Higher Degree Of Depression Research Articles

Morris water maze test on neuroprotective effects of ethanolic extract of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) against neurotoxicity of mercury chloride in albino rats (Rattus norvegicus)

The neuroprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Pleurotus ostreatus against neurotoxicity of mercury on albino rats was studied using the spatial memory test (morris water maze test), this was conducted in order to know the extent of spatial memory impairments caused by mercury toxicity, and also to ascertain the neuroprotective effects of the mushroom against this toxicity. The study was conducted to determine the ability of the animal groups to identify and easily trace the location of an escape platform with the help of a spatial cues. Twenty four rats were distributed into six groups of four animals each. Group 1 (control), group 2 (250 mg/kg mushroom alone), group 3 (250 mg mushroom and 50 µg/kg mercury), group 4 (250 mg mushroom and 100 µg/kg mercury), group 5 (50 µg/kg mercury alone) and group 6 (100 µg/kg mercury alone). These animal groups were administered their respective treatments for a period of one month. Thereafter, the anti-depression and spatial memory test (Morris water maze) was carried out. The result indicated that, groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 had mean values of 41.73±12.24, 14.88±11.12, 22.76±17.34, 26.29±13.14, 47.88±14.11, and 80.26±82.15 seconds respectively. These showed that mercury can be implicated as neuro-toxicant having caused high degree of depression with poor response abilities in the animals with mercury doses alone (groups 5 and 6) as against those administered mercury and mushrooms (groups 3 and 4). It was also seen that group 2 which was given mushroom alone had the best response, even better than the control. This concludes that P. ostreatus improves neuro function in animals against neurotoxicity of mercury.

Factors related to health-related quality of life in older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption over a two-year period

BackgroundThe prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing worldwide, and older people with multimorbidity are frequent users of health care services. Since multimorbidity has a significant negative impact on Health-related Quality of Life (HrQoL) and is more common in older age it would be expected that factors related to HrQoL in this group might have been thoroughly researched, but this is not the case. Furthermore, it is important to look at old people living at home, considering the shift from residential to home-based care. Therefore, we aim to investigate factors that are related to HrQoL in older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption, living at home.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of a RCT study conducted in a municipality in south-eastern Sweden. The study had a longitudinal design with a two-year follow-up period assessing HrQoL, symptom burden, activities of daily living, physical activity and depression.ResultsIn total, 238 older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption, living at home were included (mean age 82, 52% female). A multiple linear regression model including symptom burden, activities of daily living and depression as independent variables explained 64% of the HrQoL. Higher symptom burden, lower ability in activities of daily living and a higher degree of depression were negatively related to HrQoL. Depression at baseline and a change in symptom burden over a two-year period explained 28% of the change in HrQoL over a two-year period variability. A higher degree of depression at baseline and negative change in higher symptom burden were related to a decrease in HrQoL over a two-year period.ConclusionIn order to facilitate better delivery of appropriate health care to older people with high health care consumption living at home it is important to assess HrQoL, and HrQoL over time. Symptom burden, activities of daily living, depression and change in symptom burden over time are important indicators for HrQoL.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01446757, the trial was registered prospectively with the date of trial registration October 5th, 2011.

Frequency of Degree of Depression in Relation to the Duration of Diabetes Mellitus in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Patients Aged 20-55 Years

Objective: To determine the frequency of depression and the relation of duration of diabetes with degree of depression.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan. The duration of the study was six months from December 2017 to May 2018. It comprised of male and female patients between the age brackets of 20-55 years of age who had been pre-diagnosed with diabetes for at least 5 years and were currently not on any anti-depressants and did not have history of any other psychiatric illness. Demographic data including the age, sex, education level, marital status, occupation and religious belief of the participants along with the duration of diabetes for each individual was recorded. The ICD-10 major depression inventory was translated into Urdu and validated in the same institution before this study was conducted and was administered during face-to-face interviews. ICD here refers to the International Classification of Dis- eases (ICD) which is the international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. A minimum score of 4 or 5 in two of the first three items plus a score of at least 3 on two or three of the last seven items means that the person is mildly depressed and as the score increases so does the severity of depression .
 Results: Of the 378 people who were assessed 216 (57.1%) were depressed. Data analysis showed that out of the 216 depressed patients, 25.7% had mild, 26.2% had moderate, 4.2% had severe and 1.3% had major depression. On performing chi-square test there was a relation between the increase in duration of diabetes and the degree of depression.
 Conclusion: Results of our sample show that a higher degree of depression is related to a longer duration of diabetes.

