Children’s Healing Center involvement reduces social isolation and loneliness among immunocompromised children and their family members

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-47
Author(s):  
Laura B. Luchies, PhD ◽  
Amanda L. Barbour, BS ◽  
Samantha R. Anderson, BA
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Recreational Facility ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Because they must avoid environments in which they are exposed to pathogens, children with a weakened immune system and their family members are at risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation and loneliness predict many negative mental and physical health outcomes and are notable mortality risk factors. Therefore, the overall health of immunocompromised children and their family members would be promoted by avoiding exposure to pathogens while being afforded the opportunity to socialize and interact with others. The Children’s Healing Center (CHC) is a recreational facility designed to meet this crucial need of children, adolescents, and young adults with weakened immune systems and their family members. Findings from focus groups and surveys of people who have been involved with CHC, including immunocompromised adolescents and young adults and parents of immunocompromised children, provide initial evidence of CHC’s effectiveness at reducing social isolation and loneliness. By extension, CHC involvement would be expected to buffer the negative mental and physical health effects of social isolation and loneliness.

scholarly journals Artificial Intelligence Language Predictors of Two-Year Trauma-Related Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua R. Oltmanns ◽  
H. Andrew Schwartz ◽  
Camilo Ruggero ◽  
Youngseo Son ◽  
Jiaju Miao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Respiratory Problems ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background: Recent research on artificial intelligence has demonstrated that natural language can be used to provide valid indicators of psychopathology. The present study examined artificial intelligence-based language predictors (ALPs) of seven trauma-related mental and physical health outcomes in responders to the World Trade Center disaster. Methods: The responders (N = 174, Mage = 55.4 years) provided daily voicemail updates over 14 days. Algorithms developed using machine learning in large social media discovery samples were applied to the voicemail transcriptions to derive ALP scores for several risk factors (depressivity, anxiousness, anger proneness, stress, and personality). Responders also completed self-report assessments of these risk factors at baseline and trauma-related mental and physical health outcomes at two-year follow-up (including symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, sleep disturbance, respiratory problems, and GERD). Results: Voicemail ALPs were significantly associated with a majority of the trauma-related outcomes at two-year follow-up, over and above corresponding baseline self-reports. ALPs showed significant convergence with corresponding self-report scales, but also considerable uniqueness from each other and from self-report scales. Limitations: The study has a relatively short follow-up period relative to trauma occurrence and a limited sample size. Conclusions: This study shows evidence that ALPs may provide a novel, objective, and clinically useful approach to forecasting, and may in the future help to identify individuals at risk for negative health outcomes.

scholarly journals The natural course of DSM-IV somatoform disorders and syndromes among adolescents and young adults: a prospective-longitudinal community study

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roselind Lieb ◽  
Petra Zimmermann ◽  
Robert H Friis ◽  
Michael Höfler ◽  
Sven Tholen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Somatoform Disorders ◽  
Epidemiologic Study ◽  
Natural Course ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
Over Time

SummaryObjective.Although somatoform disorders are assumed to be chronic clinical conditions, epidemiological knowledge on their natural course based on representative samples is not available.Method.Data come from a prospective epidemiologic study of adolescents and young adults in Munich, Germany. Respondents’ diagnoses (N = 2548) at baseline and follow-up on average 42 months later are considered. The follow-up incidence, stability as well as selected baseline risk factors (sociodemographics, psychopathology, trauma exposure) for the incidence and stability of somatoform disorders and syndromes are prospectively examined. Diagnostic information was assessed by using the standardized Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI).Results.Over the follow-up period, incidence rate for any of the covered somatoform diagnoses was 25.7%. Stability for the overall group of any somatoform disorder/syndrome was 48%. Female gender, lower social class, the experience of any substance use, anxiety and affective disorder as well as the experience of traumatic sexual and physical threat events predicted new onsets of somatoform conditions, while stability was predicted by being female, prior existing substance use, affective and eating disorders as well as the experience of a serious accident.Conclusions.At least for a substantial proportion of individuals, the overall picture of somatization seems to be relatively stable, but with fluctuation in the symptom picture over time. Being female, the experience of substance use as well as anxiety disorder seem to constitute risk factors for the onset of new somatoform conditions as well as for a stable course over time.

scholarly journals Sleep and inflammation in resilient aging

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 20140009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Biological Pathway ◽  
Chronic Disease Risk ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Sleep quality is important to health, and increasingly viewed as critical in promoting successful, resilient aging. In this review, the interplay between sleep and mental and physical health is considered with a focus on the role of inflammation as a biological pathway that translates the effects of sleep on risk of depression, pain and chronic disease risk in aging. Given that sleep regulates inflammatory biologic mechanisms with effects on mental and physical health outcomes, the potential of interventions that target sleep to reduce inflammation and promote health in aging is also discussed.

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