Beck Depression Inventory Scale Research Articles

Stres okresu pandemii wirusa SARS-CoV-2 a zachowania prozdrowotne wśród personelu medycznego - doniesienie wstępne

The aim of the study was to evaluate pro-health behaviors as protective measures against symptoms of anxiety and depression in a group of health care workers during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. The group of 114 people participated in the study, including 46 medical doctors aged 41.10 ± 11.89 and 68 nurses aged 48.16 ± 8.54 years.The following scales were used for the research: the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Taking into consideration health behaviors, an average score of 79.61 ± 13.08 points in HBI was obtained. In the BDI questionnaire, the respondents obtained an average of 3.7 ± 4.65 points. In the STAI questionnaire, in the part related to state anxiety, the mean result in the study group was 38.08 ± 9.46 points, and for trait anxiety 38.35 ± 8.44 points. Taking into account the components of HBI, only the results obtained in the subscales: positive mental attitude (PMA) and pro-health activities (PhA) correlated negatively with the results obtained in the STAI and BDI scales. Moreover, the pro-health effect of PMA on the symptoms of anxiety and depression was observed. No significant intensification of anxiety and depression symptoms was observed among medical personnel during the first wave of the pandemic. Health-promoting behaviors, and especially positive mental attitudes, may play a protective role in relation to the symptoms of anxiety and depression in a stressful situations.

1.110 Marijuana Use in Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)-Exposed Young Adults and the Mediating Effect of Family Environment

1.110 Marijuana Use in Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)-Exposed Young Adults and the Mediating Effect of Family Environment

The Outcome Analysis of Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BDI-II) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) Among Patients of Cancer Center of Combined Military Hospital Dhaka

Background: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) which is vice versa with equipercentile linking are the most frequently used observer-rated and self-report scales of depression, respectively. It is important to know what a given total score or a change score from baseline on one scale means in relation to the other scale. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the depression symptoms rating scale of Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BDI-II) verses Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) among patients of Cancer Center of Combined Military Hospital Dhaka. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 150 samples were selected by convenient sampling technique. The patients were studied after histopathological confirmation of diagnosis of cancer. Socio-demographic and other data were collected by face-to-face interview using semi structured questionnaire. The BDI-II and HAM-A was used to screen out the patients with depression and anxiety. The diagnosis was confirmed by a psychiatrist using DSM-5 criteria. Data analysis was done by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 and results were presented with appropriate graphs and texts. Results: The mean age was 46.5±9.5 years. 65.3% were male and 34.7% respondents were female. Male: female ratio 1.9:1. 40.7% patients had moderate depression symptom followed by 30.0% had mild depression symptom, 17.3% patients had severe depression symptom and 12.0% patients had minimum depression symptom that can be considered as no depression. The overall mean score of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was 22.1±8.4 with range 5 to 45. Regarding anxiety of cancer patients, 45.3% patients had moderate to severe anxiety symptom followed by 29.3% patients had mild to moderate anxiety symptom, 25.3% patients had minimum anxiety symptom that can be considered as no anxiety symptom. The overall mean score of Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) was 21.6±6.7 with range 7 to 30. Comparatively most of the patients of 31-40 age groups had severe depression level symptoms and among above 50-60 year’s patients had the most severe anxiety symptoms. According to BD-II and HAM-A rating scale, among stage 4 patients 43.8% had severe depression symptom and 87.5% had severe anxiety symptom. Conclusion: Study shows that according to the rating scales both depression and anxiety symptoms are significantly higher in cancer patients. Moreover, frequency and severity of depression and anxiety symptom is much more significantly raised among older age group specially stage 4 cancer patients. Compared with both rating scales the depression level had also shown in 31-40 age groups.

The relationship between alexithymia, reading the mind in the eyes and cognition in patients with multiple sclerosis

