Identifying the role of sociodemographic factors in major depressive disorder and suicidality among Spanish-speaking Latino patients in a federally qualified health center

The WHO theme for the year 2017 is Depression. Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks and behaves. Psychotherapy if incorporated along with medications can be of substantial help in depression. It is also called ‘talking therapy’ and is based on personal interaction with the patient. Patients suffering from this disorder do not easily accept it and hence do not feel the need to seek medical intervention or counselling. In this process the symptoms might get aggravated and suicidal tendency (which is the worst effect of this disease) may develop. So it is extremely essential for the patient, family and society to accept, talk, discuss and seek treatment for this disease. This ‘talking therapy’ is of utmost importance in today’s life where concept of privacy is taking its toll. This therapy is mentioned in Ayurveda as Aashwasan Chikitsa. Aashwasan Chikitsa consists of good, pleasing and benevolent thoughts, spiritual ideas, positive attitude, ethics and communication with near ones. So in the treatment of psychological disorders, along with medications counselling therapy plays a very important role. Finally counselling can act as a part of preventive, curative therapy and also aids to avoid recurrence in the patients of depression.

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Geriatric Conditions and Functional Disability among a National Community-Dwelling Sample of Older Adults in India in 2017–2018

Geriatrics ◽

10.3390/geriatrics6030071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 71

Author(s):

Supa Pengpid ◽

Karl Peltzer

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Impaired Hearing ◽

Major Depressive ◽

Impaired Vision ◽

Geriatric Conditions ◽

Impaired Cognition

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of geriatric conditions and their association with disability in older community-dwelling adults in India. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 31,477 individuals (≥60 years) from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 in 2017–2018. Geriatric conditions assessed included injurious falls, impaired cognition, underweight, dizziness, incontinence, impaired vision and impaired hearing. More than two in five participants (44.3%) had no geriatric condition, 32.7% had one, 15.9% two and 7.1% had three or more geriatric conditions; 26.9% were underweight, 14.5% dizziness, 13.7% had impaired vision, 9.6% impaired hearing, 9.3% impaired cognition, 8.2% major depressive disorder, 5.7% injurious falls, 4.0% incontinence, and 7.4% had Activity of Daily Living (ADL) dependencies. In logistic regression analysis, adjusted by sociodemographic factors and the number of chronic conditions, we found a higher number of geriatric conditions, and a higher number of chronic conditions were associated with ADL dependencies. In a model adjusted for sociodemographic factors and the type of chronic conditions, we found that a higher number of geriatric conditions and heart disease, stroke, and bone or joint disorder were positively associated with ADL dependencies. The odds of ADL dependencies increased with impaired cognition, impaired vision, impaired hearing, and major depressive disorder. Impaired cognition, incontinence, impaired vision and major depressive disorder were positively associated with dressing, bathing, eating, transferring, and toileting dependency. In addition, impaired hearing was associated with transferring and toileting dependency. More than half of older adults in India had at least one geriatric condition. The prevalence of geriatric conditions was as high as the prevalence of chronic conditions, which in some cases were associated with disability. Geriatric conditions should be included in health care management.

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The Role of Dynorphin and the Kappa Opioid Receptor in Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder: A Translational Approach

10.1007/164_2020_396 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Samuel David Clark

Keyword(s):

Major Depressive Disorder ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Healthy Volunteers ◽

Opioid Receptor ◽

Clinical Data ◽

Potential Role ◽

Kappa Opioid Receptor ◽

Kappa Opioid ◽

Major Depressive

AbstractThe kappa opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligands dynorphins (DYN) have been implicated in the development or symptomatology of a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. This review covers a brief history of the development of KOR agonists and antagonists, their effects in healthy volunteers, and the potential role of DYN/KOR dysfunction in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder from a translational perspective. The potential role of DYN/KOR dysfunction in schizophrenia is based on several lines of evidence. Selective KOR agonists induce affective states in healthy volunteers with similarities to the symptoms of schizophrenia. Studies have shown increased DYN in patients with schizophrenia, although the data have been mixed. Finally, meta-analytic data have shown that opioid antagonists are associated with reductions in the symptoms of schizophrenia. The potential role of DYN/KOR dysfunction in major depressive disorder is also based on a combination of preclinical and clinical data. Selective KOR agonists have shown pro-depressive effects in human volunteers, while selective KOR antagonists have shown robust efficacy in several preclinical models of antidepressant activity. Small studies have shown that nonselective KOR antagonists may have efficacy in treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, recent clinical data have shown that the KOR may be an effective target for treating anhedonia, a finding relevant to both schizophrenia and depression. Finally, recommendations are provided for translating preclinical models for schizophrenia and major depressive disorder into the clinic.

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