Relationship between family history of alcohol problems and different clusters of depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial syndrome with significant interactions between genetic and environmental factors. This study specifically investigates the association between family history of alcohol problems (FHAP) and family history of depression (FHD), and how these relate to different clusters of depressive symptoms. METHODS: Correlations between FHAP and FHD and different clusters of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were studied. We sampled 333 employees from a general hospital who had been receiving a psychiatric consultation between 2005 and 2012. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models were conducted to explore these correlations. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between FHAP and BDI affective score. This result remained significant even after the adjustment for other variables considered as important factors for MDD, such as gender, age, marital status, education, ethnic group and FHD. More specifically, FHAP was correlated with dissatisfaction and episodes of crying among the affective symptoms. FHAP showed no statistical difference in any of the other clusters score or in the BDI total score. Moreover, as expected, we found a correlation between FHD and BDI total score and Somatic and Cognitive clusters. CONCLUSION: FHAP should be routinely investigated in individuals presenting with depressive symptoms. This is especially important in cases presenting with dissatisfaction and episodes of crying in patients who do not endorse criteria for MDD. Due to study limitations, the findings require replication by neurobiological, epidemiological and clinical studies.

Depressive disorders and suicide attempts in injecting drug users with and without HIV infection.

Injecting drug users (IDUs) seeking treatment for drug dependence were selected in two groups according to their HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) status. Thirty HIV-positive and 30 HIV-negative patients were submitted to a structured interview to assess psychiatric disorders. Initially, depressive disorders, suicide attempts and disorders related to substance use were analyzed. The results showed that the diagnosis of cocaine dependence was more frequent among HIV-infected patients than in the non-infected. Being HIV-positive was not associated with higher prevalence of depression. Suicide attempts were frequent in this sample, but the frequencies were equal in both groups. Concluding, the results did not show any association between the HIV-positive serology and depressive disorders and suicide attempts when IDUs are compared to the control group, also IDUs but HIV-negative.

Use of the inhalant lança by Brazilian medical students.

In a recent epidemiological survey of more than 700 Brazilian medical students, we found new evidence on a previously reported pattern of the "lança perfume" inhalant drug use. With multiple logistic regression used to hold constant an array of suspected correlates, we found a moderately strong association between the use of marijuana and the use of lança (adjusted odds ratio, OR = 5.6; p < .01). We also found that lança is almost never used by students who have never consumed alcoholic beverages. This pattern of associations can be used to guide the planning of programs to reduce the occurrence of illicit use of pharmaceutical compounds by medical students in Brazil.

The effect of a 'recall-system' in the treatment of alcoholic patients.

In a service specializing in alcohol and drug abuse in Brazil, a 'recall system' was developed in order to decrease the drop out level, which is high in this kind of treatment. The effect of this procedure was measured in two groups: in the 82 patients with the 'recall system', the drop out rate after 12 months was 45%. In 227 patients without this system the drop out rate was 84%. The difference in drop out rate was significant (p less than 0.01) only during the first 6 months of treatment.