The impact of depression, anxiety and comorbidity on occupational outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression account for considerable cost to organizations, driven by both presenteeism (reduced performance due to attending work while ill) and absenteeism. Most research has focused on the impact of depression, with less attention given to anxiety and comorbid presentations. AIMS: To explore the cross-sectional relationship between depression and anxiety (individually and comorbidly) on workplace performance and sickness absence. METHODS: As part of a larger study to evaluate a mental health app, 4953 working Australians were recruited. Participants completed in-app assessment including demographic questions, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder and questions from the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. Cut-off scores were used to establish probable cases of depression alone, anxiety alone and comorbidity. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 7% met cut-off for depression only, 13% anxiety only, while 16% were comorbid. Those with comorbidity reported greater symptom severity, poorer work performance and more sickness absence compared to all other groups. Presenteeism and absenteeism were significantly worse in those with depression only and anxiety only compared to those with non-clinical symptom levels. Although those with depression alone tended to have poorer outcomes than the anxiety-only group, when sample prevalence rates were considered, the impact on presenteeism was comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace functioning is heavily impacted by depression and anxiety both independently and where they co-occur. While comorbidity and more severe depression presentations stand out as impairing, workplace interventions should also prioritize targeting of anxiety disorders (and associated presenteeism) given their high population prevalence.

Distribution of parasites of slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus Richardson, 1836 (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the Athabasca drainage, Alberta, Canada, and their relation to water quality.

The composition and diversity of parasite communities are useful tools to characterise ecosystem health and integrity. Environmental disturbances may affect parasite infection in fish directly, by their effects on the free-living stages, or indirectly, on the intermediate hosts. Slimy sculpins, Cottus cognatus, a small fish inhabiting cold waters of North America, have been considered as sentinels due to their limited mobility, often occupying relatively small areas throughout their lives and thus reflecting the local environment. Ninety-six specimens of C. cognatus were sampled from four tributaries of the Athabasca River to assess patterns of helminth parasite community structure in this fish and to study the composition and diversity of its parasite communities in relation to water quality. The localities included single samples from High Hills, Horse and Dunkirk rivers, and two from the Steepbank River. Twelve metazoan parasite species were found, most of them being larval forms. Significant differences occurred in the structure and composition of parasite assemblages of sculpins from the tributaries, although similarities were observed in connected and nearby sites. Parasite communities were influenced mainly by a combination of local environmental conditions, distance and connectivity, and were separated based on the distribution and abundance of autogenic and allogenic parasites. Water quality appeared to influence the distribution of trematode species that use gastropods as intermediate hosts, while proximity and connectivity of sites led to sharing allogenic parasite species in slimy sculpin.

A smartphone application for treating depressive symptoms: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a commonly occurring disorder linked to diminished role functioning and quality of life. The development of treatments that overcome barriers to accessing treatment remains an important area of clinical research as most people delay or do not receive treatment at an appropriate time. The workplace is an ideal setting to roll-out an intervention, particularly given the substantial psychological benefits associated with remaining in the workforce. Mobile health (mhealth) interventions utilising smartphone applications (apps) offer novel solutions to disseminating evidence based programs, however few apps have undergone rigorous testing. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone app designed to treat depressive symptoms in workers. METHODS: The present study is a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT), comparing the effectiveness of the intervention to that of an attention control. The primary outcome measured will be reduced depressive symptoms at 3 months. Secondary outcomes such as wellbeing and work performance will also be measured. Employees from a range of industries will be recruited via a mixture of targeted social media advertising and Industry partners. Participants will be included if they present with likely current depression at baseline. Following baseline assessment (administered within the app), participants will be randomised to receive one of two versions of the Headgear application: 1) Intervention (a 30-day mental health intervention focusing on behavioural activation and mindfulness), or 2) attention control app (mood monitoring for 30 days). Participants will be blinded to their allocation. Analyses will be conducted within an intention to treat framework using mixed modelling. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of mhealth interventions in the treatment of depressive symptoms in a workplace context. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The current trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12617000547347 , Registration date: 19/04/2017).

Managers' response to mental health issues among their staff.

