Instead, algorithms and the people who use them in the most safety-critical organizations must be evaluated simultaneously to get an accurate view of AI’s effects on human decision making, researchers say. 

The team also contends these evaluations should assess how people respond to good, mediocre and poor technology performance to put the AI-human interaction to a meaningful test – and to expose the level of risk linked to mistakes. 

Participants in the study, led by engineering researchers at The Ohio State University, were 450 Ohio State nursing students, mostly undergraduates with varying amounts of clinical training, and 12 licensed nurses. They used AI-assisted technologies in a remote patient-monitoring scenario to determine how likely urgent care would be needed in a range of patient cases.

Results showed that more accurate AI predictions about whether or not a patient was trending toward a medical emergency improved participant performance by between 50% and 60%. But when the algorithm produced an inaccurate prediction, even when accompanied by explanatory data that didn’t support that outcome, human performance collapsed, with an over 100% degradation in proper decision making when the algorithm was the most wrong. 

“An AI algorithm can never be perfect. So if you want an AI algorithm that’s ready for safety-critical systems, that means something about the team, about the people and AI together, has to be able to cope with a poor-performing AI algorithm,” said first author Dane Morey, a research scientist in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at Ohio State. 

“The point is this is not about making really good safety-critical system technology. It’s the joint human-machine capabilities that matter in a safety-critical system.” 

Morey completed the study with Mike Rayo, associate professor, and David Woods, faculty emeritus, both in integrated systems engineering at Ohio State. The research was published recently in npj Digital Medicine. 

The authors, all members of the Cognitive Systems Engineering Lab directed by Rayo, developed the Joint Activity Testing research program in 2020 to address what they see as a gap in responsible AI deployment in risky environments, especially medical and defense settings. 

The team is also refining a set of evidence-based guiding principles for machine design with joint activity in mind that can smooth the AI-human performance evaluation process and, after that, actually improve system outcomes. 

According to their preliminary list, a machine first and foremost should convey to people the ways in which it is misaligned to the world, even when it is unaware that it is misaligned to the world. 

“Even if a technology does well on those heuristics, it probably still isn’t quite ready,” Rayo said. “We need to do some form of empirical evaluation because those are risk-mitigation steps, and our safety-critical industries deserve at least those two steps of measuring performance of people and AI together and examining a range of challenging cases.” 

The Cognitive Systems Engineering Lab has been running studies for five years on real technologies to arrive at best-practice evaluation methods, mostly on projects with 20 to 30 participants. Having 462 participants in this project – especially a target population for AI-infused technologies whose study enrollment was connected to a course-based educational activity – gives the researchers high confidence in their findings and recommendations, Rayo said. 

Each participant analyzed a sequence of 10 patient cases under differing experimental conditions: no AI help, an AI percentage prediction of imminent need for emergency care, AI annotations of data relevant to the patient’s condition, and both AI predictions and annotations. 

All examples included a data visualization showing demographics, vital signs and lab results intended to help users anticipate changes to or stability in a patient’s status. 

Participants were instructed to report their concern for each patient on a scale from 0 to 10. Higher concern for emergency patients and lower concern for non-emergency patients were the indicators deemed to show better performance. 

“We found neither the nurses nor the AI algorithm were universally superior to the other in all cases,” the authors wrote. The analysis accounted for differences in participants’ clinical experience. 

While the overall results provided evidence that there is a need for this type of evaluation, the researchers said they were surprised that explanations included in some experimental conditions had very little sway in participant concern – instead, the algorithm recommendation, presented in a solid red bar, overruled everything else. 

“Whatever effect that those annotations had was roundly overwhelmed by the presence of that indicator that swept everything else away,” Rayo said. 

The team considered the study methods, including custom-built technologies representative of health care applications currently in use, as a template for why their recommendations are needed and how industries could put the suggested practices in place. 

The coding data for the experimental technologies is publicly available, and Morey, Rayo and Woods further explained their work in an article published at AI-frontiers.org. 

“What we’re advocating for is a way to help people better understand the variety of effects that may come about from technologies,” Morey said. “Basically, the goal is not the best AI performance. It’s the best team performance.” 

This research was funded by the American Nurses Foundation Reimagining Nursing Initiative.

Data from surveys conducted in Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin showed that before the 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, over one-third of women in those states reported using apps or websites to track their menstrual cycles and sexual activity. In the year after the ruling, the proportion of survey participants using fertility trackers grew to almost half. 

The survey samples consisted of different groups of people, so this result doesn’t rule out the possibility that some users did quit the apps to protect their personal data. The findings likely reflect an uptick in use of technologies aimed at improving women’s health – known as “Femtech” – in general, said lead author Emily Neiman, a clinical instructor of practice in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. 

While there are still uncertainties about privacy policies related to period tracking, Neiman said, the findings may have a broader implication: the need for users to consider whether they can trust technology to accurately predict or prevent pregnancy. The survey showed fewer users were tracking fertility for the purposes of becoming pregnant post-Dobbs – which may suggest they’re more likely to be counting on the apps for pregnancy prevention. 

“I think the lay person understanding of what information an app gives you and the reliability of that information is not great,” Neiman said. “I do think there are a lot of people out there recording when they have their period and relying on an app to tell them they’re not fertile so it’s OK to have unprotected sex – and they don’t want to be pregnant. And that would not be my advice.” 

The research was published earlier this month in the journal Contraception. 

The use of apps and websites to track periods and fertility is common: As of 2019, nearly one-third of people with the capacity to get pregnant had used the internet or a smartphone to track fertility or menstrual cycles, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation national survey. 

But the technology offerings vary widely, and the free versions of the most popular apps aren’t likely to help with charting things like cervical mucus, basal body temperature, the position of the cervix or hormone levels that indicate ovulation is imminent, said Neiman, also a certified nurse-midwife. Technologies that improve fertility awareness accuracy tend to be expensive and time-intensive to use. 

Neiman pursued the research question after seeing news coverage and social media posts following Dobbs warning users they should delete their period trackers to avoid the possibility that their personal data could be used against them. 

“I wanted to see if that actually happened,” she said. “I did think people would be more concerned about privacy and that we might see a decrease in use. I was kind of surprised to see that it had increased. 

“It doesn’t seem like people heeded the advice to stop using fertility trackers, and there could be a number of reasons for that. Potentially, more people are using tracking to recognize a pregnancy as early as possible so they have the most options or so they can seek prenatal care early, but there may be fewer people planning pregnancy now that there are these restrictions around abortion.” 

Neiman and colleagues used data from the Surveys of Women, which questioned women aged 18-44 about reproductive health in the five states. The analysis compared the prevalence of the use of period- or fertility-tracking technologies and reasons for their use before and after the June 24, 2022, court ruling that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. 

The study samples ranged from 2,077-2,521 before the decision and 2,145-2,448 post-Dobbs. Results showed that user prevalence increased overall and in all states but Wisconsin, where the prevalence was unchanged. The only change among participants’ reasons for using the technology was that fewer reported they charted fertility to improve the chances they’d get pregnant. 

Assuming that period trackers continue to grow in popularity, Neiman said, the onus is on users to fully understand potential limitations of app fertility predictions and on clinicians to broach the subject of Femtech use in conversations with patients. 

“I would say that most users of the free versions of apps that are most easily accessible are just tracking their symptoms, when they have sex and the dates of their periods. So it can give you a rough estimate of when you ovulate or when you’re going to start your period,” she said. 

“I don’t think the necessary level of detail is there and that people’s understanding is good enough to rely on that. As providers and public health professionals, we could be doing a better job of educating around the reliability of the information they’re getting from these technologies to help people who are trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies.” 

This study was supported by grants to several research centers from an anonymous donor. 

Co-authors include Abigail Norris Turner and Maria Gallo (now at the University of North Carolina) of Ohio State; Marta Bornstein of the University of South Carolina; and Megan Kavanaugh of the Guttmacher Institute. 

An interprofessional team of faculty, staff and students from the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy, conducted screenings at Thompson Library on Tuesday morning.

“People come in and we do a blood pressure screening, a stress screening, a body mass index calculation,” said Kate Gawlik, associate professor of clinical nursing. “Then we go through things like, ‘Do you smoke? How are you exercising? What’s your diet like?’ And we really focus on individualized cardiovascular risk reduction.”

For more than a decade, Ohio State through the Office of the Chief Wellness Officer has been a partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Million Hearts program – the only institution of higher education in the country to do so. The university developed the Million Hearts online fellowship program, which has resulted in more than 100,000 Americans being screened and educated about heart health. The CDC designated Ohio State and the Wexner Medical Center as a Million Hearts Health System in 2021 to recognize their significant impact on cardiovascular health and well-being.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Ohio and throughout the nation. The CDC reports that, in 2021, Ohio ranked 11th in the country in death rate from heart disease.

“When we look at the population now as a whole, so many of us have cardiovascular risk factors, and we know that cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women across the world,” Gawlik said. “We also know that cardiovascular disease is 80% preventable through lifestyle [behavior changes]. If we can get to people earlier, screen them for cardiovascular disease, educate them, and then, if needed, refer them, then hopefully we’re catching that cardiovascular disease early.”

Adeline Racan, a second-year nursing major, assisted with screenings at the library. Each one typically lasts between 15 and 20 minutes. She encouraged the university community to take the time and get a screening and appreciated the engagement with those who did turn out.

“It’s a real-time example of how we can help people, even just in our community, and it shows how the small things can lead up to bigger impacts,” she said.

Gawlik said the program will continue to educate health care professional students and health care professionals on the Million Hearts initiative to support screenings throughout the community.

“I think the best advice that we can give people is that cardiovascular disease is preventable. And whether or not you have a family history or you’re familiar with cardiovascular disease, it is out there and affecting people, and there are very simple things that you can do to really decrease your risk and catch it early.”

The college launched the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (aBSN) program for students who have finished college in a non-nursing field, but desire to have a career in nursing. It’s a full-time program that can be completed in as few as 18 months.

“We see such a growing need in the community for more nurses. … This program creates another avenue for students to enter nursing with a previous bachelor’s degree, and expand their education based on prior knowledge and experiences,” said Wendy Bowles, assistant dean for baccalaureate programs in the College of Nursing. “It will increase the number of nurses we can get into the profession, and provides a faster pathway to complete a BSN and become a registered nurse.”

Students will have both coursework and real-world clinical experience with health care professionals in Ohio, including at the Wexner Medical Center, to prepare them for a nursing career. Program graduates will be eligible to take the State Board, National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nursing.

The prerequisites for admission include classes that provide foundational knowledge to nursing practice, such as anatomy. Once admitted into the program, students will take coursework over five consecutive semesters to complete their degree.

Kelly Johnson, a third-year nurse practitioner graduate student with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, was on a similar path to the students who will benefit from the aBSN. He started his career in clinical research and felt something was missing.

“I was a research specialist in gynecologic oncology, cardiothoracic surgery and emergency medicine, and I loved it. It was so fun. But what I was lacking was the patient experience and patient interaction,” he said. “I had previously been a nurse assistant in the ER while going through undergrad, and I loved that patient interaction so much, and I wasn’t quite fulfilling that need for myself.”

Johnson said he had several peers in college from different backgrounds who he believes would benefit from the accelerated program. They will also make contributions to nursing from their broad educational experience.

“Once you finish a degree, you have more knowledge on how to study, on how to be successful, on how to time manage. And I think for most people, it is manageable to be able to do this program,” he said.

Applications for the aBSN are open now, with the first cohort starting this summer. Bowles expects the program will be in high demand.

“It’s something that’s really needed in the community right now. There is a shortage in nursing, and how can we at Ohio State respond to that need? That’s where we can help,” she said. “We know we can help the community through supporting more students becoming nurses and our practice partners are ready to provide great opportunities to grow these nurses to their highest potential. This is going to be a highly sought-after program, I’m sure.”

Those interested in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program can learn more at the program website.