High levels of alexithymia in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings. Some researchers describe high levels of alexithymia among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but literature data on this subject are scarce.Objective:The objective of the present study was to characterize findings of alexithymia in patients with MS.Methods:This cross-sectional case-control study included 180 patients with MS and a matched control group. Data for patients with MS included disease duration, number of demyelinating relapses and degree of neurological disability, as assessed by the Expanded Disability Scale Score (EDSS). In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were used.Results:There were 126 women and 54 men in each group, with median age of 37 years and median education of 16 years. Patients with MS had higher degrees of depression (p<0.01), anxiety (p=0.01) and alexithymia (p<0.01) than did control subjects. For individuals with MS, depressive traits (p<0.01), anxious traits (p=0.03), higher age (p=0.02), lower education level (p=0.02), higher degree of disability (p<0.01) and not being actively employed (p=0.03) were associated with higher rates of alexithymia.Conclusion:Alexithymia was a relevant finding in patients with MS.

Associated factors with functional disability and health-related quality of life in Chinese patients with gout: a case-control study

BackgroundGout is a painful, inflammatory disease that may cause decreased function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Limited study did not take the influence of gout characteristics and anxiety on HRQoL into consideration and there are no studies associated with functional disability in individuals with gout from China. This study aims to investigate the related factors of functional disability and HRQoL in gout patients recruited from China.MethodsA total of 226 consecutive gout patients and 232 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals were involved in the study. A series of questionnaires (the Short Form 36 health survey, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, the 10 cm Visual Analog Scale, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index) were applied. Blood samples were taken to examine the level of serum uric acid. Independent samples t-tests, Chi square tests, U test, Spearman rank correlation, logistic regression modeling, and linear regression were used to analyze the data.ResultsAfter adjusted demographic variables, individuals with gout have poorer HRQoL compared to healthy controls. Univariate tests presented that patients with functional disability had longer disease duration, more frequent flares/last year, more severe total pain, more number of tophi, higher degree of depression and anxiety, with a trend toward diabetes, the treatment of colchicine and corticosteroids use, compared to patients without functional disability. Meanwhile, place of residence, hypertension, DM, disease duration, cardiovascular disease, number of flares/last year, total pain, more number of tophi, presence of tender joints, depression, anxiety, currently using colchicine and corticosteroids were correlated significantly with HRQoL. Additionally, multiple regression analysis identified severe pain, depression, and colchicine use as predictors of functional disability. Cardiovascular disease, total pain, number of flares/last year, presence of tender joints, depression, anxiety, colchicine and corticosteroids use contributed to low HRQoL.ConclusionsAfter adjusted demographic variables, gout subjects have poorer HRQoL compared to healthy controls. Chinese gout population experiencing poor HRQoL and functional disability were likely to suffer from gout-related features and psychological problems. The results underscore the need of effective interventions including psychological nursing and appropriate treatment approaches to reduce their functional disability and improve their HRQoL.