BACKGROUND: Many organizations are implementing mental health training for managers to facilitate better communication between managers and employees suffering from mental health problems. Much of this training focuses on improving managers' mental health literacy and reducing stigma. However, it is unclear whether this focus is appropriate or whether other targets, such as improving skills and confidence, should be given greater consideration. AIMS: To test whether knowledge, attitudes and confidence are associated with managers' behavioural responses to mental health issues among their staff. METHODS: Managers from a large Australian fire and rescue service completed a questionnaire addressing their knowledge, attitudes, confidence and behavioural responses when managing employee mental health issues. The relationship was assessed using logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Eighty-five managers responded (response rate 66%). Managers' confidence was the strongest predictor of their behaviour. Managers who felt confident discussing mental health were significantly more likely to make contact with an employee who was suspected to be suffering from a mental illness (OR 15.79, 95% CI 3.03-82.37, P < 0.01) or was on sickness leave for mental health reasons (OR 19.84, 95% CI 2.25-175.15, P < 0.01). Non-stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness also significantly predicted contact with a staff member off work due to mental health problems (OR 5.22, 95% CI 1.21-22.54, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that manager mental health training should focus on building their confidence and reducing stigma in order to have the greatest chance of altering workplace practices.

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacological and dietary supplement interventions in paediatric autism: moderators of treatment response and recommendations for future research.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are pervasive and multifactorial neurodevelopmental conditions, characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities. Treatment options to ameliorate symptoms of ASDs are limited. Heterogeneity complicates the quest for personalized medicine in this population. Our aim was to investigate if there are baseline characteristics of patients that moderate response or trial design features that impede the identification of efficacious interventions for ASDs. METHOD: Literature searches of EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO identified 43 studies for qualitative assessment of baseline characterization of participants and 37 studies for quantitative analysis of moderators of treatment response. Criteria included blinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in paediatric ASD, with at least 10 participants per arm or 20 overall, of oral treatments, including pharmacological interventions and dietary supplements. RESULTS: Random-effects meta-analysis of 1997 participants (81% male) identified three moderators associated with an increase in treatment response: trials located in Europe and the Middle-East; outcome measures designated primary status; and the type of outcome measure. Inconsistent reporting of baseline symptom severity and intellectual functioning prevented analysis of these variables. Qualitative synthesis of baseline characteristics identified at least 31 variables, with only age and gender reported in all trials. Biological markers were included in six RCTs. CONCLUSIONS: Few trials reported adequate baseline characteristics to permit detailed analysis of response to treatment. Consideration of geographical location, baseline severity and intellectual function is required to ensure generalizability of results. The use of biological markers and correlates in ASD trials remains in its infancy. There is great need to improve the application of baseline characterization and incorporation of biological markers and correlates to permit selection of participants into homogeneous subgroups and to inform response to treatment in ASD.

A transdiagnostic study of education, employment, and training outcomes in young people with mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Optimizing functional recovery in young individuals with severe mental illness constitutes a major healthcare priority. The current study sought to quantify the cognitive and clinical factors underpinning academic and vocational engagement in a transdiagnostic and prospective youth mental health cohort. The primary outcome measure was 'not in education, employment or training' ('NEET') status. METHOD: A clinical sample of psychiatric out-patients aged 15-25 years (n = 163) was assessed at two time points, on average, 24 months apart. Functional status, and clinical and neuropsychological data were collected. Bayesian structural equation modelling was used to confirm the factor structure of predictors and cross-lagged effects at follow-up. RESULTS: Individually, NEET status, cognitive dysfunction and negative symptoms at baseline were predictive of NEET status at follow-up (p < 0.05). Baseline cognitive functioning was the only predictor of follow-up NEET status in the multivariate Bayesian model, while controlling for baseline NEET status. For every 1 s.d. deficit in cognition, the probability of being disengaged at follow-up increased by 40% (95% credible interval 19-58%). Baseline NEET status predicted poorer negative symptoms at follow-up (ß = 0.24, 95% credible interval 0.04-0.43). CONCLUSIONS: Disengagement with education, employment or training (i.e. being NEET) was reported in about one in four members of this cohort. The initial level of cognitive functioning was the strongest determinant of future NEET status, whereas being academically or vocationally engaged had an impact on future negative symptomatology. If replicated, these findings support the need to develop early interventions that target cognitive phenotypes transdiagnostically.

