Alexithymia and depression in the recovery of chronic pain patients: a follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood adversities and emotional dysregulation are connected with chronic pain, alexithymia, and depression. Longitudinal studies exploring the impact of their co-occurrence on the pain situation are rare. AIMS: The influence of alexithymia, depression, baseline pain situation, and treatment options on the course of chronic pain in a clinical sample was studied. METHODS: The baseline data was collected from chronic pain patients (n = 154) before their first pain clinic visit, and the follow-up data after 1 year by self-report questionnaires. Study variables consisted of pain intensity, pain disability, alexithymia (TAS-20), depression (BDI-II), and treatment interventions. Statistical analyses were performed to find out differences between baseline and follow-up, as well as between alexithymic and non-alexithymic patients, and to estimate the effect of the treatment provided. RESULTS: At follow-up, the majority of the patients had pain intensity and disability severe enough to disrupt with their daily living. None of treatment interventions was related to better outcome. Alexithymic patients reported more pain disability and depression at both baseline and at follow-up. The effect of alexithymia on pain disability was mediated by depression. The use of opioids was connected to alexithymia and depressiveness. Alexithymia and depression made a substantial contribution to poorer outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Severe pain intensity and disability with depression and alexithymia predicted difficulties in achieving improvement. Depression and alexithymia probably impair compliance with treatment and adherence to interventions. Their co-occurrence with a more severe pain situation and with the use of opioids indicates psychological problems underlying the pain experience.

The role of alexithymia: An 8-year follow-up study of chronic pain patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this 8-year follow-up study was to ascertain changes in alexithymia, depressiveness and pain situation in a sample of chronic pain patients and to explore the impact of alexithymia and depression on the outcome. METHODS: Participants (n=83) were chronic non-malignant pain patients who completed self-report study questionnaires before their first visit to the pain clinic and again 8years later. Study variables consisted of pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogous Scale, the Pain Disability Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. The moderate improvement in the pain situation was estimated as a decrease of 30% or more in pain intensity or pain disability. RESULTS: In the whole sample there was a significant decrease in pain intensity, pain disability and depressiveness, but only some of the patients achieved moderate improvement in their pain situation. Alexithymia remained stable during the 8-year period. The alexithymic patients had poorer pain situation and more depressiveness both at baseline and at follow-up. Unfavorable outcome in the pain situation was connected with male gender and alexithymia at baseline but not with depressiveness. Alexithymia and depressiveness were closely related to each other and the connection strengthened during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Alexithymic depressive chronic pain patients represent a special, more disabled subgroup among chronic pain patients. The authors recommend screening for and identifying alexithymia and depression in chronic pain patients. Structural treatment protocols such as cognitive-behavioral therapy may benefit these patients. More research is needed to develop treatment interventions for alexithymic patients.

The use of psychoactive prescription drugs among DUI suspects.

BACKGROUND: The study seeks to increase understanding of the use of psychoactive prescription drugs among persons suspected of driving under the influence (DUI). We studied whether the use of prescribed psychoactive medication was associated with DUI, and examined the difference in the use of prescription drugs between DUI recidivists and those arrested only once. METHODS: In this register-based study, persons suspected of DUI (n=29470) were drawn from the Register of DUI suspects, and an age- and gender-matched reference population (n=30043) was drawn from the Finnish general population. Data on prescription drug use was obtained by linkage to the National Prescription Register. The associations of DUI arrest and use of psychoactive prescription drugs in different DUI groups (findings for alcohol only, prescription drugs, prescription drugs and alcohol, illicit drugs) were estimated by using mixed-effect logistic regression. RESULTS: The use of psychoactive prescription drugs and DUI appeared to be strongly associated, with DUI suspects significantly more likely to use psychoactive prescription drugs compared to the reference population. Gender differences existed, with the use of benzodiazepines being more common among female DUI suspects. Moreover, DUI recidivists were more likely to use psychoactive prescription drugs compared to those arrested only once. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to alcohol and/or illicit drug use, a significant proportion of DUI suspects were using psychoactive prescription drugs. When prescribing psychoactive medication, especially benzodiazepines, physicians are challenged to screen for possible substance use problems and also to monitor for patients' alcohol or illicit drug use while being medicated.

Alexithymia and Early Maladaptive Schemas in chronic pain patients.

