Our study explores the potential of positive parental involvement in preventing drug and substance misuse among young people in Zimbabwe.

We adopted a qualitative approach to explore the role of positive parental involvement in preventing drug and substance misuse. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with purposively sampled young people, parents/caregivers and key informants.

The study was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe, in a suburb known as Highfield. Highfield is a high-density suburb located in the southern part of the capital city.

The participants for the study included young people (n=15), aged 16 years and older, with or without a history of drug and substance misuse; parents/caregivers (n=15), aged 18 years and older, experiencing drug and substance misuse in the household or community and key informants (n=10), aged 18 years and older, knowledgeable about drug and substance misuse.

The study aimed to explore the potential of positive parental involvement in preventing drug and substance misuse among young people in Zimbabwe.

We established several strategies for positive parental involvement in preventing drug and substance misuse. Parents should be unequivocal and set clear rules within the family that they do not condone the misuse of drugs and substances. However, this should be done in an environment that allows young people to share their views and opinions. Parents should also consistently monitor the actions and behaviours of their children. This is key in establishing signs of early indulgence in drug and substance misuse, allowing activation of appropriate support and care. Most young people are not aware of the dangers of drug and substance misuse; hence, parents need to raise awareness. Barriers to positive parental involvement include absenteeism of parents due to livelihood demands, making it difficult to enforce consistent supervision, as well as the lack of skills to engage young people in a way that enhances their appreciation of the effects of drug and substance misuse. However, initiatives like parenting programmes can potentially equip parents with the requisite skills that are needed to be able to steer young people away from drug and substance misuse.

Positive parental involvement is key in preventing drug and substance misuse by young people. However, positive parental involvement should be complemented by community efforts in the form of drug-intolerant communities.

This study aimed to identify the predictors of burnout, anxiety and depression among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A secondary quantitative analysis of data from the Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC).

Healthcare professionals across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1439 Canadian healthcare professionals.

Data from MHRC, collected between April 2020 and January 2024, including sociodemographic factors and measures of burnout, anxiety and depression.

In total, 1439 participants were included in the analysis. Women (OR: 2.25; 95% CI 1.46 to 3.48), younger workers (OR: 2.29; 95% CI 1.29 to 4.06) and mental health professionals (OR: 2.59; 95% CI 1.11 to 6.01) were more likely to experience burnout. Meanwhile, men (OR: 2.05; 95% CI 1.40 to 3.00), younger workers (OR: 8.58; 95% CI 4.12 to 17.86) and physicians (OR: 2.01; 95% CI 1.16 to 3.46) had an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with anxiety. Similar findings were obtained for depression, where men (OR: 1.74; 95% CI 1.18 to 2.56), young workers (OR: 5.22; 95% CI 2.68 to 10.18), physicians (OR: 2.11; 95% CI 1.22 to 3.64), visible minorities (OR: 2.29; 95% CI 1.55 to 3.38) and those with a physical impairment (OR: 4.79; 95% CI 2.55 to 8.97) were more likely to receive a diagnosis since the COVID-19 pandemic.

These findings underscore the need for targeted clinical interventions among healthcare professionals during and beyond public health emergencies. Specifically, healthcare institutions should implement accessible mental health programmes, regular psychological assessments and workload management strategies for those who face increased vulnerabilities to mental health struggles.

To develop survey items for a national patient registry on Long COVID using a modified Delphi process.

This study was based on a modified Delphi process involving three rounds of anonymous, online surveys to develop consensus on and prioritise survey elements to be included in a minimum dataset for use in a national patient registry in Canada. Initial Long COVID items were identified through an environmental scan of the literature.

This study focused on healthcare systems in Canada and was conducted online.

A panel of 52 experts (patients, caregivers, clinicians and researchers) participated in all three rounds of the online survey. These participants were recruited through the Long COVID Web network and word of mouth.

In total, 243 survey elements related to care, quality of life and symptoms were included in round 1 of the survey. 200 reached consensus and moved to round 2 with two additional elements being developed based on open-ended responses. In round 2, participants ranked these survey elements and 34 advanced. In round 3, 33 survey elements met the threshold of consensus with one added a priori. The 33 survey elements were then used to develop a Long COVID minimum dataset, which consists of 48 items.

The findings affirm broad consensus for collecting data related to fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cardiovascular issues, respiratory problems and cognitive issues. This highlighted the desire for quality-of-life indicators and information related to care utilisation, quality and access.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 (SPN3) remains a significant contributor to invasive pneumococcal disease globally, despite its inclusion in widely administered vaccines. The next generation of pneumococcal vaccines may confer better protection against this serotype, reducing disease burden. We describe an ethically approved protocol for a double-blind randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of VAXNEUVANCE (15-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV15)) and 0.9% saline (placebo) on the acquisition, density and duration of SPN3 carriage using a controlled human infection model.

Healthy adults aged 18–50 years will be randomised 1:1 to receive PCV15 or placebo. Participants will be considered enrolled on the trial at vaccination. One month following vaccination, all participants will be intranasally inoculated with SPN3. Following inoculation, participants will be followed up on days 2, 7, 14 and 28 to monitor safety, SPN3 colonisation status, density and duration, as well as immune responses. The primary endpoint of the study is to assess the rate of SPN3 acquisition between vaccinated and unvaccinated participants defined by classical microbiological methods. Secondary endpoints will determine the density and duration of SPN3 colonisation and compare the immune responses between study groups. An exploratory cohort of 5 participants will be asked to consent to a nasal biopsy procedure during a screening visit and a second nasal biopsy 28 days after PCV15 vaccination. This cohort will only receive PCV15 and will not be challenged. Through this exploratory cohort, we will explore gene expression changes induced by PCV15 vaccination and their visualisation (spatial location) within the nasal tissue.

This protocol has been reviewed by the sponsor, funder and external peer reviewers. The study is approved by the NHS Research and Ethics Committee (Reference: 24/SC/0388) and by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (Reference: CTA 21584/0485/001-0001).

NCT06731374 – ISRCTN91656864.