Quality of Life, Social Support, Coping Strategies, and Psychiatric Morbidity in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background and Objectives Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have greater psychological morbidity, despite that research in this area is scarce from developing countries. This study was aimed to assess the association of quality of life, social support, coping strategies, and psychological morbidity in patients with RA. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 40 patients with RA, who were not receiving steroids or disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, were recruited through purposive sampling. Social support questionnaire, coping strategy check list, and World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were administered to assess social support, coping, and quality of life, respectively. Results More than half of the patients had psychiatric disorders (60%), with depression being the commonest disorder (52.5%). Internalization coping and disease severity indicators like tender joints counts, swollen joints counts, pain, and disease activity were found as significant predictors for psychiatric disorders, while externalization coping, quality of life (all domains), and physical functions were found to protect against psychiatric morbidity. Conclusions Coping, quality of life, disease severity, and physical functions predicted the psychiatric disorders in RA. Multipronged interventions to enhance quality of life with promoting adaptive coping and timely treatment may further improve their mental health and overall disease course.

Psychological Reactions of Hospital Workers to a Pandemic: A Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 and SARS in 2003

Epidemic viral infections, including the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019, have brought tremendous loss to people across the nations. The aim of this study was to compare the psychological impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020 and the SARS pandemic in 2003 on hospital workers. Hospital workers at a medical center in Southern Taiwan (n = 1816) were invited to complete questionnaires (SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Experience, the Impact of Event Scale, the Chinese Health Questionnaire, and the Distress Thermometer). The current data were compared to the data collected from hospital workers (n = 1257) at the same medical center during the SARS pandemic in 2003. We found the psychological impact on hospital workers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was significantly lower than that during the previous SARS period. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period, hospital workers with SARS experience were more accepting of the risk, felt a greater responsibility to take care of the SARS-CoV-2 patients, and were more likely to perceive the danger of becoming infected. The associated factors of psychiatric morbidity in hospital workers with SARS experience were being female, the degree of intrusion severity, and severity of psychological distress. Proper management strategies and lessons learned from the SARS experience might have led to low psychiatric morbidity during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Psychiatric Morbidity in Elderly Patients attending OPD of Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Geriatric psychiatry patients are increasing but enough work has not been done in this area of Nepal. We conducted this study to find out the prevalence of different psychiatric morbidities in elderly population and to find out if there are any age and gender specific differences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of psychiatric patients above 65 years of age visiting outpatient department of Lumbini Medical College and Teaching Hospitalfrom April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019 were reviewed. Risks of having different psychiatric disorders was estimated using odds ratio. RESULTS: A total of 300 cases were enrolled in the study. Mean age of the study group was 71.49(SD=6.99). There were more females. Depressive disorderwas the most common diagnosis followed by somatoform disorder, anxiety disorder, dementia and others. Depressive disorder was higher in females and in younger subgroup of the elderly patient.The risk of having dementia was higher in older group. CONCLUSION: Depressive disorder was the most common psychiatric disorderfollowed by somatoform disorder in elderly patients above 65 years of age. Male patients were more likely to suffer psychiatric disorder as compared to females in this age.

Psychiatric morbidity among informal caregivers of children suffering from intellectual developmental disorders

Published in August 2021

Depression, Anxiety and Stress on Caregivers of Persons with Dementia (CGPWD) in Hong Kong amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contributed to increasing prevalence of depressive symptoms and other psychological repercussions, particularly in the disease population in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, the caregiver burden of caregivers of persons with dementia (CGPWD), has been under-investigated. Aims: This study examined the psychological impact and its correlates on the CGPWD in Hong Kong amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: CGPWD referred from rehabilitation clinics and online seminar were used to recruit participants to complete an online questionnaire by the end of the second-wave of the COVID-19 outbreak (June 2021). To be eligible, either full-time or part-time CGPWD, aged 18 or above, can understand Cantonese, currently reside in Hong Kong and offering care to PWD for at least one year, were recruited. Those CGPWD diagnosed with any type of psychiatric disorder were excluded from this study. The Chinese Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), and Nonattachment Scale (NAS-7) were used to measure participants’ depression, perceived stress, anxiety symptoms, caregiver burden and wisdom in subjective feelings of internal stress. The modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS) and the SARS Appraisal Inventory (SAI) were also administered to measure participants’ perceived support and coping efficacy. Follow-up responses were gathered by the end of third-wave outbreak (October 2021). Results: A total of 51 CGPWD participated, of which, 33 (64.7%) suffered from probable depression (CES-D score ≥ 16). Participants also showed a significant increase in depression symptom scores at the three-month follow-up period (t = 2.25, p = 0.03). CGPWD with probable depression had less non-attachment awareness and higher scores in anxiety, stress, caregiving burden, and coronavirus impact (all p < 0.05) than those without. Conclusions: High prevalence of depressive symptoms was noted among our CGPWD sample and these symptoms seemed to worsen substantially. Contingent online mental health support should be prioritized to those CGPWD to reduce psychiatric morbidity and the global disease burden.

