Compulsive Score Research Articles

MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR REGULATIONOF SCI-TECH JOURNAL EDITORS AND ITS IMPACT ON JOURNAL QUALITY

BackgroundPsychological fatigue is a common psychological phenomenon among college journal editors. Emotion regulation is a process in which individuals use various factors and means to regulate and control their own emotions. Emotion regulation is an activity that serves personal purposes and is conducive to their own survival and development. Emotion regulation is the strategy and means that individuals use to regulate emotions when facing positive and negative emotions. It includes conscious strategies and unconscious emotion regulation mechanisms commonly used by individuals. Emotion regulation plays an important role in mental health. By studying the current situation and causes of psychological fatigue of college journal editors, we can formulate corresponding management countermeasures. This paper analyzes the various psychological pressures existing in the editors of scientific and technological journals, and discusses how to adjust their own psychology. This can reduce the editor's mental illness, promote mental health, and invest in the editor's work with a better mood and abundant energy. Emotion regulation can prevent and eliminate the adverse factors causing psychological fatigue, so as to improve the enthusiasm and creativity of editors and improve the quality of university journals.Subjects and methodsOn the basis of consulting a large number of relevant literature, this study compiled a questionnaire of emotion regulation style of scientific and technological editors with certain reliability and validity by using open-ended questionnaire. The emotion regulation mode of editors was measured by questionnaire, and the emotion regulation mode of sci-tech journal editors was understood. On this basis, this paper studies the relationship between emotion regulation and the editing quality of scientific and technological journals. 85 editors of sci-tech journals were tested with the symptom Checklist-90 and compared with the Chinese youth norm. After the intervention of emotion regulation, 37 people were randomly selected from the above 85 people, and the editors of scientific and technological journals were investigated by 90 symptom checklist and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.ResultsThe incidence of psychological problems of sci-tech journal editors was 15.79%. The incidence of psychological problems of responsible editors was significantly higher than that of General Editors (P <0.05). The five factor scores of somatization, compulsion, interpersonal relationship, depression and anxiety of sci-tech journal editors were significantly higher than the National Youth norm (P < 0.01). The editors of sci-tech periodicals have certain psychological problems, especially the psychological problems of responsible editors, which should be paid attention to by relevant departments and leaders. After the intervention of emotion regulation, the results show that the editor's mental health is good, and the stability of emotion is an important factor affecting his mental health. Therefore, editors of sci-tech journals should be good at controlling their emotions and maintaining their psychological integrity when facing various pressures. In the face of positive emotions, the emotional regulation methods used by journal editors from more to less are: emotional sharing, emotional disclosure, emotional maintenance, motivation, restraint and sublimation. The frequency of emotion used by editors is shifted from less emotional experience and less emotional stress to more emotional stress. Journal Editors mainly regulate positive emotions by means of emotional sharing and emotional disclosure, and regulate negative emotions by means of cognitive reappraisal and venting. There are professional, work intensity and gender differences in the emotional regulation of journal editors. There is a positive correlation between emotional sharing, motivation, restraint, emotional maintenance, emotional disclosure, distraction and cognitive reappraisal in positive emotion regulation and life satisfaction. However, there is a negative correlation between the ways of regulating the sublimation of positive emotions, the venting of negative emotions, depression, experiencing pain and relaxation and life satisfaction. Among the twelve emotion regulation factors that predict life satisfaction, the factors of positive emotion regulation and negative emotion regulation, such as venting, depression and experiencing pain, have significant predictive power on life satisfaction.ConclusionThe psychological health and emotional stability of sci-tech journal editors are related to the quality of journal editors. Correct emotion regulation and guidance can dispel the editor's psychological fatigue and promote his emotional stability. The emotional stability of sci-tech periodical editors can improve the editing quality of sci-tech periodicals. Therefore, the competent department of sci-tech periodicals should pay attention to the mental health status of periodical editors, eliminate psychological fatigue and stabilize their emotions through psychological intervention.