Researchers used fMRI scans to examine brain responses in men and women who had rated the intensity and unpleasantness of pain during exposure to increasing levels of heat. The results suggested that established gender differences in pain perception could likely be traced at least in part to this brain network, and offered new evidence that those gender differences may become more disparate with age. 

“The most novel part of this study is looking at gender by age,” said lead study author Michelle Failla, assistant professor in the College of Nursing at The Ohio State University. “Most of the work characterizing which regions in the brain respond to pain have been done in people aged 18 to 40. We want to understand what’s happening between the ages of 30 and 90 years old because that’s when people are beginning to experience chronic pain.” 

The study was published recently in The Journal of Pain. 

Plenty of previous research has shown that females are more sensitive to pain than males, but the brain regions and functions behind the gender differences in pain perception have mostly remained a mystery. And in later adulthood, when risk for chronic pain is higher and our tolerance for pain drops, even less about the brain’s role in pain perception is known. 

In this study, the researchers specified that they holistically examined gender-based differences that may relate not just to biological sex, but also to social factors that influence how people respond to pain. 

The imaging component of the study zeroed in on the descending pain modulatory system (DPMS), a hub of brain regions that communicate with each other to engage signal transmission – including activation of opioid receptors – that enables us to reduce our own pain.   

The study sample included 27 females and 32 males between ages 30 and 86 who were asked to report when applied heat reached levels of just-noticeable, weak and moderate pain and to rate how unpleasant each level felt. Researchers used the fMRI imaging to observe DPMS activity that corresponded with each participant’s individual pain response. 

“There are different brain regions involved in those distinctions between perception of pain intensity and unpleasantness, so we thought it was important to look at both and see how those brain regions are recruited during pain,” said Failla, also an investigator in the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care in Ohio State’s College of Nursing. 

Results showed that a few regions within the brain’s pain modulatory system did indicate a gender-by-age difference: At the moderate pain level, men showed an increased DPMS response with older age, while as women aged, the DPMS response decreased. A decreased response in the brain is presumed to translate into a lower ability to harness our own physiological functions to reduce our pain. 

Presumed is a key word: While the DPMS is believed to have a significant role in pain sensitivity and tolerance, researchers are still working toward describing exactly how it works and how an intact versus dysfunctional system shows up in scans. 

“We don’t know exactly what is an optimum DPMS response,” Failla said. “Are we seeing it activated to catch up with your pain, or is it already working, meaning the pain could have been worse?” 

The researchers are continuing this work, which includes investigating brain activity in people who may have a difficult time articulating the pain that they’re feeling – such as people with dementia or autism. 

The more scientists can learn about the brain’s role in pain perception, the better the chances are for more effective pain management, Failla said. 

“Pain is such an individual experience. In science we’re moving toward individual factors that can influence pain specifically and what makes it different for each person,” she said. “This could then identify a mechanism we can target, or even just give us a better understanding that there are different levels of innate abilities to modulate pain.” 

This study was conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and was supported by a National Institute on Aging grant awarded to co-authors Todd Monroe of Ohio State and Ronald Cowan of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. 

Other co-authors include Paul Beach of Emory University, Sebastian Atalla of the University of North Carolina, and Mary Dietrich and Stephen Bruehl of Vanderbilt University.

That young person might be experiencing homelessness, a condition that is rising among youth in our society. 

Homelessness among youth is not rare. Recent United States estimates indicate that 1 in 30 adolescents (ages 13-17) and 1 in 10 young adults (ages 18-25) experience homelessness each year.

To complicate matters, youth are disproportionately burdened by the opioid epidemic. Their reported rates of opioid use, often used to escape from the depression and trauma of homelessness, is up to 79%. The result: mental health issues, drug overdose and suicide.  

Yet research to end homelessness and prevent or intervene in drug use and mental health problems among these youth has lagged that of adults, which puts this segment of the nation’s future – our youth – in jeopardy. 

Researchers at The Ohio State University are committed to working to change these discouraging numbers. An interdisciplinary team that includes service providers in the community has begun a groundbreaking five-year, $6.9 million grant project.  

Funding comes from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse and its Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative. 

The project will provide nurses, counselors and mental health service professionals with a tested approach to intervene in opioid use. It is titled “Building Social and Structural Connections for the Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Randomized, Controlled Trial Examining Biopsychosocial Mechanisms.”

The two principal investigators are Jodi Ford, professor in Ohio State’s College of Nursing, assistant director of the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children, and Youth, and director of the Stress Science Lab, and Natasha Slesnick, distinguished professor and associate dean for research in Ohio State’s College of Education and Human Ecology.

“Our research, and that of others, shows that exposure to adverse childhood and life experiences is linked to irregular patterns of cortisol, a primary stress hormone, and high levels of inflammation in the body,” said Ford. “That phenomenon may contribute to depression and death by suicide, as well as substance use, often used to reduce symptoms of psychological distress.”   

Ford’s and Slesnick’s research will be conducted in collaboration with Star House, the only drop-in center in Columbus serving youth experiencing homelessness. Ford said the project will document how evidence-based interventions targeting substance use, as well as connections to community services and safe and supportive people and places, can help prevent opioid and other substance misuse in Columbus’ population and across the country. 

Slesnick founded Star House in 2006. “We needed a 24/7 drop-in center because these youth tend to avoid services such as community shelters,” she said. “They cite issues such as predation by older adult shelter clients and fear of being returned to foster care or home settings where they had negative experiences.”  

An independent nonprofit since 2017, Star House provides young people ages 14-24 with immediate access to safety and acceptance. Their basic needs, such as meals, showers and computer access, are met. And each year, 1,200 unduplicated youth are accessing those services. Crucial, stabilizing resources are offered through mental health therapy, job-search support and help transitioning to housing. 

In addition to serving the youths’ needs, the location hosts ongoing best-practice studies by Ford, Slesnick and other researchers. The researchers can interview youth, gather and analyze data to determine how best to meet their needs, and invite them to return for follow-up interviews. 

In this project, the research team will train the therapists and youth advocates at Star House to implement evidence-based interventions, which include a motivational and substance use/mental health intervention and an advocacy intervention focused on linkage to community and social supports.

“Our goal is to test the real-world effectiveness of the interventions individually and in combination to understand which is most effective in preventing opioid use disorder and other substance use and in improving mental health outcomes as well as homelessness,” Slesnick said.

“We also will conduct the first cost-benefit analysis on this approach, which has not been done before,” she said. “Knowing the cost of the interventions will help agencies plan for their adoption. Our goal is for this work to have practical benefit to those serving youth across the country.” 

The team will examine whether the interventions work, how they work and if they work for all youth or only specific groups.  

“We will be investigating the social connections of youth, their social isolation in the community and relationships to stress biology,” Ford said. “Specifically, we’ll examine how the intervention enhances social connections and a sense of belonging and reduces toxic stress associated with the significant adversity these youth experience daily.” 

Slesnick emphasized the importance of prioritizing youth well-being.

“By confronting and dismantling the barriers faced by youth, who aren’t fortunate to have caring adults in their lives, such as unstable housing and limited education, we can forge a pathway to a healthier and brighter future for generations to come,” she said. 

“We appreciate partnering with Star House to help the youth in our community, as well as to inform community intervention practices around the country,” Ford said. “Youth experiencing homelessness have many strengths, and like all youth, they need the care and support of individuals and communities to help them experience a healthy transition into adulthood.” 

Ford’s and Slesnick’s research team for the project will include Professor Xin Feng and Associate Professor Tansel Yilmaz, both with the College of Education and Human Ecology; College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor Christopher Browning, Department of Sociology; and Beth Boettner, a research scientist in the Institute for Population Research, College of Arts and Sciences.  

Using data from the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers found that 81% of colorectal cancer survivors reported persistent GI symptoms, with abdominal bloating and gas topping the list as the most common and severe problem. The average time since diagnosis was eight years for all participants whose data was used in the study. 

The analysis also showed that severe GI symptoms were linked to poor quality of life, interference with daily social and physical activities, and low body image satisfaction. 

“Many cancer treatments show great success, and many cancer survivors are living longer than ever before,” said lead study author Claire Han, assistant professor of nursing at The Ohio State University. “GI symptoms among survivors have been under-investigated in the past, but we found that they are very prevalent even up to 25 years after diagnosis, suggesting it’s very important to consider GI symptom management as part of their survivorship care.” 

The study was published recently in the journal PLOS ONE.

While depression, anxiety and fatigue are commonly monitored following cancer diagnosis and treatment, Han said that when she was working as a nurse practitioner, she heard from many colorectal cancer survivors that they were experiencing GI symptoms and having a hard time finding relief. 

This secondary analysis cannot identify the reasons for the symptoms, but the location of cancer in the colon and rectum and treatment-related effects on the gut and the microbes living there could be a factor, said Han, also an investigator in the Cancer Control Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

The study did show that GI symptoms were accompanied by the psychological distress experienced by many cancer survivors – but whether gut problems were causes or consequences of quality-of-life issues, particularly fatigue, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, could not be determined. 

“Cancer survivors with high psychological symptoms may have a higher stress level that could inflame the gut and lead to GI symptoms,” Han said. “The causal direction could be bidirectional – which comes first doesn’t really matter because both types of symptoms are present.” 

Data on 413 colorectal cancer survivors for this research came from the Women’s Health Initiative’s Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) Study involving postmenopausal women who had been diagnosed with certain types of cancer. Their average age was 71 years, with an average age at the time of diagnosis of almost 63. Among the sample, 63.2% had undergone surgery for their cancer, and 34.4% had received multiple treatments, including surgery and chemoradiation.

The secondary analysis included data from questionnaires assessing a variety of measures, including demographics, GI symptoms, non-GI symptoms, dietary habits and physical activity, as well as how these measures affected quality of life. 

Han said this is the first study in cancer survivors to document the impact of individual GI symptoms versus considering gut issues all together in a cluster. 

Abdominal bloating and gas was reported by 54.2% of participants (17.2% patients reported moderate to severe symptoms), followed by constipation (44.1% overall, 12.6% moderate to severe), diarrhea (33.4% overall, 10.4% moderate to severe) and abdominal/pelvic pain (28.6% overall, 6.8% moderate to severe). When all symptoms were combined into a composite score, 15.4% of survivors reported moderate to severe overall GI symptoms. 

Being within five years of diagnosis and surviving a stage III cancer were associated with a higher likelihood of reporting persistent GI symptoms. And the severity of depression, anxiety, fatigue and sleep problems was higher in the GI symptom group than in women without GI symptoms. 

These and other findings suggest the need for comprehensive interventions for colorectal cancer survivors, Han said, such as psychosocial support, pain management, individualized nutritional counseling and physical rehabilitation. 

Han is an investigator in the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care in Ohio State’s College of Nursing. Co-authors Electra Paskett and Matthew Kalady of Ohio State also worked on the study with co-authors Kerryn Reding, Rachel Yung and Heather Greenlee of the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. 

The WHI is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The statewide initiative will use several approaches to build and develop a dementia-prepared caregiver workforce in Ohio. The program’s plans include providing an array of resources to paid and unpaid caregivers and industry professionals, including:

• Training and education resources (in-person and online) 
• Statewide screening tools and risk assessment for use in clinical/health care and community-based settings
• Creating toolkits to link individuals with appropriate community services
• Developing a referral process/tool for individuals experiencing cognitive decline
• Opening the state’s first Caregiver Center for Dementia Care at The Ohio State University College of Nursing to support services, research, education and policy development

The new program will draw on the findings and recommendations of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Task Force, established in 2019 by Amended Senate Bill 24. It will also follow recommendations included in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (2022) and examine national trends in dementia care.

“By partnering with such a strong collective of organizations, this innovative program will provide a new level of coordination and sophistication in how we support individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as their caregivers, in Ohio,” said Ursel J. McElroy, ODA Director and Chair of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Task Force. “We will provide critical resources and tools, develop a qualified and well-trained workforce, and ultimately improve the lives of older Ohioans and their families.”

