Comparing stigma between French people experiencing schizophrenia versus bipolar disorders.

BACKGROUND: Among the multiple challenges that people experiencing mental illness in general, and schizophrenia or bipolar disorders in particular, have to face, stigma appears to be one of the most difficult to tackle. In France, the body of research about stigma regarding people experiencing schizophrenia or bipolar disorders is growing, but not as much as in other western countries. AIMS: In this context, our study aims to explore and compare stigma in French people experiencing schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, along with their respective mental healthcare system experience, in order to better address them within public health policies. METHODS: 20 French mental health service users experiencing schizophrenia and 20 experiencing bipolar disorders answered the Stigma Scale, which assesses three dimensions of stigma (discrimination, difficulties of divulgation and lack of positive aspects). A semi-structured interview was used to collect information about the experience of the mental healthcare system (level of information, access to diagnosis, treatment, access to psychoeducation, etc.). RESULTS: People experiencing schizophrenia and people experiencing bipolar disorders are different populations in terms of social impairment. However, they share a comparable negative experience of the mental healthcare system and a comparable level of information about their illness, to the exception of diagnosis divulgation, as people experiencing bipolar disorders have a better access to their diagnosis. People experiencing schizophrenia perceive a higher actual discrimination than people experiencing bipolar disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Public health policies should take into account the strong perception of actual discrimination of people experiencing schizophrenia, with capitalizing on what seems beneficial for people experiencing bipolar disorders.

Prevalence, risk factors, and comorbidities of psychotic experiences in Afghanistan: a highly stressful environment.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and demographic, psychiatric, and trauma-focused correlates of psychotic experiences (PEs) in the Afghan general population. METHODS: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional household survey implemented in eight regions of Afghanistan (N = 4445). The CIDI structured instrument was administered to adults to assess psychiatric disorders and psychotic experiences; life events and PTSD were assessed using validated instruments. Weighted multivariate models integrated socio-demographics, regions, traumas as determinants of PE. RESULTS: PEs were frequently reported in the Afghan population: 27.50% of the population reported a lifetime PE. PEs were more common among specific ethnic groups, and were associated with lower income in adjusted regression models. PEs were associated with mental health problems including major depressive disorders (OR = 3.43), PTSD (OR = 5.08), generalized anxiety (OR = 4.2); lifetime suicidal attempts (OR 6.04), lifetime suicidal thoughts (OR = 3.42), addiction (OR = 2.18); and psychological distress and impairment due to mental health (OR = 2.95 and 2.46, respectively). CONCLUSION: Psychotic experiences in the Afghan general population confirm general population findings in other countries, that psychotic experiences are common and associated with economic and social marginalization, and part of a continuum of mental health problems experienced in populations. Efforts to reduce and treat psychotic experiences within a broad array of psychiatric conditions are needed.

French mental health care system: Analysis of care utilisation patterns and the case for a stepped care approach.

CONTEXT: In France, spending on mental health and psychiatric care, in proportion to GDP, is close to the EU average. However, there are complaints that the French system is overwhelmed and potentially underfunded. OBJECTIVE: To describe the utilisation of psychiatric and mental health care in different settings to consider the appropriateness of care provision and resource allocation. METHODS: For the year 2018, several national databases on the use of all type of psychiatric care provision (full and part-time hospitalisations, private and public, public ambulatory care, private office-based psychiatrists) were cross-tabulated with diagnosis categories for different age groups and illness severity in order to assess the use of resources and evaluate the appropriateness of resource allocation. RESULTS: A sizable proportion of patients with mild and moderate mental disorders are treated in psychiatric care whilst there is insufficient continuity of care for patients with severe disorders, who are not adequately followed up after discharge from hospitals. This contributes to increase the rate of re-hospitalisations, the use of emergency departments, and longer stays in hospitals. CONCLUSION: The several components of the French mental health care system are used inappropriately, not only in geographical terms but also in terms of service use. We argue that strengthening the access to affordable psychotherapy and the implementation of a stepped-care approach could contribute to solve this issue.