Prevalence of common mental disorders and treatment receipt for people from ethnic minority backgrounds in England: repeated cross-sectional surveys of the general population in 2007 and 2014

Background Concerns persist that some ethnic minority groups experience longstanding mental health inequalities in England. It is unclear if these have changed over time. Aims To assess the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and treatment receipt by ethnicity, and changes over time, using data from the nationally representative probability sample in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys. Method We used survey data from 2007 (n = 7187) and 2014 (n = 7413). A Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised score of ≥12 indicated presence of a CMD. Treatment receipt included current antidepressant use; any counselling or therapy; seeing a general practitioner about mental health; or seeing a community psychiatrist, psychologist or psychiatric nurse, in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression assessed CMD prevalence and treatment receipt by ethnicity. Results CMD prevalence was highest in the Black group; ethnic variation was explained by demographic and socioeconomic factors. After adjustment for these factors and CMDs, odds ratios for treatment receipt were lower for the Asian (0.62, 95% CI 0.39−1.00) and White Other (0.58, 95% CI 0.38–0.87) groups in 2014, compared with the White British group; for the Black group, this inequality appeared to be widening over time (2007 treatment receipt odds ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.38−1.23; 2014 treatment receipt odds ratio 0.23, 95% CI 0.13−0.40; survey year interaction P < 0.0001). Conclusions Treatment receipt was lower for all ethnic minority groups compared with the White British group, and lowest among Black people, for whom inequalities appear to be widening over time. Addressing socioeconomic inequality could reduce ethnic inequalities in mental health problems, but this does not explain pronounced treatment inequalities.

Prevalence and Correlates of Prescription Drug Misuse in a Nationwide Population Survey in Taiwan

Background: Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is a critical mental health issue relating to psychiatric morbidity. This study investigated the prevalence of PDM and its associated psychopathology and psychosocial factors in the general population in Taiwan. Methods: The survey randomly selected a representative sample >15 year-olds using the stratified proportional randomization method. The measurements included demographic variables, previous experience with PDM, self-rated physical and mental health, health self-efficacy, risk factors for suicidality, and psychological distress. Results: The weighted one-year prevalence of PDM was 8.5% (n = 180) among 2126 participants. Those with psychological distress and lifetime suicide ideation (23.3%) or suicide attempts (5.0%) were significantly associated with PDM. PDM was also prevalent among those with poorer self-rated health and lower self-efficacy. Insomnia (OR = 1.52), depression (OR = 1.77), and low self-efficacy (OR = 2.29) had higher odds of PDM after adjustment in the logistic regression model. Conclusions: Individuals who misused prescription drugs had a higher prevalence of psychological distress and suicidality and lower levels of self-rated health. Prescription drug misuse problems should be screened for early prevention when prescribing medications for people with insomnia, depression, or lower perceived health beliefs or conditions.

Pattern of Psychiatric Morbidities and Sociodemographic Profiles of Patients Attending Out-Patient Department (OPD) at Iftikhar Psychiatric Hospital, Peshawar

Background: Psychiatric disorders are the major causes of disability worldwide. Due to cultural differences, the patterns of mental disorders vary globally and there is need to study the patterns of psychiatric disorders in our region. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the pattern of various psychiatric morbidities as well as socio demographic characteristics of patients attending out-patient department (OPD) at Iftikhar Psychiatric Hospital, Peshawar. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at Iftikhar Psychiatric Hospital, Peshawar from 1st June 2020 to 31st January 2021. During this period, a total of 150 patients were recruited through non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Data was collected for variables like gender, age, marital status, urban/rural background, employment status and psychiatric diagnosis. For the variables of continuous type like age, mean and standard deviation were calculated. Diagnosis was made using ICD-10 diagnostic classification system. All the variables were presented as frequencies and %ages. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Conclusion: Male predominance was observed in the study. Maximum numbers of psychiatric patients were in the age range from 18-40 years. Majority of the study participants were married, employed and belonged to urban background Regarding psychiatric morbidities, the most common were neurotic, stress related and somatoform disorders (38%) followed by mood disorders (28.66 %)., schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (17.33%) and substance misuse disorders (10%). Keywords: ICD-10; Psychiatric morbidity; out-patient department