Abstract MP43: Motivational Profiles Are Cross-sectionally Associated With Psychological And Physical Health Outcomes Among Young Adult Yoga Practitioners

Introduction: The adoption of mind-body behaviors, such as yoga, in young adulthood may improve cardiovascular health trajectories through psychological (e.g., reduced stress) and physical (e.g., increased activity) pathways. Differences in personal characteristics, such as motivations for practicing yoga, may relate to differing psychological and physical health outcomes. However, little is known with regard to whether young adults’ yoga-related motivations cluster in latent patterns (i.e., motivational underpinning profiles) or if these profiles are associated with psychological factors and physical health behaviors. Hypothesis: Latent class analysis (LCA) will identify unique motivational profiles among a sample of young adults practicing yoga. Young adults whose yoga practice is internally motivated will be more likely to report positive psychological characteristics whereas external motivations for yoga will be more strongly associated with maladaptive physical health behaviors. Methods: Survey data were drawn from the fourth wave of a large, population-based study (Project EAT-IV; Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults). A subsample of 297 yoga practitioners (n=297; mean age=30.8±1.7 years; 79.7% female) reported (yes/no) on nine motivations for yoga items and LCA identified four distinct and mutually exclusive profiles based on previously unobserved combinations of internal and external motivational underpinnings. Cross-sectional associations between emergent LCA motivational profiles, psychological factors, and physical health behaviors were determined using general linear modeling (adjusted for gender, BMI, and race/ethnicity). Results: Across motivational profiles, most young adult yoga practitioners were motivated by stress reduction/relaxation and enhanced fitness. However, additional motivations for yoga differed in such that LCA characterized motivational profiles as “Low Appearance, Low Mindfulness” (Class 1; n=77), “Low Appearance, High Mindfulness” (Class 2; n=48), “High Appearance, Low Mindfulness” (Class 3; n=79), and “High Appearance, High Mindfulness” (Class 4; n=93). Having coexistent high mindfulness and low appearance motives (Class 2) was associated with higher body satisfaction in comparison to the other classes (p&lt;0.001). Relative to Class 2, those with low mindfulness motives (Class 1; Class 3) reported less total physical activity (p=0.002) and those with high appearance motives (Class 3; Class 4) reported higher compulsive exercise scores (p=0.002). Conclusions: Yoga’s mind-body health properties may be harnessed to promote cardiovascular health. Although directionality cannot be assessed with this cross-sectional study, findings suggest that yoga programs for young adults emphasize the internal (mindfulness) rather than external (appearance) benefits of yoga to support a healthful practice.

Anxiety and Obsession among the Dentists after Covid-19 Vaccination - A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: To assess dentists' COVID-19 anxiety and obsession following vaccination and their impressions of the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study performed in July 2021. Two previously validated, standardized, self-reported scales were used: the COVID-19 anxiety scale (CAS) and the Obsession with COVID-19 scale (OCS).COVID-19 scales. The survey form was circulated through the convenience snowball technique. Data were analyzed with the help of SPSS-21. Independent sample T-Test and ANOVA were executed. Results: Data of 124 dentists were analyzed. Mean anxiety and obsession score was recorded as 5.29±4.238 and 1.87±3.34, respectively. 83.06% (n=103) of the dentists agree that the vaccine's anxiety has been reduced. Female dentists showed significantly higher anxiety (t= -2.606, P=0.011) and obsession scores (t=-3.309, P=0.02). Dysfunctional anxiety was found in 21.77% of the dentists, and obsession was observed in 9.67%. Conclusion: The majority of dentists stated that COVID-19 vaccination had lessened their anxiety related to COVID-19, and Coronavirus vaccination has greatly reduced dysfunctional anxiety and obsession Keywords: Anxiety, Obsession, Dentists, COVID-19, Vaccination

Individual Differences in Testosterone and Self-Control Predict Compulsive Sexual Behavior Proneness in Young Males.