Education as a protective factor for mental health risks among youth living in highly dangerous regions in Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: Children in Afghanistan live in dangerous areas, and have been exposed to traumatic events and chaotic education. Progress has been made on access to education for girls who were the most affected by traditional attitudes against engagement in education. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to evaluate the mental health of Afghan children living in regions of conflict and the association of mental health with school attendance for girls and boys. METHOD: The study included 2707 school aged children in eight regions of Afghanistan (16 provinces) residing in households recruited through a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy in 2017. The level of terrorist threat was evaluated by the intensity of terrorist attacks recorded that year in each province. Child mental health was assessed with the parental report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) along with information on school attendance, sociodemographic characteristics and geographic location. RESULTS: A total of 52.75% of children had scores above threshold for the SDQ total difficulties score, 39.19% for emotional difficulties, 51.98% for conduct challenges, and 15.37% for hyperactivity/inattention. Peer relationship problems were high (82.86%) and 12.38% reported that these problems impacted daily life. The level of terrorist threat was associated with SDQ total difficulties (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 4.08, P < 0.0001), with youth in regions with high levels of terrorist threat more likely to have problems than youth in regions with low or medium levels of danger, independent of region and ethnicity. School attendance was negatively associated with emotional symptoms (AOR = 0.65, P < 0.0001) and mental health difficulties with impairment (AOR = 0.67, P = 0.007), but positively associated with peer relationships difficulties (AOR = 1.96, P > 0.0001). Conduct (AOR = 1.66, P < .0001) and SDQ total difficulties (AOR = 1.22, P = 0.019) were higher among boys. Overall, gender did not modify the relationship between school attendance and child mental health. CONCLUSION: Attending school is essential for children's mental health, across gender, and should be supported as a priority in Afghanistan despite the return of the Taliban.

A national survey on depressive and anxiety disorders in Afghanistan: A highly traumatized population.

BACKGROUND: This survey attempts to measure at a national level, exposures to major traumas and the prevalence of common mental health disorders in a low-income dangerous country, highly affected by conflicts: Afghanistan. METHODS: Trans-sectional probability survey in general population by multistage sampling in 8 provinces, represented nationwide: 4445 adults (4433 weighted),15 years or older, 81% participation rate. Face to face interviews used specific scales for measuring lifetime exposure (LEC 5 Life Events Checklist) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD Check List), a diagnostic standardized interview: Composite International Diagnostic Interview (Short Form) for. Major Depressive Episode and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, plus scales for suicidal thoughts and attempts and psychological distress (MH5 and RE from SF36). RESULTS: 52.62% of the population is illiterate, 84,61% of the women do not have any source of income; 70.92% of the population lives in rural areas, 60.62% are below 35 years, 80% lives in very dangerous areas. 64.67% of the Afghan population had personally experienced at least one traumatic event; 78.48% had witnessed one such event. 60.77% of the sample experienced collective violence in relation to war and 48.76% reported four or more events; this very much differs across regions and levels of danger; women are less at risk for trauma except sexual violence, 35 years and above are more at risk than younger. 12-month PTSD prevalence reaches a high rate: 5.34% as MDE 11,71%, whereas GAD 2.78%; suicidal thoughts 2.26%, lifetime suicidal attempts 3.50% are close to reported in other countries. Women have more risk for PTSD (0R = 1.93) and suicidal behaviours (attempts OR = 1.92) than men; the number of events increases risk for MDE, PTSD and suicidal attempts, whereas education is protective. Exposure to different war events produced different mental health effects. People suffering from PTSD have higher risk to report 12-months suicidal ideations and lifetime suicidal attempts. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need to map the extent and the types of mental disorders post conflict; this would help maximise the help to be offered in guiding proper choice of interventions, including education.

Comorbidity within mental disorders: a comprehensive analysis based on 145 990 survey respondents from 27 countries.

AIMS: Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with one type of mental disorder have an increased risk of subsequently developing other types of mental disorders. This study aimed to undertake a comprehensive analysis of pair-wise lifetime comorbidity across a range of common mental disorders based on a diverse range of population-based surveys. METHODS: The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys assessed 145 990 adult respondents from 27 countries. Based on retrospectively-reported age-of-onset for 24 DSM-IV mental disorders, associations were examined between all 548 logically possible temporally-ordered disorder pairs. Overall and time-dependent hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Absolute risks were estimated using the product-limit method. Estimates were generated separately for men and women. RESULTS: Each prior lifetime mental disorder was associated with an increased risk of subsequent first onset of each other disorder. The median HR was 12.1 (mean = 14.4; range 5.2-110.8, interquartile range = 6.0-19.4). The HRs were most prominent between closely-related mental disorder types and in the first 1-2 years after the onset of the prior disorder. Although HRs declined with time since prior disorder, significantly elevated risk of subsequent comorbidity persisted for at least 15 years. Appreciable absolute risks of secondary disorders were found over time for many pairs. CONCLUSIONS: Survey data from a range of sites confirms that comorbidity between mental disorders is common. Understanding the risks of temporally secondary disorders may help design practical programs for primary prevention of secondary disorders.