Determining Predictive Outcome Factors for a Multimodal Treatment Program in Low Back Pain Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the factors predictive of outcomes in a multifaceted rehabilitation program for acute and chronic low back pain (LBP) patients. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed on 565 LBP patients (153 acute and 412 chronic) who participated in a multimodal treatment program at an outpatient clinic in Belgium between 2007 and 2010. The predictive value of several factors, including age, sex, body mass index, fat percentage, Oswestry Disability Index score, Beck Depression Index score, Numeric Pain Rating Scale score for back and leg pain intensity, and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia score on favorable treatment outcomes was examined using logistic regression analysis. ResultsThe results from the multivariate regression indicated that a higher score on the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.92) decreases the odds of a favorable outcome following a multimodal treatment program in acute LBP. Older age (OR = 0.97), low LBP intensity (OR = 1.191), and higher scores on the Beck Depression Index (OR = 0.96) and the Oswestry LBP Disability Index (OR = 0.93) decreased the odds of a favorable treatment outcome in chronic LBP. ConclusionsThe findings of this study indicate that factors predictive of a (un)favorable treatment outcome differ between acute and chronic LBP. Specifically, kinesiophobia is predictive of poor treatment outcome in acute LBP. In chronic LBP, older age, low LBP intensity, and higher degrees of depression and LBP-related disability are predictive of poor treatment outcome. Therapists should consider assessing these predictive factors at intake to tailor the content of the multimodal treatment program to individual patient needs.

Association between cortisol levels and pain threshold in systemic sclerosis and major depression.

Pain perception and threshold show complex interactions with the inflammatory, psychiatric and neuroendocrine stimuli. This study aims to test whether lower serum cortisol levels are associated with lower pain thresholds and higher degree of depression in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and major depression with atypical features (MD-AF) patients compared to controls. 180 female subjects (SSc=60, MD-AF=60, healthy controls=60) participated in this observational, cross-sectional, parallel group study. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was assessed in three anatomical sites: nail bed (NB), metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) and quadriceps muscle (QDR). Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale and morning serum cortisol levels were collected. In SSc patients, quality of life was measured through the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) and the scleroderma-specific visual analogue scales (scleroderma-VAS). Lower PPT scores (NB 4.42±1.6; MCP 4.66±1.4; QDR 4.79±1.5) were observed in SSc patients compared to both MD-AF (NB 7.33±2.2; MCP 6.01±1.9; QDR 6.31±1.6; p<0.005) and controls (NB 9.57±2; MCP 7.9±2.1 and QDR 8.43±2.1; p<0.0001), while MD-AF patients had lower PPT scores compared to controls (p<0.0001). SSc patients had also lower serum cortisol levels compared to MD-AF patients (8.78 vs 13.6μg/dl; p<0.05). A direct correlation was observed between serum cortisol and PPT scores both in SSc (r 2 for NB 0.29; for MCP 0.25; for QDR 0.27) and in MD-AF (r 2 for NB 0.34; for MCP 0.25; for QDR 0.47; p<0.05), while depressive symptoms negatively correlated with serum cortisol (r 2 for NB 0.34; for MCP 0.17; for QDR 0.15) and in MD-AF (r 2 for NB 0.19; for MCP 0.31; for QDR 0.30; p<0.05). Among SSc patients, those with serum cortisol levels below the normal range (n=16) had higher BDI scores (15, 6-21 vs 9, 2-15; p<0.005), lower PPTs (NB 4±1.4 vs 4.9±0.9; MCP 4.1±0.8 vs 4.8±0.9; QDR 4.1±1.2 vs 5±0.9; p<0.005) and higher HAQ-DI (1.25, 0.25-2 vs 0.75, 0-1.25; p<0.05) and scleroderma-VAS scores (VAS overall severity 7, 5.5-9.5 vs 4.5, 2.5-6; p<0.05). The effect of cortisol serum levels upon pain mechanism, in chronic inflammatory conditions warrants longitudinal studies to detect treatable variations in pain thresholds, depressive symptoms and to improve quality of life.

Frequency of Depression and its Correlation with Quality of Life of Patients with Oral Cavity Cancer.

