Nevin Manimala

Front Public Health. 2025 Jan 14;12:1422395. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1422395. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Preventing depression among nurses is a critical issue from the perspective of occupational welfare, but associations between depressive symptoms in nurses and stress-coping strategies remain unclear.

METHODS: In the present study, an epidemiological study was conducted based on a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Data obtained from 2,534 female nurses working at three general hospitals in Tokyo, Japan, were analyzed. Participants completed a questionnaire comprising 42 items, including depressive symptoms and stress-coping strategies, in addition to sociodemographic information and perceived mental stress.

RESULTS: Our study showed that the emotional distraction strategy “Engaging in hobbies or relaxing” was negatively associated with both depressed mood and loss of interest. In addition, the problem-solving strategy “Making an effort to think optimistically” was negatively associated with loss of interest. Conversely, use of avoidant strategies was positively associated with both depressive symptoms.

DISCUSSION: Our findings may indicate the importance of focusing on types of coping styles when developing strategies to prevent depressive symptoms in nurses.

PMID:39877913 | PMC:PMC11772202 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1422395

Front Public Health. 2025 Jan 13;12:1455999. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1455999. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Female sex workers are a vulnerable hard-to-reach group. Research in this field is scarce due to several issues, such as methodological difficulties or societal stigmatization. Most of the available literature focuses on sexually transmittable diseases. This review and meta-analysis aim to compile literature on the mental health of female sex workers. We investigated the prevalence of as well as risk factors for mental disease among female sex workers globally.

METHODS: Utilizing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search across several databases, ultimately analyzing data from 80 studies comprising 24,675 individuals in total.

RESULTS: Most of the studies stemmed from the United States (n = 24), followed by China (n = 12), India (n = 7) and Kenya (n = 5). Four studies were conducted in South Africa and three in Mexico. Two studies originated from Australia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Uganda. Single studies were identified from Scotland, Switzerland, Israel, Portugal, Mongolia, Malawi, Cameroon, Ukraine, Togo, Lebanon, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Ethiopia, and Moldova. The review highlights significant heterogeneity in the prevalence of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, suicidality, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use and dependence, investigating the influence of socio-economic, legal, and individual factors on these outcomes. The meta-analysis reveals that while factors like legal status of sex work and economic conditions did not show any impact, specific demographic characteristics, notably female sex workers living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), migrant female sex workers, or female sex workers engaged in substance use, exhibit notably higher mental health challenges.

DISCUSSION: These findings suggest the critical need for targeted mental health interventions and policy reforms that consider the complex interplay of various factors affecting sex workers. Future research should focus on under-researched regions and subgroups within this population to enhance understanding and support the development of comprehensive health services.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42022312737, available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022312737.

PMID:39877911 | PMC:PMC11773154 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1455999

J Multimorb Comorb. 2025 Jan 27;15:26335565251317380. doi: 10.1177/26335565251317380. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is a growing global concern, affecting patient outcomes and healthcare costs. In low- and middle-income countries, data on multimorbidity in primary care beyond prevalence is limited. Our study explored the demographic and clinical characteristics of multimorbidity among older people attending primary health care in Malawi.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis on medical records from 15,009 older patients aged ≥50 years across three hospitals in Malawi (one tertiary, two district). Data from 2019-2021 was analyzed using R statistical software to examine patterns of multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions). Outcome estimates were adjusted for sex, age, location, and year of clinic visit.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of multimorbidity, defined across 17 recorded chronic conditions, was 19.6%. Among the 2,941 cases of multimorbidity, 2,708 (92.0%) involved two chronic conditions, while 233 (8.0%) involved three. While most conditions increased steadily in prevalence with age, diabetes followed a different pattern, with higher prevalence among individuals aged 50-59 years (53.9%) and 60-69 years (52.4%) compared to those 70 years and older (40.3%). After adjusting for clinic visit year, gender, and study location, individuals aged 70 years and older were significantly less likely to have multimorbidity compared to those aged 50-59 years (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.52-0.62, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: The study revealed a wide range of multimorbidity combinations among older people attending primary health care. Strategies to address multimorbidity in older people should include efforts to identify other, less common clusters of chronic conditions.

PMID:39877898 | PMC:PMC11773524 | DOI:10.1177/26335565251317380

Brain Behav Immun Health. 2024 Dec 30;43:100942. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100942. eCollection 2025 Feb.

