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Brief Report: Beyond Testing: Exploring the Psychosocial Impact of HIV Self-Testing Among Ugandan Gender-Diverse Sex Workers.

BACKGROUND: The psychosocial effect of HIV self-testing (HIVST) on sex workers' self-esteem, depression, alcohol misuse, perceived sex work stigma, and empowerment remains poorly characterized. We hypothesized that HIVST would reduce sex work stigma and improve these psychosocial outcomes by enabling private, autonomous testing and reducing exposure to stigmatizing healthcare encounters. SETTING: Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Empower study (NCT03426670), an open-label randomized trial in which 117 cisgender female, transgender female, and cisgender male sex workers were assigned 1:1 to monthly HIVST plus quarterly clinic-based testing, or to quarterly clinic-based testing alone, and followed for 12 months. Self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), depressive symptoms (PHQ-2), alcohol misuse (RAPS4), perceived sex work stigma (adapted Female Sex Worker Stigma Scale), and empowerment were assessed quarterly. Mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for baseline values, evaluated intervention effects. RESULTS: Data from 117 participants were analyzed, including 7 early disenrollments. Over 12 months, HIVST participants reported significantly lower perceived sex work stigma than standard of care participants (β = -0.38, P = 0.04; monthly reduction P = 0.003), although the rate of decline did not differ significantly between arms (interaction P = 0.08). Self-esteem and depressive symptoms improved in both arms, with no between-arm differences (interaction P = 0.41 and 0.32). Alcohol misuse and empowerment showed no significant arm differences. CONCLUSION: HIVST may reduce sex work stigma without adverse psychosocial effects, supporting its integration into combination HIV prevention for gender-diverse sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Humans

Genomic sequencing in diverse and underserved pediatric populations: Parent perspectives on understanding, uncertainty, psychosocial impact, and personal utility of results.

PURPOSE: Limited evidence evaluates parents' perceptions of their child's clinical genome-scale sequencing (GS) results, particularly among individuals from medically underserved groups. Five Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research consortium studies performed GS in children with suspected genetic conditions with high proportions of individuals from underserved groups to address this evidence gap. METHODS: Parents completed surveys of perceived understanding, personal utility, and test-related distress after GS result disclosure. We assessed outcomes' associations with child- and parent-related factors: child age; type of GS finding; and parent health literacy, numeracy, and education. RESULTS: A total of 1763 parents completed surveys; 83% met "underserved" criteria based on race, ethnicity, and risk factors for barriers to access. We observed high perceived understanding and personal utility and low test-related distress. Outcomes were associated with the type of GS finding; parents of children with a pathogenic or likely pathogenic finding endorsed higher personal utility and more test-related distress than those whose children had a variant of uncertain significance or normal finding. Personal utility was higher in parents who met the criteria for "underserved." CONCLUSION: Our findings shed light on correlates of parents' cognitive and emotional responses to their child's GS findings and emphasize the need for tailored support in disclosure discussions.

Humans

Impact of psychosocial factors on the conduct of combined drug and psychotherapy research.

The effect of attitudes of therapists, patients and researchers on the conduct and outcome of combined drug and psychotherapy research was examined in a brief crisis-oriented psychotherapy clinic. Seventy-seven consecutive patients were given one of two anti-anxiety drugs or a placebo in conjunction with the typical psychoanalytically-oriented treatment used in the clinic. The therapists' attitudes favouring psychotherapy over drug therapy (and psychotherapy research) were clearly conveyed to the patients. Indicative of this are the following: (a) 82 per cent of the patients dropped out of drug taking, although a similar percentage remained in treatment; (b) only a third of the patients perceived it as being important to their therapists that they should take medication; (c) 87 per cent of the patients were rated as improved; and 75 per cent of patients completing forms considered that most or all of their improvement was attributable to talking. The research team, made up of members of the same department who therefore had similar values as the therapists, diligently collected outcome data, but ignored its responsibility to enforce drug-relation portions of the protocol. Overall, patients remained in therapy, improved and participated in completing forms, so that only the research goals of combined therapy were thwarted, while traditional clinic service and training goals proceeded as usual.

