ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness and low mental health literacy have been identified as links to social adversity, and barriers to seeking and adhering to treatment ...among adolescents suffering from mental illness. Prior research has found that it is possible to improve these outcomes using school‐based mental health awareness interventions. The purpose of this study was to review empirical literature pertaining to universal mental health awareness interventions aiming to improve mental health related outcomes among students enrolled in US K‐12 schools, especially minorities vulnerable to health disparities.
METHODS:
PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, PUBMED, and reference lists of relevant articles were searched for K‐12 school‐based mental health awareness interventions in the United States. Universal studies that measured knowledge, attitudes, and/or help‐seeking pertinent to mental health were included.
RESULTS:
A total of 15 studies were selected to be part of the review. There were 7 pretest/post‐test case series, 5 nonrandomized experimental trial, 1 Solomon 4‐groups, and 2 randomized controlled trial (RCT) designs. Nine studies measuring knowledge, 8 studies measuring attitudes, and 4 studies measuring help‐seeking, indicated statistically significant improvements.
CONCLUSIONS:
Although results of all studies indicated some level of improvement, more research on implementation of universal school‐based mental health awareness programs is needed using RCT study designs, and long‐term follow‐up implementation.
In the wake of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the psychological consequences that will follow, it is critical to acknowledge and understand the unique vulnerabilities of lesbian, ...gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) populations in order to provide equitable mental health intervention that reaches these highly at-risk groups. It is well established that LGBTQ persons face social disadvantages and mental health disparities, which may be exacerbated as a result of COVID-19 pandemic trauma and social isolation measures. This commentary highlights structural, social, and individual-level challenges among LGBTQ populations in the context of COVID-19 and proposes prevention recommendations to mitigate the psychological ramifications of COVID-19 pandemic-related trauma among LGBTQ persons.
Population-level increases in psychopathology and other negative mental health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and elevated substance use, are directly linked to ...large-scale disasters in the United States. Thus, it is unsurprising that the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is seriously impacting population-level mental health in the United States, especially among socially disadvantanged, young, and racial and ethnic minority persons. The indirect psychological harms of the COVID-19 pandemic for those who belong to minoritized communities are complicated, exacerbated, and compounded by experiences and stressors specific to their marginalized social identities. In this regard, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents and young adults have received limited public health attention. This commentary aims to provide a nuanced perspective on the potential indirect mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on LGBTQ young persons. International research suggests that heteronormativity and cisnormativity in practice and policy-level response to large-scale disasters systematically ignores the needs of LGBTQ populations.7 Globally, issues relevant to LGBTQ communities in disaster contexts (eg, discrimination in accessing emergency government services because of LGBTQ status) are largely unreported, and government agencies historically fail to support LGBTQ-affirming interventions during recovery efforts.7 International guidelines and policy frameworks on disaster response and recovery have further failed to consider the needs of LGBTQ populations.7 The dearth of existing research on LGBTQ communities and disaster response in the United States speaks to the invisibility of LGBTQ young persons in the current public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Despite limited attention to the mental health needs of LGBTQ young persons during the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ young persons may face unique mental health challenges6,8 driven by the overlapping experience of pandemic-related9-11 and sexual and gender minority–related3,11,12 stressors.
•Sexual minority faculty of color faced elevated risk for greater depression symptoms.•Inadequate mentoring is an important factor that influenced depression symptoms.•Home ownership and income (SES ...resources) further impacted depression symptoms.
This study aimed to examine potential differences in depression symptoms between sexual minority (SM) and heterosexual faculty of color (FOC). A United States (U.S.) national survey of early and mid-career faculty experiences was undertaken. A total of N = 676 participants were screened, with a total usable sample size of N = 596 (n = 80 surveys were missing sexual orientation information). Participants were U.S. born and self-identified as African American/Black, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Native American/American Indian, or other Hispanic, and held a tenure-track assistant or associate professor position at a research university. Participants were identified through network sampling techniques, such as use of academic listservs, personal contacts, respondent referrals, and university websites. The study aim was examined using multiple linear regression. In multivariable analysis, SM FOC were more likely to suffer from greater depression symptoms compared to heterosexual FOC (HFOC). Significant covariates included perceived career impact of inadequate mentoring, individual annual income, and home ownership. Study findings signify mental health threat among SM FOC compared to HFOC. There's an urgent public health need for future research to identify the underlying mechanisms driving mental health among SM FOC to inform the development of prevention programs that can mitigate these disparities, especially in higher education settings. Lastly, findings suggest a need for critical examination of mental health, socioeconomic, and mentoring resources for SM FOC in higher education institutions.
This study examines the effects of racist microaggressions and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ)-related minority stressors (i.e., identity concealment, family ...rejection, internalized LGBTQ-phobia, victimization, and racialized heterosexism/cisgenderism) on psychological distress among Latinx LGBTQ+ young people, specifically college students. Participants are a Latinx subset (
= 80) from a national online nonprobability cross-sectional survey of LGBTQ+ college students. The study aim was examined using linear/logistic regression. Findings indicated that racist microaggressions and family rejection were associated with psychological distress. In addition, racist microaggressions were the only stressor associated with clinically significant psychological distress that may warrant psychiatric/psychological treatment. Therefore, racist microaggressions and family rejection are unique stressors that may saliently affect mental health among Latinx LGBTQ+ students. There is a great need to integrate minority stress theory with other critically-oriented theories, such as intersectionality, in research and intervention to eliminate mental health inequities faced by Latinx LGBTQ+ young people.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Little research exists examining the impact of multiple minority identities, particularly sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and sex on health‐risk behaviors like mental health, ...substance use, violence, and sexual risk among high school students in the United States. In this study, we use a nationally representative dataset to examine differences between non‐Hispanic white heterosexuals (HSs) and non‐Hispanic white sexual minority, black HS, black sexual minority, Hispanic HS, and Hispanic sexual minority students.