ABSTRACT

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a widespread psychiatric condition impacting social and occupational functioning, making it a leading cause of disability. The diagnosis of MDD remains clinical, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 criteria, as biomarkers have not yet been validated for diagnostic purposes or as predictors of treatment response. Traditional treatment strategies often follow a one-size-fits-all approach obtaining suboptimal outcomes for many patients who fail to experience response or recovery. Several studies have reported an association between MDD and immune system dysregulation, but few have focused on the deep characterization of circulating cells, during the acute phase of MDD. This work aimed at immunophenotyping peripheral blood cells in the relapse phase of the disorder, to identify relevant cell populations for clinical monitoring of patients. Multiparametric analysis was performed on the peripheral blood of 60 MDD patients using flow cytometry to identify lymphocytes (naïve/effector, memory, regulatory) and myeloid cells (dendritic cells, monocytes). We studied the associations between immunophenotype and depressive symptoms, social and working functioning, and subjective quality of life during the acute phase and after three months of treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that CD4⁺ terminally differentiated effector memory (TEMRA) were associated with more depressive symptoms with a particular emphasis on anhedonic features and worse social and working functioning and quality of life. CD8⁺ TEMRA were associated with those depressive symptoms related to hopelessness. Conversely, ICOS + Tregs were associated with low-intensity suicidal ideation, suggestive of a protective role. Baseline T CD4⁺ effector memory (EM) was a negative predictor of reduction of depressive symptoms after three months of treatment, whilst plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) were predicting reduction of hopelessness. These results confirm the involvement of the immune system in MDD and demonstrate the existence of immunological signatures associated with the severity of major depressive episodes and treatment response that could guide clinical monitoring and future personalized therapies.

PMID:39877852 | PMC:PMC11773243 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100942

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2025 Feb;19(2):e70007. doi: 10.1111/eip.70007.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: A key factor influencing the duration of untreated psychosis is that young individuals typically do not seek help during their initial psychotic experiences. This online study aimed to explore the efficacy of preventive video interventions providing information on psychosis on the attitudes towards seeking mental health care among young adults from the general population.

METHODS: Participants (N = 147) were randomised to one of the following online conditions: a short 3-min video of an empowered patient or of a psychiatrist describing different aspects of mental illness, a short control video or no video. Then, participants answered the Inventory of Attitudes to Seeking Mental Health Services (IARSSM) to measure attitudes towards seeking mental health.

RESULTS: A Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA on the total IARSSM score revealed no significant effect of the group on attitude towards mental health care (χ2₍₃₎ = 6.52, p = 0.09). A small but statistically significant effect was found for the IARSSM factor “indifference to stigma” (χ2₍₃₎ = 8.50, p = 0.04), with slightly lower levels of indifference to stigma in the patient video group (M = 20.5, SD = 6.50) compared to the psychiatry video group (M = 24.5, SD = 4.35).

CONCLUSION: Emphasising nonconformity with mental health stereotypes, portraying positive aspects and utilising short video formats on social media platforms can potentially reduce stigma in the short term. Long-term effectiveness and identification of specific factors optimising attitudes towards mental health help-seeking warrant further investigation.

PMID:39876027 | DOI:10.1111/eip.70007

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2025 Jan 28:10406387241310900. doi: 10.1177/10406387241310900. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Compromised gill health is a critical cause of forfeited welfare in Atlantic salmon farming. Detecting and quantifying the early onset of gill disease is important to reveal initial inflicting stimuli. We collected gill samples of 45 Atlantic salmon from 2 commercial recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs) spanning fry-to-market-size fish with no clinical signs of gill disease. Gill samples were assessed histologically by 3 independent raters with different levels of experience. Semiquantitative scoring for 7 types of gill changes was carried out for 10 filaments per gill (450 filaments total) over 3 rounds on anonymized samples. Scores were summarized for each type of gill change. The assumed clinical relevance for each change was transformed into a category score, followed by an assessment of agreement within (intra) and between (inter) raters. A generalized linear model estimated the difference in score levels between raters. For each rater, intra-rater agreement was high for 6 gill changes and moderate for 1 gill change. Inter-rater agreement was moderate to almost-perfect, except for 2 gill changes; generalized linear model regression revealed systematic differences in score usage between the raters. Our scoring protocol worked satisfactorily for mucous cell amount, lamellar clubbing, lamellar hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia, and aneurysms, despite different levels of expertise in histologic evaluation. Intra-rater agreement was consistent, but differences existed for interlamellar hypercellularity, lamellar inflammation, and degeneration. Scoring subclinical gill changes is a challenge, and our scoring system for mild-to-moderate lesions may enable early intervention to limit the detrimental effects of poor gill health in RAS farming.

PMID:39876026 | DOI:10.1177/10406387241310900

BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 28;25(1):161. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12219-5.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A key concern for global public health is nosocomial infections. Essential to the fight against nosocomial infection, is healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes. Therefore, this study investigated healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward nosocomial infection at the Kiruddu Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out at Kiruddu Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. We selected the participants using simple random sampling. Data were collected from a total of 78 healthcare personnel using pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaires. We used SPSS version 20.0 for data analysis and applied descriptive statistics to present the frequencies and percentages. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between independent factors and knowledge and attitude (KA) ratings on hospital-acquired infection (HAI) prevention. P-values less than 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.

RESULTS: Among the different categories of health workers, doctors exhibited the highest level of knowledge. There was a significant association between knowledge scores and occupation (χ²LR = 25.610; P = 0.000). The mean knowledge scores across different infection prevention aspects were as follows: hand hygiene (82.2 ± 18.9), PPE use (71.8 ± 23.1), sharp disposal and sharp injuries (59.2 ± 25.7), and waste management (57.4 ± 29.9). Notably, 20.5% of participants did not change PPE between patients, and 44.9% indicated that their workload negatively impacted their ability to follow infection prevention standards.

