Young people and adolescents know too little about pathogens such as COVID-19

Which are reciprocally transmitted from animals to humans

LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR ZOO AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH (IZW)

Research News

 

IMAGE: THE ONE HEALTH CYCLE EXPLAINS HOW THE MANAGEMENT OF A ZOONOTIC SPILLOVER WITH A ONE HEALTH APPROACH WORKS. A ZOONOTIC PATHOGEN FROM WILD ANIMALS MOVES INTO LIVESTOCK, PETS, FUR ANIMALS OR DIRECTLY TO HUMANS. THE ONE... view more 

CREDIT: ZUCCA P ET AL.

The EU-funded BIO-CRIME project - with support from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) - conducted a scientific investigation on the topic of illegal small animal trade and the associated risk of pathogen transmission.

The study focused on the key areas of "illegal small animal trade" and the level of knowledge and proper behaviours of young people and adolescents with "zoonotic diseases" and the "One Health concept". One Health is an approach that recognises that human health is closely linked to the health of animals and our shared environment.

A total of 656 students from six countries participated in the survey. The students answered an anonymous questionnaire, followed by a theoretical and practical lesson that resolved the correct results of the survey. After four weeks - in the meantime the students had further studied the topic of zoonoses and the One Health approach - a second theoretical-practical lesson was conducted. Immediately afterwards, the same questionnaire was answered anonymously a second time.

The result of the first questionnaire response showed that the percentage of students who did not know that animals can transmit many diseases to humans and vice versa was 28.96 %. The percentage of participants who did not know what a zoonosis is was 32.16 %. Ignorance about the One Health concept was 31.40 % among the young people, respectively was answered incorrectly by 59.91 % of the students, furthermore rabies was considered as a non-dangerous disease by 23.02% of the participants.

After the two theoretical-practical lessons of the first survey, the same questionnaire was filled out again to conclude the knowledge transfer process. The result, the percentage of correct answers (knowledge increase) increased by 21.92 %.

Depending on gender and country, there were different expressions in the correctness of the answered questions. Overall, however, a pronounced lack of knowledge about zoonotic risks and a lack of understanding about the contents of the One Health concept were present in more than one third of the participating students in this study.

"This is a public health problem that needs to be addressed. It means that more than one third of the students participating in the study are not aware of the zoonotic risk they run when they come into contact with animals from the illegal small animal trade. Therefore, I recommend that education about zoonotic diseases and the One Health concept be firmly anchored in school curricula and syllabi by means of theoretical-practical teaching units," explains project leader and first author Paolo Zucca, from the Central Directorate for Health, Social Policies and Disabilities, in Italy.

"In Germany, for the practical part of zoonotic disease education in schools, we used Sir Isaac Newton, a research sniffer dog from the Leibniz-IZW, who showed students how dogs can detect illegally hidden animals in luggage," reports Leibniz-IZW scientist Susanne Holtze.

"Our joint international scientific work emphasises the importance of sharing knowledge about zoonotic diseases and the One Health concept among younger generations. The Covid-19 pandemic shows us all that the transmission of diseases from animals to humans is not just mere theory, but a real threat," explains science communicator and co-author Steven Seet from the Leibniz-IZW.

More than 60% of the 1,700 known infectious diseases transmissible to humans originate from animals. Repeated and frequent zoonotic outbreaks, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, are caused by human impact on nature. In particular, the creation of huge intensive domestic animal farms, the frequent use of antibiotics in intensive breeding farms, the destruction of forests, the consumption of wild meat (bushmeat), and the "illegal animal trade" are factors that favor the occurrence and transmission of diseases from animals to humans and vice versa.

"Early education and health prevention programmes in schools that explain the interrelationships of zoonoses within the framework of the One Heath concept are a fundamental prerequisite for the health of the population and the prevention of future pandemics," explains Jeannette Wichert, biology and chemistry teacher at the Robert Havemann Gymnasium in Berlin, Germany.

