scholarly journals Association between food insecurity and major depressive episodes amid Covid-19 pandemic: results of four consecutive epidemiological surveys from southern Brazil

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Leonardo Pozza Santos ◽  
Antônio Augusto Schäfer ◽  
Fernanda Oliveira Meller ◽  
Inacio Crochemore-Silva ◽  
Bruno Pereira Nunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes

Abstract Objective: To assess the association between household food insecurity (FI) and major depressive episodes (MDE) amid Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. Design: Cross-sectional study carried out with data from four consecutive population-based studies. Setting: The study was conducted between May and June 2020, in Bagé, a Brazilian southern city. Household FI was measured using the short-form version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, we used two different approaches to define MDE: the cut-off point of ≥9 and the diagnostic criteria proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-R). Association between FI and MDE was analysed using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models. Participants: 1550 adults (≥20 years old). Results: The prevalence of household FI was 29.4% (95%C.I 25.0; 34.4). MDE prevalence varied from 4.4% (95%C.I. 3.1 to 6.0), when we used the DSM-IV-R criteria to define this condition, to 9.6% (95%C.I 7.3; 12.5) of the sample, when we used the cut-off point of ≥9 as definition. Prevalence of MDE was more than two times higher in those individuals living with FI, independent of the criteria adopted to define the outcome. Adjustment for potential confounders did not change the association’s magnitude. Conclusion: Household FI has been positively associated with MDE amid Covid-19 pandemic, independent of sociodemographic characteristics of participants. Actions are needed to warrant basic living conditions to avoid food insecurity and hunger and its consequences for the Brazilian population, especially those consequences linked to mental health disorders.

Toward a validation of a new definition of agitated depression as a bipolar mixed state (mixed depression)

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Benazzi ◽  
A. Koukopoulos ◽  
H.S. Akiskal
Keyword(s):  
Mixed State ◽  
Age At Onset ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Mood Stabilizers ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
History Of ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes

AbstractPurposeAs psychotic agitated depression is now a well-described form of mixed state during the course of bipolar I disorder, we sought to investigate the diagnostic validity of a new definition for agitated (mixed) depression in bipolar II (BP-II) and major depressive disorder (MDD).Materials and methodsThree hundred and thirty six consecutive outpatients presenting with major depressive episodes (MDE) but without history of mania were evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV when presenting for the treatment of MDE. On the basis of history of hypomania they were assigned to BP-II (n = 206) vs. MDD (n = 130). All patients were also examined for hypomania during the current MDE. Mixed depression was operationally defined by the coexistence of a MDE and at least two of the following excitatory signs and symptoms as described by Koukopoulos and Koukopoulos (Koukopoulos A, Koukopoulos A. Agitated depression as a mixed state and the problem of melancholia. In: Akiskal HS, editor. Bipolarity: beyond classic mania. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1999;22:547–64): inner psychic tension (irritability), psychomotor agitation, and racing/crowded thoughts. The validity of mixed depression was investigated by documenting its association with BP-II disorder and with external variables distinguishing it from unipolar MDD (i.e., younger age at onset, greater recurrence, and family history of bipolar disorders). We analyzed the data with multivariate regression (STATA 7).ResultsMDE plus psychic tension (irritability) and agitation accounted for 15.4%, and MDE plus agitation and crowded thoughts for 15.1%. The highest rate of mixed depression (38.6%) was achieved with a definition combining MDE with psychic tension (irritability) and crowded thoughts: 23.0% of these belonged to MDD and 76.9% to BP-II. Moreover, any of these permutations of signs and symptoms defining mixed depression was significantly and strongly associated with external validators for bipolarity. The mixed irritable-agitated syndrome depression with racing-crowded thoughts was further characterized by distractibility (74–82%) and increased talkativeness (25–42%); of expansive behaviors from the criteria B list for hypomania, only risk taking occurred with some frequency (15–17%).ConclusionsThese findings support the inclusion of outpatient-agitated depressions within the bipolar spectrum. Agitated depression is validated herein as a dysphorically excited form of melancholia, which should tip clinicians to think of such a patient belonging to or arising from a bipolar substrate. Our data support the Kraepelinian position on this matter, but regrettably this is contrary to current ICD-10 and DSM-IV conventions. Cross-sectional symptomatologic hints to bipolarity in this mixed/agitated depressive syndrome are virtually absent in that such patients do not appear to display the typical euphoric/expansive characteristics of hypomania—even though history of such behavior may be elicited by skillful interviewing for BP-II. We submit that the application of this diagnostic entity in outpatient practice would be of considerable clinical value, given the frequency with which these patients are encountered in such practice and the extent to which their misdiagnosis as unipolar MDD could lead to antidepressant monotherapy, thereby aggravating it in the absence of more appropriate treatment with mood stabilizers and/or atypical antipsychotics.