The program will first focus on developing and implementing the statewide screening tool and the referral process/tool. The goal is to have these in place by summer 2023. The training curriculum for industry professionals, family caregivers, and the general public is expected to be available by October 2023. 

The plan also calls for the opening of a statewide Caregiver Center for Dementia Care in central Ohio this year. The new center will have both an in-person and virtual presence, focused on developing and strengthening the knowledge, skills and support of family and professional caregivers. The center will also emphasize outreach to underserved populations and older Ohioans with the greatest economic or social need.

“We are grateful for a strong cadre of research and clinical practice faculty – with deep experience in gerontology, dementia assessment and caregiving – who wake up every morning motivated to discover new avenues to help older adults living with dementia and to advocate for the caregivers who support them,” said Karen Rose, vice dean and director of the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care at Ohio State’s College of Nursing. “This center is a dream that is coming to fruition, and not a moment too soon. It is so easy for caregivers to feel like they’re on an island, and they need and deserve all the support we can provide.”

ODA secured over $4 million in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services funding through an interagency agreement with ODM, which helped support the Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Statewide Resource Program.

“Ohio Department of Medicaid is excited to partner with the Ohio Department of Aging to improve both the family and professional caregiver workforce for dementia care in Ohio,” said Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran. “Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias impact so many Ohioans and their families. It is incredibly important to help support these caregivers and this project will allow us to do so much more to provide this needed support.”

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 220,000 older Ohioans live with Alzheimer’s disease, impacting one out of every nine Ohioans, and likely more due to under-detection.

Additional partner organizations in the initiative include:

• Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
• MemoryLane Care Services
• Ohio-based chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association
• Ohio Council for Cognitive Health
• Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University
• Summit County Combined General Health District

Rose will provide strategic vision and leadership for the college toward its goals of enhancing scholarship, promoting research and community-engaged scholarship, and educating the highest caliber of nurse leaders, researchers and health professionals. 

“I am excited for the college’s future under Karen’s leadership,” said Ohio State Executive Vice President and Provost Melissa L. Gilliam. “Please join me in congratulating Karen on this next chapter in her distinguished career as a leader, scholar and practitioner.”

“I am thrilled to continue to work with the fabulous faculty, staff and students in the College of Nursing,” Rose said. “We have amazing people in terms of our human capital, a state-of-the-art new facility in Heminger Hall, and endless opportunities for advancing education, research and evidence-based practice.”

Rose is widely recognized for her research on improving the quality of life and well-being for dementia family caregivers and people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Her research has been continuously funded throughout her career, including by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

In leading the Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management and Complex Care, she brings together scientists, educators and clinicians with the shared purpose of improving health outcomes for aging and vulnerable populations.

“I’m energized by the college’s programs, including work at the Fuld National Institute for Evidence-based Practice and our Total Health and Wellness Federally Qualified Health Center,” Rose said. “Additionally, the college’s research touches the entire lifespan, from maternal and infant mortality to older adults and caregivers. The possibilities are endless, and this important work connects us with the citizens of Columbus and all of Ohio.”

Rose joined the college’s faculty in 2019 after arriving at Ohio State from the University of Tennessee College of Nursing. Previously, she held numerous roles at the University of Virginia School of Nursing, including director of the school’s PhD program. She has served in numerous teaching and leadership roles at several other colleges, universities and medical centers across the country throughout her more than 30-year career.

She earned her baccalaureate degree at Shenandoah University, master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University and PhD in nursing at the University of Virginia. She completed postdoctoral training with funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation.

“Karen will benefit from the strong foundation created by Bernadette Melnyk as she steps down as dean after 12 years of transformational leadership,” Gilliam said. “I am grateful for the dedication of the search advisory committee and appreciate the efforts of our colleagues at the College of Nursing and all who participated in the national search.”

“Our alumni have also made Ohio State’s College of Nursing the place where people want to come for nursing education,” Rose said. “People want an Ohio State nurse caring for them, and that’s a credit to the people in our college and to our Ohio State alumni.”

Maternal diet quality affects prenatal development and long-term child health outcomes, but the stress that typically increases during pregnancy – often heightened by concern for fetal health and anxiety over impending parenthood – may derail efforts to focus on healthful eating, previous research has shown.   

In this new study, researchers at The Ohio State University set out to identify the pathway between stress and total fat consumption, with a broader goal to evaluate an intervention designed to improve the diets of pregnant women who are overweight or obese. 

Through a series of questionnaires and statistical analysis, the team found that two thinking-related skills – planning, and execution of those plans – were weakened in women whose stress was high, and those skill gaps were associated with higher total fat intake. 

These two skills are known as executive functions, a set of multiple thinking processes that enable people to plan, monitor behavior and execute their goals.

“People with a higher level of stress tend to have a higher intake of fat, too. If stress is high, we’re so stressed out that we’re not thinking about anything – and we don’t care what we eat,” said lead author Mei-Wei Chang, associate professor of nursing at Ohio State.

“That’s why we focused on executive functions as a mediator between stress and diet. And with this baseline data, we have reasons to believe that designing an intervention around executive functions could improve dietary outcomes,” she said. “I would anticipate the results could be similar for nonpregnant women, because it’s all about how people behave.”

The study was published recently in the Journal of Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health.

The 70 women enrolled in the study had a pre-pregnancy body mass index of between 25 (scores between 25 and 29.9 are categorized as overweight) and 45 (scores of 30 and higher are categorized as obese). 

The participants completed questionnaires assessing both overall perceived stress and pregnancy-related stress, as well as executive functions – specifically focusing on metacognition, or the ability to plan, and behavior regulation, the ability to execute those plans. They also completed two 24-hour dietary recalls of their calorie intake and consumption of total fat, added sugar, and fruits and vegetables. 

“We were really interested in the mediation role of executive functions. The mediator is what makes everything happen,” Chang said. “We wanted to know: If we focus an intervention on executive functions, would that carry through to behavior change in dietary intake? 

“Weight loss interventions often involve a prescribed diet or meal plan, and you are told to follow it. But that doesn’t lead to behavior change in the long term.” 

Statistical modeling showed that higher perceived stress was associated with a worsened ability to plan and monitor behavior, and that pathway was linked to higher total fat intake. Similarly, higher levels of pregnancy-related stress were associated with a lower ability to plan, which in turn was associated with worsened ability to monitor behaviors related to carrying out the plan – and these factors were linked to higher fat consumption. 

These pathways suggested that an intervention designed to lower stress would function as a starting point to improve the diet, and enhancing skills through coaching – emphasizing the ability to plan, including being flexible with planning, and behavior monitoring, particularly when making food choices – would be key to changing eating patterns. 

“You need to improve executive functions, and you also need to lower stress,” Chang said. She and colleagues are now analyzing data on the effectiveness of an intervention for the study participants that emphasized stress management and boosting executive function to promote healthy eating. 

Executive functions are regulated by a specific region of the brain, and strengths or weaknesses in these skill areas are thought to be affected by a variety of physiological factors. Previous research has found that executive function deficits are more likely to occur in women who are overweight or obese than in women whose weight is categorized as normal. 

“Executive function is not well-studied, and it is not related to intelligence. But people with low executive function are unable to make detailed plans and stick to them, and that’s how they get into trouble,” Chang said. “Metacognition and behavior regulation must go hand in hand – that way you have a much better chance to control your behaviors, and then you will eat better.” 

This work was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Co-authors, all from Ohio State, include Alai Tan, Jonathan Schaffir, Duane Wegener, Brett Worly, Katherine Strafford, Cassandra Sampsell, Kaleena Kemper, Loriana Soma, Maggie Rosen, Amanthi Ranatunga and Michelle Challa.

The College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Optometry, College of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine were recognized for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Ohio State is the only academic institution in the country to have five colleges honored with the Health Professions HEED award.

“This recognition is meaningful and reflects the outstanding work of these five colleges to further diversity and inclusion,” said Melissa Gilliam, executive vice president and provost at Ohio State. “By fostering a culture of inclusive excellence, the entire university community benefits through a greater sense of belonging.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine evaluated academic institutions on leadership support for diversity, recruitment and retention of students and employees, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. Ohio State diversity and inclusion efforts include:

College of Medicine: The College of Medicine has adopted curriculum and training procedures to explore racial disparities in medicine with the goals of dispelling myths and becoming aware of and rectifying any subconscious bias. Coupled with the classroom education are opportunities to apply learnings in the clinical skills lab through the use of manikins of color and melanated suture pads.

College of Nursing: The Summer Institute for Future Nurses introduces diverse groups of high school students from around the country to nursing. Offered in a hybrid format, students participated in mock clinical skills training sessions on campus and virtual presentations. More than 20 previous attendees of the Summer Institute have graduated from the College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. 

College of Optometry: BuckEye Launch is an immersive five-day program for first-year students that provides strategies for academic success and creates a sense of community among students, faculty and staff. Major themes include effective learning and test taking strategies, self-care and personal wellness, and time management.

College of Public Health: The College of Public Health dean’s administrative leadership team and extended staff applied for and were chosen to be part of the inaugural class of Ohio State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s new Inclusive Excellence Team Certification Program. The nine-month intensive learning and project development opportunity is designed to ensure that each participating faculty and staff member receives the same inclusive excellence education and tools to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. It includes a capstone project designed to advance the college’s goals around diversity, equity and inclusive excellence in the long term.

College of Veterinary Medicine: Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) is incorporated as a foundational principle in each of the six goal areas of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Be The Model® strategic plan. The formation of a new student leadership group, Student Leaders for Inclusive Excellence, is one example of many initiatives designed to support DEIB in the college community. Comprised of student leaders representing the college’s affinity groups and student chapters supportive of DEIB, this group provides mentorship and support to student affinity groups and student organizations that are supportive of diverse populations. The goal is for all student organizations to work together to create a sense of belonging with one another and to develop leadership skills as they plan DEIB educational events for the entire college community. 

Ohio State will be featured in the December 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

“I guess I didn’t believe it at first. I had to go back, and I had to look at the letter again and the announcement that Dr. [James L.] Moore and Dr. [Jacquelyn] Meshelemiah sent to me,” she said. “There were some tears.”

Warren, a professor of clinical nursing and director of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specialty track in the College of Nursing, was one of two winners of the 2022 Ruth C. Bailey Award for Multicultural Engagement.

The Ruth C. Bailey award was established in 2012 by alumnus Vincenzo Ferranti to honor Bailey, his adviser and mentor and a member of the university’s international student services staff from 1937-1974. Recipients are selected based on their contributions to campus multicultural interaction and understanding.

Moore, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Ohio State, and Meshelemiah, associate vice provost for diversity, announced the award during spring semester.

“Dr. Warren is a giant in her field, a pioneer in mental health practice and a scholar of the highest order,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “More than that, however, she is a compassionate and humble advocate whose life’s purpose can so be seen in the students, faculty and mental health professionals whom she has mentored and inspired. We are immensely proud of Dr. Warren, not only for the wonderful work she has done, but also for the legacy she has created and the example she has set as a leader, innovator and role model.”

Warren is also a faculty affiliate at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Over the past 26 years, she has developed scholarship and research in areas of mental health, wellness and illness using biobehavioral frameworks interrelated with resilience, stress and health inequities.

Warren’s research focus includes the context of culture, inclusion and health care disparities in relation to individuals, communities and populations. She has published theoretical and research articles and books on cultural sensitivity and humility and its effects within educational and health care settings.

Warren’s calling to the health care profession was something that occurred at a young age.

“I knew, when I was 7 years old, that I wanted to be a psychiatric nurse. I knew, when I was 7 years old, that I wanted to get a PhD,” she said. “The reason for that: My dad had worked at a wonderful … health facility, but it also offered physiological health and mental health.”

