Access to inpatient mood management services after stroke in Australian acute and rehabilitation hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: Post-stroke mental health impairments are common, but under-assessed and under-treated. We aim to describe trends in the provision of mood management to patients with stroke, and describe factors associated with adoption of national mood management recommendations for stroke within Australian hospitals. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the biennial Stroke Foundation Audit Program. SETTING: Participating acute (2011-2021) and rehabilitation hospitals (2012-2020) in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: In the acute audit, 22,937 stroke cases were included from 133 hospitals. In the rehabilitation audit, 15,891 stroke cases were included from 127 hospitals. MAIN MEASURES: Hospital- and patient-level mood management processes. RESULTS: Among 133 acute hospitals (22,937 stroke episodes), improvements were made between 2011 and 2021 in utilization of mood screening (17% [2011], 33% [2021]; p < 0.001) and access to psychologists during hospital stay (18% [2011], 45% [2021]; p < 0.001). There was no change in access to a psychologist among those with a mood impairment (p = 0.34). Among 127 rehabilitation hospitals (15,891 stroke episodes) improvements were observed for mood screening (35% [2012], 61% [2020]; p < 0.001), and access to a psychologist during hospital stay (38% [2012], 68% [2020]; p < 0.001) and among those with a mood-impairment (30% [2012], 50% [2020]; p < 0.001). Factors associated with receiving mood management processes included: younger age, not requiring an interpreter and longer length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to mood management recommendations has improved over 10 years within Australian hospitals. Those aged over 65, requiring an interpreter, or with shorter hospital stays are at risk of missing out on appropriate mood management.

Health service and medication costs associated with common mental disorders and subthreshold symptoms in women: Findings from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis estimated 2013 annual healthcare costs associated with the common mental disorders of mood and anxiety disorders and psychological symptoms within a representative sample of Australian women. METHODS: Data from the 15-year follow-up of women in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were linked to 12-month Medicare Benefits Schedule and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data. A Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Non-patient edition identified common mental disorders and the General Health Questionnaire 12 assessed psychological symptoms. Participants were categorised into mutually exclusive groups: (1) common mental disorder (past 12 months), (2) subthreshold (no common mental disorder and General Health Questionnaire 12 score ⩾4) or (3) no common mental disorder and General Health Questionnaire 12 score <4. Two-part and hurdle models estimated differences in service use, and adjusted generalised linear models estimated mean differences in costs between groups. RESULTS: Compared to no common mental disorder, women with common mental disorders utilised more Medicare Benefits Schedule services (mean 26.9 vs 20.0, p < 0.001), had higher total Medicare Benefits Schedule cost ($1889 vs $1305, p < 0.01), received more Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions (35.8 vs 20.6, p < 0.001), had higher total Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cost ($1226 vs $740, p < 0.05) and had significantly higher annual out-of-pocket costs for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions ($249 vs $162, p < 0.001). Compared to no common mental disorder, subthreshold women were less likely to use any Medicare Benefits Schedule service (89.6% vs 97.0%, p < 0.01), but more likely to use mental health services (11.4% vs 2.9%, p < 0.01). The subthreshold group received more Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions (mean 43.3 vs 20.6, p < 0.001) and incurred higher total Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cost ($1268 vs $740, p < .05) compared to no common mental disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Common mental disorders and subthreshold psychological symptoms place a substantial economic burden on Australian healthcare services and consumers.

Receipt of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Outpatient Settings in a National Sample of Privately Insured Patients With Mood Disorders.

PURPOSE: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), an effective treatment for bipolar and major depressive disorder, is underused. Little information is available on use of ECT in potentially less costly outpatient settings, possibly reducing cost barriers. METHODS: Insurance claims from the 2008 to 2017 MarketScan Commercial Database for patients diagnosed with mood disorders were used to compare 4 groups of ECT users in each year: those receiving (1) exclusively outpatient ECT, (2) first inpatient and subsequently outpatient, (3) outpatient and subsequently inpatient, and (4) exclusively inpatient ECT. Groups were compared on the proportion receiving ECT in each group over time as well as on the total numbers of treatments received along with group differences in sociodemographic and diagnostic characteristics and health care costs. RESULTS: Among 2.9 million patients diagnosed with mood disorders, the proportion who received ECT (n = 8859) was small (0.30%) and declined over the decade to 0.17%. Among those who received ECT, most did so exclusively as outpatients (52.3%), the group with fewest comorbidities and lowest costs. This proportion increased by 19.7% over the decade, whereas the proportion receiving ECT exclusively in an inpatient setting (12.1%) fell by 30.6%. The total number of treatments per patient averaged 11.7 per year and increased by 28.0% over the decade, with outpatients decreasing to slightly less than average. Health care costs were greatest for those who started ECT as inpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Although the proportion of privately insured patients receiving ECT in outpatient settings has increased, reducing cost barriers, the use of ECT continued to be extremely limited and declining.

