Symptoms Of Common Mental Disorders Research Articles

Irritability as a Transdiagnostic Construct Across Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

This meta-analytic review examined irritability across childhood and adolescence as it relates to symptoms of common mental health disorders in these periods. Of key interest was whether the relationship between irritability and symptom severity varies according to symptom domain. This was tested at the level ofbroad symptom dimensions (internalizing versus externalizing problems) as well as discrete diagnostic domains (e.g., anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder). Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of five databases was conducted to identify studies reporting on associations between irritability and mental health symptoms in samples of children aged 2-18years. Meta-analytic tests based on random effects models examined concurrent and longitudinal associations between irritability and symptom severity. Meta-regression tested potential moderators including symptom domain, child age, sex, informant type, and study quality. 119 studies met inclusion criteria with a total of 122,456 participants. A significant and positive association was found between irritability and severity of concurrent overall psychopathology in the order of a moderate effect size, while small to moderate effect sizes characterized the association between irritability and later mental health outcomes in prospective data. Further variation in this association was seen across specific diagnostic domains and methodological moderators. Findings support the conceptualization of irritability as a transdiagnostic construct reflecting emotion dysregulation across diverse forms of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence. Further research into the risk mechanisms underlying irritability is needed, in addition to translational approaches to early intervention.

Patterns in Children's Digital Media Use in Early Childhood and Family Factors: A Network Perspective

ABSTRACT Digital media use may be associated with adverse developmental outcomes and can be affected by individual, family, and sociodemographic factors. From a developmental perspective, this exploratory study investigates the relationships between maternal symptoms of common mental disorders (CMD) and health orientation on digital media use in early childhood. Participants were 267 mothers of children up to 3 years of age and were divided into three subgroups: G1 (0–12 months of age; n = 84); G2 (13–24 months of age; n = 97); G3 (25–36 months of age; n = 86). According to comparative network analysis, maternal symptoms of CMD had a greater effect in G1 and were more strongly correlated with the context of use than with screen time. Health orientation on screen time has greater associations in G1 and reduces its correlations in G2 until it disconnects from the network in G3. Developmental differences in digital media use can be addressed when planning interventions.

"We Need Gentleness": Isolation, Loneliness, and Implications for Psychosocial Counseling Among People with HIV who are on Methadone Maintenance Treatment and Experience Common Mental Disorders in Vietnam.

The psychological experiences and needs of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who use methadone maintenance treatment and have common mental disorders in Hanoi, Vietnam remain unknown. Due to limited services for common mental disorders, optimal delivery methods for psychotherapy are also unknown. Accordingly, this qualitive study explored both symptoms of common mental disorders among this population and the preferred qualifications and characteristics of a mental health counselor. We interviewed patients, their family members and caretakers, clinic providers, and clinic directors to answer these questions. Feelings of loneliness, isolation, sadness, hopelessness, and a general lack of motivation were common among patient participants. Patient participants had no preference among counselor professional qualifications. Three key qualities‒gentleness, enthusiasm, and understanding ‒ emerged as preferred counselor characteristics. The results from this work will help inform the future tailoring of mental health interventions among a population with unique care needs in Hanoi as well as other populations of people with HIV with common mental disorders.

Perceptual link between inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) stressors and common mental symptoms in Ethiopian health workers: A qualitative study.