Warren said the pandemic has reinforced the need for research and practice around mental health that includes a focus on health inequalities.

“I certainly think that the pandemic itself has pushed everyone, but particularly our students, who are trying to balance and to keep their lives in some sense of normality as they are going through their educational process,” she said. “One of the things that I always talk about in any course that I teach is, ‘how do you keep yourself well? What kind of things can you do, that are simple?’”

She said the techniques can be as simple as breathing exercises, eating well or making sure to get exercise through the week. Warren said she works to bring her experience in mental health into her classrooms.

“I think it’s also important to listen to what students need,” she said.

“One of the things that was always important to me, was to really be able to engage students in meaningful learning,” Warren said. “I know, everybody says that. But, from my point of view, I really thought that engagement, discussions, talking, those kinds of things were important instead of learning just fact after fact after fact.”

A record 700 graduates from the college are expected to celebrate commencement on Sunday. It’s a number and a class that speaks to passion, perseverance and purpose. For many of these students, much of their education in health care came during a deadly pandemic.

For Cincinnati-native Aarhea Hope, acting as a caregiver as her grandmother suffered through stage four colon cancer inspired her desire to become a nurse.

“Me and my mom helped her, and just cared for her,” Hope said. “That experience really allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do because of how it made me feel. You know, you get that feeling inside and you’re, like, ‘Oh, maybe this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’”

Hope is a first-generation student who started her college career at the Newark campus. She admitted it was a challenge at first until she found peers and mentors who helped her succeed.

Following graduation, Hope will attend Emory University to pursue a doctorate as a family nurse practitioner. From her professional training to her education, she believes Ohio State has prepared her well.

“I feel like all of the boxes at Ohio State have checked off for me to be successful at any institution,” she said. “Looking back at me, as a freshman, you could not tell me that I was moving to Atlanta, that I was going to Emory and I was going to be a doctor [of nursing]. Because that wasn’t my plan at first. But at Ohio State, they really instilled that confidence in me and made me realize how much potential I have.”

For PhD candidate Laura Beth Kalvas, it will be the next chapter of a journey at Ohio State that began as an undergraduate in 2009. A Presidential Fellowship and continuing training grants helped Kalvas continue her career in the College of Nursing.

“I’m definitely glad about the choice of Ohio State,” she said.

She felt the decision was validated at a conference this spring when she was speaking to peers about the positive reputation of the nursing PhD program.

“It’s just kind of nice to hear. When you’re inside, I don’t know if you always know that, then you talk to people who don’t go to Ohio State and you’re like, ‘Oh wow. I like Ohio State, but other people also think that it’s good.’”

As a researcher, Kalvas has focused on sleep disruption and delirium in children under 2 years of age in intensive care units.

Kalvas will continue her research at Ohio State. She was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship through the Center for Clinical and Translational Science. She plans to continue to develop her research into how hospital conditions could connect to delirium in children and develop interventions in the ICU environment to promote sleep and reduce the chance of delirium.

“I’m getting training in intervention research and doing observational research in my doctoral work,” she said. “So how I can take what I observe and act upon it to improve outcomes, and then also I’m continuing to look at that relationship between sleep and delirium and kids.”

The university's four online undergraduate degree programs, including Nursing's RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, again ranked among the top 10.

The RN to BSN; the College of Medicine’s Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and AS to Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences; and the College of Dentistry’s Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene program are ranked No. 7 in the nation.

“In the face of historic challenge, our world-class students, faculty, staff and preceptors continue to demonstrate passion, purpose and pride as they dream, discover and deliver the healthier world that we all desperately need,” said Bernadette Melnyk, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “We so appreciate the recognition of the consistent excellence of our online academic programs, but we are even more proud of the evidence-based clinicians and health care leaders who graduate from our programs ready to transform health and improve lives in every community they serve throughout the world.”

Changing demographics and learner needs spurred a boom in online learning opportunities even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2013, Ohio State’s online nursing and engineering graduate programs have been included in the site’s rankings. The university’s online undergraduate degrees and graduate nursing program have continuously ranked among the top 10 in U.S. News & World Report’s listing of best online programs since 2015.

“The past several years have tested the higher education community like never before, presenting unforeseen challenges as we collectively grappled with a global pandemic, a reckoning over social justice, debates over accessibility and affordability and so much more. And through it all, Ohio State managed not only to maintain its dedication to academic excellence but exceed it in some areas – most notably with our online Master of Science in Nursing program, now ranked No. 1 in the nation,” Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson said.

“This achievement is nothing short of remarkable and is a testament to the unwavering hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and, of course, our students. And this is just the beginning when it comes to the gains we have seen on so many levels.

“I am particularly gratified to see that our online undergraduate programs are among the top 10 in the country, as virtual learning is a critical element of our future – regardless of where this pandemic, or the next one, takes us. Overall, I could not be more proud of the progress we have made. The bar is set high for the future, and we will continue to strive for excellence across all platforms.”

The College of Engineering’s online graduate programs, which include the Master of Science in Welding Engineering, the Master of Global Engineering Leadership and the Master of Engineering Management, were also ranked No. 20 nationally.

Ohio State’s online graduate education programs – The College of Arts and Sciences’ Master of Arts in Art Education and the College of Education and Human Ecology’s Master of Learning Technologies – were recognized by U.S. News & World Report, ranking 28^th in the country.

The site began ranking program specialty areas in 2020. The Master of Learning Technologies, as part of the Best Online Graduate Education Programs category, was again recognized among the top 10 in the Educational and Instructional Media Design specialty. Three graduate nursing specialty areas are also top-ranked, with the Nurse Practitioner – Family specialty recognized as No. 3.

“Our online programs extend Ohio State’s academic excellence to students in Ohio and beyond, uplifting the university’s commitment to access and affordability while supporting current and future workforce needs,” said Associate Vice President for Distance Education Robert Griffiths. “We’re proud that our efforts have again been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report rankings and by our peers across the country.”

Ohio State’s online degree and certificate programs are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus, and courses have a small student-to-instructor ratio. Each faculty member partners with an instructional designer – an expert who helps the instructor optimize the course content and engagement experience for a technology-rich modality.

With a focus on quality instruction and affordability, U.S. News & World Report ranks the top online programs at regionally accredited institutions across the country. Rankings indicators include engagement, student excellence, services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinion. 

View the full list of 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Program Rankings.

The College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Optometry, College of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine were recognized. Ohio State is the only academic institution in the country to have five colleges honored with the award.

“The recognition bestowed upon these five colleges is a testament to our collective commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Melissa Gilliam, executive vice president and provost at Ohio State. “The entire university community benefits from this recognition as we strive to live up to our land-grant university values.”

The Health Professions HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees, leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. Ohio State diversity and inclusion efforts include: 

College of Medicine: The College of Medicine is executing an anti-racism action plan that includes a review of medical curriculum to remove racism and bias. In addition, the college appointed vice chairs of diversity, equity and inclusion in all 26 departments and implemented best practices for inclusive faculty searches, which includes creating a standing search committee within each department whose members will complete implicit bias mitigation training.

College of Nursing: In May 2021, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the College of Nursing held virtual graduate entry welcome panels for incoming graduate entry students of all backgrounds. The panels were designed to enhance incoming graduate students’ understanding of psychosocial, academic, clinical, professional practice and research aspects of the nursing student experience.

College of Optometry: With an aim of cultivating interest in optometry as a career and creating a pipeline of students who exhibit inclusive thinking and behavior, the College of Optometry offers the I-DOC – Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers – summer program for underrepresented diverse students. During this program, students learn about health disparities in optometry, explore different careers in optometry and review how to be successful learners and applicants. 

College of Public Health: In 2020, the College of Public Health launched a trio of scholarships designed to increase diversity and equitable access to public health education: the Ruth Ella Moore, Dr. Amy Acton Future Leaders of Public Health and the Multicultural Public Health Hood scholarships. The scholarships will be awarded annually with the intention of championing those who are first-generation or trailblazing students, those who have overcome significant challenges and those students who seek to advance Black Americans. 

College of Veterinary Medicine: The College of Veterinary Medicine has a strategic focus on recruiting underrepresented minorities and first-generation students by reducing barriers to enter the profession, providing engaging learning opportunities and creating an academic community that fosters inclusion. This includes the creation of several new scholarships and the use of a virtual recruitment platform that provides an opportunity to connect with historically Black colleges and universities for virtual admissions sessions.

Ohio State will be featured in the December 2021 issue of INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. 

Seven colleges have top 10 graduate and professional programs in the latest rankings: the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business (Fisher), Education and Human Ecology, Engineering, Law (Moritz), Nursing, and Public Affairs (John Glenn). U.S. News’ rankings of graduate and professional programs cover just a small portion of the programs offered at Ohio State, and not all programs are ranked each year.

“The excellence displayed across the university reflects Ohio State’s focus on developing the next generation of leaders throughout society,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron. “Our comprehensive scope and focus on collaboration across disciplines acts as a force multiplier, preparing our graduate and professional students for leadership roles.”

Ohio State enrolls more than 14,000 graduate and professional students in 90 doctoral and 110 master's programs.

The Top 10 graduate and professional programs include dispute resolution (2), pediatric primary care nurse practitioner (3), business supply chain/logistics (4), psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner (5), student counseling and personnel (5), doctor of nursing practice: administration (6), higher education administration (8), public management and leadership (8), education administration and supervision (9), business production/operations (9), nursing master’s (9), adult/gerontological primary care nurse practitioner (10), biological/agricultural engineering (10), part-time MBA (10), social stratification (10) and sociology of population (10).

Below are some highlights from U.S. News’ 2022 rankings of Ohio State graduate programs, by college.

The College of Arts and Sciences has five of its social sciences and humanities programs newly ranked this year. Political science is ranked 17th, sociology is ranked 18th, and economics, English and history are each ranked 30th among programs in the United States. Additionally, political science, which ranks sixth among programs at public universities, houses top specialties in American politics (11), international politics (12), political methodology (13) and comparative politics (20). Sociology, ranking eighth among programs at public universities, boasts two specialties ranked 10th in the nation: social stratification and sociology of population. Finally, English’s specialty in American literature after 1865 is ranked 13th.

Led by its MBA for Working Professionals Program (WPMBA), Fisher College of Business is home to two graduate programs highly ranked in the 2022 list. The WPMBA program was 10th among all U.S. programs (rising three spots), and fifth among U.S. publics — up two spots. Its full-time MBA program was 14th among U.S. publics. In addition, several specialty areas were highly ranked: supply chain management (4) and productions/operations (9).

The College of Education and Human Ecology ranks 28 out of 277 graduate education programs nationwide, putting it in the top 10% of similar programs. Three of its specialty graduate education programs were ranked in the top 10 nationally, and four additional programs made the top 20 list.

The College of Engineering’s graduate program is ranked first in Ohio and 16th among all public universities. Several departments within the college also placed among the top programs in the nation. The Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering ranked 10th among its peers within American universities. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering retained its rank of 12th overall. Other top 25 engineering disciplines at Ohio State include nuclear engineering (15), industrial/manufacturing engineering (16), aerospace engineering (19) and computer engineering (22). Overall, 216 engineering schools that grant doctoral degrees were surveyed. Ohio State Engineering is ranked 30th overall.

Moritz College of Law ranked best in Ohio and 40th in the nation out of 193 accredited law schools. The specialty program in dispute resolution is ranked second in the nation and five programs rank in the top 25 in the country: dispute resolution, criminal law, contract law, health law, and legal writing.

The College of Medicine ranked 28th in the ranking of Best Medical Schools–Primary Care, moving up 10 spots versus last year, and ranked 33rd among Best Medical Schools–Research, moving up one spot. In addition, Ohio State ranked seventh for Most Diverse Medical Schools, a new category this year. Specialty programs in surgery ranked 17th, anesthesiology ranked 18th and pediatrics ranked 21st. This recognizes the College of Medicine as one of the most diverse institutions in the country, providing top-tier medical and graduate education programs.