eHealth interventions for the prevention of depression and anxiety in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are associated with a range of adverse outcomes and represent a large global burden to individuals and health care systems. Prevention programs are an important way to avert a proportion of the burden associated with such conditions both at a clinical and subclinical level. eHealth interventions provide an opportunity to offer accessible, acceptable, easily disseminated globally low-cost interventions on a wide scale. However, the efficacy of these programs remains unclear. The aim of this study is to review and evaluate the effects of eHealth prevention interventions for anxiety and depression. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted on four relevant databases to identify randomized controlled trials of eHealth interventions aimed at the prevention of anxiety and depression in the general population published between 2000 and January 2016. The quality of studies was assessed and a meta-analysis was performed using pooled effect size estimates obtained from a random effects model. RESULTS: Ten trials were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. All studies were of sufficient quality and utilized cognitive behavioural techniques. At post-treatment, the overall mean difference between the intervention and control groups was 0.25 (95% confidence internal: 0.09, 0.41; p = 0.003) for depression outcome studies and 0.31 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.52; p = 0.004) for anxiety outcome studies, indicating a small but positive effect of the eHealth interventions. The effect sizes for universal and indicated/selective interventions were similar (0.29 and 0.25 respectively). However, there was inadequate evidence to suggest that such interventions have an effect on long-term disorder incidence rates. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that eHealth prevention interventions for anxiety and depression are associated with small but positive effects on symptom reduction. However, there is inadequate evidence on the medium to long-term effect of such interventions, and importantly, on the reduction of incidence of disorders. Further work to explore the impact of eHealth psychological interventions on long-term incidence rates.

Designing smartphone mental health applications for emergency service workers.

BACKGROUND: Emergency service workers are often exposed to trauma and have increased risk of a range of mental health (MH) conditions. Smartphone applications have the potential to provide this group with effective psychological interventions; however, little is known about the acceptability and preferences regarding such initiatives. AIMS: To describe the preferences and opinions of emergency service workers regarding the use of smartphone MH applications and to examine the impact of age on these preferences. METHODS: Participants were recruited from four metropolitan Fire and Rescue NSW stations and responded to questionnaire items covering three key domains: current smartphone use, potential future use and preferences for design and content as well as therapeutic techniques. RESULTS: Overall, approximately half the sample (n = 106) claimed they would be interested in trying a tailored emergency-worker MH smartphone application. There were few differences between age groups on preferences. The majority of respondents claimed they would use an app for mental well-being daily and preferred terms such as 'well-being' and 'mental fitness' for referring to MH. Confidentiality, along with a focus on stress, sleep, exercise and resiliency were all considered key features. Behavioural therapeutic techniques were regarded most favourably, compared with other therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency workers were interested in utilizing smartphone applications focused on MH, but expressed clear preferences regarding language used in promotion, features required and therapeutic techniques preferred.

Cytokine aberrations in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The role of non-diagnostic features in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is unclear. Increasing evidence suggests immune system alterations in ASD may be implicated in the severity of behavioral impairment and other developmental outcomes. The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate if there is a characteristic abnormal cytokine profile in ASD compared with healthy controls (HCs). We identified relevant studies following a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge and Scopus. A meta-analysis was performed on studies comparing plasma and serum concentrations of cytokines in unmedicated participants with ASD and HCs. Results were reported according to PRISMA statement. Seventeen studies with a total sample size of 743 participants with ASD and 592 HC were included in the analysis. Nineteen cytokines were assessed. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1beta (P<0.001), IL-6 (P=0.03), IL-8 (P=0.04), interferon-gamma (P=0.02), eotaxin (P=0.01) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (P<0.05) were significantly higher in the participants with ASD compared with the HC group, while concentrations of transforming growth factor-ß1 were significantly lower (P<0.001). There were no significant differences between ASD participants and controls for the other 12 cytokines analyzed. The findings of our meta-analysis identified significantly altered concentrations of cytokines in ASD compared to HCs, strengthening evidence of an abnormal cytokine profile in ASD where inflammatory signals dominate.

Occupational egg allergy in an embryological research facility.

