The association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and postpartum blues.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite infecting approximately 30% of the global human population. It has often been suggested that chronic infection with T. gondii is related to personality changes and various mental disorders including depression. It is not known whether this includes post-partum blues or depression. In this study, we test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between T. gondii infection and post-partum blues by measuring the association between infection and postpartum blues. METHODS: A total of 475 Chinese women who have just given birth were detected serology for Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, and evaluated the degree of depression by Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) score. Data were analyzed by Chi-square or Fisher's Exact tests using SPSS software. RESULTS: We found an overall Toxoplasma seroprevalence of 5.68% (27/475; 95% CI: 3.59-7.77) which was broken down into a prevalence of 6.60% (7/106; 95% CI: 1.80-11.41) in mothers with post-partum blues and 5.42% (20/369; 95% CI: 3.10-7.74) in non-affected mothers. There was no significant association between infection and post-partum blues (p = 0.64). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is no relationship between T. gondii infection and postpartum blues, at least in this sample of patients from China.

Anorexia nervosa, depression and suicidal thoughts among Chinese adolescents: a national school-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although there is much literature on adolescent suicide, combined effects of depression and anorexia nervosa on suicide were rarely investigated. The aims of this study are to examine the association between anorexia nervosa and suicidal thoughts and explore the interaction between anorexia nervosa and depression. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, in the study, a sample of 8,746 Chinese adolescents was selected by multistage stratified method in 2012/2013 from 20 middle schools in 7 provinces across China Mainland. Multilevel logistic model was introduced to explore association between anorexia nervosa and suicidal thoughts. And subgroup analyses were conducted on participants with or without depression. RESULTS: Multilevel logistic model revealed that demographic variables, including academic achievement, were not the predictive risk factors of suicidal thoughts. Those who suffered from worse severity of perceived anorexia nervosa were at increased risk of thinking about suicide. The interaction between depression and anorexia nervosa was significant, however, subgroup analyses showed that the associations were significant only among the adolescents without depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that all levels of anorexia nervosa serve as predictable indicators of suicidal thoughts in Chinese adolescents, and the effects of anorexia nervosa are modified by depression status.

Heterogeneity in the latent structure of PTSD symptoms among Canadian veterans.

The current study used factor mixture modeling to identify heterogeneity (i.e., latent classes) in 2 well-supported models of posttraumatic stress disorder's (PTSD) factor structure. Data were analyzed from a clinical sample of 405 Canadian veterans evaluated for PTSD. Results were consistent with our hypotheses. Each PTSD factor model was best represented by 2 latent classes of participants, differing with respect to PTSD symptom severity. Furthermore, classes were most strongly distinguished by factor scores related to emotional numbing or dysphoria. For both factor models, class membership was significantly predicted by age and depression diagnosis. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Addiction to indoor tanning: relation to anxiety, depression, and substance use.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of addiction to indoor tanning among college students and its association with substance use and symptoms of anxiety and depression. DESIGN: Two written measures, the CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) Questionnaire, used to screen for alcoholism, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for substance-related disorders, were modified to evaluate study participants for addiction to indoor tanning. Standardized self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and substance use also were administered. SETTING: A large university (approximately 18 000 students) in the northeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 421 college students were recruited from September through December 2006. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported addiction to indoor tanning, substance use, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Among 229 study participants who had used indoor tanning facilities, 90 (39.3%) met DSM-IV-TR criteria and 70 (30.6%) met CAGE criteria for addiction to indoor tanning. Students who met DSM-IV-TR and CAGE criteria for addiction to indoor tanning reported greater symptoms of anxiety and greater use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances than those who did not meet these criteria. Depressive symptoms did not significantly vary by indoor tanning addiction status. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that interventions to reduce skin cancer risk should address the addictive qualities of indoor tanning for a minority of individuals and the relationship of this behavior to other addictions and affective disturbance.

The effects of depression, stressful life events, social support, and coping on the progression of HIV infection.