[Integrating close relatives of people experiencing schizophrenia in the mental health system]. / Améliorer la participation et le vécu des proches de personnes atteintes de schizophrénie dans le parcours de soins en santé mentale.

OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia is a long-term, stigmatized disease which often leads to social impairment, unemployment and isolation, with heavy negative social and psychological consequences both on patients and their families. Close relatives' perceptions of the illness have an impact on their mood, and then on the course of the patient's disease itself. In this context, our objective is to evaluate the perceptions of French close relatives of people with schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum disorders, about the disease itself, as well as their experience within the mental healthcare system. METHODS: Our population is constituted of close relatives of people experiencing schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum disorders, recruited through an active patient and families association. We used a French translation of a standardized questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, as well as an extensive semi-structured interview assessing the experience of the mental healthcare system (diagnosis divulgation, information about disease and treatment, family psychoeducation, hospitalization experience, and access to health professionals). Some questions in the last were open-ended questions, which allowed us to gather detailed and personal responses, in order to be able to illustrate our quantitative findings with brief clinical cases. RESULTS: Among the 27 close relatives included in our research, results to the standardized questionnaires show threatening perceptions of the disease, in particular regarding the probable duration of the disease and the frequency of symptoms. In our study, a better access to diagnosis is associated with a shorter perceived probable duration of the disease, while an easier communication with healthcare professionals (in particular nurses) is associated with the perception of a better efficiency of the treatment. Family psychoeducation seems to be associated with the perception of less frequent symptoms. When the patient lives independently or is older, close relatives of our sample perceive a higher risk of chronicity of the disease. Our results tend to confirm the available literature on the subject of information towards families in psychiatric services: indeed, studies, especially in the field of nursing research, have shown that families tend to feel excluded from care processes and from useful information exchanges about the patient's illness. Our study also confirms the fact that family psychoeducation seems to reduce the frequency of present symptoms in the patient as perceived by the close relative. This effect could be caused by a better understanding of the real symptoms or by an enhancement of the family mood and functioning. Even if the patient's hospitalization was a difficult or very difficult experience for close relatives, it showed no relationship with their illness negative perceptions. Sociodemographic variables of the patient, such as age or the fact of living in an independent household, were associated in our research with the close relatives' view of a higher potential chronicity of the illness; this could be explained by a different stage of acceptation of the illness when compared to close relatives taking care of a younger or still dependent patient. CONCLUSIONS: Our results plead for further research on a larger and less homogeneous sample. Confirming our findings could help build useful recommendations leading to better integrated families who currently seem to feel relatively isolated and exclused in the healthcare process, despite the strategic role they could play and despite the many recommendations of public health policies in that matter. Efforts should continue to be made to reach the goal of a better inclusion of families and close relatives of people experiencing schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum disorders, in particular in the field of information and communication with health professionals, both areas which seem to have a potential effect on close relatives' illness negative perceptions. Family psychoeducation deserves more attention and should be more systematically proposed to French families with an easier and free access.

[Use of psychotherapy among adults with a history of suicide attempt: Results form a large population-based study]. / Recours à la psychothérapie en France chez les adultes avec tentative de suicide : résultats d'une vaste enquête épidémiologique.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to identify the factors associated with the use of psychotherapy among adults with a history of suicide attempt. METHODS: A large cross-sectional survey (N=22,138) was conducted in four regions of France to characterize mental health care needs in the general population. Data were collected between April and June 2005 by trained interviewers using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system (CATI). Sociodemographics, past-year mental disorders, lifetime and 12-month history of suicide attempts, and use of psychotherapy were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 7.1% of adults reported having undergone psychotherapy in the course of their life, and 2.0% in the previous 12 months. While 8.3% of adults with a lifetime suicide attempt (prior to the previous 12 months) underwent a psychotherapy in the previous 12 months, 27.5% of adults with a past-year suicide attempt underwent a psychotherapy in the previous 12 months. Psychotherapy was provided by psychiatrists (49.5%), psychologists (28.2%), and psychoanalysts (10.6%). While the frequency of psychotherapy sessions was greater among those with a prior attempt as compared to those with no prior attempt [Chi2 (10)=21.35, P=.019], there was no difference in therapy duration [Chi2 (8)=6.71, P=.568]. Compared to adults who did not report a prior attempt, those with a prior suicide attempt were 3,3 more likely to undergo psychotherapy with a psychologist [AOR=3.31 (2.54-4.31)]. Among adults with a prior suicide attempt, increased odds of undergoing a psychotherapy in the course of their life was predicted by higher education [AOR=2.81 (1.56-5.06)], living in the Paris region [AOR=2.06 (1.32-3.23)], and being a woman [AOR=1.50 (1.08-2.09)]. Increased odds of undergoing a psychotherapy in the previous 12 months was predicted by a major depressive disorder [AOR=2.59 (1.57-4.27)], any anxiety disorder [AOR=1.79 (1.07-2.97)], higher education [AOR=3.60 (1.29-10.0)], living in a city of 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants [AOR=2.71 (1.13-6.50)] and more [AOR=2.50 (1.12-5.57)] (outside of the Paris region), a 2000 to 3000 euros monthly income [AOR=2.37 (1.15-4.85)]. DISCUSSION: One third of adults with a lifetime suicide attempt and close to half of those with a past-year attempt have received some form of psychotherapy in the course of their life. In line with prior work, higher education and income level predicted past-year use of psychotherapy among adults with a prior suicide attempt. These findings highlight the association between major depressive disorder or anxiety disorders and increased odds of undergoing psychotherapy in the previous 12 months among adults with prior attempt. While pharmacological treatment, inpatient hospitalizations for mental health problems, visits with a general practitioner or specialized physician are free of charge in France, psychotherapy provided by psychologists or psychotherapists is currently not covered by the French Social Security health care system. As the treatment of mental disorders plays an important role in the reduction of suicide risk, supporting evidence-based psychotherapy through its reimbursement appears to be an important public health issue.

