Global, regional and national burdens of bipolar disorders in adolescents and young adults: a trend analysis from 1990 to 2019

Background

Bipolar disorder is identified as a cause of severe damage to the physical, psychological and social functioning of adolescents and young adults.

Aims

The aim of this study is to ascertain the trends in the burden of bipolar disorder among individuals aged 10-24 years at global, regional and national levels from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

The data analysed in this study were from the Global Burden of Diseases 2019. The numbers, rates per 100 000 population, average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) of incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of bipolar disorder are reported at the global, regional and national levels among individuals aged 10-24 years. Global trends by age, sex and Social Development Index (SDI) were further analysed.

Results

Globally, the incidence of bipolar disorder among adolescents and young adults increased from 79.21 per 100 000 population (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 58.13 to 105.15) in 1990 to 84.97 per 100 000 population (95% UI: 61.73 to 113.46) in 2019, AAPC 0.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22 to 0.26). In the past three decades, there has been an increase in incidence, prevalence and YLDs in both males and females. The largest increase in incidence between 1990 and 2019 was observed in those aged 20-24 years old (from 51.76 per 100 000 population (95% UI: 26.81 to 87.20) in 1990 to 58.37 per 100 000 population (95% UI: 30.39 to 98.55) in 2019; AAPC 0.42 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.47)). By the SDI quintile, the largest increase in incidence was observed in the middle SDI; however, the high SDI countries had the highest incidence. Regionally, the largest increase in incidence was observed in southern Latin America. At the national level, the most pronounced increase in the incidence was in Greenland.

Conclusions

The global increase in incidence among adolescents and young adults between 1990 and 2019 indicates that strategies to improve their mental health still need to be emphasised.

A human-centered designed outreach strategy for a youth contraception navigator program

OBJECTIVE

To identify key elements of an outreach strategy for a youth contraception navigator program designed to help young people overcome barriers to contraception access.

METHODS

A human-centered design approach was used to engage adolescents aged 15-17 in co-design sessions. Human-centered design techniques, such as affinity diagramming and model building were used to inform key elements of the communication model and the final outreach strategy messages.

RESULTS

Messages focused on the individual, normalizing talking about birth control, acknowledging the challenges to obtaining birth control, explaining how the navigator program works resonate with young people. Having images of diverse participants, offering information about birth control, and showing images of reputable sources will enhance trust.

CONCLUSIONS

A name (IN Control) and key elements of an outreach strategy were determined for the navigator program. It is important to work with key stakeholders and co-design the optimal strategy and messages to assure that the intended audience is reached, and the desired behavior change is achieved.

INNOVATION

Human-centered design techniques can be used to provide insight into programmatic outreach strategies for a contraception navigator program to increase their impact and ultimate success.

[Our teenagers: still a pending subject]

BACKGROUND

Adolescents (ages 10-19) represent approximately 16% of the population in Mexico. This article identifies their main morbidity and mortality conditions, as well as current strategies and interventions to reduce preventable causes.

OBJECTIVE

Identify the main causes of morbidity, mortality, and disease burden in adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age, and current interventions to reduce mortality and improve adolescent health in the Mexican and international context.

METHOD

A descriptive-exploratory statistical analysis of primary sources was performed to identify the main causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality in Mexico. Through a structured literature search, current policies, and interventions to improve adolescent health were identified.

RESULTS

Accidents are the second leading cause of death in adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and in the group of 15 to 19 years. Intentional injuries have increased in recent years, occupying the third cause of death in adolescents between 10 and 14 years old and the first cause of death among youngsters between 15 and 19 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

The current health system urgently needs restructuring and reengineering, in which adolescent health and wellbeing intervention needs are considered.

[Lost in Transition: From Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to Adult Mental Health Care]

N/a.

Adolescent males in the City of Buenos Aires: gender-based barriers to health care and prevention

This study is based on our previous work, in which we found evidence of the difficulties in including the experiences and needs of adolescent males in the design of clinical models aimed at that age group. We identified a need to explore the subjective dimension of gender in the practices of the healthcare sector directed at adolescent males, in order to determine if they constituted barriers to advancement in this field. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 professionals from different disciplines who made up healthcare teams, as well as 14 adolescent males using healthcare services in the City of Buenos Aires. Additionally, group techniques were employed with adolescent male secondary school students, and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. We were able to determine that institutional dynamics do not adequately respond to the risks faced by adolescent males - for whom hegemonic constructions of gender play an important role - given that they are based on exclusionary biopolitical paradigms.

