Comparison of Disease Severity, Anxiety and Depression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Patients with Different Insight

BACKGROUND

Significant individual differences exist in the insight of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and the clinical characteristics of OCD patients with varying levels of insight are not entirely uniform. This study aims to investigate disparities in disease severity, anxiety, and depression status among OCD patients with differing levels of insight, with the goal of generating novel treatment strategies for OCD.

METHODS

A total of 114 patients diagnosed with OCD were recruited from the Department of Psychology at Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital to participate in this research. Based on their Total Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ) scores, the patients were divided into two groups: Group OCD with high insight (referred to as Group OCD-HI, ITAQ score ≥20 points, n = 80) and Group OCD with low insight (referred to as Group OCD-LI, ITAQ score <20 points, n = 34). Subsequently, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores were compared between the two groups. All questionnaires for this study were completed by experienced psychiatrists.

RESULTS

The Y-BOCS scores for YB1, YB2, YB4, YB5, YB6, YB9, and the total Y-BOCS scores in Group OCD-HI were significantly higher than those in Group OCD-LI (p < 0.05). Conversely, Group OCD-HI exhibited significantly lower HAMA and HAMD scores compared to Group OCD-LI (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the total ITAQ score displayed a significant negative correlation with the total Y-BOCS, HAMA, and HAMD scores (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that certain OCD patients exhibit incomplete insight, and this lack of insight is strongly associated with increased disease severity and heightened levels of anxiety and depression. It is hoped that by enhancing the insight of OCD patients, the goal of ameliorating disease symptoms and alleviating negative emotions can be attained.

Identification of Predictors of Mood Disorder Misdiagnosis and Subsequent Help-Seeking Behavior in Individuals With Depressive Symptoms: Gradient-Boosted Tree Machine Learning Approach

BACKGROUND

Misdiagnosis and delayed help-seeking cause significant burden for individuals with mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment, while delayed help-seeking can result in more severe symptoms, functional impairment, and poor treatment response. Such challenges are common in individuals with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder due to the overlap of symptoms with other mental and physical health conditions, as well as, stigma and insufficient understanding of these disorders.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to identify factors that may contribute to mood disorder misdiagnosis and delayed help-seeking.

METHODS

Participants with current depressive symptoms were recruited online and data were collected using an extensive digital mental health questionnaire, with the World Health Organization World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview delivered via telephone. A series of predictive gradient-boosted tree algorithms were trained and validated to identify the most important predictors of misdiagnosis and subsequent help-seeking in misdiagnosed individuals.

RESULTS

The analysis included data from 924 symptomatic individuals for predicting misdiagnosis and from a subset of 379 misdiagnosed participants who provided follow-up information when predicting help-seeking. Models achieved good predictive power, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75 and 0.71 for misdiagnosis and help-seeking, respectively. The most predictive features with respect to misdiagnosis were high severity of depressed mood, instability of self-image, the involvement of a psychiatrist in diagnosing depression, higher age at depression diagnosis, and reckless spending. Regarding help-seeking behavior, the strongest predictors included shorter time elapsed since last speaking to a general practitioner about mental health, sleep problems disrupting daily tasks, taking antidepressant medication, and being diagnosed with depression at younger ages.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a novel, machine learning-based approach to understand the interplay of factors that may contribute to the misdiagnosis and subsequent help-seeking in patients experiencing low mood. The present findings can inform the development of targeted interventions to improve early detection and appropriate treatment of individuals with mood disorders.

Magnitude of dural tear and its associated factors among patients with depressed skull fracture

Introduction

Trauma is a huge problem seen in developed countries as well as developing countries. Head injury is a major factor responsible for mortality in young populations. Up to 6% of all head injuries and 11% of severe head traumas might result in a depressed skull fracture (DSF), a catastrophic injury. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dural tear and to identify its predictors.

Method

A retrospective review of medical records of all patients operated on for DSFs at the University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from 1 January 2021 to 1 January 2023 G.C. (Gregorian calendar) was conducted. A total of 163 patients were included in the study.

