Mood Disturbance In Women Research Articles

A-100 A Mini-Meta Analysis on Alzheimer’s Disease and Aggression/Agitation Behaviors

Abstract Objective: This meta-analysis used primary studies that examined gender differences and behavior disturbances observed in Alzheimer’s disease (ad). Aggression/agitation behaviors become prevalent in advanced cases, with anxiety and problematic conduct more likely in men and sleep and mood disturbances in women, which can adversely impact cognition, rate of decline, and functionality (Lee et al., 2017). Therefore, this analysis hypothesized that men with ad are more likely to report aggression/agitation symptomology than women. Data Selection: Inclusionary criteria of primary studies (N = 6) dictated that each must have researched ad samples, included measures of aggression/agitation, and reported mean differences between genders, allowing for Cohen’s d calculations, with searches conducted in February 2022. Cohen’s d was used for summary effects. Data Synthesis: This analysis utilized a weighted random-effects model for summary synthesis. This model effectively synthesizes real-world data because it assumes variation in estimates comes from multiple sources rather than one true value, indicating heterogeneity. The resulting summary effect (N = 1575, Cohen’s d = 0.09, Z test = 1.24, p-value = 0.213) indicated statistical non-significance, such that gender differences were not observed on average. Conclusions: This analysis suggests that differences between gender and aggressive/agitated behavior are not robust. Mixed results among the primary studies suggest that gender differences may exist in ad-related behavior. Still, few studies met the inclusion criteria of this analysis as they did not examine or provide mean differences for gender or provide data required to calculate an effect size. Future research should include other facets of behavior for a more comprehensive meta-analysis.

Prevalence of contraceptive use and its association with depression among women in the Jazan province of Saudi Arabia.

Background:Hormonal contraceptives (HC) are used for birth control and the treatment of premenopausal syndrome. Mood changes represent the leading reported cause of discontinuation of HC. Changes in mood vary from mild disturbances to severe clinical depression.Objectives:This study aims to estimate the prevalence of depression among HC users who visit primary health care centers in the Jazan Province of Saudi Arabia and to identify psycho-social factors that may predispose HC users to depression.Methods:A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among women who visited five primary health care centers in the Jazan Province. The survey included questions about socio-demographic information and an Arabic adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory.Results:Among the 904 women surveyed, the prevalence of HC use was 57.3%. Mood disturbances were observed in approximately one-third of these women. There is was a significant correlation between higher depression scores and a history of depression therapy (P-value < 0.001), as moderate, severe, and extreme depression was more common in those with a history of taking depression therapy. The type of contraception used was also found to be a significant factor (P-value = 0.01) in the degree of depression.Conclusion:Approximately one-third of women using HC were shown to exhibit symptoms of mood disturbance. Working, limited social support, asked whether or not they experienced living problems in the past 2 months, and having an uncomfortable or somewhat comfortable marital relationship increased the likelihood of mood disturbances. Primary health care physicians should be aware of the relatively high prevalence of mood disturbances in women using HC, to provide support and care to patients.

Actigraphic and self-reported sleep quality in women: associations with ovarian hormones and mood

BackgroundSleep and mood disturbances in women have often been linked to the menstrual cycle, implying an ovarian hormonal causation. However, most studies in this area have used self-reported menstrual cycle phase rather than direct measurement of ovarian hormone concentrations. Further, many studies have focused primarily on peri- and postmenopausal populations reporting clinical sleep difficulty. In this study, we examined the associations among sleep quality, mood, and ovarian hormone concentration in a random sample of community-dwelling, nonclinical women of reproductive age. MethodsOur sample consisted of 19 non-help-seeking women aged 18–43 years, each contributing an average of 39.5 nights of data. Over the 42 days of the study, we collected self-reported and actigraphic sleep-quality data, concentrations of urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolites (estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G) and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide [PdG], respectively), and daily mood ratings. Linear-mixed models were used to estimate associations, clustering longitudinal observations by the participant. ResultsWe found a significant positive association between Sleep Efficiency and E1G, and a significant negative association between Sleep Efficiency and PdG. Otherwise, the self-reported and actigraphic sleep measures were not associated with ovarian hormone concentrations. Self-reported sleep was strongly associated with mood, whereas actigraphic sleep was associated with only two of the 11 individual mood items, “Feeling on Top of Things” and “Difficulty Coping.” ConclusionsIn this community sample of women of reproductive age, ovarian hormones play little, if any, role in day-to-day sleep quality. Our findings additionally highlight the different associations that self-reported and actigraphic sleep show with hormones and mood.

