General Health Questionnaire Scores Research Articles

The association of dietary glycemic index and glycemic load with the risk of insomnia in the adult population

BackgroundA dietary pattern with a high glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) can be a precursor to sleep disorders that link to many chronic diseases. We aimed to assess the association of dietary GI and GL with the risk of insomnia in Iranian adults.MethodsA total of 111 newly diagnosed insomnia cases and 333 controls aged 18–60 years were included in this case–control study. The participants’ dietary intakes were collected using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. The diagnosis of insomnia in subjects was performed by a neurologist using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for the potential confounders, were used to determine the risk of insomnia according to tertiles of dietary glycemic indices.ResultsThe mean (SD) age and BMI of the study population (78.6% female) were 31.8 (10.0) years and 24.70 (3.62) kg/m2, respectively. The median (IQR) of dietary GI and GL in subjects was 62.7 (57.0–68.6) and 213.5(167.4–268.5), respectively. Based on the multivariable-adjusted model, after controlling for age, sex, physical activity, obesity, smoking, socioeconomic score, general health questionnaire (GHQ) score, and dietary energy intake, the odds of insomnia were increased across tertiles of dietary GL[(OR:2.72,95%CI:1.10–6.70),(Ptrend = 0.017)], however, no significant association was observed between high GI diet and insomnia risk [(OR:1.38,95%CI:0.77–2.47),(Ptrend = 0.298)].ConclusionsOur results revealed that greater adherence to dietary pattern with high GL could be increased the odds of insomnia in Iranian adults.

Effects of Royal Jelly Supplementation on Dry Mouth Sensation in Patients with Normal Saliva Function: A Randomised Clinical Study

Introduction: In several cases, dry mouth sensation with normal salivary function is not diagnosed as an abnormality and this condition has no standardised treatments. Moreover, it is significantly associated with psychological disorders such as depression, trait anxiety and perceived stress. Based on recent studies, daily oral royal jelly supplementation (1000 mg) for eight weeks has beneficial effects on menopausal symptoms such as anxiety. However, there are no studies on the effects of royal jelly supplementation on dry mouth sensation in patients with normal salivary function. Further, only few clinical trials have long-term follow-up greater than eight weeks. Aim: To evaluate the effects of royal jelly tablets on dry mouth sensation in patients with normal salivary function. Materials and Methods: This randomised, double-blind, crossover clinical trial included 15 adults with an unstimulated salivary flow of >0.1 mL/min who had a chief complaint of dry mouth sensation and those without any salivary gland disease. This study was performed at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, between November 2019 and April 2020. The royal jelly tablet contained 400 mg of enzyme-treated royal jelly powder and each participant received either two tablets of enzyme-treated royal jelly (800 mg) or placebo daily for 12 weeks. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate objective dry mouth sensation and the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) were applied to assess psychological status and social dysfunction. The differences in VAS, HADS and GHQ-12 scores over time between the enzyme-treated royal jelly and placebo groups were analysed using repeated-measure analysis of variance and the post-hoc paired t-test. Results: The 4- and 12-week VAS scores between the enzymetreated royal jelly and placebo groups significantly differed (p-value=0.041 and 0.043, respectively). The 12-week HADS and GHQ-12 scores between the enzyme-treated royal jelly tablet and placebo groups differed significantly (p-value=0.040 and 0.046, respectively). Moreover, the HADS scores of the enzyme-treated royal jelly tablet group significantly decreased. Conclusion: Daily supplementation with enzyme-treated royal jelly (800 mg) for 12 weeks was effective against dry mouth sensation in patients with normal saliva function.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Transactional Analysis (TA) Training on the Mental Health of Female Middle School Students

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Transactional Analysis (TA) training on the mental health of female middle school students in Yasuj city. A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control groups was utilized. The sample consisted of 50 female students selected based on their General Health Questionnaire scores and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. TA training was delivered over 9 weeks, with assessments conducted before and after the intervention. The experimental group showed significant improvements in mental health scores post-intervention (M = 31.72, SD = 13.81) compared to the control group (M = 28.96, SD = 10.23), with an F value of 20.91 indicating the effectiveness of TA training at p < 0.01. TA training significantly enhances the mental health of female middle school students, suggesting its potential as a valuable tool in educational settings for promoting psychological well-being.

