Measures of mental health and addictions conditions show a U-shaped relationship with self-rated worker performance.

BACKGROUND: Reports of a meaningful relationship between mental health-related conditions and work productivity measures are relatively common. These, however, are frequently examined for their linearity while ignoring untapped, and potentially rich, non-linear associations. METHODS: Following a serendipitous finding of a curvilinear relationship between workplace presenteeism (lowered productivity while at work) and depression, an investigation was undertaken of the association between worklife prevalence measures of presenteeism (measured by the W.H.O. Health & Work Performance Questionnaire) and lifetime prevalence of twelve psychosocial vulnerabilities, encompassing mental health, mental health-related, and addictive conditions. Linear and quadratic (U-shaped) functions were calculated across the "relative" presenteeism measure (self vs. other workers) for each of the 12 conditions. RESULTS: A visual analysis revealed a U-shaped graphic function in all conditions, and excepting anxiety all were statistically significant. In general, increases beyond the lowest ("poorest") level of self-reported comparative productivity were associated with increases in psychosocial stability, but only as far as deemed equality. Beyond that, increases in self-confidence resulted in a reversal, thus returning to a higher level of vulnerability for the condition in question. A cursory scan of five relevant journals indicated that non-linear analyses were often possible, but rarely carried out. CONCLUSIONS: This has informative value for our conceptualization of overconfidence, and it begs the question of whether an over-reliance on linear measures has caused us to overlook important curvilinear human relationships. The inclusion of analyses of non-linear functions is suggested as a matter of course for future studies.

Self-Report Measures of Presenteeism Are Not Strongly Correlated With Health Workers' Logged Activity.

OBJECTIVE: Low productivity while at work (presenteeism) has been reported to produce significant cost excesses for organizations and economies. However, many of these reports have been based on estimates drawn from self-report instruments that are not supported by evidence showing their efficacy. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess associations between responses to leading self-report tests of presenteeism and self-recorded on-the-job productivity. METHODS: Health care worker self-ratings of productivity were taken from a questionnaire that contained the key item from each presenteeism instrument. Productivity levels were drawn from employee reported daily work activity logs. RESULTS: Test-based productivity estimates did not show strong associations with daily recordings of work activity. CONCLUSIONS: Associations were too low to recommend any test as a proxy measure for reported productivity. It is suggested that objective measures of work output be explored.

Agreement among the Productivity Components of Eight Presenteeism Tests in a Sample of Health Care Workers.

BACKGROUND: Presenteeism (reduced productivity at work) is thought to be responsible for large economic costs. Nevertheless, much of the research supporting this is based on self-report questionnaires that have not been adequately evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To examine the level of agreement among leading tests of presenteeism and to determine the inter-relationship of the two productivity subcategories, amount and quality, within the context of construct validity and method variance. METHODS: Just under 500 health care workers from an urban health area were asked to complete a questionnaire containing the productivity items from eight presenteeism instruments. The analysis included an examination of test intercorrelations, separately for amount and quality, supplemented by principal-component analyses to determine whether either construct could be described by a single factor. A multitest, multiconstruct analysis was performed on the four tests that assessed both amount and quality to test for the relative contributions of construct and method variance. RESULTS: A total of 137 questionnaires were completed. Agreement among tests was positive, but modest. Pearson r ranges were 0 to 0.64 (mean = 0.32) for Amount and 0.03 to 0.38 (mean = 0.25) for Quality. Further analysis suggested that agreement was influenced more by method variance than by the productivity constructs the tests were designed to measure. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that presenteeism tests do not accurately assess work performance. Given their importance in the determination of policy-relevant conclusions, attention needs to be given to test improvement in the context of criterion validity assessment.

Gender similarities in somatic depression and in DSM depression secondary symptom profiles within the context of severity and bereavement.

