Composite International Diagnostic Interview Research Articles

Development of a Short Form Depression Screening Questionnaire for Korean Soldiers.

BackgroundThe frequencies of South Korean soldiers' depression and resulting suicide are increasing every year. Thus, this study aimed to develop and confirm the reliability and validity of a simple short form depression screening scale for soldiers.MethodsThis study was conducted as part of a 2013 research project named ‘The Epidemiological Study on the Prevalence of Depression in Military Service and a Search for High Risk Group Management.’ Clinical depression was diagnosed using the Korean version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and suicide risk was assessed through the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Furthermore, the Center for Epidemiological Studies for Depression Scale (CES-D), the Stress Response Inventory, and the Barret Impulsiveness Scale were employed. Of the 20 CES-D items, three of the most correlated items with clinical diagnosis were derived to form the short form scale. Analyses for internal consistency, concurrent validity, and factor analysis were implemented for its validation. We performed a receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis using a clinical diagnosis of depression as a gold standard to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) value, cut-off score, and corresponding sensitivity and specificity to that cut-off score.ResultsAccording to the results of the correlation analysis, 7, 18, and 4 were selected to be on our scale. The three-item scale was reliable with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.720, and a factor was derived from the factor analysis. The ROC analysis showed a high discriminant validity, with an AUC value of 0.891. The sensitivity and specificity were 84.8% and 78.2%, and 71.7% and 91.6%, respectively, for each when the selected cut-off scores were 2 and 3, respectively. Depression screened through the scale when the cut-off score was 2 or 3 was significantly associated with suicidality, stress, and social support.ConclusionThe depression screening questionnaire for Korean soldiers developed through this study demonstrated high reliability and validity. Since it comprises only three items, it can be utilized easily and frequently. It is expected to be employed in a large-scale suicide prevention project targeting military soldiers in the future; it will be beneficial in selecting high-risk groups for depression.

The Association of Childhood Maltreatment with Adulthood Mental Disorders and Suicidality in Korea: a Nationwide Community Study.

BackgroundAlthough childhood maltreatment is a known risk factor for adulthood mental health, the impact of different types of childhood maltreatment on mental disorders is not yet clear. This study explored the association of each type of childhood maltreatment with adulthood mental disorders and suicidality in South Korea.MethodsA total of 5,102 individuals from the general populations over the age of 18 responded to the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and questions about childhood maltreatment (emotional neglect, psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse). To evaluate the odds ratio for mental disorders and suicidality associated with each type of childhood maltreatment, we used logistic regression analysis.ResultsAbout 17.0% of the respondents reported having experienced a type of maltreatment in childhood. According to the type, 9.4% reported physical abuse, 9.3% reported emotional neglect, 7.9% reported psychological abuse, and 3.8% reported sexual abuse. Exposure to each type of childhood maltreatment was associated with most types of mental disorders after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Each type of childhood maltreatment victim was associated with suicidality (suicidal ideations, suicide plans, and suicide attempts). Dose-response patterns for suicide attempts were observed in all types of victims. Moreover, the respondents who experienced frequent childhood emotional neglect were 14 times more likely to have attempted suicide.ConclusionChildhood maltreatment was associated with mental health in adulthood. The findings show the need for early detection and intervention of victims of childhood maltreatment to minimize its negative impact on adult mental health.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Association between childhood adversities and psychopathology onset throughout the lifespan: Findings from a large metropolitan population

