Natural language processing analysis of the theories of people with multiple sclerosis about causes of their disease.

BACKGROUND: While potential risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS) have been extensively researched, it remains unclear how persons with MS theorize about their MS. Such theories may affect mental health and treatment adherence. Using natural language processing techniques, we investigated large-scale text data about theories that persons with MS have about the causes of their disease. We examined the topics into which their theories could be grouped and the prevalence of each theory topic. METHODS: A total of 486 participants of the Swiss MS Registry longitudinal citizen science project provided text data on their theories about the etiology of MS. We used the transformer-based BERTopic Python library for topic modeling to identify underlying topics. We then conducted an in-depth characterization of the topics and assessed their prevalence. RESULTS: The topic modeling analysis identifies 19 distinct topics that participants theorize as causal for their MS. The topics most frequently cited are Mental Distress (31.5%), Stress (Exhaustion, Work) (29.8%), Heredity/Familial Aggregation (27.4%), and Diet, Obesity (16.0%). The 19 theory topics can be grouped into four high-level categories: physical health (mentioned by 56.2% of all participants), mental health (mentioned by 53.7%), risk factors established in the scientific literature (genetics, Epstein-Barr virus, smoking, vitamin D deficiency/low sunlight exposure; mentioned by 47.7%), and fate/coincidence (mentioned by 3.1%). Our study highlights the importance of mental health issues for theories participants have about the causes of their MS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the importance of communication between healthcare professionals and persons with MS about the pathogenesis of MS, the scientific evidence base and mental health.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of symptoms. Our study investigated what people living with the disease think causes MS. We analyzed the replies given by 486 people who were questioned about their MS to look for patterns in the responses. We identified 19 distinct themes, notably mental and work-related stress, genetics, and dietary factors, which we grouped into 4 categories: physical health, mental health, established scientific risk factors, and chance. We found that mental health problems were viewed as a key factor for MS. Our work highlights the need for healthcare professionals to have transparent conversations with people with MS about what is known about the disease course and potential causes. In addition, it highlights the importance of fully informing and supporting people with MS regarding their mental health.

Predictors for early and long-term readmission in involuntarily admitted patients.

BACKGROUND: It is a common aim to reduce psychiatric readmissions. Although risk factors for readmissions were described, specific data in the group of patients with potentially aversively experienced involuntary admissions are lacking. To better understand underlying mechanisms, it is important to identify factors that are linked to readmissions in this specific patient group, which is the purpose of the current paper. METHODS: A four-year cohort of N = 3575 involuntary admissions (IA) was followed-up for subsequent re-hospitalization. Demographic, administrative and clinical factors associated with short- (within 30 days) or long-term (> 30 days) readmissions were examined using logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: Almost half of all IA cases were readmitted within the observation period, whereof every fifth readmission was within the first month after discharge from the involuntary index hospitalization. Adjusted regression modelling revealed problematic substance use at admission and assisted living or homelessness as risk factors for readmission, while high functioning at discharge, anxiety disorders, no subsequent treatment after discharge or IA due to danger to others were negatively associated with readmission. Factors specifically linked to short-term readmission were substance use and personality disorders, abscondence or discharge by initiation of the clinic, as well as being discharged to any place except the patient's home. There were no specific risk-factors for long-term readmission. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent readmissions after IA, especially for patients at risk, the aim of treatment strategies should be to focus on intensive discharge planning, enable continuous treatment in the outpatient setting, and provide social support.

Blending citizen science with natural language processing and machine learning: Understanding the experience of living with multiple sclerosis.

The emergence of new digital technologies has enabled a new way of doing research, including active collaboration with the public ('citizen science'). Innovation in machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) has made automatic analysis of large-scale text data accessible to study individual perspectives in a convenient and efficient fashion. Here we blend citizen science with innovation in NLP and ML to examine (1) which categories of life events persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) perceived as central for their MS; and (2) associated emotions. We subsequently relate our results to standardized individual-level measures. Participants (n = 1039) took part in the 'My Life with MS' study of the Swiss MS Registry which involved telling their story through self-selected life events using text descriptions and a semi-structured questionnaire. We performed topic modeling ('latent Dirichlet allocation') to identify high-level topics underlying the text descriptions. Using a pre-trained language model, we performed a fine-grained emotion analysis of the text descriptions. A topic modeling analysis of totally 4293 descriptions revealed eight underlying topics. Five topics are common in clinical research: 'diagnosis', 'medication/treatment', 'relapse/child', 'rehabilitation/wheelchair', and 'injection/symptoms'. However, three topics, 'work', 'birth/health', and 'partnership/MS' represent domains that are of great relevance for participants but are generally understudied in MS research. While emotions were predominantly negative (sadness, anxiety), emotions linked to the topics 'birth/health' and 'partnership/MS' was also positive (joy). Designed in close collaboration with persons with MS, the 'My Life with MS' project explores the experience of living with the chronic disease of MS using NLP and ML. Our study thus contributes to the body of research demonstrating the potential of integrating citizen science with ML-driven NLP methods to explore the experience of living with a chronic condition.

