Brazilian Psychiatric Association guidelines for the management of suicidal behavior. Part 1. Risk factors, protective factors, and assessment

Suicide is a global public health problem that causes the loss of more than 800,000 lives each year, principally among young people. In Brazil, the average mortality rate attributable to suicide is approximately 5.23 per 100,000 population. Although many guidelines have been published for the management of suicidal behavior, to date, there are no recent guidelines based on the principles of evidence-based medicine that apply to the reality of suicide in Brazil. The objective of this work is to provide key guidelines for managing patients with suicidal behavior in Brazil. This project involved 11 Brazilian psychiatry professionals selected by the Psychiatric Emergencies Committee (Comissão de Emergências Psiquiátricas) of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association for their experience and knowledge in psychiatry and psychiatric emergencies. For the development of these guidelines, 79 articles were reviewed (from 5,362 initially collected and 755 abstracts). In this review, we present definitions, risk and protective factors, assessments, and an introduction to the Safety Plan. Systematic review registry number: CRD42020206517

Brazilian Psychiatric Association guidelines for the management of suicidal behavior. Part 1. Risk factors, protective factors, and assessment.

Suicide is a global public health problem that causes the loss of more than 800,000 lives each year, principally among young people. In Brazil, the average mortality rate attributable to suicide is approximately 5.23 per 100,000 population. Although many guidelines have been published for the management of suicidal behavior, to date, there are no recent guidelines based on the principles of evidence-based medicine that apply to the reality of suicide in Brazil. The objective of this work is to provide key guidelines for managing patients with suicidal behavior in Brazil. This project involved 11 Brazilian psychiatry professionals selected by the Psychiatric Emergencies Committee (Comissão de Emergências Psiquiátricas) of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association for their experience and knowledge in psychiatry and psychiatric emergencies. For the development of these guidelines, 79 articles were reviewed (from 5,362 initially collected and 755 abstracts). In this review, we present definitions, risk and protective factors, assessments, and an introduction to the Safety Plan. Systematic review registry number: CRD42020206517.

Epidemiologia e ônus da depressão resistente ao tratamento no Brasil: análise do subgrupo brasileiro do estudo de observação multicêntrico TRAL / Epidemiology and burden of treatment-resistant depression in Brazil: analysis of the Brazilian subset of multicenter observational TRAL study

Objetivos: A epidemiologia da depressão resistente ao tratamento (DRT) varia mundialmente, mas é incerta na América Latina. Este artigo relata a epidemiologia e o ônus da DRT em pacientes com transtorno depressivo maior (TDM) no Brasil, no estudo observacional multinacional, multicêntrico, de DRT na América Latina (TRAL). Métodos: Trezentos e noventa e seis pacientes adultos com TDM (tratados ou não) no Brasil, com diagnóstico de TDM usando o Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) e confirmado por MINI Entrevista Neuropsiquiátrica Internacional v7.0.2, foram incluídos em 10 centros. Os pacientes forneceram consentimento e concluíram as avaliações. Os critérios de exclusão incluíram pacientes com psicose, esquizofrenia, transtorno bipolar, transtorno esquizoafetivo, demência, transtorno de uso de substância ou participação atual em outro estudo. A MADRS foi usada para gravidade da doença. Escalas de depressão e instrumentos classificados pelos pacientes foram usados para medir os resultados. Resultados: A prevalência de DRT em pacientes com TDM na América Latina corresponde a 29,1% (IC 95% [26,8%; 31,4%]), embora no Brasil corresponda a 40,4% (IC 95%: 35,6%-45,2%), a mais alta no estudo TRAL. Os pacientes com DRT são mais velhos e apresentam maior proporção de divórcios e menor nível educacional, com pontuação mais alta na Escala de Classificação da Depressão de Montgomery-Asberg (MADRS), comparados a pacientes sem DRT. Os custos de saúde foram maiores em pacientes com DRT, com menor qualidade de vida e maiores custos de saúde e comprometimento laboral. Conclusões: Estes achados confirmam que a DRT apresenta alta prevalência no Brasil, consistentemente com estudos anteriores sobre transtornos depressivos. Globalmente, os pacientes com DRT apresentam maior ônus da doença, sugerindo a necessidade de melhorar os cuidados para pacientes com DRT no Brasil