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Publication:

Zucca P, Rossmann M-C, Dodic M, Ramma Y, Matsushima T, Seet S, Holtze S, Bremini A, Fischinger I, Morosetti G, Sitzia M, Furlani R, Greco O, Meddi G, Zambotto P, Meo F, Pulcini S, Palei M, Zamaro G (2021): What do adolescents know about One-Health and Zoonotic risks? A school-based survey in Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Mauritius and Japan. Frontiers in Public Health. Manuscript ID: 658876. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.658876/full

Graphic: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.658876/full#supplementary-material

Partners, collaborators and stakeholders of the BIO-CRIME Project: https://www.biocrime.org/partners

 

Poor grasp of dating violence in college perpetuates 'boys will be boys' views

Study reveals how college-age women conceptualize violence in dating relationships and the role technology plays

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

Research News

 

IMAGE: FIFTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING WHAT CONSTITUTES DATING VIOLENCE. WHILE 100 PERCENT SAID "PHYSICALLY FORCING YOU TO HAVE INTERCOURSE " WAS VIOLENT, ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS FOUND COERCIVE... view more 

CREDIT: ALEX DOLCE, FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

Dating violence - physical, sexual, psychological or emotional within a relationship, including stalking - is pervasive on college campuses with far-reaching health implications. One in five women experience a sexual assault in college and students living in sorority houses are three times more likely to experience rape. College students are vulnerable to dating violence because of the influence of their social and living environments.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's College of Education in collaboration with Sacred Heart University conducted a study to understand the dating violence experience and perpetration of college-age women, as well as how they conceptualize violence in dating relationships. They also wanted to learn more about the role of technology within their lived experiences, which infuses most areas of American life, especially in dating and romantic relationships. Mobile technology allows 24-hour access, which also facilitates stalking and controlling behaviors.

Results of the study, published in the journal Violence Against Women, illuminate the span of dating violence knowledge among the participants and point to a lack of understanding of what constitutes emotional violence. Findings reveal normalization of unhealthy violent behaviors where sexual pressure or sexualized verbal harassment are viewed as an innate part of men, supporting the idea that "boys will be boys."

"Physically forcing you to have intercourse," was endorsed at 100 percent by participants as violent, while "emotionally pressuring you to have intercourse until you give in," was endorsed at 73.9 percent. Both scenarios indicate rape, yet one of them introduced physical dating violence, which was not acceptable to any participant. The other item introduced coercive sex, which was acceptable to about 25 percent of the participants.

Fifty-eight percent of the study participants reported not knowing how to help someone experiencing dating violence, 57 percent reported difficulty identifying what constitutes dating violence, and 38 percent noted not knowing how to get help for themselves if experiencing dating violence.

A substantially lower percentage of participants reported not experiencing in-person violence, but did report the experience of intimate partner "cyber" violence. Almost every respondent who noted having experienced intimate partner sexual, physical and emotional violence also documented experiencing intimate partner cyber violence.

Participants expressed a decreased sense of personal control over impulsivity and retaliatory behaviors when using technology in relationships, while often justifying the use of this form of violence because of the accessibility of technology. They also described ways in which they were controlled and monitored by partners.

"Unfortunately, the college students in our study demonstrated a lack of knowledge of the forms of dating violence and its consequences. They also had a tendency to normalize these behaviors, which led to acceptance, rationalizing and providing excuses for these acts of violence. Furthermore, they lacked awareness of support systems that are available," said Kelly Emelianchik-Key, Ph.D., senior author and an associate professor in the Department of Counselor Education within the College of Education.

Study participants failed to mention any resources for psychological services, therapy, prevention programming or dating violence support groups. Only 21.6 percent endorsed the desire to seek help specifically from a counselor, traditionally one of the primary services provided on most college campuses. Instead, study participants turned to peers for help. However, research has shown that peers do not know how to help and fear intruding into someone's relationship.

"Our study findings underscore the need for education and early prevention programs on campuses that give a clear message that violence - in all forms - is not acceptable or normal in relationships," said Carman S. Gill, Ph.D., co-author, professor and department chair in the clinical mental health program, FAU College of Education. "Moreover, women should recognize emotional violence as a predictor of low quality of life over time and emotional well-being. The importance of understanding emotional abuse cannot be understated, as research findings illustrate that emotional violence is just as detrimental as physical violence."