BackgroundChildhood adversities (ECA) are deleterious experiences that can occur during individuals’ development, which has been associated with several negative health outcomes. AimAnalyze the effect of ECA on the onset of DSM-IV disorders throughout life. MethodThe Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used in a stratified, multistage area probability sample of 5037 individuals aged 18 or more to assess the presence of childhood adversities, 20 psychiatric disorders and their ages of onset. Discrete-time survival models were performed to estimate the odds of disorder onset. Data are from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey, the Brazilian branch of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative. Findings53.6% of the sample experienced at least one ECA, and parental death (16.1%) and physical abuse (16%) were the most reported occurrences. Parental mental illness (OR = 1.99 to 2.27) and family violence (OR = 1.55 to 1.99) were the adversities most consistently associated with psychopathology across all age groups, while economic adversities (OR = 2.71 to 3.30) and parent criminality (OR = 1.72 to 1.77) were associated with psychopathology in individuals whose onset of disorder occurred from age 13 years on. Parental mental disorders and economic adversities were the strongest and most consistent predictors of all four classes of psychopathologies examined in multivariate models controlled for the clustering of adversities. Physical abuse was associated with externalizing disorders, while sexual abuse with internalizing disorders. InterpretationChildhood adversities were consistently associated with mental disorders. Economic adversities and parent mental disorders were predictive of psychopathology even if controlled for type (additive) and type and number of adversities (interactive models). Parental mental disorder and family violence were the main predictors of psychopathology onset across all age groups. Parental mental disorder was the only adversity that predicted all classes of disorders investigated.

Disentangling and Quantifying Mechanisms of Increased Fall Risk Among Older Adults With Depression

Background: Older adults with depression are up to four times more likely to fall, yet the mechanisms by which depression increases fall risk are unclear. This study sought to quantify and compare the relative strength of selected mechanisms mediating the association between depression and falls. Methods: We used longitudinal linked data (2006 – 2010) from the Health and Retirement Study and Prescription Drug Study. The analytic sample included non-institutionalized adults age > 65 with data on physical functioning and medication use (n=3,565). Falls and injurious falls over the past two years were self-reported outcomes. Depression was measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). We used causal mediation analysis to estimate the total and direct associations between depression and falls and compared strength of three potential mediating mechanisms – frailty, cognition, and antidepressant (AD) use. Results: Of 190 participants reporting depression in 2006, 85 (44.7%) fell and 30 (15.8%) were injured from a fall between 2008 and 2010. Depressed individuals were 92% more likely to fall compared to non-depressed (OR=1.92, p<.01). We found significant indirect effects of AD use (indirect OR=1.17, p<.01) and frailty (OR=1.12, p=.013) representing 19% and 13% of the total effect of depression on falls, respectively. Cognition was not a significant mediator. Results were similar for falls leading to injury. Discussion: Results suggest that AD use and frailty explain a significant portion of the elevated risk for falls among depressed individuals. Identification of these and other mechanisms may inform clinical treatment decisions for older adults with depression.

Trends in the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders among Canadian working-age adults between 2000 and 2016.

Understanding the prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDEs) and anxiety disorders at the population level among different labour force segments is critical to assessing and planning equitable mental health policies for Canadians adults. This study quantified prevalence trends of annually reported MDEs, anxiety disorders, and comorbid MDEs and anxiety disorders among working-age Canadians by labour force status, between 2000 and 2016. This study used multiple cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey. MDE prevalence was assessed using variants of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Anxiety disorder prevalence captured the presence of an anxiety disorder diagnosed by a healthcare professional. Prevalence estimates were calculated in each survey cycle for three labour force groups: employed, unemployed and not participating in the labour force. A meta-analytic framework stratified by labour force status estimated prevalence trends. Between 2000 and 2016, MDE prevalence remained statistically stable over time at 5.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.7% to 6.0%), 11.7% (95% CI: 10.4% to 13.0%) and 9.8% (95% CI: 8.5% to 11.2%) among participants who were employed, unemployed, and not participating in the labour force, respectively. Anxiety prevalence ranged from 4.6% to 10.8%, and increased over time (employed: β=0.26%/year, 95% CI: 0.08% to 0.45%; unemployed: β=0.34%/year, 95% CI: -0.10% to 0.78%; not participating in the labour force: β=0.55%/year, 95% CI: 0.15% to 0.95%). Stable comorbid MDE and anxiety prevalence ranged from 1.2% to 4.1% between 2003 and 2016. Trends suggest that MDE prevalence has remained stable among all labour force groups since 2000, while anxiety disorder prevalence has modestly increased since 2003. Disorder prevalence increased as labour force attachment decreased across all outcomes studied.

Is the Black-White mental health paradox consistent across age, gender, and psychiatric disorders?