BACKGROUND: Most population studies report higher rates of depression among women than men, and some researchers have observed gender differences in depression symptoms overall, or in sub-groupings (e.g. somatic depression). However, gender symptom differences have been inconsistent, prompting this investigation of gender differences in secondary DSM symptom profiles in the context of bereavement status, age, and depression severity. METHODS: Individuals with symptoms of core depression (flat affect or anhedonia) were selected from a large survey of adults in the Alberta, Canada workforce. Analyses involved the comparison of gender profiles across the seven DSM-IV secondary depressive symptoms plus a MANOVA of sex, bereavement, and age, with secondary symptoms comprising the dependent variable. RESULTS: Gender profiles were very similar, irrespective of depression severity or bereavement. Secondary symptoms were marginally more common among women and more frequent among bereaved young adults, but there was no evidence for a gender-related somatic factor. LIMITATIONS: First, data were gathered only for persons in the workforce and thus may not be generalizable to, for example, stay-at-home parents or those with employment issues. Second, the focus here is restricted to DSM symptoms, leaving risk factors, social roles, and brain functioning for separate investigation. Third, inferences were drawn from associations between groups of persons, rather than between individuals, requiring caution when speculating about individual attributes. CONCLUSIONS: Gender differences in depression represent a difference in amount, not kind, suggesting that the range of depressive experiences is similar for men and women. There was no gender difference ascribable to somatic depression.

Temporal Trends in the Prevalence and Incidence of Diagnosed ADHD in Children and Young Adults between 1999 and 2012 in Canada: A Data Linkage Study.

OBJECTIVE: There is a need for the routine monitoring of treated attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for timely policy making. The objective is to report and assess over a decade the prevalence and incidence of diagnosed ADHD in Canada. METHODS: Administrative linked patient data from the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia were obtained from the same sources as the Canadian Chronic Diseases Surveillance Systems to assess the prevalence and incidence of a primary physician diagnosis of ADHD ( ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes: 314, F90.x) for consultations in outpatient and inpatient settings (Med-Echo in Quebec, the Canadian Institute of Health Information Discharge Abstract Database in the 3 other provinces, plus the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System). Dates of service, diagnosis, and physician specialty were retained. The estimates were presented in yearly brackets between 1999-2000 and 2011-2012 by age and sex groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADHD between 1999 and 2012 increased in all provinces and for all groups. The prevalence was approximately 3 times higher in boys than in girls, and the highest prevalence was observed in the 10- to 14-year age group. The incidence increased between 1999 and 2012 in Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia but remained stable in Ontario. Incident cases were more frequently diagnosed by general practitioners followed by either psychiatrists or paediatricians depending on the province. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and incidence of diagnosed ADHD did not increase similarly across all provinces in Canada between 1999 and 2012. Over half of cases were diagnosed by a general practitioner.

A systematic review of measurement properties of instruments assessing presenteeism.

BACKGROUND: Presenteeism (decreased productivity while at work) is reported to be a major occupational problem in many countries. Challenges exist for identifying the optimal approach to measure presenteeism. Evidence of the relative value of presenteeism instruments to support their use in primary studies is needed. OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare the measurement properties (ie, validity, reliability, responsiveness) and the quality of the evidence of presenteeism instruments. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Comprehensive searches of electronic databases were conducted up to October 2012. Twenty-three presenteeism instruments were examined. Methodological quality was appraised with the COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments) checklist. A best-evidence synthesis approach was used in the analysis. RESULTS: The titles and abstracts of 1767 articles were screened, with 289 full-text articles reviewed for eligibility. Of these, 40 studies assessing the measurement properties of presenteeism instruments were identified. The 3 presenteeism instruments with the strongest level of evidence on more than 1 measurement property were the Stanford Presenteeism Scale, 6-item version (content validity, internal consistency, construct validity, convergent validity, and responsiveness); the Endicott Work Productivity Scale (internal consistency, convergent validity, and responsiveness); and the Health and Work Questionnaire (HWQ; internal consistency and structural validity). Only the HWQ was assessed for criterion validity, with unknown quality of the evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Most presenteeism instruments have been examined for some form of validity; evidence for criterion validity is virtually absent. The selection of instruments for use in primary studies depends on weak forms of validity. Further research should focus on the goal of a comprehensive evaluation of the psychometric properties of existing tests of presenteeism, with emphasis on criterion validity.

Stress and development of depression and heavy drinking in adulthood: moderating effects of childhood trauma.