Experiences of persons with multiple sclerosis with the Covid-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study of the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

BACKGROUND: Despite strong recommendations for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination by multiple sclerosis (MS) organizations, some persons with MS (pwMS) remain vaccine hesitant. The Swiss MS Registry conducted a survey to explore Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, self-reported side effects and changes in MS symptoms following vaccination in adult pwMS. METHODS: Self-reported data were analyzed cross-sectionally. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore participant characteristics associated with Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: Of 849 respondents, 73 (8.6%) were unvaccinated. Hesitation to vaccinate was most often a personal preference (N = 42, 57.53%). Factors negatively associated with vaccine hesitancy included older age (OR = 0.97 per year, 95% CI [0.94, 0.99]) and regularly seeing healthcare professionals (OR = 0.25, 95% CI [0.07, 0.85]). A history of confirmed Covid-19 infection (OR = 3.38, 95% CI [1.69, 6.77]) and being underweight (OR = 4.50, 95% CI [1.52, 13.36]) were positively associated with vaccine hesitancy. Of 768 participants who provided information, 320 (41.2%) and 351 (45.2%) reported vaccination side effects after the first and second vaccinations, respectively. Changes in MS symptoms were reported by 49 (6.3%) participants after the first and 67 (9.0%) participants after the second vaccination, and were most often described as increased or new-onset fatigue (N = 17/49 (34.7%) after the first and N = 21/67 (31.3%) after the second dose). CONCLUSIONS: Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy was low among surveyed pwMS. The risk of vaccine hesitancy was higher among younger pwMS, those with a history of Covid-19 infection, and those without regular contact with healthcare professionals.

Athletes are not at greater risk for death by suicide: A review.

INTRODUCTION: Suicide represents a major mental and public health issue. Elite athletes share certain individual and environmental characteristics that may increase their risk for mental illnesses, ultimately leading to suicide. This notion conflicts with the general perception of athletes, being the healthiest representatives of society. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was carried out through PubMed and Embase databases for relevant publications. RESULTS: Recent calls for investigating suicidality among athletes resulted in a considerable amount of literature providing some evidence regarding lower rates of suicide among professional and high-performance athletes as well as similar incidence and prevalence of mental conditions, which are known as risk factors for suicide. Nevertheless, special attention is required in this population as predisposing and precipitating factors might differ from classical features of suicidality in the general population. Sports physicians, sports psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals in elite sports should be aware of early signs of affective disorders, risk of recreational drug abuse, misuse of performance-enhancing medications, sport-specific environmental stressors, serious physical injuries, and presence of physical or mental illness, all of which may increase suicidality. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is with suicide with higher severity correlated with increased risk. Compared to active athletes, former athletes may have higher rates of suicide due to common life stressors occurring after sports retirement. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a multidisciplinary approach to suicidality in elite athletes, the main goal of which should be the reduction of suicide-related morbidity and mortality. Further research is required to clarify the existing gaps in the current knowledge of the issue. While having lower rates of suicide, athletes share some similar (affective disorders, drug abuse, mental and physical illness) and unique factors (misuse of performance-enhancing substances, sports-related stressors, sports injuries, TBI) putting them at risk of suicide during active career and retirement.

