Comparative study of impulsiveness and risk behaviors among infected individuals with hepatitis C virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infections have chronic courses. HCV is primarily transmitted via the hematogenous route, whereas HTLV-1 is primarily transmitted sexually, although it can also be transmitted by blood. Individuals chronically infected with either HTLV-1 or HCV can differ in terms of behavioral characteristics and personality traits. This study compared the occurrence of risk behaviors and impulsivity aspects between HCV and HTLV-1 carriers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational, comparative and cross-sectional study that involved a sample of outpatients who had HCV or HLTV-1, by way of a sociodemographic and behavioral questionnaire and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale - BIS-11. 143 individuals with HCV and 113 individuals with HTLV-1 were evaluated. RESULTS: There was a difference with regards to gender among patients, with mostly males affected in the HCV group. Risk behaviors commonly mediated by impulsiveness were significantly more frequent in the HCV group. Similarly, overall impulsiveness and domain nonplanning were higher in the HCV group. Multivariate analysis showed that increased age, male gender, higher nonplanning scores and HCV infection were independent factors for the occurrence of risk behaviors. Both groups presented high rates of other sexually transmitted diseases and a low rate of condom use in sexual relations. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the higher rate of risk behaviors and the levels of impulsiveness commonly observed in patients with HCV, along with comparisons to patients with HTLV-1.

MENTAL DISORDERS AND LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: A 2-YEAR COHORT STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial assessment is a key component in evaluation for liver transplantation and may affect survival rates and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of previous mental disorders and impulsivity on the 2-year surviving rate after liver transplantation. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study assessing end-stage liver disease individuals with and without psychiatric comorbidities for 2 years post-transplant. Psychiatric diagnosis was carried out through Mini-Plus 5.0.0 and impulsivity by using Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in the pre-transplant phase. We followed patient's status for 2 years after transplantation. The main outcome was death. We used a logistic regression to evaluate the association of psychiatric comorbidities with death and performed a survival analysis with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. RESULTS: Between June 2010 and July 2014, 93 out of 191 transplant candidates received transplants. From the 93 transplant patients, 21 had psychiatric comorbidities and 72 had not. 25 patients died during the study. The presence of psychiatric comorbidities (P=0.353) and high impulsivity (P=0.272) were not associated to 2-year post transplant death. CONCLUSION: This study found no evidence that the presence of mental disorders and impulsivity worsened prognosis in post-liver transplantation.

Ethical Implications of the Use of Language Analysis Technologies for the Diagnosis and Prediction of Psychiatric Disorders.

Recent developments in artificial intelligence technologies have come to a point where machine learning algorithms can infer mental status based on someone's photos and texts posted on social media. More than that, these algorithms are able to predict, with a reasonable degree of accuracy, future mental illness. They potentially represent an important advance in mental health care for preventive and early diagnosis initiatives, and for aiding professionals in the follow-up and prognosis of their patients. However, important issues call for major caution in the use of such technologies, namely, privacy and the stigma related to mental disorders. In this paper, we discuss the bioethical implications of using such technologies to diagnose and predict future mental illness, given the current scenario of swiftly growing technologies that analyze human language and the online availability of personal information given by social media. We also suggest future directions to be taken to minimize the misuse of such important technologies.

COMVC-19: A Program to protect healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What we have learned.

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.

Childhood trauma and adolescent psychotic experiences in a community-based cohort: The potential role of positive attributes as a protective factor.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how a set of positive social and personality characteristics called 'positive attributes' affects the emergence and persistence of Psychotic Experiences (PE) in adolescence. METHOD: We used data from a community-based Brazilian High-Risk Cohort (HRC). 2511 6-12 year-old children were evaluated at baseline, and 80.05% completed a 3-year follow-up interview. At baseline, childhood trauma was assessed using parent- and self-report, and positive attributes were assessed by parent-report. Trained psychologists rated self-reported PE at both time points. Linear models evaluated the effect of childhood trauma and positive attributes on PE at follow-up. Mediation models tested i.) the indirect effect of positive attributes on the association between childhood trauma and follow-up PE and, ii.) the indirect effect of childhood trauma and positive attributes on the relationship between PE at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Higher levels of baseline PE (B = 0.157, p < .001) and higher childhood trauma (B = 0.110, p < .001) were associated with increased follow-up PE. Higher positive attributes predicted lower PE after 3 years, adjusting for the prevalence of baseline PE and childhood trauma (B = -0.042, p < .022). Positive attributes partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and follow-up PE. The indirect pathway of childhood trauma and positive attributes mediated the association between baseline and follow-up PE. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of positive social and behavioral traits in childhood may diminish the subsequent emergence of PE. As these attributes can be promoted, our findings suggest that positive attributes may represent a novel target for preventive interventions in children at risk of developing PE.

Quality of life, risk behaviors and depression among carriers of hepatitis C virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1: a comparative study.