Chronic Pain and Mood Disorders Are Not Barriers to Symptom Improvement Under Collaborative Co-managed Care (C3).

OBJECTIVES: Patients with comorbid chronic pain and mood disorders have more severe gastrointestinal disease and higher healthcare expenses than their peers. We sought to determine whether management under our innovative Collaborative Co-Managed Care (C3) general gastroenterology care model improved outcomes. METHODS: Patient questionnaires completed by outpatients at our GI Motility Center were analyzed alongside demographic information to determine predictors of response to treatment based on adequate relief of gastrointestinal symptoms and improvement in quality of life. RESULTS: These comorbidities did not significantly impair response and may be associated with improved response under our model. CONCLUSIONS: The C3 general gastroenterology care model anchors on setting expectations and team-based communication and improves outcomes of, and access to, care.

An Umbrella Systematic Review of Seasonality in Mood Disorders and Suicide Risk: The Impact on Demand for Primary Behavioral Health Care and Acute Psychiatric Services.

Objective: To review the current literature focusing on the most recent systematic reviews relating to mood, suicide, and psychiatric service utilization.Study Selection and Data Extraction: A systematic literature search of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases using the search terms "Systematic review" AND "season*" AND mood OR depression OR bipolar OR psychosis OR suicid* OR psychiatr* initially yielded 209 results. After screening by title and abstract for relevance, 6 records remained, while a further 3 were identified after screening of reference lists. A qualitative synthesis of these results was then performed due to data heterogeneity between studies.Results: We found evidence of winter peaks for depressive symptoms and suggestions of summer peaks for suicidal activity, emergency department (ED) self-harm presentations, and manic-related hospital admissions. Suicide is 11%-23% more frequent in spring and summer. ED suicide attempts are also 1.2-1.7 times higher in spring and summer compared to winter. Admissions for mania are 7.4%-16% higher in spring and summer, while there are 1.5 times more admissions for bipolar depression in winter months.Conclusions: There is a summer peak for many aspects of mental health activity, particularly in terms of acute hospital utilization and suicidality. This is contrary to the winter-related peak of depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to affirm these findings.

Three-Month Follow-up Study of Mental Health Outcomes After a National COVID-19 Lockdown: Comparing Patients With Mood or Anxiety Disorders Living in an Area With a Higher Versus Lower Infection Incidence.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic and the related containment measures can represent a traumatic experience, particularly for populations living in high incidence areas and individuals with mental disorders. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive symptoms since the end of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave and Italy's national lockdown in subjects with mood or anxiety disorders living in 2 regions with increasing pandemic incidence.Methods: 102 subjects with a DSM-5 anxiety or mood disorder were enrolled from June to July 2020 and assessed at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1) with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item, and Work and Social Adjustment Scale. At T1, subjects were also assessed by means of the Trauma and Loss Spectrum Self-Report for PTSD.Results: At T0, subjects from the high COVID-19 incidence area showed higher levels of traumatic symptoms than those from the low COVID-19 incidence area (P < .001), with a decrease at T1 with respect to T0 (P = .001). Full or partial DSM-5 PTSD related to the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 23 subjects (53.5%) from the high COVID-19 incidence area and in 9 (18.0%) from the low COVID-19 incidence area (P < .001).Conclusions: Subjects with mood or anxiety disorders presented relevant rates of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in the aftermath of the lockdown, and in most cases these persisted after 3 months. The level of exposure to the pandemic emerged as a major risk factor for PTSD development. Further long-term studies are needed to follow up the course of traumatic burden.

