The role of tinnitus distress in the development of somatization symptoms among patients: implications for health care in Pakistan

Purpose Tinnitus patients are among the most vulnerable group to develop psychopathological symptoms over time if left unresolved. This study aims to investigate the role of tinnitus distress between tinnitus magnitude, cognitions and functional difficulties in the development of somatization symptoms among male and female patients experiencing ear-related problems due to lack of proper access to health care. Design/methodology/approach This study was based on a purposive sampling technique and sample consisted on 159 patients (97 male, 62 female) having tinnitus complaints, with age range 18–87 (M = 47.94, SD = 17.47) years, recruited from various clinics and hospitals of Islamabad, Pakistan, from December 2020 to July 2021. Findings The findings of this study showed that tinnitus distress is significant positively associated with tinnitus-related magnitude, negative cognitions, functional difficulties and somatization symptoms. Gender-related differences between male and female tinnitus patients revealed that females are more prone to depict higher levels of tinnitus distress, tinnitus magnitude, negative cognitions and somatization symptoms than male patients. Mediation analysis demonstrated that tinnitus distress serves as a mediator between tinnitus magnitude, cognitions, functional difficulties and somatization symptoms. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional nature and self-reporting measures serve as a limitation of the study. An experimental study appears to be vital to ascertain the time-based relationship with tinnitus magnitude in the development of various psychopathological issues. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by highlighting the role of tinnitus distress in the origination of psychopathological symptoms like somatization and need of upgraded health-care systems in Pakistan. Originality/value This study has explored the mediating role of tinnitus distress between magnitude, cognitions, functional difficulties and somatization symptoms among Pakistani population, specifically mentioning the development of somatization symptoms among this population, which can contribute in the loss of earning and increased health expenses due to unawareness of proper health-care approach.

Evaluation of Psychopathological Conditions, Corona Anxiety, Death Anxiety and Suicide Risk in Hemodialysis Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background Hemodialysis (HD) patients have serious psychopathological symptoms due to COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the psychopathological conditions among HD patients during the current pandemic and also to provide a theoretical basis for the implementation of effective preventions and psychological interventions. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with 114 HD patients who were undergoing treatment in the Dialysis Centers of two state hospitals between July and October 2021. Brief symptom inventory, Death anxiety scale, Suicide probability scale and Corona anxiety scale were applied to the participants for the assessment. Results In the study, it was determined that HD patients had high levels of psychopathological symptoms. The mean total score was found to be 26.47 ± 20.2 in TDAS, 0.71 ± 0.51 in GSI, 3.31 ± 2.86 in CAS and 65.86 ± 9.72 in SPS. Of the participants 18.4% had high death anxiety levels and 30.7% had corona anxiety. Suicide risk was higher in HD patients. In correlation analysis; psychological distress positively correlated with suicide probability, corona anxiety and death anxiety. On the other hand, there was a positive correlation between corona anxiety and death anxiety. Conclusions As a result, it was concluded that HD patients experienced various mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychosocial support and interventions need to be planned by the healthcare system and healthcare providers to help HD patients in managing their disease and related mental health conditions.

Effects of an intensive slow cortical potentials neurofeedback training in female and male adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Summary Background This study aims to compare the effects of neurofeedback training on male and female adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Furthermore, it examines sex differences regarding improvements in co-occurring psychopathological symptoms, cognitive flexibility and emotion recognition abilities. The study might provide first hints whether there is an influence of sex on treatment outcomes. Methods Six female and six male adolescents with ASD were matched according to age, IQ and symptom severity. All participants received 24 sessions of electroencephalography-based neurofeedback training. Before and after the intervention, psychological data for measuring co-occurring psychopathological symptoms as well as behavioral data for measuring cognitive flexibility and emotion recognition abilities were recorded. Results Caregivers rated statistically significant higher psychopathological problems in female than in male adolescents with ASD at baseline. Apart from that, no statistically significant sex-related differences were revealed in this sample; however, male adolescents tended to report greater improvements of externalizing, internalizing and total symptoms, whereas females experienced smaller improvements of externalizing and total problems, but no improvements of internalizing problems. Regarding caregivers’ assessments, more improvement of total problems was reported for females. For males, only improvements of internalizing and total problems were described. Conclusion This study reveals preliminary results that sex-related differences might play a role when evaluating treatment outcomes after neurofeedback training regarding comorbid psychopathological symptoms. Adolescents’ self-report and parental assessments, especially concerning psychopathological symptoms, should be combined and considered in future studies to help prevent sex bias in adolescents with ASD.

