scholarly journals The uncommon is common: Structural similarities of symptom heterogeneity across mental disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Raphael Spiller ◽  
Or Duek ◽  
Markus Helmer ◽  
John D. Murray ◽  
Roland von Känel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Combination Frequency ◽  
Specific Symptom ◽  
Targeted Treatments ◽  
Log Normal ◽  
Log Normal Distribution ◽  
Rare Symptom ◽  
Symptom Heterogeneity

The heterogeneity of symptoms among individuals diagnosed with the same mental disorder complicates the identification of biomarkers and the development of targeted treatments. Yet, the characteristics of this heterogeneity remain largely unknown. We investigated the frequency of disorder-specific symptom combinations, a marker of symptom heterogeneity, in five samples, each assessed for symptoms of a specific disorder (posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and burnout). The frequency of symptom combinations was heavily skewed in all samples, with most symptom combinations being reported only by few individuals. Moreover, the distribution of the symptom combination frequency could be approximated by a power-law and a log-normal distribution. This demonstrates similarities in the structure of symptom heterogeneity among mental disorders. Furthermore, we show that studies with sample sizes typical for research in mental health preclude many rare symptom combinations, limiting the validity of the obtained evidence by such studies for individuals with rare symptom combinations.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder in Lithuanian Healthcare in 2018–2020: A Nation-Wide Cohort Study of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1422
Author(s):  
Evaldas Kazlauskas ◽  
Odeta Gelezelyte ◽  
Auguste Nomeikaite ◽  
Paulina Zelviene
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Adjustment Disorder ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
National Healthcare

Multiple empirical studies have revealed significant pandemic effects of COVID-19 on mental health in various populations. This study aimed to analyze the incidences of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AjD) in national healthcare in 2018–2020 in one of the European countries—Lithuania—and estimate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on PTSD and AjD incidences in 2020. The national healthcare registry was used for estimations of diagnosis of PTSD, AjD, and major depressive disorder (MD). The study revealed that stress-related disorders PTSD and AjD are diagnosed rarely, resulting in a considerable gap between the expected prevalence and incidences of these diagnoses in healthcare in Lithuania. Moreover, a significant decline in mental disorders incidence in healthcare in 2020, in comparison to 2018 and 2019, was found, revealing that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on access to healthcare services and increased barriers for mental disorders treatment. The study indicates that major developments in building up knowledge about the effects of trauma and life stressors on mental health are needed in Lithuania and other countries to increase awareness about stress-related disorders and improve care for trauma survivors, in particular in the context of the pandemics or other large-scale disasters.

scholarly journals Post-traumatic stress disorder associated with natural and human-made disasters in the World Mental Health Surveys

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Bromet ◽  
L. Atwoli ◽  
N. Kawakami ◽  
F. Navarro-Mateu ◽  
P. Piotrowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
The World ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Ptsd Prevalence

BackgroundResearch on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural and human-made disasters has been undertaken for more than three decades. Although PTSD prevalence estimates vary widely, most are in the 20–40% range in disaster-focused studies but considerably lower (3–5%) in the few general population epidemiological surveys that evaluated disaster-related PTSD as part of a broader clinical assessment. The World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys provide an opportunity to examine disaster-related PTSD in representative general population surveys across a much wider range of sites than in previous studies.MethodAlthough disaster-related PTSD was evaluated in 18 WMH surveys, only six in high-income countries had enough respondents for a risk factor analysis. Predictors considered were socio-demographics, disaster characteristics, and pre-disaster vulnerability factors (childhood family adversities, prior traumatic experiences, and prior mental disorders).ResultsDisaster-related PTSD prevalence was 0.0–3.8% among adult (ages 18+) WMH respondents and was significantly related to high education, serious injury or death of someone close, forced displacement from home, and pre-existing vulnerabilities (prior childhood family adversities, other traumas, and mental disorders). Of PTSD cases 44.5% were among the 5% of respondents classified by the model as having highest PTSD risk.ConclusionDisaster-related PTSD is uncommon in high-income WMH countries. Risk factors are consistent with prior research: severity of exposure, history of prior stress exposure, and pre-existing mental disorders. The high concentration of PTSD among respondents with high predicted risk in our model supports the focus of screening assessments that identify disaster survivors most in need of preventive interventions.