Does Electroconvulsive Therapy for Patients with Mood Disorders Extend Hospital Length of Stays and Increase Inpatient Costs?

Although randomized trials have shown that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective and underused treatment for mood disorders, its impact on inpatient length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs are not fully understood. We analyzed private insurance claims of patients hospitalized for mood disorders who had continuous insurance for three months prior to an index hospitalization and six months after discharge (N = 24,249). Propensity score weighted linear models were used to examine the association of any ECT use, the number of ECT treatments, and time to first ECT treatment, with LOS and hospital costs adjusting for potential confounders. Three months prior to the index hospitalization, patients who subsequently received ECT had more than double the total healthcare costs and bed days ($12,669 vs. $6,333 and 4.5 vs. 0.92 days, p < .001) of the other group. During their index admission, patients receiving ECT had longer LOS (16.1 vs. 5.8 days, p < .001) and three times greater hospital costs ($28,607 vs. $8,708, p < .001). Analyses adjusted for other group differences showed a dose-response relationship between the number of ECT treatments and LOS and hospital costs. Receipt of ECT was associated with increased LOS by 4 to 29 days depending on the number of ECT treatments and increasing total hospital costs from $5,767 to $52,717. Receipt of any ECT and the number of treatments during hospitalization were associated with markedly increased LOS, hospital admission costs, and post-discharge costs. Cost-effectiveness of ECT may be enhanced by shifting treatments to outpatient settings when possible.

Peripandemic psychiatric emergencies: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients according to diagnostic subgroup.

On March 11th, 2020, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. Governments took drastic measures in an effort to reduce transmission rates and virus-associated morbidity. This study aims to present the immediate effects of the pandemic on patients presenting in the psychiatric emergency department (PED) of Hannover Medical School. Patients presenting during the same timeframe in 2019 served as a control group. A decrease in PED visits was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic with an increase in repeat visits within 1 month (30.2 vs. 20.4%, pBA = 0.001). Fewer patients with affective disorders utilized the PED (15.2 vs. 22.2%, pBA = 0.010). Suicidal ideation was stated more frequently among patients suffering from substance use disorders (47.4 vs. 26.8%, pBA = 0.004), while patients with schizophrenia more commonly had persecutory delusions (68.7 vs. 43.5%, pBA = 0.023) and visual hallucinations (18.6 vs. 3.3%, pBA = 0.011). Presentation rate of patients with neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders increased. These patients were more likely to be male (48.6 vs. 28.9%, pBA = 0.060) and without previous psychiatric treatment (55.7 vs. 36.8%, pBA = 0.089). Patients with personality/behavioral disorders were more often inhabitants of psychiatric residencies (43.5 vs. 10.8%, pBA = 0.008). 20.1% of patients stated an association between psychological well-being and COVID-19. Most often patients suffered from the consequences pertaining to social measures or changes within the medical care system. By understanding how patients react to such a crisis situation, we can consider how to improve care for patients in the future and which measures need to be taken to protect these particularly vulnerable patients.

Assessment of the Impact of a Daily Rehabilitation Program on Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and the Quality of Life of People with Mental Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Community psychiatry is a modern and effective form of care for patients with mental disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a rehabilitation program at the Mental Health Support Centre in Tarnowskie Góry (Poland) on reducing severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as improving overall quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 35 patients, examined with an authors' questionnaire on sociodemographic data, the Hospital Scale of Anxiety and Depression (HADS) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Data was obtained during the first national lockdown and compared to data gathered before the pandemic on the same study group. Imposed restrictions, negative emotional state during lockdown, subjectively assessed higher health risk and a low level of knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly correlate with a severity of depression and anxiety, as well as general quality of life. However, the comparison of the results obtained in HADS and SF-36 scales show a significant improvement in both categories. Rehabilitation activities, including physical training, cognitive exercise and social therapy, reduce the severity of the symptoms and have a positive effect on the overall quality of life in patients suffering from schizophrenia and affective disorders. Therefore, holistic mental health support services may positively affect building an individual resilience. The severity of anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a negative correlation with the patient's age.

A Longitudinal Training Study to Delineate the Specific Causal Effects of Open Monitoring Versus Focused Attention Techniques on Emotional Health.