Scale for Space and Time Experience in Psychosis: Converging Phenomenological and Psychopathological Perspectives

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Abnormalities in the experience of space and time are fundamental to understanding schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but the precise relation between such abnormalities and psychopathological symptoms is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of our study was to introduce a novel scale for space and time experience in psychosis (STEP), specifically devised to assess schizophrenia spectrum disorders. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The STEP scale is a semiquantitative instrument developed on the basis of several items from previous scales and phenomenological reports addressing the experience of space and time. We applied the STEP scale to three groups of subjects (patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, patients with predominant affective symptoms, and healthy control subjects), to whom we also applied other more general psychopathological scales, such as the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Ego-Psychopathology Inventory. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders scored significantly higher on general psychopatho<X00_Del_TrennDivis>­-</X00_Del_TrennDivis>logical scales relative to subjects belonging to the other groups. The STEP scale provided good psychometric properties regarding reliability. We also tested convergent and divergent validity of the STEP scale and found that space and time subscale scores of STEP significantly correlated with each other, as well as with the remaining general psychopathological scores. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> We introduced the STEP scale as a novel instrument for the assessment of experience of space and time. Its psychometric properties showed high validity and reliability to identify psychopathological symptoms and enabled to differentiate patients with predominantly psychotic symptoms from those with predominantly affective symptoms. The STEP scale provides a standardized measure for assessing disturbances in the experience of space and time. Furthermore, it probably represents a leap forward toward the establishment of an additional dimension of symptoms proposed as “spatiotemporal psychopathology.”

Medo de contrair COVID-19: Estudo de validação da Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Scale em adolescentes portugueses

Introduction: Given the pandemic circumstances, fear may emerge due to uncertainty, the possibility of being infected by SARS-Cov 2 or infecting others. It may also be associated with psychopathological symptoms and impact quality of life resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: The current study aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Scale (FCCS) in Portuguese adolescents and analyze the relationship between fear of contracting COVID-19 and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and with the quality of life of this age group. Method: The sample comprised 269 adolescents (137 boys and 132 girls), aged between 11 and 16 years old, attending the 3rd cycle of basic education. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the FCCS, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the KIDSCREEN-10, as a measure of the quality of life in adolescents. Results: The FCCS revealed, as in its original version for adults, a one-dimensional structure, with good adjustment indicators and good reliability. The fear of contracting COVID-19 was associated with anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, but it did not show a relationship with the adolescents’ quality of life. Gender differences showed that the girls present higher levels of fear of contracting COVID-19, more anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, and a worse perception of their quality of life. Conclusions: The Fear of Contracting COVID-19 Scale showed to be suitable for use with adolescents. The fear of contracting COVID-19, although associated with psychopathological symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, does not seem to be related to the quality of life of adolescents.

Changes in psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery: A prospective-longitudinal study in women with and without anxiety and depressive disorders prior to pregnancy

Background: The role of anxiety and depressive disorders prior to pregnancy for changes in peripartum psychopathological symptoms has not been resolved yet. Methods: A regional-epidemiological sample of 306 women was prospectively followed up in seven waves from early pregnancy until 16 months postpartum. Lifetime DSM-IV anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed at baseline with the CIDI-V. Psychopathological symptoms (somatization, obsession–compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism) were measured with the BSI three times during pregnancy and three times after delivery. Results: Multilevel analyses revealed that women with versus without lifetime anxiety (β=0.22 to β=0.32) and depressive (β=0.24 to β=0.34) disorders prior to pregnancy experienced higher peripartum psychopathological symptoms. All symptoms linearly decreased during pregnancy (β=-0.02 to β=-0.07 per month). Somatization (β=-0.46) was lower, whereas paranoid ideation (β=0.26) and obsession-compulsion (β=0.21) were higher after delivery than during pregnancy. Though, obsession-compulsion linearly decreased after delivery (β=-0.02). Lifetime anxiety disorders prior to pregnancy interacted with linear changes in anxiety (β=-0.04) and phobic anxiety (β=-0.05) during pregnancy. That is, only women with but not without anxiety disorders prior to pregnancy experienced a linear decline in anxiety and phobic anxiety during pregnancy. Limitations: Lifetime anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed in early pregnancy and might be biased. Conclusions: Peripartum psychopathological symptoms are higher in women with versus without lifetime anxiety and depressive disorders prior to pregnancy, but symptom changes only slightly vary by lifetime diagnostic status.

The relationship between sense of coherence and psychopathological symptoms from childhood to early adulthood: a meta-analysis

Sense of coherence (SOC) as the key component of the salutogenesis framework is negatively correlated with psychopathological symptoms in adults but also in children and adolescents. Since SOC is conceptualized to develop and stabilize from childhood to early adulthood, these life phases are of critical importance for the salutogenesis concept. Individual studies examining SOC during this life period have yielded heterogeneous effect size estimates. Thus, the current meta-analysis quantified the current state of evidence on the association between SOC and psychopathological symptoms. The random-effects multi-level meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines and was based on 58 studies (71 samples) comprising 41,577 participants. Weighted mean age of participants was 15.36 years (SD = 3.32) and 51% were female. The mean correlation (r) between SOC and psychopathological symptoms was M(r) = -0.46, z = -12.67, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI [-0.53, -0.39]. However, there was substantial heterogeneity between studies after correction of sampling error. Subsequent moderator analyses showed that older sample age was associated with stronger negative relationships and higher internal consistency of SOC measures. Moreover, internalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms, and feelings of loneliness showed a stronger association with SOC than somatic symptoms. Results based on (repeated) cross-sectional data yielded a negative association between SOC and psychopathological symptoms with increasing magnitude from childhood to early adulthood. Future studies need to focus on the longitudinal bidirectional associations between SOC and psychopathological symptoms over the lifespan.