The ability to control sexual urges and impulses is essential to achieve individual and social harmony. Failing to regulate sexual behavior can lead to the interference with daily life goals, sexual diseases transmission and moral violations, among others. The dual control model of sexual response proposes that an imbalance between sexual excitation and sexual inhibition mechanisms may lead to sexual dysregulation, thereby explaining problematic sexual behavior. Interindividual differences in self-control and testosterone levels are likely to modulate sexual regulation mechanisms, but these individual features have scarcely been studied in the context of compulsive sexual behavior. This study investigated the role of sexual excitation and inhibition, self-control and testosterone levels in predicting individuals’ proneness to display compulsive sexual behavior. Seventy healthy young males provided a saliva sample for testosterone measurements and filled in questionnaires on self-control, sexual excitation, sexual inhibition, sexual compulsivity and sexual behavior. High testosterone levels and low self-control were associated with higher sexual compulsivity scores. Additionally, testosterone levels and sexual inhibition negatively predicted the frequency of sexual behavior with a partner. The results of our study highlight the joint role of psychological traits and testosterone levels in compulsive sexual behavior proneness, providing implications regarding the prevention and treatment of this condition in young males.

Reduced pituitary volume with relative T1 shortening correlates with behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome

• Reduced pituitary volumes are found in PWS patients. • Relative T 1 signal intensity is reduced in the pituitary gland in PWS patients. • Neuroendocrine-behavior correlates are potential intrinsic biomarkers for PWS. Prader-Willi syndrome is a complex endocrinological and developmental disorder characterized by hyperphagic, autistic, and obsessive behaviors, which have been considered to primarily originate from hypothalamus-pituitary axis system alterations in the brain. While the pituitary gland has been demonstrated to contribute to behavioral phenotypes associated with neuropeptide, e.g., arginine-vasopressin, the relevant alterations in Prader-Willi syndrome remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate developmental abnormalities in the pituitary gland structures and determine whether the structural abnormalities are associated with behavioral characteristics in Prader-Willi syndrome. In total, 21 Japanese individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome and 31 healthy controls with typical development were included. Compared with the control group, the Prader-Willi syndrome group showed reduced anterior and posterior pituitary volume ratios per total intracranial volume with relative T 1 shortening in an age-associated manner. Moreover, altered volume ratios and signal intensities were negatively correlated with hyperphagia and autistic questionnaire scores but positively correlated with obsessive scores. The findings suggest that structural and functional alterations, in part due to altered hypothalamus-pituitary function, may contribute to the behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome. The imaging-behavior correlates and in vivo neurochemical visualization of the pituitary gland might be potential intrinsic biomarkers for behavioral phenotypes in Prader-Willi syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Tina's ParTy line: Polysubstance use patterns in sexual minority men living with HIV who use methamphetamine.

This cross-sectional study examined the associations of demographic, structural and psychological factors with distinct typologies of polysubstance use in sexual minority men (SMM) living with HIV who use methamphetamine. In total, 161 SMM living with HIV who reported methamphetamine use in the past 3 months were recruited in San Francisco from 2013 to 2017 for a randomised controlled trial. A latent class analysis was conducted by leveraging baseline measures of self-reported use of 15 substances in the past 3 months as well as validated screening measures of hazardous alcohol and cannabis use. Correlates of latent class membership were examined using a three-step categorical latent variable logistic regression. Four typologies of substance use were identified: (i) methamphetamine use only (43%); (ii) methamphetamine and crack-cocaine use (22%); (iii) party and play use-methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate and amyl nitrites (i.e. poppers) with erectile dysfunction drugs (31%); and (iv) high polysubstance use (4%). SMM of colour and those with a history of incarceration were more commonly classified as engaging in methamphetamine and crack-cocaine use compared to party and play use. Men with higher sexual compulsivity scores were more commonly classified as engaging in party and play use and polysubstance use. There is substantial heterogeneity in polysubstance use patterns among SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine. This will inform the development of tailored substance use interventions addressing the unique needs of SMM of colour and targeting sexual compulsivity as a prominent comorbidity for some men.