Introduction:the effects of malignant tumors of oral cavity may be reflected through mental, physical, social and emotional well-being and quality of life of patients. Those suffering from malignancies show a large degree of psychological problems (fear, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, phobias) both at the time of diagnosis and during the treatment.Aim:to determine a level of depression in patients with oral cavity cancer and to link quality of life and level of depression of patients with oral cavity cancer.Patients and methods:The study was conducted at the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery of the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo (CCUS) in the period from July to late October 2015, through a survey of patients with verified oral cavity cancer, questionnaire related to socio-demographic characteristics of the patients, the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).Results:Majority of patients from our study, specifically 50 (56%) of them, did not suffer from depression, 8 (9%) respondents suffered from mild depression, 14 (16%) respondents had moderate depression, whereas 17 (19%) of them had severe depression.Conclusion:quality of life and level of depression of patients with oral cavity cancer are in negative and almost linear correlation. The worse the evaluation results of one’s physical or socio-emotional health, the higher degree of depression.

Caregiver burden and prevalence of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer's disease caregivers in China.

To evaluate caregiver burden and factors that influence this burden among caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's disease in China. Long-term care can reduce the quality of life for caregivers and result in both mental and physical exhaustion. However, little is known about caregiver burden and associated factors in China. The study had a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 309 caregivers and their patients were included in the study. The patients' cognitive, psychological and functional status and their caregivers' burden, sleep quality and mental state were evaluated. Descriptive analyses, single-factor regression and stepwise factor regression were used to determine the effects of various factors on caregiver burden. Older females and spouses still play an important role in providing family care for those with dementia. Most of the caregivers were the sole full-time caregiver and had little time for themselves. Sleepiness was a common physical problem for caregivers, and some of them had moderate to severe depression and anxiety. A lower functional status of the patient was associated with higher caregiver burden. Poorer physical status compared with before caregiving began, lower life satisfaction, and higher degrees of depression and anxiety were associated with higher caregiver burden. Depression, anxiety and sleep problems are the main challenges that are faced by family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers' functional status, lower life satisfaction, depression and anxiety influenced caregiver burden. Caregiver burden was related to the severity of the patient's dementia and the personal factors of the caregivers. To provide information about caregivers' current status while caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and to understand caregiver burden and its related factors. Professionals who work with Alzheimer's disease should pay more attention to caregiver burden, especially those with mental and physical problems.

Depression and anxiety in people with epilepsy: Why should we identify?

SummaryIntroduction. People with epilepsy (PWE) have a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety than people without epilepsy. However, understanding and management of that issue remain under-recognized.Aim. To emphesize: a) the relationship between depression, anxiety, and epilepsy, and b) to suggest practical strategies for their identification by clinicians.Methods. The current literatures was reviewed investigating the impact of depression and anxiety in PWE and those examining the validity of simple screening tools for the detection of depression and anxiety.Review. Approximately one quarter of PWE have been known to be suffered from depression. The frequency of depression and anxiety was closely related to poor seizure control. Depression and anxiety have been reported to have a bidirectional relationship with epilepsy. The higher degree of depression and anxiety was more likely to elicit the suicidal ideation and attempt, adverse events and poor compliance of antiepileptic drugs, poor surgical outcome, and eventually, poor quality of life. Furthermore, depression and anxiety were closely associated with perceived stigma, obsessive-compulsive symptom, aggression, fatigue, and perceived stress.Conclusions. Clinicians who take care of PWE in a busy clinical setting should identify their psychiatric problems by brief screening tools and treat them instantly to minimize their negative impacts.

DNA Methylation Status of the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene is associated with Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Polymorphisms in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, that is considered to be the most important genetic determinant of blood homocysteine concentration, are associated with various diseases, including psychiatric disorders. However, the epigenetic factors influencing on the transcription and expression of this gene are unclear. The current study aims to detect the relationship between epigenetic factor-DNA methylation status, on the human MTHFR gene and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers. Methods: 774 DNA samples were extracted from saliva samples collected from subjects recruited for a mental health study, and an Illumina Human Methylation 450K Microarray Assay was used to examine DNA methylation profile across the human MTHFR gene. Depressive symptoms were determined by K6 questionnaire. Four independent DNA pools were created based on K6 scores, and the methylation levels were compared among the pools. Results: The DNA methylation level was lower in subjects with higher degrees of depression for both the entire gene ( p=2.10×10 -14

