Douglas College

ABSTRACT This research study examined the experiences of racialized social workers in Canada through semi-structured interviews with five participants. Grounded theory analysis revealed six themes: participants’ experience with racism; bearing the burden: professional and personal responsibility; progress, regression, and stagnation: addressing racism; participants’ personal response to racism; participants’ experiences reporting racism; and identity, role and resilience in social work. Across all themes, participants described pervasive racism. The findings highlight the emotional labor of racialized practitioners who must advocate for racialized clients, shoulder microaggressions, and challenge racism without organizational support. Implications for social work and policy include the need for culturally responsive leadership, formal reporting mechanisms, and anti-racism training developed by racialized professionals. Future researchers should expand the sample size and compare experiences across settings. The findings from this study reinforce the importance of an anti-racist frameworks in social work education and practice.

Brain network architecture is anticipated to influence future grey matter loss in individuals at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis. However, existing studies on grey matter structural network properties in CHR are scarce and constrained by small sample sizes. Here, we examined network topology differences comparing a) CHR versus healthy controls (HC); b) CHR who transitioned to psychosis (CHR-T) versus those who did not (CHR-NT); and c) different subsyndromes. We included structural scans from 1842 CHR individuals and 1417 HC individuals from 31 sites within the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium. At the global level, CHR individuals exhibited lower structural covariance (q < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.164) and less optimal structural network configuration than HC (lower global efficiency and clustering coefficient, d = 0.100,0.087, qs <= 0.027). Though no global difference between CHR-T and CHR-NT, network distinctiveness of the frontal and temporal surface area networks was higher in CHR-T than CHR-NT (d = 0.223,0.237) and HC (d = 0.208,0.219) (qs < 0.001). Network distinctiveness of the frontal cortical thickness network was lower in CHR-T (d = 0.218, q < 0.001) than CHR-NT and HC (d = 0.165, q < 0.001). Importantly, higher network distinctiveness was associated with worse positive symptoms in CHR-NT (frontal surface area, q = 0.008, R2 = 0.013) and at trend with worse negative symptoms in CHR-T (frontal thickness, q = 0.063, R2 = 0.049). Further, the brief intermittent psychotic syndrome subgroup showed more severe network alterations. Together, brain structural networks inform symptoms and the risk of transition to psychosis in CHR individuals.

Much of the research indicating that U.S. parents' use of psychological control is connected to adverse child outcomes overlooks the specific dimensions of psychological control, relies on self-report measures and excludes ethnic and racial minorities. This observational study takes a step towards identifying the links between mothers' use of guilt and shame inductions and children's externalizing behaviors and social adjustment problems within European American, African American and U.S. Mexican families. A total of 436 children (49% female, M age = 10.51 years) and their mothers from low-income households, representing these distinct ethno-racial groups, engaged in discussions on three conflict topics. Maternal guilt and shame inductions during conflict conversations were coded, and mothers completed measures of externalizing behaviors and social adjustment problems. Results showed that maternal shame induction was related to both externalizing behaviors and social adjustment issues, while guilt induction was related solely to externalizing behaviors. However, no significant differences were found across the ethno-racial groups in how guilt and shame inductions were related to children's social and behavioral adjustment. These results highlight that two components of psychological control, guilt and shame inductions, are related to child outcomes in different ways and underscore the pervasive challenges that maternal psychological control presents for child development across ethno-racial backgrounds.

This study is original in that it identified the care trajectories of patients with substance-related disorders (SRDs) over a 9-year period, and associated these trajectories with the patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, quality of care received, and subsequent adverse outcomes (high emergency department use, repeated hospitalizations, suicidal behaviors, death). Health administrative databases from Quebec, Canada (1996-2022) were used to investigate a cohort of 4075 patients with SRDs. Group-based multi-trajectory modeling was produced to identify profiles of care trajectories from April 1st 2012 to March 31st 2021. Multinomial regressions and survival analysis were conducted to associate profiles to patient characteristics, and adverse outcomes over the following year. Five profiles of care trajectories were identified: "Low overall but increasing care use" (Profile 1, 30% of sample); "High, increasing outpatient physical health care use" (Profile 2, 26%); "High, increasing outpatient SRD care use" (Profile 3, 15%); "High overall care use" (Profile 4, 14%); and "Increasing but moderate outpatient care use" (Profile 5, 15%). Profiles 3 and 4 used substantially more SRD outpatient care. Patients in Profiles 4 and 5 had more complex health conditions and engaged in more varied, sustained care over time, but subsequently experienced the worst adverse outcomes. In contrast, Profile 1 patients had better overall health conditions, followed by Profile 2 (older at SRD onset, less materially deprived) and 3 (more SRD issues), which both exhibited higher continuity of care than Profile 1. Profile 3 had the lowest rate of treatment dropouts. Use of care and adverse outcomes were strongly linked to the patients' clinical conditions. Tailored interventions may be recommended for each profile: outreach and motivational interventions for Profile 1; applying the chronic care model for Profile 2; high continuity of physician and SRD care for Profile 3; assertive community treatment for Profile 4; and intensive case management for Profile 5. To better address the unmet needs of patients with SRDs, overall outpatient services may be substantially consolidated and improved. Acute care providers and general practitioners may also play a key role in identifying patients with SRDs and referring them to appropriate outpatient services.

