Quality of life of family primary caregivers of individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in south of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The process of deinstitutionalization of individuals with mental disorders (MD) brought greater family responsibility in terms of patient care. AIMS: Evaluate the Quality of Life (QoL) and its associated factors of primary caregivers of bipolar and schizophrenic subjects. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2012 to 2015 with 125 caregivers at an outpatient service of a teaching hospital in the South of Brazil. QoL instruments (WHOQOL-Bref, SF-36), questionnaires regarding socio-demographic, clinical data and depressive symptoms (BDI) were applied. RESULTS: Caregivers of schizophrenic individuals presented lower QoL scores than caregivers of bipolar individuals, with moderate effect in physical, and social domains of WHOQOL-Bref, and in physical functioning, role-physical, and role-emotional domains of SF-36. QoL scores of caregivers were lower when compared with the normative data of the Brazilian population. The factors associated with lower QoL scores were: patient diagnosis of schizophrenia, female gender, presence of clinical disease and presence of depressive symptoms in the caregiver. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder present a significant impairment in their QoL when compared with the general population, highlighting the relevance of developing support programs in the mental health services that include these caregivers.

Economic evaluation in the field of mental health: conceptual basis.

OBJECTIVE: Technological advances in medicine have given rise to a dilemma concerning the use of new health technologies in a context of limited financial resources. In the field of psychiatry, health economic evaluation is a recent method that can assist in choosing interventions with different cost and/or effectiveness for specific populations or conditions. This article introduces clinicians to the fundamental concepts required for critical assessment of health economic evaluations. METHODS: The authors conducted a review with systematic methods to assess the essential theoretical framework of health economic evaluation and mental health in Brazil through textbooks and studies indexed in the PubMed, Cochrane Central, LILACS, NHS CRD, and REBRATS databases. A total of 334 studies were found using the specified terms (MeSH - Mental Health AND Economic, Medical) and filters (Brazil AND Humans); however, only five Brazilian economic evaluations were found. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Economic evaluation studies are growing exponentially in the medical literature. Publications focusing on health economics as applied to psychiatry are increasingly common, but Brazilian data are still very incipient. In a country where financial resources are so scarce, economic analyses are necessary to ensure better use of public resources and wider population access to effective health technologies.

Economic evaluation in the field of mental health: conceptual basis

Objective: Technological advances in medicine have given rise to a dilemma concerning the use of new health technologies in a context of limited financial resources. In the field of psychiatry, health economic evaluation is a recent method that can assist in choosing interventions with different cost and/or effectiveness for specific populations or conditions. This article introduces clinicians to the fundamental concepts required for critical assessment of health economic evaluations. Methods: The authors conducted a review with systematic methods to assess the essential theoretical framework of health economic evaluation and mental health in Brazil through textbooks and studies indexed in the PubMed, Cochrane Central, LILACS, NHS CRD, and REBRATS databases. A total of 334 studies were found using the specified terms (MeSH - Mental Health AND Economic, Medical) and filters (Brazil AND Humans); however, only five Brazilian economic evaluations were found. Results and conclusions: Economic evaluation studies are growing exponentially in the medical literature. Publications focusing on health economics as applied to psychiatry are increasingly common, but Brazilian data are still very incipient. In a country where financial resources are so scarce, economic analyses are necessary to ensure better use of public resources and wider population access to effective health technologies. .

Quality of life, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with major depression: a prospective cohort study in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, adequacy of antidepressant treatment, and changes in quality of life of patients with major depression receiving follow-up care from primary care centers. METHOD: A cohort study was performed in which major depression patients were followed-up over a nine-month period. Several evaluation instruments were used, including the World Health Organization Quality of Life and the Quality of Life-Depression, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression questionnaires. RESULTS: The sample comprised 179 individuals, mostly female (73%), with a mean age of 38 years and mean education of 9 years. At the end of the follow-up period, 42% of the individuals still presented with major depression, 25% had complete symptom remission, and only 9% were properly treated with antidepressants. In relation to quality of life, there were significant differences especially between baseline and after nine months in almost all measures. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that depressive symptoms are poorly recognized and that treatment is often inadequate for patients followed-up in primary care units in the south of Brazil. Most of the patients continued to have symptoms of depression over the nine-month period which were associated with impaired quality of life.