PURPOSE: Studies suggest that childhood trauma is linked to both depression and heavy drinking in adulthood, and may create a lifelong vulnerability to stress. Few studies have explored the effects of stress sensitization on the development of depression or heavy drinking among those who have experienced traumatic childhood events. This study aimed to determine the effect of childhood trauma on the odds of experiencing depression or heavy drinking in the face of an adult life stressor, using a large population-based Canadian cohort. METHODS: A total of 3,930 participants were included from the National Population Health Survey. The associations among childhood trauma, recent stress and depression/heavy drinking from 1994/1995 to 2008/2009 were explored using logistic regression, as were interactions between childhood trauma and recent stress. A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine the effects of childhood trauma and stressful events on depression/heavy drinking. Analyses were stratified by sex. RESULTS: Childhood trauma significantly increased the odds of becoming depressed (following 1 event: OR = 1.66; 95%CI 1.01, 2.71; 2+ events, OR = 3.89; 95%CI 2.44, 6.22) and drinking heavily (2+ events: OR = 1.79; 95%CI 1.03, 3.13). Recent stressful events were associated with depression, but not heavy drinking. While most interaction terms were not significant, in 2004/2005 the association between recent stress and depression was stronger in those who reported childhood trauma compared to those with no childhood trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood trauma increases risk for both depression and heavy drinking. Trauma may moderate the effect of stress on depression; the relationship among trauma, stress and heavy drinking is less clear.

Effects of emotional context on impulse control.

High risk behaviors such as narcotic use or physical fighting can be caused by impulsive decision making in emotionally-charged situations. Improved neuroscientific understanding of how emotional context interacts with the control of impulsive behaviors may lead to advances in public policy and/or treatment approaches for high risk groups, including some high-risk adolescents or adults with poor impulse control. Inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is an important contributor to response inhibition (behavioral impulse control). IFG also has a role in processing emotional stimuli and regulating emotional responses. The mechanism(s) whereby response inhibition processes interact with emotion processing in IFG are poorly understood. We used 4.7 T fMRI in 20 healthy young adults performing a rapid event-related emotional Go/NoGo task. This task combined the Go/NoGo task, which is a classic means of recruiting response inhibition processes, with emotionally neutral and aversive distractor images. In IFG, both response inhibition in an emotionally neutral context (neutral NoGo trials) and aversive emotional picture processing (aversive Go trials) evoked activation greater than the simple response baseline (neutral Go trials). These results are consistent with the literature. Activation for response inhibition in aversive contexts (aversive NoGo-neutral Go trials) was approximately the sum of response inhibition activation (neutral NoGo-neutral Go) and aversive emotional distractor activation (aversive Go-neutral Go). We conclude that response inhibition and aversive emotional stimulus processing activities combine additively (linearly) in IFG, rather than interfering with each other (sub-linearly) or mutually-enhancing each other (super-linearly). We also found previously undocumented interaction effects between response inhibition (NoGo vs. Go) and emotional context (aversive vs. neutral distractor pictures) in bilateral posterior middle temporal gyrus and angular gyrus, right frontal eye field, and other brain regions. These results may reflect the interaction of attention processes driven by emotional stimuli with conflict resolution processes related to Go/NoGo performance.

The suicidal process: age of onset and severity of suicidal behaviour.

PURPOSE: The concept of the suicidal process implies a progression from behaviour of relatively low intent to completed suicide. Evidence from the literature has given rise to the speculation that the age of onset of an early form of the suicidal process may be associated with the ultimate seriousness of suicidal behaviour. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that early onset of the first stage of the suicidal process, a wish to die, is associated with increases in the ultimate position along the suicidal process dimension. METHODS: Questions on the appearance and timing of suicidal process components (a death wish, ideation, plan, or attempt) were embedded in a telephone survey on mental health and addictions in the workforce. Records of those that had experienced suicidal behaviour were examined for the effects on the age of onset of the first death wish as a function of the level of severity of suicidal behaviour, gender, and depression. RESULTS: The findings showed that increases in suicidal intent were associated with lowered age of the first death wish. This pattern held true for depressed and non-depressed persons alike. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the notion that the early onset of a supposed precursor of suicidal behaviour, a death wish in this case, adds to its ability to portend more serious problem levels in later stages of life. Furthermore, mood operates independently in its association with the timing of such suicidal behaviour, suggesting that the effect of a relatively youthful appearance of a wish to die cannot be explained by early onset depression.

The association of treatment of depressive episodes and work productivity.

