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AlShurman BA, Tetui M, Nanyonjo A, Butt ZA, Waite NM, Vernon-Wilson E, Wong G, Grindrod K. Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Terrain in Ontario Canada: A Policy Analysis of the Actors, Content, Processes, and Context. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040782. [PMID: 37112694 PMCID: PMC10143674 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Canada had a unique approach to COVID-19 vaccine policy making. The objective of this study was to understand the evolution of COVID-19 vaccination policies in Ontario, Canada, using the policy triangle framework. (2) Methods: We searched government websites and social media to identify COVID-19 vaccination policies in Ontario, Canada, which were posted between 1 October 2020, and 1 December 2021. We used the policy triangle framework to explore the policy actors, content, processes, and context. (3) Results: We reviewed 117 Canadian COVID-19 vaccine policy documents. Our review found that federal actors provided guidance, provincial actors made actionable policy, and community actors adapted policy to local contexts. The policy processes aimed to approve and distribute vaccines while continuously updating policies. The policy content focused on group prioritization and vaccine scarcity issues such as the delayed second dose and the mixed vaccine schedules. Finally, the policies were made in the context of changing vaccine science, global and national vaccine scarcity, and a growing awareness of the inequitable impacts of pandemics on specific communities. (4) Conclusions: We found that the triad of vaccine scarcity, evolving efficacy and safety data, and social inequities all contributed to the creation of vaccine policies that were difficult to efficiently communicate to the public. A lesson learned is that the need for dynamic policies must be balanced with the complexity of effective communication and on-the-ground delivery of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bara’ Abdallah AlShurman
- School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5, Canada
| | - Moses Tetui
- School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5, Canada
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 907 37 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agnes Nanyonjo
- Lincoln International Institute for Rural Health, University of Lincoln, Brayford Way, Brayford, Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Zahid Ahmad Butt
- School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5, Canada
| | - Nancy M. Waite
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5, Canada
| | | | - Ginny Wong
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5, Canada
| | - Kelly Grindrod
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, ON N2G 1C5, Canada
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Sodi T, Quarshie ENB, Oppong Asante K, Radzilani-Makatu M, Makgahlela M, Nkoana S, Mutambara J. Mental health literacy of school-going adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa: a regional systematic review protocol. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063687. [PMID: 36127093 PMCID: PMC9490578 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Assessing mental health literacy has implications for the identification and treatment of mental health problems. Adolescents have been identified as a particularly important target group for initiating and improving mental health literacy. However, much of what we know about adolescent mental health literacy comes from high-income countries. This proposed review seeks to synthesise the available published primary evidence from sub-Saharan Africa on the status and measurement of mental health literacy among school-going adolescents. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will perform a systematic review reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA-2020). We will systematically search selected global databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed and MEDLINE) and regional electronic databases (African Index Medicus and African Journals OnLine) up to December 2021 for observational and qualitative studies published in English and French. The standard quality assessment criteria for evaluating primary research papers from a variety of fields (QualSyst criteria) will be used to appraise the methodological quality of the included studies. The Petticrew-Roberts 3-step approach to narrative synthesis will be applied to the included studies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION We will not seek ethical approval from an institutional review board, as this is a systematic review of available and accessible literature. When completed, the full report of this review will be submitted to a journal for peer-reviewed publication; the key findings will be presented at local and international conferences with-partial or full-focus on (adolescent) mental health (literacy). PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42021229011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tholene Sodi
- Psychology Department, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie
- Department of Psychology, College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Kwaku Oppong Asante
- Department of Psychology, College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | | | | | - Shai Nkoana
- Psychology Department, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
| | - Julia Mutambara
- Department of Psychiatry, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
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Lee HL, Wilson KS, Bernstein C, Naicker N, Yassi A, Spiegel JM. Psychological Distress in South African Healthcare Workers Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Associations and Mitigating Factors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159722. [PMID: 35955078 PMCID: PMC9368661 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
While the global COVID-19 pandemic has been widely acknowledged to affect the mental health of health care workers (HCWs), attention to measures that protect those on the front lines of health outbreak response has been limited. In this cross-sectional study, we examine workplace contextual factors associated with how psychological distress was experienced in a South African setting where a severe first wave was being experienced with the objective of identifying factors that can protect against HCWs experiencing negative impacts. Consistent with mounting literature on mental health effects, we found a high degree of psychological distress (57.4% above the General Health Questionnaire cut-off value) and a strong association between perceived risks associated with the presence of COVID-19 in the healthcare workplace and psychological distress (adjusted OR = 2.35, p < 0.01). Our research indicates that both training (adjusted OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21−0.81) and the reported presence of supportive workplace relationships (adjusted OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.27−0.97) were associated with positive outcomes. This evidence that workplace resilience can be reinforced to better prepare for the onset of similar outbreaks in the future suggests that pursuit of further research into specific interventions to improve resilience is well merited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Ling Lee
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Kerry S. Wilson
- National Institute for Occupational Health, Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Colleen Bernstein
- Department of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Nisha Naicker
- National Institute for Occupational Health, Division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | - Annalee Yassi
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Jerry M. Spiegel
- Global Health Research Program, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Lampard-Scotford AR, McCauley A, Kuebel JA, Ibbott R, Mutapi F. Impact of parasitic infection on mental health and illness in humans in Africa: a systematic review. Parasitology 2022; 149:1003-1018. [PMID: 35549773 PMCID: PMC11010480 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research implicates inflammation as a potential pathway in the aetiology and pathophysiology of some mental illnesses. A systematic review was conducted to determine the association between parasitic infection and mental illnesses in humans in Africa and reviewed the state of the evidence available. The search focused on publications from Africa documenting the relationship between parasites from two parasite groups, helminths and protozoans, and four classifications of mental illness: mood affective disorders, neurotic and stress-related disorders, schizotypal disorders and unspecified mental illnesses. In the 26 reviewed papers, the prevalence of mental illness was significantly higher in people with parasitic infection compared to those without infection, i.e., 58.2% vs 41.8% (P < 0.001). An overall odds ratio found that the association of having a mental illness when testing positive for a parasitic infection was four times that of people without infection. Whilst the study showed significant associations between parasite infection and mental illness, it also highlights gaps in the present literature on the pathophysiology of mental illness in people exposed to parasite infection. This study highlighted the importance of an integrated intervention for parasitic infection and mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra R. Lampard-Scotford
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Ashworth Laboratories, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Angela McCauley
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Ashworth Laboratories, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Julius Arthur Kuebel
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Ashworth Laboratories, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Rachel Ibbott
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Ashworth Laboratories, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Francisca Mutapi
- Ashworth Laboratories, Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
- Ashworth Laboratories, NIHR Global Health Research Unit Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA), University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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