BACKGROUND: Emotional dysregulation is a core mechanism of mood disorders. Meditation-based interventions can ameliorate a wide range of psychological problems. However, in order to develop structured treatment and preventative protocols for emotional disorders, it is crucial to understand how different types of specific meditation practices improve emotion regulation abilities. Mindfulness-based techniques are broadly separated into two practices - open monitoring (OM) and focused attention (FA). This study directly investigated the potential practice-specific benefits of OM versus FA techniques as tools for improving emotion regulation skills from pre-to-post training. METHOD: Novice participants were randomized into an 8-week long OM or FA intervention that was previously developed through a science of behavior change approach. Healthy emotional skills were assessed using experience sampling methodology and inventories. Participants were assessed before, during, and after the interventions to investigate if the type of training may explain longitudinal changes in emotional skills. RESULTS: Both OM and FA attentional training practices improved acceptance of stressors and reduced distress and rumination. We also found divergent effects of OM versus FA training: Compared to OM, FA training improved abilities to use reappraisal strategy to regulate emotions in naturalistic settings at the end of 8-weeks training. FA training (versus OM) also led to greater self-regulation abilities. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a FA training has specific causal impacts on emotion regulatory skills, and it can be selectively implemented in interventions to target emotional disorders.

Cognitive change after electroconvulsive therapy in mood disorders measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a sensitive and clinically practical test but its usefulness in measuring long-term cognitive effects of ECT is unclear. Using the MoCA, we investigated short- and long-term global cognitive change in ECT-treated patients with a Major Depressive Episode (MDE). METHOD: We included 65 consecutive ECT-treated patients with MDE, in whom global cognitive functioning was assessed at baseline (T0); during ECT (before the third session; T1); and 1 week (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) after completion of the index course. Changes in MoCA (sub)scores were analyzed using linear mixed models and reliable change indices were computed to investigate individual changes in MoCA total scores. RESULTS: There was a significant effect of time on MoCA scores (F(4, 230.5) = 4.14, P = 0.003), with an improvement in global cognitive functioning from T3 compared to T1 and T2. At the individual level, 26% (n = 17) of patients showed a significantly worse cognitive functioning at T2 and 12% (n = 8) an improved cognitive functioning compared to T0. For T4, these percentages ameliorated to 8% and 18% respectively. CONCLUSION: No persistent global cognitive impairment induced by ECT was found at the group level using the MoCA. At the individual level, however, there was clear heterogeneity in the effects of ECT on cognitive functioning. The MoCA is a suitable tool to monitor short- and long-term global cognitive functioning in ECT-treated patients with MDE but in younger patients, potential ceiling effects must be taken into account.

Nonelective hospital admissions, discharge disposition, and health services utilization in epilepsy patients: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying adverse outcomes and examining trends and causes of nonelective admissions among persons with epilepsy would be beneficial to optimize patient care and reduce health services utilization. We examined the association of epilepsy with discharge status, in-hospital mortality, length-of-stay, and charges. We also examined 10-year trends and causes of hospital admissions among those with and without epilepsy. METHODS: Nonelective hospital admission in persons with epilepsy was identified in the 2005-2014 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) using a validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) case definition. The NIS is the largest US all-payer database including patient and hospital-level variables, and represents hospitalizations in the general population. Descriptive statistics on trends and causes of admissions and multivariable regression analysis summarizing the association of epilepsy with the outcomes of interest are presented. RESULTS: Of 4 718 178 nonelective admissions in 2014, 3.80% (n = 179 461) were in persons with epilepsy. Admissions in persons with epilepsy increased from 14 636 to 179 461 (P < .0001) between 2005 and 2014. As compared to persons without epilepsy, hospital admissions in persons with epilepsy had higher odds of transfer to other facilities (odds ratio [OR] = 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-1.81, P < .0001), being discharged against medical advice (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.38-1.59, P < .0001), and incurring 4% greater total charges (P < .0001). Epilepsy, convulsions, pneumonia, mood disorders, cerebrovascular disease, and septicemia were the top causes for admissions in those with epilepsy. SIGNIFICANCE: Future research should focus on designing targeted health care interventions that decrease the number of hospital admissions, reduce health services utilization, and increase the odds of discharge home in people with epilepsy.