The researchers say that because it is evident that peers play a critical role in student growth and development, interventions such as peer training initiatives, need to be appropriately targeted across college campuses. They also note that to break this cycle, students could benefit from a university/college statement or policy of zero tolerance for all forms of dating violence perpetration, along with clear definitions of the forms of violence.

"By gaining a critical understanding of college women's unique experiences, we can tailor early intervention to meet the individual needs of this population before the violence becomes pervasive and affects their physical and emotional health," said Emelianchik-Key.

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Co-author of the study is Rebekah Byrd, Ph.D., associate professor of counseling and coordinator of clinical experiences, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu.

 

Trends in the Prevalence of Concussion Reported by US Adolescents, 2016-2020

Phil Veliz, PhD¹; Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD¹; James T. Eckner, MD, MS²; et alJohn E. Schulenberg, PhD³

Author Affiliations Article Information

JAMA. 2021;325(17):1789-1791. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1538

In 2016, 19.5% of US adolescents reported at least 1 concussion during their lifetime.^1,2 While knowledge about concussion and management of these injuries within the adolescent population have increased over the past decade,³ to our knowledge, no national study has tracked whether rates of concussion have declined or increased. This study estimated trends in the lifetime prevalence of self-reported concussion among a national sample of adolescents between 2016 and 2020.

Methods

This study uses national cross-sectional data from the 2016-2020 Monitoring the Future (MTF) initiative.⁴ The MTF initiative is an annual school-based survey of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders conducted between February and June each school year; surveys are administered in classrooms and completed during normal class periods. The MTF stopped data collection for the 2020 survey early on March 14, 2020, due to COVID-19 (a representative sample was still maintained). The student response rates between 2016 and 2020 ranged from 79% to 90%. The University of Michigan institutional review board approved this study. A waiver of informed consent was sent to parents providing them a means to decline their child’s participation.

A measure to assess concussion was added to the MTF in 2016, asking respondents the following: “Have you ever had a head injury that was diagnosed as a concussion?” Response options included “no,” “yes, once,” and “yes, more than once.” The measure did not change across the 5 years.

Binary regression models (using Mplus 8.1) estimated linear trends for self-reported concussion; adjusted models controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, grade level, parental education, and participation in sports. Analyses report the unadjusted prevalence ratios, adjusted prevalence ratios, and 95% CIs. Statistical significance was set at α ≤ .05 for a 2-tailed test when assessing linear trends. Full information maximum likelihood estimation was used to account for item missingness for each of the binary regression models. All analyses take into account the complex multistage sampling design, including clustering of respondents in primary sampling units⁴; weights were incorporated to provide nationally representative estimates along with adjusting for the different sample sizes for 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders.

Results

The sample consisted of 52 949 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders, of whom 50.3% were girls, and self-reported race/ethnicity was 45.0% White, 11.8% Black, 20.6% Hispanic, and 22.6% other (category included Asian American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) based on predefined categories. Lifetime prevalence of at least 1 self-reported concussion increased from 19.5% (95% CI, 18.5%-20.6%) in 2016 to 24.6% (95% CI, 22.5%-26.7%) in 2020 (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.03-1.08) (Table 1). The increase in lifetime prevalence of only 1 self-reported concussion (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.02-1.08]; 14.0% in 2016 vs 17.7% in 2020) and 2 or more self-reported concussions (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.11]; 5.5% in 2016 vs 6.8% in 2020) between 2016 and 2020 was statistically significant. Increases in any self-reported concussion were found across both sexes and race/ethnicity categories, among respondents whose parents had a high school diploma or less, and among respondents who participated in competitive sports during the past year (Table 2).

Discussion

Between 2016 and 2020, the estimated percentage of US 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders who reported at least 1 diagnosed concussion during their lifetime increased. Although lower prevalence of self-reporting concussions has been found among Hispanic, non-Hispanic other, and non-Hispanic Black adolescents compared with non-Hispanic White adolescents,⁵ these groups saw increases in self-reported concussion during this time period.