How to Improve the Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care Services?

N/a.

[Characteristics of Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria Referred to the Gender Identity Treatment Unit]

OBJECTIVE

The demand for treatment among people with gender dys-phoria has increased during the last years. The aim of the present research was to carry out an analysis of the demand of the teenagers that requested consultation at the UTIGPA (Gender Identity Treatment Unit of Principality of Asturias) as they presented complains of gender dysphoria.

METHODS

The sample included 20 minors that were treated between March 2007 and December 2015. The clinical history was made to collect informa-tion. It was made descriptive analysis and the reason sex/gender was used.

RESULTS

The 20 teenagers represented the 14,6% of the whole sample (of 137 demands). The age average was 15,20 years (SD=1,473) and the range of years was between 12-17. The reason sex/gender was 1/1 (10 into the man to woman group and 10 into the woman to man group). At the arrival at the Treatment Unit, 100% of the individuals lived with their nuclear or extended family and in the 60% of the cases, their parents were separated. 70% of the cases were referred from mental health services. 10% hadn´t got any past medical history and 35% had never received any prescription for a psychopharmacological treatment. 95% hadn't done any hormonal self-treatment. 100% defined themselves as heterosexual. 25% requested exclusively for psychological interventions and 75% asked for medical treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

The profile of the minor was a teenager of approximately 15 years old that was referred from mental health services. Contrary to the fin-dings of other national and international researches, the rate sex/gender was equated in our research. The minor had got a past medical history and their prio-rity request was for medical treatments, both hormonal and surgical therapies.

Health professionals' and managers' definitions of developmentally appropriate healthcare for young people: conceptual dimensions and embedded controversies

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to (i) explore how health professionals and managers who work with young people seek to define developmentally appropriate healthcare (DAH), (ii) identify the range of conceptual dimensions present in their definitions and (iii) explore the controversies embedded in their characterisations of DAH.

METHODS

A qualitative multisite ethnographic study was conducted across three hospitals in England. We undertook face-to-face semi-structured interviews with health professionals and managers; and non-participant observation in clinics, wards and meetings. Anonymised field notes and interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. The theme 'conceptualisations of DAH' was then further analysed, and the resulting themes categorised to form conceptual dimensions.

RESULTS

We recruited 192 participants and conducted 65 interviews (41 with health professionals and 24 with managers) and approximately 1600 hours of non-participant observations (involving 103 health professionals and 72 managers). Despite the wide range of definitions provided by participants, five conceptual dimensions of DAH were identified: (i) biopsychosocial development and holistic care, (ii) acknowledgement of young people as a distinct group, (iii) adjustment of care as the young person develops, (iv) empowerment of the young person by embedding health education and health promotion and (v) interdisciplinary and interorganisational work. Also, some controversies were identified within most dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study illustrates the lack of a generalised definition of DAH for young people among UK health professionals and managers, and presents a set of five core dimensions that can inform future research to help define and evaluate DAH for young people.

Developmentally appropriate healthcare for young people: a scoping study

BACKGROUND

There is increasing recognition of the importance of providing quality healthcare to meet the biopsychosocial needs of young people. 'Developmentally appropriate healthcare' (DAH) for young people is one term used to explain what these services consist of. However, this term remains ill defined.

AIMS

(i) To analyse the use of the term DAH in the scientific literature and (ii) to identify and explore the range of meanings attributed to the term in relation to young people.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted to map the presence of the term DAH in the literature. To analyse the use and meanings attributed to the DAH terminology, data underwent qualitative content analysis using a summative approach.

RESULTS

62 papers were selected and subjected to content analysis. An explicit definition of DAH was provided in only 1 of the 85 uses of the term DAH within the data set and in none of the 58 uses of the prefix 'developmentally appropriate'. A link between the use of the term DAH and the domains of adolescent medicine, young people, chronic conditions and transitional care was identified; as were the core ideas underpinning the use of DAH.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for consistency in the use of the term DAH for young people, the related stage-of-life terminology and age range criteria. Consensus is now needed as to the content and range of a formal conceptual and operational definition.