고객 응대 업무에 종사하는 콜센터 근로자의 프리젠티즘

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate the degree of presenteeism, which lowers productivity when call center workers come to work with illness, and analyze the factors influencing it. Methods: A survey was conducted for three months from July to September, 2013 to collect data. Questionnaires were distributed to 1,500 workers at 30 call centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, of which were 1,274 returned and analyzed for the study. Results: The findings show that the call center workers scored 15.4 points out of the maximum 30 on presenteeism based on SPS-6. The study examined factors that affect the presenteeism of call center workers and identified inner emotional labor, depression, subjective health condition, age and turnover intention as those factors. Their presenteeism was low when they engaged in more inner emotional labor, and when they had a good subjective health condition. The presenteeism was high when they had a higher degree of depression, were young, and had a higher turnover intention. Conclusion: The findings call for a need to implement a mental health promotion program to resolve call center workers` depression at work, help them manage their emotional labor to lower their turnover intention, improve their subjective health conditions, and run a health management program to consider the uniqueness of the young age group in order to prevent their increasing presenteeism.

Depression in medical students

Depression is a common medical condition usually associated with functional disability and impaired physical and mental health. It involves affective, cognitive, and neuro-vegetative aspects. It is estimated that 15-25% of college students present a psychiatric disorder during their training, especially depression and anxiety. The prevalence of depressive disorders ranged between 30 and 60% of medical students. The objective was to review the literature on depression in medical students and determine the main causes. We selected 31 articles in Portuguese, English, and Spanish published between 1987 and 2013 in the PubMED and Scielo databases. The prevalence of depression in medical students is higher than that of the general population, being underdiagnosed in 50% of cases and undertreated in most cases. The requirements of medical schools are precipitating factors for the onset of depression, which together with the stigma surrounding the disease complicates treatment. Medical students with better academic performance are at high risk of suicide. Female students in the fifth year and those who have children have a higher degree of depression. Data that depression is related to ethnicity, economic class, and age were not found. Depression in medical students Miguel Angelo Giovanni Noronha Junior1, Yuri Amorim Braga1, Tamyres Goncalves Marques1, Rosane Terra Silva1, Samila Danielle Vieira1, Victoria Alves Ferreira Coelho1, Tomas Antunes Alves Gobira1, Liubiana Arantes de Araujo Regazzoni2 1 Academico(a) do curso de Medicina da Universidade Jose do Rosario Vellano-Unifenas. Belo Horizonte, MG – Brasil. 2 Medica. Doutora em Neuropediatria. Professora adjunta do Departamento de Pediatria da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais – UFMG e Professora da Unifenas. Belo Horizonte, MG – Brasil. Depressao em estudantes de medicina DOI: 10.5935/2238-3182.20150123

Sexual Life, Marital Intimacy and Depression in Gynecologic Cancer Patients after Operation

Background: The purpose of this research was to present a foundation for improving the relationships between gynecological cancer patients and their spouses, as well as their quality of life, by studying the sexual life of gynecological cancer patients before and after surgery and the relationship between their marital intimacy and depression. Methods: Data were collected from April 20 to May 23, 2010, from research subjects who were diagnosed with gynecological cancer and received treatments as outpatients in the University Hospital K in Seoul. A total of 153 questionnaires were collected from qualified research subjects for the final analysis. The Sex Life Measurement Tool for Cancer Patients (2006) and the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire developed by Warring and Reddon (1993) were used to investigate marital intimacy, and Beck's (1967) Depression Inventory (BID) was used to assess depression. Results: The following hypotheses were supported: There would be a change in the sexual attitude of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's, there would be a change in the sexual characteristics of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's, and there would be a change in the marital intimacy of gynecological cancer patients and their spouse's. Conclusion: The sexual behavior attitude of gynecological cancer patients changed in a negative way after their operations, and their sexual behavior characteristics were also reduced with a higher degree of depression after operations.

