Violence against women is strongly associated with suicide attempts: Evidence from the WHO multi-country study on women`s health and domestic violence against women

Suicidal behaviours are one of the most important contributors to the global burden of disease among women, but little is known about prevalence and modifiable risk factors in low and middle income countries. We use data from the WHO multi-country study on women`s health and domestic violence against women to examine the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts, and relationships between suicide attempts and mental health status, child sexual abuse, partner violence and other variables. Population representative cross-sectional household surveys were conducted from 2000-2003 in 13 provincial (more rural) and city (urban) sites in Brazil, Ethiopia, japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia, Thailand and Tanzania. 20967 women aged 15-49 years participated. Prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts, lifetime suicidal thoughts, and suicidal thoughts in the past four weeks were calculated, and multivariate logistic regression models were fit to examine factors associated with suicide attempts in each site. Prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts ranged from 0.8% (Tanzania) to 12.0% (Peru city): lifetime thoughts of suicide from 7.2% (Tanzania province) to 29.0% (Peru province), and thoughts in the past four weeks from 1.9% (Serbia) to 13.6% (Peru province). 25-50% of women with suicidal thoughts in the past four weeks had also visited a health worker in that time. The most consistent risk factors for suicide attempts after adjusting for probable common mental health disorders were: intimate partner violence, non-partner physical violence, ever being divorced, separated or widowed, childhood sexual abuse and having a mother who had experienced intimate partner violence. Mental health policies and services must recognise the consistent relationship between violence and suicidality in women in low and middle income countries. Training health sector workers to recognize and respond to the consequences of violence may substantially reduce the health burden associated with suicidal behaviour. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutritional knowledge, eating attitudes and chronic dietary restraint among men with eating disorders

We compared nutritional knowledge, eating attitudes and chronic dietary restraint scores among 17 men (10 with bulimia nervosa and 7 with anorexia nervosa) and 50 women (20 with bulimia nervosa and 30 with anorexia nervosa), who were consecutive patients at a major treatment center in Brazil. There were no differences in nutritional knowledge and concern with food between men and women. For both genders, chronic dietary restraint scores were higher among bulimics. Men with eating disorders had better eating attitudes scores than women. Anorexic men tended to have worse eating attitudes scores than bulimic men, while the opposite was observed for women, suggesting an interaction between gender and diagnosis. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Innovative psychosocial approaches in old age psychiatry

Purpose of review To identify and discuss recent research studies that propose innovative psychosocial interventions in old age psychiatry. Recent findings Studies have shown that cognitive training research for healthy elderly has advanced in several ways, particularly in the refinement of study design and methodology. Studies have included larger samples and longer training protocols. Interestingly, new research has shown changes in biological markers associated with learning and memory after cognitive training. Among mild cognitive impairment patients, results have demonstrated that they benefit from interventions displaying cognitive plasticity. Rehabilitation studies involving dementia patients have suggested the efficacy of combined treatment approaches, and light and music therapies have shown promising effects. For psychiatric disorders, innovations have included improvements in well known techniques such as cognitive behavior therapy, studies in subpopulations with comorbidities, as well as the use of new computer-aided resources. Summary Research evidence on innovative interventions in old age psychiatry suggests that this exciting field is moving forward by means of methodological refinements and testing of creative new ideas.

Comparative Prevalence, Correlates of Impairment, and Service Utilization for Eating Disorders Across US Ethnic Groups: Implications for Reducing Ethnic Disparities in Health Care Access for Eating Disorders

Objective: The study compared the prevalence, correlates of functional impairment, and service utilization for eating disorders across Latinos, Asians, and African Americans living in the United States to non-Latino Whites. Method: Pooled data from the NIMH Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Studies (CPES; NIMH, 2007) were used. Results: The prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) and binge-eating disorder (BED) were similar across all groups examined, but bulimia nervosa (BN) was more prevalent among Latinos and African Americans than non-Latino Whites. Despite similar prevalence of BED among ethnic groups examined, lifetime prevalence of any binge eating (ABE) was greater among each of the ethnic minority groups in comparison to non-Latino Whites. Lifetime prevalence of mental health service utilization was lower among ethnic minority groups studied than for non-Latino Whites for respondents with a lifetime history of any eating disorder. Discussion: These findings suggest the need for clinician training and health policy interventions to achieve optimal and equitable care for eating disorders across all ethnic groups in the United States. (C) 2010 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Anterior cingulate volumes associated with trait impulsivity in individuals with bipolar disorder

