Advances in pediatric oncology have created a growing cohort of adult survivors of childhood cancer, but data on long-term psychological outcomes from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain limited. We evaluated psychosocial outcomes among adult survivors of childhood cancer in North India and examined demographic and clinical predictors of distress, social support, self-esteem, and sexual dysfunction.

In this cross-sectional study at a tertiary care cancer center in India, 266 long-term survivors diagnosed at ≤21 years of age, aged ≥18 years at recruitment, who had completed definitive therapy and remained cancer-free for ≥2 years, underwent psychological assessment using the HADS, MSPSS, SRQ, RSS, and SDQ.

Overall, 62.1% screened positive for borderline/abnormal anxiety symptoms and 82.2% for borderline/abnormal depressive symptoms. Despite this burden, 87.9% reported high perceived social support. Mental distress and low self-esteem were reported by 16.9% and 5.9%, respectively. Among 120 sexually active respondents, 70.8% screened positive for sexual dysfunction. Female sex was independently associated with higher anxiety, higher mental distress, and lower perceived social support. Time off therapy less than 8 years was associated with lower self-esteem. Diagnosis at age ≤12 years was associated with greater sexual dysfunction.

Adult survivors of childhood cancer experience a substantial and partly hidden psychosocial burden, and their psychological journey is influenced not just by biology, but by the deep-rooted cultural norms and societal structures. The current study offers valuable evidence from India, with implications for survivorship care across LMICs.

This study aimed to examine college students' trust in generative artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health information and decisions.

Among 926 undergraduates at two institutions in the 2024-2025 Healthy Minds Study, demographic and clinical correlates of dichotomized trust ratings were examined.

Overall, 31% trusted AI for mental health information, and 13% trusted AI for mental health decisions. Severe depression, anxiety, and therapy history were not significantly associated with trust. Students with (vs. without) a lifetime psychiatric diagnosis trusted AI less for information (28% vs. 34%). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ; vs. non-LGBQ) students trusted AI less for information (21% vs. 38%) and decisions (7% vs. 17%). International (vs. domestic) students trusted AI more for information (52% vs. 29%), and Asian (vs. White) students trusted AI more for decisions (17% vs. 11%).

Trust varied by identity but not by most clinical characteristics. Clinicians should ask patients about AI use.

Adolescence is characterized by heightened emotional reactivity and rapid maturation of emotion regulation (ER) capacities. Sexual abuse during adolescence disrupts normal ER development. Adolescents often struggle to modulate intrusive memories, hypervigilance, and intense affect following sexual abuse, resulting in increased distress and maladaptive coping strategies, including non-suicidal self-injury.

Using an embedded mixed-methods design, emotional dysregulation and mental health outcomes among sexually abused adolescents were examined. Three focused group discussions with 18 professionals and 43 key interviews with 25 adolescents (14 with penetrative abuse, including 1 gang rape case, and 11 with non-penetrative abuse) and 18 parents/caregivers (N = 61) were conducted at child-care institutions and hospital settings. Thematic frequency analysis resulted in 572 codes, 38 subthemes/subdomains, and 6 themes/domains across the three sample groups. Multi-informant perspectives and multiple settings were considered to draw more generalizable conclusions. Screening measures, namely the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13), were used. Qualitative data focused on emotional impact, triggers, relational difficulties, academic consequences, and coping strategies, while quantitative data assessed depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Across all groups, themes converged on persistent emotional pain, somatic and affective reactivity, hypervigilance, mistrust in relationships, academic decline, and self-harm. Adolescents consistently reported profound emotional dysregulation, including fear, persistent crying spells, anger outbursts, and social withdrawal. Parents highlighted mood volatility, anger, withdrawal, and emotional numbing, whereas professionals identified chronic dysregulation and attachment ruptures as enduring sequelae of abuse. All adolescents scored above the cutoff on the PHQ-9, while 14 scored above the cutoff on the SCARED, and 13 on the CRIES-13.

The effects of sexual abuse type, gender differences, parental support, and the obtained themes are discussed in the context of impact severity and ER.

Breastfeeding is widely recognized as a cornerstone of maternal and child health. Beyond its nutritional and physiological value, breastfeeding is also an embodied, relational, and socioculturally situated experience through which women negotiate meanings of motherhood. However, Indonesian breastfeeding scholarship has more often emphasized prevalence, determinants, and behavioral outcomes, while the meanings women attach to breastfeeding in relation to maternal identity formation remain insufficiently explored.