Quality of life, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with major depression: a prospective cohort study in primary care / Qualidade de vida, diagnóstico e tratamento de pacientes com depressão maior: uma coorte prospectiva em cuidados primários

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, adequacy of antidepressant treatment, and changes in quality of life of patients with major depression receiving follow-up care from primary care centers. METHOD: A cohort study was performed in which major depression patients were followed-up over a nine-month period. Several evaluation instruments were used, including the World Health Organization Quality of Life and the Quality of Life-Depression, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression questionnaires. RESULTS: The sample comprised 179 individuals, mostly female (73 percent), with a mean age of 38 years and mean education of 9 years. At the end of the follow-up period, 42 percent of the individuals still presented with major depression, 25 percent had complete symptom remission, and only 9 percent were properly treated with antidepressants. In relation to quality of life, there were significant differences especially between baseline and after nine months in almost all measures. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that depressive symptoms are poorly recognized and that treatment is often inadequate for patients followed-up in primary care units in the south of Brazil. Most of the patients continued to have symptoms of depression over the nine-month period which were associated with impaired quality of life.

OBJETIVO: Descrever o seguimento de usuários de serviços de cuidados primários com depressão maior em relação as suas características demográficas, clínicas, tratamento antidepressivo potencialmente adequado, assim como mudanças encontradas na qualidade de vida ao longo do acompanhamento. MÉTODO: Foi realizado um estudo de coorte, no qual os sujeitos com depressão maior foram acompanhados ao longo de nove meses. Foram incluídas diversas medidas de avaliação, como World Health Organization Quality of Life, Quality of Life-Depression, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Instrument, entre outras. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi constituída por 179 sujeitos, a maioria do sexo feminino (73 por cento), com uma idade média de 38 anos e 9 anos de escolaridade. Aos nove meses do estudo, 42 por cento dos sujeitos ainda apresentavam um quadro compatível com depressão maior, 25 por cento com remissão completa dos sintomas e somente 9 por cento foram tratados com antidepressivo de forma adequada. Em relação à qualidade de vida, ocorreram diferenças significativas principalmente entre o período de baseline e nove meses para quase todas as medidas. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo demonstrou que pacientes com sintomas depressivos dificilmente são reconhecidos ou recebem tratamentos adequados em unidades de cuidados primários no sul do Brasil. A grande maioria dos pacientes permaneceu com sintomas depressivos ao longo dos nove meses, apresentando prejuízos na qualidade de vida.

Qualidade de vida e depressão: uma revisão da literatura / Quality of life and depression: a review of the literature

Os sintomas depressivos são altamente prevalentes, principalmente em serviços de cuidados primários, provocando sérios prejuízos nos sujeitos que não são submetidos a tratamento. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de revisar o impacto da associação entre depressão maior e qualidade de vida. Foram revisados os artigos publicados entre 1990 e 2007, utilizando as palavras-chave "qualidade de vida", "depressão", "sintomas depressivos", "serviços de cuidados primários", "bem-estar e felicidade" e "preditores de remissão". A presença de sintomas depressivos afeta todas as dimensões da qualidade de vida e, conforme a gravidade desses sintomas, o seu impacto na qualidade de vida pode ser maior do que o de outras doenças crônicas. Os resultados sugerem que a presença de sintomas depressivos exerce um importante impacto na qualidade de vida dos sujeitos, não se restringindo apenas às características clínicas do transtorno. Entretanto, ainda existe uma carência de modelos teóricos, assim como de estudos longitudinais, que possam estabelecer de forma mais clara qual é a real relação entre depressão e qualidade de vida. Provavelmente, através do entendimento de medidas subjetivas e objetivas de recuperação dos sujeitos com sintomas depressivos, poderão se buscar intervenções mais eficazes e que provoquem melhorias no funcionamento global dessa população. Sendo assim, a avaliação da qualidade de vida aparece como um desfecho relevante, pois pela sua multidimensionalidade é potencialmente capaz de detectar a magnitude e a abrangência do comprometimento que a depressão impõe.

Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent, mainly in primary health care services, causing serious impairments in those subjects that are not treated. The objective of this study was to review the impact of the association between depressive disorder and quality of life. Our review included articles published between 1990 and 2007 and it was based on the following keywords: quality of life, depression, depressive symptoms, primary care services, well-being, happiness, and predictors of remission. The presence of depressive symptoms affects all dimensions of the quality of life, and depending on the severity of these symptoms, it might cause equivalent or more severe impairment than other chronic diseases. The findings suggest that the presence of depressive symptoms causes a serious impact on the quality of life of individuals. Such impact is not limited to the clinical characteristics of the disorder. However, there is still a lack of theoretical models and longitudinal studies demonstrating a more clear association between depression and quality of life. Most likely, through a better understanding of the subjective and objective measures of the recovery of individuals with depressive symptoms, it will be possible to find more efficient interventions that would help to improve the global functioning of this population. Therefore, the evaluation of the quality of life is a relevant outcome, since its multidimensionality is potentially capable of detecting the magnitude and scope of the impairment imposed by depression.

Association between psychiatric symptoms and severity of alcohol dependence in a sample of brazilian men.

The objective of this study was to verify the association between psychiatric symptoms and severity of alcohol dependence in male patients who sought treatment in two Brazilian treatment sites. A cross-sectional study was designed with 36 cases stratified into two groups according to the severity of alcohol dependence ascertained by the Short Form Alcohol Dependence Data scale; participants also answered the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and the Symptom Check List 90. The mean age of the sample was 46 years, and 63.9% fulfilled criteria for severe alcohol dependence. Obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and paranoid symptoms were the most common clinical findings in the sample. Patients with severe dependence showed higher scores of psychiatric symptoms compared with patients with mild/moderate dependence across all analyses (p < .05). These data suggest an association between severity of alcohol dependence and psychiatric symptoms, pointing at the relevance of early detection of this clinical situation.

Aspectos da prática da eletroconvulsoterapia: uma revisão sistemática / Practical aspects of electroconvulsive therapy: a systematic review

A eletroconvulsoterapia (ECT) é um tratamento eficaz para uma série de transtornos psiquiátricos. Observa-se, contudo, que a sua prática ainda conta com uma série de questões não bem compreendidas. Isso explica, em parte, as diferenças na sua aplicação em diferentes serviços e a falta de protocolos claros para a sua execução. O presente trabalho é oriundo de uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre a ECT (MEDLINEÒ 1993-2003). Ele visa a buscar respostas para as seguintes questões: há diferença, em termos de eficácia, entre o posicionamento uni ou bilateral dos eletrodos? Com que dosagem elétrica deve-se iniciar uma série de ECT? Qual a real importância do limiar convulsivo? O que é uma crise convulsiva adequada e como proceder na ausência da mesma?

[Association of depressive symptoms and social functioning in primary care service, Brazil]. / Associação entre sintomas depressivos e funcionamento social em cuidados primários à saúde.

OBJECTIVE: Depressive disorders represent a major public health problem due to their high prevalence and psychosocial impact. Depressed patients are assiduous users of primary care services, although their depression is very often misdiagnosed. The objective of the study is to evaluate the association between depressive symptoms and social functioning in individuals that seek primary care services in a Brazilian capital. METHODS: The study included 2,201 primary care users in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The participants' physical and emotional health was assessed through an interview using a questionnaire including 2 general questions from the World Health Organization's Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-brief); other questions from the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12 (SF-12), MHI 5 (MHI-5), Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D), and additional questions about work loss days and health care utilization. RESULTS: Of all individuals, 79.5% were women aged on average 40 years. The intensity of depressive symptoms (measured by CES-D) was 20.2 for women and 16.2 for men. All parameters studied had an inverse relationship with the intensity of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforce the findings that depressive symptoms have a strong association with poor social functioning and quality of life and a higher utilization of health resources in primary care patients.

