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The World Health Organization considers coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be a public emergency threatening global health. During the crisis, the public's need for web-based information and communication is a subject of focus. Digital inequality research has shown that internet access is not evenly distributed among the general population. The aim of this study was to provide a timely understanding of how different people use the internet to meet their information and communication needs and the outcomes they gain from their internet use in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also sought to reveal the extent to which gender, age, personality, health, literacy, education, economic and social resources, internet attitude, material access, internet access, and internet skills remain important factors in obtaining internet outcomes after people engage in the corresponding uses. We used a web-based survey to draw upon a sample collected in the Netherlands. We obtained a dataset with 1733 respondents older than 18 years. Men are more likely to engage in COVID-19-related communication uses. Age is positively related to COVID-19-related information uses and negatively related to information and communication outcomes. Agreeableness is negatively related to both outcomes and to information uses. Neuroticism is positively related to both uses and to communication outcomes. Conscientiousness is not related to any of the uses or outcomes. Introversion is negatively related to communication outcomes. Finally, openness relates positively to all information uses and to both outcomes. Physical health has negative relationships with both outcomes. Health perception contributes positively to information uses and both outcomes. Traditional literacy has a positive relationship with information uses and both outcomes. Education has a positive relationship with information and communication uses. Economic and social resources played no roles. Internet attitude is positively related to information uses and outcomes but negatively related to communication uses and outcomes. Material access and internet access contributed to all uses and outcomes. Finally, several of the indicators and outcomes became insignificant after accounting for engagement in internet uses. Digital inequality is a major concern among national and international scholars and policy makers. This contribution aimed to provide a broader understanding in the case of a major health pandemic by using the ongoing COVID-19 crisis as a context for empirical work. Several groups of people were identified as vulnerable, such as older people, less educated people, and people with physical health problems, low literacy levels, or low levels of internet skills. Generally, people who are already relatively advantaged are more likely to use the information and communication opportunities provided by the internet to their benefit in a health pandemic, while less advantaged individuals are less likely to benefit. Therefore, the COVID-19 crisis is also enforcing existing inequalities.

The Life Esidimeni tragedy in South Africa showed that, despite significant global gains in recognizing the salience of integrated public mental health care during the past decade, crucial gaps remain. State and non-state mental health service collaboration is a recognized strategy to increase access to care and optimal use of community resources, but little evidence exist about how it unfolds in low-to middle-income countries. South Africa’s Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2013–20 (MHPF) underlines the importance of collaborative public mental health care, though it is unclear how and to what extent this happens. The aim of the study was to explore the extent and nature of state and non-state mental health service collaboration in the Mangaung Metropolitan District, Free State, South Africa. The research involved an equal status, sequential mixed methods design, comprised of social network analysis (SNA) and semi-structured interviews. SNA-structured interviews were conducted with collaborating state and non-state mental health service providers. Semistructured interviews were conducted with collaborating partners and key stake holders. Descriptive network analyses of the SNA data were performed with Gephi, and thematic analysis of the semistructured interview data were performed in NVivo. SNA results suggested a fragmented, hospital centric network, with low average density and clustering, and high authority and influence of a specialist psychiatric hospital. Several different types of collaborative interactions emerged, of which housing and treatment adherence a key point of collaboration. Proportional interactions between state and non-state services were low. Qualitative data expanded on these findings, highlighting the range of available mental health services, and pointed to power dynamics as an important consideration in the mental health service network. The fostering of a well-integrated system of care as proposed in the MHPF requires inter-institutional arrangements that include both clinical and social facets of care, and improvements in local governance. La tragédie de Life Esidimeni en Afrique du Sud a montré que, malgré des progrès significatifs réalisés au