The College of Nursing’s master of science in nursing and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) programs were recognized for excellence in academic rigor and outcomes, with several specialization tracks singled out as top-five programs among public institutions. The rankings included ninth overall and third among public colleges for the master of science in nursing and 18th overall and eighth among public colleges for the DNP programs. This is the third consecutive year that the College of Nursing’s master’s program ranks in the nation’s top 10 and that its DNP program ranks in the nation’s top 20.

The John Glenn College of Public Affairs is ranked 13th in the country out of 285 ranked schools, placing it among the top 5% of public affairs graduate professional degree programs. No other public affairs program in Ohio is ranked in the top 50 schools. The college is also rated in eight out of 12 specialties ranked by U.S. News.

The College of Public Health is ranked first in Ohio and in the top 25 in the nation among 188 public health schools and programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The college’s specialty program in health care management — the Master of Health Administration — was also ranked first in the state and seventh overall in the most recent analysis of those programs.

A number of Ohio State programs earned high marks in previous years and the magazine reprints rankings from previous years in some fields.

The 16-week program was aimed at preventing weight gain by promoting stress management, healthy eating and physical activity. The methods to get there were simple steps tucked into lessons on time management and prioritizing, many demonstrated in a series of videos featuring mothers like those participating in the study.

“We used the women’s testimonies in the videos and showed their interactions with their families to raise awareness about stressors. After watching the videos, a lot of intervention participants said, ‘This is the first time I’ve realized I am so stressed out’ – because they’ve lived a stressful life,” said Mei-Wei Chang, lead author of the study and associate professor of nursing at The Ohio State University.

“Many of these women are aware of feeling impatient, and having head and neck pain and trouble sleeping – but they don’t know those are signs of stress.”

An analysis of the study data showed that the women’s lowered perceived stress after participating in the intervention was the key factor influencing their eventual decrease in consumption of high-fat and fast foods.

“It’s not that these women didn’t want to eat healthier,” Chang said. “If you don’t know how to manage stress, then when you are so stressed out, why would you care about what you eat?”

The research is published in a recent issue of the journal Nutrients.

The 338 participants, overweight or obese moms between the ages of 18 and 39, were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which serves low-income mothers and children up to age 5. Those eligible for the program must have an annual household income no higher than 185 percent of the federal poverty line.

Chang said these women are likely to face a number of challenges that could cause them stress: financial difficulties, living in run-down neighborhoods, frequent moves, unstable romantic relationships and households bustling with little kids. It’s also common for this population to retain 10 or more pounds of pregnancy weight after childbirth and risk life-long obesity and potential problems for themselves and new babies if they become pregnant again.

During the trial, the 212 participants randomized into the intervention group watched a total of 10 videos in which women like them gave unscripted testimonials about healthy eating and food preparation, managing their stress and being physically active. Participants also dialed in to 10 peer support group teleconferences over the course of the study.

Chang and colleagues previously reported that as a group, the women in the intervention arm of the study were more likely to have reduced their fat consumption than women in a comparison group who were given print materials about lifestyle change.

This newer analysis showed that the intervention’s lessons alone did not directly affect that change in diet. When the researchers assessed the potential role of stress as a mediator, the indirect effect of the intervention – reducing participants’ perceived stress – was associated with less consumption of high-fat foods, including fast food. A 1-point reduction in the scale measuring stress was linked to a nearly 7% reduction in how frequently the women ate high-fat foods.

The intervention focused on showing the women examples of how they could achieve a healthier and less stressful lifestyle rather than telling them what they had to change.

“I learned a lot from those women,” Chang said. “Everything needs to be practical and applicable to daily life – anytime, anywhere.”

Some examples: Comparing a bag of chips to a bag of apples – the chips might be half the price, but they supply far fewer family snacks. Or using a household responsibility chart to assign tasks to young children, and encouraging moms to reward kids with a hug or individual attention when they follow the instructions. And taking deep breaths to counter the feeling of being overwhelmed.

When it came to stress management, the researchers focused on advising the women to shift their thinking, and not to blame themselves when things go wrong, rather than to take on solving the problems that caused them stress.

“We raised their awareness about stressors in their lives, and unfortunately a lot of these problems are not within their control,” Chang said. “So we teach them ways to control their negative emotions – remember that this is temporary, and you can get through it. And give them confidence to look to the future.”

The videos from the intervention are now part of WIC’s continuing education series for mothers. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors included Duane Wegener from Ohio State and Roger Brown from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio State’s online Master of Science in Nursing No. 3 overall and No. 2 among public institutions for 2021. Two of the program’s specialties are also ranked among the top four nationally, with the Nursing Practitioner – Psychiatric Mental Health, Across the Lifespan specialty ranked No. 3.

At the undergraduate level, Ohio State’s online bachelor’s programs are again ranked among the top five nationally.

Ohio State’s online undergraduate programs – the College of Nursing’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, the College of Medicine’s Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and AS to Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences degrees, and the College of Dentistry’s Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene program – are ranked No. 4 in the nation.

“Our sustained top rankings confirm what we already know: that our college makes a terrific impact in preparing evidence-based clinicians who live well and leaders who dream, discover and deliver a healthier world for us all,” said Bernadette Melnyk, vice president for health promotion, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing.

Since 2015, both Ohio State Online’s undergraduate programs and nursing master’s program have been ranked in U.S. News’ top 10 Best Online Programs.

“Ohio State faculty and staff have worked hard to provide opportunities and access to a meaningful and affordable college education that’s supporting the workforce needs in Ohio and beyond,” said Associate Vice President for Distance Education Robert Griffiths. “We are honored our efforts have been recognized by our peers and in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.”

Ohio State’s online graduate education programs – The College of Arts and Sciences’ Master of Arts in Art Education and the College of Education and Human Ecology’s Master of Learning Technologies)– were recognized by U.S. News & World Report, with Ohio State's online education master's programs ranking No. 9 in the country in the Educational and Instructional Media Design specialty.

The College of Engineering’s Master of Science in Welding Engineering and Master of Global Engineering Leadership were also ranked, with new scores this year in three specialty areas: Civil, Electrical, and Industrial.

Ohio State Online’s degree and certificate programs are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus, and courses have a small student-to-instructor ratio. Each faculty member works with an instructional designer – an expert in taking the best parts of an instructor’s on-campus teaching and reshaping it for a technology-rich modality. 

“Our 40+ online programs enable students to get their degree with more flexibility and access, while maintaining Ohio State’s core mission of academic excellence,” said Diane Dagefoerde, interim vice president and chief information officer.

With a focus on quality instruction and affordability, U.S. News & World Report ranks the top online programs at regionally accredited institutions across the country. Rankings indicators include engagement, services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinion. 

The full list of 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Program Rankings is available here.

These four programs have again received the INSIGHT into Diversity magazine 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. INSIGHT into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

This is the second consecutive year that all four programs have been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Ohio State is the only academic institution in the country to have four colleges receive the 2020 Health Professions HEED award. The colleges of nursing, medicine and veterinary medicine have received the award in previous years as well.

“Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” said INSIGHT Into Diversity publisher Lenore Pearlstein.

The award recognizes the university’s efforts in recruitment and retention of students and employees, continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion.

“Ohio State’s colleges are focused on diversity and inclusion as essential components of our mission,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron. “By fostering these values in the health sciences, our students, faculty and staff are prepared to serve Ohioans well in the future.”

Each of the health sciences colleges incorporates diversity and inclusion throughout its student recruitment, teaching, research and service, including the creation and implementation of an Anti-Racism Action Plan that creates a foundation for structural and systemic change.

“I am extraordinarily proud of the continued advancements in diversity and inclusion that led INSIGHT Into Diversity to recognize Ohio State’s health science colleges. Much has been accomplished, but there is undoubtedly more to do,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at Ohio State and CEO of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “As educators, researchers and caregivers, we are committed to improving health and building a culture of equity to better care for the communities we serve.”

Below are highlights of the colleges’ diversity and inclusion efforts.

College of Medicine – There is a history of recruiting and supporting under-represented minority students – 24% of students are underrepresented minorities. The college also follows a holistic admissions process, and everyone on the selection committee receives Implicit Bias training. There is diversity among the faculty and college leadership. The college requires a diverse pool of applicants in the hiring process and requires search firms it uses to include diverse candidates in the final pool of all candidates.

College of Nursing – The Ohio State College of Nursing earned its fifth consecutive HEED award, in part because of its ability to build on progress made in academics, research, student engagement and community impact. Several College of Nursing faculty have current research focused on reducing health disparities; the college’s population of underrepresented students increased across academic programs; and the college leveraged technology to host a five-week virtual Summer Success Series that aimed to help develop soft skills in under-represented undergraduate students. The college also formed the affinity group Nursing Students of Color to retain and support students as they move toward graduation, and continued its Health Resources and Services Administration grant-funded work to support the education and development of community health workers to improve the health and well-being of their own neighborhoods.

College of Optometry – The College of Optometry focused on several key initiatives to foster diversity and inclusion in 2020, including: reimagining the role of the college’s chief diversity officer to be more broadly integrated into the structure of the college; enhancing the admissions process for diverse underrepresented students by employing mitigation strategies against implicit bias and searching for inclusive behaviors in all applicants; educating all faculty, staff and students on implicit bias and anti-racism; engaging in purposeful relationship-building between our diverse students and diverse alumni; integrating diversity, equity and inclusion in the policy documents that govern the college; and developing a pathway for diverse underrepresented students to become faculty. The college also updated its Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers program this year to be virtual, ensuring that this annual summer program continued its mission to attract underrepresented minority undergraduate students from across the U.S. to learn about optics, eye anatomy and vision disorders as well as the College of Optometry admissions process.

College of Veterinary Medicine – The College of Veterinary Medicine is focusing on recruiting underrepresented minorities and first-generation students by reducing barriers to enter the profession, providing engaging learning opportunities, and creating an academic community that fosters inclusion. An increase in scholarship awards helps alleviate some of the debt burden many students face. Be Well programming teaches a foundation of health and well-being skills before students enter their professional career. Outreach and engagement opportunities such as the Pet Owner and Pet Care Program and the Veterinary Medicine Outreach Program provide care to underserved populations and unique service-learning experiences for students.

“This is a moment in which if we don’t follow the guidelines, we’re going to go home. And that’s not what anybody wants,” said Amy Fairchild, dean of the College of Public Health.

Ohio State News asked Fairchild and University Chief Wellness Officer Bernadette Melnyk, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Safe Campus and Scientific Advisory Subgroup of the COVID-19 Transition Task Force, to share how return-to-campus guidelines were established and the importance of thinking in terms of personal – and community – health. (See videos below.)

Tending to our physical and mental health may feel as challenging now as ever, but Melnyk noted that making the effort to take good self-care will help us feel better and make us less susceptible to illnesses of all kinds.

“We will boost our immune systems and feel better physically and mentally if we get a little physical activity in every day, if we eat healthy, if we sleep seven hours a night and we practice stress reduction,” said Melnyk, also vice president for health promotion and dean of the College of Nursing.

Both Fairchild and Melnyk also were unambiguous about the importance of wearing face masks.

“Do your part to prevent spread of the infection. We must wear masks. We must physically distance and, by all means, if you are sick, please stay home and call your primary care provider,” Melnyk said.

This isn’t just advice passed down through the years or popular wisdom, Fairchild noted. The subgroup developed an extensive list of recommendations for a safe return to full operations after completing a rigorous review of existing and new research associated with infectious disease containment.

“Where we encountered the limits of the evidence, we relied on the expertise of a really wide array of faculty from across the university,” Fairchild said.

The faculty experts in the subgroup represented a range of disciplines that included infectious diseases, virology, facilities management, epidemiology, public health, law, medical ethics, nursing and mental health and well-being.