The study also found that trends in self-reporting concussion among adolescents who participate in competitive sports increased during this time period, in contrast with emergency department data that showed a decrease in sports/recreation-related traumatic brain injuries among adolescents and children between 2012 and 2018.⁶

The increase in reporting of concussion could be due to an increased incidence or greater recognition of symptoms associated with these injuries. Given greater effort to educate the US population regarding the risks associated with head injuries, more adolescents may be seeking care for these injuries, including care from health care professionals outside the emergency department who have appropriate diagnosis and management skills.³

Limitations of the study include the use of self-reported measures of concussion and the use of cross-sectional data. Continued efforts to monitor and prevent concussion are needed.

Section Editor: Jody W. Zylke, MD, Deputy Editor.

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Article Information

Corresponding Author: Phil Veliz, PhD, School of Nursing, Center for the Study of Alcohol, Smoking and Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (ptveliz@umich.edu).

Accepted for Publication: January 31, 2021.

Author Contributions: Dr Veliz had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: All authors.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Veliz, McCabe, Schulenberg.

Drafting of the manuscript: Veliz, McCabe.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors.

Statistical analysis: Veliz.

Obtained funding: McCabe, Schulenberg.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Schulenberg.

Supervision: McCabe.

Other (contribution of concussion-specific content expertise): Eckner.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Funding/Support: This work was supported by research grants R01DA001411 and R01DA031160 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Monitoring the Future data were collected under grant R01DA001411.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The National Institute on Drug Abuse had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Disclaimer: The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

References

1.

Veliz  P.  Variation in national survey estimates and youth traumatic brain injury-where does the truth lie?   JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(4):399. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0001
ArticlePubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref

2.

Veliz  P, McCabe  SE, Eckner  JT, Schulenberg  JE.  Prevalence of concussion among US adolescents and correlated factors.   JAMA. 2017;318(12):1180-1182. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.9087
ArticlePubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref

3.

Halstead  ME, Walter  KD, Moffatt  K; Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness.  Sport-related concussion in children and adolescents.   Pediatrics. 2018;142(6):e20183074. doi:10.1542/peds.2018-3074PubMedGoogle Scholar

4.

Miech  RA, Johnston  LD, O’Malley  PM, Bachman  JG, Schulenberg  JE, Patrick  ME,. Secondary school students. In:  Monitoring the Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Vol 1. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; 2020.

5.

Haarbauer-Krupa  J, Lebrun-Harris  LA, Black  LI,  et al.  Comparing prevalence estimates of concussion/head injury in US children and adolescents in national surveys.   Ann Epidemiol. 2021;54:11-20. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.11.006PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref

6.

Waltzman  D, Womack  LS, Thomas  KE, Sarmiento  K.  Trends in emergency department visits for contact sports-related traumatic brain injuries among children—United States, 2001-2018.   MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.  2020;69(27):870-874. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6927a4PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref

There is no evidence that associations between adolescents' digital technology engagement and mental health problems have increased

ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Research News

 

With the explosion in digital entertainment options over the past several decades and the more recent restrictions on outdoor and in-person social activities, parents may worry that excessive engagement with digital technology could have long-term effects on their children's mental health.

A new study published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, however, found little evidence for an increased association between adolescents' technology engagement and mental health problems over the past 30 years. The data did not consistently support the suggestion that the technologies we worry about most (e.g., smartphones) are becoming more harmful.

The new study, which included 430,000 U.K. and U.S. adolescents, investigated the links between social media use and depression, emotional problems, and conduct problems. It also examined the associations between television viewing and suicidality, depression, emotional problems, and conduct problems. Finally, the study explored the association between digital device use and suicidality.

Of the eight associations examined in this research, only three showed some change over time. Social media use and television viewing became less strongly associated with depression. In contrast, social media's association with emotional problems did increase, although only slightly. The study found no consistent changes in technology engagement's associations with conduct problems or suicidality.

"If we want to understand the relationship between tech and well-being today, we need to first go back and look at historic data--as far back as when parents were concerned too much TV would give their kids square eyes--in order to bring the contemporary concerns we have about newer technologies into focus," said Matti Vuorre, a postdoctoral researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute and lead author on the paper.

The study also highlighted key factors preventing scientists from conclusively determining how technology use relates to mental health.