niveau mondial dans la reconnaissance de l’importance des soins de santé mentale axés sur la collaboration au cours de la dernière décennie, de graves lacunes subsistent. La collaboration entre les services étatiques et non-étatiques de santé mentale est une stratégie reconnue pour améliorer l’accès aux soins et l’utilisation optimale des ressources communautaires, mais on dispose de peu de données probantes sur la forme qu’elle prend dans les pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire. Le Cadre et le Plan stratégiques 2013-2020 pour la santé mentale en Afrique du Sud (MHPF) soulignent l’importance des soins de santé mentale axés sur la collaboration, bien qu’on ne sache pas précisément comment, ni dans quelle mesure cette collaboration est effective. Le but de l’étude était d’explorer l’étendue et la nature de la collaboration des services étatiques et non-étatiques de santé mentale dans le district métropolitain de Mangaung, État libre, Afrique du Sud. La recherche impliquait un statut égal, une conception de méthodes mixtes séquentielles, comprenant l’analyse de réseaux sociaux (SNA) et des entretiens semi-structurés. Des entretiens structurés dans le cadre de l’analyse des réseaux sociaux (SNA) ont été menés avec des prestataires étatiques et non-étatiques de services de santé mentale. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisées dans le cadre de la collaboration avec des partenaires et des intervenants clés. Des analyses descriptives des données des SNA ont été concrétisées avec Gephi, et une analyse thématique des données des entrevues semi-structurées a été effectuée grâce au logiciel NVivo. Les résultats des SNA suggèrent un réseau fragmenté, centré sur l’hôpital, avec une moyenne de densité et de regroupement faibles, et un hôpital psychiatrique spécialisé dont l’autorité et l’influence sont considérables. Divers types d’interactions collaboratives ont émergé, parmi lesquelles l’adhésion au traitement apparaît comme un point clé de la collaboration. La proportion des interactions entre les services étatiques et non-étatiques était faible. Les données qualitatives ont donné des résultats plus étendus, soulignant l’éventail des services de santé mentale disponibles, et elles ont fait ressortir le fait que la dynamique du pouvoir était un facteur important dans le réseau des services de santé mentale. La promotion d’un système de soins bien intégré tel que proposé dans le MHPF nécessite des mécanismes interinstitutionnels qui incluent à la fois des facettes cliniques et sociales des soins, et des améliorations dans la gouvernance locale. 南非的Life Esidimeni惨剧提醒我们, 虽然过去十年全球各国 越来越认识到综合公共精神卫生照护的重要性, 但还存在极大 空白。政府和非政府精神卫生服务协作被认为是提高服务可 及性、促进社区资源利用最优化的策略, 但其在中低收入国家 的实施还缺乏证据。南非的精神卫生政策框架与战略规划 2013-2020 （MHPF）指出了协同公共精神卫生照护的重要性, 虽然没有明确如何实现以及在何种程度上实现协同照护。本 文目的是探讨南非自由邦省布隆方丹政府和非政府精神卫生 服务协作的程度和性质。本研究采用均等状态序列混合方法, 包含社会网络分析 （SNA） 和半结构式访谈。对协作的政府 和非政府精神卫生服务提供者进行SNA-结构式访谈；对协作 伙伴和关键利益相关者进行半结构式访谈。使用Gephi对SNA 数据进行描述性网络分析, 使用NVivo对半结构式访谈数据进 行主题分析。SNA结果提示网络碎片化, 以医院为中心, 平均 密度和集中程度较低, 专科精神病医院的权威和影响较高。出 现了几种不同类型的协作互动方式, 其中居住和治疗依从是协 作的关键点。政府和非政府服务互动比例低。定性数据拓展 了上述发现, 突出了现有精神卫生服务的范围, 显示权力动态 是精神卫生服务网络中的重要考虑因素。实现MHPF提出的 高度整合的照护体系, 需要涵盖临床和社会照护的跨机构协 调, 以及地方治理的改善。 La tragedia de Life Esidimeni en Sudáfrica demostró que, a pesar de los significativos avances mundiales en el reconocimiento de la importancia de la atención integrada pública de la salud mental durante la última década, aún existen lagunas cruciales. La colaboración de los servicios de salud mental estatales y no estatales es una estrategia reconocida para aumentar el acceso al cuidado y al uso óptimo de los recursos de la comunidad, pero existe poca evidencia sobre cómo se desarrolla en los países de ingresos bajos a medios. El Marco de Políticas de Salud Mental de Sudáfrica y el Plan Estratégico 2013-2020 (MPSM) recalca la importancia del cuidado público colectivo en salud mental, aunque no está claro cómo y en qué medida esto sucede. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar el alcance y la naturaleza de la colaboración entre los servicios estatales y no estatales de salud mental en el Distrito Metropolitano de Mangaung, Free State, Sudáfrica. La investigación involucró un diseño de estado equitativo, secuencial de métodos mixtos, compuesto por análisis de redes sociales (ARS) y entrevistas semi-estructuradas. Las entrevistas estructuradas de ARS se realizaron con proveedores de servicios de salud mental estatales y no estatales colaboradores. Se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas con socios colaboradores y partes interesadas. Los análisis descriptivos de la red de los datos del ARS se realizaron con Gephi, y el análisis temático de los datos de las entrevistas semi-estructurada se realizó en NVivo. Los resultados del ARS sugirieron una red fragmentada, centrada en el hospital, con baja densidad y agrupamiento en promedio, y una gran autoridad e influencia de un hospital psiquiátrico especializado. Surgieron varios tipos diferentes de interacciones colaborativas, de las cuales la vivienda y la adherencia al tratamiento fueron un punto clave de colaboración. Las interacciones proporcionales entre los servicios estatales y los no estatales fueron bajas. La información cualitativa expandióestos hallazgos, destacando la gama de servicios de salud mental disponibles, y señalóla dinámica de poder como una consideración importante en la red de servicios de salud mental. El fomento de un sistema de atención bien integrado como se propone en el MPSM requiere arreglos interinstitucionales que incluyan aspectos clínicos y sociales del cuidado y mejoras en la gobernanza local.

