High Rates Of Psychiatric Disorders Research Articles

Chemical sensitivity: the scientific literature.

This article provides an overview of the scientific literature in which chemically sensitive patients have been directly evaluated. For that purpose, consideration of various case definitions is offered along with summaries of subjects' demographic profiles, exposure characteristics, and symptom profiles across studies. Controlled investigations of chemically sensitive subjects without other organic illnesses are reviewed. To date, psychiatric, personality, cognitive/neurologic, immunologic, and olfactory studies have been conducted comparing subjects with primary chemical sensitivity to various control groups. Thus far, the most consistent finding is that chemically sensitive patients have a higher rate of psychiatric disorders across studies and relative to diverse comparison groups. However, since these studies are cross-sectional, causality cannot be implied. Demonstrating the role of low-level chemical exposure in a controlled environment has yet to be undertaken with this patient group and is crucial to the understanding of this phenomenon.

Suicidal behaviour in childbearing women

Childbearing women have a high rate of psychiatric disorder and a high risk of suicide would therefore be predicted. This review assesses the evidence for a low suicide risk in postnatal and pregnant women, and by implication people of both sexes who have children, a phenomenon first commented on by Durkheim a century ago but rarely researched since then

Parasuicide in the first postnatal year

Data were collected on a consecutive 6 month sample of women aged 15-44 years attending their catchment area Casualty Department because of parasuicide. Information included age and childbirth within the previous year. Using this information and catchment area data on population size and births, an odds ratio for parasuicide in postnatal as compared to non-postnatal women was calculated. Five of 131 study subjects had delivered a baby in the previous 12 months. The odds ratio was calculated to 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.17-0.95). These findings suggest that the rate of parasuicide in the first postnatal year is low despite the high rate of psychiatric morbidity at this time. The result supports previous findings on suicide and suggests that postnatal women, despite their high rates of psychiatric disorder, are protected against fatal and non-fatal self harm. The implications for postnatal and suicide prevention services are discussed.

A Review of Studies of Psychiatric Factors in Crohn's Disease: Etiologic Implications

Researchers have recently challenged long-held concepts of psychological origins to inflammatory bowel disease, in particular with ulcerative colitis. The purpose of this paper is to review published studies on psychiatric factors in Crohn's disease to determine whether available evidence points to the absence or presence of a significant relationship between Crohn's disease and stressful life events or psychiatric symptoms or disorders. Twelve articles with > or = 10 subjects on which statistical data were reported from standardized instruments of measure were found. Most reported a significant association between Crohn's disease and psychiatric factors. Many of the investigative groups reporting such an association in Crohn's disease had also studied ulcerative colitis and failed to find a similar association in that disease. Published data indicate that Crohn's disease, unlike ulcerative colitis, may be statistically associated with lifetime psychiatric disorders. This association appears to be more modest than in irritable bowel syndrome, in which far higher rates of psychiatric disorders are reported than in Crohn's disease.

Religious Affiliation and Psychiatric Disorder Among Protestant Baby Boomers

The authors examined the relationship between religious affiliation and psychiatric disorder among Protestant members of the baby-boom generation (those born between 1945 and 1966) who resided in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Data were obtained on six-month and lifetime rates of major psychiatric disorders among 853 Protestant baby boomers during wave II of the National Institute of Mental Health's Epidemiologic Catchment Area survey, conducted in 1983-1984. Participants were grouped into three categories based on religious affiliation: mainline Protestants, conservative Protestants, and Pentecostals. Rates of disorder were compared across denominational groups, controlling for sex, race, physical health status, and socioeconomic status and stratifying by frequency of church attendance. The analyses were repeated for 1,826 middle-aged and older Protestants born between 1889 and 1944, and the results were compared with the findings for baby boomers. Among the baby boomers, Pentecostals had significantly higher six-month and lifetime rates of depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and any DSM-III disorder. Mainline Protestants had the lowest six-month and lifetime rates of anxiety disorder and the lowest six-month rates of any DSM-III disorder, whereas conservative Protestants had the lowest six-month and lifetime rates of depressive disorder and the lowest lifetime rates of any DSM-III disorder. These relationships among baby boomers were weaker among middle-aged and older Protestants, although a new association with alcohol abuse or dependence emerged among older Pentecostals. When analyses were stratified by frequency of church attendance, associations between psychiatric disorder and Pentecostal affiliation were strongest among infrequent churchgoers, a group also unlikely to seek help from mental health professionals. Young adult Pentecostals in the Peidmont area experienced high rates of psychiatric disorder, which was not generally true for Pentecostals who were middle aged or older. Infrequent churchgoers appeared to be at greatest risk, although they seldom sought professional help for their problems.

A CRIMINOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC SURVEY OF WOMEN SERVING A PRISON SENTENCE

The re-building of Holloway prison in the 1970s was based on the assumption that women in prison have high rates ofpsychiatric disorder. Criticism of Holloway was often directed at the unwarranted medicalization of women's criminality and contemporary evidence provided only limited support for the notion that women in prison had higher levels of psychiatric disorder than men. Interpretation of research findings was difficult because none of the studies applied the same methods to comparable groups of women and men in prison. This paper describes a case-note and interview study of a representative, cross-sectional sample comprising 25 per cent of all women serving a prison sentence in England and Wales. A 5 per cent sample of the male sentenced prison population was used for comparison purposes. An assessment was made of the treatment needs, if any, of all women given a diagnosis. The prevalence of psychosis was approximately 2 per cent in both groups. Women had a higher prevalence of mental handicap ilearning difficulties (6 per cent compared to 2 per cent in men), personality disorder ( 18per cent v 10 per cent), neurotic disorders ( 18per cent v 10per cent), and substance abuse (26 per cent v 12 per cent). Despite higher percentage rates for some disorders, women are outnumbered by men in all diagnostic categories. Female and male prisoners with psychosis share many characteristics that make alternative placements difficult, including chronicity, non-compliance with treatment, and recidivism. As the number of women requiring transfer to hospital is small, they could be accommodated by the health service without any significant increase in bed numbers but most had a history of rejection by local psychiatric facilities, suggesting that they would require a specialized service. Whilst in custody, women make greater demands on prison health services, mainly because of higher rates of personality disorder, substance abuse, and neurosis. The Criminal Justice Act 1991 may help some of these women by providing a greater range of non-custodial services but there is also a need to increase the availability of treatment services for some groups of prisoners, particularly those with drug or personality problems.

Psychiatric morbidity in parents of twins born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques

A matched comparison was made of 158 parents of preschool twins conceived under three conditions; spontaneously, after infertility workup including drug treatment, and after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Indications of probable psychiatric caseness were obtained using the 60-item General Health Questionnaire. IVF parents' mean scores were similar to those of parents who spontaneously conceived, and both were significantly greater than those who conceived after an infertility workup. Mothers and fathers overall had similar scores, contrary to previous community findings of higher rates of psychiatric disorder among females. The prevalence of probable psychiatric caseness was less for IVF and spontaneously conceiving mothers, but greater for the respective fathers, than in an English community sample and greater than in an Australian community sample. The extent to which the self-reports of current psychiatric disturbance can be ascribed to any preexisting psychopathology is unknown. Indications of increased psychiatric disturbance found in this investigation warrant further prospective investigations, especially of the difficulties of rearing twins when couples are vulnerable in having this degree of psychiatric morbidity.

Psychopathology in Young Children With Developmental Disabilities

Children and adults with developmental disorders have significantly higher rates of psychopathology than those without developmental disabilities In this report young children presenting to a developmental assessment center were evaluated for psychopathology High rates of psychiatric disorder were found There was a clustering of the more severe psychiatric conditions of childhood in the more cognitively delayed children Recommendations for mental health intervention were made for 70% of children seen at the center.

Sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with alcohol and drug problems.

SummaryA survey evaluated the lifetime and current prevalence of mental disorders in 260 male and 241 female patients seeking assistance with alcohol and drug problems at an addiction research facility. Information was gathered using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and computer diagnoses were generated according to DSM‐III criteria. Women did not show higher rates of psychiatric disorders than men, contrary to widespread belief among professionals that female substance abusers manifest more psychopathology and maladjustment than do their male counterparts. While there were no significant sex differences in the major mental disorders (cognitive impairment, schizophrenia and affective disorders), women were more likely to suffer from anxiety, psychosexual disorders and bulimia, while men were more often diagnosed as having an antisocial personality disorder. Patients of either sex who abused or were dependent on both alcohol and drugs had a much higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders than did other patients.

Psychiatric morbidity in London's Greek-Cypriot immigrant community. I. Associations with sociodemographic variables.