Adolescent

Bayesian Mendelian randomization reveals a protective effect of later age at first sexual intercourse against erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent health condition with significant psychosocial impacts, yet the causal role of age at first sexual intercourse (AFS) remains unclear. This study investigated the causal effect of AFS on the risk of ED using Mendelian randomization (MR) and Bayesian methods. Five traditional 2-sample MR analyses and 5 Bayesian MR analyses were performed using genome-wide association studies summary statistics from European populations. Sensitivity analyses included MR Egger regression, MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier, and Cochran Q-test. In mixed-sex cohorts (Groups 1 and 2), inverse variance weighted results demonstrated significant protective effects: odds ratio (OR) = 0.626, θ = -0.469, P = 2.73 × 10-6 for Group 1 and OR = 0.617, θ = -0.483, P = 3.56 × 10-5 for Group 2. The analyses for male-specific cohorts (Groups 3-10) showed weaker but consistent effects. For Group 3, OR = 0.643, θ = -0.442, P = .010. For Group 4, some instrumental variables associated with confounders were removed. The result became statistically insignificant: OR = 0.680, θ = -0.385, P = .064. For Group 5, the instrument selection criteria were relaxed and significance was retained: OR = 0.695, θ = -0.364, P = .016. For Groups 6 to 10, Bayesian MR was used to strengthen the inferences. In particular, for Group 8, which has a strongly informed prior, a posterior mean θ = -0.358 and a 95% credible interval (-0.575, -0.136) were obtained. This study provides evidence supporting a causal protective effect of later AFS on ED risk. While traditional MR analyses in male-specific cohorts yielded suggestive results, Bayesian MR analyses, which allow for the integration of prior evidence, provided more precise estimates and strengthened the causal inference. These findings may inform future sexual health policies. Strengths include the use of male-specific cohorts and Bayesian enhancement for weak instruments. Limitations include reliance on European-ancestry data and inability to stratify ED subtypes.

Male

Psychiatric sequelae of surviving childhood cancer.

Increasing survival rates for children with cancer raise questions about the long-term psychosocial impact of the disease and its treatment. Psychiatric evaluations of 114 survivors of childhood malignancies suggest a high rate of adjustment problems, with 59% indicating at least mild psychiatric symptomology. Interviews with former patients highlight the importance of adaptive denial in the face of the uncertainty connected with cancer survival.

Adjustment Disorders

Development and evaluation of patient-centred polygenic risk score reports for glaucoma screening.

BACKGROUND: Polygenic risk scores (PRS), which provide an individual probabilistic estimate of genetic susceptibility to develop a disease, have shown effective risk stratification for glaucoma onset. However, there is limited best practice evidence for reporting PRS and patient-friendly reports for communicating PRS effectively are lacking. Here we developed patient-centred PRS reports for glaucoma screening based on the literature, and evaluated them with participants using a qualitative research approach. METHODS: We first reviewed existing PRS reports and literature on probabilistic risk communication. This informed the development of a draft glaucoma screening PRS report for a hypothetical high risk individual from the general population. We designed three versions of the report to illustrate risk using a pictograph, a pie chart and a bell curve. We then conducted semi-structured interviews to assess preference of visual risk communication aids, understanding of risk, content, format and structure of the reports. Participants were invited from an existing study, which aims to evaluate the clinical validity of glaucoma PRS among individuals > 50 years from the general population. Numeracy and literacy levels were assessed. RESULTS: We interviewed 12 individuals. The cohort was highly educated (42% university education), all were European and 50% were female. Numeracy (mean 2.1 ± 0.9, range 0 to 3), graph literacy (mean 2.8 ± 0.8, range 0 to 4) and genetic literacy (mean 24.2 ± 6.2, range - 20 to + 46) showed a range of levels. We analysed the reports under three main themes: visual preferences, understanding risk and reports formatting. The visual component was deemed important to understanding risk, with the pictograph being the preferred visual risk representation, followed by the pie chart and the bell curve. Participants expressed preference for absolute risk in understanding risk, along with the written content explaining the results. The importance of follow-up recommendations and time to glaucoma onset were deemed important. Participants expressed varied opinions in the level of information and the colours used, which informed revisions of the report. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed preferences for reporting PRS information in the context of glaucoma screening, to support the development of clinical PRS reporting. Further research is needed to assess PRS communication in other groups representative of target populations and with other target audiences (e.g. referring clinicians), and its potential psychosocial impact in the wider community.