BACKGROUND: Hen and quail eggs are commonly used in embryological research. While immunoglobin E (IgE)-associated allergy to hens' egg proteins is recognized in employees in the food industry, there are no previous reports from workers in embryological research. Two newly identified cases prompted us to examine the extent of this problem in a university laboratory. AIMS: To determine the prevalence and determinants of sensitization to egg among a group of workers in an embryological research laboratory. METHODS: Following the identification of egg sensitization in two research workers, we surveyed 116 employees from a single embryology research laboratory in 2005. Sensitization to egg was assessed by skin prick tests and/or specific IgE measurement and examined in relation to a number of potential determinants, including the extent of appropriate control measures. RESULTS: Four employees were sensitized to egg, each with digestive symptoms of egg allergy. All had worked directly with eggs, giving a prevalence of specific sensitization in that group of 6.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) [1.7%, 14.8%]). There was a statistically significant trend for those sensitized to report a shorter duration of exposure to eggs and less frequent use of hygiene control measures to reduce exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Sensitization to eggs among those occupationally exposed to egg protein in research work occurs more commonly than in the general population. The presence of digestive symptoms after eating eggs may be indicative of sensitization to egg and should be incorporated into health evaluation of exposed workers.

Communicating Personal Risk Profiles of Alzheimer's Disease to Older Adults: A Pilot Trial.

Communicating personal Alzheimer's disease risk profiles based on validated risk algorithms may improve public knowledge about risk reduction, and initiate action. This proof of concept pilot trial aimed to test whether this is feasible and potentially effective and/or harmful. Older at-risk adults (N=24) were provided with their personal Alzheimer's disease risk profile online, which contained information on their personal risk level, scores and tailored recommendations to manage modifiable risk factors. After receiving the risk profile, participants were significantly more accurate in identifying risk and protective factors, and revised their perceived risk to be lower than their initial estimate. There was no apparent harm seen in psychological distress or dementia-related worry. This shows preliminary support for the feasibility of delivering personal dementia risk profiles to low risk, help-seeking older adults in an online format. A definitive trial examining behavioural outcomes and testing in groups with higher risk profiles is now warranted.

Depression and work performance: an ecological study using web-based screening.

BACKGROUND: Depression is reported to be a major cause of illness-related sub-optimal work performance (presenteeism). However, the majority of studies examining presenteeism have relied on self-report measures of work performance. Furthermore, employers currently face a number of practical challenges in attempting to facilitate early identification of depression. AIMS: To test whether a web-based screening tool for depression could be used successfully in the workplace and whether it was possible to detect an association between rates of depression and objective measures of impaired workgroup performance. METHODS: All permanent employees of a telecommunications company with UK-based call centres were encouraged to complete a web-based psychological assessment using the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9). In addition to confidential individual level results, the tool was able to provide anonymized summary statistics for each workgroup. Four objective measures of work performance were collected for each workgroup. RESULTS: During the study period, 1161 web-based PHQ-9 questionnaires were completed. There was a negative linear relationship between rates of depressive symptoms and the overall performance of a workgroup (P < 0.001). The linear relationship between depression and workgroup performance remained after controlling for gender balance, percent of temporary staff, employees' perceived level of engagement and satisfaction with their line manager (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Workgroups with high levels of depressive symptoms tend to perform poorly. Computer-aided web-based screening for symptoms of depression is feasible in a work setting.

The increasing cost of happiness.

A fundamental question for society is how much happiness does a dollar buy? The accepted view among economists and psychologists is that income has diminishing marginal returns on happiness: money and happiness increase together up to a point after which there is relatively little further gain. In this paper we estimate the relationship between income and subjective wellbeing over a 19-year period focusing on where the greatest change in the marginal return on income occurs and whether this change point has shifted over time. We formally test for the presence of a change point as well as temporal changes in the relationship between income and affective wellbeing (happiness), and income and cognitive wellbeing (life satisfaction), using household economic data from Australia between 2001 and 2019. The results indicate that the change point between affective wellbeing and income has increased over those 19 years faster than inflation (i.e., cost of living). This suggests that inequalities in income may be driving increasing inequities in happiness between the rich and the poor, with implications for health and recent government policy-goals to monitor and improve wellbeing.

Development and responsiveness of a scale to measure clinicians' attitudes to people with mental illness (medical student version).