Engagement in volunteering activities by persons with multiple sclerosis in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Informal and formal volunteering engagement is a proxy for social integration and may have beneficial effects for physical and mental well-being in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). As literature on the topic among the pwMS is lacking, this study aimed to determine frequency and type of volunteering performed by pwMS and to identify factors associated with volunteering. METHODS: Cross-sectional, self-reported data of 615 pwMS participating in the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine frequency and type of volunteering engagement. Univariable and multivariable generalized linear models with binomial distribution and log link function were used to identify factors associated with volunteering. Age, sex, employment status and gait disability were added to the multivariable model as fixed confounders. Sociodemographic, health-, work- and daily activity-related factors were included in the analysis. RESULTS: About one third (29.4%) of participants reported engagement in volunteering activities, most often through charities (16.02%) and cultural organizations (14.36%). In the multivariable model, participants who had a university degree were more likely to volunteer than those with lower level of education (RR = 1.48 95% CI [1.14; 1.91]). The ability to pursue daily activities (as measured by the EQ-5D subscale) was strongly associated with participation in volunteering among pwMS. Compared with pwMS who had no or only slight limitations in daily activities, those with severe problems were markedly less likely to engage in volunteering (RR = 0.41, 95% CI [0.21; 0.80]) . Finally, pwMS who reported caring for and supporting their family (i.e., being a homemaker) were more likely to engage in volunteering activities than those who did not (RR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.15; 2.01]). CONCLUSION: Nearly one in three pwMS engaged in diverse volunteering activities. Having a university degree, being less limited in daily activities and being a homemaker increased the probability of pursuing volunteering activities. Contingent on individual-level motivations, resources or physical abilities, pwMS who experience challenges in performing daily activities or social barriers should be made aware of barrier-free offers of socially inclusive and volunteering activities, often provided by the national MS societies and health leagues.

Fit for Work and Life-an eight-week program for improvement of functionality and quality of life : A two-stage study.

BACKGROUND: The current two-stage study focused on work integration and quality of life of patients in an acute psychiatric day care unit. There is evidence that a longer absence from work due to illness negatively affects job retention, life satisfaction and clinical prognosis. Furthermore, there are individual supportive methods that proved to be effective in work integration. We therefore developed a specific group program Fit for Work and Life (FWL) for patients in an acute psychiatric day care unit focusing on work integration in the first labor market (in contrast to work in institutions for people with disabilities/second labor market). METHODS: Between 2018 and 2020, 62 patients (intervention group; IG) were enrolled in an 8­week prospective job integration program and compared to 74 patients (control group; CG) who received treatment as usual (partly retrospective survey). Patients of both groups held a job when entering treatment. Main outcome was defined as their working status 4 weeks after the end of treatment as well as self-reported life satisfaction. RESULTS: At the end of treatment (i.e. the week prior to discharge), the IG participants reported higher overall life satisfaction as well as higher health-, self- and living condition-related satisfaction than controls. Functional and clinical improvement during treatment was linked to subsequently returning to work. Functional improvement was further linked to higher life satisfaction. Mediational analysis revealed an indirect path from functional improvement on life satisfaction via working status, i.e. the higher functional improvement during treatment, the higher the chance of successfully returning to work, which in turn increased life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that programs such as FWL are useful interventions for employed patients to improve reintegration into work and life and to help to increase life satisfaction.

Longitudinal reciprocal associations between depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders over three decades of life.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Studies exploring longitudinal reciprocal associations between depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders (DD, AD and SUD, respectively) over long periods of time are mainly lacking. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to test longitudinal associations (i.e. temporal dynamics) between DD, AD and SUD from young adulthood to middle adulthood. METHODS: A stratified community sample of 591 participants from the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, was interviewed with the Structured Psychopathological Interview and Rating of the Social Consequences of Psychological Disturbances for Epidemiology over seven interview waves from ages 20/21 to 49/50. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria were used to evaluate the presence of DD, AD and SUD. We fitted an auto-regressive cross-lagged path analysis within a Bayesian structural equation model to test longitudinal associations. RESULTS: Regarding autoregressive effects, AD (except during young adulthood) and SUD predicted themselves over the entire time period, while DD recurrently predicted itself not consistently over time. Regarding cross-lagged effects, DD predicted SUD at different time points, and vice versa. DD predicted subsequent AD in adulthood, whereas the reverse did not happen. Female gender was associated with DD and AD at all ages while male gender was associated with SUD only in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Reciprocal longitudinal associations were found between DD and SUD and DD usually preceded AD. Our results further confirm an increased risk of DD and AD in women and a higher risk of SUD in young men. Early treatment and broad psychosocial interventions should be provided in order to prevent chronicity and further maladjustment as well as interrupting the cycle of mutual reinforcement between DD and SUD.