Associaçäo entre sintomas depressivos e funcionamento social em cuidados primários à saúde / Association of depressive symptoms and social functioning in primary care service, Brazil

OBJETIVO: Os transtornos depressivos constituem um problema de saúde pública devido a sua alta prevalência e impacto psicossocial. Pacientes deprimidos säo freqüentadores assíduos de serviços de atendimento primário, porém, muitas vezes, näo säo diagnosticados como tais. O objetivo do estudo é avaliar a associaçäo entre sintomas depressivos e funcionamento social numa amostra de pacientes que procuraram um serviço de cuidados primários em uma capital brasileira. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 2.201 usuários de serviços de cuidados de saúde primários de Porto Alegre quanto à saúde física e emocional. Foi aplicado questionário em entrevista única, com duas questöes genéricas de avaliaçäo de qualidade de vida do World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Breve), mais itens do Medical Outcomes Study Short-Forms 12 (SF-12) e MHI 5 (MHI-5), do Centers for Epidemiologic Studies ó Depression (CES-D), além de outras questöes referentes a busca de atendimento médico e faltas ao trabalho. Foram realizados testes de Kruska-Wallis e de comparaçöes múltiplas de Tambane. RESULTADOS: Dos indivíduos estudados, 79,5por cento eram do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 40 anos. A intensidade da sintomatologia depressiva medida pelo CES-D foi de 20,2 para as mulheres e de 16,2 para os homens. Todos os parâmetros avaliados tiveram relaçäo inversa com a intensidade dos sintomas depressivos. CONCLUSOES: Os resultados reforçam a afirmativa de que a sintomatologia depressiva tem uma alta associaçäo com pior funcionamento social e qualidade de vida e maior utilizaçäo de recursos de saúde em pacientes de cuidados primários

Limites e alternativas para a implementaçäo de um programa para dependentes químicos em risco para infecçäo pelo HIV utilizando o conceito de Rede Social / Limits and alternatives to the implementation of a program for intravenous drug users at risk of HIV infection using the social Network Approach

Descrevem as etapas de execuçäo de um programa de açöes preventivas para usuários de drogas sob o risco de infecçäo pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), utilizando como paradigma de intervençäo um modelo de abordagem de redes sociais. Säo descritos os passos de instalaçäo do projeto dentro de um grande hospital universitário do sul do Brasil, com ênfase nos métodos e técnicas originais desenvolvidos pela equipe de atendimento. As dificuldades de implementaçäo do projeto säo discutidas ao longo das seçöes, buscando identificar os motivos pelos quais o programa obteve êxito apenas parcial. Destacam-se alguns pontos críticos, tais como a utilizaçäo de uma técnica ainda näo difundida em nosso meio, a dificuldade de reter em tratamento usuários de drogas injetáveis, a falta de estrutura para atendimentos imediatos, e as dificuldades em motivar equipes e pacientes para o tratamento. Ao final do texto, säo feitas sugestöes com o objetivo de facilitar o desenvolvimento de novos projetos que busquem utilizar o mesmo modelo conceitual.

Desenvolvimento de rotinas para prática de eletroconvulsoterapia no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre / Development of guidelines for eletroconvulsive therapy practice at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

O presente trabalho revisa alguns aspectos relacionados a prática do procedimento de eletroconvulsoterapia. Este estudo surgiu frente a necessidade de implementaçäo de critérios para uma rotina deste procedimento no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Säo discutidos as indicaçöes, contraindicaçöes, avaliaçäo do paciente, frequência das sessöes e ECT de manutençäo, em busca de uma otimizaçäo deste procedimento

Desenvolvimento de rotinas para pratica de eletroconvulsoterapia no hospital de clinicas de Porto Alegre

O presente trabalho revisa alguns aspectos relacionados a pratica do procedimento de eletroconvulsoterapia. Este estudo surgiu frente a necessidade de implementacao de criterios para uma rotina deste procedimento no Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre. Sao discutidos as indicacoes, contra-indicacoes, avaliacao do paciente, frequencia das sessoes e ECT de manutencao, em busca de uma otimizacao deste procedimento.