Effects of depression co-morbidity and treatment on quality of life in patients with acute coronary syndrome: the Korean depression in ACS (K-DEPACS) and the escitalopram for depression in ACS (EsDEPACS) study

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1641-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-M. Kim ◽  
R. Stewart ◽  
K.-Y. Bae ◽  
H.-J. Kang ◽  
S.-W. Kim ◽  
...  

BackgroundDepression is common after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with adverse effects on prognosis. There is little evidence on whether depression treatment improves quality of life (QoL) in ACS patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of co-morbid depression and its treatment on QoL in ACS.MethodIn total, 1152 patients were recruited at baseline, 2–14 weeks after a confirmed ACS episode, and 828 were followed 1 year thereafter. Of 446 baseline participants with co-morbid depressive disorders, 300 were randomized to a 24-week double blind trial of escitalopram or placebo, while the remaining 146 received medical treatment only (MTO). QoL was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life –Abbreviated form (WHOQOL-BREF).ResultsAt baseline, QoL was significantly lower in patients with co-morbid depressive disorder than those without. QoL improvement was significantly greater in those receiving escitalopram than those receiving placebo over the 24-week treatment period. In the 1-year follow-up, the better outcomes associated with escitalopram remained evident against both placebo and MTO.ConclusionsDepression was significantly associated with worse QoL even in patients with recently developed ACS. Depression treatment was associated with QoL improvement in ACS patients in the 24-week treatment period, the effects of which extended to 1 year.

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Leenen ◽  
Michael Rufer ◽  
Hanspeter Moergeli ◽  
Hans-Jörgen Grabe ◽  
Josef Jenewein ◽  
...  

Aus Untersuchungen in der Normalbevölkerung ist bekannt, dass Menschen mit erhöhten Alexithymiewerten eine verminderte Lebensqualität (LQ) aufweisen. Für Patienten mit psychischen Störungen wurde dieser Zusammenhang jedoch kaum untersucht. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen alexithymen Patientenmerkmalen und der LQ bei Patienten mit Angststörungen zu überprüfen. Bei 79 ambulanten Patienten mit Angststörungen wurden alexithyme Charakteristika mit der Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), die LQ mit der Kurzversion des World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire 100 (WHOQOL-BREF) erfasst. Darüber hinaus fand eine Erhebung der psychischen Symptombelastung (SCL-90-R) und depressiven Symptomatik (MADRS) statt. Mittels hierarchischer Regressionsanalysen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen der alexithymen Charakteristika und den unterschiedlichen LQ-Domänen berechnet. Die Patienten zeigten eine im Vergleich zur Normalbevölkerung deutlich verminderte LQ. Als Hauptergebnis fand sich, auch nach Kontrolle von Depression, Ängstlichkeit und Geschlecht, ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen den beiden TAS-20 Subskalen Schwierigkeiten, Gefühle zu identifizieren und zu beschreiben und vor allem der psychischen LQ. Unsere Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, bei der Diagnostik und Therapieplanung von Patienten mit Angststörungen alexithyme Merkmale einzubeziehen. Im Falle von ausgeprägten alexithymen Merkmalen sollten psychotherapeutische Interventionen zur Verbesserung der Schwierigkeiten Gefühle wahrzunehmen und zu kommunizieren in Betracht gezogen werden.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Augusto Baumhardt Guidoti ◽  
Ângelo Pereira Cattani ◽  
Cintia Laura De Araujo ◽  
Fernanda Beatriz Costa Delacoste ◽  
Guilherme Scotta Hentschke ◽  
...  

The Glittre ADL-test (TGlittre) has been designed and validated to measure functional capacity during daily living activities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but is now used in several other situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of TGlittre in a sample of overweight and obese eutrophic elderly. This was an experimental and cross-sectional study, which included 21 elderly women, allocated by BMI, in eutrophic (n = 8), overweight (n = 6) and obese (n = 7) groups. They were assessed for functional capacity (TGlittre and 6MWT), quality of life (QOL) with the questionnaire World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older People (WHOQOL-OLD) and handgrip strength (HGS). TGlittre correlated with age (p = 0.0040) and with 6MWT (p = 0.0086), but no statistical difference was found in TGlittre's performance time and the distance covered in 6MWT between groups. TGlittre did not correlate with HGS (p = 0.1493) and WHOQOL-Old (p = 0.0905). The data obtained in the present study corroborate that TGlittre is used as a functional measurement variable in the elderly population.Keywords: aged, obesity, exercise intolerance.­­­