Objectives The Black-White mental health epidemiological paradox (i.e. Black Americans’ lower or similar rates of mental disorder relative to Whites) characterizes the literature on race and mental health. Yet, research has generally paid less attention to how such findings may vary across other social statuses that shape mental health. This study assessed whether the Black-White paradox is consistent across gender, age groups, and psychiatric disorders, including lifetime mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Method We used data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R) and National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2001–2003 (N = 4,591 African Americans; 6,668 non-Hispanic Whites). Psychiatric disorders were measured with the World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI). Binary logistic regression models were conducted to assess racial patterns of lifetime mental disorders across age and gender. Wald tests were performed to assess age and gender group differences in Black-White patterns of mental disorder. Results The Black-White mental health paradox generally extends across lifetime mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders and is consistent across age and gender groups. One exception is middle-aged (45–64 years) Black men, who had higher odds of lifetime substance use disorder relative to their White male middle-aged peers. This difference is no longer statistically significant after accounting for education and employment. We also found more similarity in mental disorders between older Blacks and Whites relative to their younger counterparts, suggesting that Black-White mental health differences are most pronounced among younger age groups. Conclusion Our findings contribute to the broader literature on the Black-White mental health paradox by demonstrating that this epidemiological pattern persists across various mental disorder types and, at times, depends on age group and gender. Given that Black-Whte differences are less pronounced among older adults, future research should consider the ways life course theory might inform our understanding of the paradox. Findings also suggest that substance use services are critical to address the needs of middle-aged Black men of lower socioeconomic status who are disproportionately affected by substance use disorder, yet have relatively lower mental health care utilization rates.

Hostility in cancer patients as an underexplored facet of distress.

In the present study, we aimed to assess hostility and to examine its association with formal psychiatric diagnosis, coping, cancer worries, and quality of life in cancer patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) to make an ICD-10 (International Classification of Disease) psychiatric diagnosis was applied to 516 cancer outpatients. The patients also completed the Brief Symptom Inventory-53 to assess hostility (BSI-HOS), and the Mini-Mental Adjustment to cancer scale (Mini-MAC). A subset of patients completed the Cancer Worries Inventory (CWI), the Openness Scale, and the Quality of Life Index. By analyzing the distribution of the responses 25% of the patients had moderate and 11% high levels of hostility, with about 20% being BSI-HOS "cases." Hostility was higher in patients with a formal ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis (mainly major depression, other depressive disorders, anxiety disorders) than patients without ICD-10 diagnosis. However, about 25% of ICD-10-non cases also had moderate-to-high hostility levels. Hostility was associated with Mini-MAC hopelessness and anxious preoccupation, poorer quality of life, worries (mainly problems sin interpersonal relationships), and inability to openly discuss these problems within the family. Hostility and its components should be considered as dimensions to be more carefully explored in screening for distress in cancer clinical settings for its implications in negatively impacting on quality of life, coping and relationships with the family, and possibly the health care system.

Mental Disorders and Subsequent Suicide in A Representative Community Population

BackgroundExisting association between mental disorders and suicidality is mostly based on cross- sectional studies, using clinical samples.&#x0D; Objective and methodsWe examined the patterns of association between mental disorders and subsequent suicide in a representative sample of the Canadian household population. This is a retrospective cohort study that used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2002 linked to the Death Database 2000-2011 and the Hospitalization Database 1999/2000-2012/2013) (N=27,000). Mental disorders (past-year major depressive episodes (MDE), bipolar disorders (BPD), anxiety disorders (AD), and substance-dependent (SD)) were diagnosed in the survey data using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Subsequent suicide events (deaths/hospitalizations for suicide attempts) were identified using ICD-10-CA codes. Time-to-event data were analyzed using competing-risk regression models, adjusting for age, sex, marital status, and educational attainment. Due to the violation of the proportional hazard assumption, the models were stratified into two strata. Sampling weights were used to ensure representation of the target population.&#x0D; ResultsOf 27,000 respondents, mental disorders were diagnosed in 15.0% respondents and 0.4% had suicide events. Each mental disorder was significantly associated with an increased risk of suicide. The strength of association between mental disorder and suicide weakened over-time for MDE, SD, but not for BPD and AD. For example, using the time-to-event cut-off 4-year, the hazard ratio (HR) for MDE was 6.02 (95% CI=2.65,13.68) in the first 4-year, whereas, it was 2.03 (95% CI=0.91,4.53) after 4-year. The HRs of suicide for BPD were 16.95 (95% CI=6.88,41.75) and 15.81 (95% CI=5.89,42.45) before and after 4-year.&#x0D; Conclusions/ImplicationsFindings reflect improvement of suicide-risk over-time for people with MDE and SA and the persisting risk for people with BPD and AD. Our findings underscore the importance of early management of mental disorders for effective suicide prevention, and requirement of longer-term follow-up for people with BPD and AD.