Despite the rising prevalence of common mental symptoms, information is scarce on how health workers make sense of symptoms of mental disorders and perceive a link with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as work stressors to understand causation and produce useful knowledge for policy and professionals. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how health workers perceive the link between inadequate WASH and common mental symptoms (CMSs) at hospitals in central and southern Ethiopian regions. We used an interpretive and descriptive phenomenological design guided by theoretical frameworks. Three focus group discussions (FGDs) and 10 in-depth interviews with health workers were conducted. We explored the perceived link with inadequate WASH after assessing health workers' conceptualization of common mental health symptoms. The interviews and FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Coding and categorizing were supported by MaxQDA software 2020. Thematic analysis was performed and themes were supported by participants' quotes when necessary. Four themes emerged from the data based on the guiding theoretical models relevant to the research questions. Most health workers believed and frequently suggested that inadequate water supply, functional hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and waste management services at the points of care increased the risk of occupational stress, job anxiety, and occupational depression symptoms. Many participants believed that inadequate WASH would cause them to experience negative professional quality of life including burnout, compassion dissatisfaction, and compassion fatigue at work despite believing that WASH problems cannot be solved at the individual level. Participants recurrently listed many individual, organizational, and system-level barriers to reducing and coping with inadequate WASH as stressors. Healthcare workers perceived inadequate WASH components as contributing to symptoms of common mental disorders and negatively impacting their professional quality of life. They faced multiple barriers at individual, organizational, and health system levels, which hindered their ability to manage work-related stress and seek mental health support. The findings suggest the implementation of integrated WASH and mental health services for healthcare workers, ranging from establishing individual-level interventions to increasing access to WASH around care areas through collaborative efforts with healthcare administration, broader health systems, water supplies, and sewerage services.

Associations between Psychosocial Working Conditions and Work-Specific Self-Efficacy Beliefs Among Employees Receiving Psychotherapeutic Consultation at Work.

By considering work-related aspects during early intervention and treatment of employees with (subclinical) symptoms of common mental disorders, psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-W) aims to increase work-specific self-efficacy (SE) to finally reduce sickness absence and contribute to successful return to work. This study, thus, aims to investigate interrelations between working conditions and work-specific SE among employees before receiving PT-W. The study uses baseline data of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of PT-W in Germany (n = 535). Working conditions were assessed by six scales of the validated Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). SE was assessed by the validated general short occupational self-efficacy (OSE) scale and return-to-work self-efficacy (RTW-SE) scale, two specific forms of self-efficacy. Multiple linear regression models were calculated using working conditions as independent and self-efficacy as dependent variables. Interactions between working conditions and age, gender and current extent of work were added to those models. Results suggest that quantitative job demands are negatively and development opportunities are positively related to OSE and RTW-SE. Age did not moderate those relationships. The association between development opportunities and OSE was stronger among employees indicating working less number of hours than specified in their contract compared to employees indicating working their full contract hours. Furthermore, interactions with gender were found with social support being only (positively) associated with OSE among male and decision authority being only (positively) associated with OSE among female employees. The associations between working conditions and work-specific SE support the usefulness of addressing potential reciprocal relationships between those two variables during PT-W to improve mental health of employees. Registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS) at 01.03.2021-DRKS00023049.

Associations of non-employment with common mental disorder subcomponents among working age population: analysis of national data from 1993, 2000, 2007 and 2014.

Associations between employment status and mental health are well-recognised and such associations may have multiple modifying factors which may also contribute to variations in results. We aimed to investigate associations between non-employment and CMD subcomponents and the extent of their variation across age groups using nationally representative data in Britain. We used a series of national mental health surveys of adults living in private households: the British National Surveys of Psychiatric Morbidity of 1993, 2000, 2007 and 2014. Employment status was the primary exposure of interest. Presence or absence of each fourteen symptoms of common mental disorder (CMD), as the primary outcome, was ascertained identically in all surveys from the revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Odds ratio for the association between exposure and outcome and population attributional fractions (PAFs) for each association was calculated. Within the highest-risk 45 to 54 years age group, all odds ratios were statistically significant and strongest associations were observed with panic symptoms (OR = 2.33), followed by depressive symptoms (1.90), worry about physical health (1.84), depression (1.82), forgetfulness (1.82) and somatic symptoms (1.70). In the 55 to 64 years age group, highest population attributable fractions were observed for non-employment as a hypothetical risk factor for panic symptoms (51.7%), phobias (44.2%), forgetfulness (39.5%), depressive symptoms (38.5%), worries about physical health (37.9%) and somatic symptoms (36.0%). The particularly high impact in middle-aged, pre-retirement groups of non-employment on CMD suggests a policy focus on alleviating stressors and providing support for those made redundant and/or compelled to take unwanted early retirement.

