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Mental health conditions tend to go unrecognised and untreated in adolescence, and therefore it is crucial to improve the health and social outcomes for these individuals through age and culturally appropriate interventions. This paper aims firstly to describe the development and implementation of the HYPE project platform (a research and resource platform co-designed and co-produced with young people). The second aim is to describe the characteristics of participants who engaged with the platform and an embedded pilot online survey. Participatory action research approach was used to address objectives of the HYPE project. Data were analysed to: (1) help improve access to health and social services, (2) guide provision of information of online resources and (3) deliver complementary community-based events/activities to promote mental health and to ultimately prevent mental health issues. Pilot and main phases of the HYPE project demonstrated the capacity and feasibility for such a platform to reach local, national, and international populations. Analyses demonstrated that the platform was particularly relevant for young females with pre-existing health difficulties. Some of the barriers to involving young people in research and help-seeking are discussed., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests., (Copyright: © 2024 Gunasinghe et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

There is a paucity of research in the UK which examines problem gambling and that which does exist is mainly quantitative, focuses on male samples and fails to look at treatment seeking populations or obstacles preventing problem gamblers from seeking treatment. This paper presents findings from part of a larger qualitative study that explored the experience of treatment for female problem gamblers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with eight women who had received individual cognitive-behavioural therapy in the National Health Service for their gambling problem. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was applied in the research process, identifying three main themes, of which the subtheme 'Barriers to Treatment' is examined here. Internal and external barriers to treatment organically emerged in all female participants' accounts and appear to have an impact on service utilisation. Input directly from gamblers can be combined with findings from other studies to devise better ways of reaching female problem gamblers. A better understanding of barriers to treatment can also provide valuable direction for future research and suggest applications in clinical service provision and treatment planning.

Introduction: This paper provides the results of a year-long evaluation of a large-scale integrated care pilot in north-west London. The pilot aimed to integrate care across primary, acute, community, mental health and social care for people with diabetes and/or those aged 75+ through care planning, multidisciplinary case reviews, information sharing and project management support., Methods: The evaluation team conducted qualitative studies of change at organisational, clinician and patient levels (using interviews, focus groups and a survey); and quantitative analysis of change in service use and patient-level clinical outcomes (using patient-level datasets and a matched control study)., Results: The pilot had successfully engaged provider organisations, created a shared strategic vision and established governance structures. However, the engagement of clinicians was variable and there was no evidence to date of significant reductions in emergency admissions. There was some evidence of changes in care processes., Conclusion: Although the pilot has demonstrated the beginnings of large-scale change, it remains in the early stages and faces significant challenges as it seeks to become sustainable for the longer term. It is critical that National Health Service managers and clinicians have realistic expectations of what can be achieved in a relatively short period of time.

Objective: To describe the trends in hospital admissions associated with obesity as a primary diagnosis and comorbidity, and bariatric surgery procedures among children and young people in England., Design: National time trends study of hospital admissions data between 2000 and 2009., Participants: Children and young people aged 5 to 19 years who were admitted to hospital with any diagnosis of obesity., Main Outcome Measures: Age- and sex-specific admission rates per million children., Results: Between 2000 and 2009, age- and sex-specific hospital admission rates in 5-19 year olds for total obesity-related diagnoses increased more than four-fold from 93.0 (95% CI 86.0 to 100.0) per million children to 414.0 (95% CI 410.7 to 417.5) per million children, largely due to rising admissions where obesity was mentioned as a co-morbidity. The median age of admission to hospital over the study period was 14.0 years; 5,566 (26.7%) admissions were for obesity and 15,319 (73.3%) mentioned obesity as a comorbidity. Admissions were more common in girls than boys (56.2% v 43.8%). The most common reasons for admission where obesity was a comorbid condition were sleep apnoea, asthma, and complications of pregnancy. The number of bariatric surgery procedures has risen from 1 per year in 2000 to 31 in 2009, with the majority were performed in obese girls (75.6%) aged 13-19 years., Conclusions: Hospital admission rates for obesity and related comorbid conditions have increased more than four-fold over the past decade amongst children and young people. Although some of the increase is likely to be due to improved case ascertainment, conditions associated with obesity in children and young people are imposing greater challenges for health care providers in English hospitals. Most inpatient care is directed at dealing with associated conditions rather than primary assessment and management of obesity itself.

