Annals of epidemiology
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Annals of epidemiology · May 2021
Failure of leadership in U.S. academic medicine after George Floyd's killing by police and amidst subsequent unrest.
The horrific nature of George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis Police Department officer on May 25, 2020 sparked an enduring stretch of nationwide protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. During periods of crisis, anchor institutions may exert leadership by issuing public statements to communicate shared institutional values, enhance morale, and signal direction in the face of crisis. In our analysis of public statements issued by 56 leading U. ⋯ Far fewer explicitly used terms denoting active support, like "antiracism" or "Black Lives Matter." Only a minority of institutions made reference to the killing of George Floyd by the police, and most failed to address this country's targeted, historically engrained, and sustained oppression of Black people through white supremacy. Thus, there remain significant opportunities for U. S. medical schools to exert meaningful leadership in public health.
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Annals of epidemiology · May 2021
Explosive ordnance disposal personnel in the U.S. military have higher risk of insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder: a large retrospective cohort study.
We examined the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affective disorders, alcohol/substance-related disorders, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and insomnia, among explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians compared to the general population of active-duty non-EOD personnel in the U.S. military. ⋯ As reliance on EOD forces continues, ongoing vigilance of the stressors, health sequelae and disincentives to access mental health care among this military occupation should be monitored and mitigated wherever possible.