A diverse array of digital technologies are available to children and young people living in the Global North to monitor, manage, and promote their health and well-being. This article provides a narrative literature review of the growing number of social research studies published over the past decade that investigate the types of digital technologies used by children and young people in the Global North, in addition to investigating which of these technologies they find most useful or not useful. Key findings as well as major gaps and directions for future research are identified and discussed. A comprehensive search of relevant publications listed in Google Scholar was conducted, supported by following citation trails of these publications. The findings are listed under type of digital technology used for health: cross-media, internet, social media, apps and wearable devices, sexual health support and information, and mental health support and information. Many young people in the Global North are active users of digital health technologies. However, it is notable that they still rely on older technologies, such as websites and search engines, to find information. Apps and platforms that may not have been specifically developed for young people as digital health resources often better suit their needs. Young people appreciate the ready availability of information online, the opportunities to learn more about their bodies and health states, and the opportunities to learn how to improve their health and physical fitness. They enjoy being able to connect with peers, and they find emotional support and relief from distress by using social media platforms, YouTube, and online forums. Young people can find the vast reams of information available to them difficult to navigate. They often look to trusted adults to help them make sense of the information they find online and to provide alternative sources of information and support. Face-to-face interactions with these trusted providers remain important to young people. Risks and harms that young people report from digital health use include becoming overly obsessed with their bodies' shape and size when using self-tracking technologies and comparing their bodies with the social media influencers they follow. Further details on how young people are using social media platforms and YouTube as health support resources and for peer-to-peer sharing of information, including attention paid to the content of these resources and the role played by young social media influencers and microcelebrities, would contribute important insights to this body of literature. The role played by visual media, such as GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) and memes, and social media platforms that have recently become very popular with young people (eg, Snapchat and TikTok) in health-related content creation and sharing requires more attention by social researchers seeking to better understand young people's use of digital devices and software for health and fitness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia, emphasizing the importance of developing accurate and reliable forecasting mechanisms to guide public health responses and policies. In this study, we compared several cutting-edge deep learning models, including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), hybrid CNN-LSTM, Multilayer Perceptron’s, and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), to project COVID-19 cases in the aforementioned regions. These models were calibrated and evaluated using a comprehensive dataset that includes confirmed case counts, demographic data, and relevant socioeconomic factors. To enhance the performance of these models, Bayesian optimization techniques were employed. Subsequently, the models were re-evaluated to compare their effectiveness. Analytic approaches, both predictive and retrospective in nature, were used to interpret the data. Our primary objective was to determine the most effective model for predicting COVID-19 cases in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia. The findings indicate that the selected deep learning algorithms were proficient in forecasting COVID-19 cases, although their efficacy varied across different models. After a thorough evaluation, the model architectures most suitable for the specific conditions in the UAE and Malaysia were identified. Our study contributes significantly to the ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, providing crucial insights into the application of sophisticated deep learning algorithms for the precise and timely forecasting of COVID-19 cases. These insights hold substantial value for shaping public health strategies, enabling authorities to develop targeted and evidence-based interventions to manage the virus spread and its impact on the populations of the UAE and Malaysia. The study confirms the usefulness of deep learning methodologies in efficiently processing complex datasets and generating reliable projections, a skill of great importance in healthcare and professional settings.