Adolescents experience numerous changes, both psychologically and physically, and they are also the age group with a high prevalence of mental problems that need counseling help. The study aims to assess the difficulties and the needs for psychological support, factors affecting the need to use psychological services among adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 672 high school students in Thu Duc City, Vietnam. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between grades 10–12 in student's difficulties (DS) and a statistically significant difference in needs for psychological services (NPS, RPS). Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference in academic performance for DS. The findings also implied that RPS was predicted by a DS, NPS, and factors affecting the need to use psychological services (FA), in which NPS and DS were mediators in the relationship between FA and RPS. The study significantly contributes to research practices and the theoretical framework that the parliament and the government use to make counselors mandatory in schools. Meanwhile, the study suggested that school counselors, educators, and teachers must appropriately evaluate students' counseling needs and psychological difficulties; this is essential to providing support and interventions when students deal with challenges promptly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the present systematic review is to identify emerging gambling problems and the harm minimization strategies proposed to address them. Our interdisciplinary research team conducted this systematic literature review in 5 nations between which there is significant gambling research exchange. A keyword search of the Scopus and Web of Science databases followed by filtering using inclusion criteria identified 1292 empirical gambling studies from peer-reviewed journals. The data obtained from the articles were analyzed using the content analysis technique. We then used a unique approach to identify relationships between harm minimization strategies and gambling problems. The findings reveal that the most frequently reported gambling problems are related to young gamblers, online gambling, electronic gaming machines, and children and adolescents (underage gamblers). Harm minimization strategies to address these included creating educational and awareness programs, further restrictions on gambling advertising, developing an intervention mechanism for online gambling, and remote gambling-related help (i.e., online counseling, online treatment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to growing alcoholism and gambling, numerous variables have been the subject of study to better understand the causes of such addictions. This study aims to investigate personality factors, parental styles in upbringing and early exposure to alcoholism integratively to shed light on how such variables generally shape vulnerability for addictive behaviours and alcohol use disorder (AUD) as well as pathological gambling (PG), separately. The sample consisted of 150 for the inpatient groups (78 AUD and 72 PG) and 102 participants for the control group. The inpatient group comprised "pure" AUD (excluding gambling and other significant addictive disorders) and "pure" PG (excluding AUD and other significant addictive disorders). A random forest-trees analysis established a model accurately classifying 79% of participants from the addictive group and found low conscientiousness, an authoritarian father, a less-flexible mother and neuroticism to be predisposed factors for both addictions. Additionally, through structural equation modeling, a satisfying-index model shows higher extroversion and lower openness may be attributed to PG, as well as the father's authoritarian parenting style. The mother's authoritarian or permissive styles may be linked to AUD and the father's alcoholism. The research concludes AUD and PG have similarities in personality as vulnerable factors for addictive behaviours as well as essential differences in personality and early experiences from boundaries set by mothers and fathers and alcoholism in childhood. The results are applicable in preventive programs as well as working with patients and their parents to create more individualized treatment in relation to addiction type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a large-scale mapping review of how the literature on gambling identifies suggested solutions to prevent or reduce gambling harm and whose responsibility it is to implement them. The purpose of this is to provide a concise reference for stakeholders who must make critical decisions regarding the enhancement of consumer protection and harm minimization measures. Two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, were searched to identify relevant studies. The initial search yielded 5135 results, from which a total of 1292 empirical studies published between 2014 and 2018 were selected for analysis. Inductive content analysis was performed to identify suggested solutions reported in each study. The results indicate that commonly suggested solutions are the creation of educational and awareness programs (e.g., information on the risks of gambling, resources for help seekers, how games really work) and further restrictions on gambling advertising. We found that health service providers are mostly given the responsibility to implement various strategies, followed by policy makers. Numerous empirically proven suggestions for health service