Illness In Women Research Articles

SAÚDE MENTAL FEMININA E CICLO REPRODUTIVO: UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Este artigo objetiva refletir criticamente sobre a produção na literatura a respeito do adoecimento mental de mulheres em relação ao ciclo reprodutivo feminino, com destaque para marcadores sociais como raça e classe social. Trata-se de um recorte da revisão de literaura de uma tese que selecionou 80 artigos, correspondente à categoria “ciclo reprodutivo”, totalizando 22 artigos. Na introdução fazemos uma retomada histórica da associação do ciclo reprodutivo à saúde mental feminina, advinda de uma leitura essencialista da mulher e da medicalização de seu corpo. Como referencial teórico, adotamos a Psicologia Social Construcionista e o Feminismo Interseccional. A pesquisa foi realizada na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde e caracteriza-se como revisão de literatura integrativa. Na seleção consideramos artigos em inglês, português e espanhol no período entre 2014 a 2018. Os textos foram divididos em subtemas relacionados ao objetivo do artigo, considerando o transtorno mental e algum período do ciclo reprodutivo feminino. Os achados da revisão enfocam os determinantes sociais envolvidos no adoecimento feminino, como pobreza, sobrecarga de trabalho e violência. Concluímos que as informações do estudo permitem desessencializar o adoecimento mental feminino, indicando que as atribuições sociais às mulheres têm sido fonte de adoecimento para elas.

Young women are the most vulnerable to postpartum mental illness: A retrospective cohort study in UK primary care

BackgroundWhilst childbirth is a leading cause of mental illness in women, how it affects women at different ages is unknown. AimsWe examine whether the effect of childbirth on mental illness varies at different ages. MethodsFrom 2,657,751 women identified from a UK population-based primary care database, 355,864 postpartum periods, with no history of mental illness, were matched on year of birth and general practice to 1,420,350 non-postpartum periods. Cox regression models were used to compare incident mental illness between postpartum and non-postpartum periods. These were measured using hazard ratios (HR) and hazard ratios adjusted for parity and prior pregnancy loss (aHR). ResultsStrong evidence is presented that the effect of livebirth on mental illness was age-dependant for depression (p <0·001), anxiety (p 0·048) and affective psychosis (p 0·031). In 15–19 year olds, depression was over seven times more likely to occur in postpartum periods than non-postpartum periods (aHR 7·09, 95%CI 6·65–7·56); twice the effect in women overall (aHR 3·24 95%CI 3·18–3·29). 15–19 year olds were 50% more likely to develop anxiety in postpartum periods than non-postpartum periods (aHR 1·52, 95%CI 1·38–1·67), with little effect in women overall (aHR 1·07 95%CI 1·04–1·10). Livebirth had over twice the effect on affective psychosis in women aged 15–24 (15–19 year olds: aHR 2·71 95%CI 1·23–5·97; 20–24 year olds: aHR 2·79 95%CI 1·68–4·63) compared to women overall (aHR 1·66, 95%CI 1·29–2·14). ConclusionsYounger women are far more vulnerable to the effect of childbirth on their mental health, particularly depression and anxiety.

Primary Dysmenorrhea: Assessment and Treatment.

Primary dysmenorrhea is defined as menstrual pain in the absence of pelvic disease. It is characterized by overproduction of prostaglandins by the endometrium, causing uterine hypercontractility that results in uterine muscle ischemia, hypoxia, and, subsequently, pain. It is the most common gynecological illness in women in their reproductive years and one of the most frequent causes of pelvic pain; however, it is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and even undervalued by women themselves, who accept it as part of the menstrual cycle. It has major implications for quality of life, such as limitation of daily activities and psychological stress, being one of the main causes of school and work absenteeism. Its diagnosis is essentially clinical, based on the clinical history and normal physical examination. It is important to exclude secondary causes of dysmenorrhea. The treatment may have different approaches (pharmacological, non-pharmacological and surgical), but the first line of treatment is the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and, in cases of women who want contraception, the use of hormonal contraceptives. Alternative treatments, such as topical heat, lifestyle modification, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, dietary supplements, acupuncture, and acupressure, may be an option in cases of conventional treatments' contraindication. Surgical treatment is only indicated in rare cases of women with severe dysmenorrhea refractory to treatment.