Psychological factors have an impact on subjective pain experience. The aim of this study was to explore the occurrence of alexithymia and Early Maladaptive Schemas in a sample of 271 first visit chronic pain patients of six pain clinics. The patients completed the study questionnaire consisting of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, the Finnish version of the Young Schema Questionnaire short form-extended, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and pain variables. Alexithymic patients scored higher on Early Maladaptive Schemas and had more pain intensity, pain disability and depression than nonalexithymic patients. Both alexithymia and depression correlated significantly with most Early Maladaptive Schemas. The co-occurrence of alexithymia, Early Maladaptive Schemas and depression seems to worsen the pain experience. Screening of alexithymia, depression and Early Maladaptive Schemas may help to plan psychological treatment interventions for chronic pain patients.

Identification of alcohol abuse and transition from long-term unemployment to disability pension.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to reveal potential gaps and inconsistencies in the identification of alcohol abuse in health care and in employment services and to analyse the granting of disability pensions with respect to the alcohol abuse identification pattern. METHODS: The material consisted of documentary information on 505 long-term unemployed subjects with low employability sent to the development project entitled 'Eligibility for a Disability Pension' in 2001-2006 in Finland. The dichotomous variables 'Alcohol abuse identified in employment services' and 'Alcohol abuse identified in health care' were cross-tabulated to obtain a four-class variable 'Alcohol abuse identification pattern'. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to ascertain the association of alcohol abuse identification pattern with the granting of disability pensions. RESULTS: Alcohol abuse was detected by both health care and employment services in 47% of those identified as abusers (41% of examinees). Each service systems also identified cases that the other did not. When alcohol abuse was identified in health care only, the OR for a disability pension being granted was 2.8 (95% CI 1.5-5.2) compared with applicants without identified alcohol abuse. The result remained the same and statistically significant after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol abuse identified in health care was positively associated with the granting of a disability pension. Closer co-operation between employment services and health care could help to identify those long-term unemployed individuals with impaired work ability in need of thorough medical examination.

Enhancing sense of coherence via early intervention among depressed occupational health care clients.

BACKGROUND: Research on interventions improving psychological adjustment has suggested that sense of coherence (SOC) could be improved. AIMS: In the present study, we measured the impact of an intervention on the SOC among adults with first-episode depression. We also examined whether rehabilitation, depression, occupational stressors, life situation stressors and socio-demographic characteristics are associated with a change in the SOC. METHODS: Occupational health care clients were screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and a structured clinical interview (the The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV: SCID-I). The participating subjects were randomized into a rehabilitation group (n = 134) and control group (n = 100) receiving treatment as usual. The Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13) was used at the baseline and in a 1-year follow-up to compare the change of the SOC between the groups. RESULTS: The increase in the mean SOC score was statistically significant both in the rehabilitation group (54.91 compared with 62.85, P < 0.001) and in the control group (55.29 compared with 61.64, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean SOC scores between the groups at the follow-up. The improved SOC was associated with less severe depression (P = 0.003) and greater decreasing in BDI (P = 0.041) in the rehabilitation group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that both rehabilitation and conventional depression treatment in a first episode of depression may enhance the SOC and that rehabilitation itself enhances the SOC more effectively among those with less severe depression or those whose BDI scores had further decreased at the 1-year follow-up.

Psychiatric comorbidity among substance misusing mothers.

BACKGROUND: Approximately half of patients suffering from a significant drug or alcohol related disorder also match the criteria of some other psychiatric disorder. Yet, little is known about comorbidity among substance misusing pregnant women. AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of psychiatric diseases among mothers with substance misuse severe enough to end up in an assessment at a specialized addiction clinic and to compare their backgrounds to the controls. METHODS: Between 1 June 2003 and 31 December 2005, the maternity clinics in Pirkanmaa health district were asked to refer mothers with possible substance misuse to Tampere University Addiction Psychiatric Clinic, where 119/217 patients were considered misusers. Of these, 49/119 (41.2%) participated in the whole study. At baseline, the assessment was made using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) and at the end of the study, 6-12 months after delivery, with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The comparison group (n = 74) filled a postal survey concerning their background and substance use. RESULTS: 57% of substance misusing pregnant women had psychiatric illnesses; 6-12 months after delivery the number of substance use-related diagnoses was 40%. However, the number, spectrum and severity of psychiatric diagnoses were high in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric comorbidity is common among substance misusing mothers. Their social situation is often very difficult and support needs vary a lot. In order to offer them best possible treatment, diagnosing these disorders should be a routine part of evaluation during pregnancy.