Childhood adversity patterns differentially cluster with mental disorders and socioeconomic indicators in a large Swiss community sample.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to childhood adversities (CHAD) has been found to be strongly associated with individuals' mental health and social development. Recently, it has been suggested that certain CHAD patterns exist in the population, which are more closely related to individuals' later mental health than the simple summation of adversities. The current study aims 1) to establish CHAD patterns based on self-reported child abuse and family dysfunction and 2) to assess their associations with mental disorders and sociodemographic indicators reported in adulthood. METHODS: Data used in this cross-sectional study were derived from the representative CoLaus/PsyCoLaus population-based cohort (N = 5111, 35 to 88 years). Latent class analysis was conducted for the identification of CHAD patterns, while their associations with mental disorders and socioeconomic achievements (e. g. education and income) were investigated using correspondence analysis. RESULTS: Four CHAD patterns emerged. While the majority (70.7%) of the sample showed an overall low adversity pattern (c1), 13.6% had not been raised by both of their biological parents due to divorce or being placed in foster home (c2), 11.0% had been raised by conflictive / dysfunctional / abusive parents (c3), and 4.7% showed high overall adversities (c4). Patterns c3 and c4 were most strongly associated with various mental disorders, especially c3 with internalizing anxiety disorders, while c2 was closely related to lower educational achievement. CONCLUSIONS: Four CHAD patterns characterised by varying levels of child abuse and family dysfunction existed in this community sample. They yielded distinct associations with mental disorders and socioeconomic indicators.

The Effect of Depression on Health-Related Quality of Life Is Mediated by Fatigue in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis.

The interrelations between fatigue, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) are complex, and the directionality of the effects is unclear. To address this gap, the current study used a longitudinal design to assess direct and indirect effects of fatigue and depression on HRQoL in a one-year follow-up survey. A sample of 210 PwMS from the nationwide Swiss MS Registry was used. HRQoL was assessed using the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire. Path analysis on HRQoL, with fatigue and depression as predictors, was applied. Fatigue was measured by the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), including physical, cognitive and psychosocial subscales, and non-somatic depressive symptomatology was examined with the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS). Fatigue acted as a fully mediating variable (B = -0.718, SE = 0.253) between non-somatic depressive symptomatology and HRQoL. This indirect effect became apparent in the physical (B = -0.624, SE = 0.250), psychosocial (B = -0.538, SE = 0.256) and cognitive subscales (B = -0.485, SE = 0.192) of fatigue. In contrast, non-somatic depressive symptomatology did not act as a mediator. Our findings provide novel and clinically relevant longitudinal evidence showing that the debilitating effect of non-somatic aspects of depression on HRQoL was fully mediated and therefore explainable via fatigue.

Onset Symptom Clusters in Multiple Sclerosis: Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Risk Factors.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms are expected to aggregate in specific patterns across different stages of the disease. Here, we studied the clustering of onset symptoms and examined their characteristics, comorbidity patterns and associations with potential risk factors. Methods: Data stem from the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry, a prospective study including 2,063 participants by November 2019. MS onset symptoms were clustered using latent class analysis (LCA). The latent classes were further examined using information on socio-demographic characteristics, MS-related features, potential risk factors, and comorbid diseases. Results: The LCA model with six classes (frequencies ranging from 12 to 24%) was selected for further analyses. The latent classes comprised a multiple symptoms class with high probabilities across several symptoms, contrasting with two classes with solitary onset symptoms: vision problems and paresthesia. Two gait classes emerged between these extremes: the gait-balance class and the gait-paralysis class. The last class was the fatigue-weakness-class, also accompanied by depression symptoms, memory, and gastro-intestinal problems. There was a moderate variation by sex and by MS types. The multiple symptoms class yielded increased comorbidity with other autoimmune disorders. Similar to the fatigue-weakness class, the multiple symptoms class showed associations with angina, skin diseases, migraine, and lifetime prevalence of smoking. Mononucleosis was more frequently reported in the fatigue-weakness and the paresthesia class. Familial aggregation did not differ among the classes. Conclusions: Clustering of MS onset symptoms provides new perspectives on the heterogeneity of MS. The clusters comprise different potential risk factors and comorbidities. They point toward different risk mechanisms.