Objective: Impulsivity is associated with the clinical outcome and likelihood of risky behaviors among bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Our previous study showed an inverse relationship between impulsivity and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volume in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that BD patients would show an inverse relationship between impulsivity and volumes of the OFC, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of BD. Methods: Sixty-three BD patients were studied (mean +/- SD age = 38.2 +/- 11.5 years; 79% female). The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), version 11A, was used to assess trait impulsivity. Images were processed using SPM2 and an optimized voxel-based morphometry protocol. We examined the correlations between BIS scores and the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes of the prespecified regions. Results: Left rostral ACC GM volume was inversely correlated with the BIS total score (t = 3.95, p(corrected) = 0.003) and the BIS motor score (t = 5.22, p(corrected) < 0.001). In contrast to our hypothesis, OFC volumes were not significantly associated with impulsivity in BD. No WM volume of any structure was significantly correlated with impulsivity. No statistical association between any clinical variable and the rostral ACC GM volumes reached significance. Conclusions: Based on our previous findings and the current results, impulsivity may have a different neural representation in BD and healthy subjects, and the ACC may be involved in the pathophysiology of abnormal impulsivity regulation in BD patients.

Perinatal risk factors and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in patients with rheumatic fever

CAPES/PRODOC, FAPESP[98/15013-9]

Higher prevalence of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders in rheumatic fever

Objective: This study aims to compare the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD) in psychiatric outpatients with and without a history of rheumatic fever (RF). Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study assessing a large sample of consecutive psychiatric outpatients at a Brazilian private practice was conducted during a 10-year period. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by a senior psychiatrist based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Best-estimate diagnosis procedure was also performed. Results: The total sample comprised 678 subjects, 13 of whom (1.92%) presented with a previous history of RF. This group showed a higher prevalence of subclinical obsessive-compulsive disorder (P=.025) and OCSD (P=.007) when compared to individuals with no such history. Conclusions: A previous history of RF was associated with OCSD. These results suggest that clinicians should be encouraged to actively investigate obsessive-compulsive symptoms and related disorders in patients with a positive history of RF. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effects of bromazepam in frontal theta activity on the performance of a sensorimotor integration task: A quantitative electroencephalography study

Our objective is to verify the modulatory effects of bromazepam on EEG theta absolute power when subjects were submitted to a visuomotor task (i.e., car driver task). Sample was composed of 14 students (9 males and 5 females), right handed, with ages varying between 23 and 42 years (mean = 32.5 +/- 9.5), absence of mental or physical impairments, no psychoactive or psychotropic substance use and no neuromuscular disorders (screened by a clinical examination). The results showed an interaction between condition and electrodes (p=0.034) in favor of F8 electrode compared with F7 in both experimental conditions (t-test; p=0.001). Additionally, main effects were observed for condition (p=0.001), period (p=0.001) and electrodes (p=0.031) in favor of F4 electrode compared with F3. In conclusion, Br 6 mg of bromazepam may interfere in sensorimotor processes in the task performance in an unpredictable scenario allowing that certain visuospatial factors were predominant. Therefore, the results may reflect that bromazepam effects influence the performance of the involved areas because of the acquisition and integration of sensory stimuli processes until the development of a motor behavior based on the same stimuli. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conceptualizing impulsivity and risk taking in bipolar disorder: importance of history of alcohol abuse

Elevated levels of impulsivity and increased risk taking are thought to be core features of both bipolar disorder (BD) and addictive disorders. Given the high rates of comorbid alcohol abuse in BD, alcohol addiction may exacerbate impulsive behavior and risk-taking propensity in BD. Here we examine multiple dimensions of impulsivity and risk taking, using cognitive tasks and self-report measures, in BD patients with and without a history of alcohol abuse. Thirty-one BD subjects with a prior history of alcohol abuse or dependence (BD-A), 24 BD subjects with no history of alcohol abuse/dependence (BD-N), and 25 healthy control subjects (HC) were assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and the computerized Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Both BD groups scored significantly higher than controls on the BIS. In contrast, only the BD-A group showed impaired performance on the BART. BD-A subjects popped significantly more balloons than the BD-N and HC groups. In addition, subjects in the BD-A group failed to adjust their performance after popping balloons. Severity of mood symptomatology was not associated with performance on either task. The current study supports a primary role of prior alcohol abuse in risk-taking propensity among patients with bipolar disorder. In addition, findings suggest that impulsivity and risky behavior, as operationalized by self-report and experimental cognitive probes, respectively, are separable constructs that tap distinct aspects of the bipolar phenotype.