Feasibility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in assessing children's mental health in primary care: Finnish parents', teachers' and public health nurses' experiences with the SDQ.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). METHOD: Following the administration of the SDQ in medical check-ups of 4-9 year-old children (n = 2 682) the involved parents, teachers and public health nurses were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire of the SDQ. RESULTS: Parents took a maximum of 10-15 minutes to complete the SDQ, and only the public health nurses reported that its use was rather burdensome. The SDQ was an age-appropriate method and it was helpful in increasing information and agreement about the child's mental health and need for support. Using the SDQ was a positive experience for parents, but they expected more dialogue with the professionals about the child's situation. The respondents criticised the questionnaire somewhat for being difficult to interpret and complete. CONCLUSIONS: The SDQ was found to be a feasible method for screening children's mental health in primary health care together with parents, teachers and public health nurses. Using the SDQ was a positive experience for parents. However, they reminded the professionals of the importance of sensitive dialogue when assessing the mental health of the child.

Use of antidepressant medication and suicidal ideation-the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the association between use of antidepressant medication and suicidal ideation in different diagnostic groups in a large population-based cohort. METHODS: Information on prescribed drugs within the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 was collected at the age of 31 years with postal questionnaire (N= 8218). The presence of suicidal ideation was assessed via the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 questionnaire. We studied associations between suicidal ideation and antidepressant medication in various diagnostic and symptom groups, and it adjusted for symptoms of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: Suicidal ideation was associated with the use of antidepressant medication in all diagnostic groups, but the association disappeared with adjustment for other symptoms of depression and anxiety. Subjects who reported insomnia and used antidepressants had suicidal ideation more commonly than did subjects who were not using antidepressants even when other symptoms were adjusted for (p = 0.02). There were no statistically significant differences between antidepressant groups or doses. CONCLUSION: In a large unselected cohort, antidepressant medication was not associated with increased suicidal ideation when other symptoms of depression and anxiety were taken into account. The assessment of insomnia might be useful for identifying individuals liable to have increased suicidal ideation while on antidepressant medication.

Finnish norms for young children on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of children's mental health problems is crucial. Although the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a commonly used screening method, further research is needed on its validity and norms for young children. AIMS: The aims of the study were to confirm the adjusted lower (normal/borderline) and upper (borderline/abnormal) cut-offs for the SDQ in a Finnish community sample of 4-9-year-old children, and to explore the SDQ's ability to identify the children with mental health problems. METHODS: Parents and teachers completed the SDQs (n = 2666). The Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) was administered to parents and teachers of 646 children. RESULTS: The overall participation rate was 57%. The suggested cut-offs for the SDQ total difficulties scale rated by parents and teachers were 2-5 points lower than the corresponding published British norms. The sensitivity for the total score normal/borderline cut-off (9/10) was 76% in the parent and 66% in the teacher reports and for the borderline/abnormal cut-off (11/12) 90% and 70% respectively. The respective specificity values were 69%, 63%, 74% and 66%. The area under curve (AUC) values of the higher cut-offs were good for parent (0.87) and satisfactory for teacher rated (0.76) total scores. The presence of a DAWBA-rater assigned diagnosis in the abnormal group compared with the normal group was sixfold in the parent and threefold in the teacher reported SDQs. CONCLUSIONS: The suggested cut-offs were clearly lower than the British norms. Yet the properties of the method's discriminative validity were acceptable. Population specific norms, taking into account both the culture and children's age, seem necessary for screening and for international comparisons of the method's validity properties.

Psychopathic traits in a representative sample of Finnish male prisoners.

BACKGROUND: The psychopathic traits measured with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in a representative national prisoner sample have not been studied in Finland before. It has been unclear whether there could occur some national differences or whether the PCL-R can be used for assessing psychopathic traits in the Finnish forensic settings. AIMS: Our aim was to study the distribution of psychopathic traits in the Finnish male prisoners as well as the correlations of these traits with DSM-IV disorders and to compare the sample with similar samples of Europe and America. METHODS: 171 male prisoners representing all Finnish sentenced male offenders (about 3300) were studied using the PCL-R, SCID-I and SCID-II. RESULTS: The results of the first Finnish study utilizing the PCL-R in a representative national sample of male prisoners were quite similar to the findings of the previous studies of male prisoners carried out in North America, the UK and Sweden. The scores of the interpersonal facet are lower in this sample than in the sample of North America. In total, 16.4% of the Finnish male prisoners can be diagnosed as having a psychopathic disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The PCL-R is a reliable and valid measure of the psychopathy construct of the Finnish male prisoners. The PCL-R is applicable to the Finnish offenders and it is a useful tool for assessing psychopathy in the Finnish criminal justice settings.