CONCLUSION: The study highlighted gaps in healthcare personnel’s knowledge and attitudes toward infection prevention. It is therefore important to provide regular targeted training programs emphasizing underrepresented areas, PPE availability, strengthen policy enforcement, and integrate infection prevention education into medical and nursing curricula.

PMID:39876017 | DOI:10.1186/s12913-025-12219-5

BMC Psychol. 2025 Jan 28;13(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02405-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major decision-making self-efficacy (MDMSE) is an important indicator of students’ ability to make effective decisions in specialty selection. It has implications for students’ personal growth and career counselling interventions. While the previous MDMSES has been widely used in the context of China’s New College Entrance Examination reform, the increased choice of majors and advancement of career planning necessitate a new scale to assess high school students’ MDMSE levels.

METHODS: Scale items were generated based on a literature review, student interviews, and expert reviews. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were used to assess the appropriateness of the scale’s structure, and network analysis was used to calculate concurrent validity. Retest reliability was calculated to evaluate stability.

RESULTS: The MDMSES contains 24 items with five factors (Information Acquisition, Decision Persistence, Self-Determination, Self-Evaluation, and Social Support). The results show that the scale has a good five-factor structure (χ²/df = 1.91, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.05, and SRMR = 0.06), and the internal consistency reliability of the total scale is 0.91.

CONCLUSION: The scale development results satisfied the psychometric and statistical criteria, allowing the scale to be used as a means of detection to support intervention efforts for individuals with low MDMSE levels.

PMID:39876007 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-025-02405-9

World J Surg Oncol. 2025 Jan 28;23(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12957-024-03624-x.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The clinical benefits of neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer patients are controversial. This study intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy in these patients.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, 71 locally advanced gastric cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone were divided into bevacizumab plus chemo group (N = 23) and chemo group (N = 48).

RESULTS: Objective response rate (52.2% vs. 35.4%), disease control rate (91.3% vs. 81.3%), surgical resection rate (95.7% vs. 85.4%), R0 resection rate (87.0% vs. 75.0%), and the proportion of patients with tumor regression grade 0-1 (31.8% vs. 17.1%) tended to increase in bevacizumab plus chemo group versus chemo group, although there was no statistical significance. The 48-month progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 58.3% and 33.4% in bevacizumab plus chemo group and chemo group. The 48-month overall survival (OS) rates were 65.1% and 46.5% in bevacizumab plus chemo group and chemo group, respectively. PFS tended to ascend, but OS did not vary in bevacizumab plus chemo group versus chemo group. Bevacizumab plus chemo (vs. chemo) independently related to longer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.263, P = 0.015], but not OS (HR = 0.207, P = 0.056) in locally advanced gastric cancer patients. The incidence of grade 3-4 adverse events did not vary between groups (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant bevacizumab plus chemotherapy achieves higher treatment response and longer survival to some extent, with tolerable adverse events versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone in locally advanced gastric cancer patients, but its application needs further verification.

PMID:39875999 | DOI:10.1186/s12957-024-03624-x

BMC Nurs. 2025 Jan 28;24(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-02745-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Healthcare adverse events (AEs) significantly impact professionals, often leading to emotional distress and lasting effects. This study investigates the impact of AEs on healthcare professionals in Romania, focusing on nurses to examine their experiences within the patient safety culture and the psychological consequences of AEs. With a limited body of research on patient safety, adverse events, and second victims (SVs) in Romania, this study addresses a crucial gap, highlighting the need for enhanced safety culture and support mechanisms for SVs.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study in Romania targeted healthcare professionals, focusing on nurses. Utilizing online and onsite surveys facilitated by the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants in Romania, data were collected between April and June 2022, exploring AEs and related experiences. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, Student’s t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression, using SPSS version 29.0.

RESULTS: This study surveyed 995 nurses in Romania, primarily aged 31-50 (67.8%). Over half (57.9%) reported near-miss incidents, and 30.8% were aware of serious adverse events. Nurses over 50 scored higher on safety culture (20.98 vs. 20.45, p = .024) than younger nurses. Higher safety culture scores were associated with reduced negative emotional responses (e.g., guilt, anxiety, insomnia, tiredness) following AEs. Higher safety culture scores were associated with reduced negative emotional responses. Additionally, 88.9% of nurses showed interest in training for coping with adverse events, highlighting the need for supportive interventions in healthcare settings.

DISCUSSION: This study underscores the significant emotional and professional impact of AEs on nurses in Romania, highlighting ongoing challenges in healthcare environments. The positive perception of safety culture among nurses suggests a basis for improvement, while training needs underscore areas for intervention. Tackling the second victim phenomenon is crucial for maintaining patient safety.

PMID:39875993 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-025-02745-2