providers, policy makers, gambling industry operators, educational institutions, consumers, and families are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile health technologies can be useful for providing disease self-management information and support to people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Objective: The aim of this study was to test a self-management SMS text messaging intervention for people with IBD. Our goal was to examine intervention feasibility, acceptability, and engagement and to preliminarily evaluate improvements in certain self-reported health outcomes among participants. Methods: We developed an SMS text messaging program called Text4IBD. The program sent daily support messages and resources about disease self-management over the course of a 2-week, single-group, pretest-posttest intervention to participants (N=114) diagnosed with IBD. We examined intervention feasibility, acceptability, and engagement through Text4IBD message topic recall and use of resources (ie, visiting supplemental websites recommended by the Text4IBD program). We also assessed pretest-posttest measures of IBD-related distress, self-efficacy, perceived support, use of coping strategies, and medication adherence. Analyses examined participants’ evaluations of the intervention and compared pretest-posttest changes in secondary outcomes using paired-samples statistics. Results: Approximately all participants who completed the intervention (n=105) were receptive to Text4IBD and viewed the program as feasible and acceptable. In addition, most participants (103/105, 98.1%) recalled at least one of the message topics sent by the program, and 79% (83/105) of them self-reported engaging with at least one of the external self-management resources recommended by the Text4IBD program. Pretest-posttest results showed reduced IBD-related distress (mean 3.33, SD 0.68 vs mean 2.86, SD 0.73; P<.001) and improvements in most other secondary outcomes. Conclusions: Findings from this study highlight the value of SMS text messaging as a useful digital medium for providing support to people with IBD, particularly to those who may struggle with disease-related distress. Text4IBD was highly feasible and acceptable and may help people self-manage their IBD. Future studies should aim to evaluate this program in a randomized controlled trial in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a larger and more geographically diverse sample than past research, a total of 124 counselling psychologists in India completed a 52-item questionnaire investigating the characteristics of counselling psychology/psychologists in India. Results suggest that the prototypical professional practicing counselling psychology in India could be a Hindu female with a master's degree in general psychology who focuses on remedial/rehabilitative treatment with individual clients. The most common theoretical orientation mentioned was eclectic/integrative. Participants reported being satisfied with counselling psychology as a career and highlighted the need for more supervised practicum, increased public awareness, government-funded jobs, and a nationwide system of regulation and licensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is an endemic, disease that mostly affects young agricultural workers in the rural dry zone of Sri Lanka. This study was designed to identify specific biochemical manifestations of CKDu cases. All (119) non-dialysis definite CKDu patients in Girandurukotte and Wilgamuwa were selected. Blood and urine samples were collected and measured biochemical parameters. All analyses were performed in IBM SPSS statistics version 23 (IBM Corp, USA). The median blood pressure was normal though nearly half of the patients (45.4%) who were in the advanced stages (Stage 3b, 4 and 5) of CKDu. Patients without a history of hypertension before the diagnosis of CKDu (100%) and minimal proteinuria (26%) are similar to the previous findings. Patients without a history of diabetes before the CKDu diagnosis had high percentages of diabetes (15.7%) and pre-diabetes (59.8%) and hence indicated the possibility of uremia induced impaired glucose intolerance in the rural areas of the country. There were 62.2% patients who had low vitamin D and only a minority had evidence of bone mineral diseases. Out of liver disease markers serum glutamic pyruvic transaminases (SGPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminases (SGOT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and Lactic acid degydrogenase (LDH) had an inverse correlation with the advancement of the disease indicating subclinical liver disease. Osmolality in serum and urine showed a discrepancy despite > 50% of CKDu patients had increased their serum osmolality. The current study supports most of the previously described manifestations of CKDu. Moreover, some specific patterns have been identified which need to be validated in a larger group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity can significantly reduce health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and may lead to numerous health problems even in youths. This study aimed to investigate whether HRQoL varies among youths with obesity depending on grade of obesity and other factors.Methods: For the Youths with Extreme obesity Study (YES) (2012-2014), a prospective multicenter cohort study, a baseline sample of 431 obese and extremely obese adolescents and young adults (age 14 to 24 years, BMI ≥30 kg/m2) was recruited at four German