Humans

Resistance & virulence traits in dermatophytes isolated from Mangaluru, India.

Background & objectives Dermatophytes are accountable for the majority of fungal skin infections globally, affecting 20-25 per cent of the world population. Though not fatal, these infections have significant psychosocial impacts and reduce the quality of life. Prevalence of the infection varies geographically, influenced by factors like social practices, migration and climate. Understanding the pathogenicity of dermatophytosis including virulence factors and drug resistance, is necessary to identify factors that predispose recalcitrance. Methods A prospective hospital-based study was carried out in the dermatology departments of two tertiary care hospitals in Mangaluru, India from November 2018 to March 2021. We included 93 individuals of recalcitrant tinea infections, and excluded those with diabetes or those under immunosuppressive therapy. Skin scrapings from lesions were cultured, and DNA extracted for ITS sequencing. All samples were processed for antifungal susceptibility testing, and mutation analysis in squalene epoxidase gene for representative isolates and virulence factor assays. Results Of 93 clinically diagnosed individuals with dermatophytosis, dermatophytes were recovered in 70.96 per cent samples, with Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex being the most common agent. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed high MICs for fluconazole, terbinafine and itraconazole in several isolates, indicating in-vitro resistance. Mutation analysis for six isolates revealed missense mutations in the squalene epoxidase gene. Virulence activity analysis showed high enzyme production levels among isolates, contributing to their pathogenicity. Interpretation & conclusions These findings underscore the complexity of dermatophytosis and emphasize the need for persistent tracking of antifungal resistance patterns and virulence factors. Such insights are vital for developing effective treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes due to rising antifungal resistance.

Humans

Impact of precision oncology research in pediatric poor prognosis cancer: patient, parent and healthcare provider perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive genomic analyses are increasingly accessible to children, adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with poor prognosis cancers. Challenges and successes of pediatric precision oncology studies from the perspectives of AYA patients, parents and healthcare providers (HCPs) are poorly described. METHODS: Between March 2021 and May 2023, we interviewed AYA patients (12-21 years), parents and HCPs who participated in pediatric precision oncology studies for poor prognosis cancers in British Columbia. Interviews followed an investigator-developed semi-structured topic guide. Data were coded inductively and deductively by one qualitative researcher and one trainee, supported by two additional team members. Analytic themes were established using qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed 9 AYAs, 10 parents, and 17 HCPs. We identified five analytic themes: importance of clear communication of study information between patients, families and multidisciplinary HCPs; a need to support disclosure, understanding and clinical integration of research results; barriers to accessing innovative therapy and mitigation strategies; approaches to managing parent, patient and HCP hopes and expectations; personal challenges and stressors related to participation. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight unmet needs and offer practical considerations for integrating precision oncology into clinical practice. Considerations include educating and supporting oncologists through genomics results disclosure, increasing engagement with multidisciplinary HCPs, streamlining access to study information and results, coordinating efforts to clinically validate results and access therapies, and establishing real-world outcome data to inform clinical decision-making. Implementation of these strategies will optimize care for patients and families who are navigating poor prognosis cancers.

