Jitender Sareen

University of Manitoba | UMN · Department of Psychiatry

Introduction Traumatic physical injuries are the number one cause of hospitalization and death among children in Canada. The majority of these injuries are preventable. The burden from injury can be reduced through prevention programs tailored to at-risk groups, however, existing research does not provide a strong explanation of how social factors...

Objective: Cannabis use among veterans in Canada is an understudied public health priority. The current study examined cannabis use prevalence and the relationships between child maltreatment histories and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) with past 12-month cannabis use including sex differences among Canadian veterans. Method: Data w...

Background There are gaps in our understanding of treatment needs among people who use methamphetamine. We examined the demographics, perceived treatment needs, barriers to accessing care, and stigma experienced by an inpatient sample of people who use methamphetamine. Methods This study surveyed a convenience sample of patients admitted to psychi...

Background Group medical visits (GMVs) have strong evidence of acceptability and effectiveness in the management of chronic medical diseases. Adaptation of GMVs for psychiatric care has potential to increase access, decrease stigma and save costs. Despite promise, this model has not been widely adopted. Methods A novel GMV pilot was implemented fo...

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers self-report high levels of mental health disorder symptoms, such as alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Participation in regular mental health monitoring has been associated with improved mental health symptom...

Objectives Adolescent vaping has become a public health concern. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between adolescent vaping and subsequent use of other substances and risk factors for polysubstance use. Methods The Well-being and Experiences Study is a longitudinal, intergenerational study conducted in Manitoba, Canada. The sa...

Objective: Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms with substantial prevalence (i.e., 50.2%). Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental heal...

Objective: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report extremely frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). While occupational exposures to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental disorders prevalent among serving RCMP, exposures occurring prior to service may also play a role. The object...

Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report diverse occupational stressors and repeated exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events, which may increase the odds of screening positive for a mental disorder, and increase the risk of death by suicide. The current study was designed to provide prevalence information regarding...

PAX Good Behaviour Game (PAX-GBG) is an evidence-based approach to co-create a nurturing environment where all children can thrive. This school-based approach was identified as a promising intervention for suicide prevention by First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada. To enhance this mental health promotion approach, PAX Dream Makers was deve...

Background: Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services personnel, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events. Such events contribute to substantial and growing challenges from posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including bu...

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has significant morbidity and economic costs. This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of patients with PTSD using primary care electronic medical record (EMR) data. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used EMR data from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance...

Introduction: We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug (separately and jointly as BZD) use in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population compared with matched controls without IBD and examined the association of mood/anxiety disorders (M/ADs) with the use of BZD from 1997 to 2017. Methods: Using administrative...

Few studies have examined the longitudinal courses of anxiety disorders in military members. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of courses of any anxiety disorder in members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, including no lifetime, remitted, new onset, and persistent/recurrent anxiety disorder. The 2018 Canadian Armed Forces...

Introduction Military sexual trauma (MST) is an ongoing problem. We used a 2002 population-based sample, followed up in 2018, to examine: (1) the prevalence of MST and non-MST in male and female currently serving members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, and (2) demographic and military correlates of MST and non-MST. Methods Data came fro...

Objective Preoperative distress is commonly experienced by surgical patients and is associated with adverse health-related outcomes. Research suggests preoperative distress may be elevated among cancer surgery patients relative to other surgical groups and there appears to be greater recognition of the adverse impacts of distress for these patients...

ObjectivesPAX, a mental health promotion approach, has been shown to decrease negative mental health outcomes and improve academic achievement. These effects have yet to be shown among Indigenous children. We evaluated PAX for improving First Nations children’s outcomes following a research process wherein community members and researchers work mor...

Objectives The overarching research objective was to examine, culturally adapt, and further evaluate a mental health promotion approach called the PAX within 8 First Nations communities. This presentation describes a research process whereby First Nations community members and researchers worked in collaborative and culturally safe ways to reach th...

Objectives When journalists report on the details of a suicide, the way that they contextualize the meaning of the event (i.e. the ‘narrative’) can have significant consequences for readers. The ‘Werther’ and ‘Papageno’ narrative effects refer to increases and decreases in suicides across populations following media reports on suicidal acts or mast...