And that is how the task force arrived at a face mask requirement: “We’re really confident masks work to curtail community transmission,” Fairchild said. “I pick that as a particular example because it underscores part of our process – which was to look at the evidence as it came in. And that’s something we’re continuing to do.”

Hearing that physical distancing must continue may cause some in the university community to become more anxious than they already are about the pandemic itself and the stresses of working from home or in an essential position on a campus.

Melnyk encourages maintaining social connections with friends and family through safe means, such as social media or phone conversations, as these relationships are necessary for our well-being.

“Take frequent recovery breaks during the day,” she said. “People are really Zoom fatigued with ‘Hollywood Squares’ right now, but aside from the meetings, it’s still important to reach out on a daily or every-other-day basis to a good friend, a family member, to have that social connection.”

Everyone’s participation in public health precautions while on campus – masks, physical distancing and proper hand hygiene – is the foundation for protecting other people, even if we feel fine, Fairchild said.

“You can feel fine but you can be a risk to other people. The things I do when I’m feeling well are going to be the things that affect other people,” she said. “In order to have a face-to-face – even a covered face-to-face – on-campus experience, we need to keep everybody as safe as possible.”

Developed by Bernadette Melnyk, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing and the Buckeye Wellness team, the sessions are designed to equip children with easily digestible but important knowledge and skills to sustain well-being during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinars are free and open to the public at go.osu.edu/adolescentstaywell. 

Melnyk says it’s important to teach resiliency, coping strategies and healthy behavior habits as early as possible.

“We want to provide early teens with evidence-based cognitive-behavioral, coping and resiliency skills as well as to help them develop healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity, healthy eating and needed sleep,” Melnyk said. “Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, are on the rise in our adolescents in addition to overweight/obesity. The earlier we can teach children these skills, the better chance we have at preventing these problems.”

Because peer-to-peer counseling works well with young adolescents, students from the colleges of Nursing and Education and Human Ecology will facilitate the webinars and answer questions. Taylor Schwein, a fourth-year honors student majoring in nursing at Ohio State, is one of the instructors.

“I hope that the teens and families watching this webinar know that it is okay to feel anxious, stressed or depressed during these very trying times in our world,” Schwein said. “All of those feelings are very normal and no one is alone in feeling that way. It’s so important to recognize those feelings and continue to work on your mental health when things get hard.”

Each week, the webinar will cover a new topic.

• Week one – Stress Buster: Using Cognitive-Behavioral Skills to Allay Anxiety and Depression
• Week two – Staying Physically Active While Home: Tips and Tricks
• Week three – Be Here Now: Mindfulness Works!
• Week four – Sleep Soundly During the COVID-19 Pandemic: You Can Do It!
• Week five – Eating Healthy and Balanced in Stressful Times: Why it Matters
• Week six – Resiliency, Gratitude and Positivity: A Timely Trio in the Midst of the COVID-19 Storm

Each webinar will be conducted via Zoom. Polling will be used to measure stress and anxiety each week to look for trends. Each session is 30 minutes, with approximately 25 minutes spent on presentations with a few minutes for Q&A at the end. 

The webinar is based on a series of resources developed by Melnyk and other university wellness leaders for the Ohio State community titled “Staying calm and well in the midst of the COVID-19 storm. Evidence-based Tactics that Work!” That series, presented in April, had 4,500 registrants with an average live attendance of 1,300. More than 85% of participants found the series moderately or very helpful, and over 95% reported that they’ve put the skills taught in the series into practice. Recordings of the eight-week online webinars are posted here.

Melnyk also encourages parents to watch the webinars with their children so they can reinforce the concepts and skills being taught at home.

The researchers obliged. And the intervention they designed produced the desired results when it came to improving participants’ diet. As a group, the women in the study who watched the videos and talked to their peers over 16 weeks were more likely to have reduced their fat consumption than women in a comparison group who were given print materials about lifestyle change.

The participants were women who face stubborn health challenges – highly stressed overweight low-income mothers of young children who, for example, tend to retain 10 or more pounds of pregnancy weight after childbirth and are likely to eat high-fat foods. They are at risk for life-long obesity and potential problems for themselves and new babies if they become pregnant again.

“I asked them during focus groups who should be in the videos, and they said, ‘We want to see us. And our children. Do not lie to us and hire professionals, because we’ll be able to tell,’” said Mei-Wei Chang, lead author of the study and associate professor of nursing at The Ohio State University.

“They said, ‘We want to see them before the change and the struggles they had, and what happened after that.’”

Chang and colleagues identified two factors that led to the intervention’s success: The study was designed to appeal to the participants’ personal values and instill in these mothers enough confidence to take on the challenge of living a healthier life.

“My experience with this population is that they really want to make a change. Some might perceive that they don’t want to. But they do – they just don’t know how to,” Chang said.

The research is published online in the journal Appetite and will appear in the August print issue.

The two psychosocial factors Chang and colleagues examined in this study are known as autonomous motivation (what’s important in a person’s life) and self-efficacy (a person’s confidence in her ability to carry out a behavior or task). Previous research has shown that poverty can lead to low self-efficacy.

Autonomous motivation differs by population. In this study, the participants told researchers in focus groups before the intervention began that they wanted to be role models for their children. They hoped to be less stressed and happier, and to maintain good family relationships.

Chang recruited participants from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which serves low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and children up to age 5. Those eligible for the program must have an annual household income no higher than 185 percent of the federal poverty line.

The mothers were between the ages of 18 and 39 and their body mass index ranged from 25.0 to 39.9 – from the lowest indicator of being overweight to just below the extreme obesity range. The intervention was aimed at preventing weight gain by promoting stress management, healthy eating and physical activity. This study analyzed only the diet-related results.

During the trial, the 212 participants randomized into the intervention group watched a total of 10 videos in which women like them gave testimonials about healthy eating and food preparation, managing their stress and being physically active.

In the videos, the women wore casual clothes and told their stories, unscripted. They demonstrated meal prep with familiar foods and showed that simple, practical steps – like reading food labels – could gradually lead to a healthier lifestyle.

“They talked about a lot of things I didn’t know,” said Chang, who has worked with women enrolled in WIC for about 20 years. “They spoke their mind about what was important – like how they mentally dealt with changing behavior but not losing weight. And about being afraid to fail.”

The participants also dialed in to 10 peer support group teleconferences over the course of the study.

In phone interviews, the researchers asked the mothers about what they were eating, their confidence in sticking to a low-fat diet and why they wanted to eat more healthfully.

Based on those surveys, the researchers determined that, compared to the group reading print materials, the mothers who watched videos and spoke with their peers reported larger increases in autonomous motivation and self-efficacy and a more significant decrease in fat intake after the 16-week intervention.

“Essentially, they said, ‘If she could do it, I could do it.’ That’s why we used peers to develop the intervention,” Chang said.

The researchers are still analyzing data related to physical activity results, and have found that the intervention’s emphasis on coping self-efficacy helped reduce participants’ stress. The videos are now part of WIC’s continuing education series for mothers.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Co-authors included Alai Tan and Duane Wegener from Ohio State and Jiying Ling and Lorraine Robbins from Michigan State University.

Experts at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The Ohio State University College of Nursing say it’s important to take precautions to avoid infection, but also to deal with the stress of transitioning back to offices or businesses after an extended period of isolation.

“Uncertainty and unpredictability can really create an unhealthy amount of fear and stress, especially when it’s sustained over such a long period of time,” Dr. K. Luan Phan, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “Challenges will remain as businesses reopen, and the typical workplace will look very different following this pandemic. We’ll have to find new ways to connect with colleagues and work as a team while maintaining our distance and preventing the spread of infection.”

Precautions like taking every employee’s temperature upon arrival, providing face masks, keeping workspaces at least six feet apart and being vigilant about wiping down surfaces are important to preventing the spread of the virus. Those actions can also make everyone feel safer and less anxious.

“Physical and mental health are closely intertwined. While you practice good hygiene and physical distancing in the office, you should also practice stress-reduction,” said Bernadette Melnyk, dean of the College of Nursing and chief wellness officer at Ohio State. “For example, while you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, take the opportunity to take five deep abdominal breaths. Doing this at least five times a day can reduce anxiety and even lower your blood pressure.”

In addition to stress relief, healthy lifestyle choices like daily physical activity, a healthy diet and getting at least seven hours of sleep per night can boost your immune system and help stave off serious illness. Experts say it’s also more important than ever to stay home when you feel sick to help keep yourself and your co-workers healthy.

To help ease their fears, Phan encourages employees to ask about what will change at work to keep them safe.

“Ask their employer, ask their team leader, how are they being protected? What precautions are in place? What new setups to the workplace environment have been established in order to keep themselves and their co-workers safe so that they don't get infected?” said Phan, who is a professor in Ohio State’s College of Medicine. “Handshakes, things that we usually do to show physical support for one another, will also not be allowable. So we'll have to find new ways to connect in this new work environment.”

There can be a lot of fear surrounding the return to normalcy or what will now become normal, so Phan and Melnyk offer these tips to help transition safely to a post-COVID-19 work life:

Manage Stress: Many people already have a lot of stress and anxiety during this time, and adjusting to being back in the workplace may add to those feelings. Utilizing stress-reduction apps, practicing mindfulness and self-care that calms your breathing and nerves, and making a plan for you and your family to manage the transition back to work can all go a long way to building resilience and helping you feel better about returning.

Don’t let your guard down: Just because there’s an ease on restrictions doesn’t mean the threat is gone. You still need to take precautions – wash your hands for 20 seconds while taking five big deep breaths, keep sanitizer and disinfecting wipes handy and clean surfaces often. Follow existing guidelines about wearing a mask and avoid shaking hands in common areas, meetings or when interacting with customers.

Keep your distance: Avoid crowding into conference rooms and keep your workspace at least six feet from your nearest co-worker. Continue holding virtual meetings and limit direct contact. Many adjustments were made to help employees work from home during the coronavirus outbreak. Health experts recommend continuing with remote work or staggering which employees are in the office when possible.

Stay fit to be well: Make changes that help you boost your immune system and fight off illnesses. About 80 percent of chronic conditions are preventable by engaging in a few lifestyle behavior changes, such as regular physical activity, eating at least five fruits and vegetables per day, not smoking, and limiting alcohol intake if you drink up to one drink a day if you are a woman and two per day if you are a male. Those small changes can make a major difference in fighting the virus if you’re infected.

Look out for your co-workers’ health: Stay home if you don’t feel well, get your flu shot and, if a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in the future, get that, too. As workplaces begin to re-open, many are monitoring employee health with measures such as daily temperature checks. If your employer doesn’t take precautions you feel are needed to prevent the spread of illness, speak up so that your entire office can be and feel safer.

The program will be piloted with nurses in New York and Michigan – two of the states hit hardest by the pandemic – and rolled out nationwide in the coming weeks.

Even before the current crisis hit, burnout among nurses had reached an all-time high, with some studies estimating that up to 63 percent of nurses experience job-induced stress, anxiety and depression. In addition, nurses are at increased risk of suicide. More than half report being in suboptimal mental or physical health, which research shows can lead to more errors in caring for patients.

The intensity of treating a high volume of acutely ill COVID-19 patients has exacerbated this issue.

The partnership initiative will provide access to wellness support and evidence-based strategies from faculty and advanced practice nursing students from the College of Nursing. Nurses employed by Trusted Health who are working in facilities with COVID-19 patients will be able to access an emotional support line staffed by seasoned mental health nurse practitioner faculty and supervised students who will review stressors with callers and offer coping strategies and stress-reduction techniques.

Nurses who call the emotional support line may also opt to participate in a wellness support partnership supported by the College of Nursing for a period of four or eight weeks. This will include cognitive-behavioral skills building, motivational interviewing, mindfulness and therapeutic communication aimed at finding sustainable solutions to enhance the nurses’ health and well-being, both during the pandemic and for life.