Performance of patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder in the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale

Objective: To compare the performance of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) refractory to conventional treatments to healthy controls according to the Frontal Systems Behaviour Scale (FrSBe), comparing the scale scores within each group (Self or Family) and correlating FrSBe with Y-BOCS, DY-BOCS, tic disorder and age of first symptoms. Method: Twenty OCD patients and 20 healthy controls were assessed using the FrSBe, a scale designed to evaluate frontal syndromes. Results: The patients had higher scores when compared with the control group (p value .001) in terms of total score on the scale for both profile forms (Self and Family). In addition, there was a significant difference between the scores reported by the patients and their respective relatives. However, no correlation was observed between the scale and the other variables. Conclusions: The scale was able to clearly differentiate patients with OCD from healthy controls. This finding suggests that the FrSBe can be used not only in neurologic patients but also in psychiatric cases such as refractory OCD.

Sexuality in teenagers with epilepsy

Objectives: In adults with epilepsy it is well known that the epileptic syndrome, seizure frequency and antiepileptic drug use may influence sexual function and behavior. However, knowledge acquired with adult populations has been extrapolated to teenagers, based on the supposition that these patients are influenced by similar factors. This study aimed to evaluate aspects related to sexuality obtained from female adolescents with epilepsy. Methods: We carried out a prospective study of 35 female adolescents, with epilepsy, with ages from 10 to 20 years, and epileptic syndromes diagnosed according to ILAE criteria (1989). Information on sexual function and behavior of adolescents with epilepsy was evaluated by use of a standard questionnaire. Exclusion criteria were lack of menarche, previous endocrine or chronic clinical disorders, and moderate to severe mental retardation. Results: No differences were observed between the age at first sexual intercourse, sexual activity, libido and orgasm of adolescents with epilepsy when compared to controls. Epilepsy clinical variables Such as age of onset, duration and severity had no significant relationship with distinct aspects of sexual function and behavior. Conclusion: Adolescents with epilepsy represent a special patient group because, even with their chronic disorder, they have an active sexual life, despite the severity of their disorder. Therefore, aspects related to sexuality require special attention by health professionals when attending to adolescents with epilepsy. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temperament and character traits in patients with bipolar disorder and associations with comorbid alcoholism or anxiety disorders

Temperament and character traits may determine differences in clinical presentations and outcome of bipolar disorder. We compared personality traits in bipolar patients and healthy individuals using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and sought to verify whether comorbidity with alcoholism or anxiety disorders is associated with specific personality traits. Seventy-three DSM-IV bipolar patients were compared to 63 healthy individuals using the TCI. In a second step, the bipolar sample was subgrouped according to the presence of psychiatric comorbidity (alcoholism, n = 10; anxiety disorders; n = 23; alcoholism plus anxiety disorders, n = 21; no comorbidity, n = 19). Bipolar patients scored statistically higher than the healthy individuals on novelty seeking, harm avoidance and self-transcendence and lower on self-directedness and cooperativeness. Bipolar patients with only comorbid alcoholism scored statistically lower than bipolar patients without any comorbidity on persistence. Bipolar patients with only comorbid anxiety disorders scored statistically higher on harm avoidance and lower on self-directedness than bipolar patients without any comorbidity. Limitations of this study include the cross-sectional design and the small sample size, specifically in the analysis of the subgroups. However, our results suggest that bipolar patients exhibit a different personality structure than healthy individuals and that presence of psychiatric comorbidity in bipolar disorder is associated with specific personality traits. These findings suggest that personality, at least to some extent, mediates the comorbidity phenomena in bipolar disorder. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Primary immune deficiency disorders presenting as autoimmune diseases: IPEX and APECED

Background Several primary immune deficiency disorders are associated with autoimmunity and malignancy, suggesting a state of immune dysregulation. The concept of immune dysregulation as a direct cause of autoimmunity in primary immune deficiency disorders (PIDDs) has been strengthened by the recent discovery of distinct clinical entities linked to single-gene defects resulting in multiple autoimmune phenomena including immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy and X-linked (IPEX) syndrome, and autoimmune polyendocrinopathy, candidiasis and ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) syndrome. Conclusion Reviewing recent advances in our understanding of the small subgroup of PIDD patients with defined causes for autoimmunity may lead to the development of more effective treatment strategies for idiopathic human autoimmune diseases.

Disorders of apoptosis: Mechanisms for autoimmunity in primary immunodeficiency diseases

A number of primary immunodeficiency diseases represent a paradox of immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. In this minireview, we present basic concepts of apoptosis and disorder of apoptosis as one of the mechanisms to explain such a paradox between immunodeficiency and autoimmunity, which is exemplified by autoimmune lympho-proliferative syndrome (ALPS).