Impact of an on-site perinatal mood disorders clinic in the diagnosis and management of perinatal mood disorders.

Objectives To assess change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores in women treated at the Perinatal Mood Disorders Clinic (PMDC) as a measure of improvement in perinatal mood disorders (primary outcome), and treatment disposition at final visit. Methods Chart review was performed for all PMDC patients between March 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018 (n=120), as a self-controlled case series design. Two-tailed t-tests compared initial and final EPDS scores for all patients with >1 visit (n=64), where EPDS score of ≥13 indicated a positive screen for depression. A multivariable linear regression model with robust standard errors estimated the relationship between patient characteristics and final EPDS scores. Results Of 120 patients, n=56 had one visit and n=64 had >1 visit. Of these 64, mean final score (11.04) was lower than mean initial score (16.54; p<0.001). Additionally, certain patient characteristics were associated with higher final EPDS score, including history of mood disorder and treatment with both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Conclusions Women treated at the PMDC showed improved EPDS scores when receiving at least two separate care visits. Therefore, the clinic may be filling a gap in access to timely care for women with perinatal mood disorders.

Pilot Investigation: Prospective Needs Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Insight About Mental Health Treatment Options in Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

INTRODUCTION: Mood disorders frequently coexist with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), yet patient views of how mental health impacts their disease, and their willingness to engage in treatment is not well understood. METHODS: Subjects with CRS were enrolled regardless of their mental health status and completed a needs questionnaire on mental health as it related to CRS. In addition, demographic and disease-specific data were collected. RESULTS: We enrolled 55 subjects. In addition, 29.1% of them had polyps, with mean endoscopy/computed tomography (CT)/Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores of 3.9/9.7/41.2, respectively and 45% thought depression was common in CRS patients. In total, 78.2% were open to taking a depression screener and would be comfortable discussing mental health with their Ear Nose and Throat provider, 76.4% of patients felt that treating mental health problems could improve sinus-related quality of life (QOL), and 87.3% were open to meeting with a mental health professional or participating in a course on managing stress/anxiety/mental health issues. The multivariate regression model of whether patients felt that treating the mind would improve sinus-related QOL as predicted by age, gender, SNOT-22, CT scores, and endoscopy scores was statistically significant (P = .027) and explained 42% of the variance in answers, but only age and gender approached statistical significance (P = .06 and .04). CONCLUSIONS: CRS patients acknowledged the high prevalence of comorbid mood disorders and were willing to discuss and be treated for mental health issues. Many patients felt that treating their mental health would improve their disease-specific QOL. These findings warrant further study of how to incorporate the management of metal health into CRS treatment algorithms.

My Bridge (Mi Puente), a care transitions intervention for Hispanics/Latinos with multimorbidity and behavioral health concerns: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity affects four of ten US adults and eight of ten adults ages 65 years and older, and frequently includes both cardiometabolic conditions and behavioral health concerns. Hispanics/Latinos (hereafter, Latinos) and other ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to these conditions, and face structural, social, and cultural barriers to obtaining quality physical and behavioral healthcare. We report the protocol for a randomized controlled trial that will compare Mi Puente (My Bridge), a cost-efficient care transitions intervention conducted by a specially trained Behavioral Health Nurse and Volunteer Community Mentor team, to usual care or best-practice discharge approaches, in reducing hospital utilization and improving patient reported outcomes in Latino adults with multiple cardiometabolic conditions and behavioral health concerns. The study will examine the degree to which Mi Puente produces superior reductions in hospital utilization at 30 and 180 days (primary aim) and better patient-reported outcomes (quality of life/physical health; barriers to healthcare; engagement with outpatient care; patient activation; resources for chronic disease management), and will examine the cost effectiveness of the Mi Puente intervention relative to usual care. METHODS: Participants are enrolled as inpatients at a South San Diego safety net hospital, using information from electronic medical records and in-person screenings. After providing written informed consent and completing self-report assessments, participants randomized to usual care receive best-practice discharge processes, which include educational materials, assistance with outpatient appointments, referrals to community-based providers, and other assistance (e.g., with billing, insurance) as required. Those randomized to Mi Puente receive usual-care materials and processes, along with inpatient visits and up to 4 weeks of follow-up phone calls from the intervention team to address their integrated physical-behavioral health needs and support the transition to outpatient care. DISCUSSION: The Mi Puente Behavioral Health Nurse and Volunteer Community Mentor team intervention is proposed as a cost-effective and culturally appropriate care transitions intervention for Latinos with multimorbidity and behavioral health concerns. If shown to be effective, close linkages with outpatient healthcare and community organizations will help maximize uptake, dissemination, and scaling of the Mi Puente intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02723019. Registered on 30 March 2016.