The Relationship Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders and Childhood Chronic Functional Constipation

Chronic constipation is one of the most common problems in children. It can cause anxiety and psychological problems in patients and parents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) in children with chronic functional constipation. This is a case-control study performed at the gastroenterology clinic of Besat Hospital Sanandaj for one year. The children aged 7-14-year-old with chronic functional constipation were selected as a case group, and the healthy children were recruited as a control group, who referred for growth control. Then, the Maudsley questionnaire for obsessive-compulsive disorders was completed by a trained assistant. With this questionnaire, the presence or absence of OCD and its type can be determined. Forty-three children were selected as the case group and sixty-seven children as the control group. The mean age of the case and control group was 9.3±1.5 and 8.8±1.6 years, respectively. Based on the results, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of checking, cleaning, slowness, doubting, and total obsessive score (P˂0.05). Therefore, all five types of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the case group were greater than the control group. Obsessive-compulsive disorders were more common in children with functional constipation, and the total obsessive score in these children than the healthy children was a significant difference.

Adjuvant Priming Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: In Search of a New Paradigm!

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is used as a therapeutic option for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in both clinical and research settings. There has been no consensus with regard to target area and other parameters, although 1-Hz rTMS over the supplementary motor area (SMA) is found to be promising. Priming stimulation, which involves high-frequency followed by low-frequency rTMS, has been shown to enhance neural response to low-frequency rTMS. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of adjunctive priming rTMS over the SMA in treatment-resistant OCD. Thirty patients with OCD who were symptomatic after an adequate selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor trial were randomized into 2 groups: one group receiving active priming stimulation (6-Hz rTMS at 80% resting motor threshold) followed by 1-Hz rTMS (priming rTMS group) and the other receiving sham stimulation followed by 1-Hz rTMS (rTMS-only group). Both groups received 10 sessions of such interventions for 2 weeks. Both the rater and patients were blind to the treatment allocation. Assessments were done using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Both groups showed a significant improvement in all domains of psychopathology over time. The priming rTMS group was better than the rTMS-only group in reducing the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale compulsion score (P < 0.023) as well as scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale. None developed any adverse effects requiring medical attention. Priming rTMS over the SMA is safe and has favorable effects in OCD. It seems to have a predominant effect on the reduction of compulsions, presumably rectifying the impaired response inhibition in patients with OCD.

Factors associated with mental health of graduate nursing students in China.

The increasing number of graduate nursing students in China has resulted in the wide concern for their mental health problems. Quantitative studies using validated questionnaires on mental health of graduate nursing students are rare. This study aimed to investigate the factors potentially involved in the level of mental health of graduate nursing students.The sample consisted of 339 graduate nursing students from 5 universities of China. The participants were evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) between March and November 2020. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis and spearman correlation test were performed to assess the association between various factors associated with mental health.The SCL-90 total score was 109.00 (96.00 –134.00) and psychological abnormalities (total score > 160) accounted for 14.2%. The highest score in the nine dimensions was compulsion dimension. The positive detection rate of compulsion dimension was 21.5% (dimensions score > 2),and the average of compulsion score was 1.50(1.20 –2.00). Multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis showed that grade, environmental adaptation level, number of good friends were independently associated with lower SCL-90 scores (both P < .05). SCL-90 scores were correlated with Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (r = .159, P = .003).Results indicate that learning about ways to adapt to the environment, strengthening good friends support and alleviating perceived stress can help improve graduate nursing students’ level of mental health. The conclusions of this study can provide a reference to improve the psychological intervention strategies for graduate nursing students.