Long-term impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the Greek adults' psychosocial life

last follow-up visit (r=0.446, p<0.001). The presence of disease activity was correlated with higher degree of depression (p=0.032) and social dysfunction (p=0.008). Interestingly, patients without or with mild physical disability (HAQ-DI=0-0.49) differed from those with moderate-to-severe disability (HAQ-DI=0.5-3) in the fields of somatization (p=0.004) and social dysfunction (p<0.001), but not of depression. Higher degree of depression was recorded in the unemployed patients (p=0.018) and in those with mandatory education (p=0.018). In contrast, structural damage (JADI-A, TmSvdHS), marital status and current use or duration of corticosteroid treatment didn’ tf ind to influence patients’ psychosocial profile. Global disease activity as rated by the patient, was found to be the only significant predictor of psychosocial distress in the multivariate analysis [B=0.057 95%CI (0.017, 0.097), P=0.005]. Conclusion Psychosocial distress is evident in a considerable proportion of the patients (~19%), indicating a constant impact of the disease on every-day life. The tight control of disease activity is therefore crucial in order to prevent symptoms of depression in these JIA adults.

Characteristics of depression and anxiety in elderly asthmatics

Purpose: The prevalence of asthma among the elderly has increased in the aging society. However, limited studies have been conducted regarding the characteristics of elderly asthmatics. In this study, we aimed to evaluate control of asthma, comorbidities, depression and anxiety state, and quality of life in elderly asthmatics. Methods: A total of 281 patients who were diagnosed with asthma and treated more than 1 year were enrolled. We evaluated not only clinical characteristics, but also depression, anxiety, and quality of life by using the Beck Depression Inventory-Korean version (K-BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Korean asthma quality of life (KAQLQ), respectively. Results: Diabetes mellitus (15.2% vs. 6.6%, P= 0.020), hypertension (45.5% vs. 18.7%, P< 0.001), and heart disease (18.2% vs. 6.0%, P= 0.001) were more prevalent comorbidities in elderly asthmatics than young asthmatics. However, there were no differences in the degree of asthma control and lung function between elderly and young asthmatics. K-BDI scores were higher (12.32 vs. 10.99, P= 0.020) and KAQLQ was lower (66.60 vs. 68.83, P= 0.046) in the elderly asthmatics than in the young asthmatics. Moreover, the low score of asthma control test was significantly associated with depression in the elderly asthmatics (P= 0.01). Conclusion: Elderly asthmatics had a higher degree of depression and a lower quality of life. Inadequate control of asthma was associated with depression. To achieve adequate control of asthma, it would be necessary to assess depression in the elderly asthmatics. (Allergy Asthma Respir Dis 2014;2:194-199)

Insight in Alzheimer's disease and its relation to psychiatric and behavioral disturbances

Individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) often have impaired awareness or a lack of insight into their cognitive deficits and functional abilities, especially in the later stages of the disease. Previous research has documented a relationship between depression and insight in AD, such that greater awareness of one's disease has been associated with a higher degree of depression. However, little is known about the relationship between insight, cognitive decline, and other psychiatric or behavioral problems associated with AD. This study included 107 outpatients who met criteria for probable AD. Instruments included the Neurobehavioral Rating Scale, the Apathy Evaluation Scale, and the mini mental state exam. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between insight and depressed mood, anxiety, psychosis, apathy, agitation, and behavioral retardation in AD patients after controlling for cognitive skills. Insight was found to significantly predict depressed mood, anxiety, and apathy even after controlling for global cognition. Greater insight was found to be associated with depressed mood and anxiety. However, impaired insight was associated with higher levels of apathy. Insight may be differentially related to mood symptoms and apathy within AD, such that patients with intact insight are more depressed, whereas patients with impaired insight are more apathetic. This suggests that assessment of insight in AD may complement the clinical evaluation of depression and apathy in AD and help guide the most appropriate interventions. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Associação entre indicadores de risco ao desenvolvimento infantil e estado emocional materno