Objectives: Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) epidemiology varies worldwide, but uncertain in Latin America (LatAm). This paper reports on the epidemiology and burden of TRD in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients in Brazil from the TRD in America Latina (TRAL) multicenter, multinational, observational study. Methods: 396 adult patients (treated or untreated) with MDD diagnosis in Brazil using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and confirmed by MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview v7.0.2 were consecutively enrolled from 10 clinical sites in Brazil. Patients provided consent and complete assessments. Exclusion criteria included patients with psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, dementia, with substance use disorder or currently participating in another clinical trial. Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used for disease severity. Depression scales and patient rated instruments were used to measure outcomes. Results: The prevalence of TRD in MDD patients in LatAm is 29.1% (95%CI [26.8%; 31.4%]), though the values for Brazil are 40.4% (95%CI: 35.6%-45.2%), the highest in the TRAL study. TRD patients are older, have higher proportion of divorce and lower education, with higher MADRS score compared to non-TRD patients. Healthcare costs were higher in TRD patients, with lower quality of life (QoL) and higher work impairment and healthcare costs. Conclusions: Present findings confirms that TRD is highly prevalent in Brazil, which is consistent with previous studies concerning depressive disorders. Globally, TRD patients experience higher burden of the disease. These findings suggest the need to improve care among TRD patients in Brazil

Avaliação neuropsicológica do processo de tomada de decisões em crianças e adolescentes: uma revisão integrativa da literatura / Neuropsychological assessment of the decision making process in children and adolescents: an integrative review of the literature

OBJETIVO: Atualmente, tem havido um interesse crescente nos aspectos "quentes" das funções executivas relacionados ao córtex orbitofrontal, em particular na tomada de decisão afetiva em crianças e adolescentes. Revisamos a literatura sobre a avaliação da tomada de decisão em crianças e adolescentes utilizando o paradigma do Iowa Gambling Task e derivados. MÉTODO: Pesquisamos artigos publicados de 2000 a 2009, indexados no Lilacs e no PubMed e que estudaram crianças e/ou adolescentes até 16 anos. Os artigos foram analisados de acordo com os paradigmas utilizados nos estudos, as conclusões sobre o desenvolvimento no processo de tomada de decisão e a capacidade de distinção entre a população clínica e os controles. RESULTADOS: Trinta e seis artigos foram selecionados. Os estudos envolvendo crianças e adolescentes ainda são poucos quando comparados àqueles realizados com população adulta. Foram desenvolvidas diversas versões derivadas do paradigma IGT a fim de estudar a tomada de decisão em crianças e adolescentes. CONCLUSÃO: O IGT é o instrumento mais utilizado. Em pré-escolares, versões simplificadas têm sido utilizadas com maior frequência. Os diferentes paradigmas se mostram úteis na diferenciação entre sujeitos normais e com transtornos psiquiátricos. Os resultados se relacionam de forma positiva e significativa com a frequência de comportamentos impulsivos em populações não clínicas.

OBJECTIVE: Nowadays there has been growing interest in the "hot" aspects of the executive functions related to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), in particular in the affective decision-making process in children and adolescents. We reviewed the available literature about the evaluation of decision making in children and adolescents. METHOD: We searched for papers published from 2000 to 2009 that studied children and/or adolescents until the age of 16 in the Lilacs and PubMed index. The papers were analyzed according to the paradigms used in the studies, the conclusions about the development of the decision-making process, and the ability to distinguish between the clinical population and the controls. RESULTS: Thirty-six papers were selected. Compared to the amount of studies of adults, there are still few studies focusing on children and adolescents. Several versions derived from the IGT were developed in order to study decision-making processes in children and adolescents. DISCUSSION: The IGT is the most used instrument. In preschoolers, simplified versions have been used with greater frequency. The different paradigms are useful in differentiating between normal and psychiatric disorder patients. The results are positively and significantly related to the frequency of impulsive behaviors in nonclinical populations.