Investigation of obsessions and compulsions in terms of psychological resilience in the epidemic period

Aims and Objectives: In this study, obsessions and compulsions observed during the epidemic period were investigated in terms of psychological resilience. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted on a voluntary basis with 208 people (51.4% women, 48.6% men) who were exposed to the COVID 19 epidemic. Participants were given a Sociodemographic Information Form including questions about COVID 19, Vancouver Obsession–Compulsion Inventory (VOCI), and Adult Psychological Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed with Statistical Package Program for Social Science 21.0 program. Results: When the findings were examined, no difference was found between obsession–compulsion and psychological resilience in terms of total score. However, there are relationships in subdimensions. Contamination subscore of VOCI and social resources subscore of Resilience Scale for Adults were found to be higher than the others. Hoarding was higher in men, while self perception, structural style, and family cohesion were higher in women. Single participants had higher obsession–compulsion scores, whereas married participants had higher self perception and family adjustment. It was concluded that as individuals' age increased, their self perception and social competence increased. Relationships were also found in terms of both obsession–compulsion and psychological resilience with variables, such as the frequency of COVID 19 news and case follow up, the frequency of body screening for COVID 19 symptoms, the change in the frequency of cleaning, and the idea of getting psychological support. Conclusion: This research is significant when it comes to seeing the effect of a compulsive life event, such as an epidemic disease on obsessive and compulsive behaviors.

Schizophrenia with and without obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a comparative analysis of performance on trail making test and disability on WHODAS

BackgroundPresence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) affects performance on tests of some cognitive functions, such as the trail making test (TMT), and may affect the level of disability in schizophrenia (SZ).AimsThe...

Psychological Distress Related to COVID-19 Among Nepalese Professionals: An Online Cross-sectional Study

Background: COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV2 virus. It's psychological distress would be a major obstacle towards social normalcy to pre-COVID era. There were lacks of studies to assess these distresses. The aim of this study was to study psychological distress related to COVID-19 among Nepalese professionals.&#x0D; Methods: This online cross-sectional survey was conducted from 12th-20th, June-2020. Questionnaires were based on Corona-virus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 scale (OCS).&#x0D; Results: Among 244 participants, majority were in the age group of 20-45 years with male female ratio of 2.1:1. About one third were health workers, 46% were teachers and service holders and remaining were from other professions. Majority of participants had subclinical obsessive (83.2%) and sub-clinical anxiety symptoms (69.3%). Law enforcement professionals (30.0%) and journalists 18.2% had highest prevalence of problematic obsessive symptoms. Law enforcement professionals (40%) had highest prevalence of problematic anxiety symptoms followed by health care workers (28.4%). About 35% of participants opted for multiple positive methods to cope with their obsessive and anxiety symptoms. Participants with higher obsession score had higher anxiety symptoms (r=0.592, p=&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Majority of participants only had sub-clinical obsession and anxiety related to COVID. But, health workers, law enforcement and journalism professionals were having problematic symptoms. Thus, efforts need to be concentrated towards formulation of policies for safe and productive environment for these professionals.

Anxiety Sensitivity Accelerates the Temporal Changes in Obsessions and Compulsions During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Although obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is effectively treated by cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), less is known about mechanisms underlying treatment response. Anxiety sensitivity (AS) may impact symptom change (velocity) and the rate of change in velocity (acceleration) during CBT for OCD. Latent Difference Score (LDS) analysis was used to show path-analytic dynamic modelling of OCD symptom velocity and acceleration during CBT, as a function of baseline AS. Eighty-four participants with a principal diagnosis of OCD completed 12 weeks of CBT group therapy, and measures assessing AS at pre-treatment, and obsession and compulsion severity at pre-treatment, sessions 4, 8, and end of treatment. LDS velocity models demonstrated that higher levels of baseline AS were associated with subsequent elevations in obsessions throughout treatment, and obsession scores were temporally associated with subsequent changes in compulsion scores. An LDS acceleration model demonstrated that higher levels of baseline AS scores were associated with rapid increases in the severity of obsessions, whereas lower AS scores were associated with rapid decreases in the severity of obsessions. These results have implications for theoretical and treatment modelling of obsessions and compulsions, as well as AS, in OCD. Higher levels of baseline AS negatively impact response to CBT for OCD.