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of alexithymia, difficulty in recognizing one's own and others' emotions, to determine the ability to read the mind in the eyes that evaluates the emotions of others, and to assess the relationship between these parameters and demographic characteristics, cognition, anxiety and depression in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Seventy patients presenting to the neurology clinic and diagnosed with MS and 70 healthy volunteers with similar demographic characteristics were included in the study. The California Verbal Learning Test II (CVLT II), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT-R), and Trail-Making Test (TMT) were applied to determine all participants' cognitive status. All participants were also administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) for quality of life. Alexithymia levels were higher in the PwMS than in the control group, 24.2% of the PwMS and 4.2% of the control group being alexithymic. The PwMS group exhibited poorer performance on all cognitive tests and in BDI, BAI, FIS and SF-36 scale scores than the control group. No difference was determined between the groups' RMET scores. Depression and anxiety levels increased in line with alexithymia levels in the PwMS group, while RMET scores decreased. No association was determined between alexithymia levels and age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, cognition, or fatigue. RMET scores were not affected by age, sex, duration of disease, degree of disability, anxiety, or fatigue, but were lower among individuals with poor cognition and in depressive patients. Neuropsychiatric symptoms have been the subject of considerable research in MS in recent years and these clinical characteristics in patients have begun being closely monitored. PwMS are capable of experiencing difficulty in identifying emotions in themselves and others, and their social lives can be affected. In addition, the fact that this exhibits an association with cognition based on RMET is particularly noteworthy.

A Different rTMS Protocol for a Different Type of Depression: 20.000 rTMS Pulses for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression Type II

In this open-label naturalistic study, we assess the feasibility, tolerability, and effectiveness of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol with a reduced total pulse number for treating patients suffering from bipolar disorder type II. All patients received one rTMS treatment session of 1000 pulses for 20 consecutive working days, accumulating to 20.000 rTMS pulses applied over 4 weeks. We measured the patients’ symptoms before the start, halfway through, directly after, and one month after treatment. We quantified the depression symptoms using both the Beck depression inventory scale and the symptom checklist-90 depression subscale. Patients showed a significant reduction in depression symptoms directly after treatment and an even further reduction one month after treatment. The remission rates were at 26% halfway through treatment (after the 10th session), 61% directly after treatment (after the 20th session), and increased to 78% at the 1-month follow-up. Importantly, the protocol proved to be feasible and highly tolerable in this patient population, with no adverse effects being reported. Considering these positive results, further research should focus on replicating these findings in larger clinical samples with control groups and longer follow-up periods, while potentially adding maintenance sessions to optimize the treatment effect and stability for bipolar disorder type II patients.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide–Assisted Therapy in Patients With Anxiety With and Without a Life-Threatening Illness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Study

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)–assisted therapy in patients who experienced anxiety with or without association with a life-threatening illness. MethodsThe study is an investigator-initiated 2-center trial that used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-period, random-order, crossover design with 2 sessions with either oral LSD (200 μg) or placebo per period. The primary end point was anxiety symptoms 16 weeks after the last treatment session, assessed by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–Global score in 42 patients. Further outcome measures included ratings for depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 21-item version) and ratings for acute subjective drug effects. The outcomes for the first period (between-subjects analysis) are primarily shown due to carryover effects. ResultsLSD treatment resulted in significant reductions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–Global scores up to 16 weeks after treatment (least-square mean [standard error] change from baseline difference = −16.2 [5.8], 95% CI, −27.8 to −4.5, d = −1.18, p = .007). Similar effects were observed for ratings of comorbid depression on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 21-item version (−7.0 [1.9], 95% CI, −10.8 to −3.2, d = −1.1, p = .0004) and the Beck Depression Inventory (−6.1 [2.6], 95% CI, −11.4 to −0.9, d = −0.72, p = .02). Positive acute subjective drug effects and mystical-type experiences correlated with the long-term reductions in anxiety symptoms. Transient, mild, acute untoward effects of LSD treatment were reported by 8 patients (19%). One treatment-related serious adverse event (acute transient anxiety) occurred (2%). ConclusionsLSD produced long-lasting and notable reductions in anxiety and comorbid depression symptoms up to 16 weeks.

Depression as a Risk Factor for Dementia in older people with type 2 Diabetes and the Mediating Effect of Inflammation

Objective: The aim of this study is to detect the relation between depression and dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Clinically diagnosed Type 2 diabetes underwent screening for depression using Beck's Depression Inventory scale and subsequent risk of dementia defined using medical reports, prescription data and death certificates. The mediating act of inflammation systemically was measured by assessing four inflammatory markers (C reactive protein, ESR and Fibrinogen). Results: The study was conducted on 102 diabetic type 2 patients, included 48 males and 54 females. Patients divided into 12 (11.7%) patients with depression and 90 (88.3%) patients without depression (mean age 61±8.6 and 60.9±9.2 respectively). Mean BMI in depressive patients was 33.5 ± 9.3 and was 31.9 ± 8.9 in non-depressive cases (P value 0.01). There were no significant differences in patients with and without depression regarding the presence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking as risk factors of dementia. Patients with depression had significant impaired cognition and the total MoCA scores were significantly lower than those of patients without depression (23.21 ± 3.48 vs 26.34 ± 3.78, P <0.05). Complication of diabetes in patients with depression as neuropathy was significant (P value 0.005). Other complications as diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy were non-significant. Inflammatory markers levels in patients with depressive symptoms were significantly higher (P value < 0.01). Conclusion: In patients with type 2 diabetes, there is an important association between dementia and depression. Systemic inflammation had a significant role in the relation between depression and dementia.