Mood disturbances in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Mood disturbances in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Cancer-Specific Stress and Mood Disturbance: Implications for Symptom Perception, Quality of Life, and Immune Response in Women Shortly after Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Purpose. To determine the levels of cancer-specific stress and mood disturbance in women shortly after diagnosis of breast cancer and to assess their associations with symptom perception, quality of life, and immune response. Design. Descriptive and correlational. Sample and Setting. One hundred women with newly diagnosed breast cancer were recruited from interdisciplinary breast clinics. Methods. Baseline data were collected using standardized questionnaires and established bioassay prior to the initiation of cancer adjuvant therapy. Blood samples were collected about the same time of day. Results. High cancer-specific stress was significantly correlated with high mood disturbance, which, in turn, was correlated with high symptom perception, poor quality of life, and an immune profile indicating high neutrophils and low lymphocytes. Conclusions. High cancer-specific stress and related mood disturbance show extensive negative relationships with multiple behavioral, clinical, and biological factors. Implications for Nursing. Routine screening for cancer-related stress and mood disturbance should be incorporated into nursing practice for all patients diagnosed with cancer. Given broad negative associations with other biobehavioral factors, early identification of patients at risk and provision and evaluation of stress and mood management programs may have a beneficial effect on subsequent health outcomes over time.

Is Coping Goodness-of-Fit Related to Depression and Mood Disturbance in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

ObjectivesThe present study tested the goodness-of-fit hypothesis, which posits that the outcome or effectiveness of a coping strategy depends on the fit between the type of strategy employed and the appraised controllability of the event. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the goodness-of-fit hypothesis would receive support in a group of women with fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] in explaining depression and mood disturbance. Besides testing the goodness-of-fit hypothesis for emotion- and problem-focused coping, an additional goal was to determine whether the hypothesis applies to meaning-focused coping for this sample. This population offers a good test because FMS is often associated with feelings of distress and a lack of control over the syndrome.MethodsParticipants were 478 women with FMS [mean age 54.3 ± 11.2 years] who were part of a larger intervention. Analyses included separate hierarchical regression analyses to determine whether the relationship between coping and control predicte...

Subjective perception of sleep, but not its objective quality, is associated with immediate postpartum mood disturbances in healthy women.

This study investigated whether there was a relationship between disrupted sleep and postpartum mood disturbances in women during the week after delivery. Sleep and mood were measured during the third trimester (Time-1) and one week postpartum (Time-2) in a 2-stage longitudinal design. Participants were recruited from an antenatal clinic in a regional Melbourne hospital. Forty-four healthy women at low risk for postpartum depression. N/A. Objective sleep was measured by actigraphy and subjective sleep by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; mood was assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Sleep and mood questionnaires were administered at Time-1 and Time-2. Wrist actigraphy was collected for one week at both times. After delivery, both objective and subjective nighttime sleep significantly worsened with decreased total sleep time and sleep efficiency, while daytime napping behavior significantly increased. On average, mood improved across all scales after delivery, although 45.95% of the sample experienced deterioration of mood. Regression analyses showed little relationship between Time-1 and Time-2 objective nighttime sleep, and postpartum mood. Variables that related to both Time-1 and Time-2 subjective perception of sleep, including subjective nighttime sleep, sleep-related daytime dysfunction, and daytime napping behavior, were significant predictors of postpartum mood. The perception of poor sleep, and the conscious awareness of its impact during wake-time, might share a stronger relationship with the occurrence of immediate postpartum mood disturbances than actual sleep quality and quantity.