Treatment provision for adults with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory study on patient and therapist experience with on-site sessions using face masks vs. telepsychiatric sessions.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining the therapeutic care of psychiatric patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland required changes to the way in which sessions were conducted, such as telepsychiatric interventions or using face masks during on-site sessions. While little is known about how face masks affect the therapeutic experience of patients and therapists, the effectiveness of telepsychiatry is well documented for several psychiatric disorders. However, research on the benefits of telepsychiatry in adult patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains scarce. This seems problematic since the symptoms typically associated with ADHD, such as attention problems and distractibility, may lessen the utility of telepsychiatry for this particular group. The present study's aim was to explore how adult patients with ADHD and their therapists experienced therapy sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic in three different settings: face-to-face with the therapist wearing a face mask, via telephone, or via videoconferencing. METHODS: In this exploratory, quantitatively driven mixed-method study (quantitative questionnaire data and qualitative data from open-ended responses), we assessed patients' evaluation of the session, their treatment satisfaction, and patients' and therapists' ratings of therapeutic alliance. We also collected qualitative comments on both sides' experience of the session. Overall, 97 therapist and 66 patient questionnaires were completed. Results are reported for the N = 60 cases for which data from both parties were available. Sequential multiple regressions adjusted for therapist and number of sessions were used for the main quantitative analyses. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences regarding session flow, post-session positivity, satisfaction and therapeutic alliance were observed. The only exception was that telepsychiatric sessions were rated as significantly less deep than face-to-face sessions, an effect that may decline over time, especially in the videoconferencing group. Patients and therapists identified similar facilitating and complicating aspects, but differed in their emphasis of specific elements. CONCLUSIONS: Both settings, on-site with the therapist wearing a face mask and telepsychiatric, seem to be valid options to continue treatment of adults with ADHD during a situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Aspects such as patient preference, session content, and therapeutic methods may be useful to identify the most suitable modality.

Major depressive disorder subtypes and depression symptoms in multiple sclerosis: What is different compared to the general population?

OBJECTIVE: To compare and characterize major depressive disorder (MDD) subtypes (i.e., pure atypical, pure melancholic and mixed atypical-melancholic) and depression symptoms in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) with persons without MS (Pw/oMS) fulfilling the DSM-5 criteria for a past 12-month MDD. METHODS: MDD in PwMS (n = 92) from the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry was compared with Pw/oMS (n = 277) from a Swiss community-based study. Epidemiological MDD diagnoses were based on the Mini-SPIKE (shortened form of the Structured Psychopathological Interview and Rating of the Social Consequences for Epidemiology). Logistic and multinomial regression analyses (adjusted for sex, age, civil status, depression and severity) were computed for comparisons and characterization. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to empirically identify depression subtypes in PwMS. RESULTS: PwMS had a higher risk for the mixed atypical-melancholic MDD subtype (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.03-4.80) compared to Pw/oMS. MDD in PwMS was specifically characterized by a higher risk of the two somatic atypical depression symptoms 'weight gain' (OR = 6.91, 95% CI = 2.20-21.70) and 'leaden paralysis' (OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.35-6.82) and the symptom 'irritable/angry' (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 1.08-9.39). CONCLUSIONS: MDD in PwMS was characterized by a higher risk for specific somatic atypical depression symptoms and the mixed atypical-melancholic MDD subtype. The pure atypical MDD subtype, however, did not differentiate between PwMS and Pw/oMS. Given the high phenomenological overlap with MS symptoms, the mixed atypical-melancholic MDD subtype represents a particular diagnostic challenge.