[Peer support programs in mental health in France: Status report and challenges]. / Les programmes de pairs aidants en santé mentale en France : état de situation et difficultés de mise en place.

OBJECTIVES: Recovery is a process through which people experiencing mental illness learn to live with their disorder and reach social insertion and citizenship. This positive approach focuses on a person's competencies and strengths rather than on the symptoms. Within this philosophy, peer support has been unevenly developing in mental health services worldwide with roots in the South-American social programs for homeless people and in the American recovery circles in the field of addiction. Therapeutic efficiency of peer support has been proven by several studies including a control group, as being at least as good as traditional services and even better in some specific areas such as reduction of need for emergency services and ability to reach "difficult" patients. The integration of former psychiatric services users in mental health services can take several forms, from the participation to scientific research studies to the direct involvement in a professional team at mental health facilities. In this context, our research aims to sum up the situation in France in comparison with other countries. METHODS: We conducted a worldwide literature review in English and in French on peer support experiences and policies in mental health services, using medical and psychological databases (PsycInfo, PsycArticles, SantéPsy, Cairn, Medline, Wiley Interscience and PubPsych) on a recent period: 2005-2016. In total, 32 relevant scientific papers have been included in our research. In some cases, we have also used official reports, blogs, Internet sites, and mass media articles when they were relevant. RESULTS: Our results show that this movement has been long to develop in France, with controversies having been raised since the beginning on the role that peers should play and confusion with existing social integration programs in the associative sector. Drawing inspiration from the Canadian model, a recent "peer mentor" initiative has been analyzed after 2 years of existence: many benefits for services users such as the optional aspect of this care process, a more authentic therapeutic relationship, a less normative frame, an active partnership, and a more optimistic philosophy aiming to make "small steps" towards improvement have been reported. Health professionals and peer mentors themselves have found benefits during the process. However, several limits such as difficulties to find a place with regards to the psychiatric team and difficulties to take advantage of the peer specificity, resulting in a significant attrition of the number of peer mentors, could be observed. A few other important initiatives focused on social insertion and using the help of professional peer support have been developed in recent years, but they seem to have encountered the same issues about positioning themselves both in terms of day-to-day integration in the professional environment and in the job title given by institutions which rarely corresponds to their experience and specificity. In addition, it remains difficult to obtain reliable information, as only a few papers have been published on this matter. Also, while some evaluation studies are currently being carried out, independent quantitative studies of the few running programs seem to lack in this field. CONCLUSIONS: In our presentation, taking into account the difficulties that were raised in French programs and the lessons of practical experiences at work in other countries, we propose recommendations for larger and more effective implementations of peer support programs in France. As this new kind of care is emerging and seems promising in terms of benefits for not only the users but also the peer supporters and the teams of health professionals, we also insist on the need for a systematic scientific and objective evaluation of the programs.