Psychological distress among parents of children with obstetric brachial plexus injury visiting pediatric departments

Obstetrical brachial plexus injury (OBPI) is a severe nerve injury that is destructive with expected lifelong repercussions among affected children. A child with morbidity can affect a family in several ways, encompassing social, relational, financial, and emotional states. However, such effects on households remain mostly unrecognized, where the focus remains solely on the child’s health or his/her treatment endeavors, with little attention given to the parent's emotional state. Therefore, this study aimed to measure psychological distress among parents of children with OBPI. This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 100 parents with children aged between 18 months and 16 years under treatment for OBPI who visited different healthcare facilities using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews. The study used the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) to assess parents’ psychological distress. The positive items were assigned scores from 0 to 3 (i.e., always to never), and the negative items were assigned scores from 3 to 0 (i.e., always to never). The outcome score ranged between 0 and 36, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of general psychological distress. Descriptive statistics were calculated to achieve the study objectives. Most children suffering from OBPI were male (64%) rather than female (36%). All positive items of the GHQ-12 questionnaire had an average low score, indicating parents were not feeling reasonably happy, less able to concentrate on their routine work, somewhat incapable of making decisions, and unable to enjoy day-to-day activities. In contrast, negative items had an average high score, indicating that parents constantly felt under strain, could not overcome difficulties, felt unhappy and depressed, and lost confidence. The average GHQ-12 score was 23.47 ± 2.54, depicting a high level of psychological distress among parents of children with OBPI. Our study concluded that parents of children with OBPI are at potential risk of various psychological problems. Therefore, health personnel should be aware of these parents’ psychological adjustment and refer them for psychological support when necessary.

The effect of preexisting radiographic hip osteoarthritis on the functional recovery after surgical treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the grade of preexisting radiographic hip osteoarthritis on the functional outcome of elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures treated by intramedullary fixation. We retrospectively examined the impact of the grade of preexisting osteoarthritis on the functional outcome of 88 patients older than 60 years with intertrochanteric fractures treated by intramedullary fixation. The patients were divided into 2 groups accord ing to the grade of osteoarthritis: group 1, including 52 patients (32 females and 20 males) with Kellgren-Lawrence grades 1 and 2, and group 2, including 36 patients (24 females and 12 males) with Kellgren-Lawrence grades 3 and 4. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Harris hip score, visual analog scale, EuroQoL general health questionnaire, and the Barthel index. The mean age was 74.8 ± 5.5 (range=63-87) years in group 1 and 75.06 ± 5.3 (range=64-87) years in group 2. At the last follow-up, the mean Harris hip score was significantly higher in group 1 (71.3 ± 4.3) than that of group 2 (69.5 ± 3.5) (P=.047). There was no signifi cant difference between the groups in terms of the visual analog scale (P=.102), EuroQoL general health questionnaire (P=.144), and the Barthel index (P=.261) scores. The EuroQoL general health questionnaire and Barthel index scores were worse with increasing age. As the grade of hip osteoarthritis increases, it may adversely affect the specific hip score, but this parameter alone may not be a poor prognostic factor that affects the quality of life and daily activity level. Level III, Prognostic Study.

Internet addiction and its effects on psychological wellbeing: A community-based study.