Cutting a long story short? The clinical relevance of asking parents, nurses, and young children themselves to identify children's mental health problems by one or two questions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Assessing young children's mental health is a crucial and challenging task. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of asking parents, nurses, and young children themselves to identify children's mental health problems by only one or two questions. METHODS: In regular health check-ups of 4- to 9-year-old children (n = 2682), parents and public health nurses assessed by one question whether the child had any emotional or behavioral difficulties. The child completed a self-evaluation enquiry on his/her emotional well-being. A stratified proportion of the participating parents were invited to a diagnostic interview. RESULTS: Sensitivities were fairly good for the parents' (68%), nurses' (65%), and their combined (79%) one-question screens. Difficulties identified by parents and nurses were major risks (OR 10-14) for any child psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001). The child's self-evaluation was related to 2-fold to 3-fold risks (P < 0.05) for any psychiatric diagnosis, for any emotional diagnosis, and for negative situational factors. CONCLUSION: The one-question screen for parents and public health nurses together quite adequately identified the young children with mental health problems. The child's self-evaluation provided relevant and complementary information on his/her mental health and especially emotional problems.

The Impact of an Early Eclectic Rehabilitative Intervention on Symptoms in First Episode Depression among Employed People.

Objective. To evaluate the effect of an early vocational-orientated eclectic intervention on beck depression inventory (BDI) scores compared to treatment as usual in first ever depressive episode among employed people. Design. A randomized controlled trial comparing the rehabilitative intervention and the conventional treatment. Subjects. The subjects came from occupational health care units. Methods. Employees were sent to a rehabilitation center after being screened for depression using the BDI. They were diagnosed using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV. The participating subjects (N = 283) were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received eclectic early depression intervention treatment (N = 134) and the control group was treated in the conventional way (N = 100). They were followed for one year. Results. The mean decrease in BDI scores within the intervention group was from 20.8 to 11.6 and within the control group from 19.3 to 10.8. BDI score decreased by 10 or more points in 64% of the participants in the intervention group and in 53% of the control group (P = 0.013). Conclusions. There was some evidence that early eclectic intervention in first ever episode depression may be more effective than conventional treatments among working age people in employment.

Finnish female prisoners - heavy consumers of health services.

AIMS: Previous prison studies show that female prisoners often have more health problems than male prisoners do and that they have many chronic health conditions. Few studies have been made among offenders concerning the use of health services, and even fewer concerning physical diseases. We studied the self-reported lifetime somatic diseases, the use of health services and the current use of prescription medicines among Finnish female prisoners and compared them with males. METHODS: The sample consisted of 101 females and 309 male prisoners as controls. The study included several questionnaires and interviews conducted by experienced prison nurses. RESULTS: The women had more commonly genitourinary, virus hepatitis/HIV infections and group "other diseases" than the men. Over 80% of the women and men have had accidents/injuries. Four out of five women, and half of the men, used some medicine regularly. Of the females, 92% (80% of the males) reported lifetime hospital care and 65% (61%) treatment in surgery department, respectively; 70% of the females (53% of the males) reported lifetime use of any psychiatric service; 66% of the women (46% of the men) had received psychiatric out-patient services, and 43% (31%) psychiatric in-patient hospital care and 38% (30%) substance abuse services, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The heavy use of health services among female prisoners resulted mainly from the use of services for substance use and other mental disorders and treatment in surgery department. Compared to men, the difference in using health services was associated with psychiatric services.

Alexithymia and depression in a chronic pain patient sample.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of alexithymia in a sample of general chronic pain patients, to explore possible differences in depression and pain variables between alexithymic and nonalexithymic chronic pain patients and to analyze if depression is a mediator between alexithymia and pain disability. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-one patients making their first visit to a pain clinic completed the study questionnaire including various pain measures, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The sample was dichotomized to alexithymic and nonalexithymic groups. The means of the study variables were compared between the groups. The correlation analysis of the variables was carried out separately in both groups. Path analysis was done to ascertain the mediation effect of BDI-II between the TAS-20 and pain disability. RESULTS: Every fifth chronic pain patient was alexithymic. The BDI-II and pain variable scores were significantly higher in the alexithymic group than in the nonalexithymic group. Pain variables were not associated with alexithymia when BDI-II was controlled for. BDI-II worked as a full mediator between TAS-20 and pain disability. CONCLUSION: The alexithymic patient group was more morbid than the nonalexithymic group. The results suggest that depression is the main factor in pain conditions of alexithymic chronic pain patients. The authors recommend screening and treatment of depression in alexithymic chronic pain patients.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is common among occupational health care clients with depression.

