American journal of preventive medicine
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This study aims to evaluate the trends in the impact of Medicaid expansion on the use of selected recommended clinical preventive services and examine the differences in use by income level over time. ⋯ These findings provide evidence that Medicaid expansion may be associated with sustainably increased use of the selected recommended clinical preventive services among the lower-income population and that Medicaid expansion to reduce financial barriers may be an effective strategy to improve population health.
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Mental health problems increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The knowledge that one is less at risk after being vaccinated may alleviate distress, but this hypothesis remains unexplored. This study tests whether psychological distress declined in those vaccinated against COVID-19 in the U.S. and whether changes in anticipatory fears mediated any association. ⋯ COVID-19 vaccination was associated with declines in distress and perceived risks of infection, hospitalization, and death. Vaccination campaigns could promote these additional benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
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This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Veterans Crisis Line on immediate call outcomes (i.e., caller distress, suicidal ideation, and suicidal urgency) for veterans who provide identifying information. ⋯ Veterans Crisis Line callers who provide identifying information experience reductions in distress and suicidal ideation during the call. Research is needed to examine the reduction in suicidal urgency because of fair reliability, generalizability of results to other callers, post-call treatment contact and engagement, and risk for suicide attempts and death.
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Within gender-diverse populations, gender-affirming changes in gender on record may improve mental or behavioral health. This study uses claims data to investigate whether sex assigned at birth modifies the association between change in gender on record and mental or behavioral health. ⋯ Oregon Medicaid gender-diverse beneficiaries who changed their gender on record had a meaningfully lower probability of mental and behavioral health conditions. Those assigned female at birth reporting female gender had the highest burdens.