The internet has become an essential part of life, and it has both beneficial and detrimental effects. There is a plethora of evidence relating to the effect of internet addiction on psychological health. There is also an unmet need to lay the foundation for the differences in usage and the effects on mental health in regard to the use of the internet for rural and urban students. The present study was conducted on 200 adolescent subjects belonging to the urban and rural areas around the city of Varanasi to establish the pattern of use of the internet as well as its psychological implications. The participants were evaluated upon the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and information pertaining to socio-demographics as well as accessory information related to internet usage were captured through semi-structured proforma. The results indicated no significant differences in the pattern of internet usage (mean IAT score) as well as psychological health (mean GHQ-12) between urban and rural youth. There was a significant positive association between the overall severity of internet use with poor psychological health (GHQ-12 score). There was a significant difference in the overall mean age as well as the mean age of onset of internet use between both groups (rural versus urban). This study highlighted an important issue of the digital divide based on gender-wise differences in the pattern in the overall sample. This study highlighted the important differences in the pattern of internet use among the rural and urban populations with its clinical implication being a need to educate the youth regarding the healthy use of technology.

Effects of poverty on mental health in the UK working-age population: causal analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Study.

Addressing poverty through taxation or welfare policies is likely important for public mental health; however, few studies assess poverty's effects using causal epidemiology. We estimated the effect of poverty on mental health. We used data on working-age adults (25-64 years) from nine waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (2009-19; n = 45 497/observations = 202 207 following multiple imputation). We defined poverty as a household equivalized income <60% median, and the outcome likely common mental disorder (CMD) as a General Health Questionnaire-12 score ≥4. We used double-robust marginal structural modelling with inverse probability of treatment weights to generate absolute and relative effects. Supplementary analyses separated transitions into/out of poverty, and stratified by gender, education, and age. We quantified potential impact through population attributable fractions (PAFs) with bootstrapped standard errors. Good balance of confounders was achieved between exposure groups, with 45 830 observations (22.65%) reporting poverty. The absolute effect of poverty on CMD prevalence was 2.15% [%-point change; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45, 2.84]; prevalence in those unexposed was 20.59% (95% CI 20.29%, 20.88%), and the odds ratio was 1.17 (95% CI 1.12, 1.24). There was a larger absolute effect for transitions into poverty [2.46% (95% CI 1.56, 3.36)] than transitions out of poverty [-1.49% (95% CI -2.46, -0.53)]. Effects were also slightly larger in women than men [2.34% (95% CI 1.41, 3.26) versus 1.73% (95% CI 0.72, 2.74)]. The PAF for moving into poverty was 6.34% (95% CI 4.23, 8.45). PAFs derived from our causal estimates suggest moves into poverty account for just over 6% of the burden of CMD in the UK working-age population, with larger effects in women.

The mental health impact of multiple deprivations under protracted conflict: A multi-level study in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Building on the literatures examining the impacts of deprivation and war and conflict on mental health, in this study, we investigate the impact of different forms of deprivation on mental health within a context of prolonged conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory(oPt). We expand the operationalization go deprivation while accounting for more acute exposures to conflict and political violence and spatial variations. We use multilevel modelling of data from the Socio-Economic & Food Security Survey 2014 conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, which included a sample size of 7827 households in the West Bank(WB) and Gaza Strip(GS). We conduct the analysis for the combined sample, as for the WB and GS separately. We use a General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ12) score as our main outcome measure of poor health. We used various measures of deprivation including subjective deprivation, material deprivation, food deprivation, and political deprivation. In addition to the different measures of deprivation, we included acute political, health, and economic shocks in our analysis along with background socio-demographic characteristics. The results indicate significant variance at the locality level. We find a significant association between poor mental health and subjective, economic, political, and food deprivation; health, economic, and political stressors; age, and being a woman. Post-secondary education and wealth have a significant inverse association with poor mental health. Subjective deprivation is the strongest predictor of GHQ12 score in the models whereby people who feel very deprived have GHQ12 scores that are almost 4-points higher than people who do not feel deprived. Economic conditions, particularly subjective measures, are significant predictors of mental health status. Our findings confirm that political and social factors are determinants of health. Feeling deprived is an important determinant of mental health. The community effect suggests that spatial characteristics are influencing mental health, and warrant further investigation.