Psychotic experiences and religiosity: data from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

OBJECTIVES: Religiosity is often associated with better health outcomes. The aim of the study was to examine associations between psychotic experiences (PEs) and religiosity in a large, cross-national sample. METHODS: A total of 25 542 adult respondents across 18 countries from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys were assessed for PEs, religious affiliation and indices of religiosity, DSM-IV mental disorders and general medical conditions. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between PEs and religiosity with various adjustments. RESULTS: Of 25 542 included respondents, 85.6% (SE = 0.3) (n = 21 860) respondents reported having a religious affiliation. Overall, there was no association between religious affiliation status and PEs. Within the subgroup having a religious affiliation, four of five indices of religiosity were significantly associated with increased odds of PEs (odds ratios ranged from 1.3 to 1.9). The findings persisted after adjustments for mental disorders and/or general medical conditions, as well as religious denomination type. There was a significant association between increased religiosity and reporting more types of PEs. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with religious affiliations, those who reported more religiosity on four of five indices had increased odds of PEs. Focussed and more qualitative research will be required to unravel the interrelationship between religiosity and PEs.

Socio-economic variations in the mental health treatment gap for people with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders: results from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys.

BACKGROUND: The treatment gap between the number of people with mental disorders and the number treated represents a major public health challenge. We examine this gap by socio-economic status (SES; indicated by family income and respondent education) and service sector in a cross-national analysis of community epidemiological survey data. METHODS: Data come from 16 753 respondents with 12-month DSM-IV disorders from community surveys in 25 countries in the WHO World Mental Health Survey Initiative. DSM-IV anxiety, mood, or substance disorders and treatment of these disorders were assessed with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). RESULTS: Only 13.7% of 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI cases in lower-middle-income countries, 22.0% in upper-middle-income countries, and 36.8% in high-income countries received treatment. Highest-SES respondents were somewhat more likely to receive treatment, but this was true mostly for specialty mental health treatment, where the association was positive with education (highest treatment among respondents with the highest education and a weak association of education with treatment among other respondents) but non-monotonic with income (somewhat lower treatment rates among middle-income respondents and equivalent among those with high and low incomes). CONCLUSIONS: The modest, but nonetheless stronger, an association of education than income with treatment raises questions about a financial barriers interpretation of the inverse association of SES with treatment, although future within-country analyses that consider contextual factors might document other important specifications. While beyond the scope of this report, such an expanded analysis could have important implications for designing interventions aimed at increasing mental disorder treatment among socio-economically disadvantaged people.

The associations of earlier trauma exposures and history of mental disorders with PTSD after subsequent traumas.

Although earlier trauma exposure is known to predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after subsequent traumas, it is unclear whether this association is limited to cases where the earlier trauma led to PTSD. Resolution of this uncertainty has important implications for research on pretrauma vulnerability to PTSD. We examined this issue in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys with 34 676 respondents who reported lifetime trauma exposure. One lifetime trauma was selected randomly for each respondent. DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition) PTSD due to that trauma was assessed. We reported in a previous paper that four earlier traumas involving interpersonal violence significantly predicted PTSD after subsequent random traumas (odds ratio (OR)=1.3-2.5). We also assessed 14 lifetime DSM-IV mood, anxiety, disruptive behavior and substance disorders before random traumas. We show in the current report that only prior anxiety disorders significantly predicted PTSD in a multivariate model (OR=1.5-4.3) and that these disorders interacted significantly with three of the earlier traumas (witnessing atrocities, physical violence victimization and rape). History of witnessing atrocities significantly predicted PTSD after subsequent random traumas only among respondents with prior PTSD (OR=5.6). Histories of physical violence victimization (OR=1.5) and rape after age 17 years (OR=17.6) significantly predicted only among respondents with no history of prior anxiety disorders. Although only preliminary due to reliance on retrospective reports, these results suggest that history of anxiety disorders and history of a limited number of earlier traumas might usefully be targeted in future prospective studies as distinct foci of research on individual differences in vulnerability to PTSD after subsequent traumas.

Complementary and alternative medicine contacts by persons with mental disorders in 25 countries: results from the World Mental Health Surveys.