Factors Associated With Multiple Psychiatric Readmissions for Youth With Mood Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Inpatient psychiatric readmission rates are increasingly considered indicators of quality of care. This study builds upon prior research by examining patient-, hospital-, and community-level factors associated with single and multiple readmissions for youth. METHOD: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using Medicaid claims data from four states supplemented with the American Hospital Association survey, the Area Resource File, and the National Survey of Mental Health Treatment Services. Multinomial logistic regression examined patient-, hospital-, and community-level factors that were associated with inpatient psychiatric readmission for 6,797 Medicaid-eligible youth with a primary diagnosis of mood disorder using a three-level nominal dependent variable coded as no readmission, one readmission, and two or more readmissions within 6 months after discharge. RESULTS: Six months after initial discharge, 941 youth (13.8%) were readmitted once and 471 (6.9%) were readmitted two or more times. The odds of single or multiple readmissions were significantly higher (p < .05) for youth classified as disabled or in foster care, those with multiple psychiatric comorbidities, medical comorbidity, and prior psychiatric hospitalization. Treatment in hospitals with high percentage of Medicaid discharges and a high number of beds was associated with lower odds of readmission. There was a significant interaction between length of stay and outpatient mental health follow-up within 7 days of discharge. CONCLUSION: Patient- and hospital-level factors are associated with likelihood of both single and multiple youth inpatient psychiatric readmissions, suggesting potential risk markers for psychiatric readmission.

Affective dysregulation in childhood - optimizing prevention and treatment: protocol of three randomized controlled trials in the ADOPT study.

BACKGROUND: The terms affective dysregulation (AD) and irritability describe transdiagnostic dimensions and are characterized by an excessive reactivity to negative emotional stimuli with an affective (anger) and a behavioral component (aggression). Due to early onset, high prevalence and persistence, as well as developmental comorbidity, AD in childhood is one of the most psychosocially impairing and cost-intensive mental health conditions. AD is especially prevalent in children in the youth welfare service. Despite continuous research, there remains a substantial need for diagnostic approaches and optimization of individualized treatment strategies in order to improve outcomes and reduce the subjective and economic burden. METHODS: The ADOPT (Affective Dysregulation - Optimizing Prevention and Treatment) Consortium integrates internationally established, highly experienced and interdisciplinary research groups. The work program encompasses (a) epidemiology, including prevalence of symptoms and disorders, (b) development and evaluation of screening and assessment tools, (c) stepped care approaches for clinically useful personalized medicine, (d) evaluation of an easily accessible and cost-effective online intervention as indicated prevention (treatment effects, moderation/mediation analysis), and (e) evaluation of an intensive personalized modular outpatient treatment in a cohort of children with AD who live with their parents and in a cohort of children with AD who live in out-of-home care (treatment effects, moderation/mediation analysis). DISCUSSION: The results will lead to significant recommendations for improving treatment within routine clinical care in two cohorts of children with AD and coexisting conditions, especially oppositional-defiant disorder, conduct disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration ADOPT Online: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00014963 . Registered 27 June 2018. Trial registration ADOPT Treatment: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00013317 . Registered 27 September 2018. Trial registration ADOPT Institution: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) DRKS00014581 . Registered 04 July 2018.

Twelve-month mental health service use in six countries of the Americas: A regional report from the World Mental Health Surveys.