Comparison of Anxiety and Depression among Epileptics and Non-Epileptics in Peshawar


 
 
 
 The present study aimed to investigate the comparison of depression and anxiety among epileptics and non- epileptics.- A sample of (N=200) participants was included in the study which consisted of (n=100) were epileptics and (n=100) were non-epileptics. The sample was selected from different hospitals and institutes of Peshawar. For the assessment of depression and anxiety, different questionnaires were used such as the Beck depression inventory scale (Back,A.T.,1961) and Beck anxiety inventory (Back.,1988). Independent Sample T-test was run through data for analysis and hypothesis testing. It was supposed that depression and anxiety will be high among epileptics as compared to non- epileptics. The result of the study indicated that epileptics have high depression and anxiety as compared to non -epileptics. So it is concluded from the present study that epileptic patients were found with high depression and anxiety.
 
 
 
 

Vitamin D status and its correlation to depression

BackgroundVitamin D can influence more than 200 genes in various tissues showing its credibility among the fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin D deficiency is directly proportional to major clinical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, malignancy, and multiple sclerosis. This study was conducted to determine the vitamin D level of individuals and its association with depression.MethodsVitamin D levels of 100 healthy and 100 depressed subjects were determined. The isolated subjects were screened on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale and divided into three groups according to their age. Group-I comprised subjects of age 20 years and below, Group-II included subjects of age 21 to 60, and Group-III comprised subjects of ≥ 61 years of age. A sufficient level of vitamin D in normal subjects was noted, while mild deficiency of vitamin D status was observed in depressed subjects.ResultsOur study has reported a higher percentage of vitamin D deficiency in the Peshawar region. The results of our study indicated that depression was common in individuals having vitamin D deficiency.ConclusionsThe study showed a very high frequency of vitamin D deficiency in subjects with depression in Peshawar, Pakistan. The deficiency of vitamin D was observed more in females as compared to males. Further studies should explicate whether the highly widespread vitamin D deficiency could be cost-effectively treated as part of preventive or treatment interventions for depression.

The applicability of the Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Depression Scale in the automatic recognition of depression based on speech signal processing.

Depression is a growing problem worldwide, impacting on an increasing number of patients, and also affecting health systems and the global economy. The most common diagnostical rating scales of depression are self-reported or clinician-administered, which differ in the symptoms that they are sampling. Speech is a promising biomarker in the diagnostical assessment of depression, due to non-invasiveness and cost and time efficiency. In our study, we try to achieve a more accurate, sensitive model for determining depression based on speech processing. Regression and classification models were also developed using a machine learning method. During the research, we had access to a large speech database that includes speech samples from depressed and healthy subjects. The database contains the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score of each subject and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) score of 20% of the subjects. This fact provided an opportunity to compare the usefulness of BDI and HAMD for training models of automatic recognition of depression based on speech signal processing. We found that the estimated values of the acoustic model trained on BDI scores are closer to HAMD assessment than to the BDI scores, and the partial application of HAMD scores instead of BDI scores in training improves the accuracy of automatic recognition of depression.

Association of depression and disability with health related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disorder with frequent psychological comorbidities. Depression is also associated with increased functional disability in RA patients. Objective: To determine the association of depression and disability with health related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in which 143 patients having rheumatoid arthritis were taken from the Islamabad rheumatology centers during period of 1st August 2019 to 30th January 2020 using non probability purposive sampling technique. All the diagnosed patients of Rheumatoid arthritis both male and female between age 35 and 60 were included in this study whereas patients with any other comorbidity were excluded. Chi square test was applied to determine the association. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Results: In this study level of disability as measured by health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQDI) out of 143 patients, (48.95%) patients experienced mild disability, 58 (40.55%) and 15(10.48%) patients presented with moderate and severe disability respectively. Results of severity of depression as measured by beck depression inventory scale (BDI) were: 23(16.1%) patients had mild depression, 22 (15.4%) patients had moderate depression, and 15 (10.4%) patients had severe depression. Association of disability and depression with health related quality of life (HRQOL) was significant with p<0.05. Conclusion: It is concluded that there is significant association of disability and depression with health related quality of life among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The relationship of anthropometric measurement, physical activity, psychosocial aspects and endometriosis