university medical centers and one job center. Obesity grade groups (OGG) were defined according to BMI (OGG I: 30-34.9 kg/m2, OGG II: 35-39.9 kg/m2, OGG III (extreme obesity): ≥40 kg/m2). HRQoL was measured with the Euroqol-5D-3 L (EQ-5D-3 L), DISABKIDS chronic generic (DCGM-31) and the KINDLR obesity module. Differences between OGGs were assessed with logistic and linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, and study center in the base model. In a second regression analysis, we included other characteristics to identify possible determinants of HRQoL.Results: Three hundred fifty-two adolescents (mean age: 16.6 (±2.4), mean BMI: 39.1 (±7.5) kg/ m2) with available HRQoL data were analysed. HRQoL of youths in all OGGs was markedly lower than reference values of non-obese adolescents. Adjusting for age and sex, HRQoL of youths in OGG III significantly impaired compared to OGG I. Youths in OGG III were 2.15 times more likely to report problems with mobility in the EQ-5D-3 L than youths in OGG I. A mean difference of 9.7 and 6.6 points between OGG III and I were found for DCGM-31 and KINDL respectively and 5.1 points between OGG II and I for DCGM-31. Including further variables into the regression models, showed that HRQoL measured by DCGM-31 was significantly different between OGGs. Otherwise, female sex and having more than 4 h of daily screen time were also associated with lower HRQoL measured by DCGM-31 and KINDL.Conclusion: HRQoL of adolescents with obesity is reduced, but HRQoL of adolescents with extreme obesity is particularly affected. Larger and longitudinal studies are necessary to understand the relation of extreme obesity and HRQoL, and the impact of other lifestyle or socioeconomic factors.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01625325; German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00004172. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing an estimate of the percentage of cancer in Lebanon by 2018 that is due to the exposure to risk factors in 2008. Factors include: smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical inactivity, dietary factors, alcohol consumption, infections, and air pollution in adults.Method: Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) was calculated using the proportion of the population exposed and relative risks for each risk factor from meta-analyses. The PAF estimates the proportion of cases in which exposure may have played a causal role.Results: Smoking caused most cancer cases, and it will further add a total of 1800 new cases by 2018. Among many other cancers, lung cancer had the largest proportion attributable of around 75%. BMI is expected to increase colorectal, liver and gastric cardia carcinoma specifically in males. High physical activity has a an average of 15% protection rate on cancer on colorectal cancer. Minimal adherence to Mediterranean diet will affect gastric cancer incidence by 7%. Cases of oropharyngeal and esophageal cancer will be the result of alcohol consumption mainly in males. H.Pylori infection is expected to result in half of the gastric cases by 2018. The high exposure to air pollution is expected to contribute by 13% to lung cancer cases in 2018.Conclusion: The highest benefits can be achieved by controlling tobacco smoking. Interrelated and small changes in weight, physical activity and healthy diet with limited alcohol consumption can protect against several GI cancers in the long run. These results can be used to determine public health interventions that target important risk factors in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: It is unclear whether cultural differences or material disadvantage explain the ethnic patterning of obesogenic behaviours. The aim of this study was to examine ethnicity as a predictor of obesity-related behaviours among children in England, and to assess whether the effects of ethnicity could be explained by deprivation. Setting: Five primary care trusts in England, 2010-2011. Participants: Parents of white, black and South Asian children aged 4-5 and 10-11 years participating in the National Child Measurement Programme (n=2773). Primary outcome measures: Parent-reported measures of child behaviour: low level of physical activity, excessive screen time, unhealthy dietary behaviours and obesogenic lifestyle (combination of all three obesity-related behaviours). Associations between these behaviours and ethnicity were assessed using logistic regression analyses. Results: South Asian ethnic groups made up 22% of the sample, black ethnic groups made up 8%. Compared with white children, higher proportions of Asian and black children were overweight or obese (21-27% vs16% of white children), lived in the most deprived areas (24-47% vs 14%) and reported obesity-related behaviours (38% with obesogenic lifestyle vs 16%). After adjusting for deprivation and other sociodemographic characteristics, black and Asian children were three times more likely to have an obesogenic lifestyle than white children (OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.1 to 4.2 for Asian children; OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.7 to 4.3 for black children). Conclusions: Children from Asian and black ethnic groups are more likely to have obesogenic lifestyles than their white peers. These differences are not explained by deprivation. Culturally specific lifestyle interventions may be required to reduce obesity-related health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are