Humans

[The functional assessment of chronic pain patients activity of daily living and psychosocial disability].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of activity of daily living and psychosocial function in patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. From Jun. 1989 to Nov. 1989, one hundred and eleven cases were assessed by Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and Taita Symptom Check List (TSCL) to evaluate the disabilities associated with chronic pain. Patients showed significant impairment in the functions of physical psychosocial work and recreational activities. It was also apparent that the psychosocial disabilities were more severe than physical disabilities. Specifically, they showed anxiety depression and significant somatization. Analysis by stepwise multiple regression indicates that sex age educational level employment status diagnosis and pain intensity were the significant influencing factors related to the disabilities of activity of daily living and psychosocial function. The results supported the validity of the SIP as a measurement of functional status with chronic pain patients. Specifically, the psychosocial dimension was significantly correlated with the psychological and psychosocial distress categories of the TSCL. Based upon its reliability validity breadth of assessment and ease of administration, the SIP appeared to be well suited for the assessment of patients with chronic pain and for evaluating the efficacy of multidisciplinary pain treatment.

Activities of Daily Living

Putting Globus Into Context: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Overlap With Other Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction.

OBJECTIVE: Globus is characterized by the sensation of a lump in the throat without dysphagia or underlying structural abnormality or major motility disorder. Reported prevalences vary considerably across studies. Globus has been linked to both heartburn and affective disorders. This study aims to determine the global prevalence of globus, its association with heartburn, overlap with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and psychosocial disorders, and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS: Internet surveys from the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology study were used (N = 54,127). Rome IV criteria were used to identify globus and concurrent DGBI. Heartburn was defined as symptoms ≥ 2-3 days/week. Psychosocial co-morbidity and somatic symptom severity were assessed with PHQ-4 and PHQ-15, and HRQOL by PROMIS-10. RESULTS: The global prevalence of globus according to Rome IV criteria was 0.75%, representing 12.8% of esophageal DGBI and 1.86% of all DGBI. Prevalence was highest in Western Europe (0.94%) and Asia (0.90%), and lowest in the Middle East (0.31%). Globus was slightly more common in females (55.4%), and most affected individuals were aged between 40 and 64 years (46.6%). Coexisting heartburn was reported in 17.4% of cases, esophageal DGBI in 9.1%, and non-esophageal DGBI in 49.0%. Anxiety and/or depression was present in 60.5%. CONCLUSION: Global prevalence of globus is 0.75%, with a slight female predominance, and is most prevalent below 65 years. Overlap with non-esophageal DGBI was greater than with heartburn symptoms or esophageal DGBI, and most patients had anxiety and/or depressive symptoms.

Humans

Discrimination, chronic stress, and multimorbidity in cohort of Black and Latina transgender women with HIV: Longitudinal findings from the LITE Plus study.

Black and Latina transgender women with HIV (BLTWH) are exposed to repeated, intersecting discrimination based on race, gender, and serostatus. Minority stress theory conceptualizes discrimination as minority-specific stressors that drive health inequities. Allostatic load theory posits a pathway between discrimination and chronic disease through multisystem physiological dysregulation caused by chronic stress. To test this pathway, a longitudinal cohort of 108 BLTWH, enrolled December 2020 - June 2022 in Boston, New York City, and Washington, DC, were followed for 24 months, with biomarkers measured at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Questionnaires administered every 6 months assessed anticipated discrimination, everyday discrimination, perceived stress, and other psychosocial factors. Multimorbidity was measured via self-reported non-HIV chronic conditions. In mixed-effects mediation models, allostatic load did not mediate relationships between multimorbidity outcomes and anticipated discrimination (β: -0.0004 [95% CI: -0.004, 0.003]) nor everyday discrimination (β: -0.002 [95%CI: -0.009, 0.003]). Perceived stress demonstrated indirect effects on multimorbidity in unadjusted models of anticipated discrimination (β: 0.024, [95% CI: 0.015, 0.081]) and everyday discrimination (β: 0.021 [95%CI: 0.016, 0.077]). Indirect effects remained significant, with attenuated effects (β: 0.020 for anticipated discrimination; β: 0.017 for everyday discrimination) after adjusting for social support, community connection, and resilient coping. Total effects were only significant for the adjusted model of everyday discrimination (β: 0.056 [0.014, 0.099]). Findings suggest discrimination impacted health through specific psychosocial pathways. Alongside efforts to eliminate intersectional discrimination, stress-lowering interventions and increased access to social support and community connection may be effective approaches to reducing multimorbidity in this highly marginalized group.