OBJECTIVE: We report the rationale, reliability, validity and responsiveness studies of the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes (MICA) Scale, a 16-item scale designed to measure attitudes of health care professionals towards people with mental illness. METHOD: Items were generated through focus groups with service users, carers, medical students and trainee psychiatrists. Psychometric testing was completed in a number of student samples. The responsiveness of the scale was tested after a 1.5 h mental illness stigma related intervention with medical students. RESULTS: The MICA scale showed good internal consistency, alpha = 0.79. The test-retest reliability (concordance) was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68-0.91). The standardised response mean for the scale was 0.4 (95% CI 0.02-0.8) after a mental illness related stigma intervention. CONCLUSION: The MICA scale is a responsive, reliable and valid tool, which can be used in medical education and mental health promotion settings and studies.

Conventional and conservation tillage: influence on seasonal runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses in the Canadian Prairies.

Conservation tillage has been widely promoted to reduce sediment and nutrient transport from agricultural fields. However, the effect of conservation tillage on sediment and nutrient export in snowmelt-dominated climates is not well known. Therefore, a long-term paired watershed study was used to compare sediment and nutrient losses from a conventional and a conservation tillage watershed in the Northern Great Plains region of western Canada. During the treatment period, dissolved nutrient concentrations were typically greater during spring snowmelt than during summer rainfall events, whereas concentrations of sediment and particulate nutrients were greatest during rainfall events. However, because total runoff was dominated by snowmelt, most sediment and nutrient export occurred during snowmelt. Overall, conservation tillage reduced the export of sediment in runoff water by 65%. Similarly, concentrations and export of nitrogen were reduced by 41 and 68%, respectively, relative to conventional tillage. After conversion to conservation tillage, concentrations and exports of phosphorus (P) increased by 42 and 12%, respectively, with soluble P accounting for the majority of the exported P, especially during snowmelt. Our results suggest that management practices designed to improve water quality by reducing sediment and sediment-bound nutrient export from agricultural fields and watersheds can be less effective in cold, dry regions where nutrient export is primarily snowmelt driven and in the dissolved form. In these situations, it may be more appropriate to implement management practices that reduce the accumulation of nutrients in crop residues and the surface soil.

Obesity and sickness absence: results from the CHAP study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an increasing public health problem. A small number of studies have examined the relationship between obesity and sickness absence, with mixed results, particularly regarding short-term sickness absence. AIMS: To determine if obesity is associated with short- and long-term sickness absence and to investigate the mechanisms that may underlie any association. METHODS: Cross-sectional (n = 1489) and prospective (n = 625) analyses were conducted on staff from London Underground Ltd. All participants underwent regular clinical examinations that involved their height and weight being measured, obesity-related medical problems being diagnosed and psychiatric disorders being identified. The number of days taken for short- (<10 days in an episode) and long-term sickness absence were recorded by managers on an electronic database. RESULTS: There was a positive linear association between employees' body mass index (BMI) and the number of days' work missed due to sickness absence on both cross-sectional and prospective analyses (P < 0.001). Obesity was a risk factor for both short- and long-term sickness absence. Obese individuals typically took an extra 4 days sick leave every year. The majority of the increased risk for long-term sickness absence appeared to be mediated via co-morbid chronic medical conditions. The excess short-term sickness absence was not explained by obesity-related medical problems, psychiatric disorders or workplace factors. CONCLUSIONS: Obese employees take significantly more short- and long-term sickness absence than workers of a healthy weight. There is growing evidence to support employers becoming more involved in tackling obesity.

The relationship between depression symptoms, absenteeism and presenteeism.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are common within the working population. Depression is both highly prevalent and debilitating and is linked to increases in absenteeism and presenteeism. The use of summed depression scale scores may conceal differential impacts of depressive symptoms on absenteeism and presenteeism. We aimed to explore both the relationship between absenteeism and presenteeism and both depression severity, along with the independent contributions of different symptoms. METHODS: Participants (N = 4953) were employees recruited as part of a larger study to evaluate a mental health smartphone app and were recruited via industry partner organisations and social media. Participants completed in-app assessment which included demographic information, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression tool, and items of the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. The relationship between depressive symptoms, absenteeism and presenteeism was estimated using both total summed scores and individual symptoms of depression. RESULTS: Univariate linear regression confirmed a negative linear relationship between depression severity and presenteeism, which remained significant after controlling for age, gender, industry, and work position. Similarly, there was a statistically significant relationship between depression severity and the amount of mental health related sickness absence taken over the preceding 28 days. Johnson's relative weights analysis showed contributory differences amongst depression symptoms in relation to presenteeism and absenteeism. DISCUSSION: Significant relationships between depression severity and both absenteeism and presenteeism were present indicating increases in absence and decreases in performance with increasing severity. There existed differences amongst the contribution of specific symptoms of depression to both outcomes of interest. The symptoms that contribute most to absence were more behavioural in nature, whilst those contributing most to presenteeism were more cognitive. These findings have practical implications for clinicians and employers in making treatment and return-to-work decisions.