Mental health status of women in reproductive age group and its determinants in rural Odisha, India using GHQ 12 questionnaire

Background: The study was conceived with support from the Department of Health Research (DHR), India to use the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), to screen women in the reproductive age group, stratified for pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant and non-lactate women (NPNL), for their mental health status and examine it with their social background to understand the influences around their mental health. Methods: By multistage sampling, subcenters were selected from 6 districts; women in the 3 groups were selected proportionately in each district, and data was collected on the basis of a pre-tested, pre-designed questionnaire along with the GHQ-12. Results: Results showed GHQ-12 scores across the 3 categories of women are nearly the same with no significant difference (p=0.91). The higher GHQ (scores &gt;11 to 36) were also noted to be equal for pregnant and lactating women i.e. 41.4% and mildly less for NPNL women 40.7%, reaffirming that pregnancy and the postnatal period add more stress to the woman’s life. Age of the women, age at marriage, hemoglobin levels, and poor Iron Folic Acid (IFA) intake were common predictors for poor mental health in all the 3 strata. Conclusions: The study suggests that psychological stressors are cross-sectionally present in all three groups of women in the reproductive age group and all three strata need equal focus. Above 40% distress in mental health in women in all strata of the reproductive age group (ie pregnant women, post-natal women, and women not pregnant or lactating) is appalling, contrary to the general opinion that post-natal women alone face mental health compromise. Hence, the life cycle approach is recommended for best results.

National survey of mental health and life satisfaction of gig workers: the role of loneliness and financial precarity

ObjectivesTo compare the mental health and life satisfaction of those employed in the gig work and contingent work with those in full-time or part-time work and the unemployed in the...

To what extent does income explain the effect of unemployment on mental health? Mediation analysis in the UK Household Longitudinal Study.

Employment and income are important determinants of mental health (MH), but the extent that unemployment effects are mediated by reduced income is unclear. We estimated the total effect (TE) of unemployment on MH and the controlled direct effect (CDE) not acting via income. We included adults 25-64 years from nine waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (n = 45 497/obs = 202 297). Unemployment was defined as not being in paid employment; common mental disorder (CMD) was defined as General Health Questionnaire-12 score ≥4. We conducted causal mediation analysis using double-robust marginal structural modelling, estimating odds ratios (OR) and absolute differences for effects of unemployment on CMD in the same year, before (TE) and after (CDE) blocking the income pathway. We calculated percentage mediation by income, with bootstrapped standard errors. The TE of unemployment on CMD risk was OR 1.66 (95% CI 1.57-1.76), with 7.09% (6.21-7.97) absolute difference in prevalence; equivalent CDEs were OR 1.55 (1.46-1.66) and 6.08% (5.13-7.03). Income mediated 14.22% (8.04-20.40) of the TE. Percentage mediation was higher for job losses [15.10% (6.81-23.39)] than gains [8.77% (0.36-17.19)]; it was lowest for those 25-40 years [7.99% (-2.57 to 18.51)] and in poverty [2.63% (-2.22 to 7.49)]. A high proportion of the short-term effect of unemployment on MH is not explained by income, particularly for younger people and those in poverty. Population attributable fractions suggested 16.49% of CMD burden was due to unemployment, with 13.90% directly attributable to job loss rather than resultant income changes. Similar analytical approaches could explore how this differs across contexts, by other factors, and consider longer-term effects.

Effect of Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) on mental health, self-control and mindfulness of adolescent school children

