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Beyond the Label: Understanding and Addressing Occupational Stigma in Psychiatry
Get PDFIntroduction:Stigma is a social classification that devalues individuals or groups, and occupational stigma targets entire professions. Psychiatry is particularly affected, often viewed by the public and medical community as lacking scientific rigor and prestige. This negative perception has far-reaching consequences.
Methods:A narrative literature review was conducted to explore the scope, sources, and impact of occupational stigma toward psychiatrists. Peer-reviewed articles and professional resources published between 2002 and 2023 were selected based on relevance to psychiatric stigma, education, and public perception. Databases searched included PubMed, Google Scholar, and professional association websites using keywords such as “psychiatry stigma” and “psychiatrist perception.” Six primary sources met inclusion criteria and were analyzed thematically to identify how stigma is formed sustained, and potentially addressed in clinical, educational, and public settings.
Discussion: Psychiatric stigma arises from misconceptions about mental illness, psychiatric treatment, and psychotropic medications—whose benefits are often underestimated and harms exaggerated. Trainee psychiatrists frequently report exposure to humiliating remarks, and many medical students and non-psychiatric physicians see psychiatry as less legitimate, with some questioning the emotional stability of psychiatrists. This stigma contributes to professional burnout, low job satisfaction, and defensive medical practices. It also deters patients from seeking care and discourages medical trainees from entering the field, worsening the ongoing psychiatrist shortage. Nevertheless, psychiatrists often possess strengths such as introspection, cultural maturity, and a collaborative approach to care. Encouragingly, the field is experiencing rising competitiveness, and many non-psychiatric physicians recognize psychiatrists’ expertise and value their consultation. National psychiatric organizations and individual psychiatrists are also taking steps to counter stigma—through public education, media engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adherence to evidence-based practice.
Conclusion: Occupational stigma in psychiatry undermines the well-being of providers, the effectiveness of care, and the future of the field. Combating this requires a multifaceted approach involving systemic support, professional collaboration, and continued advocacy. Enhancing respect and understanding of psychiatry can improve access to care, foster interprofessional trust, and ultimately lead to better mental health outcomes
Exploring Anticoagulant Prescription Disparities: A Focus on Hispanic Patient Care
Get PDFAnticoagulants play a critical role in preventing thromboembolic events, yet disparities persist in their prescription among minority populations. This presentation explores inequities in anticoagulant prescribing patterns, with a specific focus on Hispanic patient care. Using retrospective electronic health record data, we analyzed the prescription rates of warfarin versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) among adults with clinical indications for anticoagulation. Our findings reveal that Hispanic patients are significantly less likely to receive DOACs compared to non-Hispanic White patients, even after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and insurance status. Contributing factors include language barriers, lack of insurance, and potential implicit bias in provider decision-making. These disparities not only reflect systemic inequities but also have direct implications for patient outcomes and safety. Addressing these gaps through culturally competent care, policy initiatives, and provider education is essential for promoting health equity in anticoagulant therapy and beyond
Is the Vaping Epidemic Linked to Neurologic Changes and Mental Health Diagnoses Amongst US Adolescents?
Get PDFVaping has significantly increased among U.S. adolescents, driven by the rise of e-cigarettes and flavored pods. Nicotine exposure during brain development is linked to changes in the limbic-dopaminergic system, white matter integrity, and increased risk of emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality are reported among adolescent users, with greater symptom severity seen in those with high vaping dependence. Though studies show correlation rather than causation, findings suggest vaping may contribute to rising mental health diagnoses. Addressing vaping’s neurological and psychological impact is critical to guiding prevention efforts, regulatory policies, and support for at-risk youth
Case Report: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension with Venous Sinus Stenosis in a Young Female
Get PDFWe report a case of a 19-year-old female who presented with transient, painless left eye vision loss and left-sided headache for 2 weeks. The patient, a known carrier of TTN mutation, which is a gene code for titin (mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern). The patient was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension secondary to bilateral transverse sigmoid venous sinus stenosis. The differential diagnosis included ocular migraine, transient ischemic attack) and optic neuritis, but subsequent imaging and lumbar puncture revealed elevated intracranial pressure and significant venous stenosis. This case highlights the importance of an early identification and intervention to prevent long-term complications such as vision loss
Ultrasound-Guided vs. Fluoroscopy Guided Steroid Injection for Lumbar Spine Pain on Functional and Pain Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Get PDFFluoroscopy-guided steroid injections are standard for lumbar spine pain but involve radiation. Ultrasound offers a safer, radiation-free alternative. Ultrasound-guided injections are non-inferior in improving pain and function. A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted. Studies in adults comparing ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided injections reporting VAS, NRS, or ODI were included. Fifteen studies showed both techniques significantly improved pain and function, with no consistent superiority. Ultrasound-guided injections are effective and safe, providing comparable outcomes to fluoroscopy while eliminating radiation exposure
Artificial Intelligence in Detecting Heart Failure - A Systematic Review