Results

A total of 163 patients [136 men (83.4%) and 27 women (16.6%)] had a mean age of 23.9 with a standard deviation of 14.8 (range from 3 to 65). Patients with penetrating injuries (missiles, axes) were excluded. The majority, 153 (93.9%) of the patients, were younger than 50 years of age. Physical assault accounted for 102 (62.5%) of the cases. Of the assaulted cases, 62 (38%) were assaulted by stone, 32 (19.6%) by stick, and 8 (5%) by other objects (beer bottle and shovel). Bleeding from the trauma site in 124 (76.1%), headache in 76 (46.6%), loss of consciousness in 75 (46%), and vomiting in 72 (44.2%) were the most common presentations. Based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), 123 (75%) patients had mild head injuries. Based on the site of fracture, frontal depressions are the most common (61, 37.4%), followed by parietal depressions (53, 32.5%). With regard to the associated injuries, brain contusion was seen in 52 (32%), epidural hematoma (EDH) in 26 (16%), subdural hematoma in 3 (1.8%), and intraventricular hemorrhage/subarachnoid hemorrhage (IVH/SAH) in 3 (1.8%). The median duration of presentation was 15 h, with an interquartile range (IQR) of 8-24 (1-96 h). From the multivariable logistic regression, brain contusion and EDH were significantly associated with dural tear.

Conclusion

The rules of our culture are reflected in the higher incidence of accidents and fractures among men. Physical assault, particularly with stones, was the most common cause of DSFs. Frontal depressions were the most common site of fracture, followed by parietal fractures. Brain contusion and EDH were significantly associated with dural tears. School-aged children are more vulnerable to injuries from horse or donkey kicks and falls.

Hybrid double-dermal flap technique for vest-over-pants-closure correction of depressed abdominal scars

Surgical procedures performed during neonatal period or childhood that result in vertical midline, transverse left upper quadrant, or central upper abdominal scars create significant psychological concerns in adulthood. Various surgical techniques correct depressed scars, including scar revision, Z- or W-plasty flaps, sub-incision tunnelling, fat grafting, and autologous or alloplastic dermal grafting. This article describes a novel technique for repairing depressed abdominal scars using hybrid double-dermal flaps. We included patients with psychosocial concerns who underwent abdominal scar revision because of wedding plans. Hybrid local de-epithelised dermal flaps were used to correct the depression of the abdominal scar. Superior and inferior skin flaps, medial and lateral to the depressed scar, were de-epithelised for 2 to 3 cm and sutured using the vest-over-pants technique with 2/0 nylon permanent sutures. Six female patients who want to marry were included in this study. Depressed abdominal scars were successfully fixed using hybrid double-dermal flaps, either from the superior-inferior aspect for transverse scars or from the medial-lateral aspect for vertical scars. No postoperative complications were noted, and the patients were satisfied with the outcomes. De-epithelialised double-dermal flaps in the vest-over-pants technique are an effective and valuable surgical technique for correcting depressed scars.

Mindfulness Training for Depressed Older Adults Using Smartphone Technology: Protocol for a Fully Remote Precision Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Precision medicine, optimized interventions, and access to care are catchphrases for the future of behavioral treatments. Progress has been slow due to the dearth of clinical trials that optimize interventions' benefits, individually tailor interventions to meet individual needs and preferences, and lead to rapid implementation after effectiveness is demonstrated. Two innovations have emerged to meet these challenges: fully remote trials and precision clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE

This paper provides a detailed description of Mindful MyWay, a study designed to test online mindfulness training in older adults with depression. Consistent with the concept of fully remote trials using a smartphone app, the study requires no in-person contact and can be conducted with participants anywhere in the United States. Based upon the precision medicine framework, the study assesses participants using high-frequency assessments of symptoms, cognitive performance, and patient preferences to both understand the individualized nature of treatment response and help individually tailor the intervention.

METHODS

Mindful MyWay is an open-label early-phase clinical trial for individuals 65 years and older with current depression. A smartphone app was developed to help coordinate the study, deliver the intervention, and evaluate the acceptability of the intervention, as well as predictors and outcomes of it. The curriculum for the fully remote intervention parallels the mindfulness-based stress reduction curriculum, a protocolized group-based mindfulness training that is typically provided in person. After consent and screening, participants download The Healthy Mind Lab mobile health smartphone app from the Apple App Store, allowing them to complete brief smartphone-based assessments of depressive symptoms and cognitive performance 4 times each day for 4 weeks prior to and after completing the intervention. The intervention consists of an introduction video and 10 weekly mindfulness training sessions, with the expectation to practice mindfulness at home daily. The app collects participant preference data throughout the 10-week intervention period; these high-frequency assessments identify participants' individually dynamic preferences toward the goal of optimizing the intervention in future iterations.