"As?more data accumulates on adolescents' use of emerging technologies, our knowledge of them?and their effects on mental health will become more precise," said Andy Przybylski, director of research at Oxford Internet Institute and senior author on the study. "So,?it's too soon to?draw?firm conclusions about the increasing, or declining, associations between social media and?adolescent mental health, and it is certainly way too soon to be making policy or regulation on this basis."?

"We need more transparent and credible collaborations between scientists and technology companies to unlock the answers. The data exists within the tech industry; scientists just need to be able to access it for neutral and independent investigation," Przybylski said.

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Reference: Vuorre, M., Orben, A., & Przybylski, A. (2021). There is no evidence that associations between adolescents' digital technology engagement and mental health problems have increased. Clinical Psychological Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702621994549

Chronic exposure to low levels of blast may be associated with neurotrauma

Exposure during occupational training is linked to biomarkers of brain damage

REMEMBER TRUMP DISMISSING THE BOMBING OF US TROOPS BY IRAN AFTER THE ASSISSINATION OF THE LEADER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS

WALTER REED ARMY INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH

Research News

 

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research demonstrated that biomarkers associated with traumatic brain injury were elevated among law enforcement and military personnel, particularly in active duty participants with longer duration of service. Most notably, these elevated biomarker levels were observed in individuals without a diagnosed brain injury or concussion.

Some law enforcement and military personnel are regularly exposed to low levels of blast, particularly during training, due to the use of explosive charges and high caliber weapons. Understanding effects from these occupational exposures is a military health care priority to improve diagnosis and mitigation of ill effects.

While repeated exposure to low level blast is not known to result in clinically diagnosed traumatic brain injury, exposures have been linked to a series of reported symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, memory difficulties, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) -- collectively referred to as "breacher's brain" among members of affected communities.

This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, measured neurotrauma biomarker concentrations in blood samples from 106 military and law enforcement personnel who were not actively engaged in training or physical activity at the time of blood collection and compared those concentrations with commercially available samples from individuals who were similar in sex and age but unlikely to have been exposed to blast.

"We found that five biomarkers previously associated with TBI and brain diseases were elevated among personnel when compared to controls," said Dr. Angela Boutte, lead author on the paper and a researcher at the WRAIR Brain Trauma Neuroprotection branch. "Given the difficulty of identifying and evaluating injury associated with repeated low level blast exposure, we hope these data are the first step in our collective goal to identify objective biomarkers as clinically relevant diagnostic tools."

Dr. Bharani Thangavelu and Dr. Walter Carr, WRAIR brain health researchers and co-authors, emphasized the potential impact of blast exposure experienced by military personnel stating, "Low level blast exposure in routine military training should not be expected to result in acute, gross behavioral deficits for the majority of personnel. However, repeated exposure across years does correlate with symptomology, especially when a history of chronic exposure is exacerbated by new, large magnitude exposures."

Efforts to identify and quantify the impact of blast and traumatic brain injury on Service Members have increased dramatically in recent years, including initiatives in response to Congressional mandates. Biomarkers of blast effects on brain health will be a useful tool in this effort, especially as tools that augment decision-making based on symptoms reported by personnel.

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About the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the oldest and most mission-diverse biomedical research laboratory in the Department of Defense. WRAIR provides unique research capabilities and innovative solutions to a range of force health and readiness challenges currently facing U.S. Service Members, along with threats anticipated during future operations. With research units in the state of Washington, Africa, Asia and the Caucasus region, WRAIR houses three centers, the Center for Infectious Disease Research, the Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience and the Center for Enabling Capabilities. For more information, visit https://www.wrair.army.mil.

The WRAIR Brain Trauma Neuroprotection and Blast Induced Neurotrauma Branches develop ground-breaking preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic solutions to mitigate the effects of TBI at the point of injury to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Help for serious shopaholics

When does excessive buying become a disorder?

POST MODERN CAPITALISM IS CONSUMPTION NOT PRODUCTION

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

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IMAGE: FLINDERS UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY MIKE KYRIOS view more 

CREDIT: FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

For the first time, international experts in psychology have built a framework to diagnose Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder - promising help for people struggling to manage their spending behaviour and mental wellbeing.