AIMS: A substantial proportion of persons with mental disorders seek treatment from complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) professionals. However, data on how CAM contacts vary across countries, mental disorders and their severity, and health care settings is largely lacking. The aim was therefore to investigate the prevalence of contacts with CAM providers in a large cross-national sample of persons with 12-month mental disorders. METHODS: In the World Mental Health Surveys, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was administered to determine the presence of past 12 month mental disorders in 138 801 participants aged 18-100 derived from representative general population samples. Participants were recruited between 2001 and 2012. Rates of self-reported CAM contacts for each of the 28 surveys across 25 countries and 12 mental disorder groups were calculated for all persons with past 12-month mental disorders. Mental disorders were grouped into mood disorders, anxiety disorders or behavioural disorders, and further divided by severity levels. Satisfaction with conventional care was also compared with CAM contact satisfaction. RESULTS: An estimated 3.6% (standard error 0.2%) of persons with a past 12-month mental disorder reported a CAM contact, which was two times higher in high-income countries (4.6%; standard error 0.3%) than in low- and middle-income countries (2.3%; standard error 0.2%). CAM contacts were largely comparable for different disorder types, but particularly high in persons receiving conventional care (8.6-17.8%). CAM contacts increased with increasing mental disorder severity. Among persons receiving specialist mental health care, CAM contacts were reported by 14.0% for severe mood disorders, 16.2% for severe anxiety disorders and 22.5% for severe behavioural disorders. Satisfaction with care was comparable with respect to CAM contacts (78.3%) and conventional care (75.6%) in persons that received both. CONCLUSIONS: CAM contacts are common in persons with severe mental disorders, in high-income countries, and in persons receiving conventional care. Our findings support the notion of CAM as largely complementary but are in contrast to suggestions that this concerns person with only mild, transient complaints. There was no indication that persons were less satisfied by CAM visits than by receiving conventional care. We encourage health care professionals in conventional settings to openly discuss the care patients are receiving, whether conventional or not, and their reasons for doing so.

The association between psychotic experiences and disability: results from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

OBJECTIVE: While psychotic experiences (PEs) are known to be associated with a range of mental and general medical disorders, little is known about the association between PEs and measures of disability. We aimed to investigate this question using the World Mental Health surveys. METHOD: Lifetime occurrences of six types of PEs were assessed along with 21 mental disorders and 14 general medical conditions. Disability was assessed with a modified version of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between PEs and high disability scores (top quartile) with various adjustments. RESULTS: Respondents with PEs were more likely to have top quartile scores on global disability than respondents without PEs (19.1% vs. 7.5%; χ2  = 190.1, P < 0.001) as well as greater likelihood of cognitive, social, and role impairment. Relationships persisted in each adjusted model. A significant dose-response relationship was also found for the PE type measures with most of these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotic experiences are associated with disability measures with a dose-response relationship. These results are consistent with the view that PEs are associated with disability regardless of the presence of comorbid mental or general medical disorders.

The association between childhood adversities and subsequent first onset of psychotic experiences: a cross-national analysis of 23 998 respondents from 17 countries.

BACKGROUND: Although there is robust evidence linking childhood adversities (CAs) and an increased risk for psychotic experiences (PEs), little is known about whether these associations vary across the life-course and whether mental disorders that emerge prior to PEs explain these associations. METHOD: We assessed CAs, PEs and DSM-IV mental disorders in 23 998 adults in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. Discrete-time survival analysis was used to investigate the associations between CAs and PEs, and the influence of mental disorders on these associations using multivariate logistic models. RESULTS: Exposure to CAs was common, and those who experienced any CAs had increased odds of later PEs [odds ratio (OR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-2.6]. CAs reflecting maladaptive family functioning (MFF), including abuse, neglect, and parent maladjustment, exhibited the strongest associations with PE onset in all life-course stages. Sexual abuse exhibited a strong association with PE onset during childhood (OR 8.5, 95% CI 3.6-20.2), whereas Other CA types were associated with PE onset in adolescence. Associations of other CAs with PEs disappeared in adolescence after adjustment for prior-onset mental disorders. The population attributable risk proportion (PARP) for PEs associated with all CAs was 31% (24% for MFF). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to CAs is associated with PE onset throughout the life-course, although sexual abuse is most strongly associated with childhood-onset PEs. The presence of mental disorders prior to the onset of PEs does not fully explain these associations. The large PARPs suggest that preventing CAs could lead to a meaningful reduction in PEs in the population.

[Are schizophrenic patients being told their diagnosis today in France?] / Qu'en est-il de l'annonce du diagnostic de schizophrénie aujourd'hui en France ?