The effect of OSAS on sick leave and work disability.

The objective of the present study was to examine the independent contribution of symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) to long-term sick leave and permanent work disability. Using a historical cohort design with 4 yrs of follow-up, information on sick leave and disability benefit recipiency were merged with health information from the Hordaland Health Study, carried out in western Norway during 1997-1999. Persons aged 40-45 yrs (n = 7,028) were assessed for self-reported symptoms of OSAS (snoring, breathing cessations and daytime sleepiness), body mass index, somatic conditions and other potential confounders. The outcomes, cumulative sick leave of > or =8 weeks and permanent work disability, were identified in records from the National Insurance Administration. After excluding participants with work disability at baseline, symptoms of OSAS were found to be a significant predictor of both subsequent long-term sick leave and permanent work disability. These effects remained significant after adjustment for a range of possible confounding factors. Daytime sleepiness showed the greatest explanatory power, followed by breathing cessations and snoring. It is concluded that self-reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome are an independent risk factor for subsequent long-term sick leave and permanent work disability. These findings need to be replicated using objective measures of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

Health status before, during and after disability pension award: the Hordaland Health Study (HUSK).

OBJECTIVES: Up to one in eight of the working age population receives permanent disability benefits. As little is known about the consequences of this major event, analysis aimed to compare health status before and after disability pension award. METHODS: Data from the population based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) in Norway 1997-99 (n = 18 581) were linked to official disability benefits registries. The study identified 1087 participants who were awarded a disability pension before, during and after the health survey. These were grouped into different strata defined by temporal proximity between disability pension award and health survey participation. The study then compared health status across these strata covering the 7 years before to the 7 years after the award. RESULTS: The study found an inverse U-shaped trend with an increase in reported symptoms (anxiety, depression, pain distribution, sleep problems and somatic symptoms) approaching the award, and a reversing of this trajectory afterwards (p<0.05 for the non-linear trend for all symptoms). We found no similar trend for the more objective health measures blood pressure, physical diagnoses and prescribed medication. For most measures, similar levels of health problems were found 3-7 years before compared to 3-7 years after the award. CONCLUSION: When comparing the strata defined by time to the event of disability pension award, there was an increase in symptoms around the time of the disability pension award, with a subsequent return towards pre-award levels. The design precludes any firm conclusions as to what causes the observed results, but possible explanations include temporary adverse health effects from the process itself, the beneficial effects of being removed from harmful work conditions, and recovery after increasing health problems leading up to disability pension award.

Substance use in youth at risk for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: People with schizophrenia have high rates of substance use which contributes to co-morbidity and premature mortality. Some evidence suggests people at-risk for psychosis have high rates of substance use. We aimed to assess substance use in a help-seeking cohort, comparing those at-risk and not at-risk for psychosis, and to establish any relationship with clinical symptoms. METHOD: Participants were help-seeking youth presenting to mental health services in Sydney and Melbourne. 279 (34.8%) were at-risk for psychosis, and 452 (56.4%) did not meet criteria for a psychotic disorder or risk for psychosis. The excluded individuals were made up of 59 (7.4%) young people who met criteria for a psychotic disorder and 11 (1.4%) who were unable to be evaluated. We assessed the association of substance use involvement with risk status and clinical symptoms using multivariate regression. RESULTS: Individuals at-risk for psychosis had significantly higher tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use than those not at-risk. Multivariate analysis revealed at-risk status was significantly associated with higher alcohol involvement scores when adjusting for age and gender, but no association was found for cannabis or tobacco. At-risk status was no longer associated with alcohol involvement when cannabis or tobacco use was added into the analysis. CONCLUSION: Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and cannabis use are common in help-seeking youth, particularly those at-risk for psychosis. It is important to consider co-occurring use of different substances in adolescents. Early substance misuse in this phase of illness could be targeted to improve physical and mental health in young people.