Aim. To find out the association between the anthropometric measurement, the physical activity, psychosocial level and endometriosis. Materials and Methods. Thirty women diagnosed as endometriosis and 30 age matched non endometriosis women were recruited. Anthropometric measurement – Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist hip ratio (WHR) was measured. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Beck Depression Inventory scale (BDI) were used to measure the physical activity level and the psychosocial level respectively. Results. There was a significant difference in BMI between the groups. The odds ratio and relative risk analysis of endometriosis showed that there is an association between increased BMI, WHR, BDI and the risk of endometriosis (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Increased Body mass index, Waist Hip Ratio and Beck depression score (BMI > 30, WHR > 0.85 and BDI > 16) are associated with increased risk of endometriosis.

Depression and anxiety in different hypertension phenotypes: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundHypertension is a major risk factor of cardiovascular mortality. Mood disorders represent a growing public health problem worldwide. A complex relationship is present between mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases. However, less data is available about the level of depression and anxiety in different hypertension phenotypes. The aim of our study was to evaluate psychometric parameters in healthy controls (Cont), in patients with white-coat hypertension (WhHT), with chronic, non-resistant hypertension (non-ResHT), and with chronic, treatment-resistant hypertension (ResHT).MethodsIn a cross-sectional study setup 363 patients were included with the following distribution: 82 Cont, 44 WhHT, 200 non-ResHT and 37 ResHT. The patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A).ResultsBDI points were higher in WhHT (7 (3–11)) and ResHT (6 (3–11.5)) compared with Cont (3 (1–6), p < 0.05). Similarly, HAM-A points were higher in WhHT (8 (5–15)) and ResHT (10.5 (5.25–18.75)) compared with Cont (4 (1–7), p < 0.05) and also compared with non-ResHT (5 (2–10), p < 0.05). ResHT was independently associated with HAM-A scale equal or above 3 points (Beta = 3.804, 95%CI 1.204–12.015). WhHT was independently associated with HAM-A scale equal or above 2 points (Beta = 7.701, 95%CI 1.165–18.973) and BDI scale equal or above 5 points (Beta = 2.888, 95%CI 1.170–7.126).ConclusionsOur results suggest psychopathological similarities between white-coat hypertension and resistant hypertension. As recently it was demonstrated that white-coat hypertension is not a benign condition, our findings can have relevance for future interventional purposes to improve the outcome of these patients.

Comorbidities in children with Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)

IntroductionInternet addiction disorder (IAD) is characterized by an individual’s inability to control his/her Internet use, which may result in marked distress and functional impairment. Systematic reviews show that excessive screen-time is negatively associated with well-being and positively associated with reduced quality of life in young people. There is growing evidence that IAD is related to comorbidities such as depression but relatively little is known about fatigue in adolescents with IAD.ObjectivesAccumulating evidence suggests that fatigue is a central component of IAD. Depression is also related to IAD. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding whether there is a strong correlation between the severity of IAD and the rate of depression. Our objectives were to describe depression and fatigue in adolescents diagnosed with IAD.MethodsStudy included 94 participants with IAD and 88 controls, all aged 12–17 years. Depression was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory Scale (Georgian version), and fatigue by the Pediatric Quality of Life Initiative (Georgian version) multidimensional fatigue scale.ResultsAdolescents with severe IAD are 5.63 times more likely to show symptoms of moderate or severe depression than children with mild or moderate Internet addiction. Those with severe IAD showed 6.62 times more cognitive fatigue, 7.81 times higher sleep/rest fatigue and 11.11 times higher general fatigue than children with mild and moderate Internet addiction.ConclusionsIAD can lead to depression and fatigue, which can affect adolescent’s psychological and social well-being. Mechanisms for prevention and ongoing support are needed for adolescents and their families.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