Diagnostic Classification for Human Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Based on Machine Learning From a Primate Genetic Model.

Psychiatric disorders commonly comprise comorbid symptoms, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), raising controversies over accurate diagnosis and overlap of their neural underpinnings. The authors used noninvasive neuroimaging in humans and nonhuman primates to identify neural markers associated with DSM-5 diagnoses and quantitative measures of symptom severity. Resting-state functional connectivity data obtained from both wild-type and methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) transgenic monkeys were used to construct monkey-derived classifiers for diagnostic classification in four human data sets (ASD: Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange [ABIDE-I], N=1,112; ABIDE-II, N=1,114; ADHD-200 sample: N=776; OCD local institutional database: N=186). Stepwise linear regression models were applied to examine associations between functional connections of monkey-derived classifiers and dimensional symptom severity of psychiatric disorders. Nine core regions prominently distributed in frontal and temporal cortices were identified in monkeys and used as seeds to construct the monkey-derived classifier that informed diagnostic classification in human autism. This same set of core regions was useful for diagnostic classification in the OCD cohort but not the ADHD cohort. Models based on functional connections of the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex with the left thalamus and right prefrontal polar cortex predicted communication scores of ASD patients and compulsivity scores of OCD patients, respectively. The identified core regions may serve as a basis for building markers for ASD and OCD diagnoses, as well as measures of symptom severity. These findings may inform future development of machine-learning models for psychiatric disorders and may improve the accuracy and speed of clinical assessments.

Serum Lipids among Drug Naïve or Drug-Free Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and their Association with Impulsivity: A Comparative Study.

Background:The derangement of serum lipids is well documented in psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, mania, and depression but not in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), where it has been inadequately examined. Also, serum lipid abnormalities are increasingly found in “impulsivity,” an important sub-construct of OCD. Our study aimed to examine serum lipid profile among patients with OCD and its association with clinical profile and impulsivity among them.Methods:Forty drug naïve or drug-free (four weeks for oral and eight weeks for any depot psychotropics) patients with OCD according to International Classification of Disease -10th version (ICD-10): Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR) by the World Health Organization (WHO), from outpatient and inpatient departments of a tertiary care psychiatric hospital were recruited. Measures like Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Hamliton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Barratt's Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) were administered. Forty age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited after screening with General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). Serum lipids were assessed in both the groups.Results:Serum high density lipoproteins (HDL) (P < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.176) and apolipoprotein B (P < 0.001; partial η2 = 0.531) were significantly higher in OCD group than age- and sex-matched HC. A trend toward lower serum HDL (P = 0.06; partial η2 = 0.060) was observed among patients of OCD with high impulsivity. Serum HDL was negatively correlated with BIS attention (rs =-0.32; p = 0.03), BIS motor (rs = 0.40; P = 0.01), BIS non-planning (rs = - 0.36; P = 0.02), and BIS total (rs = - 0.36; P = 0.01) scores. Serum triglycerides (TG) (rs = 0.34; P = 0.03) and apolipoprotein B (rs = -0.32; P = 0.04) were negatively correlated with Y-BOCS compulsion score. Serum TG (rs = -0.45, P < 0.01) and serum very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) was negatively (rs = -0.39; P = 0.01) correlated with Y-BOCS total scores. Serum VLDL was positively (rs = 0.34; P = 0.03) correlated with BIS motor scores.Conclusions:Serum lipid fractions are deranged among patients with OCD. Different lipid fractions have different associations with clinical profiles of OCD. Impulsivity among patients with OCD may have a specific association with serum lipids. A small sample size, use of self-report measure without adaptation for impulsivity, a lack of metabolic profile assessment among participants, and a lack of assessment of impulsivity among HC were the limitations of our tudy.

