The Comorbidity of Sleep Apnea and Mood, Anxiety, and Substance Use Disorders among Obese Military Veterans within the Veterans Health Administration

Association of Mood, Anxiety, and Substance Use Disorders With Occupational Status and Disability in a Community Sample

Update on Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Implications for Neuropsychiatry.

Employment Among Persons With Past and Current Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the Israel National Health Survey

Although psychological trauma affects millions of Americans, few studies have examined treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in real-world service environments. This study explored pharmacological treatment of PTSD among privately insured individuals. Data were from the MarketScan database, which compiles claims from private health insurance plans nationwide. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors of any use of a psychotropic medication and use of three medication classes: antidepressants, anxiolytics or sedative-hypnotics, and antipsychotics. Of 860,090 adult mental health care users in 2005, only 10,636 (1.2%) had a diagnosis of PTSD. Sixty percent of PTSD patients received any psychotropic medication: 74.3% of those received antidepressants, 73.7% received anxiolytics or sedative-hypnotics, and 21.3% received antipsychotics. Greater likelihood of any medication use was associated with greater use of mental health services and with several comorbid psychiatric disorders. Having a comorbid diagnosis of an indicated disorder was the most robust predictor of use of each of the three medication classes: major depressive disorder and dysthymia were most strongly associated with antidepressant use, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were associated with antipsychotic use, and anxiety disorders were associated with use of anxiolytics or sedative-hypnotics. Psychotropic medications were frequently used in the treatment of PTSD among privately insured clients. Although use targeted specifically to PTSD and to comorbid disorders was common, substantial use appeared to be unrelated to diagnosis and may be targeted at specific symptoms rather than diagnosed illnesses. Further research is needed to determine symptom-specific responses to medications across diagnoses.

Prevalence of comorbid substance use, anxiety and mood disorders in epidemiological surveys, 1990–2014: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim was to determine the feasibility of using an unattended 2-channel device to screen for obstructive sleep apnea in a population of high-risk patients using a targeted, case-finding strategy. The case finding was based on the presence of risk factors not symptoms in the studied population. The study took place from June 2007 to May 2008 in rural and metropolitan Queensland and New South Wales. Family doctors were asked to identify patients with any of the following: BMI > 30, type 2 diabetes, treated hypertension, ischemic heart disease. Participants applied the ApneaLink+O2 at home for a single night. The device recorded nasal flow and pulse oximetry. Data were analyzed by proprietary software, then checked and reported by either of two sleep physicians. 1,157 patients were recruited; mean age 53 ± 14.6, M/F% = 62/38, mean BMI = 31.8, obesity = 35%, diabetes = 16%, hypertension = 39%, IHD = 5%, Mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (ESS) = 8.3. The prevalence of unrecognized OSA was very high: 71% had an AHI > 5/h, 33% had an AHI > 15/h, and 16% had an AHI > 30/h. The ApneaLink+O2 device yielded technically adequate studies in 93% of cases. The study shows that a "real world" simple low cost case finding and management program, based on unattended home monitoring for OSA, can work well in a population with risk factors and comorbidities associated with OSA, independent of the presence of symptoms. The prevalence of unrecognized OSA was very high.

Management of Mental Health Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, and Suicide in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Practice Guideline for Healthcare Providers.

Our objective was to evaluate a portable device (Somté, Compumedics, Australia), which incorporates 2 neurophysiological channels (electroencephalography and electrooculography) with cardiorespiratory monitoring for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Full polysomnography (PSG) and Somté recordings were simultaneously performed in 68 patients with suspected OSA. Data were analyzed blindly by 2 scorers. A good agreement between methods in sleep efficiency was observed (68.8% [18.4] with PSG vs 68% [19.1] with Somté [p: n.s.] for scorer 1, and 67.5% [19.1] vs 68.4% [18.5; p: n.s.] for scorer 2). The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) obtained with Somté was lower than with PSG: 19 (17.8) vs 21.7 (19) (p < 0.001) for scorer 1, and 16.6 (16.7) vs 20 (18.8) (p < 0.001) for scorer 2. The sensitivity of Somté for a PSG-AHI > 5 was 91% for scorer 1 and 90% for scorer 2, while specificity was 77% and 90%, respectively. The areas under the receiver operating curve for different PSG-AHI cutoff points (≥ 5, ≥ 15, and ≥ 30) were 0.81, 0.90, and 0.86, respectively, for scorer 1, and 0.90, 0.88, and 0.83 for scorer 2. These data suggest that Somté is an effective device to identify sleep and respiratory variables in patients with suspected OSA.

