The epidemiology of mescaline use: Pattern of use, motivations for consumption, and perceived consequences, benefits, and acute and enduring subjective effects

2021 ◽  
pp. 026988112110135
Author(s):  
Malin Vedøy Uthaug ◽  
Alan K Davis ◽  
Trevor Forrest Haas ◽  
Dawn Davis ◽  
Sean B Dolan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Subjective Effects ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Western Science ◽  
Psychiatric Condition ◽  
Web Based ◽  
San Pedro ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
English Speaking

Background: Mescaline is a naturally occurring psychoactive phenethylamine found in several cacti and historically used ceremonially by Indigenous and Latin American populations. Broader recognition of its possible therapeutic value in Western science began in the 1950s; however, knowledge of the safety profile of mescaline and the extent of its use remains limited. The primary aim of this study is to examine the epidemiology of mescaline use among English-speaking adults. Methods: About 452 respondents completed a web-based survey designed to assess their previous experience with mescaline (subjective effects, outcome measures, and mescaline type used). Results: Most respondents reported that they had consumed mescaline infrequently (⩽once/year), for spiritual exploration or to connect with nature (74%). A small number of respondents reported drug craving/desire (9%), whereas very few reported legal (1%), or psychological problems (1%) related to its use, and none reported seeking any medical attention. Overall, respondents rated the acute mystical-type effects as “ moderate,” ego-dissolution and psychological insight effects as “ slight,” and challenging effects as “ very slight.” Most respondents reported that they used Peyote and San Pedro in their most memorable mescaline experience. Overall, the intensity of acute mescaline effects did not differ between mescaline types. About 50% of the sample reported having a psychiatric condition (i.e. depression, anxiety, etc.), and most (>67%) reported improvements in these conditions following their most memorable experience with mescaline. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the mescaline in any form may produce a psychedelic experience that is associated with the spiritual significance and improvements in the mental health with low potential for abuse.

Interest on the internet for systemic lupus erythematosus: Analysis of Google Trends in Latin American countries

Lupus ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 096120332110103
Author(s):  
Paul J Tejada-Llacsa ◽  
Pamela Villacorta-Landeo ◽  
Eder Aguilar-Buitrón ◽  
Graciela S Alarcón ◽  
Manuel F Ugarte-Gil
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Pan American ◽  
Health Institutions ◽  
Latin American Countries

Background/Objective Information available on the internet about Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) can influence the doctor-patient relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the terms used for SLE on the internet. Methods We analyzed the data downloaded from Google Trends, considering the term “Lupus” in a six-year web-based research. The frequency of the terms for each Pan-American country was obtained automatically from Google Trends, which reports relative search volumes or RSV (on a scale from 0 to 100) across regions. Results We obtained a total of 67 registered terms in 18 countries. The terms were distributed into five categories. The categories with interest in all countries were “definition” and “symptoms”. Conclusions Google Trends allows us to find useful information about SLE on the internet; once the accuracy of this information is validated, it can be used by patients, health institutions, rheumatologists and other health professionals.

scholarly journals Corpus-based analysis of the collocational profiles of the terms denoting the mentally challenged

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Markelova
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
American English ◽  
Public Attitude ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Web Based ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Semantic Prosody

The present study aims to trace the evolution of public attitude towards the mentally challenged by means of the corpus-based analysis. The raw data comes from the two of the BYU corpora: Global Web-Based English (GloWbE) and Corpus of Historical American English (COHA). The former is comprised of 1.8 million web pages from 20 English-speaking countries (Davies/Fuchs 2015: 1) and provides an opportunity to research at a cross-cultural level, whereas the latter, containing 400 million words from more than 100,000 texts ranging from the 1810s to the 2000s (Davies 2012: 121), allows to carry on a diachronic research on the issue. To identify the difference in attitudes the collocational profiles of the terms denoting the mentally challenged were created. Having analysed them in terms of their semantic prosody one might conclude that there are certain semantic shifts that occurred due to the modern usage preferences and gradual change in public perception of everything strange, unusual and unique.

History of the Operative Group Technique

FORUM ◽  
2009 ◽  
pp. 7-18
Author(s):  
Enrique Pichon-Rivičre
Keyword(s):  
Group Psychotherapy ◽  
Latin American ◽  
International Association ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Joint Effort ◽  
American Federation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Analytical Group ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Present Text

- This is the first published article of Pichon-Rivičre in English known to his estate. It is the product of a joint effort of the Latin-American Federation for Analytical Group Psychotherapy (FLAPAG) and FORUM - Journal of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes to make Pichon-Rivičre's work better known to the English speaking community. The present text is the transcription of a class originally given by Dr. Enrique Pichon-Rivičre on 13 May 1970. It was first published by Temas de Psicologia Social, year 4, number 3, September 1980 and later incorporated into the second edition of ‘El Processo Grupal' Ediciones Nueva Visión, Buenos Aires, 1985. It is published here with the authorization of the Pichon-Rivičre family whom we thank deeply. Translated by Pablo de Carvalho Godoy Castanho (FLAPAG) and Teresa von Sommaruga Howard (FORUM) from the Spanish original collated against the French translation by Daničle Faugeras.