This study aimed to explore how breastfeeding is experienced and narrated as part of maternal identity formation among Indonesian mothers during the exclusive breastfeeding period.

A qualitative study grounded in narrative inquiry was conducted in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Twenty-four mothers with infants aged under 6 months were purposively recruited from community health posts. Data were collected between June and October 2025 through in-depth semistructured narrative interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed manually using reflexive thematic analysis.

Three interrelated themes were identified: enacting maternal identity through breastfeeding responsibility and competence; strengthening maternal identity through embodied bonding; and becoming a mother through struggle, adaptation, and self-regulation.

Breastfeeding shaped maternal identity as a developmental, relational, and meaning-laden process during early motherhood. Midwifery care that recognizes the emotional, relational, and sociocultural meanings of breastfeeding may provide more responsive and identity-sensitive support for mothers during the transition to motherhood.

To investigate the association between household contextual factors and the mental health of immigrant and Canadian-born mothers.

Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, we used the General Social Survey 2016, 2017 and 2018 to examine the differences in family and dwelling characteristics of immigrant and Canadian-born mothers. We then used multivariable binary logistic regression models to estimate associations between family structure, income, marital status, household size, and dwelling type and ownership, and the odds of having poor or fair self-rated mental health or a diagnosed mental health condition.

Immigrant mothers were more likely than Canadian-born mothers to have larger sized households, lower family income and to live in rental dwellings. Not being in a marital relationship was associated with both mental health outcomes among immigrant mothers. Having low-family income was associated with poor mental health conditions among Canadian-born mothers.

Immigrant mothers are more likely to live in contexts that could be potentially harmful to mental health. The findings on low-income and larger families being associated with mental health highlight the importance of community-based interventions to support families and mothers.

Public health emergencies are inherently social crises that disrupt institutions, livelihoods, and everyday social functioning. However, the factors that determine whether their crisis dimensions are amplified, sustained, or attenuated remain insufficiently understood from an integrated, macro-systemic perspective. This review synthesizes evidence across epidemiology, sociology, psychology, and public health to examine the interacting mechanisms that shape the social dynamics of epidemics. We develop a framework in which social consequences, trust dynamics, behavioral and psychological responses, and information environments jointly influence crisis trajectories through reciprocal feedback processes. Trust is conceptualized as a critical mediating factor linking governance to public behavior, while inequalities and information environments condition whether disruptions are contained or amplified. We conclude that epidemic preparedness should move beyond a pathogen-centered model to integrate social protection, trust-sensitive communication, mental health support, and infodemic management.