RESULTS

Participant recruitment and data collection began in March 2019. Final end point assessments will be collected in May 2022. The paper describes lessons learned regarding the critical role of early-phase testing prior to moving to a randomized trial.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mindful MyWay study is an exemplar of innovative clinical trial designs that use smartphone technology in behavioral and neuropsychiatric conditions. These include fully remote studies that can recruit throughout the United States, including hard-to-access areas, and collect high-frequency data, which is ideal for idiographic assessment and individualized intervention optimization. Our findings will be used to modify our methods and inform future randomized controlled trials within a precision medicine framework.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03922217; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03922217.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/39233.

Psychological Status and Correlated Factors of Primary Medical Staff During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Hefei City, China

Objective

To investigate the mental illness and correlated factors of primary medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak in Hefei city, China.

Methods

A total of 180 primary medical staff were randomly selected from seven community hospitals in Hefei Economic and Technological Development Zone as a study group. One hundred and eighty-two health people were recruited as the control group. The self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Psychological questionnaire of public health emergencies were distributed to them for evaluation.

Results

The score of SAS, SDS in study group was higher than that in control group [(35.57±10.39) vs (31.31±7.98); (44.16±8.46) vs (41.47±9.47)] (t=4.371, P< 0.001; t=2.849, P=0.005). The fear subscale and total score in the psychological questionnaire of sudden public health events were negatively correlated with age (r=−0.216, P=0.004; r=−0.154, P=0.039). Marriage was negatively correlated with depression subscales in psychological questionnaires of SAS, SDS and sudden public health events (r=−0.184, P=0.013; r=−0.298, P<0.001; r=−0.161, P=0.031; r=−0.147, P=0.049). Education level was positively correlated with the total score of a psychological questionnaire for sudden public health events (r=0.151, P=0.043); Logistic regression analysis showed that marital status was a protective factor of psychological abnormality.

Conclusion

It is necessary to pay attention to the psychological status of primary medical staff, especially the young unmarried medical staff.

Pros and cons of mental health treatment: reports from depressed clients with suicidal ideation

BACKGROUND

Suicide is a major public health problem; rates in the US have risen significantly across all age groups over the past decade. Outpatient mental health services can help to mitigate the risk of suicide. Despite highly positive effects, fewer than half of those individuals diagnosed with a mental illness receive needed mental health treatment.

AIMS

This study aims to examine the pros and cons of mental health treatment utilization and non-utilization from the perspective of depressed individual with suicidal ideation via a decisional balance worksheet.

METHODS

Depressed adults with suicidal ideation presenting to an emergency room for treatment recorded the pros and cons they associate with mental health treatment utilization and non-utilization.

RESULTS

Participants generated pros of non-utilization the least frequently (11.6%), and the pros of treatment utilization most frequently (39.6%). The most frequently cited pro of treatment utilization was "Learning New Skills", representing 40% of identified pros of utilizing treatment.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that reinforcing the new skills treatment can provide and ensuring every client understands treatment strategies and the reasons that treatment can be effective for their individual case may be an effective means of increasing the treatment engagement of at-risk individuals.

Physiologically based cord clamping stabilises cardiac output and reduces cerebrovascular injury in asphyxiated near-term lambs

BACKGROUND

Physiologically based cord clamping (PBCC) has advantages over immediate cord clamping (ICC) during preterm delivery, but its efficacy in asphyxiated infants is not known. We investigated the physiology of PBCC following perinatal asphyxia in near-term lambs.

METHODS

Near-term sheep fetuses (139±2 (SD) days' gestation) were instrumented to measure umbilical, carotid, pulmonary and femoral arterial flows and pressures. Systemic and cerebral oxygenation was recorded using pulse oximetry and near-infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Fetal asphyxia was induced until mean blood pressure reached ~20 mm Hg, where lambs underwent ICC and initiation of ventilation (n=7), or ventilation for 15 min prior to umbilical cord clamping (PBCC; n=8). Cardiovascular parameters were measured and white and grey matter microvascular integrity assessed using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

PBCC restored oxygenation and cardiac output at the same rate and in a similar fashion to lambs resuscitated following ICC. However, ICC lambs had a rapid and marked overshoot in mean systemic arterial blood pressure from 1 to 10 min after ventilation onset, which was largely absent in PBCC lambs. ICC lambs had increased cerebrovascular injury, as indicated by reduced expression of blood-brain barrier proteins and increased cerebrovascular protein leakage in the subcortical white matter (by 86%) and grey matter (by 47%).