scholarly journals Loneliness and depression among rural empty-nest elderly adults in Liuyang, China: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e016091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guojun Wang ◽  
Mi Hu ◽  
Shui-yuan Xiao ◽  
Liang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural Elderly ◽  
Elderly Adults ◽  
Empty Nest ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cohen’S D ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes

ObjectiveTo compare loneliness, depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes between empty-nest and not-empty-nest older adults in rural areas of Liuyang city, Hunan, China.MethodsA cross-sectional multi-stage random cluster survey was conducted from November 2011 to April 2012 in Liuyang, China. A total of 839 rural older residents aged 60 or above completed the survey (response rate 97.6%). In line with the definition of empty nest, 25 participants who had no children were excluded from the study, while the remaining 814 elderly adults with at least one child were included for analysis. Loneliness and depressive symptoms in rural elderly parents were assessed using the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Major depressive episodes were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I).ResultsSignificant differences were found between empty-nest and not-empty-nest older adults regarding loneliness (16.19±3.90 vs. 12.87±3.02, Cohen’s d=0.97), depressive symptoms (8.50±6.26 vs. 6.92±5.19, Cohen’s d=0.28) and the prevalence of major depressive episodes (10.1% vs. 4.6%) (all p<0.05). After controlling for demographic characteristics and physical disease, the differences in loneliness, depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes remained significant. Path analysis showed that loneliness mediated the relationship between empty-nest syndrome and depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes.ConclusionLoneliness and depression are more severe among empty-nest than not-empty-nest rural elderly adults. Loneliness was a mediating variable between empty-nest syndrome and depression.

scholarly journals Major depression subtypes are differentially associated with migraine subtype, prevalence and severity

Cephalalgia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Pisanu ◽  
Emma Lundin ◽  
Martin Preisig ◽  
Mehdi Gholam-Rezaee ◽  
Enrique Castelao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Migraine With Aura ◽  
Migraine Without Aura ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Depression Subtypes

Objective Migraine and major depressive disorder show a high rate of comorbidity, but little is known about the associations between the subtypes of major depressive disorder and migraine. In this cross-sectional study we aimed at investigating a) the lifetime associations between the atypical, melancholic, combined and unspecified subtype of major depressive disorder and migraine with and without aura and b) the associations between major depressive disorder and its subtypes and the severity of migraine. Methods A total of 446 subjects with migraine (migraine without aura: n = 294; migraine with aura: n = 152) and 2511 controls from the population-based CoLaus/PsyCoLaus study, Switzerland, were included. Associations between major depressive disorder subtypes and migraine characteristics were tested using binary logistic or linear regression. Results Melancholic, combined and unspecified major depressive disorder were associated with increased frequency of migraine with aura, whereas only melancholic major depressive disorder was associated with increased frequency of migraine without aura. Lifetime and unspecified major depressive disorder were associated with severe migraine intensity among subjects with migraine with aura but not migraine without aura, while combined major depressive disorder was associated with higher migraine frequency independently from migraine subtype. Conclusion This study suggests that melancholic but not atypical major depressive disorder is associated with migraine and migraine subtypes. Future studies exploring pathophysiological mechanisms shared between melancholic depression and migraine are warranted.

scholarly journals Demoralization and Its Relationship with Depression and Hopelessness in Suicidal Patients Attending an Emergency Department

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Costanza ◽  
Marc Baertschi ◽  
Hélène Richard-Lepouriel ◽  
Kerstin Weber ◽  
Isabella Berardelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Suicidal Patient ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Interventions ◽  
Suicidal Patients ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes ◽  
The Relationship