OBJECTIVE: About one-third of the annual $51 billion cost of mental illnesses is related to productivity losses. However, few studies have examined the association of treatment and productivity. The purpose of our research is to examine the association of depression and its treatment and work productivity. METHODS: Our analyses used data from 2737 adults aged between 18 and 65 years who participated in a large-scale community survey of employed and recently employed people in Alberta. Using the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, a productivity variable was created to capture high productivity (above the 75th percentile). We used regression methods to examine the association of mental disorders and their treatment and productivity, controlling for demographic factors and job characteristics. RESULTS: In the sample, about 8.5% experienced a depressive episode in the past year. The regression results indicated that people who had a severe depressive episode were significantly less likely to be highly productive. Compared with people who had a moderate or severe depressive episode who did not have treatment, those who did have treatment were significantly more likely to be highly productive. However, about one-half of workers with a moderate or severe depressive episode did not receive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results corroborate those in the literature that indicate mental disorders are significantly associated with decreased work productivity. In addition, these findings indicate that treatment for these disorders is significantly associated with productivity. Our results also highlight the low proportion of workers with a mental disorder who receive treatment.

The suicidal process and self-esteem.

BACKGROUND: It has not been made clear whether self-esteem is associated with the severity of suicidal behavior. AIMS: To test the association between responses to a self-esteem inventory and levels of suicidal behavior as conceptualized in the notion of the suicide process. METHODS: Questions on the severity of suicidal behavior over the lifespan (death wishes, ideation, plans, and attempts), as well as a self-esteem inventory, were administered to 227 university undergraduates. RESULTS: A negative relationship was found between the level of suicidality and self-esteem. As hypothesized, there were fewer cases in each succeeding level of seriousness of suicidal behavior. However, nearly all cases from any particular level were contained in the cohort of individuals who had displayed suicidal behavior at a less serious level. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests a possible progression through each of the stages of suicidal behavior, with very few cases showing a level of suicidal behavior that was not associated with a previous, less serious, form. It was hypothesized that early entry into the suicidal process may be indicated by low self-esteem, thus, allowing for a more timely preventive intervention.

Improving reliability of the assessment of the life course of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Life course studies of schizophrenia that have used a 3-phase model (onset, course, and outcome) have had their use restricted owing to differences in definition and methodology. The purpose of this investigation was to describe life course data in mathematical terms and to compare the results with the findings from other life course studies. METHOD: The study population was comprised of 128 of 137 people who were first admitted for schizophrenia to 1 of the 2 mental hospitals in Alberta in 1963 and followed until 1997 or death. Patient evaluations were based on retrospective and contemporaneous information collected from the patients and hospital files, treatment records, and family members. Mathematically derived ratings were formulated for course, outcome, and onset (pre-admission years). The distribution of the resulting 8 life course types was compared with profiles drawn from other such studies reported in the literature. RESULTS: The use of mathematical descriptions of onset, course, and outcome produced profiles that did not closely match the results of other investigations, largely owing to inconsistency across studies. Further, the present approach to outcome measurement produced results that were less favourable than those found in other studies. CONCLUSIONS: Studies on the life course of schizophrenia could be made more comparable by specifying mathematically expressed operational definitions of onset, course, and outcome. Nonetheless, the use of the term outcome can be questioned as it implies an assessment at a specific time rather than providing a summary statement of the quality of a life.

Younger onset of depression is associated with greater suicidal intent.

BACKGROUND: Age of onset of major depression seems to be dropping in Western nations. Early onset usually predicts a more serious illness with a relatively poor prognosis. Since depression is associated with suicide, this begs the question of whether early onset of depression is associated with the degree of intent of suicidal behaviour, and whether this relationship differs according to gender. METHODS: Relevant responses from 9,282 residents of the United States were drawn from a nationally representative community survey conducted in 2001 through 2003 using the W.H.O. version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The primary outcome measure was the retrospectively determined age of first major depressive episode. RESULTS: Younger age of onset for depression was associated with higher levels of suicidal intent, irrespective of age at the time of interview. A significant interaction between level of intent and age at interview appeared to be accounted for by the later onset among those in the eldest cohort who reported an absence of suicidal behaviour. The influence of suicidal intent on onset of depression was greater for women than for men. CONCLUSIONS: The earlier the age of first symptoms of major depressive episode, the higher the degree of suicidal intent, irrespective of age at interview and gender, although the more pronounced trend for women suggests a greater sensitivity to underlying factors that may involve depression and lead to suicide risk.