A review of psychiatric genetics research in the Brazilian population.

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: A large increase in the number of Brazilian studies on psychiatric genetics has been observed in the 1970's since the first publications conducted by a group of researchers in Brazil. Here we reviewed the literature and evaluated the advantages and difficulties of psychiatric genetic studies in the Brazilian population. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian population is one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, formed mainly by the admixture between European, African and Native American populations. Although the admixture process is not a particularity of the Brazilian population, much of the history and social development in Brazil underlies the ethnic melting pot we observe nowadays. Such ethnical heterogeneity of the Brazilian population obviously brings some problems when performing genetic studies. However, the Brazilian population offers a number of particular characteristics that are of major interest when genetic studies are carried out, such as the presence of isolated populations. Thus, differences in the genetic profile and in the exposure to environmental risks may result in different interactions and pathways to psychopathology.

Neuropsychological assessment of impulsive behavior in abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Poor impulse control is thought to be one of the characteristics of alcohol addiction. The capacity to remain abstinent may be linked to cognitive bias related to three dimensions of impulsivity: motor, non-planning, and attentional impulsivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuropsychological profile related to these impulsivity dimensions in alcohol-dependent patients within 15 -120 days of abstinence. METHOD: We compared 31 alcohol-dependent patients to 30 matched healthy controls regarding their performances on the Continuous Performance Task, the Iowa Gambling Test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, each of which is thought to tax primarily one of the three dimensions of impulsivity just outlined. RESULTS: When compared to controls, alcohol-dependent patients presented more commission errors on the Continuous Performance Task; made more disadvantageous choices on the Iowa Gambling Test; and made more perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. There was no significant correlation between performance on these tests and the length of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that deficits related to motor, non-planning and attentional components of impulsivity exist in alcohol-dependent patients, in the period immediately after acute alcohol withdrawal. These results may help guide interventions designed to prevent the risk of relapse in alcohol-abstinent patients.

A review of psychiatric genetics research in the Brazilian population / Uma revisão sobre a pesquisa genética psiquiátrica na população brasileira

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: A large increase in the number of Brazilian studies on psychiatric genetics has been observed in the 1970's since the first publications conducted by a group of researchers in Brazil. Here we reviewed the literature and evaluated the advantages and difficulties of psychiatric genetic studies in the Brazilian population. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian population is one of the most heterogeneous populations in the world, formed mainly by the admixture between European, African and Native American populations. Although the admixture process is not a particularity of the Brazilian population, much of the history and social development in Brazil underlies the ethnic melting pot we observe nowadays. Such ethnical heterogeneity of the Brazilian population obviously brings some problems when performing genetic studies. However, the Brazilian population offers a number of particular characteristics that are of major interest when genetic studies are carried out, such as the presence of isolated populations. Thus, differences in the genetic profile and in the exposure to environmental risks may result in different interactions and pathways to psychopathology.

OBJETIVO E MÉTODO: Desde a década de 70, quando os primeiros estudos em genética psiquiátrica conduzidos por um grupo de brasileiros foram publicados, o número de trabalhos realizados no Brasil vem aumentando consideravelmente. Através desta revisão, avaliamos as vantagens e as dificuldades da realização de pesquisas em psiquiatria genética na população brasileira. CONCLUSÃO: A população brasileira é uma das mais heterogêneas do mundo, formada principalmente pela combinação entre populações européia, africana e nativa americana. Apesar de a mistura entre raças não ser uma particularidade da população brasileira, a história e o desenvolvimento social no Brasil ocasionou uma grande miscigenação étnica, a qual é observada atualmente. Devido à heterogeneidade de suas origens, diversos problemas são levantados em estudos genéticos realizados no Brasil. Porém, a população brasileira oferece características particulares para desenvolvimento de pesquisas genéticas, como a presença de populações isoladas. Portanto, diferenças genéticas e exposição a riscos ambientais podem resultar em diferentes interações e caminhos para alterações psicopatológicas.