The Ludeman Family Center for Women' s Health Research (Ludeman Center) at the University of Colorado (cwhr@ucdenver.edu) organized its 4th National Conference at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO. The research presentations and discussions from the three-day October 2024 conference addressed sex differences across the life span with a focus on cardio-metabolism and mental health. Over one hundred thirty participants, including scientists, clinicians, policy makers, advocacy group leaders and federal agency representatives participated in the meeting. In this manuscript, we briefly summarize the conference scientific presentations made at the 2024 meeting which were organized into 3-day sessions as well as poster sessions.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for nearly 74% of global deaths, with 86% of premature NCD mortality occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In Malawi, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and asthma contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality. Integrated service delivery models such as the Integrated Chronic Care Clinics (IC3) in Neno District aim to improve chronic disease management; however, evidence on disease control within these models remains limited. This study assessed disease control and associated correlates among patients receiving care in IC3 clinics in rural Malawi. We conducted a mixed-methods retrospective cross-sectional study at Neno District Hospital and Lisungwi Community Hospital. Quantitative data were extracted from OpenMRS electronic medical records for 1,790 patients diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, or asthma. Disease control was defined as blood pressure <140/90 mmHg (<130/80 mmHg for hypertensive diabetics), HbA1c < 7% for diabetes, and symptom-based criteria for asthma. Associations between disease control and demographic or clinical variables were assessed using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Qualitative data were collected through 17 focus group discussions and 56 in-depth interviews with patients and healthcare providers. Hypertension control was achieved in 55% of patients, asthma control in 87%, and diabetes control in 32%. Males had lower odds of hypertension control than females (aOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55-0.90). Overweight patients and those receiving more than two antihypertensive medications also had lower odds of hypertension control. Asthma control was associated with inhaled corticosteroid use, while glycaemic control was associated with the number of prescribed medications. Qualitative findings identified health literacy, medication adherence, patient-provider communication, and access to care as key influences on disease management. Disease control varied across conditions within integrated chronic care clinics in rural Malawi and was influenced by demographic, treatment-related, and contextual factors.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and are associated with prolonged healing, increased hospitalization, and risk of amputation. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), a non-invasive and low-cost modality, has shown potential to accelerate wound healing by promoting tissue repair, cellular proliferation, and improved microcirculation. This study aimed to descriptively evaluate healing outcomes in patients with DFUs treated with LLT combined with conventional treatment care with conventional treatment alone. This prospective observational comparative study included 11 adults with diabetes and active neuropathic DFUs treated at a public podiatry outpatient clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 2023-July 2024). Participants were prospective screened and allocated to conventional treatment (CT, n = 5; 6 ulcers) or LLLT plus CT (n = 6; 9 ulcers). Healing progression was assessed using the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH), evaluating wound area, tissue type, and exudate. In the CT group, 1 ulcer (17%) healed completely, 2 (33%) improved, 2 (33%) remained unchanged, and 1 (17%) worsened. In the LLLT group, 5 ulcers (55.5%) healed completely and 4 (44.5%) improved, with no lesions worsening. The LLLT group also demonstrated shorter mean healing time, fewer clinical visits, and greater tissue repair than CT alone. The descriptive findings suggest that adjunctive LLLT may represent a promising supportive strategy for DFU management in real world outpatient care. Due to the observational design, non-random allocation, and limited sample size, causal inference cannot be established. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) among the paediatric population in Latvia is gradually increasing, and ~ 50% of patients with newly diagnosed T1D present with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This study aimed to initiate T1D screening for high-risk children to reduce the rate of DKA and enable early pre-symptomatic intervention. This prospective observational study was conducted at Children's Clinical University Hospital (CCUH) from March 2024 to February 2026. Siblings aged 2-17 years of patients with T1D were invited to participate. The parents completed a short questionnaire regarding participants' health status and family history. Screening was performed in two stages: (1) 3-screen ELISA and insulin autoantibody (IAA) ELISA testing; if ≥ 1 positive then (2) ELISA testing for all four autoantibodies (AAs) separately: IAA, insulinoma-associated antigen-2 (IA-2A), zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD-65A) antibodies, glycaemic status assessment, and screening for celiac disease and autoimmune thyroiditis. Participants with ≥ 2 AAs in the second screening underwent a 2 h-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Parents of participating children were screened for anxiety and depression using GAD-7 (general anxiety disorder 7) and PHQ-9 (patient health questionnaire-9) instruments. Of the 83 participants in the first screening, 26 (31.3%) had ≥ 1 positive test results. This group more frequently had ≥ 1 family member with T1D than those with negative results (30.8 versus 5.3% respectively, p = 0.003). In the second screening stage, 13 participants (50%) tested negative for all 4 AAs, 9 (10.8%) had one positive AA (AA +), one participant had two AA + , and three children had three AA + . At the time of the second screening, all participants had normal glycaemic measurements, negative results for celiac disease and autoimmune thyroiditis screening. During observation period, two participants developed stage 3 T1D. Following the OGTT, another participant was diagnosed with stage 2 T1D, but two other participants with ≥ 2 AA + remained normoglycemic. The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety was similarly high among parents of children with both positive and negative T1D screening results; however, parents in the positive screening group more frequently exhibited severe anxiety.

Positive T1D screening with ≥ 2 AAs was observed in 5 (6.02%) participants. Three participants progressed to stage 2 or stage 3 T1D during follow-up, corresponding to a positive predictive value of 60%, within a relatively short observation period of 10-24 months. These findings support the implementation of T1D screening in Latvia, particularly in high-risk populations.

• Islet AA testing for several years has been used to screen for T1D in multiple international studies and national screening programs. • Timely detection of islet AA can prevent from DKA development and ensure presymptomatic insulin treatment with fewer complications.

• These data are of particular significance, because no prior screening initiatives for T1D have been reported in Latvia. • There is an urgent need to improve recognition of T1D in Latvia to decrease rates of DKA and other complications, and screening could be an effective tool for that.