“Our health care professionals on the front lines of this pandemic deserve not only our highest regards for their selfless service, but also our support to handle what they are feeling and experiencing because of this crisis,” said Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, university chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing.

“Our college’s faculty, staff and students participating in this effort are well-versed in evidence-based interventions that will not only help these nurses survive, but thrive and build the resilience needed to continue to provide high-quality care and save lives.”

Added Dan Weberg, head of clinical innovation at Trusted, “As a nurses-first company, Trusted was founded on a simple idea: Nurses are the backbone of our health care system, and we must do more to support them. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed this issue into the national consciousness, and we are committed to using this moment to advocate for and identify new ways to support the mental well-being of nurses not just on the front lines, but everywhere.”

Since the onset of COVID-19, Trusted has been focused on meeting the unprecedented demand for health care workers by matching nurses who have raised their hands to help with hospitals battling the pandemic.

Trusted was among the first to offer guaranteed quarantine pay for all of its nurses, and has made its nurse advocate team – former bedside nurses who offer guidance throughout the job search process – available 24/7 to support the needs of Trusted nurses working on the front lines. Over the last several weeks, nearly 40,000 nurses have signed up via Trusted to work during the crisis.

The American Heart Association announced nearly $17 million in grants on April 21 as part of its ENACT: End Nicotine Addiction in Children and Teens research initiative.

“This study engages experts across our medical center and health sciences colleges collaborating together,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at The Ohio State University and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “It’s vital to better understand what gets our youth addicted, the long term effects on the lungs and heart and which cessation efforts are most effective.”

Ohio State’s work will be led by Peter J. Mohler, vice dean of research at The Ohio State College of Medicine and director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, and researchers from the Center for Tobacco Research at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, including center director Theodore Wagener, Loren Wold, Liz Klein and Megan Roberts. They’ll join colleagues with the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Engineering to work together on the two-year project called VERIFY: Vaping’s End through Research and Innovation For Youth.

The goal is to provide answers in three areas: the short- and long-term effects of e-cigarettes, including their impact on the brain, lungs and heart; the most effective regulations to reduce the appeal and addictiveness of e-cigarettes for youth; and the best methods to help youth kick their addiction to e-cigarettes.

“We’re pleased to receive this grant that will allow us to continue our work examining the health impacts of e-cigarettes and vaping. E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, and there needs to be more research on youth e-cigarette use and addiction and ways to help users quit,” Mohler said.

The VERIFY project consists of investigations that involve pre-clinical, clinical and surveillance-based studies. The aims of the original project are fourfold:

Aim 1: Pre-clinical testing of the health effects of e-cigarettes. Researchers will test the health effects of e-cigarette exposure, specifically cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic and neuronal phenotypes in response to changes in nicotine form, concentration and flavors. The principal investigator is Wold, assistant dean for biological health research in the College of Nursing and a professor and vice chair in the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology.

Aim 2: Surveillance-based testing of the behavioral and health effects of e-cigarettes. Experts will study the relationship between nicotine form, concentration and flavors on e-cigarette use, addiction, neurocognitive outcomes and pulmonary health. Principal investigators are Roberts, assistant professor of health behavior and health promotion in the College of Public Health, and Alayna Tackett, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Aim 3: Development of an e-cigarette product standard to reduce its addiction potential. Researchers will examine the influence of nicotine form, concentration and flavor for youth puffing behavior, nicotine delivery, abuse liability, toxicant exposure and acute cardiovascular and pulmonary effects. The principal investigators are Wagener, co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC and associate professor of internal medicine, and Marielle Brinkman, senior research scientist in the College of Public Health.

Aim 4: Development of an effective and scalable vaping cessation intervention. Experts will develop and test a multipoint, scalable vaping cessation program that includes quit line-delivered phone counseling, text-based cessation, nicotine replacement therapy and online cessation support. The principal investigator is Klein, associate professor of health behavior and health promotion.

“Our hope is that these projects greatly advance our knowledge about youth vaping – in particular what impact it has on young people’s bodies and what the most effective approaches might be to help e-cigarette users, including young people, quit,” Klein said.

Researchers at Boston University and Yale University also received awards. The American Heart Association said the grants are among the highest individual grants awarded in its history.

“We were brainstorming some creative and innovative ways to check our students’ knowledge at the end of this semester and we came up with this digital escape room,” said Kady Martini, assistant professor of clinical practice. “We’ve heard of escape rooms in the classroom, and we thought, why not make it digital? We’re part of the Digital Flagship at the College of Nursing so we were trying to find a cool, creative way to incorporate that in our class.”

The exercise is similar to the popular escape room exercises in brick-and-mortar sites. The students are “locked in” and have to solve puzzles to get out of the room in a certain amount of time.

Tracy Taylor, assistant professor of clinical practice, said she and Martini were developing the escape room idea for about two months before the university moved to virtual learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We just had to tweak and … modify it just a little bit. But it’s not really going to change the idea we had,” she said. “They would have just been doing it in a classroom … in person with their iPads. Now they’ll be doing it in breakout rooms through Zoom.”

In the escape room simulation, students explore the role of a nurse scientist while they are quarantined and on the clock to solve clinical problems before they can proceed to the next puzzle.

The escape room idea teaches nursing students to follow the seven steps of evidence-based practice. The method is a problem-solving approach to health care that combines scientific research and patient-care data with clinician expertise and patient preferences.

“They’ll get to practice by going to the health sciences library in the escape room and finding an article, and then they focus on the information that we’ve taught them about research and understanding research,” Martini said.

“It’s kind of a game, and they have to go through the game, but they are going to have to work together with their groups to solve the locks,” Taylor said.

Martini and Taylor said much of their classwork is online and incorporates iPads, so the transition to all virtual learning was a challenge – but not an insurmountable one. The virtual experience also offers a chance for students to connect as they continue to practice physical distancing.

“Hopefully it puts a fun spin on some of their work, because we know that they’re probably overloaded with the online stuff right now,” Taylor said. “If we’re able to do it live in the breakout rooms, they’re going to have some interaction and we’ll be able to see them in there, too. So it’s a little bit of social interaction and I think will be a positive right now.”

U.S. News & World Report ranked the university’s online bachelor’s programs No. 1 for 2020 — up two spots over the previous year.

Additionally, Ohio State’s online Master of Science in Nursing program is ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 2 among public universities, with three of the program’s specialties also placing among the top four.

“We are pleased to be among the nation’s top online programs,” Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron said. “Our faculty and staff are committed to the success of all Ohio State students — whether they are on campus or online. This recognition reflects the university’s focus on advancing teaching and learning for all students.”

Ohio State’s online bachelor’s programs and online master’s program in nursing have been ranked among the nation’s top 10 for six consecutive years. The ranking for online bachelor’s programs includes Ohio State’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene.

Online graduate programs in the College of Engineering and the College of Education and Human Ecology rose in the rankings in 2020. Engineering programs ranked No. 19, and education programs ranked No. 20 — up six and 18 spots, respectively.

Ohio State’s online graduate engineering programs include the Master of Science in Welding Engineering and Master of Global Engineering Leadership. Graduate education offerings include the Master of Learning Technologies, Master of Arts in Art Education, and Master of Science in Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership.

"Our online programs provide students the opportunity to experience Ohio State’s academic excellence from anywhere — a modern expression of our land-grant mission,” Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mike Hofherr said.

Ohio State Online degree and certificate programs are taught by the same faculty who teach on campus. Each faculty member works with an instructional designer to reshape the instructor’s on-campus teaching for a technology-rich modality, Hofherr explained.

U.S. News & World Report ranks online programs at regionally accredited institutions with a focus on quality instruction and affordability. Rankings indicators include engagement, services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinion.

“We are grateful that U.S. News & World Report continues to spotlight our world-class faculty, staff and curricula as among the very best in the country at preparing students to transform the future of health and improve lives,” said Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, dean of the College of Nursing and the university’s chief wellness officer. “Our wonderful online students receive the same innovative and high-quality education as students on campus so that they can dream, discover and deliver a healthier world through evidence-based care.”

The most recently ranked programs join several others across the university recognized for academic excellence, including 15 Ohio State graduate programs ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report. The publication’s “America’s Best Colleges” report ranked Ohio State in the top 20 among public universities nationwide. The university was also recognized in the Best Undergraduate Teaching and Most Innovative Schools categories.

“Many people think these products are safe, but there is more and more reason to worry about their effects on heart health,” said Loren Wold, senior author of the study, published today (Nov. 7, 2019) in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

In addition to nicotine, e-cigarettes contain particulate matter, metals and flavorings – all of which could contribute to cardiovascular problems, said Wold, director of biomedical research at The Ohio State University College of Nursing and a professor in the College of Medicine.

Fine particles found in air pollution enter the bloodstream and directly affect the heart, and the current data, while far from conclusive, shows that the same may be true for e-cigarettes, he said.

Some studies in animals and humans have documented immediate negative effects including increases in blood pressure, heart rate, stiffness in the arteries, inflammation and oxidative stress. All are linked to heart disease over time.

“We know these problems are seen in these studies looking at the short-term effects of vaping, but that research is inconsistent and the impact of chronic e-cigarette use is an outright mystery. The potential harm to the heart over time is essentially unstudied,” Wold said.

The study focused solely on cardiovascular health.

Vaping has increased from around 7 million users in 2011 to 41 million in 2018 with a projected increase to more than 55 million by 2021, according to the World Health Organization.

This research review points to a need for larger-scale, longer-term research, but Wold said it also should give users pause and highlight a need for e-cigarette regulation so that companies will have to tell customers exactly what they’re inhaling. That transparency is especially important, Wold said, because products are ever-changing.

“Especially for someone who has never smoked, it is just not worth the risk and it seems pretty conclusive that you can say they’re not harm-free,” said Nicholas Buchanan, the study’s lead author and a research assistant at Ohio State.

The studies that have been done are only valid for the particular product that was studied, he said.

“There’s a vast variety of e-liquids and different devices out there and the manufacturers don’t have to tell you what’s in them,” he said.

“For example, recent reports of vaping-related illnesses and deaths has yet to be narrowed down to a single substance or product. While the use of THC-containing products seems to be associated to these cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the illnesses don’t appear confined to only these types of products.”

Traditional cigarette smoking is the most preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Because of vaping’s perceived safety in comparison, many smokers have switched to e-cigarettes or a combination of the two.

“Most worrisome are the numbers of children and teens who are picking up the habit – who may have never started smoking conventional cigarettes. We have no idea what the health implications are for them down the road,” Buchanan said.

Most of the limited human research that’s out there has focused on adults – typically adults who have a history of smoking – making any conclusions about young people hard to draw, he said.

Other unknowns include the potential impact on the fetus if a mother smokes, and on children and adults who are exposed to secondhand chemicals released by the devices, Wold said.

Jacob Grimmer, Vineeta Tanwar, Neill Schwieterman and Peter Mohler – all of Ohio State – also worked on the study.

The National Institutes of Health supported this research.

Ohio State will seek approval for the $155.9 million health sciences center during next week’s Board of Trustees meeting. Funding sources are to be determined. The project is poised to benefit colleges, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, public health and veterinary medicine, and strengthen the interdisciplinary curriculum of Ohio State.

“A healthier future demands health care leaders who are prepared to work together to address health challenges,” said Bruce A. McPheron, Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost. “Ohio State’s new health sciences education building is the place where students will become those leaders.”

The multiphase project advances Framework 2.0, the university’s long-term planning vision. It includes a 150,000-square-foot renovation of Hamilton Hall and construction of a new 100,000-square-foot building featuring flexible facilities to serve multiple disciplines. Program space will include:

• 33 interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art classrooms, each with new teaching technology, including virtual reality and enhanced anatomy and surgical practice labs
• 6,000-square-foot informal learning space
• 125-seat grand reading room

“Ohio State is in the process of creating a new model to replace the 100-year-old-plus model of academic medicine in use today,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at Ohio State and Wexner Medical Center CEO. “This new academic health model takes advantage of the latest technology and brightest minds to educate professionals prepared to address the changing health needs of diverse populations. This is the key to building healthier communities.”

