scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination and Mental Health: A Difference-in-Difference Analysis of the Understanding America Study

Author(s):  
Jonathan Koltai ◽  
Julia Raifman ◽  
Jacob Bor ◽  
Martin McKee ◽  
David Stuckler
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Xue ◽  
Tianjia Guan ◽  
Yixuan Zheng ◽  
Guannan Geng ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundRecent studies suggest an association between mental disorders such as depression and air pollution. However, few studies examined the association between air pollution reduction and mental health improvement. Since 2013, China has carried out a series of clean air actions that have rapidly improved air quality, and provided a quasi-experimental scenario to examine the association.MethodBased on nationwide surveys of Chinese adults from 2011 to 2015, we evaluated the association between long-term PM2.5 exposure and a widely-used depression score (C-ESD score), using a mixed-effects model with multivariate adjustment. The association between PM2.5 reduction and the score change was further explored using a difference-in-difference analysis of the temporal contrast between 2011 (before the actions) and 2015 (after the actions). To increase interpretability of the association, the estimated impact of PM2.5 levels was compared to that of aging, a well-known risk factor for depression.ResultsA 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with a 3.63% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.00–5.27%) increase in the C-ESD score (a higher score indicates larger probability of depression). Aging of 1 year was associated with a score increase of 0.76% (0.45-1.07%), equivalent to the effect of a 2.1-μg/m3 (95% CI: 1.1–4.2 μg/m3) increase in PM2.5 concentration. Difference-in-difference analysis confirmed the significant association between PM2.5 reduction and the score reduction. We also found improved air quality during 2011-2015 offset the negative impact from 5-years’ aging.ConclusionsThis study added the epidemiological evidence on the association between depression and long-term exposure to PM2.5. Our findings also suggested the mental health benefits from China’s recent efforts to reduce air pollution.


Thorax ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony A Laverty ◽  
Christopher Millett ◽  
Nicholas S Hopkinson ◽  
Filippos T Filippidis

Standardised packaging of tobacco products is intended to reduce the appeal of smoking, but the tobacco industry claims this increases illicit trade. We examined the percentage of people reporting being offered illicit cigarettes before and after full implementation of standardised packaging in the UK, Ireland and France and compared this to other European Union countries. Reported ever illicit cigarette exposure fell from 19.8% to 18.1% between 2015 and 2018 in the three countries fully implementing the policy, and from 19.6% to 17.0% in control countries (p for difference=0.320). Standardised packaging does not appear to increase the availability of illicit cigarettes.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246670
Author(s):  
Erin Hetherington ◽  
Kamala Adhikari ◽  
Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen ◽  
Scott Patten ◽  
Amy Metcalfe

Background In June 2013, the city of Calgary, Alberta and surrounding areas sustained significant flooding which resulted in large scale evacuations and closure of businesses and schools. Floods can increase stress which may negatively impact perinatal outcomes and mental health, but previous research is inconsistent. The objectives of this study are to examine the impact of the flood on pregnancy health, birth outcomes and postpartum mental health. Methods Linked administrative data from the province of Alberta were used. Outcomes included preterm birth, small for gestational age, a new diagnoses of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, and a diagnosis of, or drug prescription for, depression or anxiety. Data were analyzed using a quasi-experimental difference in difference design, comparing flooded and non-flooded areas and in affected and unaffected time periods. Multivariable log binomial regression models were used to estimate risk ratios, adjusted for maternal age. Marginal probabilities for the difference in difference term were used to show the potential effect of the flood. Results Participants included 18,266 nulliparous women for the pregnancy outcomes, and 26,956 women with infants for the mental health analysis. There were no effects for preterm birth (DID 0.00, CI: -0.02, 0.02), small for gestational age (DID 0.00, CI: -0.02, 0.02), or new cases of preeclampsia (DID 0.00, CI: -0.01, 0.01). There was a small increase in new cases of gestational hypertension (DID 0.02, CI: 0.01, 0.03) in flood affected areas. There were no differences in postpartum anxiety or depression prescriptions or diagnoses. Conclusion The Calgary 2013 flood was associated with a minor increase in gestational hypertension and not other health outcomes. Universal prenatal care and magnitude of the disaster may have minimized impacts of the flood on pregnant women.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 700-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Preetham Talari ◽  
Andrew Kelly ◽  
Barbara Latham ◽  
Sherri Dotson ◽  
...  

BackgroundDespite recommendations and the need to accelerate redesign of delivery models to be team-based and patient-centred, professional silos and cultural and structural barriers that inhibit working together and communicating effectively still predominate in the hospital setting. Aiming to improve team-based rounding, we developed, implemented and evaluated the Interprofessional Teamwork Innovation Model (ITIM).MethodsThis quality improvement (QI) study was conducted at an academic medical centre. We followed the system’s QI framework, FOCUS-PDSA, with Lean as guiding principles. Primary outcomes included 30-day all-cause same-hospital readmissions and 30-day emergency department (ED) visits. The intervention group consisted of patients receiving care on two hospitalist ITIM teams, and patients receiving care from other hospitalist teams were matched with a control group. Outcomes were assessed using difference-in-difference analysis.ResultsTeam members reported enhanced communication and overall time savings. In multivariate modelling, patients discharged from hospitalist teams using the ITIM approach were associated with reduced 30-day same-hospital readmissions with an estimated point OR of 0.56 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.92), but there was no impact on 30-day same-hospital ED visits. Difference-in-difference analysis showed that ITIM was not associated with changes in average total direct costs nor average cost per patient day, after adjusting for all other covariates in the models, despite the addition of staff resources in the ITIM model.ConclusionThe ITIM approach facilitates a collaborative environment in which patients and their family caregivers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, case managers and others work and share in the process of care.


Author(s):  
Benjamin B. Albright ◽  
Dimitrios Nasioudis ◽  
Stuart Craig ◽  
Haley A. Moss ◽  
Nawar A. Latif ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Su Jung Lee ◽  
Hyun-Ju Seo ◽  
Dong Young Lee ◽  
So-Hyun Moon

To determine whether Seoul’s dementia screening program increased the rate of diagnosis and the appropriate use of healthcare services for people with dementia, a retrospective data analysis was conducted based on administrative data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Two cohorts were constructed to represent the year before Seoul’s dementia screening program began (2007) (control group) and the year after the implementation of the program (2009) (treatment group). A difference-in-difference analysis was used to compare the diagnosis rates, number of clinic visits, and dementia-related drug prescription rates for 4 districts that implemented dementia screening programs between 2007 and 2009 and 14 areas that did not. After the introduction of the program, there was a 55.4% increase in physician-diagnosed dementia. The “average drug cost per patient” increased by 52.2% (Exp(β) = 1.522, p = 0.0264), the “average outpatient visits per patient” tended to increase by 13.5% (Exp(β) = 1.135, p = 0.1852), and the “average outpatient treatment fees per visit per patient” tended to increase by 24.4% (Exp(β) = 1.244, p = 0.0821). The implementation of dementia screening programs led to an increase in healthcare service utilization. Therefore, this program was found to be an effective strategy for reducing undiagnosed dementia cases and encouraging patients to use adequate healthcare services.


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