Abstract Serum neurofilament light (sNfL) is a biomarker of axonal integrity which is elevated in neurodegenerative diseases. Although common psychiatric disorders are not neurodegenerative, some studies have found slightly higher levels of sNfL in psychiatric disorders compared to healthy controls. The reason for this elevation is unknown, and it is unclear whether this difference persists over time, or if it varies in relationship to symptom severity. Longitudinal serum samples and clinical data from a large dataset of psychiatric patients (n = 836; ages 40+, M = 478, F = 358) were obtained from the Signature Biobank at up to four time points over up to 2 years (from emergency room admission to outpatient follow-up or remission). sNfL was measured using SiMoA assay technology. Repeated measures analyses were used to test sNfL over time, adjusting for age, BMI, blood creatinine and sex. Linear regressions were used to test associations between sNfL levels and depression, anxiety and psychosis symptoms. sNfL levels did not change significantly over time for subjects with all 4 available timepoints (n = 73), nor from baseline to the last available timepoint (n = 268). Males had slightly higher sNfL than females (Cohen’s d = 0.38, p = 0.003). Depression, anxiety and psychosis symptoms improved over time, but there were no clinically significant correlations between sNfL and symptom severity. This study did not detect a significant change in sNfL in psychiatric disorders over time, despite overall improvement in symptom severity. These results suggest that the mild elevation in sNfL reported in psychiatric disorders is a disease trait rather than state dependent.

The transition to higher education is a significant milestone for many individuals; however, it also brings new stressors and challenges, particularly for international students adjusting to life in a foreign country. Despite the increasing diversity of student populations globally, there remains a gap in existing reviews that capture the full scope of international student mental health concerns and needs. Existing reviews on the mental health and psychosocial adjustment of international students often concentrate on acculturation stress, thus overlooking other mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, as well as positive mental health experiences like increased well-being. Meanwhile, other reviews tend to focus more heavily on specific regions, such as the United States and Australia, or student populations, particularly East-Asian students. While valuable, this focus may limit our understanding of the diverse mental health experiences of international students. The objective of this scoping review is to map and summarize research on international students' mental health experiences and concerns (e.g., depression) as well as factors influencing their well-being (e.g., social support and institutional resources). A search strategy guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual of Evidence Synthesis has been developed according to the Population, Concern, and Context (PCC) framework and will be applied to four electronic databases (i.e., MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and CINAHL). Two reviewers will pilot the selection strategy on subsets of 10 articles until a 90% agreement rate is achieved. Once this rate is reached, a single reviewer will screen the remaining articles independently. Two reviewers will pilot data extraction on subsets of 10 included studies, after which one reviewer will proceed independently. Main findings will be presented through descriptive statistics, using tables and figures. This scoping review will assess existing literature on the mental health needs and experiences of international students, highlighting overlooked issues, such as challenges beyond acculturation stress and the experiences of underrepresented student populations, including those studying outside of Western countries. Ultimately, the findings may identify areas for further research and inform educational institutions and mental health professionals in developing support resources that can effectively address diverse needs of international students.

Abstract Cell-cell communication is essential for proper brain functioning and health. Here, we characterize whole-brain patterns of cellular interactions that spatially align with tissue damage across 13 neurodegenerative conditions, including early- and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD, LOAD), presenilin-1 mutations (PS1), frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). By integrating spatial gene expression with structural MRI data, we created over 1,000 whole-brain maps of ligand-receptor interactions. Multivariate analysis revealed three principal axes of cell-cell communication underlying brain tissue vulnerability. The first axis involved neuron-astrocyte-microglia interactions, explaining atrophy patterns shared by frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease subtypes. Moreover, the first axis was enriched with genes involved in regulation or spreading of Aβ/tau and/or Alzheimer’s disease risk. Two complementary axes involving neurons, endothelial cells, and astrocytes explained patterns specific to PS1 and PD. Notably, we confirmed that cell-cell interactions identified for LOAD were also associated with frontal cortex atrophy in 375 participants from an independent database. These findings reveal both distinctive and shared molecular signaling pathways underlying tissue vulnerability across neurodegenerative disorders, clarifying disease mechanisms and highlighting potential cellular targets for therapeutic interventions.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe, persistent disorder that causes functional impairment. Besides heritability, environmental factors, such as traumatic experience, impact the development of BD. Little is known about the early developmental signs of this disorder; therefore, this study aims to look at the impact of interpersonal trauma on the early developmental signs of BD. Specifically, differences in psychopathological behaviours were investigated between (1) at-risk children and controls and (2) at-risk children who experienced an interpersonal traumatic event and those who did not. Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset, participants with a first-degree relative with BD were identified (Nat-risk = 625) and matched on sex and age to a control group (Ncontrol = 625). The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS) was used to assess interpersonal trauma and psychopathological symptoms. The trauma (Ntrauma = 198) and no-trauma sub-groups (Nno-trauma = 428) were built from the at-risk population. Group comparison was conducted on depressive, manic and anxiety symptoms. Compared to controls, at-risk children exhibited a significantly greater number of manic symptoms at baseline and 2-year follow-up, and anxiety symptoms at follow-up. No significant differences were found between the trauma and no-trauma groups at either baseline or follow-up. These results confirm the presence of early symptoms in at-risk children, in line with the staging model of BD. Extended longitudinal research is needed to further investigate the potential specific role of trauma on its early behavioural patterns.