Does early and late life depression differ in residual symptoms, functioning and quality of life among the first-episode major depressive patients.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: Age differences exist in many aspects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study aims to examine the effect of age on treatment outcomes in first-episode MDD. METHODOLOGY: A total of 982 first-episode major depressive patients, who were above 18 years old and admitted in both psychiatric hospitals and units of general hospitals were recruited for the present study. These patients were newly treated and responded to 8-12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. Depressive symptoms, psychosocial functioning and quality of life were measured using standardized instruments. The study population was divided into three age groups: early adult (18-44 years old), middle adult (45-59 years old), and late adult (60-85 years old). RESULTS: Earlier age was associated with greater symptom severity, severer depressive symptoms in hypersomnia, concentration/decision making, negative view of the self, suicide ideation and restlessness, more impaired function, poorer satisfaction in social relationship and economic status, when compared to late adults with MDD (all P < 0.05). In the multivariable analyses, among the other variables, early age remained as an independent correlation of residual depressive severity (middle age vs. early age: OR = 0.631, 95%CI[0.462, 0.862]; old age vs. early age: OR = 0.521, 95%CI[0.348, 0.780]) and functional impairment. Comorbidity of physical illness had a negative contribution to all treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION: In first major depressive episode, early age was strongly associated with depressive severity and functional impairment after responding to antidepressant treatment. Early-life depression may be an indicator of MDD for poor clinical outcomes and high clinical burden.

[Study on the attitudes toward suicide among university students in Chongqing].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitudes on suicide and their related factors among university students in Chongqing. METHODS: A total of 9808 students from 11 universities in Chongqing, were chosen under stratified cluster random sampling method and had completed a questionnaire survey through the Scale of Public Attitudes on Suicide(SPAS). RESULTS: Data showed that the scores of university students having negative or neutral attitudes towards questions including "suicide is not preventable", "suicidal behavior is not controllable or is caused by outside forces" and "suicidal behavior can(or is used to)affect the behavior of others'" were 34.28±16.44, 35.64±19.14 and 36.94±16.05 respectively. The scores of students taking neutral attitude towards questions as:"similarity of attempted and completed suicide", "negative attitudes on the behavior or on the person him/her self", "positive aspects of suicide and positive feelings about suicides"were 47.38±22.01, 51.78±17.05 and 37.77±18.12 respectively but 70.77±17.21 went to the students who had agreed with "suicide is an important social/health problem". Factors as gender, nationality, religion, history of attempted suicide and suicide exposure to others appeared having had important effects on the attitude towards suicide among college students. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to consider above mentioned factors when developing related suicide crisis intervention strategy.

[Prevalence of social distance and restriction among college students with suicide attempts in Chongqing].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attitude towards 10 different populations with different characteristics on their social distance and acceptance among those people with or without suicidal attempts among college students in Chongqing. METHODS: 9808 college students were randomly selected from 11 universities in Chongqing and administered a self-constructed questionnaire "Suicide Attitude and Mental Health Status Questionnaire". A t-test was employed to analyze the social distance and degree of acceptance of college students with or without suicide attempts towards different groups as criminals, hypertensive, with suicide actions, homosexuals, depressive disorder, HIV infection, drug addiction, death of family members, hospitalization history in mental service and alcohol addiction. RESULTS: 169 college students had suicide attempts; the reporting rate of suicide attempts was 1.7%. Among college students, the scores higher than 50 on nine items related to social distance towards strangers with those 10 different characteristics and the top three were on those with HIV infection, drug addiction and hospitalization history in mental service. There were differences (P < 0.05) in scores of social distance attitude towards strangers with drug addiction (with suicide attempts 83.38 ± 21.82, without suicide attempts 78.55 ± 21.55, t = 2.88), hospitalization history in mental service (79.27 ± 21.23, 75.67 ± 21.31, t = 2.17), homosexuality (66.87 ± 24.77, 74.14 ± 21.94, t = -4.25), alcohol addiction (66.72 ± 21.80, 61.00 ± 22.80, t = 3.23) and hypertension (56.65 ± 20.40, 53.36 ± 21.05, t = 2.01) between college students with or without suicide attempts. College students scored higher than 50 in 7 items of social rejective attitudes towards acquaintances, of those with hospitalization history in mental service, drug and alcohol addiction ranked the top three. It showed statistical significances in social rejection attitudes towards acquaintances with homosexuality (35.28 ± 30.38, 42.83 ± 30.76, t = -3.14), severe depression (56.59 ± 28.49, 61.64 ± 25.56, t = -2.53) and suicide behaviors (51.46 ± 28.19, 56.56 ± 26.35, t = -2.48) between students with or without suicide attempts. CONCLUSION: College students in Chongqing kept quite far social distance and restrictive behaviors in college students with or without suicide attempts. Targeted interventions on suicide attempters should be carried out accordingly.

[Study on the related factors to suicidal behavior between two groups in university students].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of self-reported suicidal behavior in university students and to compare the related risk factors between two selected groups. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on situation of suicidal behavior and risk factors was conducted among 9808 university students. RESULTS: The overall rate of suicide attempts among university students was 1.7%. Factors as suicidal attitude, having associates who had suicidal experience and negative life events, were significantly different between groups with or without suicide attempts. Risk factors on suicidal behavior were as follows: high frequency of feeling hopeless in the last year (OR = 4.23, 95%CI: 3.05 - 5.85), first degree relatives with suicide behavior (OR = 2.85, 95%CI: 1.72 - 4.73), having associates with suicide behavior (OR = 2.82, 95%CI: 2.05 - 3.88), having had sexual experience (OR = 2.73, 95%CI: 1.88 - 3.96), daily live being influenced by the existing psychological problems in the last month (OR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.80 - 3.56), being female (OR = 2.47, 95%CI: 1.77 - 3.45) and having other relatives with suicide behaviors (OR = 2.36, 95%CI:1.63 - 3.41). CONCLUSION: Psychological, biological and social factors had influenced on suicidal behaviors among university students which all called for effective intervention to be implemented.

[Suicide ideation among college students in Chongqing.].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and risk factors for suicide ideation among college students in Chongqing city. METHODS: Data on suicide ideation and related factors were collected from 9808 college students at 11 colleges randomly selected in Chongqing. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors for suicide ideation. RESULTS: 1279 (13.0%) of the 9808 students reported suicide ideation and the constituent ratio of boys and girls was 3:4 while risk factors for suicide ideation were ranked as follows: high frequency of feeling hopeless in prior year (OR = 5.07, 95%CI: 4.27 - 6.02); having psychological problems in recent 1 month that affecting daily lives and learning (2.07, 1.79 - 2.38); relatives having suicide behavior (1.77, 1.52 - 2.08); having had sexual experience (1.95, 1.65 - 2.30); being female (1.66, 1.45 - 1.90) and friends who had had suicide attempts (1.46, 1.28 - 1.67); having diseases in the last 1 month that affecting daily lives and learning (1.29, 1.08 - 1.52). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of suicide ideation among these college students was high that calls the development, implementation and assessment of suicide prevention plans for college students that focusing on the risk factors identified for suicide ideation.