INTRODUCTION: The progressive shifts in the legal and social contexts, along with major changes in information seeking habits with the development of the Internet, have placed patients' information at the core of medical practice. This has to be applied to the psychiatric fields as well, and to questions about how schizophrenic patients are being told their diagnosis nowadays in France. METHODS: This paper is a national and international literature review about schizophrenia diagnosis disclosure practices, from 1972 to 2014, using French and English languages and various psychology and medical databases. The used key words were "diagnosis", "disclosure", "communication", "breaking bad news", "information", "schizophrenia" and "psychosis". RESULTS: Proportions of diagnosis announcement: our results show that the proportion of psychiatrists delivering schizophrenia diagnosis to their patients varies between countries. Although we must acknowledge that the questionnaires and samples are diverse, we have found that psychiatrists are in general less prone to deliver diagnosis information in France (from 13,5% to 39% given the studies), Germany (28%), Italy (30%), and Japan (30%), than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Thus, 70% of the psychiatrists in North America and 56% in Australia claim that they disclose their diagnosis to schizophrenic patients. In the United-Kingdom, a study targeting psychotic patients themselves has shown that 47% of them had been told their diagnosis by their doctor. Even in the countries where the proportion of diagnosis disclosure is the highest, there remains a substantial difference with other mental illnesses such as affective or anxiety disorders, which are almost always labeled as such in the information communicated to the patient (90% in North America). Diagnostic information about schizophrenia continues therefore to appear problematic for health professionals, which can seem a paradox given the recent social and legal evolutions, the therapeutic progress, the proved benefits of disclosure on compliance and therapeutic alliance, and the fact that numerous studies have shown that a majority of patients already know their diagnosis having discovered it on the Internet or by reading their treatments' notice. Reasons alleged for not disclosing diagnosis: the reasons alleged by psychiatrists for not disclosing diagnosis are various, including fear of aggravating the stigma and the emotional state of the patient, fear of giving a wrong diagnosis, fear of suicidal behavior, risk of misunderstanding, low level of patient's insight, absence of therapeutic advantage, or absence of request from the patient. Evolution of the French position about diagnosis disclosure: The publication of the relatively large study of Baylé et al. in 1999, as well as the patients' rights evolutions, has led to a debate among psychiatrists about the reasons alleged in France for not disclosing diagnosis. Among other explanations, it appeared that the theoretical reference of the psychiatrist plays a role, a psychoanalytic practice leading to increased reluctance in breaking the bad news. Thus, the psychiatrist's view of the disease, in terms of etiology and prognosis, is important as the diagnosis could become accusing if the psychiatrist believes the family environment played a role, or harmful if he has a pessimistic conception of prognosis. The question of stigma: among other reasons alleged by psychiatrists for not announcing the diagnosis, the fear of causing an increased stigma is frequently reported by professionals. In France, stigma about schizophrenia is high, not only among the general population but also among health practitioners. Even if the context has evolved during the past 30 years and the therapeutic efficiency has improved, French representations of schizophrenia remain often tinted with catastrophism and should be modified. Benefits of diagnosis disclosure: however, the benefits of disclosing diagnosis have been constantly proved in France as in other environments. Several studies have shown that patients knowing their diagnosis were likely to develop a better compliance and a stronger therapeutic alliance with their doctor. No aggravation of symptoms, suicidal risk or anxiety has been linked to the diagnosis disclosure. On the contrary, the relief of being able to put some words on symptoms, better recognize them and anticipate them, and be part of a group of patients sharing the same symptomatology has been described by patients. Furthermore, disclosing a schizophrenia diagnosis can be essential to the psychotherapeutic project, in the sense that it places the patient into an active role towards the disease and the care plan. Last but not least, the relatives can benefit from the disclosure as well and build a partnership with health professionals about medical care. Existing recommendations: in the French context, apart from individual recommendations produced by a few authors in the literature, there are no official specific recommendations about how to disclose a difficult diagnosis in the psychiatric field; only recommendations concerning severe chronic somatic disease are available. The complexity of the schizophrenia diagnosis disclosure has led some researchers - especially in North America and Australia - to adapt and use in the context of schizophrenia protocols, recommendations and even communication skills training programs that have been developed in oncology or in the field of severe chronic somatic disease. DISCUSSION: For the situation to evolve in France, tools able to measure patients' consent - including consent to hear the bad news - ability could be used. The question of how much information and what kind of information the patients really wish should therefore be explored in deep. Also, we have seen that schizophrenia representations should be modified in the general public understanding as well as in the professional environment. Families should be more included in the reflection about diagnosis announcement, as psycho-education programs have shown their efficiency and usefulness for both patients and relatives. Finally, in order to overcome some of the difficulties related to breaking the bad news about a schizophrenia diagnosis, developing the existing Anglo-Saxon models and recommendations in France, where only very few protocols exist, could allow a positive evolution in clinical practice and help to set a therapeutic and partnering approach of diagnosis disclosure. However, in order to better understand the situation in France regarding schizophrenia diagnosis disclosure, the present state of clinical practice still remains to be analyzed precisely, as the last study on a relatively large sample was made only in 1999. Thus, the obvious limits of our study lie in the fact that most available surveys in France are not recent enough to have taken into account legal and social evolutions. Also, the studies that we used for this paper use different methodologies, in the majority focus solely on health professionals, and they are not representative enough in terms of size or sample to inform about the present state of the practice. CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, having stressed the lack of recent data about schizophrenia diagnosis disclosure in France, we suggest a new study using validated tools on a representative sample and taking into account both perceptions of psychiatrist and patient. As has been the case for other severe pathologies, we also suggest that a consensus conference take place on the subject of schizophrenia diagnostic information in order to elaborate guidelines to support this difficult disclosure.

