Role of involvement in bullying as predictor for hospital-treated assault exposures among former adolescent psychiatric inpatients

AbstractObjective: Bullying is a common problem among children and adolescents. Previous studies have investigated the associations between involvement in bullying and various psychosocial and mental health outcomes thoroughly. However, only few studies have focused on the association between bullying and exposure to assaults. This study investigated whether the likelihood for severe assault exposure varies among three subgroups of bullying behavior: bullies/bully-victims, victims of bullying, and those not involved in bullying.Method: The study population consisted of 508 adolescents (208 boys, 300 girls) aged between 13 and 17 years (mean age 15.5 years), admitted for psychiatric inpatient treatment between the years 2001–2006. Adolescents were interviewed at index hospitalization using semi-structured interview, K-SADS-PL, to assess DSM-IV based adolescent psychiatric disorders, and to obtain information on bullying behavior. Treatment episodes for assault incidents were obtained from the Finnish National Care Register for Health Care covering the entire-life of the study participants up to end of year 2016.Results: 14.4% (n = 73) of the study participants had experienced severe physical or sexual assault leading to hospital treatment during their lifetime. Results of Cox regression analysis showed that girl bullies/bully-victims had nearly threefold increased likelihood for later assault exposure.Conclusions: Since bullying behavior in childhood and adolescence is a significant predictor for later exposure to severe assault in girls, it should be paid attention to and intervened as early as possible. Moreover, psychosocial risk factors should be taken into account considering those in hospital treatment for severe assault exposure.Abstract Objective: Bullying is a common problem among children and adolescents. Previous studies have investigated the associations between involvement in bullying and various psychosocial and mental health outcomes thoroughly. However, only few studies have focused on the association between bullying and exposure to assaults. This study investigated whether the likelihood for severe assault exposure varies among three subgroups of bullying behavior: bullies/bully-victims, victims of bullying, and those not involved in bullying. Method: The study population consisted of 508 adolescents (208 boys, 300 girls) aged between 13 and 17 years (mean age 15.5 years), admitted for psychiatric inpatient treatment between the years 2001–2006. Adolescents were interviewed at index hospitalization using semi-structured interview, K-SADS-PL, to assess DSM-IV based adolescent psychiatric disorders, and to obtain information on bullying behavior. Treatment episodes for assault incidents were obtained from the Finnish National Care Register for Health Care covering the entire-life of the study participants up to end of year 2016. Results: 14.4% (n = 73) of the study participants had experienced severe physical or sexual assault leading to hospital treatment during their lifetime. Results of Cox regression analysis showed that girl bullies/bully-victims had nearly threefold increased likelihood for later assault exposure. Conclusions: Since bullying behavior in childhood and adolescence is a significant predictor for later exposure to severe assault in girls, it should be paid attention to and intervened as early as possible. Moreover, psychosocial risk factors should be taken into account considering those in hospital treatment for severe assault exposure

Association of aggressivity at adolescence and criminality to severe assault exposure among former adolescent psychiatric inpatients

AbstractThis study investigated the associations of adolescent aggression, and criminality, to severe hospital-treated assault exposures among young adults (n = 508) with a history of adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment between 2001‐2006. Participants were interviewed during hospitalization using K–SADS–PL to assess psychiatric disorders, and to obtain information on aggressivity. Data on crimes committed were obtained from the Finnish Legal Register Centre, and the treatment episodes for assault exposures from the Finnish National Care Register for Health Care, up to end of 2016. Predictors for severe assault exposure were male sex (OR = 2.1), short temperedness (OR = 2.4), non-violent offending (OR = 2.6), and violent offending (OR = 4.8). These results indicate that the participants most vulnerable to severe assaults were those suffering from a continuum of aggressivity across their lifetime. Our findings can be utilized to identify adolescents at risk of severe assault exposure, and to reduce this risk by focusing on appropriate treatments for these vulnerable adolescents.Abstract This study investigated the associations of adolescent aggression, and criminality, to severe hospital-treated assault exposures among young adults (n = 508) with a history of adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment between 2001‐2006. Participants were interviewed during hospitalization using K–SADS–PL to assess psychiatric disorders, and to obtain information on aggressivity. Data on crimes committed were obtained from the Finnish Legal Register Centre, and the treatment episodes for assault exposures from the Finnish National Care Register for Health Care, up to end of 2016. Predictors for severe assault exposure were male sex (OR = 2.1), short temperedness (OR = 2.4), non-violent offending (OR = 2.6), and violent offending (OR = 4.8). These results indicate that the participants most vulnerable to severe assaults were those suffering from a continuum of aggressivity across their lifetime. Our findings can be utilized to identify adolescents at risk of severe assault exposure, and to reduce this risk by focusing on appropriate treatments for these vulnerable adolescents

Impact of two bundles on central catheter-related bloodstream infection in critically ill patients

