This study aimed to determine the association between demographic and clinical characteristics of mental health-related callouts to the ambulance services in Aotearoa New Zealand, focussing on differences among Māori, Pacific peoples and non-Māori non-Pacific peoples (NMNPP).

A retrospective cross-sectional study analysed routinely collected data from electronic patient report forms between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. Mental health-related callouts were identified using clinician-coded impressions from the Aotearoa New Zealand Paramedic Care Collection.

Of 26,847 callouts, a higher proportion involved individuals under the age of 24 among Māori (31.9%) and Pacific people (29.3%) compared to NMNPP (19.1%) (p<0.001). Callout proportion was higher in the most deprived areas, particularly among Māori (47.7%) and Pacific peoples (49.9%) versus NMNPP (24.5%) (p<0.001). Of total individual callouts, 15.8% presented more than once, with a higher proportion among Māori.

This study demonstrates an association between ethnicity, deprivation and mental health-related ambulance callouts, with Māori and Pacific populations in deprived areas experiencing proportionately higher callouts. Findings highlight the need for culturally responsive interventions and equitable access to care. Ambulance data can inform policy and monitor mental health trends.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between e-biking and health in the context of a novel, marae-led e-biking programme for Māori and Pacific adults in a suburban community.

Focus groups were conducted with participants in an e-biking programme (n=20) prior to receiving e-bikes, and individual interviews were conducted with participants at approximately 6 months (n=23) and 12 months (n=22).

Wanting to improve health was a motivation for trying e-biking. E-biking supported better physical and mental health, including self-reported improvement in a range of long-term conditions. E-biking was often possible and enjoyable for people who experienced barriers to physical activity, although poor health could also act as a barrier to e-biking. Factors that supported ongoing e-biking included having someone to ride with, the enjoyable nature of e-biking, and integrating e-biking for active travel.

This study suggests that e-biking is possible and beneficial for a wide range of people who do not currently cycle. Recommendations from individual health practitioners are likely to be important alongside community and population level interventions to support the uptake of cycling. Practice points to support individual health practitioners to discuss e-biking are provided.

The pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) involves multiple factors, among which childhood traumatic experience has attracted attention. Emotional abuse, as a form of trauma, may exert a predictive effect on AN. In addition, childhood traumatic experience is closely linked to impulsivity, yet the trauma-impulsivity-AN mediation pathway has not been directly validated. The purpose of this study is to compare differences in childhood traumatic experience of patients with different subtypes of AN, as well as exploring the mediating role of impulsivity between emotional abuse in childhood traumatic experience and symptom severity of AN.

This study included 157 female patients with AN, including 76 with the restricting type (AN-R) and 81 with the binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP), as well as 124 matched healthy controls (HC). Childhood traumatic experience was evaluated using Early Trauma Inventory-short form (ETI-SF), impulsivity assessed by Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11th Version (BIS-11), and clinical characteristics via Eating Disorder Examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Furthermore, inter-group differences in childhood traumatic experience were determined by one-way analysis of variance and analysis of covariance, the correlation between childhood traumatic experience and AN by Pearson correlation analysis, and the mediating role of impulsivity between emotional abuse and symptom severity was clarified by the Bootstrap method.

Cases in the AN-BP group had significantly higher exposure to childhood traumatic experience compared with the AN-R and HC groups (both p < 0.05). Significant differences were likewise observed in emotional-abuse scores across the three groups (F = 10.574, p= 0.000, partial η² = 0.084). Emotional abuse was positively correlated with impulsivity and symptom severity of AN (both p < 0.05). In addition, the mediation effect of impulsivity between emotional abuse and symptom severity was 0.073 (95% CI 0.013 ~ 0.153), with an effect proportion of 19.363%.

AN-BP patients have more significant childhood traumatic experience than AN-R patients, and difference was mainly reflected in the emotional abuse factor. Emotional abuse has established correlation with impulsivity and symptom severity in AN, with impulsivity playing a mediating role between emotional abuse and symptom severity.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has traditionally been linked to deficient serotonergic neurotransmission, chronic stress, and heightened inflammation. Compelling evidence implicates the kynurenine pathway (KP), activated by inflammatory cytokines and stress-related signals, as a critical mediator connecting these factors. The KP degrades tryptophan, the metabolic precursor of serotonin, into neuroactive metabolites called kynurenines, such as quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid. Patients with MDD exhibit KP dysregulation, often marked by an overproduction of quinolinic acid, an N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) agonist that drives excitotoxicity, alongside reduced production of kynurenic acid, an NMDAR antagonist that protects from excitotoxicity and has anti-inflammatory effects. This review examines dysregulation of the KP in MDD, emphasizing KP metabolites - particularly quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid - as biomarkers and mediators of excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress, and discusses the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants that modulate this pathway. Understanding KP dysregulation could inform the development of targeted interventions that address the underlying biological drivers of MDD, offering new hope for patients who do not respond to conventional treatments.

The first encounter with a human cadaver is a sentinel experience for medical students that is an important professional milestone but can be associated with heightened stress and anxiety. In response, many anatomy programs have implemented educational and wellness-based interventions to prepare learners for their first dissection experience, manage their dissection-related anxiety, and foster empathy. This mixed methodology study examined the impact of two preparatory interventions, namely a video and reflection activity, on anxiety, sleep, and mental and physical health for fifty-eight first-year medical students. As expected, anxiety increased over the anatomy module. There were no observed changes to sleep during the module. Self-reported number of physically and mentally healthy days improved over the module. Qualitative responses indicate that the students valued the video and reflection activity and found them helpful in preparing them for and adapting to the anatomy experience, and that male participants found them more helpful than female participants. Engagement in specific health promotion, namely exercise and maintaining a strong social support system, seemed to be protective against stress and anxiety. More research is needed to determine the benefits of preliminary activities to support healthy adjustment and reduced anxiety for students taking anatomy.

Academic resilience is a critical determinant of progress. Nursing students face significant stress due to both theoretical and clinical challenges. This study aimed to identify the level of academic resilience and its statistically associated factors among nursing students using self-report measures.

In this correlational study, 375 undergraduate nursing students from three major medical universities in Tehran were selected via stratified random sampling (proportional to strata size) during April-May 2025. Data collection utilized the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) and a researcher-developed questionnaire (validated via content and face validity). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and multiple linear regression, with careful monitoring of residual diagnostics and multicollinearity (VIF).

The students' mean academic resilience score was 89.89 ± 12.49, indicating a moderate-to-high level. Regression analysis identified seven significant statistical predictors: gender, health status, living situation, satisfaction with major, support resources, nutrition, and non-smoking. These factors collectively explained 19.6% (Adjusted R²) of the variance in resilience.

While several individual and social factors are associated with resilience, the cross-sectional nature of the study limits causal inferences. Interventions focusing on lifestyle and support systems may enhance resilience.