the most common causes of chronic liver disease in industrialized countries. NAFLD has also been strongly associated with type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This study was a multipurposed review, which included discussion of recent studies investigating the cellular and genetic basis of these diseases, the pathogenesis of NAFLD and the current treatment and management of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Currently, maintaining a healthy weight through dietary changes and exercise, the use of insulin-modulating pharmacologic agents for diabetes control and the use of lipid-lowering, anti-oxidants have been the most widely recommended treatments. Inclusion of pathogenic mechanisms in treatment design will allow future therapies to target-specific pathways involved in NAFLD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: There is a relationship between childhood obesity and area‐level deprivation. While the New Zealand Index of Deprivation (NZDep) has been used widely in research for the past 20 years, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) was released in 2017. This study aims to investigate the association between deprivation and childhood obesity in New Zealand and compare measures of deprivation. Methods: Data from 316 794 4‐year‐olds in New Zealand undertaking the B4 School Check in 2010 to 2016, a national health and development screen, were analysed. Multilevel logistic regression models assessed the relationship between area‐level deprivation and individual‐level child obesity. Models were adjusted for age, sex, immigration status, ethnicity, and year. Deprivation was measured using the census‐based NZDep2013 (deciles) and the administrative data‐based IMD (deciles). The seven domains of the IMD were also considered. Results: The relationship between deprivation and obesity was very similar for the IMD and NZDep2013, point estimates were near identical, and confidence intervals overlapped substantially. Higher levels of deprivation were associated with a higher prevalence of child obesity. The relationship between deprivation and child obesity varied considerably across IMD domains. The education domain had the strongest association with child obesity and had an association with child obesity independent of the other domains of deprivation. Conclusion: Overall, there was little difference between the NZDep and IMD. However, the IMD's domains and IMD‐1 approach reveal more nuanced understandings of the deprivation‐obesity gradient, including the importance of area‐level education deprivation for predicting child obesity rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Few studies have examined health service utilization of children with overweight or obesity by using linked electronic health records (EHRs). Objective/Methods: We analysed EHRs from 3269 children (1678 boys; 51.3% [weighted]) participating in the Millennium Cohort Study, living in Wales or Scotland at age seven whose parents consented to record linkage. We used height and weight measurements at age five to categorize children as obese (>98th centile) or overweight (>91st centile) (UK1990 clinical reference standards) and linked to hospital admissions, up to age 14 years, in the Patient Episode Database for Wales and Scottish Morbidity Records. Negative binomial regression models compared rates of inpatient admissions by weight status at age five. Results: At age five, 11.5% and 6.7% of children were overweight or obese, respectively; 1221 (38%) children were subsequently admitted to hospital at least once. Admissions were not increased among children with overweight or obesity (adjusted rate ratio [RR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87, 0.68‐1.10 and 1.16, 0.87‐1.54, respectively). Conclusions: In this nationally representative cohort of children in Wales and Scotland, those with overweight or obesity at entry to primary school did not have increased rates of hospital admissions in later childhood and early adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the roles of the primary care practitioners on the increasing levels of child obesity in Great Britain. They mention the increasing number of bariatric surgery in children as young as 13 years old as obesity leads to other health problems including asthma and type II diabetes. The authors further highlight the need for the primary care professionals to have adequate skills to effectively address the weight problems in children.

Gambling disorder (GD) has been reclassified recently into the “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders” category of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a landmark occurrence for a behavioral addiction. GD is characterized by recurrent, maladaptive gambling behavior that results in clinically significant distress. Although the number of randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments is limited, some pharmacological treatments, notably opiate antagonists, have been employed in the treatment of GD. Patients with GD often present cognitive distortions and specific personality traits, making treatment more difficult. Cognitive behavioral therapy has become the most common psychological intervention for treating gambling problems, and it is effective in reducing gambling behavior. In this brief overview, we provide a report on the state of pharmacological and psychological treatments for gambling disorder. Risk factors and potential future lines of research are addressed.