2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (2a) ◽  
pp. 163-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heloísa Rovere ◽  
Sueli Rossini ◽  
Rubens Reimão

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perception of Quality of Life (QL) in Brazilian patients with narcolepsy. METHOD: 40 adult patients aged between 20 and 72 years (mean=41.55; SD=14.50); (28 F; 12M), with the diagnosis of chronic narcolepsy were followed up at the outpatient clinic (Patient Group). The Control Group was composed of 40 adults. The instrument utilized was the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: The two groups were homogeneous and no difference was found with regards to age, sex, and demographic characteristics. The perception of QL in physical, psychological and social domains showed lower scores in those patients with narcolepsy than in the control group (p<0.05). Concerning physical domain, all the aspects evaluated were significantly impaired, in patient group, including sleep satisfaction (p<0.001); energy for daily activities (p=0.039); capacity to perform activities (p=0.001); and capacity to work (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The perception of QL showed severe impairment in patients with narcolepsy for physical, psychological and social domains.


Author(s):  
Huan-Hwa Chen ◽  
Chich-Hsiu Hung ◽  
Ai-Wen Kao ◽  
Hsiu-Fen Hsieh

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common recurrent functional gastrointestinal disorder that impacts on patients physically and mentally. Studies on IBS have focused on adults, yet few studies have examined IBS among female university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IBS for female university students and its related factors. Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 2520 female university students were recruited in southern Taiwan. The structured questionnaires, including the Rome III IBS diagnostic questionnaire, IBS symptom severity scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) were used for data collection. A total of 1894 female students complete the questionnaires. The response rate was 75.15%. The results indicated 193 female students with IBS and the prevalence of IBS was 10.1%. IBS female students had higher levels of stress and lower QOL than non-IBS female students. The risk factors for female university students developing IBS were dysmenorrhea, food avoidance, class absenteeism, and the lower physical domain of QOL. It is advised to consider these factors when providing students with counselling and relevant services in the expectation of alleviating their IBS symptoms, reducing the incidence rate of IBS, and further improving their QOL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Stella Epifanio ◽  
Federica Andrei ◽  
Giacomo Mancini ◽  
Francesca Agostini ◽  
Marco Andrea Piombo ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world in the year 2020 has put a strain on our ability to cope with events and revolutionized our daily habits. On 9 March, Italy was forced to lockdown to prevent the spread of the infection, with measures including the mandatory closure of schools and nonessential activities, travel restrictions, and the obligation to spend entire weeks in the same physical space. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on quality of life (QoL) in a large Italian sample, in order to investigate possible differences in QoL levels related to both demographic and pandemic-specific variables. A total of 2251 Italian adults (1665 women, mainly young and middle adults) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy. Participants were requested to answer to an online survey, which included demographic and COVID-related information items, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The results showed statistically significant differences in QoL depending on a number of variables, including sex, area of residence in Italy, and being diagnosed with a medical/psychiatric condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess QoL during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, therefore the present findings can offer guidelines regarding which social groups are more vulnerable of a decline in QoL and would benefit of psychological interventions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S192-S192
Author(s):  
L. Utas Akhan

IntroductionStudies have found that the cognitive function levels of intellectually challenged children add a burden to the family and affect quality of life.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine the family burden felt by mothers of children, ages 6–16, whose mental capacity evaluation indicates an IQ of 35–79 to explore the mother's quality of life and discover the factors that yield an impact in this context.AimsThe main objective of this study therefore was to ascertain the family burden and quality of life experienced by the parents of children with mentally retarded or borderline mental capacity.MethodsThe WISC-R test was used in the research to determine the intellectual capacity of children, 6–16 years of age. The sample comprised 131 children and adolescents between the ages 6–16 with IQs in the interval of 35–79 and their mothers. The parents accompanying their children were assessed using the Family Burden Assessment Scale, the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument and a sociodemographic questionnaire that was filled out during face-to-face interviews.ResultsThe quality of life of the mothers was found to be average. At the same time, as the IQ level of the children went up, the less the mothers felt they were under a family burden. It was seen that the mothers experienced the most difficulty in the domains of “perception of inadequacy” and “emotional burden.”ConclusionMothers with intellectually disabled children need psychosocial support. Providing all members of the family with counseling services to help them cope with the issues and responsibilities involved in the care of disabled children may make a significant difference in quality of life.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 501-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Perers ◽  
Mona From Attebring ◽  
Kenneth Caidahl ◽  
Johan Herlitz ◽  
Thomas Karlsson ◽  
...  

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