SIMILARITIES IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY BETWEEN WHITE-COAT AND RESISTANT HYPERTENSION

Objective: Hypertension is a major risk factor of cardiovascular mortality. Mood disorders represent a growing public health problem worldwide. A complex relationship is present between mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases. However, less data is available about the level of depression and anxiety in different hypertension phenotypes. The aim of our study was to evaluate psychometric parameters in healthy subjects (Cont), in patients with white-coat hypertension (WhHT), with chronic, non-resistant hypertension (non-ResHT), and with chronic, treatment-resistant hypertension (ResHT). Design and method: In this cross-sectional study, 363 patients were included: 82 Cont, 44 WhHT, 200 non-ResHT and 37 ResHT. The patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A). Results: BDI points were higher in WhHT (7 (3–11)) and ResHT (6 (3–11.5)) compared with Cont (3 (1–6), p &lt; 0.05). Similarly, HAM-A points were higher in WhHT (8 (5–15)) and ResHT (10.5 (5.25–18.75)) compared with Cont (4 (1–7), p &lt; 0.05) and also compared with non-ResHT (5 (2–10), p &lt; 0.05). ResHT was independently associated with HAM-A scale above 3 points (Beta = 3.804, 95%CI: 1.204–12.015). WhHT was independently associated with HAM-A scale above 2 (Beta = 7.701, 95%CI: 1.165–18.973) and BDI scale above 5 (Beta = 2.888, 95%CI: 1.170–7.126) points. Conclusions: The evaluation of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients could be useful to identify subjects with risk of white-coat effect and resistant hypertension. Our results suggest the possibility of the progression of white-coat hypertension to resistant hypertension in longer term, however, the proof of this concept requires prospective studies.

Clinical Features of Bipolar Disorder Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Cross Sectional Clinic Based Study

IntroductionMetabolic Syndrome (MS) is highly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder(BD), and may affect the functionality of this population.The increased rate of MS in BD might be due to poorer access to physical health care, unhealthy lifestyle related with psychiatric symptoms and adverse effects of pharmacological treatments.ObjectivesWe sought to compare differences in clinical features of patients with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 (BPD-1)with and without MS in euthymic period.MethodsThis study included 67 euthymic BPD-1 patients without MS and 33 age- and sex-matched BPD-1 patients with MS. All participants completed a sociodemographic form; took the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Young Mania Rating Scale score. MS was diagnosed according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.ResultsAge at onset of disease was significantly lower in BPD-1 group with MS than without MS (p &lt; 0.05). Number of suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalisation, was significantly higher in BPD-1 group with MS than without MS (p &lt; 0.05). Catatonic and melancholic depression were significantly more prevalent in the BPD-1 with MS than without MS (p &lt; 0.05). Having history of comorbid psychiatric diseases, mixed episodes, are significantly more prevalent in the BPD-1 with MS than without MS (p &lt; 0.05). There was not significant difference between groups in terms of the medication between groups (p&gt;0.05)ConclusionsOur findings suggest that MS might have an effect on the course of BD patients. The development and testing of interventions for preventing and treating the MS and its components in patients with BD might be important .DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Effects of ELF-EMF Treatment on Depression

Introduction: Depression is an extremely widespread disorder that is also highly impactful on the quality of life and general health of individuals, on a global scale. The aim of this study was a preliminary assessment of a potential non-pharmacological treatment, based on extremely low frequency and intensity electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF), which could potentially reduce the impact of depression on the lives of sufferers. Materials and methods: A preliminary case-control study based in 2centres was conducted during the second half of 2020. The recruited participants were subject either to ELF-EMF treatment (Group α) or to a placebo treatment (Group β) for a total of 5 sessions. Treatment involved non-focused exposure using a radiant mat associated with focused exposure in the cranial area using the same ELF-EMF parameters. Each individual session lasted 36 min and the same ELF-EMF program was used for all 5 therapeutic sessions. The effects of treatment were evaluated by giving the subjects the following self-administration tests: Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BDI), and Short-Form 12 (SF12). The tests were administered before starting the treatment cycle (T0), after the 5 sessions (T1), and at a 2 month follow-up (FU). Results: Statistical significance indicating an improvement in the depressed state perceived by the participants was achieved with both the SDS and the BDI, at T1 (T1: SDSα 37.8, SDSβ 46.6, p = 0.012; BDIα 8.7, BDIβ 20.4, p = 0.004) and persisting at FU (T1: SDSα 39.1, SDSβ 49, p = 0.037; BDIα 10, BDIβ 19.9, p = 0.04). As regards SF12, the mental part of the test (MCS12) exhibited a significant improvement at T1in the treated group compared to the placebo (MCS12α 47.40, MCS12β 40.48, p = 0.048), but this was not confirmed at FU. During the treatment period there were no drop-outs from the 2 groups and no adverse events were reported in the treatment group. Conclusions: Treatment with ELF-EMF demonstrated safety and efficacy for reducing the gravity of perceived depressed state.