Use of the birth control pill affects stress reactivity and brain structure and function

Millions of women worldwide use oral contraceptives (i.e., birth control pill; OCs), often starting during puberty/adolescence; however, it is unknown how OC use during this critical period of development affects the brain, especially with regard to emotional working memory. Here, we examined stress reactivity, and brain structure and function in OC users using the Trier Social Stress Test and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our results show that OC use during puberty/adolescence gives rise to a blunted stress response and alters brain activation during working memory processing. OC use, in general, is also linked to increased prefrontal brain activation during working memory processing for negatively arousing stimuli. OC use is also related to significant structural changes in brain regions implicated in memory and emotional processing. Together, these findings highlight that OC use induces changes to brain structure and function and alters stress reactivity. These findings may provide a mechanistic insight for the increased vulnerability to mood-related mental illness in women after OC use.

Early detection of mental illness for women suffering high-risk pregnancies: an explorative study on self-perceived burden during pregnancy and early postpartum depressive symptoms among Chinese women hospitalized with threatened preterm labour

BackgroundThe mental health of pregnant women, particularly those with elevated risks, has been an issue of global concern. Thus far, few studies have addressed the mental health of pregnant women with threatened preterm labour (TPL). This study investigated the prevalence of self-perceived burden (SPB) among Chinese women hospitalized due to TPL during pregnancy and early postpartum depressive disorders, exploring the effect of SPB and other potential risk factors on the early signs of postpartum depressive disorders.MethodsA self-reported survey was conducted in the obstetrics department of Anhui Provincial Hospital, China. Women hospitalized with TPL were approached 1 week after delivery. One hundred fifty women were recruited from January 2017 to December 2017. The Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were the main measures. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and a multiple logistic regression were employed for data analysis.ResultsSPB and early postpartum depressive disorders were commonly experienced by Chinese women hospitalized with TPL, and SPB was positively and significantly correlated with depressive symptoms. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that for the women hospitalized with TPL during pregnancy, the emotional aspect of SPB (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.11–1.83, p = 0.006), age (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02–1.27, p = 0.023), occupation (OR = 3.48, 95% CI = 1.18–10.20, p = 0.023), the history of scarred uterus (OR = 7.96, 95% CI = 1.49–42.48, p = 0.015), the delivery mode of the present birth (OR = 6.19, 95% CI = 1.72–22.30, p = 0.005), and family support during pregnancy (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.45–0.82, p = 0.001) were significant factors predicting early postpartum depressive symptoms.ConclusionThis study indicates that SPB and early postpartum depressive disorders are prevalent mental issues among Chinese women hospitalized with TPL, and that SPB, especially perceived emotional burden, is a strong predictor of early postpartum depressive disorders. Our study suggests the necessity of paying attention to mental health issues, e.g. SPB and postpartum depressive symptoms among hospitalized women with TPL, and providing appropriate interventions at the prenatal stage to prevent adverse consequences.

Multiple Sclerosis And Maternity: A Psychological Explorative Qualitative Research

Considering women living with multiple sclerosis (MS), motherhood may represent a complicated event. Our aim in this study is to explore the personal meanings related to maternity and illness in women living with this disease. We have involved twenty women suffering from MS and we have administered an open interview introduced by a trigger question as a prompt aimed to elicit a narrative of their experience of illness, wishes, doubts, fears and life-projects with regard to motherhood. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in order to carry out an analysis of the textual corpus. We have performed the textual analysis of the transcribed interviews through the T-LAB software. Performing a cluster analysis, four thematic clusters emerged: Daily Pain, Relationship with Health Care Services, Closing of a Circle and Family Role. We have interpreted the relationship between these themes using factorial mapping through 3 meaning vectors, representative of the following dynamics: From Concrete to Abstract; From Life-Project to Relapse; From Health Agencies to Family Support. All these meaning-vectors seem to describe the relationship between maternity and illness. Some aspects, as the presence of a stable partner or knowing diagnosis for more than ten years, might represent supporting factors for a project of motherhood. Starting from the results obtained, we provide some proposals for the definition of goals and strategies of psychological counselling within the Health Care Services.

Community Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Providing Self-Care Recommendations for the Management of Premenstrual Syndrome.