METHODS
Data from the 2015 wave of the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System were used in this study. Chi‐square and hierarchical logistic regression models examined differences between the groups on outcomes including: (1) mental health and suicide, (2) alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances, (3) sexual risk and protective factors, and (4) school and physical and/or sexual violence.
RESULTS
Whereas sexual minority youth (SMY) generally demonstrate poorer health outcomes compared to HSs, SMY who are also racial/ethnic minorities often have even poorer health outcomes, particularly relating to substance use, sexual risk behaviors, physical/sexual violence, and suicide.
CONCLUSIONS
The need for culturally tailored education and school‐based interventions that consider intersections between race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and biological sex are warranted to address health disparities related to mental health and suicide, substance use, sexual risk, and violence.
Objective: Given the inequitable impact of COVID-19 on sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and current sociopolitical racial justice concerns in the United States, this study examines the impact ...of SGM-related family rejection and racism since the start of COVID-19 on SGM-related internalized homophobia and identity concealment among SGM college students of color (SOC). Method: Participants were a subset of SOC (n = 200) from a larger nonprobability cross-sectional study about minority stress and COVID-19 pandemic experiences among SGM college students. Participants completed survey items specifically related to changes in minority stress and racism experiences since the start of COVID-19. Logistic regression models were used to examine the independent and interactive effects of racism and family rejection on identity concealment and internalized homophobia since the start of COVID-19 (adjusting for covariates). Results: Main effects models revealed that increased racism and family rejection were significantly associated with greater odds of experiencing identity concealment since the start of COVID-19. The interaction of increased racism and family rejection was also significantly associated with greater odds of experiencing identity concealment since the start of COVID-19. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that the intersection of racism and family rejection since the start of COVID-19 consequently translates to increased experiences of identity concealment. Such experiences are known to negatively impact mental health across the life course among SGM young people. Public health, medical, mental health, and higher education stakeholders must implement SGM-affirmative and antiracist practices and interventions to support SGM SOC during COVID-19 and beyond its containment.
Clinical Impact Statement
The COVID-19 pandemic will result in long-term negative physical and mental health effects for LGBTQ young people. This study indicates that among LGBTQ young people of color specifically, experiencing LGBTQ-related family rejection and racism leads to more experiences of LGBTQ-related identity concealment, which is known to negatively impact mental health and wellbeing. These findings are important for public health, medical, mental health, and higher education practitioners to know so that they can support LGBTQ youth of color during COVID-19 and beyond its containment, via the use of antiracist and LGBTQ-affirming practices that promote psychological and physical wellbeing.
•LGBTQ college students that increased alcohol use had more mental distress.•This relationship was significant for female LGBTQ college students.•This relationship was not significant for male LGBTQ ...college students.
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) young persons are experiencing compounding effects of COVID-19 due to unique social inequalities and existent mental health and substance use challenges. Given that 41% of all young persons are enrolled in universities, and the increased vulnerabilities faced by SGM young persons during the pandemic, it is imperative to understand the effects of alcohol use on mental health among SGM university students amid COVID-19. This study aims to examine the associations between changes in alcohol use since the start of COVID-19 and mental distress among SGM university students in the U.S., and to explore sex-stratified differences.
A nonprobability cross-sectional sample of 509 SGM university students (Mage = 22.04 years, SD = 3.99) were retrospectively surveyed online between May-August 2020 and asked if their alcohol use had changed since the start of COVID-19. Statistical analyses explored the association between changes in alcohol use since the start of COVID-19 and mental distress.
Average psychological distress (M = 27.79, SD = 7.82) was relatively high as per existing research and established clinical cutoff scores. Roughly 32% had increased alcohol use since the start of COVID-19. Subsequently, greater alcohol use (p < .05) since the start of COVID-19 was associated with higher psychological distress among SGM university students, and among females but not males assigned at birth.
Higher education, medical, and behavioral health professionals should consider how to adapt their practice to address alcohol use and psychological burdens among SGM university students (especially females) who are facing health inequities during and beyond COVID-19, requiring SGM-affirmative care.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in athletes during sport. Whether obtained for screening or diagnostic purposes, an ECG increases the ability to detect underlying ...cardiovascular conditions that may increase the risk for SCD. In most countries, there is a shortage of physician expertise in the interpretation of an athlete's ECG. A critical need exists for physician education in modern ECG interpretation that distinguishes normal physiological adaptations in athletes from abnormal findings suggestive of pathology. On 13–14 February 2012, an international group of experts in sports cardiology and sports medicine convened in Seattle, Washington, to define contemporary standards for ECG interpretation in athletes. The objective of the meeting was to develop a comprehensive training resource to help physicians distinguish normal ECG alterations in athletes from abnormal ECG findings that require additional evaluation for conditions associated with SCD.
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