Mental health conditions tend to go unrecognised and untreated in adolescence, and therefore it is crucial to improve the health and social outcomes for these individuals through age and culturally appropriate interventions. This paper aims firstly to describe the development and implementation of the HYPE project platform (a research and resource platform co-designed and co-produced with young people). The second aim is to describe the characteristics of participants who engaged with the platform and an embedded pilot online survey. Participatory action research approach was used to address objectives of the HYPE project. Data were analysed to: (1) help improve access to health and social services, (2) guide provision of information of online resources and (3) deliver complementary community-based events/activities to promote mental health and to ultimately prevent mental health issues. Pilot and main phases of the HYPE project demonstrated the capacity and feasibility for such a platform to reach local, national, and international populations. Analyses demonstrated that the platform was particularly relevant for young females with pre-existing health difficulties. Some of the barriers to involving young people in research and help-seeking are discussed.

Mental health care is shifting from a primary focus on symptom reduction toward personal recovery-oriented care, especially for persons with long-term mental health care needs. Web-based portals may facilitate this shift, but little is known about how such tools are used or the role they may play in personal recovery. The aim was to illustrate uses and experiences with the secure e-recovery portal \"ReConnect\" as an adjunct to ongoing community mental health care and explore its potential role in shifting practices toward recovery. ReConnect was introduced into two Norwegian mental health care communities and used for 6 months. The aim was to support personal recovery and collaboration between service users and health care providers. Among inclusion criteria for participation were long-term care needs and at least one provider willing to interact with service users through ReConnect. The portal was designed to support ongoing collaboration as each service user-provider dyad/team found appropriate and consisted of (1) a toolbox of resources for articulating and working with recovery processes, such as status/goals/activities relative to life domains (eg, employment, social network, health), medications, network map, and exercises (eg, sleep hygiene, mindfulness); (2) messaging with providers who had partial access to toolbox content; and (3) a peer support forum. Quantitative data (ie, system log, questionnaires) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data (eg, focus groups, forum postings) are presented relative to four recovery-oriented practice domains: personally defined recovery, promoting citizenship, working relationships, and organizational commitment. Fifty-six participants (29 service users and 27 providers) made up 29 service user-provider dyads. Service users reported having 11 different mental health diagnoses, with a median 2 (range 1-7) diagnoses each. The 27 providers represented nine different professional backgrounds. The forum was the most frequently used module with 1870 visits and 542 postings. Service users' control over toolbox resources (eg, defining and working toward personal goals), coupled with peer support, activated service users in their personal recovery processes and in community engagement. Some providers (30%, 8/27) did not interact with service users through ReConnect. Dyads that used the portal resources did so in highly diverse ways, and participants reported needing more than 6 months to discover and adapt optimal uses relative to their individual and collaborative needs. Regardless of providers' portal use, service users' control over toolbox resources, coupled with peer support, offered an empowering common frame of reference that represented a shift toward recovery-oriented practices within communities. Although service users' autonomous use of the portal can eventually influence providers in the direction of recovery practices, a fundamental shift is unlikely without broader organizational commitments aligned with recovery principles (eg, quantified goals for service user involvement in care plans).