Latin American Critical Epidemiology

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-46
Author(s):  
Jaime Breilh
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Social Medicine ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Transformative Research ◽  
Health Movement ◽  
The North ◽  
Panoramic Analysis ◽  
English Speaking

This chapter presents a panoramic analysis of the roots and landmarks of the Latin American critical scientific tradition, explaining the historical conditions—from colonial times to 21st-century society—that determined the distinct periods of the Latin American social medicine/collective health movement, its philosophy, and its ethics. It explains how opposing perspectives and methodological differences arose during those periods, creating a paradigm clash that expresses the interests and views of scholars and decision-makers adhering to different philosophical and practical postures. It describes the fundamental influence in the conceptual and practical shaping of epidemiology of local specific conditions and pressures and also highlights the fundamental influence of and parallelism with outstanding contributions from the North. This chapter provides English-speaking audiences firsthand knowledge of an innovative scientific tradition, explaining its substantial contributions and potentialities for health transformative research, teaching, and community-based agency.

scholarly journals Patient perspectives on the pathway to psoriatic arthritis diagnosis: results from a web-based survey of patients in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Ogdie ◽  
W. Benjamin Nowell ◽  
Eddie Applegate ◽  
Kelly Gavigan ◽  
Shilpa Venkatachalam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psoriatic Arthritis ◽  
Joint Pain ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Study Phase ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Initial Symptoms ◽  
Time To Diagnosis

Abstract Background There are limited real-world data on the diagnostic experiences of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), including medical care sought and potential barriers to diagnosis. We aim to describe patient experiences related to receiving a PsA diagnosis. Methods Ours was a mixed-method, 2-phase study. Phase 1 comprised concept elicitation and cognitive interviews with clinical experts and adults diagnosed with PsA to develop a cross sectional, web-based survey. US adults with a self-reported PsA diagnosis were recruited through a patient support community (CreakyJoints), an online patient research registry (ArthritisPower), and social media outreach. In Phase 2, the online survey collected data on sociodemographics, clinical symptoms, disease burden, and diagnosis history of survey respondents with PsA. Results Of the 203 respondents included, 172 (84.7%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 51.6 (10.8) years. The time between seeking medical attention and receiving a diagnosis was < 6 months for 69 respondents, 6 months to 4 years for 68 respondents, and ≥ 5 years for 66 respondents. Most respondents sought care from general practitioners (79.8%) and rheumatologists (66.5%). Common initial symptoms that led respondents to seek medical attention were joint pain (70.0%) and stiffness (53.7%). Among the initial symptoms that led respondents to seek care, joint pain, swollen joints, and sausage-like fingers or toes (indicating dactylitis) were more common among respondents with shorter time to diagnosis, whereas stiffness, fatigue, enthesitis (indicated by foot problems, tendon and ligament pain), and back pain were more common among respondents with longer time to diagnosis. Common misdiagnoses were psychosomatic issues (26.6%) and osteoarthritis (21.7%). Respondents with shorter times to diagnosis had lower frequencies of misdiagnosis. Conclusions Respondents with PsA reported delays in diagnosis and misdiagnoses on their journey to a PsA diagnosis. Symptom differences, such as enthesitis and stiffness, were noted among respondents with shorter vs longer time to diagnosis. Increased understanding of diagnostic barriers may lead to earlier diagnosis and appropriate management to improve outcomes.

Characteristics Of 1455 Brazilian Lymphoma Patients Enrolled In Abrale (Brazilian Leukemia and Lymphoma Patients association)

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 5616-5616
Author(s):  
Guilherme Fleury Perini ◽  
Nelson Hamerschlak ◽  
Fabio Fedozzi ◽  
Claudia DS Vellozo ◽  
Merula A Steagall
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Hodgkin’S Lymphoma ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Hodgkin's Lymphoma ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Medical Visit ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Brazilian Health System