Background and objectives: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) comprises a variety of physical and emotional symptoms that affect women of reproductive age. The distress caused by PMS often leads to self-medication, and many over-the-counter or non-prescription products are available for relieving PMS symptoms. The choice of a suitable product should be based on advice from a health professional, such as a community pharmacist. Hence, we assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Malaysian community pharmacists in providing self-care recommendations for the management of PMS. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from September to November 2018 using a self-administered questionnaire. The respondents were community pharmacists working in Kuala Lumpur and were chosen from a list of Type A license holders in the city. Results: We achieved a response rate of 79% and included 181 questionnaires in the final analysis. Of the 181 respondents, most of them (76.8%; n = 139) had medium to good levels of knowledge of PMS. Likewise, most of the respondents (78.5%; n = 142) had positive attitudes toward their role in PMS management. Having taken courses on managing minor illnesses in women substantially enhanced their levels of knowledge of (p = 0.002), but not their attitude towards, PMS management. Among the PMS-relieving products, the most commonly recommended products were ibuprofen (79%; n = 143), mefenamic acid (74.5%; n = 135), and naproxen (66.9%; n = 121), which are well known for their anti-inflammatory effect. This suggests that the respondents based their product choice on sound evidence. Conclusions: Community pharmacists can play an important role in the management of PMS. In future work, a larger sample can be assembled to obtain more insight into the readiness of community pharmacists to help women in self-managing PMS and establish a specialized service to this end.

The Depression Level of Women Suffering Domestic Violence in Medan, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence is defined as a social problem associated with an increased risk of mental illness in women. The violence experienced by women can be a traumatic event that leads to a psychological disorder. Domestic violence has a strong relationship with depression, including depressive symptoms, depression disorders, and suicide. Risk factors associated with depression in women victims of domestic violence are including age, education level, socioeconomic status, and long experience of violence.&#x0D; AIM: The aim of this study was to find the risk factors associated with the level of depression in women who experience domestic violence.&#x0D; METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study and conducted at the Psychiatric Clinic of Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan. Subjects were 82 people of victims of domestic violence and recruited using non-probability sampling which was consecutive sampling. Subjects that meet the inclusion criteria were interviewed with the ICD-10 (A1) version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Furthermore, subjects were asked to fill out the Beck Depression Inventory-II questionnaire. Finally, statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression through SPSS software.&#x0D; RESULTS: The most dominant risk factors for the level of depression were categorized with long experience of violence (odds ratio [OR] = 4.939, p = 0.018), economic level (OR = 4.436, p = 0.01), and education level (OR = 3.754, p = 0.022).&#x0D; CONCLUSION: A significant relationship is found between violence duration, economic level, and education level with the level of depression for women victims in domestic violence.

Systematic review of gender differences in the epidemiology and risk factors of exertional heat illness and heat tolerance in the armed forces

ObjectivesThis review aimed to describe the epidemiology of all heat-related illnesses in women compared with men in the armed forces and to identify gender-specific risk factors and differences in heat...

Pregnancy progression, childbirth and postpartum period in women on the preclinical stage and against the background of multiple sclerosis in sporadic and family forms

For the fi rst time in Ukraine, was explored the eff ect of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period on the further course of multiple sclerosis (MS) in sporadic and family forms of women giving birth at the preclinical stage (group 1) and against the background of the disease (group 2). Through the use of questioning method and clinical and neurological examination the following phenomena were studied. Namely, premonitory history; features of the course of the disease; the duration between labor and development of the onset of the illness in women of the 1st group and between the onset and labor in women of the 2nd group; obstetric and gynecological history; the eff ect of pregnancy and childbirth on the further course of MS. A total of 82 women were examined, 51 of them were giving birth at preclinical stage (group 1) and 31 — against the background of MS (group 2). In the 1st group with remitting course (RC), 26 women had a sporadic form and 5 — a family form; with progressive course (PC) — in 14 — sporadic and in 6 — family form. In the 2nd group with RC, 23 women had sporadic and 1 family form; with PC — 6 had sporadic and 1 family. Research has shown, the disease of majority of women from the first group has been developed after childbirth. Women from the second group with RC were giving birth most often after 5—10 years of the disease onset; with PC — after more than 10 years. According to the obstetric and gynecological history, differences were obtained during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period between two groups of women with different types of course. An assessment of the effects of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period of women from the 2nd group made it possible to identify criteria for various options for the further course of MS (such as improvement, stabilization, improvement through worsening, worsening), which are closely interrelated with the types of course of the disease. To sum up, an integrated analysis of the above mentioned outcome shows a positive eff ect of pregnancy and childbirth in the vast majority of women with RC and a high incidence of decline of women with PC. Key words: multiple sclerosis, types of course, sporadic and familial form, pregnancy and childbirth, obstetric and gynecological history, complications during pregnancy and childbirth

Abstract TMP52: The Hidden Burden of Ischemic Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack, and Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations Among Elderly Women