Hypercortisolemia Is Associated with Severity of Bone Loss and Depression in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Anorexia Nervosa

ABSTRACT Context: Anorexia nervosa (AN) and functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) are associated with low bone density, anxiety, and depression. Women with AN and HA have elevated cortisol levels. Significant hypercortisolemia, as in Cushing’s disease, causes bone loss. It is unknown whether anxiety and depression and/or cortisol dysregulation contribute to low bone density in AN or HA. Objective: Ourobjective was to investigate whether hypercortisolemia is associated with bone loss and mood disturbance in women with HA and AN. Design and Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional study in a clinical research center. Participants: We studied 52 women [21 healthy controls (HC), 13 normal-weight women with functional HA, and 18 amenorrheic women with AN]. Outcome Measures: Serum samples were measured every 20 min for 12 h overnight and pooled for average cortisol levels. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at anteroposterior and lateral spine and hip. Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Depression (HAM-D) were administered. Results: BMD was lower in AN and HA than HC at all sites and lower in AN than HA at the spine. On the HAM-D and HAM-A, AN scored higher than HA, and HA scored higher than HC. Cortisol levels were highest in AN, intermediate in HA, and lowest in HC. HAM-A and HAM-D scores were associated with decreased BMD. Cortisol levels were positively associated with HAM-A and HAM-D scores and negatively associated with BMD. Conclusions: Hypercortisolemia is a potential mediator of bone loss and mood disturbance in these disorders.

Hypercortisolemia Is Associated with Severity of Bone Loss and Depression in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) are associated with low bone density, anxiety, and depression. Women with AN and HA have elevated cortisol levels. Significant hypercortisolemia, as in Cushing's disease, causes bone loss. It is unknown whether anxiety and depression and/or cortisol dysregulation contribute to low bone density in AN or HA. Our objective was to investigate whether hypercortisolemia is associated with bone loss and mood disturbance in women with HA and AN. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a clinical research center. We studied 52 women [21 healthy controls (HC), 13 normal-weight women with functional HA, and 18 amenorrheic women with AN]. Serum samples were measured every 20 min for 12 h overnight and pooled for average cortisol levels. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at anteroposterior and lateral spine and hip. Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Depression (HAM-D) were administered. BMD was lower in AN and HA than HC at all sites and lower in AN than HA at the spine. On the HAM-D and HAM-A, AN scored higher than HA, and HA scored higher than HC. Cortisol levels were highest in AN, intermediate in HA, and lowest in HC. HAM-A and HAM-D scores were associated with decreased BMD. Cortisol levels were positively associated with HAM-A and HAM-D scores and negatively associated with BMD. Hypercortisolemia is a potential mediator of bone loss and mood disturbance in these disorders.

Massage therapy reduces physical discomfort and improves mood disturbances in women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the efficacy of classical massage treatment in reducing breast cancer-related symptoms and in improving mood disturbances. METHODS. Women diagnosed with primary breast cancer were randomized into an intervention group and a control group. For a period of 5 weeks, the intervention group received bi-weekly 30-min classical massages in the back and head-neck areas. The control group received no additional treatment to their routine healthcare. To evaluate treatment efficacy, the following validated questionnaires were administrated at baseline (T1), at the end of the intervention (T2), and at a followup at 11 weeks (T3): the Short Form-8 Health Survey, the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire breast module (EORTC QLQ-BR23), the Giessen Complaints Inventory (GBB), and the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF). RESULTS. Eighty-six eligible women (mean age: 59 years) were enrolled in the study. A significantly higher reduction of physical discomfort was found in the intervention group compared with the control group at T2 (p=0.001) and at T3 (p=0.038). A decrease in fatigue was also observed. Women in the intervention group reported significantly lower mood disturbances at T2 (p<0.01) but not at T3. The effect of treatment on mood disturbances was significantly higher if a patient was treated continuously by the same masseur. CONCLUSION. Classical massage seems to be an effective adjuvant treatment for reducing physical discomfort and fatigue, and improving mood disturbances in women with early stage breast cancer.

Correlates of mood disturbance in women with breast cancer: patterns over time

This study examined factors associated with mood disturbance prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Mood disturbance affects between 20% and 30% of women with breast cancer and is associated with other debilitating symptoms. However, factors associated with mood disturbance across the breast cancer diagnosis-treatment trajectory are not clearly understood. A stress-coping framework guided this longitudinal study. A convenience sample of 49 American women with newly diagnosed breast cancer aged 37-77 years completed questionnaires assessing age, optimism, disease stage, type of adjuvant therapy, lymph node status, emotional support, aid (tangible) support, perceived stress and mood disturbance. Data were collected over an 18-month period in 2002-2003 at three time points: prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were used. At all three time points, higher stress was significantly related to greater mood disturbance. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between (1) emotional support and mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy and between (2) aid support and mood disturbance during adjuvant therapy. In addition, the type of support that was most important to mood disturbance varied over time. Emotional support was related to reduced mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy, whereas aid support was most important during adjuvant therapy. Nurses may use this information to develop interventions that bolster appropriate types of support to reduce stress and ultimately lower mood disturbance. Further research across cultures is needed.