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has low prevalence rates, but is endemic in some regions of the world. It is usually a chronic asymptomatic infection, but it can be associated with serious neurologic and urinary conditions. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is broadly spread out worldwide. The majority of these infections have a chronic course that may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. OBJECTIVES: To compare sociodemographic and mental health (risk behaviors, depression, and suicide) aspects, and quality of life among patients with HCV or HTLV-1. METHODS: Observational, comparative and cross-sectional study involving outpatients with HCV or HLTV-1 infection. Sociodemographic characteristics, risk behaviors and quality of life were assessed through the questionnaires Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview - MINI Plus (depression and suicide) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (quality of life). Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (hierarchical logistic regression) were conducted. RESULTS: 143 individuals with HCV and 113 individuals with HTLV-1 infection were included. Males were predominant in the HCV group (68.8%) and females in the HTLV-1 group (71.7%). The frequency of risk behaviors (sexual and drug use) was greater in those with HCV (p < 0.05). A past depressive episode was more common in the HTLV-1 group (p = 0.037). Quality of life was significantly worse in the physical functioning, vitality, mental health, and social functioning domains in those with HTLV-1 (p < 0.05). HTLV-1 infection remained independently associated with worse quality of life in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Risk behaviors are frequent among those infected with HCV. Additionally, despite HTLV-1 being considered an infection with low morbidity, issues related to mental health (depressive episode) and decreased quality of life are relevant.

Comparative study of esketamine and racemic ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: Protocol for a non-inferiority clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The use of ketamine as an option in the treatment of depressive disorder is growing rapidly, supported by numerous clinical trials attesting its efficacy and safety. Esketamine, the S (+) enantiomer of ketamine, is the most widely used form in the anesthetic environment in some countries, and new studies have shown that it may also be effective in depression and with better tolerability. However, no study so far has directly compared esketamine with racemic ketamine. Here we propose a protocol of a clinical trial to evaluate esketamine as a noninferior medication when compared to ketamine in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant depression. METHODS/DESIGN: This study protocol is for a randomized, controlled, double-blind noninferiority clinical trial. Subjects will be 18 years or older, with major depression characterized as treatment-resistant. Participants will receive a single infusion of either esketamine (0.25 mg/kg) or ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) over 40 minutes. The primary outcome will be the difference in remission rates between the 2 treatment arms at 24 and 72 hours after drug infusion. Secondary outcomes will include other timepoints, measurements of cognition, dissociation, and blood biomarkers. DISCUSSION: A head-to-head study is the best way to evaluate whether the esketamine is in fact comparable to the racemic ketamine in terms of both efficacy and safety, and, if positive, it would be an initial step to increase the access to that type of treatment worldwide. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board (University Hospital Professor Edgard Santos-Federal University of Bahia-Number: 46657415.0.0000.0049). Subjects will only participate after voluntarily agreeing and signing the Informed Consent Form. The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial has been registered in the Japan Primary Registries Network (JPRN): UMIN000032355, which is affiliated with the World Health Organization.

Transtorno mental e transplante hepático: um estudo de coorte de 2 anos / Mental disorders and liver transplantation: a 2-year cohort study

ABSTRACT Background Psychosocial assessment is a key component in evaluation for liver transplantation and may affect survival rates and outcomes. Objective The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact of previous mental disorders and impulsivity on the 2-year surviving rate after liver transplantation. Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study assessing end-stage liver disease individuals with and without psychiatric comorbidities for 2 years post-transplant. Psychiatric diagnosis was carried out through Mini-Plus 5.0.0 and impulsivity by using Barratt Impulsiveness Scale in the pre-transplant phase. We followed patient's status for 2 years after transplantation. The main outcome was death. We used a logistic regression to evaluate the association of psychiatric comorbidities with death and performed a survival analysis with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. Results: Between June 2010 and July 2014, 93 out of 191 transplant candidates received transplants. From the 93 transplant patients, 21 had psychiatric comorbidities and 72 had not. 25 patients died during the study. The presence of psychiatric comorbidities (P=0.353) and high impulsivity (P=0.272) were not associated to 2-year post transplant death. Conclusion: This study found no evidence that the presence of mental disorders and impulsivity worsened prognosis in post-liver transplantation.

RESUMO Contexto: A avaliação psicossocial é essencial na avaliação para transplante hepático; ela pode afetar as taxas de sobrevida e outros desfechos. Objetivo: O objetivo principal deste estudo foi investigar o impacto de transtornos mentais prévios e impulsividade nos índices de sobrevivência após o transplante hepático. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo prospectivo de coorte com indivíduos em estágio avançado da doença hepática com e sem comorbidades psiquiátricas no pré-transplante, acompanhados por 2 anos após o transplante. Na fase pré-transplante foi realizado o diagnóstico psiquiátrico através do Mini-Plus 5.0.0 e avaliada a impulsividade através da Escala de Impulsividade Barratt. Os pacientes foram acompanhados por 2 anos após o transplante. O desfecho principal foi óbito. Foi utilizada regressão logística para avaliar a associação entre comorbidades psiquiátricas e óbito. Também foi realizada análise de sobrevida com Kaplan-Meier e modelo de regressão Cox. Resultados: Entre junho de 2010 e julho de 2014 foram transplantados 93 pacientes entre os 191 candidatos. Dos 93 pacientes transplantados, 21 tinham comorbidade psiquiátrica e 72 não tinham. Durante o período de acompanhamento houve 25 óbitos. A presença de comorbidade psiquiátrica (P=0.353) e alta impulsividade (P=0.272) não foram associadas a óbito pós-transplante até segundo ano de cirurgia. Conclusão: Este estudo não encontrou evidências de que a presença de transtorno mental e impulsividade pioram o prognóstico pós-transplante hepático.

