Professional support for children bereaved by domestic homicide in the UK

PurposeChildren bereaved by domestic homicide face unique challenges that are likely to require professional interventions. In this study, the theoretical lens of candidacy, which considers the dynamic factors that affect service eligibility and access, is employed to evaluate current service provision in the United Kingdom.MethodWe conducted a mixed methods survey (n = 90) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7) of professionals working in the children and families sector. Thematic analysis was used to interpret qualitative data, while descriptive and parametric statistics were used for the analysis of quantitative data.ResultsQuantitative results showed that a majority of professionals reported that the current service provision is not meeting the specific needs of children bereaved by domestic homicide, and that professionals reported low levels of confidence in working with the topic, regardless of professional background. This article reports on two key themes identified in the qualitative data: unmet needs and the barriers to candidacy, and developing a more effective provision.ConclusionsUsing the theoretical lens of candidacy, this study identified factors which were found to limit children’s access to appropriate services, indicating the need for a specialist service which provides long-term input, support for caregivers, and access to peer-support

An agenda for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience

Young people who are currently or were previously in state care have consistently been found to have much higher rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties than the general youth population. While a number of high-quality reviews highlight what research has been undertaken in relation to the mental health of young people with care experience and the gaps in our knowledge and understanding, there is, until now, no consensus, so far as we aware, as to where our collective research efforts should be directed with this important group. Through a series of UK wide workshops, we undertook a consultative process to identify an agreed research agenda between those with lived experience of being in care (n = 15), practitioners, policy makers and researchers (n = 59), for future research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience, including those who are neurodiverse/have a neurodevelopmental difficulty. This consensus statement identified 21 foci within four broad categories: how we conceptualize mental health; under-studied populations; under-studied topics; and underused methodologies. We hope that those who commission, fund and undertake research will engage in this discussion about the future agenda for research regarding the mental health of young people with care experience

Age and frailty are independently associated with increased COVID-19 mortality and increased care needs in survivors: results of an international multi-centre study

INTRODUCTION: Increased mortality has been demonstrated in older adults with COVID-19, but the effect of frailty has been unclear.METHODS: This multi-centre cohort study involved patients aged 18years and older hospitalised with COVID-19, using routinely collected data. We used Cox regression analysis to assess the impact of age, frailty, and delirium on the risk of inpatient mortality, adjusting for sex, illness severity, inflammation, and co-morbidities. We used ordinal logistic regression analysis to assess the impact of age, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and delirium on risk of increased care requirements on discharge, adjusting for the same variables.RESULTS: Data from 5,711 patients from 55 hospitals in 12 countries were included (median age 74, IQR 54-83; 55.2% male). The risk of death increased independently with increasing age (>80 vs 18-49: HR 3.57, CI 2.54-5.02), frailty (CFS 8 vs 1-3: HR 3.03, CI 2.29-4.00) inflammation, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, but not delirium. Age, frailty (CFS 7 vs 1-3: OR 7.00, CI 5.27-9.32), delirium, dementia, and mental health diagnoses were all associated with increased risk of higher care needs on discharge. The likelihood of adverse outcomes increased across all grades of CFS from 4 to 9.CONCLUSIONS: Age and frailty are independently associated with adverse outcomes in COVID-19. Risk of increased care needs was also increased in survivors of COVID-19 with frailty or older age

Genome-Wide Association Identifies Nine Common Variants Associated With Fasting Proinsulin Levels and Provides New Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes

ObjectiveProinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology.Research design and methodsWe have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ∼2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and fasting proinsulin levels in 10,701 nondiabetic adults of European ancestry, with follow-up of 23 loci in up to 16,378 individuals, using additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, fasting insulin, and study-specific covariates.ResultsNine SNPs at eight loci were associated with proinsulin levels (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Two loci (LARP6 and SGSM2) have not been previously related to metabolic traits, one (MADD) has been associated with fasting glucose, one (PCSK1) has been implicated in obesity, and four (TCF7L2, SLC30A8, VPS13C/C2CD4A/B, and ARAP1, formerly CENTD2) increase T2D risk. The proinsulin-raising allele of ARAP1 was associated with a lower fasting glucose (P = 1.7 × 10(-4)), improved β-cell function (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)), and lower risk of T2D (odds ratio 0.88; P = 7.8 × 10(-6)). Notably, PCSK1 encodes the protein prohormone convertase 1/3, the first enzyme in the insulin processing pathway. A genotype score composed of the nine proinsulin-raising alleles was not associated with coronary disease in two large case-control datasets.ConclusionsWe have identified nine genetic variants associated with fasting proinsulin. Our findings illuminate the biology underlying glucose homeostasis and T2D development in humans and argue against a direct role of proinsulin in coronary artery disease pathogenesis

From Submission to Acceptance: Publishing in a Research Journal

The purpose of this panel presented at the annual conference of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences was to explain how manuscripts are reviewed and the characteristics of successful quantitative and qualitative studies. The Editor presented questions and three Associate Editors of the Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal were asked to prepare an answer

From Submission to Acceptance: Publishing in a Research Journal

The purpose of this panel presented at the annual conference of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences was to explain how manuscripts are reviewed and the characteristics of successful quantitative and qualitative studies. The Editor presented questions and three Associate Editors of the Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal were asked to prepare an answer

Tips from the Experts on Conducting and Reviewing Qualitative Research

The purpose of this article was to describe the characteristics of qualitative studies, explain the various types of qualitative studies, and indicate which data collection method fits which type of qualitative study. Also, the authors who are all Associate Editors of the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal have provided their ideas on conducting reviews of qualitative studies. This article is an extension of the panel that was presented at the Annual Conference of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences in June 2018