This article presents the results of a community survey of a random sample of Greek Cypriot immigrants in Camberwell, south London. The rates of psychiatric disorders according to the PSE-ID-CATEGO system and their association with demographic variables are reported. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders of level ID5 and above was 14.1%, within the range of the rates reported in most surveys using this instrument but higher than that in the local population. The presence of anxiety states was relatively increased. The rate for females (19.4%) was significantly higher than that for males (8.8%). No associations were found with age, generation, education or the presence of young children in the household. Marriage was associated with a lower rate of psychiatric disorders in males. Working class subjects had higher rates than their middle class counterparts. Lack of employment and the presence of physical problems was also associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders. The results of the study are discussed in the light of previous findings in the literature. It was possible to compare them with a similar subgroup in Athens and of the total population of Camberwell. Where the distribution of minor psychiatric illness differed clinically or demographically between the Athenian and London populations, the Greek Cypriots tended to resemble the former.

The Agent Orange controversy after the Evatt Royal Commission.

The Evatt Royal Commission Report on the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian Personnel in Vietnam has authoritatively rejected the substantive claims that were made by the Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia about the adverse effects of exposure to phenoxy herbicides in Vietnam on the health of Vietnam veterans and their families. The Commission concluded that Vietnam veterans were not exposed to toxic levels of chemicals in Vietnam; that they are not at any increased risk of fathering children with birth defects, or contracting cancer; and that, although they have slightly higher rates of psychiatric disorder, heart disease, alcoholism and alcohol-related disease, these effects are unconnected with exposure to chemicals in Vietnam. The reasons for these findings deserve to be given the widest possible publicity. Only by doing so is there any prospect of dissolving the misapprehension that Vietnam veterans have been poisoned by herbicides.

Mental disorder among homeless persons in the United States: An overview of recent empirical literature

Reviewed literature on the homeless reports higher rates of psychiatric disorder, psychological distress, and previous psychiatric hospitalization compared to the general population. However, understandardized methodology and lack of consistent findings across studies prohibit reliable prevalence estimates of mental disorder among the homeless.

PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER IN LONDON'S LIFE-SENTENCED OFFENDERS

A review of life-sentenced men and women, supervised by probation officers in the Inner London Probation Service, was carried out by questionnaire to the supervising officers. There appeared to be a high rate of psychiatric disorder, whether the lifers were in prison or in the community. Overall two-thirds of the lifers had a psychiatric diagnosis. Nearly 10 per cent, of them had schizophrenia, a slightly higher proportion had a depressive illness and one-third had received a definite diagnosis of personality disorder. In most of the latter cases personality disorder was not the sole diagnosis. On a number of superficial social measures the released lifers had adjusted well. Nearly a third, however, had been recalled at some stage and there was a suggestion that psychiatric disorder may have been an important factor in the decision to recall.

Socio-demographic associations with social disablement in a community sample.

The associations between social disablement and socio-demographic factors have been examined in a random sample of 310 adults drawn from the general population of Camberwell, South London. Neither paternal social class nor the subject's own social class are associated with social disablement in either men or women, except that men (but not women) of very low social class show significantly poorer social performance. Age and sex are not associated with social disablement, despite the fact that women in the general population have consistently been found to have higher rates of psychiatric disorder than men. For a given level of psychiatric disorder men show poorer social performance than women. Men who do not have children at home, or who live entirely alone have significantly poorer social performance, as do men who are widowed, separated or divorced, but these factors are not associated with poor social performance in women. By contrast, an unsatisfactory marital relationship is significantly associated with disablement in women, but not in men. The demographic factors associated with poor social performance are all indices of social disadvantage or social isolation.

Suicide attempts in treated opiate addicts

This paper presents lifetime prevalence rates of suicide attempts in a sample of 533 treated opiate addicts and evaluates clinical characteristics of those who report having made a suicide attempt. In this sample, 17.3% reported having made at least one suicide attempt, a rate which is over 4 times higher than that found in a community survey. When compared with addicts without a history of suicide attempts, those who had attempted suicide reported more drug overdoses, and had a clinical profile characterized by fewer resources and greater liabilities. Compared with other addicts, suicide attempters had a childhood history of more severe family disturbance and disruptive behavior, a higher rate of depression and alcoholism in the family, a history of heavier alcohol, sedative and amphetamine abuse, higher rates of psychiatric disorders, especially of depression and severe personality disorders, and poorer social and psychological functioning.