Humans

Psychosocial modifiers of response to stress.

The impact of stress upon an organism is far more complex than the simple design of most stress research implies. We offer an expanded model for studying the relation of stressors to pathological outcomes, which takes into account both the adaptive capacity of the organism before the stressor occurs and the defenses marshalled in response to the stressor. The model also distinguishes among the initial responses of alarm, sustained defensive behaviors, and the relatively irreversible endstates which remain after resistance has ended. Realizing that only a multidiscomplinary approach can begin to capture the wholeness of human experience, this research paradigm anticipates that stressors, adaptive capacities, defenses, alarm reactions, and pathologial end-states will take place at the biological, psychological, interpersonal and sociocultural levels simultaneously and successively. Data on life change stress and psychological health outcomes gathered as part of the Air Traffic Controller Health Change Study are analyzed to illustrate the use of the model in identifying psychosocial and biological modifiers of response to stress.

Adaptation, Psychological

The Impact of Oncological Treatments on Return to Work, Work Ability, and Sickness Absence in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Returning to work and maintaining an adequate ability to work serve as key indicators of quality of life, psychological well-being and psychosocial adjustment. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of breast cancer treatments on return to work (RTW), work ability (WA), and sick leave (SL) among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The sample consisted of 26 studies published between 2016 and 2025, including prospective multicenter cohorts and national registries from fifteen countries across four continents, with more than 25,000 participants. A methodological quality assessment and a narrative synthesis were performed to synthesize the results. RESULTS: Chemotherapy is the most consistent predictor of prolonged SL, delayed RTW, and significantly reduced WA. Radical surgery and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) are associated with a significantly delayed RTW due to physical sequelae. While outcomes showed strong relationship with clinical factors, certain psychosocial variables such as depression, anxiety, and low self-efficacy seemed to act as important secondary factors that can further complicate the process. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that more invasive or aggressive treatments (chemotherapy, ALND, and radical surgery) were associated with poorer outcomes on RTW, WA, and SL. Furthermore, the clinical recovery associated with treatment completion did not necessarily equate to a functional recovery in WA that facilitated a successful RTW. Thus, it is necessary to explore in depth the impact of cancer treatments on WA, alongside psychosocial variables, to design multidisciplinary interventions that enable sustainable occupational reintegration. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO 2026 (CRD420261322638).

Breast cancer survivors

The Association Between Child Maltreatment and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The association between child maltreatment (CM) and quality of life (QoL) has been widely examined in the past decade. In this study, we estimated the association between CM and QoL using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Articles were searched up to May 15, 2024, in both English databases (Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO & PsycArticles, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Scopus) and Chinese databases (CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang). The meta-analysis was performed by a random-effects model, using 43 studies comprising 130,884 participants. This study demonstrated that general CM had an adverse impact on QoL and its sub-dimensions, including physical, mental, psychosocial, and environmental QoL. Further analysis showed that the subtypes of CM also had negative impacts on the dimensions of QoL, except for mental QoL. Emotional maltreatment had stronger negative associations with QoL than other subtypes of CM, while neglect received relatively less attention. In addition, the association between CM and QoL was moderated by region, gender ratio, and measurement methods. The findings of this study suggest that CM is negatively associated with QoL. Future studies need to investigate the impact of neglect on QoL and develop tailored programs to improve the QoL of people who have suffered from CM.

Humans

Fathering: a review of some psychoanalytic contributions on paternity.