The association between pathological gambling and attempted suicide: findings from a national survey in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between pathological gambling (PG) and attempted suicide in a nationally representative sample of Canadians. METHODS: Data came from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.2, conducted in 2002, in which 36 984 subjects, aged 15 years or older, were interviewed. Logistic regression was performed with attempted suicide (in the past year) as the dependent variable. The independent variables were PG, major depression, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, and mental health care (in the past year), as well as a range of sociodemographic variables. Survey weights and bootstrap methods were used to account for the complex survey design. RESULTS: In the final logistic regression model, which included terms for PG, major depression, alcohol dependence, and mental health care, as well as age, sex, education, and income, the odds ratio for PG and attempted suicide was 3.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 8.60). CONCLUSIONS: PG (in the past year) and attempted suicide (in the past year) are associated in a nationally representative sample of Canadians. However, it is not possible to say from these data whether this represents a causal relation.

Variations in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and social problems across Canadian provinces.

OBJECTIVE: To determine provincial 12-month prevalence rates for selected psychiatric disorders and to assess the association between these and the Canadian Social Problem Index (SPI). METHOD: Psychiatric data for depression, mania, panic disorder, social phobia, and agoraphobia were derived from the results of the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being. The Canadian SPI was updated for 2002, and correlations were calculated between the SPI and the 5 diagnostic prevalence values across provinces. RESULTS: The results showed that the SPI had maintained its tendency to increase from east to west in Canada, a trend reflected by depression and mania. The psychiatric disorders did not show strong correlations with the SPI in 2002, but depression and mania did show relatively strong associations with index values from earlier years. High-to-low ratios across provinces for individual social problems averaged over 5, and the results were essentially of the same magnitude for the ranges of particular psychiatric diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in need found here suggest that per capita allocation of funding for mental health and social programs may not be appropriate. The mixed findings on the association between mental disorders and social problem behaviour across provinces leads to more research questions than research answers.

Medical and psychiatric comorbidity and health care use among children 6 to 17 years old.

BACKGROUND: The association of psychiatric disorders (PDs) with other PDs and medical disorders (MDs) has been insufficiently explored in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To estimate medical and psychiatric comorbidity present in children with PDs and to determine the medical service usage of children with PDs. DESIGN: We use administrative health care data to describe the health care provided for study children. Psychiatric disorders were classified into the following 3 categories: psychosis, emotion, and behavior. We used logistic regression to assess medical comorbidity for each category. Psychiatric comorbidity was determined using chi(2) test analysis. Health care use was determined by comparing the frequency of visits for MDs and PDs between children with PDs and children without PDs. SETTING: We studied 406,640 children (50.6% male) between 6 and 17 years old, living in Alberta, Canada, during the fiscal year April 1, 1995, through March 31, 1996. RESULTS: A PD was diagnosed in 32,214 (60.3% male) children. Psychiatric comorbidity was present in 13.6% of the children; comorbidity existed in all 3 psychiatric groups and peaked in postpubertal children. More girls than boys had significant medical comorbidity. Significant odds ratios (ORs) for girls varied from 1.2 (behavior and sinusitis, bronchitis, and chronic disorders; psychosis, and menstrual problems) to 15.3 (behavior and developmental delay). Among boys, the highest OR was seen with the combination of behavior and developmental delay (OR, 8.3) and psychosis and poisoning (OR, 8.2). With ORs ranging from 4.6 to 15.3, developmental delay consistently had high ORs for both sexes and all 3 types of PDs. Poisoning also had high ORs (3.3-14.1) with all 3 PDs and both sexes. Among girls, disorders associated with pregnancy and the genitourinary system had modest associations (OR, 1.9-2.2, for behavior) to moderate (OR, 2.5-4.0, for emotion). Children with PDs had significantly greater medical service usage than did children without PDs. Girls had greater medical health care usage than boys. Psychiatric service usage was similar for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Medical and psychiatric comorbidity exist in children with PDs. Girls are more commonly affected. Health care usage is higher in children with PDs.

Intentional and unintentional injuries across health regions in Alberta, Canada: an implication for policy.

The growing practice of including intentional injuries (suicide and interpersonal violence) under the injury control umbrella has produced some controversy. The present study was designed to determine whether or not there might be an empirical basis for this initiative from an ecological point of view by examining the associations among unintentional and intentional injuries across 17 geographically defined health regions. The study was set in the Province of Alberta, Canada, where health services were delivered to a population of 2.96 million persons in 1999 through 17 regional health authorities. The results of a principal components analysis showed that nearly all causes of injury-hospitalization loaded on a single factor. It was not possible to produce separate factors for intentional and unintentional injuries. The strong intercorrelation among all measures suggests that there is an empirical basis for the view that intentional and unintentional injuries belong under the same conceptual umbrella, at least at the ecological level.