The relationship between death obsession and religiosity in non-demented Muslim residents of a nursing home in TunisiaDeath obsession and religiosity.

Death distress is a significant problem in the older population and may be more pronounced in certain vulnerable older people, including those living in nursing home facilities. We aimed to assess death obsession (DO) in elderly people without dementia living in nursing homes, and to examine the association between DO and religiosity. We carried out a cross-sectional survey involving 42 elderly subjects living in a nursing home in Manouba, Tunisia. The "Mini-Mental State Examination", "Geriatric Depression Scale", "Activity of Daily Living", "Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric", "Death Obsession Scale", "Brief Religious Coping Scale" and "Arabic Religiosity Scale" were used to assess cognitive functions, depression, level of dependency, comorbidities, death obsession, religious coping, and religiosity, respectively. We found relatively high death obsession scores, with no gender differences (mean scores = 33.1 ± 18.1). Death obsession was significantly and positively associated with comorbidity scores (p = 0.04). No significant correlation was found between death obsession scores and religiosity and religious coping scores based on the bivariate analysis. Similarly, multiple hierarchical regression revealed that religious variables (overall religiosity and religious coping) did not significantly contribute to variance in death obsession. Older people living in nursing homes have specific psychosocial and spiritual needs which health care providers should recognise, assess and treat appropriately, at an early stage.

The relationship between death obsession and religiosity in Muslim nursing home non-demented residents in Tunisia

The death distress would be one of the most important problems in the older population and would be more pronounced in some vulnerable older subjects, including those living in nursing homes facilities. We aimed to assess death obsession (DO) in elderly without dementia living in nursing homes, and to examine the association between DO and religiosity. We carried out a cross-sectional survey involving 42 old subjects living in Manouba nursing home. The "Mini-Mental State Examination", the "Geriatric Depression Scale", the "Activity of Daily Living", the "Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric", the "Death Obsession Scale", the "Brief religious coping scale" and the "Arabic Religiosity Scale" were used to assess cognitive functions, depression, level of dependency, comorbidities, death obsession, religious coping and religiosity, respectively. We found relatively high death obsession scores, with no gender differencies (mean scores = 33.1 ± 18.1). The death obsession was significantly and positively associated with comorbidity scores (p = 0.04). No significant correlation was found between death obsession scores and religiosity and religious coping scores in the bivariate analysis. Similarly, multiple hierarchical regression found that religious variables (global religiosity and religious coping) did not significantly contribute to the variance of the death obsession. Older people living in nursing homes have specific psychosocial and spiritual needs, that health care providors should recognize, assess and care for, early and adequately.

Effects of mindfulness relaxation training on stress response and postoperative rehabilitation of patients undergoing general surgery