BackgroundA considerable portion of adolescent school children suffer from mental health problems. Low self-control and mindfulness are positively associated with poor mental health. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the effect of Surya Namaskara (SN) on mental health, self-control, and mindfulness among adolescent school children. MethodsSixty-three (39 females) students (mean age = 14.24 years and SD = 0.42 years) in grade nine from a private school in India were recruited as study participants. The design of the present study was a non-randomized two arms design. Section A (N = 33) was selected as the intervention group, whereas section B (N = 30) was considered a control group. Students in the intervention group were given SN for two weeks. The participants were administered the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS), and Mindfulness, Attention and Awareness Scale for Adolescents (MAAS-A) questionnaires at the baseline and after two weeks of intervention. ResultsThe within-group comparison showed a significant main effect of time in MAAS-A scores. There was also a significant group by time interaction effect for BSCS and MAAS-A scores. Post-hoc analysis showed that the SN group has significantly higher post-BSCS and MAAS-A scores than the control group. Similarly, there was a significantly high BSCS score and MAAS-A score after SN intervention compared to their respective pre-scores. There was no significant change in the GHQ-12 scores in both groups in the pre-post comparison. ConclusionThe present study showed that SN improves self-control and mindfulness in adolescent school children.

Linked generations: child’s transition into unemployment and parents’ mental well-being

Abstract Unemployment has a negative effect on the mental well-being of individuals who experience it. The well-being of the partners and children of these individuals is also negatively affected by this transition. Little is known, however, on the effect of the transition into unemployment on the mental well-being of the parents of unemployed people. This article analyses the association between child’s transition into unemployment and parents’ minor psychiatric morbidity, using the General Health Questionnaire score as a proxy. The effects of the length of the unemployment spell and the specific pathway into unemployment are investigated. Eventually, the moderating role of the national level of unemployment is also explored. Data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society are used. The results of the analyses indicate that child’s transition into unemployment has a small, statistically significant, negative effect on mothers’ mental well-being, whereas the effect on fathers’ distress is negligible. The association between mother’s mental well-being and child’s unemployment does not vary by the duration of the unemployment spell, or by the specific path into unemployment (from employment, studentship, or other inactive status). Differently, the negative effect of child’s unemployment on mother’s well-being is larger at higher levels of unemployment at the country level.

Culturally adapted cognitive behavioural group therapy for mental disorders in refugees plus problem solving training (ReTreat): study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

IntroductionSince a high proportion of refugees in Germany suffer from mental disorders, culturally adapted treatments are needed that target a broad range of symptoms. There is much evidence for the...

How much of the unemployment effect on mental health is due to income? Mediation analysis in UK data

Abstract Background Employment and income are important determinants of mental health (MH), but the extent to which unemployment effects are mediated by reduced income is unclear. We estimated the total effect (TE) of unemployment on MH and the controlled direct effect (CDE) not acting via income. Methods We studied adults 25-64y from nine waves of the representative UK Household Longitudinal Study (n = 45,497/obs=202,297). Unemployment was defined as not being in paid employment; common mental disorder (CMD) was defined as a General Health Questionnaire-12 score ≥4. We conducted causal mediation analysis using inverse probability of treatment weights to estimate odds ratios (OR) and absolute differences for the effects of unemployment on CMD as measured in the same sweep, before (TE) and after (CDE) blocking the income pathway. The percentage mediated by income was 100*(TE-CDE)/TE, with standard errors calculated via bootstrapping. Multiple imputation addressed missingness. Results The TE of unemployment on short-term CMD risk was OR: 1.66 (95% CI 1.57-1.76), with 7.09% (6.21-7.97) absolute difference in prevalence; equivalent CDEs were OR 1.55 (1.46-1.66) and 6.08% (5.13-7.03). Income mediated 14.22% (8.04-20.40) of the TE. Percentage mediation was higher for job losses (15.10% [6.81-23.39]) than job gains (8.77% [0.36-17.19]). Mediation by income was lowest for those aged 25-40y (7.99% [-2.57, 18.51]) and those in poverty (2.63% [-2.22, 7.49]). Conclusions In the UK, a high proportion of the short-term effect of unemployment on MH is not explained by income, particularly for those who are younger or already living in poverty. Population attributable fractions suggested 16.5% of CMD burden was due to unemployment, with 13.9% directly attributable to job loss rather than resultant income changes. Further research is needed across different European countries to determine how different welfare regimes might moderate these effects, and to investigate longer-term effects. Key messages • Unemployment has a clear detrimental effect on MH in the short-term. • Only a small proportion of this effect appears to be mediated by income.