Dysphonia Screening in Firefighters and Associated Factors

ObjectiveTo verify the likelihood of dysphonia in firefighters and its relationship with individual and occupational factors and mental health. MethodThis cross-sectional observational study with 442 firefighters collected data on sociodemographic, occupational, and lifestyle aspects and screening for common mental disorders. Individuals were divided into two groups: those slightly likely and those moderately/highly likely to have dysphonia, according to the Brazilian Dysphonia Screening Tool. The questionnaire’s items addressed their sex, age, race, marital status, education, work schedule, administrative or field activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and common mental disorders. Those who answered "yes" to the question about having a hoarse voice were considered to have dysphonia with an indication for clinical voice assessment. The suspicion of a common mental disorder was measured with the SRQ-20 Self Report Questionnaire. Data were subjected to descriptive and association analysis. Statistical tests were performed assuming a significance level of 5%. ResultsThe moderate/high likelihood of dysphonia was 6.12%. Most firefighters were males (90.31%), aged over 30 (52.47%), multiracial (44.39%), living with a partner (61.39%), and with a bachelor’s or higher degree (42.35%). Individuals self-declared as Black or multiracial had a higher percentage of dysphonia (8.10%). Black and multiracial individuals were approximately 2.5 times more likely to pass the dysphonia screening than Whites and other races. Individuals with symptoms of common mental disorders were also 2.7 times as likely to have dysphonia. ConclusionThe results of the study show that Black and multiracial firefighters and those with symptoms of common mental disorders were moderately/highly likely to have dysphonia. Firefighters with the highest likelihood of having dysphonia are indicated for clinical voice assessment to confirm the diagnosis.

Post COVID-19 syndrome among 5248 healthcare workers in England: longitudinal findings from NHS CHECK

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to examine post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in England and explore risk factors for the condition.MethodsData were collected by National Health...

Screening for common mental disorders in people with epilepsy in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that is highly susceptible to a variety of mental health problems due to its enormous biological, social, and psychological burdens. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and identify risk factors for common mental disorders (CMDs) in people with epilepsy (PWEs) in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Material and Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Center in Goma (DRC) from March to April 2022, involving 302 PWEs. A questionnaire was administered to collect socio-demographic data, personal and family history, clinical features, and management of epilepsy. CMDs were assessed using the self-report questionnaire-20. Bivariate analysis was performed, followed by multivariate analysis, and variables with P < 0.05 in the final model were considered as risk factors associated with CMDs. Results: The study included 302 PWEs, of which 56.9% were men, and the mean age was 28.4 ± 11.0 years. CMDs were present in 39.1% of the participants. The presence of CMDs was significantly associated with having five or more seizures in the month preceding the survey (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7–8.3) and having medical co-morbidities (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.5–6.4). Conclusion: The prevalence of CMDs in PWEs was high (39.1%), suggesting that this is a public health issue. Therefore, early detection and recognition of CMD symptoms should be a routine activity when managing PWEs.

A scoping review of the literature on the application and usefulness of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention around the world.

Given the high rates of common mental disorders and limited resources, task-shifting psychosocial interventions are needed to provide adequate care. One such intervention developed by the World Health Organization is Problem Management Plus (PM+). This review maps the evidence regarding the extent of application and usefulness of the PM+ intervention, i.e. adaptability, feasibility, effectiveness and scalability, since it was introduced in 2016. We conducted a scoping review of seven literature databases and grey literature from January 2015 to February 2024, to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on PM+ around the world. Out of 6739 potential records, 42 met the inclusion criteria. About 60% of the included studies were from low- and middle-income countries. Findings from pilot/feasibility trials demonstrated that PM+ is feasible, acceptable and safe. Results from definitive randomised controlled trials at short-term follow-up also suggested that PM+ is effective, with overall moderate-to-large effect sizes, in improving symptoms of common mental health problems. Although PM+ was more effective in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders, it was found to be costlier compared to usual care in the only study that evaluated its cost-effectiveness. Our findings indicate that PM+, in its individual and group formats, can be adapted and effectively delivered by trained helpers to target a wide range of common mental health concerns. More effectiveness and implementation evidence is required to understand the long-term impact of PM+, its cost-effectiveness and scalability, and moderators of treatment outcomes such as gender and delivery formats.