The significance of alcoholism in treated opiate addicts.

This paper presents an evaluation of clinical characteristics of opiate addicts who also have a current or past history of alcoholism diagnosed according to Research Diagnostic Criteria. Based on data derived from a survey of 533 treated opiate addicts, the following findings were obtained. First, alcoholism in treated opiate addicts was found to be a common problem occurring at rates far exceeding those in the surrounding community in all demographic groups. Second, regarding the sequence of alcoholism and opiate addiction, most alcoholic addicts in this sample had alcohol problems before developing a drug use disorder or seeking treatment for opiate addiction. Third, entrance into treatment did not appear to lead to either increased or decreased alcohol abuse, and alcohol abuse while in treatment usually took place in those who had a history of alcohol problems. Fourth, when compared with nonalcoholic addicts, alcoholic addicts had fewer assets and more liabilities including a more disruptive childhood history, heavier history of legal problems and polydrug abuse, more severe problems with social functioning, and higher rates of psychiatric disorders. Fifth, despite these liabilities follow-up findings 6 months after seeking treatment indicate that alcoholism was of little prognostic significance in relationship to treatment outcome.

The high rate of psychiatric disorders in elderly cardiac patients.

The high rate of psychiatric disorders in elderly cardiac patients.

1 - The Voluntary Blood Donor

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection patients have higher rates of psychiatric disorders than the general population. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is known to be associated with impaired health related quality of life. To our knowledge, there is no previous research of health related quality of life in chronic hepatitis C patients that combined structured psychiatric interview and careful psychopathological evaluation, including depression, anxiety and fatigue instruments. The aim of this study was to evaluate health related quality of life of chronic hepatitis C patients and to investigate the association with sociodemographic, psychopathological and psychiatric factors.Eighty-one individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus infection receiving care at a Brazilian public university-based outpatient service for infectious diseases were enrolled in the study. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version was used to assess health related quality of life. Standard psychiatric interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus) was conducted to establish Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Further instruments completed psychopathological investigation: Beck Depression Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Fatigue Inventory, Hamilton Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Pearson Chi-Square and Kruskal–Wallis were performed for categorical and continuous univariate analysis, respectively. Correlation between psychopathological and health related quality of life scores was performed according to Spearman's correlation. Multivariate analysis was performed according to stepwise forward ordinal logistic regression. The significance threshold was fixed at α = 0.05.Depressive disorders were associated with worse scores in overall health related quality of life and in all domains. Fatigue was associated with lower scores in physical and psychological domains, and married status with higher scores in psychological health related quality of life. We found strong correlation among scores of depression, fatigue and health related quality of life.Depression and fatigue must be properly investigated and managed in HCV patients in order to improve HRQL. WHOQOL-BREF proved to be a useful instrument to assess HRQL in HCV patients.

Organic Brain Dysfunction and Child Psychiatric Disorder

The total population of 11,865 children of compulsory school age resident on the Isle of Wight was studied to determine the prevalence of epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and other neurological disorders. With the use of reliable methods, children selected from screening of the total population were individually studied by means of parental interviews and questionaries, neurological examination and psychiatric assessment of each child, information from school teachers, and perusal of the records of hospitals and other agencies. The association between organic brain dysfunction and psychiatric disorder was studied by comparing the findings in the children with epilepsy or with lesions above the brain stem (cerebral palsy and similar disorders) with those in (1) a random sample of the general population, (2) children with lesions below the brain stem (for example, muscular dystrophy or paralyses following poliomyelitis), and (3) children with other chronic physical handicaps not involving the nervous system (for example, asthma, heart disease, or diabetes).Psychiatric disorders in children with neuro-epileptic conditions were five times as common as in the general population and three times as common as in children with chronic physical handicaps not involving the brain. It was concluded, on the basis of a study of factors associated with psychiatric disorder, that the high rate of psychiatric disorder in the neuro-epileptic children was due to the presence of organic brain dysfunction rather than just the existence of a physical handicap (though this also played a part). However, organic brain dysfunction was not associated with any specific type of disorder. Within the neuro-epileptic group the neurological features and the type of fit, intellectual/educational factors, and socio-familial factors all interacted in the development of psychiatric disorder.