Is participation in antenatal classes associated with fathers' mental health? A quasi-experimental and prospective study.

In comparison to those conducted with women, studies about the transition of men to parenthood are limited in numbers, especially in developing countries. Moreover, in Turkey, along with gender roles and sociocultural changes, the roles of fathers are also changing. This change highlights the need to understand early parenthood for fathers. A quasi-experimental, non-randomized prospective study with a pre- and post-training model was conducted in a hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Men in the antenatal education group (EG = 55) and their pregnant wives participated in 6 weeks of training during pregnancy (24th-28th weeks gestation). Men in the care-as-usual group (CG = 55) attended routine check-ups and follow-ups with their wives. GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire-28) was administered three times in total at study enrolment, immediately following the 6-week intervention period, and at the 6th postpartum week. There was no significant difference between the groups' GHQ-28 scores before and after the training. In the 6th week of postpartum follow-up, the GHQ-28 scores were significantly higher for the fathers who participated in the educational intervention. Antenatal education classes were found to be associated with the mental health of fathers. Further research evaluating family-centered parenting support programs is warranted to better understand how to support fathers in the transition to parenthood, particularly in countries in which fathers' roles in pregnancy and early parenthood are changing.

Association of pain, analgesic, psychological, and socioeconomic factors with sub-acute pain after childbirth: A prospective cohort study

Study objectiveTo determine if acute postpartum pain, psychological distress, socioeconomic factors, and labor analgesia were associated with sub-acute pain after childbirth (SAPC; pain starting after childbirth and lasting between four weeks to three months). DesignProspective cohort study, from pre-conception to post-partum three months. SettingSingapore's major public maternity institution. PatientsWe included women planning to conceive within a year. We excluded women who were pregnant, taking chemotherapy or psychotropic medications, had diabetes mellitus, received assisted fertility interventions or contraception, did not conceive after 12 months, with multiple pregnancies, or who developed obstetric complications. InterventionsNone. MeasurementsWe investigated the relationship between average pain score during the three days after childbirth (primary exposure) and incidence of SAPC at postpartum three months (primary outcome). Secondarily, psychological distress at pre-conception (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Life Experiences Survey (LES)) and second trimester of pregnancy (BDI, EPDS, STAI, PSS, Pregnancy Experience Scale (PES)) were assessed. Baseline maternal and socioeconomic characteristics, labor analgesia, maternal and neonatal outcomes were also collected accordingly. Main resultsOf 317 women who met the study criteria, 30 (9.5%) developed SAPC. Higher average pain score during the three days after childbirth (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.46, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.82, p = 0.001), use of meperidine for labor analgesia (aOR 4.23, 95% CI 1.03 to 17.43, p = 0.046), higher pre-conception GHQ-12 score (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.27, p = 0.013), and lack of employment with income during pregnancy (aOR 9.62, 95% CI 3.07 to 30.30, p < 0.001) were independently associated with SAPC, with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.837. ConclusionsHigher acute postpartum pain scores, use of meperidine for labor analgesia, poorer pre-conception general psychological health, and lack of employment with income during pregnancy are associated with SAPC.

The development and clinical application of a novel schizophrenia screening system using yoga-induced autonomic nervous system responses.