The Role of Social Support in Perinatal Mental Health and Psychosocial Stimulation.

Social support refers to the help someone receives emotionally or instrumentally from their social network. Poor social support in the perinatal period has been associated with increased risk for symptoms of common mental disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS), which may impact parenting behavior. Whether social support impacts parenting behaviors, independent of mental health symptomatology, remains unclear. Among N=309 participants of the Scaling Up Maternal Mental healthcare by Increasing access to Treatment (SUMMIT Trial), a large perinatal depression and anxiety treatment trial, we explored the relations between perceived social support, perinatal depressive and PTS symptoms, and psychosocial stimulation provided by the parent in their home environment. Social support was measured at baseline using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Perinatal depressive symptoms were measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and PTS symptoms were measured by the Abbreviated PTSD Checklist (PCL-6) at baseline, 3-, and 6-months post-randomization. Psychosocial stimulation was assessed by the Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME) when the infant was between 6 to 24 months. Using stepwise hierarchical regressions, we found: (1) perceived social support at baseline significantly predicted both depressive and PTS symptoms at 3-months post-randomization, even when controlling for baseline depressive and PTS symptoms; and (2) while neither depressive nor PTS symptoms were significantly associated with psychosocial stimulation, perceived social support at baseline was a significant predictor. Clinical implications regarding treatment of perinatal patients are discussed.

Association between antenatal common mental disorders symptoms, and adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes: A community-based prospective cohort study in Eastern Ethiopia

BackgroundMaternal common mental disorders have broad implications for maternal and child mental and physical health that may have a long-lasting social and economic impact. This study aimed to assess the association between symptoms of antenatal common mental disorders and obstetric and perinatal outcomes in Eastern Ethiopia. MethodsA community-based prospective cohort study was conducted and a total of 1011 randomly selected pregnant women were followed up from February 1, 2021, to January 30, 2022. The modified Poisson regression model with a robust variance was fitted to examine the effect of the symptoms of antenatal common mental disorders on obstetric and perinatal outcomes. ResultsAntenatal common mental disorders (SRQ ≥ 6) were presented among 390 (38.58 %) pregnant women. In the final multivariate Poisson regression model, women with antenatal common mental disorders symptoms had an increased risk of some pregnancy complications (ARR = 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.59, 1.84). In the current study, symptoms of antenatal common mental disorders increased also the risk of preterm birth (ARR = 1.71; 95 % CI: 1.20, 2.42) and low birth weight (ARR = 1.93; 95 % CI: 1.36, 2.74). LimitationThe indirect effects of some potential mediators and moderators were not assessed in this study. ConclusionThe study found a high rate of symptoms of antenatal common mental disorders and adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Antenatal common mental disorders symptoms may have considerable effects on individual and combined pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Variation in symptoms of common mental disorders in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal cohort study.

A significant rise in mental health disorders was expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, referrals to mental health services dropped for several months before rising to pre-pandemic levels. To identify trajectories of incidence and risk factors for common mental disorders among the general population during 14 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform potential mental health service needs. A cohort of 33 703 adults in England in the University College London COVID-19 Social Study provided data from March 2020 to May 2021. Growth mixture modelling was used to identify trajectories based on the probability of participants reporting symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) or anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7) in the clinical range, for each month. Sociodemographic and personality-related characteristics associated with each trajectory class were explored. Five trajectory classes were identified for depression and anxiety. Participants in the largest class (62%) were very unlikely to report clinically significant symptom levels. Other trajectories represented participants with a high likelihood of clinically significant symptoms throughout, early clinically significant symptoms that reduced over time, clinically significant symptoms that emerged as the pandemic unfolded and a moderate likelihood of clinically significant symptoms throughout. Females, younger adults, carers, those with existing mental health diagnoses, those that socialised frequently pre-pandemic and those with higher neuroticism scores were more likely to experience depression or anxiety. Nearly 40% of participants followed trajectories indicating risk of clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. The identified risk factors could inform public health interventions to target individuals at risk in future health emergencies.

Prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidity among healthcare workers in Zimbabwe: Results from a screening intervention.

The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in southern Africa is expanding and is superimposed on high HIV prevalence. Healthcare workers are a scarce resource; yet are vital to health systems. There are very limited studies on the burden of chronic conditions among healthcare workers in Africa, and none exploring multimorbidity (≥2 chronic conditions). We describe the epidemiology of infectious (HIV) and non-communicable chronic conditions, and multimorbidity, among Zimbabwean healthcare workers. Healthcare workers (≥18 years) in eight Zimbabwean provinces were invited to a voluntary, cross-sectional health-check, including HIV, diabetes, hypertension and mental health screening. Statistical analyses described the prevalence and risk factors for multimorbidity (two or more of HIV, diabetes, hypertension or common mental disorder) and each condition. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Among 6598 healthcare workers (July 2020-July 2022) participating in the health-check, median age was 37 years (interquartile range 29-44), 79% were women and 10% knew they were living with HIV. Half had at least one chronic condition: 11% were living with HIV, 36% had elevated blood pressure, 12% had elevated HbA1c and 11% had symptoms of common mental disorder. The overall prevalence of multimorbidity was 15% (95% CI: 13-17%); 39% (95% CI: 36-43%) among people aged 50 and older. Whilst most HIV was diagnosed and treated, other chronic conditions were usually undiagnosed or uncontrolled. Limiting our definition of multimorbidity to two or more screened conditions sought to reduce bias due to access to diagnosis, however, may have led to a lower reported prevalence than that found using a wider definition. Half of healthcare workers screened were living with a chronic condition; one in seven had multimorbidity. Other than HIV, most conditions were undiagnosed or untreated. Multisectoral action to implement contextually relevant, chronic disease services in Africa is urgently needed. Specific attention on health workers is required to protect and retain this critical workforce.

Network analytical investigation of relationships between symptoms of common mental disorders among refugees and asylum seekers in Türkiye.

Forcibly displaced people, such as refugees and asylum-seekers (RAS), are at higher risk of mental disorders, mainly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Little is known about the complex relationships between these mental disorders among culturally and linguistically diverse RAS. To investigate this, the present study applied a novel network analytical approach to examine and compare the central and bridge symptoms within and between PTSD, depression and anxiety among Afghan and Syrian RAS in Türkiye. A large-scale online survey study with 785 Afghan and 798 Syrian RAS in Türkiye was conducted in 2021. Symptoms of PTSD (the short form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Checklist [PCL-5]), depression and anxiety (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25) [HSCL-25]) were measured via self-administrated validated instruments. We conducted network analysis to identify symptoms that are most strongly connected with other symptoms (central symptoms) and those that connect the symptoms of different disorders (bridge symptoms) in R Studio using the qgraph package. Overall, Afghans and Syrians differed in terms of network structure, but not in network strength. Results showed that feeling blue, feeling restless and spells of terror or panic were the most central symptoms maintaining the overall symptom structure of common mental disorders among Afghan participants. For Syrian participants, worrying too much, feeling blue and feeling tense were identified as the central symptoms. For both samples, anger and irritability and feeling low in energy acted as a bridge connecting the symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety. The current findings provide insights into the interconnectedness within and between the symptoms of common mental disorders and highlight the key symptoms that can be potential targets for psychological interventions for RAS. Addressing these symptoms may aid in tailoring existing evidence-based interventions and enhance their effectiveness. This contributes to reducing the overall mental health burden and improving well-being in this population.