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the impact of the implementation of insertion and maintenance bundles on the rates of catheter-related bloodstream infection in an intensive care unit. Method: This is a quasi-experimental, before-and-after study with a non-equivalent control group. During a six-month period, insertion and maintenance bundles for the central venous catheters were implemented. Supervision guidelines were developed to assess compliance with the bundle and catheter characteristics. Results: A total of 444 central catheters corresponding to 390 patients were observed, of which 68.7% were inserted in the unit. The maintenance and insertion bundles reached 62.9% and 94.7% compliance, respectively, and 50.7% of the insertions were supervised. It was possible to observe a 54.5% decrease in the rate of central catheter infection (3.48 vs 1.52 x 1000 days/catheter, p<0.05) when compared with the control group. Conclusion: The simultaneous implementation of insertion and maintenance bundles has a positive impact on the reduction of catheter-related bloodstream infection; therefore it is an efficient alternative to improve the quality and safety of care in high complexity units

Depressive symptoms and suicide in 56,000 older Chinese: a Hong Kong cohort study

Objective: To examine dose-response associations between depressive symptoms and suicide and modification effects of sex, age and health status in older Chinese. Methods: We used the Chinese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to measure depressive symptoms (GDS score ≥ 8) and Cox regression to examine association with suicide mortality in a population-based cohort of 55,946 individuals, aged 65 years or above, enrolled from July 1998 to December 2000 at one of 18 Elderly Health Centres of Hong Kong Department of Health. The cohort was followed up for suicide mortality till 31 March 2009 (mean follow-up 8.7 years). Results: Depressive symptoms were associated with suicide in men [hazard ratio (HR) 2.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-4.29] and women (HR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.31-4.24) after adjusting for age, education, monthly expenditure, smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, body mass index, health status, and self-rated health. There was no threshold for GDS score and suicide in either sex. Age, sex and health status did not modify the association. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms predict higher suicide risk in older Chinese in a dose-response pattern. These associations were not attenuated by adjustment for health status, suggesting that depressive symptoms in older people are likely to be an independent causal factor for suicide. The GDS score showed no threshold in predicting suicide risk, suggesting that older people with low GDS scores deserve further attention and those with very high scores need urgent intervention. © 2011 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 21 Feb 201

Association of temporal factors and suicides in the United States, 2000–2004

The purpose of the study was to examine the association of temporal factors, in particular days of the week and seasons of the year and death from suicide in the United States. Data were pooled from the Multiple Cause of Death Files. Hierarchical logistic regression models were fitted to all deaths occurring in 2000 through 2004 by suicide. The incidence of suicide was significantly higher on Wednesdays, compared to Sunday. Specifically, individuals were 99% more likely to kill themselves on Wednesday than on Sunday. Suicides were more prevalent in the summer months, and they were less likely to occur in winter. The state suicide rate significantly elevated individual suicide risk. The results held even after controlling for the potentially confounding effects of socio-economic and demographic variables at both the individual and state levels. It was concluded that the observed association between seasonality and suicide cannot be discounted as a mere coincidence. Future research ought to focus on integrating individual level data and contextual variables when testing for seasonality effects

Light motor vehicle collisions with heavy vehicles:psychosocial and health related risk factors of drivers being at-fault for collisions

Abstract Background: Fatal head-on collisions between passenger cars and trucks are sometimes thought as self-inflicted death of the passenger car drivers. Methods: A total of 378 Finnish drivers of light motor vehicles (LMV) died in collisions with heavy vehicles between the years 2002–2011. These male and female drivers, who were considered as being at fault, and whose collisions with heavy vehicles occurred in the oncoming vehicle’s lane, were explored in relation to information on their socio-demographics, physical and mental health condition and driving-related factors. Results: Cause of death of at-fault LMV drivers, as defined in medico-legal examination, was most commonly accidental (51%), followed by suicide (32%), undetermined intent (17%) and acute illness (0.3%). Ten-year time trend in rates of LMV drivers has remained stable (Annual Percentage Change, APC = −0.03; p = 0.983), the annual proportion varying between 14%–21%. However, a statistically significantly increasing time trend was observed in fatal accidents due to suicides (APC = 5.31, p = 0.028). Generally, at-fault LMV drivers were characterized as having mental health problems susceptibility to risk (44%), personal relationship problems (33%), long-term physical illness (68%) or medication (35%) or driving under influence of alcohol (24%). Male LMV drivers, compared to women, were more commonly unmarried, farm/wood/industrial workers and drove alone and without a planned destination. Female LMV drivers were, more commonly than men, widowed, third degree students, skilled workers, had long term mental illnesses/disturbances, drove with family member(s) and their fatal accidents occurred in winter. Conclusion: The findings give support to the recommendation that suicidal ideation must be considered when assessing fitness-to-drive