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), like all public safety personnel (PSP), are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events that contribute to posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). Addressing PTSI is impeded by the limited available research. In this protocol paper, we describe the RCMP Study, part of the concerted effo...

Les membres de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), comme l’ensemble du personnel de la sécurité publique, sont fréquemment exposés à des événements potentiellement traumatiques sur le plan psychologique qui contribuent à la survenue de blessures de stress post­traumatique. Le peu de travaux de recherche disponibles sur le sujet limite l’étude de...

Objective: To examine the incidence and predictors of suicide attempts and deaths in the year after psychiatric hospitalization. Methods: A population-based dataset was used to develop a cohort of individuals 18 years or older admitted with a mental disorder (defined by ICD-10 codes) from 2005 to 2016 (n = 26,975) in Manitoba, Canada. Using Cox re...

Background: Cognitive behaviour therapy with mindfulness (CBTm) classes are a group-based, psychoeducational, clinical service. Early research has suggested they are a promising low-intensity intervention for reducing psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression (Palay in, Eur J Person Centered Healthcare 62:274, 2018; Thakur in BMC Psychiat...

Increasing attention has been focused on suicidal behavior among military personnel. Exposure to deployment‐related traumatic events (DRTEs) and child abuse (CA) both have been associated with mental disorders and suicidal behaviors among military personnel. Thus, the primary objectives of this study were to examine (a) sex differences in CA histor...

Objective Use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics) is controversial due to adverse health outcomes in the general population. However, little is known about their use in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug use (jointly BZD) in the MS population...

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and public health measures that took place have led to concerns regarding mental health and receipt of psychotropic medications. We aimed to study the changes in psychotropic medication dispensation rates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population. Methods: Administ...

Context: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic mental health disorder associated with significant morbidity and economic cost. Primary care providers are frequently involved in the ongoing management of patients experiencing PTSD, as well as related comorbid conditions. Despite recognized need to enhance PTSD management in primary care...

Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health conditions commonly co-occur and are both prevalent among military personnel. This study examined how courses of PTSD (no PTSD, remitted, new onset, persistent/recurrent) are associated with physical health conditions, among a population-based sample of Canadian military personnel....

Background Vaping among adolescents and young adults is a significant public health concern worldwide. Understanding which risk factors are associated with vaping is important to help inform evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. There are several gaps in the current literature examining these associations such as limited longitudin...

Adolescents who have experienced adversity have an increased likelihood of using substances. This study examined if individual-, family-, school-, and community-level protective factors were associated with a decreased likelihood of substance use. Data from the Well-Being and Experiences Study (the WE Study) collected from 2017 to 2018 were used. T...

This cross-sectional study examines incidence of prevalence psychotropic drug use in Manitoban children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To determine whether childhood maltreatment is associated with immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMIDs; multiple sclerosis [MS], inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). We further aimed to determine the relationship between maltreatment and psychiatric comorbidity in IMIDs and whether these relationships...

LAY SUMMARY Chronic pain is pain that has lasted three to six months or longer. Many people with back pain, migraines, arthritis, and gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome have chronic pain. The experience of chronic pain may have various negative effects on individuals. Pain may prevent a person from doing everyday tasks suc...

Purpose: The interplay between critical illness and mental disorders is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to measure both the treated prevalence of mental disorders and psychotropic medication use before and after hospitalization and the impact of intensive care unit (ICU) admission on these outcomes. Methods: Using a population-ba...

Objectives There is growing recognition of illness-induced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), defined by illness being the index trauma that induces PTSD symptoms. This is the first study to examine 1) the lifetime prevalence of illness–induced PTSD among military personnel and veterans, and its 2) sociodemographic, military, trauma, and physic...

Objectives The objective of this research was to determine the unique contributions of sudden death bereavement to the mental health of university students compared to non-sudden death bereaved university students. Methods: We surveyed 1047 bereaved university students (retention rate 92%) and compared the non-sudden death bereaved university stude...

Dissociative symptoms and suicidality are transdiagnostic features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). The primary objective of this study was to examine associations between dissociation (i.e., depersonalization and derealization) and suicidality (i.e., self‐harm and suicide attempts) among individual...

We aimed to examine rates of breast and cervical cancer screening in women with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) versus a matched cohort with IMID; and examine the association of psychiatric comorbidity with screening in these populations....