Ab. No. 46 Impact of Sports Injury on Mental Wellbeing of University Level Athletes

Introduction: Sports injury is an injury that occurs during athletic activities or physical exertion. Exceptional level of effort and striving for perfection close to psychological limits increases the possibility of sports injury. A sports injury can take a toll on an athlete’s emotional wellbeing. Athletes respond to injuries in very different ways, exhibiting a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. Therefore, it is crucial to understand those responses to examine the symptoms of common mental disorders and general psychological stress depending upon the severity of injury among athletes. The study aims to investigate symptoms of common mental disorders and psychological stress about the severity of injury among athletes. Methods: A total of 100 male and female athletes were selected from Punjabi University, Patiala. The study population included athletes from 18-28 years of age. All subjects were evaluated through Likert scale, Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) and Perceived stress scale (PSS). Result: Overall, majority of athletes were experiencing symptoms of at least one of the mental-health problem assessed. Injured athletes had higher level of symptoms of anxiety, depression (r = 0.823, p = 0.00) and perceived stress (r = 0.776, p = 0.001) compared with Likert scale as analyzed via Pearson’s Correlation. Conclusion: The results indicated that athletic injury negatively impacts the mental wellbeing of athletes.

Transdiagnostic Psychological Interventions for Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders Delivered by Non‐Specialist Providers in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

There is a treatment gap for Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) such as anxiety, depression, and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as non‐specific psychological distress (NPD) in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LAMIC), due to the lack of available clinicians and locally appropriate interventions. Task‐shifting using non‐specialist providers (NSP) and transdiagnostic approaches may address this. Transdiagnostic approaches can be effective at treating CMDs and NPD in high‐income countries (HIC), but currently, there is no comprehensive synthesis of evidence regarding their effectiveness in LAMICs. This review addressed this gap by examining the effectiveness of transdiagnostic psychological interventions for symptoms of CMDs and NPD delivered by NSPs in LAMICs. Three databases were searched (Embase, PsycInfo, and PubMed). Hedge’s g’s were calculated using random‐effect models to correct for small sample bias. Twenty‐one transdiagnostic interventions across 20 studies were included. Moderate reductions at posttreatment were found in psychological distress (g = −0.64; 95% CI: −0.81 to −0.46), symptoms of anxiety (g = −0.61; 95% CI: −0.80 to −0.42), depression (g = −0.59; 95% CI: −0.75 to −0.44), and PTSD/trauma (g = −0.38; 95% CI: −0.59 to −0.16), with significant small reductions maintained at follow‐up ranging from 13 to 26 weeks for NPD (SMD = − 0.37; 95% CI: −0.57 to −0.17), anxiety (g = − 0.41; 95% CI: −0.91 to 0.09), depression (g = −0.38; 95% CI: −0.59 to −0.16), and trauma symptoms (g = −0.23; 95% CI: −0.42 to −0.05). These findings are important and suggest that transdiagnostic approaches delivered by NSPs are effective at treating symptoms of CMDs and NPD in LAMICs. Future research should consider comparing task‐shifting approaches with disorder‐specific interventions and explore the effectiveness of longer sessions across various mental health conditions.

The effectiveness of Problem Management Plus at 1-year follow-up for Syrian refugees in a high-income setting.

Problem Management Plus (PM+) has been effective in reducing mental health problems among refugees at three-month follow-up, but there is a lack of research on its long-term effectiveness. This study examined the effectiveness of PM+ in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders at 12-month follow-up among Syrian refugees in the Netherlands. This single-blind, parallel, controlled trial randomised 206 adult Syrians who screened positive for psychological distress and impaired functioning to either PM+ in addition to care as usual (PM+/CAU) or CAU alone. Assessments were at baseline, 1 week and 3 months after the intervention and 12 months after baseline. Outcomes were psychological distress (Hopkins Symptom Checklist [HSCL-25]), depression (HSCL-25 subscale), anxiety (HSCL-25 subscale), posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PCL-5), functional impairment (WHODAS 2.0) and self-identified problems (PSYCHLOPS). In March 2019-December 2022, 103 participants were assigned to PM+/CAU and 103 to CAU of which 169 (82.0%) were retained at 12 months. Intention-to-treat analyses showed greater reductions in psychological distress at 12 months for PM+/CAU compared to CAU (adjusted mean difference -0.17, 95% CI -0.310 to -0.027; p = 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.28). Relative to CAU, PM+/CAU participants also showed significant reductions on anxiety (-0.19, 95% CI -0.344 to -0.047; p = 0.01, d = 0.31) but not on any of the other outcomes. PM+ is effective in reducing psychological distress and symptoms of anxiety over a period up to 1 year. Additional support such as booster sessions or additional (trauma-focused) modules may be required to prolong and consolidate benefits gained through PM+ on other mental health and psychosocial outcomes.

Prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of common mental disorders (CMDs) symptoms in a rural adult population of Haryana, North India.

Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders, affect all stages of life and impact individuals, families, and communities. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of CMDs and their sociodemographic determinants in the adult population of a rural block in North India. A cross-sectional, quantitative, community-based study was conducted among adult residents of a rural block in Haryana, North India, using a multistage random sampling technique. The Hindi version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), a well-validated tool, was used to screen participants for CMDs. Scores of 4 or above denoted the presence of CMDs. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine the associations between CMDs and sociodemographic characteristics. Of the 180 residents selected for the study, most were women (60.0%) and aged between 31 and 50 years (52.3%). The prevalence of CMDs symptoms in the study population was 20.0%. The presence of CMDs symptoms was significantly higher among those who were aged 60 years or older [OR=12.33, 95% CI 3.21-47.38], widowed, divorced or separated [OR=7.50, 95% CI 1.09-51.52], illiterate [OR= 6.25, 95% CI 2.84-13.77], had monthly family income below 10,000 INR [OR=3.33, 95% CI 1.54-7.20], had any chronic physical illness [OR=8.28, 95% CI 3.70-18.56] and had a family history of any psychiatric illness [OR=5.56, 95% CI 1.52-19.42]. The burden of CMDs was quite high among adults in rural North India. The presence of CMDs was closely associated with sociodemographic characteristics. Primary care and community-based settings need to screen for, diagnose, and manage CMDs to address this growing problem.

The Impact of Childhood Mental Health and Substance Use on Methylation Aging Into Adulthood

To test whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate the rate of DNA methylation (DNAm) aging from adolescence to adulthood. DNAm was assayed from blood samples in 381 participants in both adolescence (mean [SD] age= 13.9 [1.6] years) and adulthood (mean [SD] age= 25.9 [2.7] years). Structured diagnostic interviews were completed with participants and their parents at multiple childhood observations (1,950 total) to assess symptoms of common mental health disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression) and common types of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, nicotine) and early adversities. Neither childhood mental health symptoms nor substance use variables were associated with DNAm aging cross-sectionally. In contrast, the following mental health symptoms and substance variables were associated with accelerated DNAm aging from adolescence to adulthood: depressive symptoms (b= 0.314, SE= 0.127, p= .014), internalizing symptoms (b= 0.108, SE= 0.049, p= .029), weekly cannabis use (b=1.665, SE= 0.591, p= .005), and years of weekly cannabis use (b= 0.718, SE= 0.283, p= .012). In models testing all individual variables simultaneously, the combined effect of the variables was equivalent to a potential difference of 3.17 to 3.76 years in DNAm aging. A final model tested a variable assessing cumulative exposure to mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversities. This cumulative variable was strongly associated with accelerated aging (b= 0.126, SE= 0.044, p= .005). Mental health symptoms and substance use accelerated DNAm aging into adulthood in a manner consistent with a shared risk mechanism. Using data from 381 participants in the Great Smoky Mountains Study, the authors examined whether childhood mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity accelerate biological aging, as measured by DNA methylation age, from adolescence to adulthood. Depressive symptoms and cannabis use were found to significantly accelerate biological aging. Models that tested the combined effect of mental health symptoms, substance use, and early adversity demonstrated that there was a shared effect across these types of childhood problems on accelerated aging.