Objective To investigate the effects of mindfulness relaxation training on stress response and postoperative rehabilitation of patients undergoing general surgery. Methods A total of 110 patients who underwent general surgery were randomly divided into study group and control group, with 55 cases in each group. The control group received routine peri-operational period nursing, and the study group carried out mindfulness relaxation training on the basis of control group for 4 weeks. The levels changes of serum insulin, cortisol were detected between two groups. The psychological stress of two groups were evaluated with Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). The off-bed activity time, anus exhaust time, bowel sounds recovery time and hospital stay time were recorded to evaluate the quality of patients′ postoperative rehabilitation. Results The levels of insulin, cortisol were at minimum on admission in two groups, and then increased, the highest level was at 2 hours after operation. There was no significant difference in insulin, cortisol level on admission in two groups (P>0.05), however, the insulin [(120.15±22.63) μg/L, (122.34±15.75) μg/L], cortisol [(10.41±3.07) mmol/L, (12.69±4.50) mmol/L] levels were significantly decreased in the study group compared to the control group [(129.85±15.43) μg/L, (131.34±22.79) μg/L and (11.69±2.99) mmol/L, (14.84±4.04) mmol/L] before anesthesia and at 2 hours after operation (t value was 2.206-2.638, P<0.05). After intervention, the total scores of SCL-90 (120.91±11.84), somatization (1.26±0.13), compulsion (1.43±0.08), depression (1.18±0.12), anxiety (1.14±0.10) and fear (1.34±0.08) were all lower in the study group than those in the control group (130.47±14.13, 1.83±0.53, 1.65±0.58, 1.71±0.12, 1.76±0.13, 1.41±0.12), and the differences were statistically significant (t value was 2.828-28.277, all P<0.05). Besides, off-bed activity time [(1.55±0.18) d] and hospital stay time[ (6.51±2.20) d] in the study group were significantly less than in the control group [(1.73±0.25) d and (7.65±2.19 d)] (t value was 2.737,4.592, P<0.05). Conclusion The mindfulness relaxation training in nursing general surgery patients during peri-operational period is helpful to ameliorate the patients′ degree of physiological and psychological stress reactions, and this mode has important significance in promoting the quality of patients' postoperative rehabilitation. Key words: Mindfulness relaxation training; Surgery; Physiological stress reaction; Psychological stress reaction

Anti-Androgen Drugs in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review.

This study aimed to systematically investigate whether anti-androgens could significantly reduce Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms compared to placebo or usual care in OCD patients. PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) databases were searched up to October 2018 using relevant keywords. All randomized and if not available non-randomized studies conducted on a population including OCD patients who were administered with anti-androgen, which reported changes in their symptoms, were included. The studies on compulsive hypersexuality were excluded. Required data were extracted from full-text of the included articles by two independent authors. One randomized and four non-randomized trials were found. The only randomized trial showed that flutamide, an anti-androgen agent, was effective in reducing compulsion scores in male OCD patients with comorbid Tourette syndrome, compared to placebo. Three out of four non-randomized trials showed that different anti-androgens including finasteride, cyproterone acetate and triptorelin were effective in reducing OCD symptoms. The only study, which failed to show the efficacy of an anti-androgen agent, administered OCD patients with flutamide. Despite the positive results, available studies provide the evidence with low quality based on the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group (GRADE) approach. Available studies are not sufficient for a precise answer to our study question. There is still a need for further large randomized blinded clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of antiandrogens in OCD patients. It is recommended that gender, comorbidities and subscales of Yale- Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Score (Y-BOCS) should be considered in designing the studies and interpreting their results.

Racial-ethnic differences in impulsivity and compulsivity in recreational gambling

BackgroundPrior data indicate high rates of problematic gambling in some racial-ethnic minority groups, yet research into mechanisms contributing to these associations is scant.The aim of the present study was to examine whether impulsivity and compulsivity differ across racial-ethnic groups in recreational gamblers. MethodsYoung adult non-treatment seeking recreational gamblers were recruited from the general community. Presence of mental health diagnoses (including gambling disorder) was exclusionary. Participants completed clinical interviews, questionnaires, and cognitive tasks germane to impulsivity and compulsivity. Results202 recreational gamblers (63.5% males) had mean (standard deviation) age 23.8 (2.7) years and identified using the following racial-ethnic identities: Caucasian (N = 145), African-American (N = 41), and Asian (N = 16). Groups did not differ on age, gender, education, or impulsivity measures. Compared to the Caucasian group, the African-American group reported significantly higher endorsement of sub-syndromal disordered gambling, higher compulsivity scores, and exhibited decision-making decrements on the Gambling Task. The Asian and Caucasian groups did not differ on any measure. ConclusionsThis study suggests that young adult African-American recreational gamblers may experience greater levels of subsyndromal gambling compared to other racial-ethnic groups, and this appears linked with aspects of compulsivity. Future work should evaluate gambling longitudinally to better understand nuanced presentations across different groups, including in other age groups.