A Thematic Analysis of Intensive Care Unit Diaries Content.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) diaries are an intervention used in the critical care setting to provide patients with a cohesive narrative of their ICU stay and can have a positive impact on patient and family outcomes. Few studies have examined the content of the diaries as written by family members and healthcare staff, and further information on this is important in understanding how and why diaries can be of benefit.

Aim: Content analysis of diaries completed in a medical-surgical ICU within an academic medical centre in Manitoba, Canada.

"There is no dignity in this": Understanding the experience of families facing death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed every aspect of how families managed the experience of dying loved ones. This Canadian study enrolled 24 immediate family members of patients who died of any cause during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Participants were interviewed, exploring their experiences from before hospitalization to death and bereavement including dignity related concerns.

Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Health (BEAM): study protocol for a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial of the BEAM app-based program for parents with clinical mental health problems.

Background: Children are highly sensitive to adversity during their first five years of life, with exposure to chronic parental mental illness (MI) consistently linked to socio-emotional impairments and mental health problems in children. Children born during the COVID-19 pandemic were exposed to unprecedented levels of parental distress, with parental MI reported at three times the pre-pandemic rates. This situation underscored a pressing need for scalable solutions to foster positive mental health and developmental outcomes for a generation of children.

Treating Lower Phantom Limb Pain in the Postoperative Acute Care Setting Using Virtual Reality: Protocol for a 4-Phase Development and Feasibility Trial.

Background: Phantom limb pain (PLP) affects most people living with lower limb amputations (LLAs). Nonpharmacological interventions, such as graded motor imagery (GMI), have demonstrated promise as PLP treatments. However, GMI access is limited by low patient buy-in and long public outpatient wait times.

Pharmacological treatment of anxiety in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Anxiety and its disorders are common in later life. Given the known risks of psychopharmacological treatments in older adults, clinical decision making for anxiety management should be guided by the strongest available evidence. This study aimed to comprehensively synthesise evidence on the pharmacological treatment of anxiety in older adults.

"I'm not alone": perinatal women's experiences in an online self-directed program for perinatal anxiety.

Background: Anxiety is highly prevalent during pregnancy and postpartum, and access to treatment can be difficult due to a range of barriers (e.g., time, distance, and service availability).

A systematic review and meta-analysis on physical activity for the treatment of anxiety in older adults.

Objectives: Symptoms of anxiety and anxiety disorders negatively impact the quality of life of older adults. Physical activity is a potentially accessible intervention with other health benefits and minimal risk, yet its impact on anxiety in older adults is unclear.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Factors associated with anxiety and fear of falling in older adults: A rapid systematic review of reviews.

Background: Anxiety disorders are prevalent amongst older adults and negatively impact their quality-of-life and health. Anxiety disorders often go undetected or are misattributed to age-related changes. The aim of this systematic review of reviews, was to synthesize existing evidence on risk factors associated with anxiety in older adults to improve opportunities for early detection and intervention.

Young mothers and eHealth: a scoping review.

Purpose: Young mothers, defined as those age 25 and under, are at an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems. Despite this increased risk, very few mental health and parenting interventions that target the unique needs of this group are available. This scoping review summarized extant research on mental health and parenting eHealth interventions aimed at young mothers.

Together, alone: Personal experiences of virtual funeral attendance during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound distortions in how deaths were marked by those left to mourn their passing. Public health restrictions prohibited gatherings of friends and families for traditional funerals, causing an upsurge in reliance on virtual alternatives. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals attending virtual funerals following a death of any cause, including reasons for choosing virtual attendance, perceived differences relative to in person attendance, and the extent to which mourning practices were accommodated.

'Mental health is a mystery': patient perspectives on treatment engagement in the referral process to specialty geriatric mental health services.

Objectives: Raue and Sirey proposed a theoretical treatment engagement model for older adults outlining steps from identifying mental health problems, referral to specialty care, and involvement in treatment. Using this model as a guide, the current study aimed to explore patient perspectives of their experience in the process of referral and first meeting with geriatric mental health services. Furthermore, the current study aimed to identify opportunities to enhance patient engagement in these beginning steps of the treatment engagement process.

Perinatal mental health service use in a representative sample of US women.

Problem/background: Mental health problems are prevalent during the perinatal period and mental health service use is lower among perinatal women compared to the general population.

Aim: This study examined the prevalence and variables associated with mental health service use (MHSU) among pregnant and postpartum women with a past-year mental disorder.

Methods: We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 36,309).

The first casualty of COVID-19 for patients nearing death was human dignity: Understanding the experience of palliative care patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people lived, but also the way they died. It accentuated the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual vulnerabilities of patients approaching death. This study explored the lived experience of palliative inpatients during the pandemic.

Gastroenterologist and surgeon perceptions of recommendations for optimal endoscopic localization of colorectal neoplasms.

