The STRONG STAR Consortium (South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience) and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional ...research consortia focused on the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid conditions in military personnel and veterans. This manuscript outlines the consortia's state-of-the-science collaborative research model and how this can be used as a roadmap for future trauma-related research. STRONG STAR was initially funded for 5 years in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program. Since the initial funding of STRONG STAR, almost 50 additional peer-reviewed STRONG STAR-affiliated projects have been funded through the DoD, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Institutes of Health, and private organizations. In 2013, STRONG STAR investigators partnered with the VA's National Center for PTSD and were selected for joint DoD/VA funding to establish the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. STRONG STAR and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD have assembled a critical mass of investigators and institutions with the synergy required to make major scientific and public health advances in the prevention and treatment of combat PTSD and related conditions. This manuscript provides an overview of the establishment of these two research consortia, including their history, vision, mission, goals, and accomplishments. Comprehensive tables provide descriptions of over 70 projects supported by the consortia. Examples are provided of collaborations among over 50 worldwide academic research institutions and over 150 investigators.
Menopause is one of the women’s lifespan conditions that increases the potentiality of developing multiple physical and psychological diseases. Thus, it exposes the women to many fears and pressures, ...mainly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess stressors and coping strategies among Egyptian menopausal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to identify the associated menopause complaints stressors and the types of coping strategies among 126 university working women ages 40 to 60. Three tools were used: the demographic-characteristic, menopause rating scale, and coping with menopause symptoms questionnaires. Results: The most prevalent complaints were psychological stressors with a mean of 88.8 (70.5%), where fear of infection and death by COVID-19 was the most common problem (87.3%). Further, the most coping technique used by participants was protective measures with a mean of 82.2 (65.2%). There is a highly significant difference (p=0.001) with all coping strategies based on the women’s menopausal status. Conclusion and recommendations: The COVID-19 pandemic with menopause represents a significant burden on women at a critical time of their lives. Based on the results, it is essential to address the effectiveness of highly competent nursing care and support that includes effective coping strategies. Establishing and adopting nursing care guidelines that deal with stress and caring during this pandemic is highly recommended.
Introduction: Schools of higher education can implement practices that promote educationally purposeful extracurricular activities within the context of their campus communities. Community service ...learning (CSL) activities have traditionally been used in nursing programs as graded course activities, usually in community health nursing courses. Student organizations can be instrumental in providing extracurricular ungraded opportunities for students to do CSL. This paper describes the conduct of an extracurricular CSL activity through a student organization which integrated nursing education competencies. Moreover, it determines the motivations and perceived benefits of extracurricular CSL participation among undergraduate nursing students at a minority-focused event.
Materials and Methods: The International Nursing Students Association (INSA) organized a health screening targeted towards minority populations at the 2017 Asian Festival. Students were provided with orientation and practice to conduct the screening. They were also given a chance to experience the many activities of the festival. Following the screening, the student volunteers (N=12) were surveyed to identify motivators for CSL participation; completed a survey for health screening skills and transcultural competencies before and after the event; and wrote a 6-word reflection. Quantitative data were statistically analyzed; qualitative data were analyzed for emerging themes.
Results: The predominantly female minority students (83%) joined the CSL activity for personal improvement (50%), commitment to the community (33%), and professional improvement (16%). They had significant (p<0.05) improvement in clinical skills and transcultural competencies. Reflection themes were congruent with the development of clinical skills, contribution to community health promotion, and cultural appreciation.
Conclusions: This extracurricular CSL activity improved nursing skills, transcultural competencies, community health promotion, and cultural appreciation. Knowledge of motivators can develop strategies to enhance student participation. Extracurricular CSL activities could be an avenue to integrate nursing education into real-world experiences, providing care for diverse populations.
Abstract only
Chronic stress is a risk factor and an antecedent to depression and to dysregulation of brain modulatory systems. Chronic intermittent cold (CIC) stress sensitized the increase in ...norepinephrine (NE) release in hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in response to acute stress (Mana & Grace, 1997.
Neuroscience
81:1055). Cognitive performance in an attentional set‐shifting task (AST) can be enhanced by tonic NE transmission in mPFC (Lapiz & Morilak, 2006.
Neuroscience
137:1039), and is disrupted by chronic unpredictable stress (Bondi
et al.
2007.
Neuropsychopharmacol.
e‐pub). This study addressed the effects of CIC stress on performance of rats in the AST. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats exposed to a 4°C cold room (6 hr/day × 14 days) were tested in the AST. Analyses showed a significant effect of Stress (
P =
0.043), Task (
P
< 0.0001) and a Stress × Task interaction (
P
= 0.001), with CIC‐stressed rats requiring more trials during reversal 1. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has previously been implicated in reversal tasks, possibly modulated by serotonin (5‐HT). We showed that 5‐HT depletion with
Para
‐chlorophenylalanine (200 mg/kg/day, i.p.) induced a similar selective deficit in reversal, while the CIC‐induced impairment in reversal learning was attenuated by the 5‐HT reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Citalopram (5 mg/kg, i.p.). These results indicate that the CIC stress‐induced impairment in cognitive flexibility may involve an alteration in 5‐HT function in OFC. These deficits may be relevant to the symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders that respond to SSRI treatment, i.e., depression and anxiety disorders.
Support: NIMH grant MH72672 & NARSAD Award to MDLB
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The proposed study aims to improve physical and mental health outcomes among Hispanic older adults who live alone in a low-income San Juan, Puerto Rico community through weekly PA ...groups. Specific outcomes include measures of loneliness, social isolation, depression, physical mobility, metabolic indicators, and other health indicators. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Data will be collected at three time points: Pre (Week 1), Mid (Week 6), and Post (Week 12) intervention. Currently, the community has 50 residents over 65 years old who live under the poverty index and receive multiple social benefits. Various tools will be implemented to measure loneliness (University of California Los Angeles – Loneliness Scale-10 items), social isolation (Lubben Social Network Scale-6 items), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale-10 items), physical mobility (Time Up and Go Test), metabolic health indicators (hemoglobin A1c and glucose) and other health indicators (i.e., blood pressure, cholesterol, as well as body mass index (BMI)). These measurements will determine if participation in PA groups is associated with improvement of the variables measured. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is expected that the baseline scores of older Hispanic adults in terms of loneliness, social isolation, depression, physical mobility, metabolic indicators (i.e., cholesterol level and hemoglobin A1c), and other health indicators (blood pressure or BP and BMI) will be lower compared to those after participation in the Physical Activity Program. More frequent participation will be associated with more significant improvement in measured variables. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Results from this study will determine the effectiveness of community-based PA interventions in addressing loneliness, social isolation, depression, physical mobility, and metabolic factors (hemoglobin A1c and glucose) in elderly minority Hispanic populations as a means of improving their health outcomes and quality of life.
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