Emergency departments (EDs) play an increasingly crucial role in the management of patients with suicidal behavior (SB). Demoralization has been associated with SB in various populations and conditions, but little is known about the effect of this construct in SB patients who attend an ED. Therefore, a more inclusive SB assessment which considers the demoralization construct could be useful in clinical practice. The main aim of this study was to assess the presence and severity of demoralization in patients visiting EDs for SB. Secondly, the maintenance of the relationship between demoralization and SB after controlling for depression and the proportion of variance which accounted for hopelessness was investigated. A cross-sectional study of patients (N = 199) visiting an ED for SB was performed, which examined the role of demoralization, hopelessness, and depression on suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SAs). Demoralization was strongly and positively correlated with SI. Demoralization was related to major depressive episodes, but it was confirmed to be a different and, probably, more sensitive construct for SB, validating its specificity in relation to depression. Hopelessness accounted for a small portion of the variance in SI, compared to demoralization. Formal support for the association of demoralization with SI was provided. Demoralization can improve SB assessment in EDs, particularly among patients whose suicide risk can be unnoticed. Furthermore, demoralization represents a clinically useful concept to increase comprehension of the suffering of the suicidal patient and a possible target for psychotherapeutic interventions.

Development and validation of a short form of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory – the GAI-SF

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard J. Byrne ◽  
Nancy A. Pachana
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Dsm Iv

ABSTRACTBackground: Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among older people and are associated with considerable disability burden. While several instruments now exist to measure anxiety in older people, there is a need for a very brief self-report scale to measure anxiety symptoms in epidemiological surveys, in primary care and in acute geriatric medical settings. Accordingly, we undertook the development of such a scale, based on the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of randomly selected, community-residing, older women (N = 284; mean age 72.2 years) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. DSM-IV diagnostic interviews were undertaken using the Mini International Diagnostic Interview, fifth edition (MINI-V).Results: We developed a 5-item version of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, which we have termed the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory – Short Form (GAI-SF). We found that a score of three or greater was optimal for the detection of DSM-IV Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in this community sample. At this cut-point, sensitivity was 75%, specificity was 87%, and 86% of participants were correctly classified. GAI-SF score was not related to age, MMSE score, level of education or perceived income adequacy. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α = 0.81) and concurrent validity against the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was good (rs = 0.48, p < 0.001).Conclusions: The GAI-SF is a short form of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, which we recommend for use in epidemiological studies. It may also be useful in primary care and acute geriatric medical settings.

Antidepressants-Induced Sexual Troubles

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S283-S284
Author(s):  
H. Ben Ammar ◽  
G. Hamdi ◽  
H. Zalila ◽  
Z. El Hechmi
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Sexual Disorders ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexual Side Effects ◽  
Major Depressive Episodes ◽  
Depressive Episodes

IntroductionFor a long time, antidepressants sexual side effects have been neglected. Currently, no reliable scientific data is available regarding the nature and frequency of sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressants. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and type of sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressants, and to identify factors associated with the occurrence of these disorders.MethodologyA descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study extending over a period of two week. For the purpose of this research, a socio-demographic card, the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) and the Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire (SALSEX) were used.ResultsFifty-five patients were recruited. The diagnosis of major depressive episodes was dominant (49.1%). Moreover, fluoxetine and tricyclic were in top of the list of antidepressants with respective proportions of 41.8% and 38.2% and respective dose 20.86 mg/24 h and 72.38 mg/24 h. The score using the ASEX scale was 14.63 ± 5.23. Using the SALSEX scale, 47.3% of patients claimed to have had sexual disorders secondary to antidepressants with a moderate score of 9.19 ± 2.56. Furthermore, sexual disorders were more common in the elderly aged of 45 (66.66%) as well as in patients started on paroxetine (66.66%) and on sertraline (66.66%) (P ≤ 0.05).ConclusionThe sexual side effects of antidepressants have a major impact on the quality of life and adherence to treatment. They also represent an important risk factor for relapse and recurrence in major depression, in this context, the prescription of an antidepressant.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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