CONCLUSION

PBCC restored cardiac output and oxygenation in an identical time frame as ICC, but greatly mitigated the postasphyxia rebound hypertension measured in ICC lambs. This likely protected the asphyxiated brain from cerebrovascular injury. PBCC may be a more suitable option for the resuscitation of the asphyxiated newborn compared with the current standard of ICC.

BDNF serum levels are not related to cognitive functioning in older depressed patients and controls

BACKGROUND

Depression and cognitive decline are highly prevalent in older persons and both are associated with low serum brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Mutual pathways of depression and cognitive decline in older persons may explain the overlap in symptoms and low serum BDNF. We hypothesized that serum BDNF levels are lower in depressed elderly with poor cognitive performance (global or specifically in working memory, speed of information processing, and episodic memory) compared to depressed elderly without cognitive impairment or non-depressed controls.

METHODS

BDNF Serum levels and cognitive functioning were examined in 378 depressed persons and 132 non-depressed controls from a large prospective study on late-life depression. The association between BDNF levels and each cognitive domain among the depressed patients was tested by four separate linear regression models adjusted for relevant covariates. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to compare BDNF serum levels in three groups (depression with cognitive impairment, depression without cognitive impairment, and non-depressed controls), when adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

No significant linear association was found between BDNF and any of the four cognitive domains tested. There are no differences in BDNF levels between controls and depressed patients with or without cognitive impairment global or in specific domains after controlling for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

BDNF serum levels in this cohort of older depressed patients and controls are not related to cognitive functioning. As BDNF is essential for the survival and functioning of neurons, its levels may remain normal in stages of disease where remission is achievable.

Does cognition predict treatment response and remission in psychotherapy for late-life depression?

OBJECTIVES

To identify cognitive predictors of geriatric depression treatment outcome.

METHOD

Older participants completed baseline measures of memory and executive function, health, and baseline and post-treatment Hamilton Depression Scales (HAM-D) in a 12-week trial comparing psychotherapies (problem-solving vs. supportive; N = 46). We examined cognitive predictors to identify treatment responders (i.e., HAM-D scores reduced by ≥50%) and remitters (i.e., post-treatment HAM-D score ≤10).

RESULTS

Empirically derived decision trees identified poorer performance on switching (i.e., Trails B), with a cut-score of ≥82 predicting psychotherapy responders. No other cognitive or health variables predicted psychotherapy outcomes in the decision trees.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychotherapies that support or improve the executive skill of switching may augment treatment response for older patients exhibiting executive dysfunction in depression. If replicated, Trails B has potential as a brief cognitive tool for clinical decision-making in geriatric depression.

face-to-face treatment-a secondary analysis

This secondary analysis of a larger study compared adherence to telephone-administered cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) vs. face-to-face CBT and depression outcomes in depressed primary care patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use. To our knowledge, T-CBT has never been directly compared to face-to-face CBT in such a sample of primary care patients. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to face-to-face CBT or T-CBT for depression. Participants receiving T-CBT (n = 50) and face-to-face CBT (n = 53) were compared at baseline, end of treatment (week 18), and three-month and six-month follow-ups. Face-to-face CBT and T-CBT groups did not significantly differ in age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, educational level, severity of depression, antidepressant use, and total score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Face-to-face CBT and T-CBT groups were similar on all treatment adherence outcomes and depression outcomes at all time points. T-CBT and face-to-face CBT had similar treatment adherence and efficacy for the treatment of depression in depressed primary care patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use. When targeting patients who might have difficulties in accessing care, primary care clinicians may consider both types of CBT delivery when treating depression in patients with co-occurring problematic alcohol use.

Does the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile predict white-matter changes in late-life depression?

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular risk factors and diseases are important etiological factors in depression, particularly late-life depression. Brain changes associated with vascular disease and depression can be detected using magnetic resonance imaging. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we investigated whether the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP), a well-validated risk prediction algorithm, is associated with changes in white-matter connectivity. We hypothesized that depressed participants would show reduced white-matter integrity with higher FSRP, and non-depressed controls (matched for mean vascular risk) would show minimal co-variance with white-matter changes.