The new guidelines, published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, confirms that excessive buying and shopping can be so serious as to constitute a disorder, giving researchers and clinicians new powers to develop more targeted interventions for this debilitating condition.

The international collaboration, led by Professor Mike Kyrios from Flinders University's Órama Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing and Professor Astrid Müller from the Hannover Medical School in Germany, say evidence-based criteria for Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder (CBSD) are long overdue.

The phenomenon of excessive or uncontrolled buying or shopping has been described in a clinical setting for more than a century. Surprisingly, to date there is no formally accepted diagnosis for the disorder, despite being a highly prevalent, disabling and growing problem that contributes to overconsumption and debt.

Professor Kyrios describes the findings as a "game-changer" for research in the area of excessive buying, providing a springboard for much-needed treatments and better diagnostic processes in the future.

"In over 20 years, since I started investigating excessive buying, there has been an absence of commonly agreed diagnostic criteria which has hampered the perceived seriousness of the problem, as well as research efforts and consequently the development of evidence-based treatments," Professor Kyrios says.

This will now be possible with the world's leading experts agreeing on diagnostic criteria for the disorder, he says.

In the study, 138 international experts (researchers and clinicians) from 35 countries were evaluated to develop a consensus about proposed diagnostic criteria.

A key feature of the new diagnostic criteria is "excessive purchasing of items without utilising them for their intended purposes", with excessiveness described as "diminished control over buying/shopping". Another characteristic of the disorder is that "buying/shopping is used to regulate internal states, e.g., generating positive emotions or relieving negative mood".

"Clients who show excessive buying behaviour commonly have difficulties in regulating their emotions, so buying or shopping is then used to feel better. Paradoxically, if someone with Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder goes on a shopping trip, this will briefly improve their negative feelings, but will soon lead to strong feelings of shame, guilt and embarrassment."

The Delphi research method was used to reach consensus from the panel of experts on a very complex psychological disorder.

"The Delphi technique is an ideal method to integrate diverse perspectives from international and interdisciplinary experts in the field of Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder," says co-investigator Dr Dan Fassnacht, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Flinders University.

"This helped us to developed diagnostic criteria featuring large agreement among experts in the field, and is an important milestone to better understand and treat this behaviour."

Dr Kathina Ali, Research Fellow at Flinders University and co-investigator of the study adds: "Previously, it was difficult to compare studies without agreed criteria. Now for the first time, we can start examining Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder more precisely which should help us the improve our treatments for this disabling condition."

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The study was an international collaboration with researchers from the Hannover Medical School at the University of Duisburg-Essen and University of Dresden in Germany funded by the German Academic Exchange Service and Universities Australia.

The paper 'Proposed diagnostic criteria for compulsive buying-shopping disorder: A Delphi expert consensus study' (2021) by Astrid Müller, Nora M. Laskowski, Patrick Trotzke, Kathina Ali, Daniel B Fassnacht, Martina de Zwaan, Matthias Brand, Michael Häder and Michael Kyrios has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, DOI: 10.1556/2006.2021.00013

Polarization and mobilization on social media affect infection figures

Model calculations reveal a link between political dissemination of information and Corona infections in the USA

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Research News

 

Measures to contain the Corona pandemic are the subject of politically charged debate and tend to polarize segments of the population. Those who support the measures motivate their acquaintances to follow the rules, while those who oppose them call for resistance in social media. But how exactly do politicization and social mobilization affect the incidence of infection? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have examined this question using the USA as an example. Their findings were published in Applied Network Science.

Limit crowds, keep a safe distance, and wear masks. Such non-pharmaceutical interventions, which should be implemented by everyone if possible in order to contain the incidence of infection, have played a central role since the beginning of the Corona pandemic. These measures have been disseminated via not only traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and television but also social media to a large extent. We can see that the appeals, recommendations, and regulations of governments are not only met with approval and understanding but also stimulate politically charged discussions, polarization, conspiracy narratives, and mobilization against the measures - often mixed with personal opinions.