OBJECTIVE: To study how common personality disorders (PDs) are among employed subjects with first-episode depression. Depression is the single most common cause of working disability in Finland. Personality disorders are associated with depression. METHODS: Subjects were screened using the Beck Depression Inventory scale, with a cutoff point greater than 9. The structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth revision, was used to assess mental disorders. Inclusion criterion was major depressive disorder. RESULTS: Most of the 272 participants were female (83%) and the majority (74%) were older than 40 years. The main finding was that one third of the participants had obsessive-compulsive PD. The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive PD was 50% among men and 28% in women. CONCLUSION: It is important to recognize comorbid PDs when assessing working-age persons experiencing depression.

Association of depressiveness with chronic facial pain: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Depression and pain are often co-morbid. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) include facial pain as one main symptom. Reports are lacking on the association between chronic facial pain and earlier depressiveness. The aim of the study was to investigate whether depressiveness increases the risk for chronic facial pain in a longitudinal population-based study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects included in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 5696) answered a questionnaire on facial pain and depressiveness using the Symptom Checklist-25 depression sub-scale at the age of 31 years. In addition, reported depression diagnosed by a doctor was enquired about. Three years later a sub-sample of the cohort, including 63 cases with chronic facial pain and 85 pain-free controls, was formed based on the question concerning facial pain. RESULTS: Of the chronic facial pain cases 17.5% and of the pain-free controls 7.1% were depressive 3 years earlier at baseline (p = 0.050, χ(2) test, crude OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.0-8.0). Of the chronic facial pain cases 6.3% and of the pain-free controls 1.2% reported having had diagnosed depression (p = 0.085, crude OR = 5.7, 95% CI = 0.6-52.2). After adjusting the gender, the association between depressiveness reported at the baseline and chronic facial pain was significant (OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 1.1-16.2). When widespread pain was included in the analysis, the association was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Depressiveness increases the risk for chronic facial pain in a 3-year follow-up. This association seems to be mediated through widespread pain.

Mental disorders associated with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs: a register-based study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mental disorders are associated with driving under the influence (DUI), but the evidence is scarce and mostly focused on a limited group of repeat drunken drivers. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine which mental disorders were risk factors for DUI of alcohol only (DUIA), of illicit drugs (DUID) or of alcohol and psychoactive prescription drugs (DUIAP), and whether and how the risk differs over time. METHODS: A register-based case-control study was conducted. Cases (n=44,188) suspected by the police of DUI during 1997-2007 and controls (n=45,148) were drawn from the general Finnish population. The official national register of hospital treatments was the data source for mental disorders. The effects of mental disorders on DUI were estimated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Substance use disorders increased the risk of DUI overall. Childhood- and adolescence-onset disorders were a strong predictor of DUID, and bipolar and depressive disorders predicted DUIAP. The risk was highest soon after hospital admission with a psychiatric diagnosis, but it decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Actions to prevent DUI should be developed and implemented during the treatment of mental disorders.

Alcohol use disorder, smoking and dental fear among adults in Finland.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association between dental fear and alcohol use disorder and smoking controlling for age, gender and attained level of education as well as anxiety and depressive disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nationally representative data on Finnish adults, 30 + years old (n = 5953), were gathered in interviews. Dental fear was measured in an interview using the question: 'How afraid are you of visiting a dentist?' The alternatives for replying were: 'Not at all', 'Somewhat' and 'Very'. Alcohol use, anxiety and depressive disorders were assessed with a standardized structured psychiatric interview based on DSM-IV criteria. The question on regularity of smoking gave three reply alternatives: smoking 'Daily', 'Occasionally' or 'Not at all'. RESULTS: When socio-demographics and anxiety and depressive disorders were controlled for, those with lifetime alcohol use disorder were more likely to have high dental fear than were those without this disorder. When smoking was added to the model, those who smoked regularly were more likely to have high dental fear than those who smoked occasionally or not at all. In this model, alcohol use disorder was not statistically significantly associated with dental fear. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the suggestion that some individuals may have personality traits that make them vulnerable to substance use disorders and dental fear.