Preliminary evidence of reduced occipital GABA concentrations in puerperal women: a 1H-MRS study

Childbirth is associated with rapid neuroendocrine fluctuations, which are thought to contribute to the phatogenesis of postpartum major depression (PPD). The aim of this proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study was two-fold; 1) to examine whether puerperium is associated with alterations in occipital cortex gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations and 2) to determine whether such alterations may be more prominent in women with PPD. Nine women with PPD, 14 postpartum healthy controls, and ten healthy follicular phase females underwent 1H-MRS at 2.1 Tesla to measure occipital cortex GABA concentrations. Postpartum women were scanned within 6 months of delivery and prior to resumption of menstruation. Healthy non-puerperal controls, drawn from a historical sample, were scanned during the early to mid-follicular phase when ovarian hormone levels would be similar to those found in the puerperium. GABA data were analyzed using analysis of covariance, and regression models were used to explore the relationship between cortical GABA concentrations and blood levels of estradiol, progesterone, and neurosteroids. Cortical GABA and plasma allopregnanolone (ALLO) concentrations were reduced in both groups of postpartum women, regardless of PPD diagnosis, compared to healthy follicular phase women. There was no correlation between cortical GABA concentrations and estradiol, progesterone, ALLO, or pregnenolone (PREG). This study is the first to describe reductions in occipital cortex GABA levels in the postpartum period, a time of increased vulnerability to mood disturbances in women. The concomitant reduction in peripheral ALLO levels provides further evidence of alterations in the balance between cortical excitation and inhibition during the puerperium. Women with PPD may represent a subgroup of women who fail to adequately adapt to this alteration in the neuroendocrine milieu.

Axis I comorbidity onset and parasuicide in women with eating disorders.

We examined differences in the onset pattern of comorbid disorders in eating-disordered women with and without a history of parasuicide to elucidate potential etiologic differences between the two groups. Fifty-four women with a current or past eating disorder partcipated. Of these women, 27 had a history of suicide attempts and self-injury and 27 had no history of suicide attempts or self-injury. The age and pattern of onset for the eating disorder relative to comorbid major depression, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder were compared between the groups. The onset of major depression and anxiety disorders occurred at a younger age in the parasuicidal group. In addition, the onset of major depression in the parasuicidal group occurred significantly more often before the onset of the eating disorder. The eating disorder may be secondary to a mood disturbance in women with parasuicidal histories.

Postpartum mood disorders: A review of clinical and epidemiological factors

The postpartum period is a time of risk for mood disturbance in women. Postpartum blues occurs commonly, but is self-limited. Postpartum depression occurs in 13% of postpartum women. However, it is estimated that nearly one-half of all cases go undetected. Postpartum psychosis is rare, affecting 1-2 per 1000 women. Postpartum mood disorders can have far-reaching consequences and have been shown to affect the social and psychological development of children. It is critical that healthcare providers understand these disorders and their risk factors to increase detection and to educate women about the risks and treatments of postpartum mood disorders. This review is intended to provide healthcare providers with a better understanding of the descriptive epidemiology, risk factors, and treatments of postpartum mood disorders. The utility of specific screening instruments is also discussed.

Psychobiology of Postpartum Mood Disorders

Postpartum mood disorders are common. The clustering of mood-disorder episodes after birth compels a search for factors particularly potent during childbearing. In this article, the complex relationships between the dynamic postbirth physiological environment and mood disorder are discussed. Available studies show a lack of evidence that serum levels of gonadal hormones account for mood disturbance in women. However, substantial amounts of data demonstrate their ability to modulate other neuroendocrine systems. Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function attributable to childbearing show remarkable similarity to those observed in depressed women. Postpartum women are also at increased risk for hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroidal (HPT) axis dysfunction that may increase affective-disorder vulnerability. A decreased rate of postpartum recovery of HPA- and HPT-axis function may play a more central role than cross-sectional measures. Understanding the etiology of postpartum mood disorders will require integration of multiple psychosocial and biological risk factors. Further research is critically needed.