Do spirituality and religiousness differ with regard to personality and recovery from depression? A follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The studies show that both spirituality and religiousness are protective for mental health. Personality is related with course and outcome of depression, as well as spirituality and religiousness, and their relations toward to recovery from depression are underresearched. This study followed influence of spirituality and religiousness on course and outcome of depression in patients with depressive episode, controlled for personality dimensions. METHODS: The patients were assessed with self-report measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory), spirituality (WHO-Quality of Life-Spiritual, Religious, Personal Beliefs), religiousness (Duke University Religion Index) and personality (Temperament and Character Inventory). Ninety nine patients finished a year long follow up. RESULTS: Higher spirituality influenced recovery of depression in patients with depressive episode, but religiousness did not show to be significant predictor of recovery for depression. Dimension harm avoidance was significant predictor of improvement of depression in all points of measurement. LIMITATIONS: Some limitations of this research are small sample size, usage of the self-report measures of depression in follow-up period, and the predominantly Catholic affiliation of the participants that can impact the generalizability of our data to other denominations. CONCLUSION: Spirituality and dimension harm avoidance are significant predictors of recovery from depression during a year long follow up.

Molecular Mechanisms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Basis for Individualized and Personalized Therapy: Rationale, Design and Methods of the South Eastern Europe (SEE)-PTSD study.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a major health problem in South Eastern Europe (SEE). Available treatment options are not efficient enough and the course is often chronic. Little is known about molecular mediators and moderators of pathogenesis and therapy. Genetic and epigenetic variation may be one central molecular mechanism. We therefore established a consortium combining clinical expertise on PTSD from SEE countries Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Tuzla and Mostar), Kosovo (Prishtina) and Croatia (Zagreb) with genetic and epigenetic competence from Germany (Würzburg) in 2011 within the framework of the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)-funded Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. After obtaining ethical votes and performing rater trainings as well as training in DNA extraction from EDTA blood between 2011 and 2013, we recruited 747 individuals who had experienced war-related trauma in the SEE conflicts between 1991 and 1999. 236 participants had current PTSD, 161 lifetime PTSD and 350 did not have and never had PTSD. Demographic and clinical data are currently merged together with genetic and epigenetic data in a single database to allow for a comprehensive analysis of the role of genetic and epigenetic variation in the pathogenesis and therapy of PTSD. Analyses will be done to a great degree by PhD students from participating SEE centers who in addition to participation in the project had an opportunity to take part in spring and summer schools of the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) funded Research Training Group (RTG) 1253 and thus meet PhD students from Germany and other countries We are confident that our project will not only contribute to a better understanding of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of PTSD as a basis for future individualized and personalized therapies, but also to the academic development of South Eastern Europe.

Spirituality and Its Relationship with Personality in Depressed People: Preliminary Findings.

The relationship between spirituality and personality in patients with depression is complex and not much explored. The aim of our study is to examine the interconnection between the spiritual quality of life (QoL) and Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality in patients with depression. The sample consisted of 85 consecutive outpatients treated for depression. The measurements used were: Beck Depression Inventory, WHO-Quality of Life-Spiritual, Religious, Personal Beliefs, and Temperament and Character Inventory. The results have shown that higher harm avoidance, lower self-directedness and lower cooperativeness are personality dimensions associated with depression. The spiritual QoL has showed to play a significant role in depression, just as it has proved to be a unique predictor of lower depressive symptoms, adjusted for personality dimensions. The spiritual QoL itself is predicted by personality dimensions, self-directedness and self-transcendence implying that spirituality is a broader construct than the character dimension. Our findings may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of depression, spirituality and personality.

Successful treatment of polydipsia, water intoxication, and delusional jealousy in an alcohol dependent patient with clozapine.

The beneficial effect of clozapine on polydipsia and water intoxication in patients with schizophrenia has been demonstrated many times. The authors report a successful clozapine treatment of polydipsia, intermittent water intoxication, and delusional jealousy of an alcoholic. This is a rare case of clozapine treatment of a non-schizophrenic patient affected by polydipsia.

Religiosity and health outcomes: review of literature.

Research into a connection between religiosity and health was neglected in scientific circles until recently. However, the interest in interactions between religiosity and mental and physical health has started to grow lately. A large proportion of published empirical data suggest that religious commitment shows positive associations with better mental and physical health outcomes. There are relatively few studies showing no effect or negative effect of religiosity on health outcomes. Despite somewhat inconclusive empirical evidence, because of the difficulties encountered in studying the topic, this area is worth of further investigation. The article reviews the literature on epidemiological and clinical studies regarding the relationship between religiosity and mental and physical health. The mentioned issues are discussed and directions for future research are proposed.

Religiosity, depression and pain in patients with breast cancer.

There is a growing body of evidence that religiosity can buffer depression and support the healing process. Our objective was to assess the relationship between religiosity, depression and pain in patients with breast cancer. Participants in our study were 115 breast cancer female patients recruited from a radiotherapy unit of a cancer teaching hospital, surveyed during the course of 6 months. The assessment used the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire as the measure of religiosity, and the subjects were categorized into low-, moderate- and high-religiosity groups according to its score. Depression was measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, a 20-item self-report scale. The score of >or=16 indicated clinically relevant depression. A visual analogue scale was used for the assessment of pain. High religiosity was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of depression (chi(2)=6.635; df=2; P=.036), but religiosity was not related to the intensity of pain perception. Higher religiosity was associated with older age, lower education, unemployment and more children. Depression was associated with a higher pain level (U=1027.5; P=.004). The type of operation and tumor stage were not associated with categories of depression or religiosity, but mastectomized patients who belonged to the high-religiosity group were significantly less depressed (chi(2)=9.552; df=2; P=.008).