Research quality and psychological theory in publications on school shooters with multiple victims : a systematic review of the literature

School shooting homicide events generate considerable attention. A substantial number of research reports have tried to explain the phenomenon. However, the outcome of these studies has produced a conflicting picture of the issue. Our systematic review explored the quality of research in publications on school shooters. Research quality was assessed concerning description of design, method, and interpretation of results according to PRISMA and CRD criteria. We investigated evidence of the impact of psychological theories on how research was designed and interpreted. A total of ten papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review. With a few exceptions the research quality was low. Only three studies contained a separate methods section. Two out of ten studies reported from an interview with a school shooter. Secondary sources such as school, hospital and/or psychological evaluations, were used in four studies, while the rest had only applied tertiary data sources. There was a void of psychological theoretical analysis to inform the creation of relevant research designs. No study discussed psychological theories to inform inference from empirical data to conclusion. Higher quality of research and enhanced focus on theoretical understanding of psychological factors in school shooting are called upon. Keywords: School shootings, homicide, violent crime, psychological theory, literature reviewpublishedVersio

Research quality and psychological theory in publications on school shooters with multiple victims - A systematic review of the literature

School shooting homicide events generate considerable attention. A substantial number of research reports have tried to explain the phenomenon. However, the outcome of these studies has produced a conflicting picture of the issue. Our systematic review explored the quality of research in publications on school shooters. Research quality was assessed concerning description of design, method and interpretation of results according to PRISMA and CRD criteria. We investigated evidence of the impact of psychological theories on how research was designed and interpreted. A total of 10 papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review. With a few exceptions, the research quality was low. Only three studies contained a separate methods section. Two out of ten studies reported from an interview with a school shooter. Secondary sources such as school, hospital and/or psychological evaluations were used in four studies, while the rest had only applied tertiary data sources. There was a void of psychological theoretical analysis to inform the creation of relevant research designs. No study discussed psychological theories to inform inference from empirical data to conclusion. Higher quality of research and enhanced focus on theoretical understanding of psychological factors in school shooting are called upon

Norwegian Data on Prevalence, Sexual Risk Behaviors, Sexual Problems, and Sexual Satisfaction in men who have sex exclusively with women, men who have sex exclusively with men, and men who have sex with men and women

This study investigates how men who have sex exclusively with women (MSEW) differ from men who have sex exclusively with men (MSEM), and men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) on selected variables. A probability-based web sample of 2,181 men was recruited. Most MSEM considered their sexual identity as gay, and most MSMW as heterosexual. The MSEM were the most frequent condom users, while MSMW were the least frequent users and had the highest number of sexual partners. The MSEM and MSMW had lower likelihood of premature ejaculation than MSEW. MSMW should be targeted in health campaigns

Increased interleukin-6 and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 are associated with respiratory failure in COVID-19

In SARS-CoV-2 infection there is an urgent need to identify patients that will progress to severe COVID-19 and may benefit from targeted treatment. In this study we analyzed plasma cytokines in COVID-19 patients and investigated their association with respiratory failure (RF) and treatment in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Hospitalized patients (n = 34) with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited into a prospective cohort study. Clinical data and blood samples were collected at inclusion and after 2–5 and 7–10 days. RF was defined as PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F) < 40 kPa. Plasma cytokines were analyzed by a Human Cytokine 27-plex assay. COVID-19 patients with RF and/or treated in ICU showed overall increased systemic cytokine levels. Plasma IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α levels were negatively correlated with P/F, whereas combinations of IL-6, IP-10, IL-1ra and MCP-1 showed the best association with RF in ROC analysis (AUC 0.79–0.80, p < 0.05). During hospitalization the decline was most significant for IP-10 (p < 0.001). Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were present in patients with severe COVID-19. IL-6 and MCP-1 were inversely correlated with P/F with the largest AUC in ROC analyses and should be further explored as biomarkers to identify patients at risk for severe RF and as targets for improved treatment strategies

Increased interleukin-6 and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 are associated with respiratory failure in COVID-19

In SARS-CoV-2 infection there is an urgent need to identify patients that will progress to severe COVID-19 and may benefit from targeted treatment. In this study we analyzed plasma cytokines in COVID-19 patients and investigated their association with respiratory failure (RF) and treatment in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Hospitalized patients (n = 34) with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited into a prospective cohort study. Clinical data and blood samples were collected at inclusion and after 2–5 and 7–10 days. RF was defined as PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F) < 40 kPa. Plasma cytokines were analyzed by a Human Cytokine 27-plex assay. COVID-19 patients with RF and/or treated in ICU showed overall increased systemic cytokine levels. Plasma IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α levels were negatively correlated with P/F, whereas combinations of IL-6, IP-10, IL-1ra and MCP-1 showed the best association with RF in ROC analysis (AUC 0.79–0.80, p < 0.05). During hospitalization the decline was most significant for IP-10 (p < 0.001). Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were present in patients with severe COVID-19. IL-6 and MCP-1 were inversely correlated with P/F with the largest AUC in ROC analyses and should be further explored as biomarkers to identify patients at risk for severe RF and as targets for improved treatment strategies

Increased interleukin-6 and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 are associated with respiratory failure in COVID-19

In SARS-CoV-2 infection there is an urgent need to identify patients that will progress to severe COVID-19 and may benefit from targeted treatment. In this study we analyzed plasma cytokines in COVID-19 patients and investigated their association with respiratory failure (RF) and treatment in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Hospitalized patients (n = 34) with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited into a prospective cohort study. Clinical data and blood samples were collected at inclusion and after 2–5 and 7–10 days. RF was defined as PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F) < 40 kPa. Plasma cytokines were analyzed by a Human Cytokine 27-plex assay. COVID-19 patients with RF and/or treated in ICU showed overall increased systemic cytokine levels. Plasma IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, MCP-1, MIP-1α levels were negatively correlated with P/F, whereas combinations of IL-6, IP-10, IL-1ra and MCP-1 showed the best association with RF in ROC analysis (AUC 0.79–0.80, p < 0.05). During hospitalization the decline was most significant for IP-10 (p < 0.001). Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were present in patients with severe COVID-19. IL-6 and MCP-1 were inversely correlated with P/F with the largest AUC in ROC analyses and should be further explored as biomarkers to identify patients at risk for severe RF and as targets for improved treatment strategies