Abstract Introduction With an estimated population of over 193 million habitants, Brazil is considered the fifth largest and most populated country in the world. Although recent advances in economy, Brazil still suffers from structural deficiencies, including health care assistance. ABRALE, Brazilian Leukemia and Lymphoma Patient Association, have played a major role in helping patients with oncohematological malignancies, including weekly web-based chats with specialists, educational material and legal advice. Methods At enrollment, patients are asked to answer a web-based questionnaire, for demographic evaluations and policy planning. In this questionnaire, patients detail about ther diagnosis, time of symptoms, first medical visit, date of treatment and type of treatment. Patients also detail about health insurance coverage. Objectives To present data collected by a web-based questionnaire filled by patients at the time of enrollment in ABRALE. Results From 2008 to 2009, a total of 1455 patients answered the questionnaire, 53,4% female and 46,6% male patients. Diagnosis were: Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) in 36,6%, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in 61,65% and 2% of patients didn’t have this information. For NHL, 57,08% did not know the specific subtype of lymphoma. The majority of patients searched for medical attention due to enlarged lymph nodes (65,64%) and only 15,53% had incidental diagnosis. Time from symptoms to first medical appointment was >1 month in 67,9%, and time to first specialist appointment after diagnosis was >2 months in 53,54%. After diagnosis, about half of patients (51,72%) waited more than one month to start treatment. Overall, time from symptoms to treatment was over 3 months in 70,59% of patients. The vast majority of patients had no information about lymphoma (86,05%) prior to diagnosis. In this cohort, 63,51% had no medical insurance and were treated in public hospitals by the Brazilian Health System (SUS). Only a minority of patients were treated with Rituximab (23,64% of total patients, 38,35% of patients with NHL). Access to rituximab was granted in  81,11% of patients by private medical assistance, legal actions or research protocols (1,74%). Only 18,60% of patients with indication for rituximab received it by the Brazilian Health system. Conclusions In this study, we observed a high proportion of patients without basic information (e.g, subtype) regarding their diagnosis. Moreover, 86% of patients had no information about the disease prior to diagnosis. A better patient and population education is mandatory. Time from symptoms to treatment was >3 months in 70% of patients, reflecting both delays due to information and possible health assistance delays. Rituximab was used in the minority of patients (38% of NHL patients), mostly by private ensures or legal actions. From this data, future policies to assist Brazilian lymphoma patients could be drawn, such as patient and population information and encouragement to research enrollment. Moreover, a national campaign conducted by ABRALE led to the recent discussion for approval of rituximab in CD20+ follicular lymphomas in patients treated on SUS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Comprehensive distress screening and referral at a tertiary cancer center.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 134-134
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Trice Loggers ◽  
Stephen Duane Watkins King ◽  
Jesse R Fann ◽  
Kerry K McMillin ◽  
Jodie HN David ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Distress Screening ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Existential Crisis ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
English Speaking

134 Background: Addressing distress in cancer patients is now broadly recognized as critical to well-being and associated with increased survival. Cancer centers are developing innovative distress screening methods; we describe our novel process and results. Methods: New patients from 9/2015 to 3/2017 received an email requesting completion of a 44-item web-based survey assessing depression (2-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder), quality of life (QOL, 28-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-General), malnutrition (3-item Malnutrition Screening Tool), and 9 items addressing existential crisis, physical function, symptoms, tangible needs and concerns for dependent children. Results were computer scored, with positive screens resulting in direct, automated referrals to supportive care services (SCR). Analysis includes descriptive statistics and logistic regression using SAS 9.4. Results: 71% (n = 2629 of 3724) of those approached provided an email and completed the survey; 73% reporting no survey burden. Non-responders were more likely to be minority, non-English speaking, with non-commercial insurance (all p < 0.001). 59% (n = 1543) of responders screened positive for one or more SCR, including 6% to palliative care for poor QOL or symptoms. Receipt of SCR was more likely with Medicaid insurance (1.36 odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.76, p = .0061); plan to receive care (1.27 OR, CI 1.07-1.50, p = .0061); and any report of survey burden (2.26 OR, CI 1.83-2.80, p < .0001). Conclusions: Web-based distress screening is feasible, efficient and not burdensome for the majority of cancer patients. Those who find this screening burdensome are two-fold more likely to have distress. Future efforts should address screening of vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals Examining the Relationship Between the Use of a Mobile Peer-Support App and Self-Injury Outcomes: Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaylee Payne Kruzan ◽  
Janis Whitlock ◽  
Natalya N Bazarova
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Log Data ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Injury Outcomes ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND Many individuals who self-injure seek support and information through online communities and mobile peer-support apps. Although researchers have identified risks and benefits of participation, empirical work linking participation in these web-based spaces to self-injury behaviors and thoughts is limited. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the relationship between behavioral and linguistic traces on a mobile peer support app and self-injury outcomes. METHODS Natural use data and web-based surveys (N=697) assessing self-injury outcomes were collected from 268 users (aged 13-38 years; median 19; 149/268, 55.6% female) of a mobile peer-support app for 4 months. Participants were identified as having posted self-injury content using an internal classifier. Natural log data was used to predict self-injury outcomes in a series of multilevel logistic and linear regressions. RESULTS Greater engagement on a mobile peer-support app was associated with a decreased likelihood of self-injury thoughts (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.73) and fewer intentions to self-injure (<i>b</i>=−0.37, SE 0.09), whereas posting triggering content was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in behaviors (OR 5.37, 95% CI 1.25-23.05) and having self-injury thoughts (OR 17.87, 95% CI 1.64-194.15). Moreover, viewing triggering content was related to both a greater ability to resist (<i>b</i>=1.39, SE 0.66) and a greater intention to self-injure (<i>b</i>=1.50, SE 0.06). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to connect naturally occurring log data to survey data assessing self-injury outcomes over time. This work provides empirical support for the relationship between participation in online forums and self-injury outcomes, and it articulates mechanisms contributing to this relationship. CLINICALTRIAL

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