Neuropsychological assessment of impulsive behavior in abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects / Avaliação neuropsicológica do comportamento impulsivo de sujeitos dependentes de álcool em abstinência

OBJECTIVE: Poor impulse control is thought to be one of the characteristics of alcohol addiction. The capacity to remain abstinent may be linked to cognitive bias related to three dimensions of impulsivity: motor, non-planning, and attentional impulsivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuropsychological profile related to these impulsivity dimensions in alcohol-dependent patients within 15 -120 days of abstinence. METHOD: We compared 31 alcohol-dependent patients to 30 matched healthy controls regarding their performances on the Continuous Performance Task, the Iowa Gambling Test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, each of which is thought to tax primarily one of the three dimensions of impulsivity just outlined. RESULTS: When compared to controls, alcohol-dependent patients presented more commission errors on the Continuous Performance Task; made more disadvantageous choices on the Iowa Gambling Test; and made more perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. There was no significant correlation between performance on these tests and the length of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that deficits related to motor, non-planning and attentional components of impulsivity exist in alcohol-dependent patients, in the period immediately after acute alcohol withdrawal. These results may help guide interventions designed to prevent the risk of relapse in alcohol-abstinent patients.

OBJETIVO: O controle deficiente dos impulsos é considerado uma das características da dependência do álcool. A capacidade de permanecer abstinente pode estar ligada a viés cognitivo relacionado a três dimensões da impulsividade: motora, de atenção e por falta de planejamento. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar o perfil neuropsicológico relacionado a estas dimensões da impulsividade em pacientes dependentes de álcool em 15 a 120 dias de abstinência. MÉTODO: Nós comparamos o desempenho de 31 pacientes dependentes de álcool a 30 controles saudáveis na Continuous Performance Task, no Iowa Gambling Test e no Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, que são considerados testes capazes de avaliar primariamente as citadas dimensões de impulsividade. RESULTADOS: Em relação aos controles, o grupo pacientes dependentes de álcool cometeu mais erros de comissão na Continuous Performance Task; fez escolhas menos vantajosas no Iowa Gambling Test e mais erros perseverativos no Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Não houve correlação significativa entre o desempenho nestes testes e o tempo de abstinência. CONCLUSÕES: Estes resultados sugerem que há déficits relacionados aos componentes da impulsividade (motores, atencionais e por não-planejamento) em pacientes dependentes de álcool, no período imediatamente após a fase aguda de retirada do álcool. Estes resultados podem ajudar a guiar intervenções para impedir o risco do recaída em pacientes em curto período de abstinência de álcool.

Suicide behavior and neuropsychological assessment of type I bipolar patients.

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychological deficits are often described in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Some symptoms and/or associated characteristics of BD can be more closely associated to those cognitive impairments. We aimed to explore cognitive neuropsychological characteristics of type I bipolar patients (BPI) in terms of lifetime suicide attempt history. METHOD: We studied 39 BPI outpatients compared with 53 healthy controls (HC) matched by age, educational and intellectual level. All subjects were submitted to a neuropsychological assessment of executive functions, decision-making and declarative episodic memory. RESULTS: When comparing BDI patients, regardless of suicide attempt history or HC, we observed that bipolar patients performed worse than controls on measures of memory, attention, executive functions and decision-making. Patients with a history of suicide attempt performed worse than non-attempters on measures of decision-making and there were a significant negative correlation between the number of suicide attempts and decision-making results (block 3 and net score). We also found significant positive correlation between the number of suicide attempts and amount of errors in Stroop Color Word Test (part 3). LIMITATIONS: The sample studied can be considered small and a potentially confounding variable - medication status - were not controlled. CONCLUSION: Our results show the presence of neuropsychological deficits in memory, executive functions, attention and decision-making in BPI patients. Suicide attempts BPI scored worse than non-suicide attempt BPI on measures of decision-making. More suicide attempts were associated with a worse decision-making process. Future research should explore the relationship between the association between this specific cognitive deficits in BPIs, serotonergic function and suicide behavior in bipolar patients as well other diagnostic groups.