Get PDFMany studies have presented an artificial intelligence (AI) model to read electrocardiograms (ECGs) for the purpose of detecting or classifying the severity of heart failure. While most literature suggests that these AI-ECG models are effective at detecting or classifying heart failure, their efficacy in comparison to the current standards of care is not well researched. Furthermore, the barriers to implementation and the risks of these systems have not been studied and compiled. This literature review aims to outline the efficacy of AI-ECG models, determine how effective AI-ECG is in comparison to the standards of care, and outline the barriers to clinical implementation
Recognizing Pseudohypobicarbonatemia in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia - A Case Report
Get PDFPseudohypobicarbonatemia is a laboratory artifact in which severe hypertriglyceridemia interferes with enzymatic bicarbonate measurements, leading to falsely low levels that can mimic metabolic acidosis. We present a case of a patient with diabetes and hyperlipidemia who was initially found to have profound hypobicarbonatemia and an elevated anion gap, raising concerns for metabolic acidosis. However, arterial blood gas analysis revealed a normal acid-base status, prompting further investigation and identification of severe hypertriglyceridemia (\u3e1100 mg/dL) as the underlying cause. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by hypertriglyceridemia-induced lab errors and underscores the importance of confirming suspected metabolic acidosis with arterial blood gas analysis. Awareness of pseudohypobicarbonatemia is crucial to prevent unnecessary interventions and ensure accurate clinical decision-making
Design and Control of a Versatile Modular Soft Robotic System with Integrated Resource Sharing and Self-Reconfiguration Capabilities
No full textModular, self‑reconfigurable soft robots promise unprecedented versatility by combining the compliance of soft materials with the adaptability of modular architectures. This thesis presents an integrated system of pneumatic, bending-type soft actuator modules. Modules are compact and fully equipped with tunable magnetic and electromechanical connections for low‑power attachment and detachment and a novel power-air-communication (PAC) connector for seamless sharing of electricity, compressed air, and digital signals. This work examines two representative assemblies: ManusBot, a pinching gripper, and TendrilBot, a versatile linear configuration for various tasks. Their grasping performance, variable stiffness, and radial support capabilities are characterized. A magnetic interlock and an electromechanical CastleLock provide reversible, robust connections, and the PAC interface eliminates most external tubing and wiring. To enable autonomous self‑reconfiguration, module adjacencies are encoded in a transition system and a novel a model‑checking framework was developed that for a desired reconfiguration state, determines if it can be safely achieved and returns a path at the planning level. We validate the complete system through experiments in grasping, locomotion, stiffness modulation, and closed‑loop self‑reconfiguration across diverse configurations. The results of this thesis and the works therein demonstrate a scalable platform for adaptive, multi-functional soft robots capable of on‑demand morphology changes, paving the way toward deployable, task-flexible robotic systems in unstructured environments
Improved Production of Polymer Nanofibers Via High Speed Centrifugal Spinning
No full textCentrifugal spinning is of particular interest because of its high nanofiber throughput rate, compared to other manufacturing processes. Centrifugal spinning can produce fibers in the nanoscale range with a range of polymers, such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polycaprolactone (PCL). Improvements were made to a conventional orifice-based spinning head design used in our lab with PAN solutions. The internal geometry of the spinning head and the location of the exit orifice were modified, resulting in an increase in pressure at the exit orifice and a constant flow of polymer solution to the orifice. Nanofibers spun with these new designs exhibited smaller diameters and improved flight trajectory. Fibers created during the centrifugal spinning process collect at the same target height on the collection substrate. With a non-moving collection substrate, fibers stack on top of each other until a dense ring is formed, which is torn apart by air currents and the spinning head. A custom horizontally translating roll-to-roll collection substrate was created to eliminate the limitations of static collection substrates. A plate-based spinning device was investigated to facilitate compatibility with difficult-to-spin solutions and reduce potential for orifice clogs that hamper scalable manufacturing. The impact of viscosity, surface tension, and contact angle on quality fiber formation via plate-based centrifugal spinning was investigated. It was determined that the surface tension of a polymer solution, which is greatly impacted by the solvent(s) used and any additives present, must be sufficiently high for fiber formation to occur. Additionally, it was discovered that solutions with a wide range of viscosities can produce fibers. These solutions\u27 contact angles fell into a narrow range between 65 and 90 degrees with the surfaces used for centrifugal spinning
Investigating Individual Variability in Autistic Identity and Its Moderating Effects on Mental Health and Quality of Life
No full textThe autistic community has long voiced the mental health of autistic adults as a key clinical and research priority. Autistic identity, or the recognition and embrace of core autistic traits as integral to an individual\u27s identity as a whole, may be a potential target for therapeutic approaches aimed at supporting well-being and quality of life. The current study investigates individual differences in self-reported autistic identity scores by demographic factors and by features of autism and health history using online survey data from N=225 autistic adults. Additionally, with a subset of the participants who completed an interconnected study of current mental health symptomatology (n=47), we explore how autistic identity may influence the association between autistic traits and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and quality of life, as well as the association between camouflaging of autistic traits and these same markers of mental health and well-being. Dimensions of autistic identity varied across gender, trait level, and diagnostic factors, and certain identity dimensions independently predicted mental health and well-being. However, limited evidence emerged for autistic identity moderating the associations between autistic traits or camouflaging and mental health markers. Findings further our understanding of individual variability in autistic identity and its relation to mental health and quality of life