Background Access to mental health care is a worldwide public health challenge. In Mexico, an unacceptably high percentage of the population with mental disorders does not receive the necessary treatment, which is mainly due to the lack of access to mental health care. The community mental health care model was created and has been implemented to improve this situation. In order to properly plan and implement this model a precise situational diagnosis of the mental health care network is required, thus this is a first approach to evaluate the community mental health networks in the state of Jalisco. Methods Two components from the EvaRedCom–TMS instrument were used including a general description and accessibility of the community mental health care network. A geographic and economic accessibility evaluation was carried out for the different regions of the state ranging from scattered rural to urban communities using information gathered from health institutions, telephone interviews and computer applications. Results Jalisco’s community mental health network includes a total of 31 centers and 0.64 mental health workers for every 10,000 inhabitants > 15 years of age. The mean transportation cost required to access mental health care was 16.25 USD per visit. The time needed to reach the closest mental health center in 7 of the 13 analyzed regions was more than 30 min and the mean time required to reach a prolonged stay center was 172.7 min with transportation cost (taxi, private and public transport) of 22.3 USD. Some marginalized regions in the state have a mean 114 min required to reach the closest mental health care center and 386 min to reach a prolonged stay center. Conclusions This first approach to evaluate the mental health networks in Mexico showed that there are multiple barriers to access its care including an unfavorable number of human resources, long distances, and high costs. The identification of Jalisco’s mental health network deficiencies is the first step towards establishing a properly planned community mental health care model within the country.

PurposeThe study explored how information institutions can support the resilience of parents of adolescents affected by the Russia–Ukraine war. Ukrainian parents are facing major challenges of supporting their teenagers through a difficult developmental phase while also “buffering” their war-related hardships. By supporting parents, information institutions can also support children.Design/methodology/approachFifteen parents were interviewed about mental health challenges and resources that are helpful and/or missing from their support systems. Recordings of participant narratives were analyzed using the qualitative thematic analysis technique.FindingsThe findings indicate that both teens and parents rely on internal resilience skills, family, friends and community resources to support themselves. However, a number of additional resources could be offered by information institutions, including content for (1) teens on developing skills in communication, interpersonal relationships, problem solving and academic pursuits; (2) parents on child development and opportunities in their host countries; both groups on (3) both groups on mental health first aid and safe spaces to meet peers. The study recommendations will be of interest to information professionals working with families, especially families affected by disasters.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relied on a small convenience sample of participants.Practical implicationsStudy recommendations would be of interest to information professionals who develop and provide services to families affected by natural and manmade disasters.Social implicationsStudy recommendations improve understanding of the (potential) role of information institutions and libraries in strengthening family and community resilience.Originality/valueThe study offers a rare insight into experiences of war-affect families and provides evidence-driven recommendations for information institutions to support family and community resilience.

Abstract In 2011, the South African National TB Programme launched a policy of decentralized management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in order to expand the capacity of facilities to treat patients with DR-TB, minimize delays to access care and improve patient outcomes. This policy directive was implemented to varying degrees within a rapidly evolving diagnostic and treatment landscape for DR-TB, placing new demands on already-stressed health systems. The variable readiness of district-level systems to implement the policy prompted questions not only about differences in health systems resources but also front-line actors’ capacity to implement change in resource-constrained facilities. Using a grounded theory approach, we analysed data from in-depth interviews and small group discussions conducted between 2016 and 2018 with managers (n = 9), co-ordinators (n = 15), doctors (n = 7) and nurses (n = 18) providing DR-TB care. Data were collected over two phases in district-level decentralized sites of three South African provinces. While health systems readiness assessments conventionally map the availability of ‘hardware’, i.e. resources and skills to deliver an intervention, a notable absence of systems ‘hardware’ meant that systems ‘software’, i.e. health care workers (HCWs) agency, behaviours and interactions provided the basis of locally relevant strategies for decentralized DR-TB care. ‘Software readiness’ was manifest in four areas of DR-TB care: re-organization of service delivery, redressal of resource shortages, creation of treatment adherence support systems and extension of care parameters for vulnerable patients. These strategies demonstrate adaptive capacity and everyday resilience among HCW to withstand the demands of policy change and innovation in stressed systems. Our work suggests that a useful extension of health systems ‘readiness’ assessments would include definition and evaluation of HCW ‘software’ and adaptive capacities in the face of systems hardware gaps.