Post-traumatic stress disorder associated with natural and human-made disasters in the World Mental Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural and human-made disasters has been undertaken for more than three decades. Although PTSD prevalence estimates vary widely, most are in the 20-40% range in disaster-focused studies but considerably lower (3-5%) in the few general population epidemiological surveys that evaluated disaster-related PTSD as part of a broader clinical assessment. The World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys provide an opportunity to examine disaster-related PTSD in representative general population surveys across a much wider range of sites than in previous studies. METHOD: Although disaster-related PTSD was evaluated in 18 WMH surveys, only six in high-income countries had enough respondents for a risk factor analysis. Predictors considered were socio-demographics, disaster characteristics, and pre-disaster vulnerability factors (childhood family adversities, prior traumatic experiences, and prior mental disorders). RESULTS: Disaster-related PTSD prevalence was 0.0-3.8% among adult (ages 18+) WMH respondents and was significantly related to high education, serious injury or death of someone close, forced displacement from home, and pre-existing vulnerabilities (prior childhood family adversities, other traumas, and mental disorders). Of PTSD cases 44.5% were among the 5% of respondents classified by the model as having highest PTSD risk. CONCLUSION: Disaster-related PTSD is uncommon in high-income WMH countries. Risk factors are consistent with prior research: severity of exposure, history of prior stress exposure, and pre-existing mental disorders. The high concentration of PTSD among respondents with high predicted risk in our model supports the focus of screening assessments that identify disaster survivors most in need of preventive interventions.

Gambling Type, Substance Abuse, Health and Psychosocial Correlates of Male and Female Problem Gamblers in a Nationally Representative French Sample.

Many studies carried out on treatment-seeking problem gamblers (PG) have reported high levels of comorbid substance use disorders, and mental and physical health problems. Nevertheless, general population studies are still sparse, most of them have been carried out in the United States or Canada, and gender differences have not always been considered. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the type of games, and psychological and physical correlates in male and female PG in a nationally representative French sample. The total sample studied involved 25,647 subjects aged 15-85 years, including 333 PG and 25,314 non-problem gamblers (NPG). Data were extracted from a large survey of a representative sample of the French general population. They were evaluated for sociodemographic variables, gambling behavior, type of gambling activity, substance use, psychological distress, body mass index, chronic disease, and lack of sleep. Overall, there were significant differences between PG and NPG in gender, age, education, employment and marital status, substance use disorders (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine and heroin), psychological distress, obesity, lack of sleep and type of gambling activity. Although male and female PG had different profiles, the gambling type, especially strategic games, appeared as an important variable in the relationship between gender and problem gambling. This research underlines the importance of considering gender differences and gambling type in the study of gambling disorders. Identifying specific factors in the relationship between gender, gambling type and gambling problems may help improve clinical interventions and health promotion strategies.

Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Although mental disorders are significant predictors of educational attainment throughout the entire educational career, most research on mental disorders among students has focused on the primary and secondary school years. METHOD: The World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys were used to examine the associations of mental disorders with college entry and attrition by comparing college students (n = 1572) and non-students in the same age range (18-22 years; n = 4178), including non-students who recently left college without graduating (n = 702) based on surveys in 21 countries (four low/lower-middle income, five upper-middle-income, one lower-middle or upper-middle at the times of two different surveys, and 11 high income). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence and age-of-onset of DSM-IV anxiety, mood, behavioral and substance disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). RESULTS: One-fifth (20.3%) of college students had 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI disorders; 83.1% of these cases had pre-matriculation onsets. Disorders with pre-matriculation onsets were more important than those with post-matriculation onsets in predicting subsequent college attrition, with substance disorders and, among women, major depression the most important such disorders. Only 16.4% of students with 12-month disorders received any 12-month healthcare treatment for their mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Mental disorders are common among college students, have onsets that mostly occur prior to college entry, in the case of pre-matriculation disorders are associated with college attrition, and are typically untreated. Detection and effective treatment of these disorders early in the college career might reduce attrition and improve educational and psychosocial functioning.