Background: Individuals with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are at increased risk for influenza and related complications. We examined and compared the uptake of influenza vaccination among people with and without these diseases, as well as the influence of ps...

Objective: The current study used the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (CAFVMHS) to (1) examine the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders and (2) estimate the comorbidity of mental disorders over the follow-up period. Method: The CAFVMHS (2018) is a longitudinal study with two time points of assess...

Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with various physical health conditions. However, it is unclear whether the relationship between PTSD and physical health conditions differs according to age. This study aims to examine the associations between PTSD and physical health conditions across four adult age categories. Method...

Objective This study examined baseline risk and protective predictors and interim correlates of the persistence/recurrence, remission, and onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a 16-year prospective, nationally representative sample of Canadian Forces members and veterans. Methods The 2018 Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Ment...

Objective Mental health among military personnel is an important public health priority. It is known that military personnel experience a high prevalence of child maltreatment and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) and both are related to mental health outcomes. However, few, if any, studies have examined the cumulative and interactive eff...

Objectives The present report is the first study of Canadian military personnel to use longitudinal survey data to identify factors that determine major depressive episodes (MDEs) over a period of 16 years. Methods The study used data from the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (CAFVMHS) collected in 2018 ( n...

The present Canadian study sought to identify predictors of emergency department (ED) use in a sample of adults who are homeless. Four hundred eighty-three participants were interviewed quarterly for two years, reporting their housing status, income, food security, physical/mental health, and other social determinants of health. Survey data were li...

Objective In DSM-5, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA) are classified as distinct disorders in the section of conditions for further study. However, some have questioned the validity of distinguishing NSSI from SA. The objective of this study was to longitudinally examine the correlates, discharge disposition, and rate of re-...

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increase in psychiatric comorbidity (PC) compared with the general population. We aimed to determine the impact of PC on health care utilization in persons with IBD. Methods We applied a validated administrative definition of IBD to identify all Manitobans with IBD from April 1, 200...

Objective Knowledge is limited regarding the longitudinal course and predictors of mental health problems, suicide, and physical health outcomes among military and veterans. Statistics Canada, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manitoba and an international team, conducted the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental He...

First Nations peoples in Canada have a history of poor mental health outcomes, as the result of colonisation and the legacy of residential schools. The PAX Good Behaviour Game (PAX-GBG) is a school-based intervention shown to improve student behaviour, academic outcomes, and reduce suicidal thoughts and actions. This study examines the use of PAX-G...

Background Little is known about the effects of changes in the presence or absence of psychiatric disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective To evaluate the association between “active” mood and anxiety disorders (MAD) and health care utilization in MS. Methods Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we id...

Contemporary models of smoking and pain suggest a reciprocal and self-perpetuating cycle, wherein smoking reduces pain in the short term but indirectly exacerbates pain in the long term. In a sample of participants engaged in an active smoking-cessation attempt, this investigation assessed a) whether specific smoking risk factors (i.e., smoking exp...

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common and related to substance use problems in adulthood. Less is known about these relationships in adolescence and if experiencing ACEs in addition to peer victimization (or bullying) would have an interaction or cumulative effect on the odds of adolescent substance use. Method Data were used...

Background This study compares a longitudinal population-based sample of spouses bereaved by suicide and those bereaved by other sudden deaths to determine if suicide-bereaved spouses (SBS) experience greater rates of physician-diagnosed mental disorders. Methods: First, married individuals whose spouse died by suicide, sudden natural death (SND) a...

Objectives Psychiatric comorbidity is frequent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and complicates treatment. We describe the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on health care use (utilization) in RA. Methods We accessed administrative health data (1984‐2016) and identified a prevalent cohort with diagnosed RA. RA cases (N=12984) were matched on age, sex...

Background & Aims Anxiety and mood disorders (AMDs) are common among persons with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and are associated with increased health care use and lower quality of life. We assessed the effects of AMDs on persistence on anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in patients with IBD, and risk of IBD-related adverse outcome...

Objective: To estimate incidence of newly diagnosed mental disorders among ICU patients. Design: Retrospective-matched cohort study using a population-based administrative database. Setting: Manitoba, Canada. Participants: A total of 49,439 ICU patients admitted between 2000 and 2012 were compared with two control groups (hospitalized: n = 1...

