Preliminary reliability and validity of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for schizophrenia

This study provides preliminary psychometric support for a version of the Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (CAPS; D. D. Blake et al., 1990) adapted for use with patients with schizophrenia (CAPS-S; J. S. Gearon. S. Thomas-Lohrman, & A. S. Bellack, 2001). Nineteen women with schizophrenia and co-occurring illicit drug use disorders were administered the CAPS-S, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnoses (SCID). and scales measuring trauma-related psychopathology. The results indicate that the CAPS-S can distinguish between those with and without PTSD and that the symptom clusters measure unified constructs. Interrater and test-retest reliability were high for PTSD diagnosis and symptom clusters. Solid convergent validity was demonstrated between the CAPS-S and SCID-based PTSD diagnoses and the Impact of Event Scale. There is also preliminary evidence of discriminant validity. These results support the use of the CAPS-S in women with schizophrenia.     

Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale

The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS; Sullivan et al., Psychol. Assess. 7, 524–532, 1995) has recently been developed to assess three components of catastrophizing: rumination, magnification, and helplessness. We conducted three studies to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the PCS. In Study I, we conducted principal-components analysis with oblique rotation to replicate the three factors of the PCS. Gender differences on the original PCS subscales were also analyzed. In Study II, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses to evaluate the adequacy of fit of four alternative models. We also evaluated evidence for concurrent and discriminant validity. In Study III, we evaluated the ability of the PCS and subscales to differentiate between the responses of clinic (students seeking treatment) and nonclinic undergraduate samples. Also, in the clinic sample, we evaluated evidence of concurrent and predictive validity for the PCS. The internal consistency reliability indices for the total PCS and subscales were examined in all three studies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.     

Behavioral Health Screening and Care Coordination for Rural Veterans in a Federally Qualified Health Center

Many rural veterans receive care in community settings but could benefit from VA services for certain needs, presenting an opportunity for coordination across systems. This article details the Collaborative Systems of Care (CSC) program, a novel, nurse-led care coordination program identifying and connecting veterans presenting for care in a Federally Qualified Health Center to VA behavioral health and other services based upon the veteran’s preferences and eligibility. The CSC program systematically identifies veteran patients, screens for common behavioral health issues, explores VA eligibility for interested veterans, and facilitates coordination with VA to improve healthcare access. While the present program focuses on behavioral health, there is a unique emphasis on assisting veterans with the eligibility and enrollment process and coordinating additional care tailored to the patient. As VA expands its presence in community care, opportunities for VA-community care coordination will increase, making the development and implementation of such interventions important.

     

Enhancing Behavior Change Skills in Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia: Evaluation of an Intervention to Improve Maternal and Infant Nutrition

Maternal and infant nutrition are problematic in areas of Ethiopia. Health extension workers (HEWs) work in Ethiopia’s primary health care system, increasing potential health service coverage, particularly for women and children, providing an opportunity for health improvement. Their roles include improving maternal and infant nutrition, disease prevention, and health education. Supporting HEWs’ practice with ‘non-clinical’ skills in behavior change and health communication can improve effectiveness. This intervention study adapted and delivered a UK-developed training intervention for Health Extension Workers (HEWs) working with the United Nations World Food Programme in Ethiopia. The intervention included communication and behavioral training adapted with local contextual information. Mixed methods evaluation focused on participants’ reaction to training, knowledge, behavior change, and skills use. Overall, 98 HEWs were trained. The intervention was positively received by HEWs. Pre-post evaluations of communication and behavior change skills found a positive impact on HEW skills, knowledge, and motivation to use skills (all p < 0.001) to change women’s nutritional behavior, also demonstrated in role-play scenarios. The study offered substantial learning about intervention delivery. Appropriate cultural adaptation and careful consideration of assessment of psychological constructs are crucial for future delivery.     

Interventions to Increase Multivitamin Use Among Women in the Interconception Period: An IMPLICIT Network Study

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Each year, 3% of infants in the Unites States (US) are born with congenital anomalies, including 3000 with neural tube defects. Multivitamins (MVIs) including...     

The Development of a Multilevel Intervention to Optimise Participant Engagement with an Obesity Prevention Programme Delivered in UK children’s Centres

Prevention Science - Poor participant engagement threatens the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of public health programmes preventing meaningful evaluation and wider application. Although...     

A single institution experience with Laparoscopic Hernia repair in 791 children

IntroductionThere are many described technique to performing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children. We describe our outcomes using a percutaneous internal ring suturing technique.MethodsA retrospective review of patients under 18 years old who underwent repair between January 2014 - March 2019 was performed. A percutaneous internal ring suturing technique, involving hydro-dissection of the peritoneum, percutaneous suture passage, and cauterization of the peritoneum in the sac prior to high ligation, was used. p < 0.05 was considered significant during the analysis.Results791 patients were included. The median age at operation was 1.9 years (IQR 0.37, 5.82). The median operative time for a unilateral repair was 21 min (IQR 16, 28), while the median time for a bilateral repair was 30.5 min (IQR 23, 41).In total, 3 patients required conversion to an open procedure (0.4%), 4 (0.6%) experienced post-operative bleeding, 9 (1.2%) developed a wound infection, and iatrogenic ascent of testis occurred in 10 (1.3%) patients. Twenty patients (2.5%) developed a recurrent hernia. All but two were re-repaired laparoscopically.ConclusionsThe use of percutaneous internal ring suturing for laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernias in the pediatric population is safe and effective with a low rate of complications and recurrence.     

Authors’ reply to Grundtvig Gram et al.

European Journal of Epidemiology -