Toward a Novel Endogenous Anxiolytic Factor, Fibroblast Growth Factor 2

Service Utilization Differences for Axis I Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders Between White and Black Adults

This study identified recent changes in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing home residents. Psychiatric diagnoses in administrative databases were summarized for nursing home residents in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Census prevalence rates were compared with findings from earlier VA nursing home surveys. Prevalence rates were compared for age groups and birth cohorts of VA nursing home admissions in 1998 (N=27,734) and 2006 (N=32,543). Among residents in the census samples, prevalence rates for dementia and schizophrenia fluctuated moderately from 1990 to 2006, depression prevalence increased sharply, alcohol use disorder prevalence declined, and drug use disorder prevalence increased. Among 1998 and 2006 admissions, dementia prevalence increased for most birth cohorts but declined for most age groups (35% to 32% overall). Depression prevalence increased for all age groups and birth cohorts (27% to 37% overall), as did posttraumatic stress disorder prevalence (5% to 12% overall). Serious mental illness prevalence increased among the oldest residents and birth cohorts (19% to 22% overall). Alcohol use disorder prevalence declined for all birth cohorts and most age groups (18% to 16% overall), but drug use disorder prevalence increased substantially for younger age groups (6% to 9% overall). Examining differences in prevalence between birth cohorts and age groups can clarify trends in nursing home resident characteristics and improve projections of their future needs.

Novel Insights Into Pathological Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Disorders.

The Critical Relationship Between Anxiety and Depression.

Cardiac biomarkers may be valuable when exploring potential mechanisms for the association between cardiovascular disease and psychiatric disorders. In subjects at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea, we examined whether major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, or the combination of these was associated with circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), or heart rate variability (HRV). From the Akershus Sleep Apnea Project, 290 participants were assessed for MDD or any anxiety disorder by a physician using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Fasting blood samples were analyzed with high-sensitivity assays for CRP, cTnT, and HRV calculated from a Holter recording. Age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, apnea-hypopnea index, and previous cardiovascular disease were adjusted for. The CRP levels (median [interquartile range], mg/L) were higher in depressive (2.7 [1.1-5.8]) versus nondepressive (1.3 [0.7-3.1], p = .02) and in anxious (2.8 [0.9-5.2]) versus nonanxious (1.3 [0.7-3.1], p = .01). MDD was independently associated with CRP (unstandardized β = 0.387, p = .04), but anxiety was not (unstandardized β = 0.298, p = .09). The CRP level was highest in subjects with comorbid MDD and anxiety (3.4 [1.1-7.8]). The unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for having measurable cTnT (> 3 ng/L) were 0.49 (0.24-1.07) and 0.92 (0.31-2.67) for MDD versus nondepressive and 0.38 (0.18-0.80) and 0.61 (0.30-2.05) for anxiety versus nonanxiety, respectively. HRV did not vary between groups. Although CRP was increased both in MDD and anxiety disorders, patients with comorbid MDD and anxiety may be particularly prone to increased systemic inflammation. Neither MDD nor anxiety disorders were associated with low-level myocardial damage or HRV.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition with significant symptoms and long-term adverse cognitive, mental health, vascular, and respiratory sequelae. Physical activity has been recognized as a key determinant for good health and has been associated with lower risk of these sequelae. We hypothesized that increased physical activity may be associated with a decreased prevalence of OSA. This cross-sectional study used baseline questionnaire data from the Ontario Health Study, a population-based cohort of residents of Ontario, Canada. Participants were adults who provided lifestyle, medical, socio-demographic, and sleep health information. The study sample consisted of 155,448 men (39.8%) and women (60.2%). The prevalence of physician-diagnosed OSA in this cohort was 6.9%. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association of OSA with physical activity. Missing data were imputed using a multiple imputation by chained equation approach. In multivariable analyses adjusted for potential confounding factors, increased total physical activity (metabolic equivalent [h/wk]) (odds ratio [OR] = .98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .96 to 1.00), vigorous-intensity activity (OR = .98, 95% CI = .97 to 1.00), and walking (OR = .98, 95% CI = .96 to 1.00) were all associated (all P ≤ .045) with decreased prevalence of OSA. Moderate-intensity activity was not associated with risk of OSA (P = .826). Independent of known risk factors for OSA, including body mass index, increased levels of physical activity, including walking, were associated with a prevalence of OSA. Our results highlight the importance of physical activity as a preventive measure for sleep apnea.