance use (alcohol or cocaine and cannabis use) (HR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.03-2.49) and living alone (HR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.04-1.72). Lifetime dual disorder is a prevalent issue among individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorders and could influence their dropout from treatment in public outpatient drug dependence care centres, along with alcohol use, polysubstance use and social conditions, such as living alone. We need a large-scale study with prolonged follow-up to confirm these preliminary results

Catalonia Suicide Risk Code Epidemiology (CSRC-Epi) study: protocol for a population-representative nested case-control study of suicide attempts in Catalonia, Spain

Introduction: Suicide attempts represent an important public health burden. Centralised electronic health record (EHR) systems have high potential to provide suicide attempt surveillance, to inform public health action aimed at reducing risk for suicide attempt in the population, and to provide data-driven clinical decision support for suicide risk assessment across healthcare settings. To exploit this potential, we designed the Catalonia Suicide Risk Code Epidemiology (CSRC-Epi) study. Using centralised EHR data from the entire public healthcare system of Catalonia, Spain, the CSRC-Epi study aims to estimate reliable suicide attempt incidence rates, identify suicide attempt risk factors and develop validated suicide attempt risk prediction tools. Methods and analysis: The CSRC-Epi study is registry-based study, specifically, a two-stage exposure-enriched nested case-control study of suicide attempts during the period 2014-2019 in Catalonia, Spain. The primary study outcome consists of first and repeat attempts during the observation period. Cases will come from a case register linked to a suicide attempt surveillance programme, which offers in-depth psychiatric evaluations to all Catalan residents who present to clinical care with any suspected risk for suicide. Predictor variables will come from centralised EHR systems representing all relevant healthcare settings. The study's sampling frame will be constructed using population-representative administrative lists of Catalan residents. Inverse probability weights will restore representativeness of the original population. Analysis will include the calculation of age-standardised and sex-standardised suicide attempt incidence rates. Logistic regression will identify suicide attempt risk factors on the individual level (ie, relative risk) and the population level (ie, population attributable risk proportions). Machine learning techniques will be used to develop suicide attempt risk prediction tools. Ethics and dissemination: This protocol is approved by the Parc de Salut Mar Clinical Research Ethics Committee (2017/7431/I). Dissemination will include peer-reviewed scientific publications, scientific reports for hospital and government authorities, and updated clinical guidelines.This project was supported by ISCIII/FEDER PI17/00521, ISCIII/FEDER PI17/01205, and Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 452). The Catalonia Suicide Risk Code surveillance programme is an initiative of the Mental Health and Addictions Plan of the Department of Health of the Catalan Government. PM has a Sara Borrell research contract awarded by the ISCIII (CD18/00049). ME has a Juan de la Cierva research contract awarded by the ISCIII (FJCI-2017–31738). VPS and ME want to thank unrestricted research funding from Secretaria d′Universitats i Recerca del Departament d′Economia i Coneixement (2017 SGR 134 to ‘Mental Health Research Group’), and Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia). BPG and ADIT received funding from ISCIII FI18/00012 and FPU2017-06447, respectively. LBC received funding by Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU15/05728). DP and JA received funding by ISCIII/FEDER PI17/01205