AIMS: To provide cross-national data for selected countries of the Americas on service utilization for psychiatric and substance use disorders, the distribution of these services among treatment sectors, treatment adequacy and factors associated with mental health treatment and adequacy of treatment. METHODS: Data come from data collected from 6710 adults with 12 month mental disorder surveys across seven surveys in six countries in North (USA), Central (Mexico) and South (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru) America who were interviewed 2001-2015 as part of the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. DSM-IV diagnoses were made with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Interviews also assessed service utilization by the treatment sector, adequacy of treatment received and socio-demographic correlates of treatment. RESULTS: Little over one in four of respondents with any 12 month DSM-IV/CIDI disorder received any treatment. Although the vast majority (87.1%) of this treatment was minimally adequate, only 35.3% of cases received treatment that met acceptable quality guidelines. Indicators of social-advantage (high education and income) were associated with higher rates of service use and adequacy, but a number of other correlates varied across survey sites. CONCLUSIONS: These results shed light on an enormous public health problem involving under-treatment of common mental disorders, although the problem is most extreme among people with social disadvantage. Promoting services that are more accessible, especially for those with few resources, is urgently needed.

A national study for regional variation of inpatient ECT utilization from 4,411 hospitals across the United States.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a study to examine regional variation in the utilization of inpatient electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) across the United States, and its impact on length of hospital stay and cost. METHODS: Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to compare patient and hospital characteristics, and regional variation of ECT administration across different regions of the United States. RESULTS: The study included 41,055 inpatients who had ECT from 4,411 hospitals. Electroconvulsive therapy use is significantly higher in the Midwest. A higher proportion of females (65.2%) than males received ECT across the United States. Medicaid beneficiaries were less likely to undergo ECT compared with patients with Medicare (52.2%) or private insurance (32%). Electroconvulsive therapy was used mainly for mood disorders (84.3%). There were marked reductions of inpatient costs ($25,298 to $38,244) and average hospital stay (16 days) when ECT was initiated within the first 5 days of admission compared with later during the hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: There is a wide variability of utilization of ECT, depending on the region, type of hospital, and type of insurance carrier. The utilization of ECT services is reduced across the United States. Appropriate utilization of this effective treatment can greatly help patients who are not responding to standard therapeutics, reduce overall health care cost and length of stay, and, most importantly, alleviate suffering.

Study design of the Routine Outcome Monitoring for Geriatric Psychiatry & Science (ROM-GPS) project; a cohort study of older patients with affective disorders referred for specialised geriatric mental health care.

BACKGROUND: Affective disorders, encompassing depressive-, anxiety-, and somatic symptom disorders, are the most prevalent mental disorders in later life. Treatment protocols and guidelines largely rely on evidence from RCTs conducted in younger age samples and ignore comorbidity between these disorders. Moreover, studies in geriatric psychiatry are often limited to the "younger old" and rarely include the most frail. Therefore, the effectiveness of treatment in routine clinical care for older patients and impact of ageing characteristics is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the Routine Outcome Monitoring for Geriatric Psychiatry & Science (ROM-GPS) - project is to examine the impact of ageing characteristics on the effectiveness of treatment for affective disorders in specialised geriatric mental health care. METHODS: ROM-GPS is a two-stage, multicentre project. In stage one, all patients aged ≥60 years referred to participating outpatient clinics for specialised geriatric mental health care will be routinely screened with a semi-structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and self-report symptom severity scales assessing depression, generalized anxiety, hypochondria, and alcohol use. Patients with a unipolar depressive, anxiety or somatic symptom disorder will be asked informed consent to participate in a second (research) stage to be extensively phenotyped at baseline and closely monitored during their first year of treatment with remission at one-year follow-up as the primary outcome parameter. In addition to a large test battery of potential confounders, specific attention is paid to cognitive functioning (including computerized tests with the Cogstate test battery as well as paper and pencil tests) and physical functioning (including multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and different frailty indicators). The study is designed as an ongoing project, enabling minor adaptations once a year (change of instruments). DISCUSSION: Although effectiveness studies using observational data can easily be biased, potential selection bias can be quantified and potentially corrected (e.g. by propensity scoring). Knowledge of age-related determinants of treatment effectiveness, may stimulate the development of new interventions. Moreover, studying late-life depressive, anxiety and somatic symptom disorders jointly enables data-driven studies for more optimal classification of these disorders in later life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register: NL6704 ( www.trialregister.nl ). Retrospectively registered on 2017-12-05.