What role can videogames play in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Video games are often thought of as trite activities for younger generations. However, research in game studies over the last few decades have revealed that games can be valuable tools for growth and connection, particularly among older generations. Exploring the ways digital games can be used as tools for connection has gained increased attention in recent months with global quarantines as a result of COVID-19. This article reviews the research that has examined the utility of digital games for older adults, focusing specifically on the ways in which games can be tools for social connectedness and psychological healing for older adults and intergenerationally. Special focus will be placed on the role games can play for post-traumatic stress among first responders

Effect of Angiogenesis Inhibitor Bevacizumab on Survival in Patients with Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of the Published Literature

Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor which has been used in conjunction with other anti-cancer agents in the treatment of patients with many cancers. It remains controversial whether bevacizumab can prolong survival in cancer patients. This meta-analysis was therefore performed to evaluate effect of bevacizumab on survival in cancer patients. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched for English-language studies of randomized controlled trials comparing bevacizumab with control therapy published through February 8, 2012. Progression-free survival, overall survival, and one-year survival rate were analyzed using random- or fixed-effects model. Thirty one assessable randomized controlled trials were identified. A significant improvement in progression-free survival in cancer patients was attributable to bevacizumab compared with control therapy (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.68 to 0.76; p<0.001). Overall survival was also significantly longer in patients were treated with bevacizumab (hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.83 to 0.91; p<0.001). The significant benefit in one-year survival rate was further seen in cancer patients receiving bevacizumab (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 1.41; p<0.001). Current evidences showed that bevacizumab prolong progression-free survival and overall survival, and increase one-year survival rate in cancer patients as compared with control therapy

Biomarkers of angiogenesis and their role in the development of VEGF inhibitors

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been confirmed as an important therapeutic target in randomised clinical trials in multiple disease settings. However, the extent to which individual patients benefit from VEGF inhibitors is unclear. If we are to optimise the use of these drugs or develop combination regimens that build on this efficacy, it is critical to identify those patients who are likely to benefit, particularly as these agents can be toxic and are expensive. To this end, biomarkers have been evaluated in tissue, in circulation and by imaging. Consistent drug-induced increases in plasma VEGF-A and blood pressure, as well as reductions in soluble VEGF-R2 and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI parameters have been reported. In some clinical trials, biomarker changes were statistically significant and associated with clinical end points, but there is considerable heterogeneity between studies that are to some extent attributable to methodological issues. On the basis of observations with these biomarkers, it is now appropriate to conduct detailed prospective studies to define a suite of predictive, pharmacodynamic and surrogate response biomarkers that identify those patients most likely to benefit from and monitor their response to this novel class of drugs

A mental health training program for community members following a natural disaster.

This study reports data on a disaster mental health training program to enhance the capacity of lay people from disaster-affected communities, to provide assistance to others following a bushfire disaster. Local facilitators conducted training sessions which were actively promoted within communities. Participants were asked to complete an anonymous pre- and post-training survey to obtain data on the impact and quality of the training program. Responses from 462 (80%) of 577 people who attended 39 sessions showed substantial and significant increases in key competencies including confidence in their abilities to detect difficulties coping in others and to provide assistance. The quality of the program and materials were rated highly. The findings of the evaluation provide support for the program as a beneficial, acceptable and feasible community-level intervention following disaster

Vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress or simply burnout? Effect of trauma therapy on mental health professionals

C1 - Journal Articles RefereedOBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to perform an assessment for secondary traumatic stress (STS), vicarious trauma (VT) and workplace burnout for Australian mental health professionals involved in clinical practice. METHODS: Recruited directly by mail, randomly selected participants were invited to submit a questionnaire by post or online. Of the 480 participants contacted, 152 mental health professionals completed the questionnaire, which contained measures of STS, VT and burnout. RESULTS: Exposure to patients' traumatic material did not affect STS, VT or burnout, contradicting the theory of the originators of STS and VT. Rather, it was found that work-related stressors best predicted therapist distress. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have significant implications for the direction of research and theory development in traumatic stress studies, calling into question the existence of secondary trauma-related phenomena and enterprises aimed at treating the consultants

Synergistic Effects of Military Sexual Trauma and Military Combat Exposure on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans. A Systematic Review

Introduction: Military service increases the risk of exposure to trauma, including military combat exposure (MCE) and military sexual trauma (MST). Both MCE and MST have individually been shown to increase the likelihood of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a potentially disabling mental illness. Aim: The aim was to examine the existing literature regarding the synergistic effect of MST and MCE in predicting PTSD symptoms and severity among military veterans. Method: A systematic review was conducted with the search criteria set to peer-reviewed papers that examined the synergistic effect of MST and MCE on PTSD, published in the English language between 2011 and 2022. Four electronic databases were searched (PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase). Results: The search identified 1,334 studies, five of which were eligible for inclusion. All were conducted in the United States and were cross-sectional designs. Of these, four studies identified that MST was independently associated with PTSD. All studies found that MCE was independently associated with PTSD. Only one study supported the hypothesized synergistic effect that military veterans who have experienced both MST and MCE have higher rates of PTSD and symptom severity than veterans who have experienced either trauma in isolation. Conclusion: The current article is the first systematic review to investigate the cumulative effects of MST and MCE trauma exposure on the occurrence and severity of PTSD. It is hoped the review will assist clinicians and military and veteran health services with appropriate assessment and intervention for those affected by military-related sexual trauma

Changes in long term neural connectivity following psychological trauma

C1 - Journal Articles RefereedOBJECTIVE: Neural connectivity differences between adults reporting childhood, adulthood or no history of trauma were examined. METHODS: A total of 39 participants completed the Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS; Foa EB. Post-traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) Manual. Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems, 1995), a Word Memory Task (WMT; [McNally RJ, Metzger LJ, Lasko NB, Clancy SA, Pitman RK. Directed forgetting of trauma cues in adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. J Abnorm Psychol 1998;107:596-601]) and EEG analysis. Intelligence was not assessed during the study. RESULTS: As predicted, those with childhood trauma had significantly higher EEG coherence than those with either adulthood trauma or no past trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were observed over frontal, central, temporal and parietal areas. Evidence was found suggesting that childhood psychological trauma may have a lasting impact on neuronal connectivity. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to demonstrate the suspected long term effect of trauma over central, temporal and parietal areas. Long term neural correlates of childhood and adult trauma appear to suggest information processing differences--differences that may, eventually, lead to better interventions following trauma