Colombo Twin and Singleton Study (CoTASS): A description of a population based twin study of mental disorders in Sri Lanka

BackgroundSusceptibility to depression results from genetic and non-familially shared environmental influences in high-income, Western countries. Environments may play a different role for populations in different contexts.AimsTo examine heritability of depression in the first large, population-based twin study in a low-income country.MethodLifetime depression and a broader measure of depression susceptibility (D-probe) were assessed in 3908 adult twins in Sri Lanka (the CoTASS study).ResultsThere were gender differences for the broad definition (D-probe), with a higher genetic contribution in females (61%) than males (4%). Results were similar for depression, but the prevalence was too low to estimate heritability for males.ConclusionsGenetic influences on depression in women appear to be at least as strong in this Sri Lankan sample as in higher-income countries. Conclusions are less clear for men but suggest a larger role for environments rather than genes. The nature as well as the magnitude of environmental influences may also differ across populations.

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The Colombo Twin and Singleton Follow-up Study: a population based twin study of psychiatric disorders and metabolic syndrome in Sri Lanka

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-017-4992-2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Kaushalya Jayaweera ◽

Lisa Aschan ◽

Gayani Pannala ◽

Anushka Adikari ◽

Nicholas Glozier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Twin Study ◽

Population Based ◽

Follow Up Study

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Month of Birth and Mental Disorders: A Population‐Based Study and Validation Using Global Meta‐Analysis

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica ◽

10.1111/acps.13313 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chih‐Wei Hsu ◽

Ping‐Tao Tseng ◽

Yu‐Kang Tu ◽

Pao‐Yen Lin ◽

Chi‐Fa Hung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Population Based ◽

Month Of Birth ◽

Population Based Study

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Association of Edentulism with Various Chronic Diseases in Mexican Elders 60+ Years: Results of a Population-Based Survey

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040404 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 404

Author(s):

Alejandro José Casanova-Rosado ◽

Juan Fernando Casanova-Rosado ◽

Mirna Minaya-Sánchez ◽

José Luís Robles-Minaya ◽

Juan Alejandro Casanova-Sarmiento ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Angina Pectoris ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Population Based ◽

Self Report ◽

World Health ◽

Complex Nature ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

World Health Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Objective: To determine the association of edentulism with different chronic diseases and mental disorders in Mexicans aged 60 years and over. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using data from the World Health Survey for Mexico, in a probabilistic, multi-stage cluster sampling framework. Data for self-report of chronic diseases (diabetes, arthritis, angina pectoris and asthma), mental disorders (depression and schizophrenia) and edentulism were analyzed. Edentulism data were available for 20 of the 32 States of Mexico. Statistical analysis was performed in Stata 14.0 using the svy module for complex sampling (Complex nature under which individuals are sampled). Results: In total 4213 subjects were included, representing a population of 7,576,057 individuals. Mean age was 70.13 ± 7.82 years (range 60 to 98); 56.2% were women. Chronic diseases’ prevalence and mental disorders prevalence were as follows: diabetes 15.0% (N = 1,132,693); arthritis 13.2% (N = 1,001,667); depression 5.5% (N = 414,912); angina pectoris 4.5% (344,315); asthma 3.6% (N = 269,287); and schizophrenia 2.2% (N = 16,988). The prevalence of edentulism was 26.3%, which pertained to 1,993,463 people aged 60 years and over. Angina in women aged 60 to 69 years (p < 0.05) and depression in men aged 70 years and over (p < 0.0001) were associated with higher prevalence of edentulism. Conclusions: There was generally sparse association between edentulism on chronic diseases and mental disorders included in the study, except for women aged 60 to 69 years for angina, and in men aged 70 and over, for depression. Although our findings are misaligned with previous reports, longitudinal studies are required to test causal and temporal relationships between edentulism with chronic diseases and mental disorders.

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The prevalence, predictors and associations of hypertension in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional population based national survey

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension ◽

10.3109/10641963.2013.863321 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 36 (7) ◽

pp. 484-491 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Prasad Katulanda ◽

Priyanga Ranasinghe ◽

Ranil Jayawardena ◽

Godwin R. Constantine ◽

M. H. Rezvi Sheriff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

National Survey ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional

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Adolescent religiousness and its influence on substance use: preliminary findings from the Mid-Atlantic School Age Twin Study

Twin Research ◽

10.1375/twin.2.2.156 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 156-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Brian M D'Onofrio ◽

Lenn Murrelle ◽

Lindon J Eaves ◽

Michael E McCullough ◽

Jessica L Landis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Drug Use ◽

Problem Behavior ◽

Twin Study ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Population Based ◽

Spiritual Practices ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

School Age ◽

Attitudes And Practices

AbstractResearch has consistently shown that religiousness is associated with lower levels of alcohol and drug use, but little is known about the nature of adolescent religiousness or the mechanisms through which it influences problem behavior in this age group. This paper presents preliminary results from the Mid-Atlantic School Age Twin Study, a prospective, population-based study of 6–18-year-old twins and their mothers. Factor analysis of a scale developed to characterize adolescent religiousness, the Religious Attitudes and Practices Inventory (RAPI), revealed three factors: theism, religious/spiritual practices, and peer religiousness. Twin correlations and univariate behavior-genetic models for these factors and a measure of belief that drug use is sinful reveal in 357 twin pairs that common environmental factors significantly influence these traits, but a minor influence of genetic factors could not be discounted. Correlations between the multiple factors of adolescent religiousness and substance use, comorbid problem behavior, mood disorders, and selected risk factors for substance involvement are also presented. Structural equation modeling illustrates that specific religious beliefs about the sinfulness of drugs and level of peer religiousness mediate the relationship between theistic beliefs and religious/spiritual practices on substance use. Limitations and future analyses are discussed.

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Stigma and its impact on help-seeking for mental disorders: what do we know?

Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale ◽

10.1017/s1121189x00002669 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

Georg Schomerus ◽

Matthias C. Angermeyer

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Public Attitudes ◽

Population Based ◽

Professional Help ◽

Promising Target ◽

Individual Discrimination ◽

Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽

Seeking Help

SummaryAims – Many people suffering from serious mental illness do not seek appropriate medical help. The stigma of mental illness has often been considered a potential cause for reluctance in seeking help. We review recent evidence on this topic. Methods – Narrative review of the recent literature on stigma and helpseeking for psychiatric disorders. Results – There is proof of a particular stigma attached to seeking help for a mental problem. Anticipated individual discrimination and discrimination qua self-stigmatisation are associated with a reduced readiness to seek professional help for mental disorders. Intervention studies show that destigmatisation may lead to increased readiness to seek professional help, but other aspects like knowledge about mental diseases seem to be at least as important. The belief that seeking help for a mental health problem is actually helpful has been shown to be at the core of help-seeking intentions and thus offers a promising target for information programmes. Population based time-trend studies show that public attitudes towards help-seeking have improved over the last decade. Discussion – The relationship between help-seeking intentions and actual help-seeking needs further exploration. While many studies have been able to relate attitudes to intentions, predicting actual help-seeking has proved more difficult.Declaration of Interest: None.

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