METHODS

Thirty-six participants with major depression (age 71.8 ± 7.7 years, mean FSRP 10.3 ± 7.6) and 25 controls (age 71.8 ± 7.3 years, mean FSRP 10.1 ± 7.7) were clinically interviewed and examined, followed by 60-direction DTI on a 3.0 Tesla scanner. Image analysis was performed using FSL tools (www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl) to assess the correlation between FSRP and fractional anisotropy (FA). Voxelwise statistical analysis of the FA data was carried out using Tract Based Spatial Statistics. The significance threshold for correlations was set at p < 0.05 using threshold-free cluster-enhancement. Partial correlation analysis investigated significant correlations in each group.

RESULTS

Participants in the depressed group showed highly significant correlations between FSRP and FA within the body of corpus callosum (r = -0.520, p = 0.002), genu of corpus callosum (r = -0.468, p = 0.005), splenium of corpus callosum (r = -0.536, p = 0.001), and cortico-spinal tract (r = -0.473, p = 0.005). In controls, there was only one significant correlation in the body of corpus callosum (r = -0.473, p = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

FSRP is associated with impairment in white-matter integrity in participants with depression; these results suggest support for the vascular depression hypothesis.

When the ends outweigh the means: mood and level of identification in depression

Research in healthy controls has found that mood influences cognitive processing via level of action identification: happy moods are associated with global and abstract processing; sad moods are associated with local and concrete processing. However, this pattern seems inconsistent with the high level of abstract processing observed in depressed patients, leading Watkins (2008, 2010) to hypothesise that the association between mood and level of goal/action identification is impaired in depression. We tested this hypothesis by measuring level of identification on the Behavioural Identification Form after happy and sad mood inductions in never-depressed controls and currently depressed patients. Participants used increasingly concrete action identifications as they became sadder and less happy, but this effect was moderated by depression status. Consistent with Watkins' (2008) hypothesis, increases in sad mood and decreases in happiness were associated with shifts towards the use of more concrete action identifications in never-depressed individuals, but not in depressed patients. These findings suggest that the putatively adaptive association between mood and level of identification is impaired in major depression.

Neurobiology of decision making in depressed adolescents: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE

Despite evidence that impaired reward- and risk-related behavior during adolescence can have potentially serious short- and long-term consequences, few studies have investigated the impact of depression on reward-related selection in adolescents. This study examined the relationship between reward-related behavior and prefrontal activations in depressed and healthy adolescents during a decision-making task.

METHOD

A total of 22 adolescents with no personal or family history of psychiatric illness and 22 adolescents with major depressive disorder were administered a monetary, two-option decision-making task, the Wheel of Fortune, using a functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol. The analysis was focused on the selection phase, i.e., the first phase of the decision-making process, which typically includes two more phases, the anticipation of outcome and the feedback.

RESULTS

Similar prefrontal regions were activated in healthy and depressed adolescents during reward-related selection. However, in a contrast involving the selection of high-risk (low-probability/high-magnitude reward) versus equal-risk (50% chance of reward) options, healthy adolescents showed greater activation than patients in the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), whereas participants with depression showed greater activation than healthy subjects in the left dorsal OFC and right caudal anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, healthy adolescents, but not participants with depression, showed a negative correlation between high-risk behavior and neuronal activation in prespecified prefrontal regions.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest subtle changes in the neural responses to reward selection in depressed adolescents. These findings should be replicated in larger samples, and the association of these neuronal changes with treatment response and prognosis should be examined.

Efficacy of peer support interventions for depression: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of peer support for reducing symptoms of depression.

METHODS

Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL databases were searched for clinical trials published as of April 2010 using Medical Subject Headings and free text terms related to depression and peer support. Two independent reviewers selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a peer support intervention for depression to usual care or a psychotherapy control condition. Meta-analyses were conducted to generate pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) in the change in depressive symptoms between study conditions.

RESULTS

Seven RCTs of peer support vs. usual care for depression involving 869 participants were identified. Peer support interventions were superior to usual care in reducing depressive symptoms, with a pooled SMD of -0.59 (95% CI, -0.98 to -0.21; P=.002). Seven RCTs with 301 total participants compared peer support to group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There was no statistically significant difference between group CBT and peer interventions, with a pooled SMD of 0.10 (95% CI, -0.20 to 0.39, P=.53).

CONCLUSION

Based on the available evidence, peer support interventions help reduce symptoms of depression. Additional studies are needed to determine effectiveness in primary care and other settings with limited mental health resources.