Background: US women have a greater lifetime risk of stroke than men. Risk factors such as pregnancy and hormones influence sex differences in stroke at younger ages, but less is known about hospitalization rates and the proportion of hospitalizations for ischemic stroke (IS), transient ischemic attack (TIA), and atrial fibrillation (AF) by sex in different age groups. We assessed IS, TIA, and AF hospitalizations by sex and age. Methods: IS (ICD-9 433, 434, 436), TIA (435), and AF (427.31) hospitalizations were identified in the 2014 National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Hospitalization rates per 100,000 population aged ≥18y were calculated using age- and sex-specific Census population denominators and NIS sampling weights to obtain national estimates. We also determined the proportions of condition-specific hospitalizations by sex. Results: There were 338,654 (49.8% women) patients hospitalized for IS, 90,812 (58.0% women) for TIA, and 284,770 (49.9% women) for AF. For IS, TIA, and AF, respectively, the mean ages for women were 72.7y, 71.4y, and 74.0y vs 68.8y, 69.1y, and 66.2y for men. Hospitalization rates were higher for men than women at most ages for IS and AF; however, AF rates were higher in women beginning with age 80-84y (figure). Women represented a greater proportion of hospitalizations among those aged ≥75y for all 3 conditions (58% of IS, 62.5% of TIA, and 64.7% of AF events). The proportion of women hospitalized for TIA was higher in most age groups, but for IS and AF, the proportions of women exceeded those of men beginning at ages 75-80y and 70-75y, respectively. Conclusion: Women were older when hospitalized for IS, TIA, and AF, and women aged ≥75y comprised the majority of these hospitalizations. This highlights the need for early detection of AF and IS risk in elderly women and underscores the importance of treating modifiable conditions to decrease the burden of vascular illness in women. This is critical given the overrepresentation of women among the very elderly.

Maternal anthropometric determinants as risk markers of suicidality and severity of illness in women with postnatal depression.

Context:Studies have shown nutrition to play a role in etiology of postnatal depression, but few risk markers have been developed for the same. Anthropometric determinants have not been sufficiently researched in relation to suicidality and severity of illness in women with postnatal depression.Aim:The present study assesses the efficacy of anthropometric determinants as risk markers of severity of illness and suicidal ideations in postnatal depression.Methods and Materials:100 women were screened at 6 weeks postnatal for the presence of postnatal depression and suicidal ideation using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Anthropometric determinants assessed were height, weight, weight gain in pregnancy, weight at first antenatal visit, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. Univariate and multivariate analysis were done for risk estimation using Spearman's rank correlation and multiple regression analysis, respectively.Results:In total, 39% of the women showed the presence of postnatal depression. Out of these 39 women, 31% had suicidal ideations. The waist-to-hip ratio was the most significant factor in all the models, having a negative correlation with suicidality and severity of depression (P < 0.05). The multiple regression model using anthropometric determinants could significantly assess risk of both suicidality (P = 0.03, adjusted R2 = 0.08) and postnatal depression (P = 0.04, adjusted R2 = 0.07).Conclusions:The study concludes that anthropometric determinants can be used effectively as risk markers for suicidality and severity of illness in women with postnatal depression. The most significant risk factor was found to be waist-to-hip ratio in both the models.

Stigma perceived by overweight women

to understand the experience of discrimination perceived by overweight women. a qualitative research conducted at an outpatient clinic in Salvador, Bahia, where eleven women were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and submitted to thematic content analysis. the analysis of the statements expressed three categories: Suffering discrimination in different social contexts: denounced disrespect, hostility, veiled and/or explicit exclusion, prejudice, injustice and insults lived in public transport, at work, in the family environment, in social events and commercial establishments; Experiencing negative feelings about discrimination: revealed inferiority, sadness, shame, fear, anger, frustration, low esteem and discouragement faced by women; Reacting to discrimination: expressed isolation of marital intimacy and social encounters, removal from work, concealment of body and feelings and even illness of women. the discrimination experienced in various settings has caused suffering, embarrassment, negative feelings, shame, isolation and loss in women's lives.