Retrospectively assessed trajectories of PTSD symptoms and their subsequent comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic trajectories of psychopathology, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) provide a key to understanding human adjustment processes after trauma exposure. Recent studies have suggested more heterogeneous mental health outcomes than the initially identified four adjustment trajectories. To explore this heterogeneity, we investigated the after-trauma adjustment patterns of psychopathology based on retrospective lifetime data. This was first carried out on the PTSD symptoms (PTSS, including no symptoms, few symptoms, partial and full PTSD), and secondly together with their post-trauma comorbidities. METHODS: Data of trauma and the post-trauma mental disorders were collected for a large and randomly selected community sample, resulting in a N = 960 trauma-exposed subsample. Pattern recognition as carried out by latent class analysis (LCA) was implemented on this subsample. LCA was first exploited to identify the potential trajectory patterns of PTSS and next to explore the patterns of mental adjustments when additional post-trauma comorbid disorders, such as anxiety, mood and substance use disorders, were assessed. RESULTS: Four PTSS trajectory patterns were found, namely resilient, chronic, recovered, and delayed onset, consistent with findings from longitudinal PTSD studies. When post-trauma comorbidities were evaluated, other than the trajectory pattern of delayed onset which retained a low comorbidity profile, the other three split respectively and paired up with either low, moderate or high comorbidity profile. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health outcomes after trauma exposure were considerably more complex than the four previously established adjustment trajectories. Here, we uncovered additional and more heterogeneous adjustment patterns comprised of PTSS trajectories and post-trauma comorbidity profiles.

Factors associated with employment and expected work retention among persons with multiple sclerosis: findings of a cross-sectional citizen science study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) notably affects adults of working age. For persons with MS (PwMS), being employed enhances their quality of life and it may be regarded as an indicator of overall functioning. Thus, ensuring work participation in PwMS is of general public health interest. OBJECTIVE: To examine relevant socio-demographic, MS-, health- and work-related factors, including psychosocial working conditions, associated with currently working PwMS in Switzerland and their expected work retention. METHODS: Using cross-sectional data of PwMS in the Swiss MS Registry (n = 541, median age = 48 [IQR 40;55]), multivariable logistic regression models were computed. First, currently working PwMS were characterised in comparison with those not currently working. Second, expected work retention, operationalized as subjective judgement "likely to work in the same job in 2 years", was examined within the group of currently working PwMS. RESULTS: The factors age (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99), sex (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.13-0.60), highest achieved job position (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.46), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04) and the number of MS symptoms (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98) were associated with currently working PwMS. Moreover, HRQoL (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10) and psychosocial working conditions, such as job resources (e.g. autonomy, control or social support) (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.50-5.33) and job demands (e.g. workload, time pressure) (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.90) were important factors for expected work retention among this group. CONCLUSIONS: Resourceful psychosocial working conditions are crucial for PwMS to maintain employment. Employers could contribute to work retention among PwMS by creating a work environment with resourceful psychosocial working conditions and providing, for instance, social support.

Cannabis use during adolescence and the occurrence of depression, suicidality and anxiety disorder across adulthood: Findings from a longitudinal cohort study over 30 years.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between cannabis use in adolescence and the occurrence of depression, suicidality and anxiety disorders during adulthood. METHODS: A stratified population-based cohort of young adults (n = 591) from Zurich, Switzerland, was retrospectively assessed at age 19/20 for cannabis use in adolescence. The occurrence of depression, suicidality and anxiety disorders was repeatedly assessed via semi-structured clinical interviews at the ages of 20/21, 22/23, 27/28, 29/30, 34/35, 40/41, and 49/50. Associations were controlled for various covariates, including socio-economic deprivation in adolescence as well as repeated time-varying measures of substance abuse during adulthood. RESULTS: About a quarter (24%) reported cannabis use during adolescence; 11% started at age 15/16 or younger and 13% between the ages of 16/17 and 19/20. In the adjusted multivariable model, cannabis use during adolescence was associated with adult depression (aOR = 1.70, 95%-CI = 1.24-2.32) and suicidality (aOR = 1.65, 95%-CI = 1.11-2.47), but not anxiety disorders (aOR = 1.10, 95%-CI = 0.82-1.48). First use at age 15/16 and younger (as against first use between age 16/17 and 19/20 and no use) and frequent use in adolescence (as against less frequent use and no use) were associated with a higher risk of depression in adult life. CONCLUSIONS: In this longitudinal cohort study over 30-years, cannabis use during adolescence was associated with depression and suicidality in adult life. Young age at first use and high frequency of use in adolescence may particularly increase the risk of depression in adulthood. All associations were independent of cannabis abuse and other substance abuse during adulthood.

Development and validation of the self-reported disability status scale (SRDSS) to estimate EDSS-categories.