Cognitive Health and Differential Cortical Functioning in Dissociative Trance: An Explorative Study About Mediumship.

AimTo evaluate the cognitive functioning of subjects practicing trance mediumship in Brazil.MethodThe study was based on the measurement of cognitive functions of 19 spirits mediums through neuropsychological tests such as the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB), the Verbal Fluency Test (FAS), the digit span test, the cube test, the five digit test (FDT) and an evaluation of mental health through scales such as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ), and the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ). The sample included the participation of spirit mediums divided into two groups. The more experienced group (MEG) with 11 subjects had more than 10 years of mediumistic practice, while the other less experienced group (LEG) with 8 subjects had 1–5 years of experience. The inclusion criteria were psychophonic mediums (who have the ability to communication when deceased beings communicate directly via speaking) with regular trance practices for at least one year. The data collected were analyzed using the SPSS statistical package.ResultsRegarding performance on the BCSB and digit span test, all subjects reached scores at the median or higher in comparison to standardized scores of Brazilians. Scores of 90% on the cube test and 42% on the FAS were reached in comparison to median or higher values, versus the median of standardized scores among Brazilians. On the FDT, we found statistical significance (p = 0.038) in the choice stage, with higher performance of subjects whose initial age of trance recognition occurred before 21 years old. On the BDI scale, no participant met the criteria for major depression. The SRQ showed an incidence of common mental disorders in 21% of the sample, which was more prevalent in the LEG (p = 0.008).ConclusionThe cognitive functioning of subjects who practice trance mediumship in Brazil is associated with cognitive health. Executive dysfunction may be a tendency in LEG. However, an incidence of common mental disorders in the LEG was observed. Executive processing was higher in the subgroup with early practices of recognizing the phenomenon.

Impact of Levels of Education on Depression and Anxiety in Iranian Students

Depression and anxiety had been among the most common mental health concerns reported in students across academic levels. With increased globalization, the influx of international students pursuing various professional courses in different countries has increased manifold in recent years. A bulk of research investigating the factors that affect health and adjustment of international students describe the unique challenges faced by them in adapting to new cultural environment and making successful transition. The present research focused on examining depression and anxiety among male and female Iranian students in India. The study sample consisted 300 male and 300 female students totaling to 600 students who were pursuing graduate, post graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral degrees. Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al., 2001) and IPAT Anxiety scale (Cattel, Krug, &amp; Scheier, 1976) were used to assess depression and anxiety; respectively. Results indicated that education level did not have a significant impact on depression and anxiety implying that Iranian students in India experience similar levels of depression and anxiety irrespective of their varied educational background. However, gender-wise comparison reveals a statistically significant difference, with female students reporting higher rates of depression and anxiety than their male counterparts. Therefore, it is necessary to address depression and anxiety at the earliest during college years so as to arrest their negative impact on academic outcomes.

Psychopathology and Alexithymia in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis: Development of a Novel Index with Prognostic Value.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disease with a high risk of developing mental health difficulties. Objective: The purposes of the study were to evaluate in moderate-to-severe psoriasis (a) the prevalence of depression and psychopathology, (b) the relationship between depression, psychopathology symptoms, and alexithymia, including its three dimensions, difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty in describing feelings (DDF), and externally oriented thinking (EOT), and (c) to establish a novel index for the development of depression according to patients’ psychopathological profile. Methods: In 104 patients, alexithymia was evaluated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and psychopathology with the Brief Symptom Inventory SCL-90 (SCL90). A psychopathology index that combines information from the BDI and SCL90 scales was constructed and the performance of the index with alexithymia was examined. Results: Female patients and active smokers score higher on BDI and SCL90 scales. Overweight patients tend to score arithmetically higher. The psychopathology index developed correlates significantly with age, DIF, DDF, and TAS-20. DIF, DDF, and TAS-20 are significant predictors of the psychopathology index. Patients with alexithymia/possible alexithymia are six times as likely to score higher in one of the psychopathology scales. Conclusions: Alexithymia is a significant factor in the development of psychopathology in psoriasis patients. The use of the proposed novel psychopathology index could be essential in order to identify patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who are more likely to experience depression and psychopathology. This could have an impact on the decision-making of psoriasis treatment and monitoring of the patient.