КЛИНИКО-ЛАБОРАТОРНАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА НОВОРОЖДЕННЫХ ОТ МАТЕРЕЙ, ПЕРЕБОЛЕВШИХ ОСТРЫМ ВИРУСНЫМ ГЕПАТИТОМ В И ОСОБЕННОСТИ РЕАБИЛИТАЦИИ

Relevance. Viral hepatitis in women during pregnancy is characterized by etiological diversity and has the entire spectrum of manifestations characteristic of HB infections. In the structure of viral hepatitis in pregnant women, viral hepatitis B accounts for up to 70 %. In case of a woman's illness, infection of newborns during pregnancy is a leading factor for the development of HB and HC - a viral infection in children. At the same time, the nature of specific immunological markers in the blood of the mother and child is of particular importance for the development of neonatal NV or HC-viral infection. Objective: assessment of the rehabilitation of children from mothers with acute viral hepatitis B at various stages of pregnancy based on the study of the clinical and laboratory characteristics of this infection. Materials and methods.The study included 45 children whose mothers suffered from acute viral hepatitis during pregnancy. The diagnosis was verified in all children according to the data of clinical and laboratory studies with the determination of HBsAg, HBeAg, DNA, RNA of viral hepatitis. Results. The first group consisted of 16 (35.5%) children whose mothers had HBsAg in their blood. HB viral infection developed in the third trimester of pregnancy, childbirth took place in the acute period of the disease at the end of the third week of the icteric period. The second group – 19 (42.3 %) newborns, whose mothers also fell ill in the third trimester of pregnancy, but childbirth took place later on the third week of the icteric period 15 (33.3 %) or in the period of early convalescence 4 (8.8 %). At the same time, HBsAg in the blood of all mothers continued to be determined during the early and late period of convalescence. Unlike the newborns of the first group, only 2 (4.4 %) children in the second group had HBsantigenemia at the 2nd week of life. In 2/3 of the examined newborns, antibodies to HBsAg were detected in cord blood or in serum taken in the first days of life. At the same time, the mothers had no antibodies, despite the presence of HBsAg. It is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that in the presence of antibodies to HBsAg in the umbilical cord blood in these children of HBsAg, there was no antigenemia during the follow-up during the year. Antibodies to HBsAg were re-detected at the age of 5-6 months and only in 3 (6.6 %) children at the age of 12 months. Mothers of 10 (22.2 %) newborns of the 3rd group were ill with HBV infection in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy and childbirth took place during the period of convalescence, after 6-7 months after clinical recovery and release from HBsantigenemia. However, these infants had anti-HBs in the absence of HBsAg, which persisted for 3-6 months after birth. Conclusion: the above requires rehabilitation measures in newborns from mothers who have had acute viral hepatitis B during pregnancy in order to prevent the development of complications and chronicity of the process.

Development and Preliminary Validation of a Tool for Screening Suicide Risk in Chronically Ill Women

The Suicide Screening Tool for Chronic Illness assesses suicide risk for persons with chronic, “invisible” illnesses. From an initial pool of 31 items, internal consistency, Rasch, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses produced a 14-item scale that is unidimensional, internally consistent, and correlated with measures of suicide-relevant constructs.

Ocena poziomu poczucia koherencji i jego związek z akceptacją choroby u kobiet leczonych z powodu raka piersi

Ocena poziomu poczucia koherencji i jego związek z akceptacją choroby u kobiet leczonych z powodu raka piersi

Does atypical interoception following physical change contribute to sex differences in mental illness?

Sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of mental illnesses are well documented. Women are more likely to experience common mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety and depression), and when they experience these conditions, they often present differently to men (e.g., women are more likely to report somatic complaints). Periods of physical and hormonal change (e.g., adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause) are particular risk periods for the development of mental illness in women. In this article, we advance the proposal that interoception (the perception of the body's internal state) is one mechanism that might explain sex differences in vulnerability to mental illness. We argue that known sex differences in interoception, whereby women, compared to men, report heightened attention to internal signals coupled with worse interoceptive accuracy, may result from the increased amount of physical and hormonal change women experience across development. Given links between interoception and mental health, we propose that sex differences in interoception may partly explain sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of certain mental illnesses. Further scrutiny of this proposal may aid our understanding of sex differences in mental illness with implications for assessment, early intervention, and the development of novel treatment approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

