scholarly journals Neighbourhood characteristics and social isolation of people with psychosis: a multi-site cross-sectional study

Author(s):  
Domenico Giacco ◽  
James B. Kirkbride ◽  
Anna O. Ermakova ◽  
Martin Webber ◽  
Penny Xanthopoulou ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose People with psychosis are vulnerable to social isolation, which is associated with worse clinical outcomes. In general populations, people living in areas with higher population density have more social contacts, while those living in more socially deprived and fragmented areas are less satisfied with their relationships. We assessed whether and how neighbourhood factors are associated with social contacts and satisfaction with friendships for people with psychosis. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study including people with psychosis aged 18–65 years in urban and rural sites in England. Population density and social deprivation and fragmentation indexes were described within Lower Level Super Output Areas (LSOA). Their associations with participants’ social contacts and satisfaction with friendships were tested with negative binomial and ordinal regression models, respectively. Results We surveyed 511 participants with psychotic disorders. They had a median of two social contacts in the previous week (interquartile range [IQR] = 1–4), and rated satisfaction with friendships as 5 out of 7 (Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life; IQR = 4–6). Higher population density was associated with fewer social contacts (Z-standardised relative risk [RR] = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.79–0.99, p = 0.03), but not with satisfaction with friendships (RR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.93–1.26, p = 0.31). No associations were found for social contacts or satisfaction with friendships with social deprivation or fragmentation indexes. Conclusions Clinicians in urban areas should be aware that their patients with psychosis are more socially isolated when more people live around them, and this could impact their clinical outcomes. These findings may inform housing programmes.

2022 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 46-51
Author(s):  
Helena Tee ◽  
Agnes Chevalier ◽  
Martin Webber ◽  
Penny Xanthopoulou ◽  
Stefan Priebe ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Anczewska ◽  
Jacek Wciórka ◽  
Paweł Grygiel ◽  
Izabela Nowak ◽  
Janina Sonik ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762199953
Author(s):  
Bhavneesh Saini ◽  
Pir Dutt Bansal ◽  
Mamta Bahetra ◽  
Arvind Sharma ◽  
Priyanka Bansal ◽  
...  

Background: Normal personality development, gone awry due to genetic or environmental factors, results in personality disorders (PD). These often coexist with other psychiatric disorders, affecting their outcome adversely. Considering the heterogeneity of data, more research is warranted. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on personality traits in psychiatric patients of a tertiary hospital, over 1 year. Five hundred and twenty-five subjects, aged 18–45 years, with substance, psychotic, mood, or neurotic disorders were selected by convenience sampling. They were evaluated for illness-related variables using psychiatric pro forma; diagnostic confirmation and severity assessment were done using ICD-10 criteria and suitable scales. Personality assessment was done using the International Personality Disorder Examination after achieving remission. Results: Prevalence of PD traits and PDs was 56.3% and 4.2%, respectively. While mood disorders were the diagnostic group with the highest prevalence of PD traits, it was neurotic disorders for PDs. Patients with PD traits had a past psychiatric history and upper middle socioeconomic status (SES); patients with PDs were urban and unmarried. Both had a lower age of onset of psychiatric illness. Psychotic patients with PD traits had higher and lower PANSS positive and negative scores, respectively. The severity of personality pathology was highest for mixed cluster and among neurotic patients. Clusterwise prevalence was cluster C > B > mixed > A (47.1%, 25.2%, 16.7%, and 11.4%). Among subtypes, anankastic (18.1%) and mixed (16.7%) had the highest prevalence. Those in the cluster A group were the least educated and with lower SES than others. Conclusions: PD traits were present among 56.3% of the patients, and they had many significant sociodemographic and illness-related differences from those without PD traits. Cluster C had the highest prevalence. Among patients with psychotic disorders, those with PD traits had higher severity of psychotic symptoms.


Author(s):  
Maiken Meldgaard ◽  
Nis Brix ◽  
Anne Gaml-Sørensen ◽  
Andreas Ernst ◽  
Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen ◽  
...  

Background: Existing literature suggests that frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks may be associated with lower semen quality. Studies performed in mice suggest a dose-response relationship between intake of saccharin or aspartame, two artificial sweeteners, and sperm and testis function. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on data from The Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) Cohort, including 1047 young men (mean age = 19 years) was performed. Each male participant completed an online questionnaire on health, health behavior and diet, and provided a semen sample. The associations between consumption of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages (moderate ≥ 3 days/week; infrequent < 3 days/week) and semen quality were analyzed using a multivariable, negative, binomial regression model. Results: Sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverage consumption was not strongly associated with either semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count or total motility in young men. The proportion of morphologically normal sperm was 11% lower (0.89 (95% CI 0.76, 1.04)) for moderate (≥3 days/week) consumption of artificially sweetened beverages relative to infrequent (<3 days/week). Conclusion: Consumption of sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages, at the levels present in this study had limited effect on the measured markers of semen quality in young men.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e042750
Author(s):  
Charles Okeahalam ◽  
Victor Williams ◽  
Kennedy Otwombe

IntroductionThe current COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat. This elicits questions on the level of preparedness and capacity of health systems to respond to emergencies relative to other parts of the world.MethodsThis cross-sectional study uses publicly available core health data for 53 African countries to determine risk factors for cumulative COVID-19 deaths and cases per million in all countries in the continent. Descriptive statistics were determined for the indicators, and a negative binomial regression was used for modelling the risk factors.ResultsIn sub-Saharan Africa, an increase in the number of nursing and midwifery personnel decreased the risk of COVID-19 deaths (p=0.0178), while a unit increase in universal healthcare (UHC) index of service coverage and prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adults increased the risk of COVID-19 deaths (p=0.0432 and p=0.0127). An increase in the proportion of infants initiating breast feeding reduced the number of cases per million (p<0.0001), while an increase in higher healthy life expectancy at birth increased the number of cases per million (p=0.0340).ConclusionDespite its limited resources, Africa’s preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be improved by identifying and addressing specific gaps in the funding of health services delivery. These gaps impact negatively on service delivery in Africa, which requires more nursing personnel and increased UHC coverage to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.


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