Rationale and Methodology of the 2018 Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (CAFVMHS): A 16-year Follow-up Survey: Raison D'être Et Méthodologie De L'enquête De Suivi Sur La Santé Mentale Des Membres Des Forces Armées Canadiennes Et Des Anciens Combattants, 2018 (ESSMFACM).

Objective:Knowledge is limited regarding the longitudinal course and predictors of mental health problems, suicide, and physical health outcomes among military and veterans. Statistics Canada, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manitoba and an international team, conducted the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-Up Survey (CAFVMHS). Herein, we describe the rationale and methods of this important survey.Method:The CAFVMHS is a longitudinal survey design with 2 time points (2002 and 2018). Regular Force military personnel who participated in the first Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2—Mental Health and Well-Being, Canadian Forces Supplement (CCHS-CFS) in 2002 (N = 5,155) were reinterviewed in 2018 (n = 2,941). The World Mental Health Survey–Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria.Results:The CAFVMHS includes 2,941 respondents (66% veterans; 34% active duty) and includes data on mental disorder diagnoses, physical health conditions, substance use, medication use, general health, mental health services, perceived need for care, social support, moral injury, deployment experiences, stress, physical activity, military-related sexual assault, childhood experiences, and military and sociodemographic information.Conclusions:The CAFVMHS provides a unique opportunity to further understand the health and well-being of military personnel in Canada over time to inform intervention and prevention strategies and improve outcomes. The data are available through the Statistics Canada Research Data Centres across Canada and can be used cross-sectionally or be longitudinally linked to the 2002 CCHS-CFS data.

Depression as a Risk Factor for Physical Illness and Multimorbidity in a Cohort with No Prior Comorbidity.

This study examines whether depression is associated with the development of physical illness and multimorbidity, after controlling for socioeconomic, behavioral, and other potential confounders. This is a retrospective cohort study in which adult respondents to three nationally representative population health surveys were linked to health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, and followed for 10 years from survey index. Respondents with any of the study outcome conditions at baseline were excluded to create a final cohort of 29,838 participants. The main exposure of interest was depression, measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form for Major Depression. We controlled for age, body mass index, marital status, immigrant status, annual household income, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, health status, and having a regular doctor. The outcome measure was the development of physical illness over 10 years of follow-up, defined as 1 of 15 common chronic conditions using administrative data. Among the 29,838 participants (15,259 [51%] female), 8% of females and 4% of males had depression at baseline. In this cohort with no comorbidities at baseline, even in the fully adjusted model, depression increased the risk of developing a first physical illness for females (hazard ratio [HR] 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.26) and males (HR 1.20; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.36) and increased the risk of developing a second physical illness for females (HR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.33) over 10 years of follow-up. For individuals with no prior comorbidities, depression is associated with a greater risk of developing subsequent physical illness and multimorbidity over time. Thus, depression identifies a population of people who may benefit from early identification, additional screening, and intervention. Further study needs to be done to determine whether interventions to manage and support people with depression can prevent or delay the increased risk of multimorbidity.