048 Harding’s disease: an important MS mimic

IntroductionLeber’s hereditary optic neuropathy is a mitochondrially-inherited disorder characterized by bilateral, painless visual loss, which leads to severe optic atrophy.1 LHON can be associated with an MS-like illness referred to as Harding’s disease.2We report two siblings, who both harbour the 11778 mtDNA mutation, but manifest markedly different clinical phenotypes; a male with classical LHON and a female with Harding’s disease.Methods and ResultsA 61-year-old female, who was diagnosed with MS 22 years ago was referred to our service for a second opinion. She developed unilateral painless visual loss in her 20’s, was diagnosed with optic neuritis and treated with corticosteroids with some recovery. A second episode of more severe visual loss at age 39 left her with visual impairment to less than finger counting. 4 years later, she had an episode of dysarthria and gait ataxia. MRI showed multifocal white matter lesions involving the juxta-cortical and periventricular regions, cerebellar peduncle and cervical cord. Targeted views of the optic pathways showed hyperintensity of the left optic nerve, with involvement extending into the optic canal.The patient has one brother who was diagnosed with LHON at age 37 after presenting with severe painless bilateral sequential visual loss. Genetic testing of the index patient confirmed the presence of the same mutation identified in her brother. ConclusionLHON and Harding’s disease demonstrate a great degree of variability in clinical phenotype and penetrance between males and females as well as individuals within the same family.3 While there is no evidence for screening MS cohorts for the LHON, consider genetic testing in patients with severe and persistent bilateral visual loss or with a suggestive family history.4ReferencesHarding AE, Sweeney MG, Miller DH, Mumford CJ, Kellar-Wood H, Menard D,McDonald WI, Compston DA. Occurrence of a multiple sclerosis-like illness in women who have a Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy mitochondrial DNA mutation. Brain. 1992 August;115 ( Pt 4):979–89.Palace J. Multiple sclerosis associated with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. J Neurol Sci. 2009 November 15;286(1–2):24–7. Review.Pfeffer G, Burke A, Yu-Wai-Man P, Compston DAS, Chinnery PF. Clinical features of MS associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy mtDNA mutations. Neurology. 2013;81(24):2073–2081.Yu-Wai-Man P, Chinnery PF. Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. In: Pagon RA MP, Adam Ardinger HH eds. GeneReviews. Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Seattle; 2013. Accessed May 7, 2018.

Duvet woman versus action man: the gendered aetiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome according to English newspapers

ABSTRACTMedia portrayals of conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) demand exploration as the media is a potent source of information and meaning, and as such has the potential to inform public and professional understandings. To date, there is little systematic exploration of print media representations of CFS/ME. In this study, we address that gap by exploring the voices of CFS/ME sufferers in the English print media (1998–2015) from a constructionist feminist perspective. We found that portrayals of CFS/ME differ meaningfully, depending on gender. The psychological and emotional tended to be foregrounded where women were concerned and the scepticism surrounding CFS/ME as a “non disease” was much more evident. On some occasions this was dealt with directly, whilst on others it was “leaked in” or hinted at. This serves to delegitimise the illness in women. In contrast, the physical was usually foregrounded in the case of men suffering from the condition and their experiences were accredited greater legitimacy. We problematise these representations and discuss the potential impact upon public and professional sympathy, treatment options and long-standing, gendered constructions of illness.

Post-Stroke Depression.

Introduction:The depression is a common mental disorder, especially after a stroke, which further aggravates the recovery.Aim:To analyze depression within 48 hours and fifteen days after ischemic stroke in relation to gender and location (brain hemisphere and brain circulation).Methods:We analyzed 40 patients (65.3±10.3 years), half of them were women. Mean age of women was 66.35±7.31 years and men 64.2±12.68 years (p= 0.5). Ischemic stroke was verified by computed tomography. Levels of depression were measured with self-estimated Zung’s scale. On the tests, score of 50 and higher verified depression. Criteria made by Domasio were used to determine location of the IS.Results:Mean value on depression scale in acute phase of ischemic stroke was 46.85 ± 8.6 and in subacute phase 43.4 ± 8 (p =0.06). In 19 (47.5%) patients (55% of women, 40% of men; p=0.3) depression was found during the first and in 10 (25%) patients (35% of women, 15 % of men; p=0.06) during the second evaluation (p<0.019). Mean value on depression in acute phase of illness in women was 49.1 ± 7.38, as well as in men 44.6 ± 9.22 (p=0.088) and in subacute phase in women 45.25 ± 8.04, as well as in men 41.5 ± 7.75 (p=0.16). Concerning location of ischemic stroke, there were no significant differences in levels of depression.Conclusion:Number of patients with post-stroke depression is significantly lower in subacute phase of ischemic stroke. Although the number of depressive women and their depression scores are higher, gender differences are not statistically significant. There is no correlation between post-stroke depression and location of lesion in acute and subacute phase of illness.