OBJETIVO: analisar a associação entre os estados emocionais maternos depressivo e ansioso, combinados ou de modo isolado, em relação à presença de risco ao desenvolvimento infantil na faixa etária de 0 a 4 meses. MÉTODO: trata-se de estudo observacional, analítico e de coorte. Para a obtenção dos dados foram utilizados os Inventários de Beck de Depressão e de Ansiedade e analisada a interação mãe-bebê a partir do protocolo de índices de risco ao desenvolvimento infantil em uma amostra de 182 díades. RESULTADOS: o percentual de bebês com pelo menos um índice de risco no grupo de mães que apresentaram depressão e ansiedade combinada foi significantemente maior (34,2%; p&lt;0,001) do que nas mães sem alteração emocional. O mesmo foi obtido em relação às mães com algum nível de depressão ou de ansiedade (26,6%; p&lt;0,01). Ainda, obteve-se correlação significante entre os graus de depressão e ansiedade (G= 0,83; p&lt; 0,01e), o que demonstra que mães com maior grau de depressão, também obtiveram maior grau de ansiedade. CONCLUSÕES: houve associação significante entre ansiedade e depressão maternas e presença de risco ao desenvolvimento infantil, o que indica a necessidade de inserção de políticas públicas para o acompanhamento e tratamento de tais díades quando necessário.

Self‐rated health of Chinese adolescents: distribution and its associated factors

Self-rated health is a valid and relevant indicator of individuals' and populations' health status, and has been shown to be a critical predictor of some medical endpoints. The studies concentrating on Chinese adolescents' self-rated health were scarce. The present study aimed to understand the self-rated health and its associated factors of Chinese adolescents. Ten schools including junior schools, senior schools and universities of Hefei in Anhui Province of China were randomly selected. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to the selected 5226 students to investigate their demographic variables, sleep quality, self-rated health and degree of depression, anxiety and loneliness. In terms of the instruments, Self-rated Health Measurement Scale Version 1.0, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Self-rating Anxiety Scale and the demographic survey were used in the present study. The sleep quality, self-rated health and degree of depression, anxiety and loneliness among different grade levels were different (p < 0.01 or <0.05). The multivariate analysis indicated that young age, poor sleep quality and high degree of depression, anxiety and loneliness were significantly associated with poor self-rated health of adolescents. The adolescents' poor self-rated health may be attributed to many causes especially the psychological reasons. Future interventions that focus more on the inner causes may be the better steps to make adolescents healthy.

Sleep quality of Chinese adolescents: Distribution and its associated factors

To investigate the sleep quality status and its associated factors (including psychological and physiological as well as social demographic factors) among Chinese mainland adolescents. Ten schools, including junior schools, senior schools and universities of Hefei (the capital of Anhui Province in China), were randomly selected. By using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rated Health Measurement Scale Version 1.0, University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Self-rating Anxiety Scale and a demographic survey, a cross-sectional study was implemented to 5226 students of the selected schools to investigate the adolescents' sleep quality, self-rated health, psychological status and demographic variables. There were significant sleep quality differences between different groups of grade level, residence, family type, self-report personality, self-report examination scores, self-rated health, depression, loneliness and anxiety according to the results of the univariate analysis (P < 0.01 or <0.05). The multivariate analysis indicated that high grade level (OR = 1.490, 95%CI = 1.350-1.645), living in rural areas (OR = 0.874, 95%CI = 0.799-0.956), poor self-rated health (OR = 0.934, 95%CI = 0.926-0.942), high degree of depression (OR = 1.867, 95%CI = 1.514-2.302) and anxiety (OR = 1.976, 95%CI = 1.647-2.372) may be the influencing factors of poor sleep. The poor sleep quality of many adolescents may be attributed to various causes, especially psychological reasons.