Significant Decrease In Average Score Research Articles

La dépression chez les proches de patients souffrant de schizophrénie : effets longitudinaux sur 8 mois du programme ProFamille

IntroductionMental illness such as schizophrenia is a major public health concern. In France, the economic cost of schizophrenia represents 2% of total medical expenditures. Schizophrenia has an impact on health and quality of life not only for patients but also for relatives. Family psychoeducation is a complementary therapeutic intervention to ordinary clinical care deigned to alleviate the burden of care among relatives of patients with schizophrenia. Literature suggests such programs including the patients’ family members reduce the risk of relapse. Current studies also suggest that negative emotions expressed by family members have negative consequences on patients’ mental health and need to be addressed. However, family psychoeducation is still underdeveloped in France. The objective of this study was to assess the longitudinal outcome on depression level of a psychoeducation program for relatives of schizophrenic patients. The program was held in Paris and Région Île-de-France “Cluster ProFramille Île-de-France” between 2012 and 2014. MethodsLevel of participant's depression was assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D). Measures of depression were made for four time points: 2 months before joining the program (T1), at the beginning of the program (T2), at midpoint of the first program module (3 months, T3) and at the end of the first program module (6 months, T4). Repeated-measures ANOVA were performed to assess longitudinal change in a participant's level of depression. Type of coping strategies, knowledge about the disease, dominant thoughts and emotional progress are assessed by the program. Univariate correlation with CES-D differences between T1 and T4 were assessed. Variables with a significant association were included in a multivariate linear model to explain CES-D difference. ResultsSixty-five relatives participated to the “Cluster ProFramille Île-de-France” between 2012 and 2014 and terminated with the first module of the program. Repeated-measures ANOVA on CES-D scores between T1 and T4 (8 months) showed a significant decrease in average scores for all participants. The mean of decrease was 7 points, equivalent to a 26.6% pre-post decrease level of depression. Significant univariate correlations with depression decrease over 8 months were with “psychomotor tiredness”, “frequent worries” and “dealing with worries”. Multivariate linear regression only confirmed the significant role of diminishing fatigue in relation to the decrease of depression. ConclusionOur study's results showed that the ProFamille program was efficient in reducing the level of depression for its participants over an 8 month period. As the participants progressed on managing their fatigue, their depressed moods improved.

Socially anxious and confident men interact with a forward virtual woman: an experimental study.

BackgroundMale volunteers entered an immersive virtual reality that depicted a party, where they were approached by a lone virtual woman who initiated a conversation. The goal was to study how socially anxious and socially confident men would react to this event. Interest focused on whether the socially anxious participants would exhibit sustained anxiety during the conversation or whether this would diminish over time, and differ from the responses of the more socially confident men.MethodologyThe scenario was a party with five virtual characters, four sitting at a distance from the participant and talking amongst themselves and one lone woman standing closer. The woman approached the participant, introduced herself and initiated a conversation that was first about mundane matters and then became more personal and intimate. Participants were men who were either relatively socially confident (18) or socially anxious in their relationships with women (18). A second experimental factor was whether or not the other four characters occasionally looked towards the participant. There was a post-trial questionnaire about social anxiety in relation to the experience, and skin conductance and ECG physiological measures were recorded. Our expectation was that the socially anxious participants would show greater anxiety throughout.ConclusionsCompared to baseline readings both socially confident and socially anxious groups on average showed signs of significantly increased stress at the initial approach of the virtual woman. The stress then diminished once the conversation entered into the mundane phase and then did not significantly change. Comparing pre- and post-questionnaire anxiety scores there was no change for the more confident participants but a significant decrease in average score amongst the anxious group. The methodology of placing socially anxious participants in a virtual reality where they can gain experience of how to act in a stressful situation promises a novel way forward for treating social anxiety.