Background: In severe cases, schizophrenia can result in suicide and social isolation. Diagnosis delay can lead to worsening symptoms, and often results in prolonged therapy. An estimated 50%–80% of patients with schizophrenia are unaware of their condition. Biomarkers for schizophrenia are important for receiving a diagnosis from a psychiatrist at an early stage. Although previous studies have investigated near-infrared spectroscopy as a biomarker for schizophrenia, the required equipment is expensive and not designed for home use. Hence, we developed a novel home-use schizophrenia screening system that uses a wearable device to measure autonomic nervous system responses induced by yoga, which is frequently adopted in rehabilitation for schizophrenia. Materials and methods: The schizophrenia screening system automatically distinguishes patients with schizophrenia from healthy subjects via yoga-induced transient autonomic responses measured with a wearable wireless electrocardiograph (ECG) using linear discriminant analysis (LDA; Z score ≥ 0 → suspected schizophrenia, Z-score < 0 → healthy). The explanatory variables of LDA are averages of four indicators: components of heart rate variability (HRV): the very low-frequency (VLF), the low-frequency (LF), HR, and standard deviation of the NN intervals (SDNN). In the current study, HRV is defined as frequency domain HRV, which is determined by integrating RRI power spectrum densities from 0.0033 to 0.04 Hz (VLF) and 0.04–0.15 Hz (LF), and as time domain HRV, SDNN of which is calculated as the mean of the standard deviations of the RR intervals. These variables were measured before (5 min), during (15 min), and after (5 min) yoga in a 15-min mindfulness-based yoga program for schizophrenia (MYS). The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ28) score was used to assess the severity of mental disorders for patients with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers. Twelve patients with schizophrenia (eight female and four male, 23–60 years old) and 16 healthy volunteers (seven female and nine male, 22–54 years old) were recruited. Results: The schizophrenia screening system achieved sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 81%. Z-scores of LDA were significantly correlated with GHQ28 scores (r = 0.45, p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our proposed system appears to be promising for future automated preliminary schizophrenia screening at home.

Psychiatric morbidity among adult patients at the medical and surgical emergency departments of a Nigerian teaching hospital

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity in patients seen at a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital's medical and surgical emergency department.Method: A two-stage cross-sectional descriptive study used a systematic sampling of all consenting patients admitted into the medical and surgical emergency. Six hundred and three patients who met the inclusion criteria and completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) were analyzed. Patients who met the cut-off score of 3 or more on the GHQ-12 and a 20% random sample with GHQ-12 score &lt;3 were further subjected to a definite diagnostic assessment using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview and were diagnosed according to the 10th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria.Result: The mean age of respondents was 45±19 years, 63.3% were males, and 71.8% were married. Patients at the medical emergency constituted 53.2%. The weighted prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among medical emergency patients was 21.5% and 17.4% for patients at the surgical emergency. Depressive disorder was the commonest in both wards.Conclusion: Some patients presenting to medical and surgical emergencies have co-existing psychiatric disorders. Conscious efforts should be made to recognize psychiatric disorders among patients with physical illnesses, improving their quality of care and contributing to better outcomes.

A longitudinal investigation of the influence of psychological factors on nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate psychological factors that may influence nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) progression in early pregnancy based on longitudinal observations. Fifty-nine pregnant women completed the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching (RINVR) and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and recorded their resting heart rate with photoplethysmography for 5min to determine heart rate variability (HRV) indexes at 7-9weeks and 11-13weeks of gestation with a 4-week interval. GHQ-28 scores (total and subclasses) and HRV indexes at 7-9weeks were compared among groups classified according to the presence of severe NVP (RINVR ≥ 9 points) at the two measurement points. Among women without severe NVP at 7-9weeks, women who developed severe NVP at 11-13weeks had significantly higher levels of anxiety/insomnia in the GHQ-28 subclasses (p = 0.018). The cross-lagged relationship from anxiety/insomnia at 7-9weeks to RINVR at 11-13weeks was significant (β = 0.367, p &lt; 0.001). Among women with severe NVP at 7-9weeks, women whose severe symptoms subsided at 11-13weeks had significantly higher high-frequency (HF) power (p = 0.010), and women with relatively higher HF power demonstrated a significant reduction in RINVR (interaction effect, p = 0.035). During early pregnancy, women with strong anxiety/insomnia symptoms tend to have NVP symptoms that become more severe as the pregnancy progresses. The higher HF power in women whose severe NVP subsided within 4weeks suggests a contribution of emotion regulation to early amelioration of NVP.