National consensus recommendations have recently been developed to standardize colorectal tumour localization and documentation during colonoscopy. In this qualitative semi-structured interview study, we identified and contrast the perceived barriers and facilitators to using these new recommendations according to gastroenterologists and surgeons in a large central Canadian city. Interviews were analyzed according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) through directed content analysis.

An Immersive Virtual Reality Intervention for Preoperative Anxiety and Distress Among Adults Undergoing Oncological Surgery: Protocol for a 3-Phase Development and Feasibility Trial.

Background: Preoperative state anxiety (PSA) is distress and anxiety directly associated with perioperative events. PSA is associated with negative postoperative outcomes such as longer hospital length of stay, increased pain and opioid use, and higher rates of rehospitalization. Psychological prehabilitation, such as education, exposure to hospital environments, and relaxation strategies, has been shown to mitigate PSA; however, there are limited skilled personnel to deliver such interventions in clinical practice.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Impact of Preoperative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgical Experiences.

We qualitatively explored the impact of preoperative mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) experiences. Participants (n = 10) who received MBSR prior to TKA participated in semi-structured interviews concerning their experiences with MBSR and its perceived impact on surgery. We analyzed interviews according to reflexive thematic analysis, and coded data into three main themes: 1) Impact of MBSR on surgery experiences; 2) Contributors to change; and 3) Motivations for participation.

Preoperative Virtual Reality to Expose Patients With Breast Cancer to the Operating Room Environment: Feasibility and Pilot Case Series Study.

Background: Clinically elevated preoperative distress and anxiety are common among patients undergoing cancer surgery. Preoperative interventions have been developed to mitigate this distress and anxiety but are inconsistent in efficacy and feasibility for broad implementation.

Objective: This preliminary pilot study aims to assess the feasibility and utility of a newly developed virtual reality (VR) intervention to expose patients awaiting breast cancer surgery to the operating room environment and a simulation of anesthetic induction.

"It took so much of the humanness away": Health care professional experiences providing care to dying patients during COVID-19.

COVID-19 has affected healthcare in profound and unprecedented ways, distorting the experiences of patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) alike. One area that has received little attention is how COVID-19 affected HCPs caring for dying patients. The goal of this study was to examine the experiences of HCPs working with dying patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protocol for a randomized control trial of the Building Regulation in Dual Generations Program (BRIDGE): preventing the intergenerational transmission of mental illness in at-risk preschool children.

Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worldwide prevalence of maternal depression has risen sharply; it is now estimated that one quarter of mothers experience clinically significant depression symptoms. Exposure to maternal depression during early childhood increases the risk for the development of childhood mental illness (MI) in offspring, with altered parenting practices mediating the association between maternal depression and child outcomes. Dual-generation interventions, which aim to simultaneously treat parent and child mental health, show promise for improving outcomes for mothers with depression and their young children.

Unmet Parental Mental Health Service Needs in Neonatal Follow-Up Programs: Parent and Service Provider Perspectives.

Parental mental health services in neonatal follow-up programs (NFUPs) are lacking though needed. This study aimed to determine (1) the unmet mental health needs of parents and (2) the parent and provider perspectives on barriers and opportunities to increase mental health service access. : Parents in a central Canadian NFUP ( = 49) completed a mixed-method online survey (analyzed descriptively and by content analysis) to elucidate their mental health, related service use, barriers to service use, and service preferences.

Evaluating the mental health status, help-seeking behaviors, and coping strategies of Canadian essential workers versus non-essential workers during COVID-19: a longitudinal study.

Objective: This study examined mental health symptoms, help-seeking, and coping differences between Canadian essential workers (EWs) versus non-EWs, as well as common COVID-related concerns and longitudinal predictors of mental health symptoms among EWs only.

Design: An online, longitudinal survey (= 1260; response rate (RR) =  78.5%) assessing mental health and psychosocial domains amongst Canadian adults was administered during the first wave of COVID-19 with a six-month follow-up (= 821; RR = 53.

Women's experiences of trauma, the psychosocial impact and health service needs during the perinatal period.

Background: Traumatic events are associated with psychological and physical health problems for women in the perinatal period (i.e., pregnancy-12-months after childbirth).

Moral Injury Among Frontline Long-Term Care Staff and Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: A growing body of research highlights the experiences of moral injury among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moral injury (i.e.

"There is always a waitlist": The experiences of perinatal women randomized to a waitlist condition in a trial evaluating a novel online self-directed intervention for perinatal anxiety.

Background: Pregnant and postpartum women are at a heightened risk for the development or worsening of mental health problems, with elevated rates of mood and anxiety disorders noted across studies. Timely access to mental health supports is critical during the perinatal period (spanning pregnancy to 1 year postpartum), to mitigate potential negative impacts on mother and child. In general adult populations, a small body of research has highlighted the association between being waitlisted for mental health services with a deterioration in mental health.