scholarly journals The mental health of Korean immigrants in São Paulo, Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 819-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Kang ◽  
Denise Razzouk ◽  
Jair Jesus de Mari ◽  
Itiro Shirakawa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Korean Immigrants ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

This study investigated the frequency of lifetime mental disorders among Korean immigrants in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Snowball sampling with multiple focuses was used to recruit Korean immigrants older than 18 years and living in São Paulo. A total of 324 Korean immigrants were selected and their mental status was evaluated using a structured interview, namely the Portuguese or the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1. The diagnoses of mental disorders were made according to the ICD-10. The frequency of any lifetime psychiatric disorder was 41.9%. The frequencies of main disorders were: anxiety disorder, 13% (post-traumatic stress disorder, 9.6%); mood disorder, 8.6%; somatoform disorders, 7.4%; dissociative disorder, 4.9%; psychotic disorder, 4.3%; eating disorder, 0.6%; any substance (tobacco, alcohol, drugs) use disorder, 23.1%. The frequency of any psychiatric disorder except alcohol and tobacco use disorders was 26.2%. Korean immigrants have more psychiatric disorders than the Korean population in Korea, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder, and almost the same rate as the Brazilian population. Mental health authorities should promote a healthier integration and the development of culturally sensitive mental health programs for Korean immigrants.

scholarly journals Recovery from DSM-IV post-traumatic stress disorder in the WHO World Mental Health surveys

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Rosellini ◽  
H. Liu ◽  
M. V. Petukhova ◽  
N. A. Sampson ◽  
S. Aguilar-Gaxiola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Health Surveys ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Early Recovery ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Dsm Iv

BackgroundResearch on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) course finds a substantial proportion of cases remit within 6 months, a majority within 2 years, and a substantial minority persists for many years. Results are inconsistent about pre-trauma predictors.MethodsThe WHO World Mental Health surveys assessed lifetime DSM-IV PTSD presence-course after one randomly-selected trauma, allowing retrospective estimates of PTSD duration. Prior traumas, childhood adversities (CAs), and other lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders were examined as predictors using discrete-time person-month survival analysis among the 1575 respondents with lifetime PTSD.Results20%, 27%, and 50% of cases recovered within 3, 6, and 24 months and 77% within 10 years (the longest duration allowing stable estimates). Time-related recall bias was found largely for recoveries after 24 months. Recovery was weakly related to most trauma types other than very low [odds-ratio (OR) 0.2–0.3] early-recovery (within 24 months) associated with purposefully injuring/torturing/killing and witnessing atrocities and very low later-recovery (25+ months) associated with being kidnapped. The significant ORs for prior traumas, CAs, and mental disorders were generally inconsistent between early- and later-recovery models. Cross-validated versions of final models nonetheless discriminated significantly between the 50% of respondents with highest and lowest predicted probabilities of both early-recovery (66–55% v. 43%) and later-recovery (75–68% v. 39%).ConclusionsWe found PTSD recovery trajectories similar to those in previous studies. The weak associations of pre-trauma factors with recovery, also consistent with previous studies, presumably are due to stronger influences of post-trauma factors.

Can mindfulness bring post-traumatic stress disorder patients to focus on the present?

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S557-S557 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.R. Figueiredo ◽  
T. Abreu ◽  
C. Freitas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual

IntroductionOver the last years, literature has dedicated increased interest to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental disorder that was initially included in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders in 1980. Trauma is any event that overwhelms the individual coping strategies. Patients with PTSD experience symptoms of hyper-vigilance, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, re-experiencing the trauma event, avoidance of stimuli related with trauma or exaggerated startle response. Mindfulness is the process of being aware, paying attention in the present moment, in a non-judgmental way. Research has been showing that mindfulness has positive effects on mental health.Objectives and aimsAssessment of eventual benefits of mindfulness in patients with PTSD.MethodsLiterature research.ResultsMany studies have reported on correlations between self-reported mindfulness and mental health. Literature suggests that mindfulness training can enhance life skills and its effectiveness is being studied in several mental disorders. Its positive effects on enhancing emotion regulation and decreasing anxiety, hyperarousal and depressive symptoms, led to investigation in the context of PTSD's treatment. Some studies show decreased perceived stress and post-traumatic avoidance symptoms and increased positive states of mind. Most studies reviewed were related with war veterans with PTSD and showed that mindfulness-based treatments could enhance their quality of life. Other results imply that mindful awareness alone may not be sufficient to help reduce symptoms.ConclusionsMindfulness based therapies could be useful on improving PTSD symptoms but, to assess its efficacy, further research is needed, in different samples of patients.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys

2009 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 5-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Aguilar-Gaxiola ◽  
J. Alonso ◽  
S. Chatterji ◽  
S. Lee ◽  
T. B. Üstün ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Treatment Effectiveness ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
World Mental Health ◽  
Prevalence Estimates

SummaryThe paper presents an overview of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative and summarizes recent WMH results regarding the prevalence and societal costs of mental disorders. The WMH surveys are representative community surveys that were carried out in 28 countries throughout the world aimed at providing information to mental health policy makers about the prevalence, burden, and unmet need for treatment of common mental disorders. Results show that mental disorders are commonly occurring in all participating countries. The inter-quartile range (IQR: 25th-75th percentiles) of lifetime DSM-IV disorder prevalence estimates (combining anxiety, mood, disruptive behavior, and substance disorders) is 18.1-36.1%. The IQR of 12-month prevalence estimates is 9.8-19.1%. Analysis of age-of-onset reports shows that many mental disorders begin in childhood-adolescence and have significant adverse effects on subsequent role transitions. Adult mental disorders are found in the WMH data to be associated with high levels of role impairment. Despite this burden, the majority of mental disorders go untreated. Although these results suggest that expansion of treatment could be cost-effective from both the employer perspective and the societal perspective, treatment effectiveness trials are needed to confirm this suspicion. The WMH results regarding impairments are being used to target several such interventions.

A descriptive study of the prevalence of psychological distress and mental disorders in the Canadian population: comparison between low-income and non-low-income populations

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Caron ◽  
A. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
High Psychological Distress

Objective This descriptive study compares rates of high psychological distress and mental disorders between low-income and non-low-income populations in Canada. Methods Data were collected through the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health and Well-being (CCHS 1.2), which surveyed 36 984 Canadians aged 15 or over; 17.9% (n = 6620) was classified within the low-income population using the Low Income Measure. The K-10 was used to measure psychological distress and the CIDI for assessing mental disorders. Results One out of 5 Canadians reported high psychological distress, and 1 out of 10 reported at least one of the five mental disorders surveyed or substance abuse. Women, single, separated or divorced respondents, non-immigrants and Aboriginal Canadians were more likely to report suffering from psychological distress or from mental disorders and substance abuse. Rates of reported psychological distress and of mental disorders and substance abuse were much higher in low-income populations, and these differences were statistically consistent in most of the sociodemographic strata. Conclusion This study helps determine the vulnerable groups in mental health for which prevention and promotion programs could be designed.

Is Pacific language ability protective of prevalence of mental disorders among Pacific peoples in New Zealand?

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eirenei Taua'i ◽  
Rose Richards ◽  
Jesse Kokaua
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
Language Promotion

Aims: To explore associations between experiences of mental illness, migration status and languages spoken among Pacific adults living in NZ. Methods: SURVEY FREQ and SURVEY LOGISTIC procedures in SAS were applied to data from Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand (NZ) Mental Health Survey, a survey of 12,992 New Zealand adults aged 16 and over in 2003/2004. Pacific people were over sampled and this paper focuses on the 2374 Pacific participants but includes, for comparison, 8160 non-Maori-non-Pacific (NMNP) participants. Results: Pacific migrant respondents had the lowest prevalence of mental disorders compared to other Pacific peoples. However, Pacific immigrants were also less likely to use mental health services, suggesting an increased likelihood of experiencing barriers to available mental health care. Those who were born in NZ and who were proficient in a Pacific language had the lowest levels of common mental disorders, suggesting a protective effect for the NZ-born population. Additionally, access to mental health services was similar between NZ-born people who spoke a Pacific language and those who did not. Conclusions: We conclude that, given the association between Pacific language and reduced mental disorder, there may be a positive role for Pacific language promotion in efforts to reduce the prevalence of mental health disorder among Pacific communities in NZ.

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