ARQ Centre of Expertise Impact

The global response to infectious diseases has seen a renewed interest in the use of community engagement to support research and relief efforts. From a perspective rooted in the social sciences, the concept of vulnerability offers an especially useful analytical frame for pursuing community engagement in a variety of contexts. However, few have closely examined the concept of vulnerability in community engagement efforts, leading to a need to better understand the various theories that underline the connections between the two.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated measures have impacted the health of many. Not all population groups are equally vulnerable to such health effects, possibly increasing health inequalities. We performed a group concept mapping procedure to define a common, contextspecific understanding of what makes people vulnerable to health effects of the pandemic and the measures. We organized a two-step, blended brainstorming session with locally involved community members, using the brainstorm focus prompt ‘What I think makes people vulnerable for the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures is . .

Objective: Police officers typically face multiple potentially traumatic events and consequently have a higher conditional probability of developing PTSD. Although most police officers with PTSD benefit from first-line treatment, it is unknown whether recommended intensification of treatment for low responders is effective and which factors contribute to response. This study aimed to examine the treatment response of a day clinic for police officers with PTSD and identify predictors of treatment response.

Research findings show humanitarian work impacts one’s health. We conducted a prospective observational study among 618 international humanitarian aid workers (iHAWs)’ recruited from 76 countries to investigate health changes and ill-health risk factors after mostly short-term (<1 year) medical emergency assignments. The aid workers were assigned to 27 countries. Data collected between 2017 and 2020.

Objectives A comprehensive overview of the evidence for factors derived from leading psychological theories of the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) that underpin psychological interventions is scarce . We aimed to systematically investigate the prospective evidence for factors derived from the behavioural, cognitive, diathesis–stress, psychodynamic and personality-based theories for the first onset of MDD.

Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. 

High levels of stress at work may have serious consequences for employee functioning and mental health. By providing employees with an easily accessible instrument to regularly evaluate stressors and resources, employee self‐monitoring and guidance to support can be accommodated. We evaluated an online selfmonitoring tool Brief Assessment of Stress and Energy (BASE). Through their organization, 139 railway emergency services employees were invited to complete BASE and six wellbeing measures.

This study evaluated the feasibility of Family Empowerment (FAME), a preventive multifamily program for asylum seeker families in the Netherlands. FAME aims to reinforce the parent–child relationship, family functioning, and social support. We used an uncontrolled pre-test–post-test design, embedded in a  mixed-methods approach.

In “Mobile Insight in Risk, Resilience, and Online Referral (MIRROR): Psychometric Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Test” (J Med Internet Res 2020;22(9):e19716) one correction was made. This does not affect the analysis nor does it affect the interpretation or presentation of the results in the study.

In the “Methods” section, under “Measures” and “Depression, Anxiety and Stress”, the following phrase appears:

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the leading causes of acute respiratory tract infections. To optimize control strategies, a better understanding of the global epidemiology of RSV is critical. To this end, we initiated the Global Epidemiology of RSV in Hospitalized and Community care study (GERi).

Methods: Focal points from 44 countries were approached to join GERi and share detailed RSV surveillance data. Countries completed a questionnaire on the characteristics of their surveillance system.

Disasters and humanitarian crises threaten the health and wellbeing of people across the world, especially in more vulnerable regions. Many efforts are made to ensure that public health interventions, including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), are based on the best available evidence.