The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center will focus on inclusive work environments to create:

• Spaces for students in the health sciences to convene conversations and build team approaches to health care — a way to quickly assess patients’ needs and work with the right colleagues to design the best care plans for each individual.
• Opportunities for students to be at the forefront of innovation through modern technology — whether by using realistic virtual reality models to simulate patient care or learning how video chats, texting and other emerging “telehealth” innovations can help health care providers and patients stay in regular communication between in-person office visits.
• Warm and welcoming environments that support Ohio State’s work to build diverse communities of medical students. Research has shown that diversity in medicine — including increasing representation of women and people of color — leads to better health outcomes.

Design for the new Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center began in August 2018. Pending board approval, construction could begin in October 2019, with completion targeted for late summer 2023.

Progress continues on a separate Health Sciences Faculty Office and Optometry Clinic at 11th and Neil avenues. The 106,000-square-foot building will be home to optometry clinics, retail spaces and faculty offices. The $35.9 million project is 60% of the way through steel work and targeting an October 2020 opening.

For more information about these projects and other major initiatives advancing Framework 2.0, visit Time and Change: Building the Future.

With this second cycle of grant funding, Ohio State will continue to provide high-quality early childhood education and services to Columbus families in low-income households through 2024.

In 2014, Congress appropriated $500 million to fund Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grants nationwide, including $16.5 million to Ohio State, with a goal of partnering with existing child care centers and family child care home providers to raise the quality of early childhood education in the most vulnerable neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty.

Housed in the Schoenbaum Family Center, Ohio State’s partnership program, known as OSU-EHS, has gained national attention for its unique model, and was featured in January by the Bipartisan Policy Center as one of the top 12 programs in the nation.

“Our staff is passionate about this work and believe that all children, regardless of their zip code or life circumstances, deserve high-quality early education and supportive services to create a successful start in life,” said OSU-EHS director Sherrie Sutton.

The program serves 160 children in 11 child care centers and eight family child care homes. In addition, families of the children also receive comprehensive support through OSU-EHS’ network of 19 university and community agency partners.

By leveraging experts within the community, OSU-EHS is able to provide comprehensive services to address the holistic needs of families, an important two-generation approach proven to improve outcomes for young children. With 80% of the enrolled families earning $800 or less per month, social workers assist with connecting families to critical resources as well as educational and workforce development opportunities while also providing counseling and crisis intervention services.

OSU-EHS also provides significant support to the child care and home partners. In addition to enhanced funding, OSU-EHS has purchased classroom furniture and materials, curriculum and playgrounds for each center. With a focus on quality, the program offers professional development alongside practice-based coaches who work with classroom teachers. For the last three years, the home providers were sent to the National Association for Family Child Care Conference, where one attendee said, “I finally feel like I am part of something and am respected as a professional.” As the program enters the next five-year cycle, 84% of the program’s child care centers and home providers are rated in Ohio’s Step Up to Quality rating system at three stars or higher, and 55 of the teachers have advanced their education.

Reflecting on her time in Ohio State’s Early Head Start program, one mother said that she came into the program during a time when her family was facing many challenges, including homelessness.

“I am a single mother with two children, a toddler and a preschool-aged child. (My family) faced many challenges in 2017. I know that there are many other single parents facing similar challenges to those I experienced. Unfortunately, many times we slip between the cracks and don’t receive the assistance we need.

“I felt empowered because I knew that despite all of my struggles, I was able to keep (my children) in a stable learning environment. I had the peace of mind of knowing that they were receiving high-quality child care. I feel truly blessed to have been a recipient of this program and I look forward to continue watching my children flourish under their care.”

In addition to numerous community partners, Ohio State units involved in the collaborative program include the College of Education and Human Ecology, College of Nursing, College of Optometry, Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and Nisonger Center.

Schwein, a third-year nursing major at The Ohio State University, was a first-year student when she attended a class dinner with College of Nursing Dean Bernadette Melnyk. Melnyk, the university’s chief wellness officer, went around the room asking Schwein and her classmates to rate their level of stress on a scale from one to 10.

“Everyone had a high level of stress,” Schwein said.

Melnyk offered a solution: MINDSTRONG. Melnyk developed the program to support mental health and overall well-being. Now it’s being offered as a class in the new academic year.

“The MINDSTRONG program is a seven-week cognitive-behavioral skills-building program that promotes and supports mental health and mental resiliency,” said Jacqueline Hoying, director of MINDSTRONG. “We know that it’s evidence-based. We’ve performed 17 research studies on it, and in all of the studies, we find the same things. We have a reduction in stress, depression and anxiety.”

Although the College of Nursing hosts the program, the course is offered to undergraduate or graduate students across the university. Two classes are available in autumn semester with about 25 students per class.

“Students are going to get the benefit of the full program after these seven weeks,” Melnyk said. “It’s important to put the content and the knowledge into daily practice to really get the positive outcomes from the program.”

The program features weekly sessions to improve overall mental health and help people taking the class manage stress, anxiety and depression. Each session provides strategies to practice establishing healthier behavior patterns.

“The first thing that they teach is the thinking, feeling, behaving triangle and it goes through the process of how you think affects how you feel and how you behave,” Schwein said. “They teach you to flip your perspective and look at it through a different lens. So, if you're looking at a negative activity, it’s going to cause you to feel poorly. But if you could just think of it in a positive frame and look for how you can improve it, you’re going to feel better and do better.”

The skills developed in the classroom are part of a toolkit students can take with them beyond college.

“So if you learn some of those techniques and you learn how to handle anxiety, it not only helps you with the class that you’re in this particular semester, but it paves the way for you throughout life,” Hoying said. “I think it’s helpful, it’s beneficial, it’s a lifelong skillset.”

Schwein agreed.

“I think what separates MINDSTRONG from a lot of other resources at Ohio State and beyond is that it sets you up with skills that you can use for a lifetime,” she said. “So now if I have moments of anxiety or stress, I can look back on the tools I learned from Mindstrong and use those.”

The course fits into the university’s overall commitment to improving student well-being and mental health. Hoying said the transition from high school to college or from undergrad studies to graduate school is a stressful time for many students.

“Research shows us that mental health is a national priority. The World Health Organization predicts by the year 2030 mental health disorders will have overtaken physical illness – that includes things like diabetes, obesity and cancer,” she said. “I think that’s staggering.”

The program can be expanded to meet demand. For now, Hoying is excited for the new academic year to begin and for a new class of students to experience MINDSTRONG.

“For me, it’s been a personal dream to get to this point,” she said. “I know how well this program works and I’m excited to bring it to other people, especially college-age students. I wish it were something that I would have been afforded coming into college because it would have made just such an amazing difference.”

For help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255/TALK (or 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers). To reach someone at Ohio’s 24/7 Crisis Text Line, send 4HOPE to 741741. 

“When students step on campus they really should find out where resources are that they might need – assistance with teaching and learning, the student health center and mental wellness resources,” said Bernadette Melnyk, chief wellness officer at The Ohio State University. “Knowing when to ask for help is critical, whether you’re having trouble with your classes or are facing a physical or mental health issue.”

Melnyk urges all new students to check off a few simple but crucial tasks before moving to school and to revisit them throughout the school year to keep students happier and healthier when moving out on their own for the first time:

• Establish Healthy Habits – Just like you schedule your classes, schedule time for physical activity (at least 30 minutes of exercise five times a week), healthy eating, stress relief and at least seven hours of sleep every night. When you map out where your classes are on campus, also find your way to the places that will help you keep those healthy habits like the gym, a dining facility with healthy options and the student health center.
• Find Local Health Care – Get connected with a primary care nurse practitioner or physician and the nearest pharmacy. This is especially important for students who come to school with a chronic health condition, but every student could inevitably face a health challenge and should be prepared. Be sure to understand your insurance coverage before accessing care.
• Make Your Mental Health a Priority – The pressures of school and new surroundings can be nerve-wracking for students. Stress, depression and anxiety are growing mental health challenges among college students. Getting involved in campus organizations helps you to start making friends right away and can go a long way toward reducing stress. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and it’s interfering with functioning, don’t wait to seek professional help.
• Find a System that Works for You – Whether it’s scheduling workouts and health care appointments in a planner or using apps on your phone to remind you to take medication, find a way to stay organized and proactive about your health and well-being.

Experts say new students should also establish healthy sleep habits and keep all-nighters to a minimum. You can download the college prep health checklist for the new college student in your life at https://go.osu.edu/wellnesschecklist.

Researchers looked for potential relationships between the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair and adolescents’ depression symptoms and found a surprising connection. Not only did high cortisol levels correspond to a higher likelihood of depression, but there was also a connection between low cortisol levels and mental health struggles.

Though many researchers have used cortisol measures in mental health studies in the last decade, few have looked at the stress hormone as a predictor of depression. Those who have found mixed results, so this new research adds important information, said Jodi Ford, lead author of the study and an associate professor of nursing at The Ohio State University. The paper was published online this month in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

In the clinical setting, a biomarker-based test for depression would be valuable, particularly in children and teens, she said.

“This study opens up a lot of future research questions and illustrates that the relationship between cortisol levels and depression isn’t necessarily a linear one,” Ford said.

“It may be that low cortisol is bad and high cortisol is bad and there’s a middle level that is normal,” she said. “It’s hard to know why this is without more research, but it’s possible that there’s a blunting of the stress response in some people, lowering cortisol production or changing how it is processed. Maybe the body is not using cortisol in the way that it should in some cases.”

Another important study finding: The adolescents who said they felt better supported at home had much lower levels of depressive symptoms.

“This study reinforces to parents that they matter in their adolescents’ lives – that their support and involvement make a difference,” said Ford, who also directs the Stress Science Lab in Ohio State’s College of Nursing.

The research included 432 adolescents who were 11 to 17 years old and who are part of the larger ongoing Adolescent Health and Development in Context study, a longitudinal research project looking at the impact of social and other factors on health. That project is led by Christopher Browning, a sociology professor at Ohio State who is also a co-author of the cortisol and depression study.

For the cortisol study, the researchers measured depression with a nine-item questionnaire that the participants filled out. They were asked to rate their experience in a variety of areas, including how often they feel that their life has been a failure or that people have been unfriendly to them.

In most cases, the researchers examined a 3-centimeter hair sample – enough to assess cortisol levels for the previous three months.

After adjusting the results for a variety of potential factors that could contribute to depressive symptoms and to cortisol levels, the researchers found the surprising trend that both low and high cortisol had a statistically significant relationship to depression.

Nearly one in eight adolescents have experienced a major depressive episode, according to 2016 data, and the proportion of young people facing depression has steadily increased in the last decade. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.

But children and teens can struggle to describe their symptoms, and parents and others can miss warning signs if they mistake serious mental health problems for the normal turbulence of puberty, Ford said.

“It’d be really ideal to have an objective measurement, because using subjective measures of stress is problematic, particularly with children and teens,” she said.

Testing is simple, and relatively cheap (on the order of about $35), but it won’t be something to consider for widespread use until researchers better understand what values are normal and what values are out of range and cause for concern, Ford said.

It’s possible that cortisol testing could serve not just as a detection tool, but as a way to watch over time to see if therapy and medication are helping someone with depression, or if the mental illness is intensifying and putting the adolescent at risk of suicide, she said.

Next, Ford would like to conduct a longer, larger study looking at adolescent depression and cortisol levels over time.

Samantha Boch of Nationwide Children’s Hospital also worked on the study.

The National Institutes of Health supported the research.

For help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255/TALK (or 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers). To reach someone at Ohio’s 24/7 Crisis Text Line, send 4HOPE to 741741.