Background: Despite increased understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), very little advancement has been made in how ACEs are defined and conceptualized. The current objectives were to determine: 1) how well a theoretically-derived ACEs model fit the data, and 2) the association of all ACEs and the ACEs factors with poor self-rated me...

Background Social determinants of health (SDoH) influence risk of injury. We conducted a population-based, case-control study to identify which social determinants influence burn injury in children. Methods Children (≤16 years of age) admitted to a Canadian regional burn centre between January 1, 1999 and March 30, 2017 were matched based on age,...

Background: In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, the distinction between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA) is highlighted in the section of conditions for further study. Aims: The objective of this study was to examine the correlates of people who presented to emergency departments (ED) w...

This qualitative study explored the fit between on-reserve First Nations community members’ conceptualizations of help-seeking for mental health concerns and the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Youth, adults and elders (N = 115) living and or working in eight distinct First Nations communities within a tribal council area in Canad...

Objectives Research suggests a high prevalence of problematic alcohol use among military personnel relative to civilians. Our primary objectives were to compare the prevalence, correlates, help-seeking behaviors, perceived need for care, and barriers to care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian genera...

Objectives To report on the perceived barriers surrounding the use of telepsychiatry for emergency assessments and our approach to overcoming those barriers to achieve successful implementation of a program to increase access to emergency psychiatric assessment in a Canadian urban setting. Methods We conducted a survey of emergency care staff to i...

Aims Although immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) are associated with multiple mental health conditions, there is a paucity of literature assessing personality disorders (PDs) in these populations. We aimed to estimate and compare the incidence of any PD in IMID and matched cohorts over time, and identify sociodemographic characteristics a...

We conducted a systematic review and a fixed-effects meta-analysis to determine whether incident adverse psychiatric events (APE) including depression, anxiety, psychosis, or suicide were associated with biologic therapy in IBD. Six randomized controlled trials and a cohort study met criteria, reporting an incidence of APE in 4,882 patients. The ri...

Background: Canadian medical student and residents' severity ratings of professionalism vignettes were examined to identify the differences in ratings by the level of training and by sex. Methods: Eight hundred and thirty-five medical learners (400 medical students and 435 residents) were invited to participate in an online survey measuring medi...

The authors have withdrawn this preprint from Research Square

Objective: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) such as multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are associated with a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity but little is known about the prevalence of social phobia in IMID, or the factors associated with social phobia. We aimed to determi...

Background Despite increased understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), very little advancement has been made in how ACEs are defined and conceptualized. The current objectives were to determine: 1) the factor structure of the original ACEs and possible expanded ACEs, and 2) the association of all individual ACEs and the confirmed facto...

Most of the research on caregiver vulnerabilities associated with the perpetration of child maltreatment (CM) focuses on perpetrators of child physical or sexual abuse. Less is known about the association of specific caregiver vulnerabilities and the risk of other CM types or how these vulnerabilities are related to child harm. The aim of the study...

To the Editor The randomized clinical trial by Dr Garrouste-Orgeas and colleagues¹ examined the effect of intensive care unit (ICU) diaries on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in ICU survivors. This large trial found no significant differences in PTSD symptoms between the ICU diary group and a control group. This finding is surprising,...

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between previous reports of non-substantiated and substantiated maltreatment with current reports of substantiated child maltreatment and child’s functional impairment. Data were drawn from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (collection 2008) from 112 child prot...

Objectives: We evaluated the six-item Inmate Security Assessment (ISA) tool used among detained youth in Manitoba, Canada. Method: Two hundred and forty-one recorded self-harm incidents among all incarcerated youth occurred between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010 (N=5102). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), nega...

Objective There is limited information to guide health-care service providers and policy makers on the burden of mental disorders and addictions across the Canadian provinces. This study compares interprovincial prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), alcohol use disorder, substance use d...

Substantial changes were made with the creation of the Substance Related and Addictive Disorders category in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5; APA in Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edn, American Psychiatric Publishing, Arlington, 2013a), including the addition of gambling disorder to the...

Objectives PAX-Good Behaviour Game (PAX-GBG) is associated with improved mental health among youth. First Nations community members decided on a whole school approach to facilitate PAX-GBG implementation, by offering intervention training to all staff members in their schools. Our objective is to gain a greater understanding of how this approach wa...