Psychometric Properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in Elderly Chilean Primary Care Users

Background: This study aimed to assess the measurement properties (reliability, factor structure, and criterion validity) of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as an instrument for screening major depressive disorder (MDD) in elderly primary care users in Chile.Method: About 582 participants aged between 65 and 80 years were enrolled from primary care centers. They completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), a survey with sociodemographic characteristics and the PHQ-9.Results: The PHQ-9 revealed an acceptable internal consistency (ω = 0.79 [95% CI: 0.75–0.80] and α = 0.78 [95% CI: 0.75–0.81]); confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit for both 1- and 2-factor solutions. The chi-square difference test (χ2 = 0.61, gl = 1, p = 0.43) and correlation between the somatic and the cognitive-effective latent factors were very high (r = 0.97, p < 0.001), indicating that the 1 factor model was more parsimonious. Utilizing the CIDI as the gold standard, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.88 (SE = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.84–0.90). The optimal cut-off score of ≥ 6 yielded good sensitivity and specificity for detecting MDD (0.95 and 0.76, respectively). However, considering the clinical utility index, the cut-off score of ≥9 proved to be a more effective marker for discarding cases of MDD.Conclusion: The PHQ-9 has adequate psychometric properties for elderly primary care users. In clinical settings, it showed its greatest utility in ruling out the presence of an MDD, however, its clinical value for identifying possible cases of MDD is limited. In cases above the cut-off point, it is recommended to perform a more thorough evaluation.

Transdiagnostic development of internalizing psychopathology throughout the life course up to age 45: a World Mental Health Surveys report.

Depressive and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid, which has been theorized to be due to an underlying internalizing vulnerability. We aimed to identify groups of participants with differing vulnerabilities by examining the course of internalizing psychopathology up to age 45. We used data from 24158 participants (aged 45+) in 23 population-based cross-sectional World Mental Health Surveys. Internalizing disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). We applied latent class growth analysis (LCGA) and investigated the characteristics of identified classes using logistic or linear regression. The best-fitting LCGA solution identified eight classes: a healthy class (81.9%), three childhood-onset classes with mild (3.7%), moderate (2.0%), or severe (1.1%) internalizing comorbidity, two puberty-onset classes with mild (4.0%) or moderate (1.4%) comorbidity, and two adult-onset classes with mild comorbidity (2.7% and 3.2%). The childhood-onset severe class had particularly unfavorable sociodemographic outcomes compared to the healthy class, with increased risks of being never or previously married (OR = 2.2 and 2.0, p < 0.001), not being employed (OR = 3.5, p < 0.001), and having a low/low-average income (OR = 2.2, p < 0.001). Moderate or severe (v. mild) comorbidity was associated with 12-month internalizing disorders (OR = 1.9 and 4.8, p < 0.001), disability (B = 1.1-2.3, p < 0.001), and suicidal ideation (OR = 4.2, p < 0.001 for severe comorbidity only). Adult (v. childhood) onset was associated with lower rates of 12-month internalizing disorders (OR = 0.2, p < 0.001). We identified eight transdiagnostic trajectories of internalizing psychopathology. Unfavorable outcomes were concentrated in the 1% of participants with childhood onset and severe comorbidity. Early identification of this group may offer opportunities for preventive interventions.

Mental health service use among people without mental health disorders in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey

Purpose To examine the patterns and correlates of 12-month mental health service use among those who do not have a diagnosed mental health disorder during that period in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods The Saudi National Mental Health Survey used the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview to ascertain mental health conditions. To understand the reasons for help-seeking among respondents without a diagnosed mental health disorder (n = 1256), the patterns and the association of service use to sociodemographic and clinical factors were assessed. Results Those without a disorder diagnosed comprised 40% of service users accounting for over one-third (35.4%) of mental health service visits. The mean number of visits was higher in those with no indicator of need compared to other categories. General medical provider was the common source of treatment among those without a disorder. Respondents who were ever married were more likely to utilize mental health services, whereas those who reported lower income were less likely to receive treatment. Conclusion Although the majority of 12-month mental health services were provided to people with a diagnosed disorder or other indicators of need, the proportion of treatment utilized by those who did not is high and warrants further investigation.

The influence of child maltreatment on substance or alcohol use in 30-year-old adults: A birth cohort study.