This article reviews recent findings concerning the role of psychosocial factors on the progression of HIV. Specifically, we examine the role of depression, stressful life events, social support, and coping on changes in CD4 T-lymphocytes and other indicators of HIV disease progression. Studies have yielded important evidence that depression, stressful life events, low social support, and denial coping may have a detrimental impact on HIV disease course. Delineating the role of psychosocial factors on HIV disease progression may aid in the development of new interventions for this devastating disease.

[Depressive disorders associated with neurocysticercosis: prevalence and clinical correlations]. / Transtornos depressivos associados à neurocisticercose. Prevalência e correlações clínicas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and features of psychiatric morbidity in a cross-section of 38 outpatients with neurocysticercosis. METHODS: Diagnosis of neurocysticercosis was established by CT scan, MRI and CSF analysis. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by using the Present State Examination and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Lifetime version; cognitive state was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination and Strub & Black's Mental Status Examination. RESULTS: Depression was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis (52.6%) as shown by PSE. Active disease and intracranial hypertension were associated with higher psychiatric morbidity, and previous history of mood disorders was strongly related to current depression. CONCLUSIONS: Depression syndromes are frequent in patients with neurocysticercosis. The extent to which organic mechanisms related to brain lesions may underlie the observed mental changes is yet unclear, though the similar sex distribution of patients with and without depression, as well as the above mentioned correlations, provide further evidence of the role played by organic factors in the cause of these syndromes. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the data available for other organic psychiatric disorders.

Transtornos depressivos associados à neurocisticercose: prevalência e correlaçöes clínicas / Depressive disorders associated with neurocysticercosis: prevalence and clinical correlations

Objetivo: Investigar a ocorrência e os fatores de risco para morbidade depressiva em uma amostra de 38 pacientes ambulatoriais com neurosisticercose. Métodos: O diagnóstico psiquiátrico baseou-se nos exames do estado mental atual e pregresso, respectivamente obtidos pelas entrevistas estruturadas do PSE-9 e SADS-L; as funçoes cognitivas foram avaliadas pelo MMS e pelo roteiro de Strub & Black (Mental Status Examination). Resultados: Transtornos depressivos foram o achado psiquiátrico mais frequente (63,1 por cento) entre os pacientes da amostra. Destes, 20 (52,6 por cento) mostravam-se deprimidos no momento da avaliaçao e 4 apresentaram depressao no passado. Entre os pacientes deprimidos, 16 preencheram critérios diagnósticos do DSM-III-R para transtorno orgânico do humor (k = 0,4). Antecedentes pessoais de depressao (p = 0,006), sinais de atividade da doença (p = 0,044) e ocorrência de hipertensao intracraniana (p=0,065) foram os parâmetros clínicos que se correlacionaram com a presença de depressao. Conclusoes: Tais achados, aliados à ausência de predomínio do sexo feminino entre os casos de depressao, sugerem etiologia orgânica. Os autores discutem essas observaçoes à luz da literatura sobre outros transtornos mentais orgânicos.

Hypomanic personality traits in a community sample of adolescents.

The distribution and correlates of hypomanic personality traits were examined in a representative sample of 1709 adolescents. Hypomanic traits were assessed with an abbreviated version of Eckblad and Chapman's (1986) Hypomanic Personality Scale. Hypomanic traits were normally distributed and were slightly but significantly higher among females. Test-retest stability over a mean 14-month interval was 0.54. High scores were associated with elevated lifetime rates of mood, disruptive behavior and substance use disorders. Among subjects with no history of mood disorder, hypomanic traits were associated with a broad range of indices of psychosocial dysfunction, both concurrently and at 1-year follow-up. In addition, hypomanic personality traits predicted increased levels of impairment in a number of areas, including depressive and internalizing symptomatology, over the course of the follow-up. Finally, among subjects with a past history of major depression, hypomanic traits were associated with a higher level of depression at the initial assessment, greater symptomatology and impairment during their worst episode, and higher rates of attempted suicide, comorbid disruptive behavior disorders and recurrent major depressive episodes.