But what does the rejection of Corona measures depend on? And is there a connection between the politicization of Corona topics in social networks and the development of the infection figures? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have investigated this using a mobilization model based on the example of Facebook in the USA. The subject of the study was a hypothetical political campaign in which the Democratic Party recommends non-pharmaceutical measures to combat the spread of Corona virus.

The results of the model calculations show that the hypothetical Democratic campaign would have spread to Democratic states three times faster than to Republican states. No matter in which direction, this political polarization makes it difficult to reach most segments of the population equally. "Accordingly, the acceptance and further dissemination of measures depends on whether the sender and receiver are politically like-minded," says Inho Hong, lead author of the study and a research grant holder in the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.

The researchers then examined the relationship between social mobilization and the actual spread of COVID-19 cases in the USA. They found that, on one hand, mobilization can have a positive effect on pandemic response when large numbers of people join together online to support the regulations by disseminating them quickly and early. On the other hand, there are indications that the political charge and resulting actions may have exacerbated the incidence of infection in some geographies. For example, infection rates spiked starting in mid-April 2020 after Republicans demonstrated against the first lockdown and did not consistently comply with the specified hygiene rules. This means that political regulations such as lockdowns can have the opposite effect after they are reinterpreted by politically polarized opponents - and even exacerbate the situation.

The researchers used a mobilization model to simulate the processes of social mobilization. The data for this came from two sources: The "Facebook Social Connectedness Index", a measure for calculating social connections between people from different regions, and demographic information and data sets from election protocols of the New York Times. Based on this data, the researchers calculated how the Democratic campaign would have spread via Facebook and whether it would have led to political actions such as demonstrations.

In previous studies, researchers have used this mobilization model to examine how political actions have formed and spread on social networks in the USA. "The model has allowed us to show a link between the social divide in the USA, the spread of information via Facebook, and the evolution of the incidence of infection," says Alex Rutherford, senior research scientist and principal investigator with the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and co-author of the study.

The study results show that a political charging of the measures to combat the pandemic can have a counterproductive effect and even fuel the incidence of infection. "On social media, the mask was quickly re-interpreted as a political statement and used to polarize the population. Governments should therefore consider to whom and through which channels they disseminate information and whether they want to target mobilization," says Manuel Cebrian, Leader of the Digital Mobilization Research Group at the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and co-author of the study.

The focus of the study was on political attitudes of US citizens. Other possibly decisive social factors such as occupation, income, gender, and origin would have to be investigated in further studies. These could provide information for planning the communication of future measures - for example, government vaccination strategies.

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Max Planck Institute for Human Development

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin was founded in 1963. It is an interdisciplinary research institution dedicated to the study of human development and education. The Institute belongs to the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, one of the leading organizations for basic research in Europe.

Original investigation: When drug companies raise list prices, out-of-pocket costs for patients

When drug manufacturers raise the list price for brand-name prescription drugs, do patients' out-of-pocket costs rise too?

BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

Research News

 

WHO Benjamin Rome, MD, Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and researcher in the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital; corresponding author of a paper published in JAMA Network Open.

WHAT When drug manufacturers raise the list price for brand-name prescription drugs, do patients' out-of-pocket costs rise too? A new study published in JAMA Network Open by Dr. Benjamin Rome and colleagues in the Brigham's Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics finds that more than half of patients may experience increases in out-of-pocket spending when drug prices increase.

Rome and co-authors studied 79 brand-name drugs and found that the "list price" charged by drug manufacturers increased 16.7 percent, the "net price" (after manufacturer rebates) by 5.4 percent, and average out-of-pocket costs by 3.5 percent from 2015 to 2017. Some commercially insured patients who pay only prescription drug copayments were insulated from the increase in drug's list prices, but patients with coinsurance or deductibles experienced out-of-pocket spending increases of 15 percent over this time, corresponding with the changes in prices. Among these patients, researchers found no evidence that manufacturer rebates offset out-of-pocket expenses.

"The exorbitant and unregulated prices set by drug manufacturers affect how much patients pay," said Rome. "Pharmaceutical companies often argue that the high list prices for their medicines are not important, but we found that many patients are responsible for coinsurance or deductibles, which exposes them to the annual price hikes that are common practice by many pharmaceutical companies."

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