BACKGROUND: Clinician-assessed Expanded Disease Status Scale (EDSS) is gold standard in clinical investigations but normally unavailable in population-based, patient-centred MS-studies. Our objective was to develop a self-reported gait measure reflecting EDSS-categories. METHODS: We developed the self-reported disability status scale (SRDSS) with three categories (≤3.5, 4-6.5, ≥7) based on three mobility-related questions. The SRDSS was determined for 173 persons with MS and validated against clinical EDSS to calculate sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Accuracy was 88.4% (153 correctly classified) and weighted kappa 0.73 (0.62-0.84). Sensitivity/specificity-pairs were 94.5%/77.8%, 69.0%/94.7% and 100%/98.2% for SRDSS ≤3.5, 4-6.5 and ≥7, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported SRDSS approximates EDSS-categories well and fosters comparability between clinical and population-based studies.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is Prospectively Associated With Decreased Levels of Interleukin-6 and Adiponectin Among Individuals from the Community.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders have been related to cardiovascular diseases via low-grade inflammation, but longitudinal studies on the association between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and inflammatory biomarkers are sparse. Furthermore, no studies have examined the association between GAD and the "cardio-protective" adipocytokine adiponectin in this context so far. METHODS: In a Swiss population-based sample of 2,415 adults participating in baseline and follow-up exams (mean follow-up duration=5.5 years), we diagnosed a total of 55 persons (2.3%) with GAD using a validated semi-structured psychiatric interview. We prospectively examined the relation between GAD and circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers (i.e., C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and adiponectin), in linear regression models, statistically controlled for the baseline inflammatory marker, socioeconomic status, cardiovascular risk factors, health behaviors, and psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: Compared to those without GAD, individuals with GAD had lower IL-6 (ß=-0.249, 95%-CI -0.493-(-0.004), p=0.046), and adiponectin (ß=-0.264, 95%-CI -0.482-(-0.045), p=0.018) levels at follow-up after adjustment for all covariates. Moreover, GAD was unrelated to several other inflammatory measures. CONCLUSION: Individuals with GAD do not seem to exhibit chronic low-grade inflammation, suggesting different underlying biobehavioral mechanisms to those from other anxiety disorders. Low adiponectin levels may be linked to symptoms of GAD through brain areas directly involved in the processing of fear and anxiety.

Bipolar disorders in ICD-11: current status and strengths.

BACKGROUND: The Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines for the ICD-11 Classification of mental and behavioural disorders should soon be finalized. To measure their potential impact, the new proposed definitions of bipolar disorders in ICD-11 were applied to data from the Zurich cohort study and compared with the definitions of ICD-10 and DSM-5. RESULTS: We found little difference between ICD-11 and ICD-10 in the identification of subjects with bipolar disorders, but compared to DSM-5 a considerable increase in the diagnosis of hypomanic episodes and therefore of bipolar-II disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to ICD-10 and DSM-5 the definition of hypomanic episodes according to ICD-11 represents important progress. A higher prevalence of BP-II disorder makes sense from a clinical point of view. Further transcultural research is needed into whether out-patient treatment should be included as a criterion for hypomania. Pure mania is unfortunately missing as an independent and codable disorder in the international diagnostic manuals, whether ICD-11 or DSM-5.

How do patients enter the healthcare system after the first onset of multiple sclerosis symptoms? The influence of setting and physician specialty on speed of diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) early is crucial to avoid future disability. However, potentially preventable delays in the diagnostic cascade from contact with a physician to definite diagnosis still occur and their causes are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To identify the possible causes of delays in the diagnostic process. METHODS: We analyzed the data of the Swiss MS Registry. With logistic regression, we modeled the time from the first contact to the first consultation (contact-to-evaluation time, ⩽1 month/>1 month) and the evaluation-to-diagnosis time (⩽6 months/>6 months). Potential factors were health system characteristics, sociodemographic variables, first symptoms, and MS type. RESULTS: We included 522 participants. Mostly, general practitioners (67%) were contacted first, without delaying the diagnosis. In contrast, first symptoms and MS type were the major contributors to delays: gait problems were associated with longer contact-to-evaluation times, depression as a concomitant symptom with longer evaluation-to-diagnosis times, and having primary progressive MS prolonged both phases. In addition, living in mountainous areas was associated with longer contact-to-evaluation times, whereas diagnosis after 2000 was associated with faster diagnoses. CONCLUSION: For a quicker diagnosis, awareness of MS as a differential diagnosis of gait disorders and the co-occurrence of depression at onset should be raised, and these symptoms should be attentively followed.