Rapid infusion of esketamine for unipolar and bipolar depression: a retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated efficacy and safety of intravenous subanesthetic doses of esketamine using an administration time of 10 minutes in patients with treatment-resistant depression and bipolar depression. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who met the inclusion criteria for treatment-resistant depression and bipolar depression according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria, and these patients received rapid infusion of esketamine between June 2012 and December 2015. The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was administered to measure and score depressive symptom severity before infusion and at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after infusion. In addition, Clinical Global Impression scale was administered before and 7 days after esketamine infusion. RESULTS: Esketamine was administered to 30 patients. A total of 27 patients met the inclusion criteria and had MADRS evaluation data, which showed that 23 had unipolar and 4 had bipolar depression. Thirteen patients (48.1%) showed therapeutic response (MADRS reduction ≥50%) within 1 week (7 days) of intervention. Remission (MADRS <7) was observed in 10 patients (37.0%) in the same period. Therapeutic response and remission frequencies were seen in 16 (59.3%) and 11 (40.7%) patients, respectively, within 24 hours following drug infusion. The most relevant side effect observed during the esketamine infusion was dissociative symptoms ranging from mild to severe, which was reported by 11.1% of patients as a very disturbing experience. LIMITATIONS: This study was done retrospectively, had a small sample size, and there was no comparative group. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that rapid infusion of esketamine is possibly not the optimal choice to administer this drug for treatment-resistant depression due to tolerability reasons. Further controlled studies are required to investigate efficacy, safety, and tolerability profiles among the different types of ketamines and methods of using this drug in depressed patients.

COMVC-19: A Program to protect healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What we have learned

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.

Prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder with propranolol: A meta-analytic review.

OBJECTIVE: PTSD is associated with significant morbidity and its prevention could reduce a significant burden of individual and societal suffering. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the prevention of PTSD by using propranolol following exposure to a traumatic event. METHODS: Authors searched all studies published in the MEDLINE database up to November 2014 and reviewed textbooks and reference lists. Authors of relevant articles were contacted. Clinical trials and observational studies were included if they investigated the effect of propranolol in the acute post-trauma phase to prevent PTSD symptoms for subjects 18 years of age or older. PTSD was diagnosed according to DSM or widely accepted and validated diagnostic tools. A random-effects model was used to perform meta-analysis. RESULTS: Five studies were included in the review for meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was not significant (τ2=0.0, S.E=0.247; Cochran's Q(4)=1.870, p=0.760; I2=0%). Relative risk point estimate to the effect of propranolol to prevent PTSD was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.55-1.55). Asymmetry was not significant under the Egger test (z=-1.34; p=0.180). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that propranolol treatment after the traumatic event did not alter the incidence of PTSD, although physiological responses are generally attenuated. The studies included small sample sizes, which can preclude the detection of significant results. Authors believe future studies should achieve larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods.

Quality of life, risk behaviors and depression among carriers of hepatitis C virus and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1: a comparative study

Abstract Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) has low prevalence rates, but is endemic in some regions of the world. It is usually a chronic asymptomatic infection, but it can be associated with serious neurologic and urinary conditions. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is broadly spread out worldwide. The majority of these infections have a chronic course that may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives: To compare sociodemographic and mental health (risk behaviors, depression, and suicide) aspects, and quality of life among patients with HCV or HTLV-1. Methods: Observational, comparative and cross-sectional study involving outpatients with HCV or HLTV-1 infection. Sociodemographic characteristics, risk behaviors and quality of life were assessed through the questionnaires Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview - MINI Plus (depression and suicide) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (quality of life). Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (hierarchical logistic regression) were conducted. Results: 143 individuals with HCV and 113 individuals with HTLV-1 infection were included. Males were predominant in the HCV group (68.8%) and females in the HTLV-1 group (71.7%). The frequency of risk behaviors (sexual and drug use) was greater in those with HCV (p < 0.05). A past depressive episode was more common in the HTLV-1 group (p = 0.037). Quality of life was significantly worse in the physical functioning, vitality, mental health, and social functioning domains in those with HTLV-1 (p < 0.05). HTLV-1 infection remained independently associated with worse quality of life in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Risk behaviors are frequent among those infected with HCV. Additionally, despite HTLV-1 being considered an infection with low morbidity, issues related to mental health (depressive episode) and decreased quality of life are relevant.