Retrospective studies have shown a strong association between experiencing maltreatment in childhood and subsequent illicit substance or alcohol use. Prospective studies are rarer, with limited data following subjects into adulthood. We report findings from a prospective record-linkage analysis, which examines whether notified and/or substantiated child maltreatment is associated with substance (SUD) or alcohol use disorders (AUD) in early adulthood when participants are 30 years old. We linked data from a statutory child protection agency of prospectively notified and substantiated child maltreatment to a survey of a birth cohort recruited from the main maternity hospital of Brisbane. The main outcomes were 30-day and lifetime diagnoses of SUD or AUD at 30-year follow-up as measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Auto version. Of the 2861 people at the 30-year follow-up, 103 (3.6%) had a history of agency-substantiated maltreatment by 16 years. On adjusted analyses, AUD in the previous 30 days or lifetime SUD were both significantly associated with childhood maltreatment. Of maltreatment subtypes, 30-day AUD at 30 years of age was particularly associated with physical and emotional abuse while SUD was associated with sexual maltreatment. Recurring or multiple forms of abuse had the worst outcomes. Child maltreatment, especially involving physical and sexual abuse, predicts AUD and SUD that extends to people in their 30s. Children with more than one type of maltreatment are at particular risk. Further research may help to identify possible predictors of long-term outcomes of child maltreatment.

The roles of depression and social relationships in the onset and course of loneliness amongst Nigerian elders.

Few studies in Africa have investigated the risk profile and course of loneliness in old age. This study examined the risk factors for onset and chronicity, as well as the predictors of recovery from loneliness in a large representative sample of community dwelling older Africans. A household multistage probability sample of Nigerians who were 65 years or older was drawn from a geographical area with approximately 25 million population. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item University of California (UCLA) scale in 2007 and annually in 2008 and 2009. Social engagement, social network, and depression were evaluated using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Respondents were also administered the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore for risk factors. Estimates of adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for recovery were derived with the discrete time version of the Cox regression model for time invariant explanatory variables. Of 1704 respondents, 1525 were free of loneliness, using the UCLA scale, in 2007. A total of 209 (18.8%) persons developed new onset of loneliness in 2008 and 2009. Depression (O.R = 2.9, 95% C.I = 1.3-6.7), unmarried status (OR = 2.1, 95% C.I = 1.2-3.9) and social isolation (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.0-3.2) independently predicted loneliness onset. Baseline demographic, health, social, and lifestyle factors were not associated with a chronic course of loneliness. The overall recovery rate estimated over two years was 89.5% (95% CI = 75.3-106.4). Being male (HR = 1.3, 95% C.I = 1.0-1.6), ≥80 years (HR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.2-1.8) and having good social engagement at baseline (HR = 1.5, 95% C. = 1.1-2.0) independently predicted recovery from loneliness. Over a 2-year period, nearly one in five community-dwelling Africans developed new onset loneliness in old age, with a similar proportion having a chronic course of the emotional experience. While depression and indices of social isolation at baseline were associated with onset, good social engagement predicted recovery from loneliness.

Psychosocial and biological risk factors of anxiety disorders in adolescents: a TRAILS report

Anxiety disorders are a common problem in adolescent mental health. Previous studies have investigated only a limited number of risk factors for the development of anxiety disorders concurrently. By investigating multiple factors simultaneously, a more complete understanding of the etiology of anxiety disorders can be reached. Therefore, we assessed preadolescent socio-demographic, familial, psychosocial, and biological factors and their association with the onset of anxiety disorders in adolescence. This study was conducted among 1584 Dutch participants of the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Potential risk factors were assessed at baseline (age 10–12), and included socio-demographic (sex, socioeconomic status), familial (parental anxiety and depression), psychosocial (childhood adversity, temperament), and biological (body mass index, heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol) variables. Anxiety disorders were assessed at about age 19 years through the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with onset of anxiety disorder as a dependent variable and the above-mentioned putative risk factors as predictors. Of the total sample, 25.7% had a lifetime diagnosis of anxiety disorder at age 19 years. Anxiety disorders were twice as prevalent in girls as in boys. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being female (OR = 2.38, p < .01), parental depression and anxiety (OR = 1.34, p = .04), temperamental frustration (OR = 1.31, p = .02) and low effortful control (OR = 0.76, p = .01) independently predicted anxiety disorders. We found no associations between biological factors and anxiety disorder. After exclusion of adolescents with an onset of anxiety disorder before age 12 years, being female was the only significant predictor of anxiety disorder. Being female was the strongest predictor for the onset of anxiety disorder. Psychological and parental psychopathology factors increased the risk of diagnosis of anxiety, but to a lesser extent. Biological factors (heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, and BMI), at least as measured in the present study, are unlikely to be useful tools for anxiety prevention and intervention strategies.