The paper has traced psychoanalysis' gradual appreciation of a father's facilitative impact on his children's psychosexual and psychosocial growth. Freud's initial notions accentuated the inhibiting, punitive aspects of the paternal representation, highlighting, as they did, the oedipal father of the primal horde. Save for a few significant glimmers here and there, he pretty much failed to consider a son's or daughter's search for a father with whom to identify and, with this, underplayed some of the crucial preconditions for the oedipal complex itself. In recent years, an ego-psychological focus on the 'dual unity' of mother and child, in Mahler's words, has tended to relegate the father to a secondary role in pre-oedipal development. And yet, influenced by this overview, Loewald, Greenacre, Abelin and others have underlined the ways in which a father helps extricate a child from the maternal orbit, facilitating a sense of reality, self-constancy, sexual identify and other epigenetic achievements which help secure object constancy and self-identity. What remains is a fuller elucidation of the reciprocal and complex affective interchanges that take place within the father-child dyad throughout childhood.

Child

Impact of chronic illness on child and family: an overview based on five surveys with implications for management.

For the past eight years the Rochester Child Health Group has systematically investigated chronic illness in childhood with the goal of minimizing the psychosocial sequelae of chronic illness through more optimal management. This overview examines the impact of chronic illness on 404 children and their families in five separate studies: 1) 209 children in a follow-up of all children with chronic symptoms in a previous random sampling of children; 2) 42 children with juvenile arthritis; 3) 44 nephrotic children; 4) 54 asthmatic children; 5) 55 chronically ill children living in rural areas of Western New York. Information was obtained through parental interviews, school reports, and psychological testing of the child. The percentage of parents reporting impact of the child's illness on family differed according to study population. The percentage reporting areas of impact according to severity of the illness is as follows: worry, 75--97; financial, 46--60; fatigue of parent, 31--65; change in sleep arrangements, 17--31; change in furnishings, 15--40; less social life for parents, 12--35; restrictions on travel, 13--40; parental friction, 9--20; sibling neglect, 10--20; sibling resentment, 10--25; embarrassment, 12--20; interference from relatives, 5--17. Over half the parents felt their child's future education, job chances, and social life would be affected. One third reported activity limitations. Compared to a control group of children, a significantly greater percentage of parents of the chronically ill reported teacher concern about their child's effort and behavior, and showed concern about the child having too few friends. Two of the three studies in which psychological appraisals were obtained suggested that more of the ill children than controls showed indices of maladjustment. School information from two studies showed more of the ill children than controls underachieving and being referred to a school psychologist. Work by the Rochester Child Health Group has pointed up several ways in which providers of care can more optimally assist families in order to minimize these problems: 1) identifying families at risk at the onset to find which families may require special support; 2) Assuring that family and all care providers know who is orchestrating care, and that all areas of care are being provided; 3) Assuring that where necessary, an outreach person is meeting the needs of the family and child on an intensive, sustained, caring and creative basis.

Adolescent

Early diagnosis of vulnerability in cancer patients.

The newly diagnosed CA patient faces psychosocial as well as physical problems. To assess the impact of diagnosis, and to find significant clues for later emotional distress, 163 new patients with CA of the breast, colon, lung, Hodgkin's disease, and malignant melanoma were evaluated by interviews, psychological testing, and personality inventories, then followed regularly for six months. Vulnerability was but one parameter that measured emotional distress and faltering capacity to cope with concurrent problems. It was found that the more vulnerable patients had more symptoms when first diagnosed, and that systemic symptoms were more significant than the type of CA or the staging. High vulnerability patients were generally pessimistic, anticipating little recovery and practically no support from significant others. They had more marital problems, tended to suppress feelings, but often had a history of depression. Denial in itself did not mean vulnerability. Indecision about treatment and regrets about the past were more indicative of future emotional problems than was delay. Most patients showed little denial throughout the period of observation, but more vulnerable patients tended to vacillate between denial and acceptance. By learning to listen and ask tactful questions, this information can be elicited by the physician who can then intervene effectively.

Adaptation, Psychological