Duration of anxiety disorder and its associated risk indicators: Results of a longitudinal study of the general population.

Data on episode duration of anxiety disorders are required for informing patients and for disease management, but such data from population studies are lacking. Three-year longitudinal data were used from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2, a psychiatric epidemiological cohort study among the general adult population (N = 6646). Respondents with a new (first or recurrent) anxiety disorder were selected (n = 158). DSM-IV diagnoses were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview; the Life Chart Interview assessed episode duration and recovery rates. Among those with anxiety disorder, median episode duration was 7.5 months and mean duration was 15.2 months. 38.8% had not recovered at 12 months and 30.1% not at 36 months. Longer duration was associated with older age, not having a paid job, higher neuroticism, more physical disorders, and worse physical functioning. Also, in the general population, anxiety disorder has a rather chronic course. After 12 months the cumulative recovery rate flattened. To prevent and manage chronicity, timely treatment, and chronic disease management are required. The risk indicators found may help to identify individuals with an anxiety disorder at risk for chronicity.

Variation in characteristics of people with mental disorders across smoking status in the Canadian general population.

INTRODUCTIONPeople with mental disorders are less successful in smoking cessation efforts. This study compared the characteristics of current smokers and former smokers with mental disorders.METHODSThis was a cross-sectional study that used the Public Use Microdata File of the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012. Survey respondents with any mental health disorder in the last 12 months (n=2700), identified using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview instrument, were included in the analysis. Smoking status was classified based on self-report responses as current, former and never smoker. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.RESULTSThe odds of quitting smoking were significantly lower among people who were single or never married (widowed/divorced/separated/single) compared to those who were married or had a common-law partner (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.9). Similarly, significantly lower odds of quitting smoking were observed among people with less than post-secondary education compared to those with post-secondary education (AOR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.3– 0.6). Also, the odds of quitting were significantly lower among immigrants, young adults, and middle-aged adults.CONCLUSIONSPeople who are young or middle-aged, single or never married, less educated, and immigrants, are less likely to quit smoking. This pattern underscores the socioeconomic disparities in quitting smoking among people with mental disorders. Future research should investigate why these groups continue to smoke more often than their counterparts. This will help design the smoking cessation support that address the challenges experienced by vulnerable populations and reduce the disparities.

Childhood adversities and suicidal behavior in the general population. The cross-sectional PEGASUS-Murcia Project

IntroductionThe aim of the present study is to estimate the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts in a regional representative sample and the association of these outcomes with sociodemographic factors, prior mental disorders, and childhood adversities. Material and methodsThe PEGASUS-Murcia project is a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of adults in Murcia that is part of the WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) was administered face-to-face to 2621 participants (67.4% response rate). The main outcomes were suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. Lifetime prevalence, age of onset, and risk factors (sociodemographic variables, mental disorders, and childhood adversities) were examined using multiple discrete-time survival models. ResultsLifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts were 8.0% (standard error, SE: 1.1), 2.1% (SE: 0.3), and 1.2% (SE: 1.1), respectively. Prevalence of any childhood adversities was 22.1% (SE: 1.3) in the total sample and, even higher, among those with suicide related outcomes (ranging between 36.8% and 53.7%). Female sex, younger age, prior (to onset of the outcome) lifetime prevalence of mood disorders, number of mental disorders, and exposure to childhood adversity were associated with significantly increased odds of suicidal ideation and plans. ConclusionsLifetime prevalence estimates of suicidality are similar to those in community epidemiological surveys. Childhood adversities and mental disorders, especially mood disorders, are important risk factors for suicidality. Early detection of these adversities and disorders should be targeted in suicide prevention programs.