Mediators between sexual abuse and eating disorder severity: A comparative case-control study in treatment-naïve patients.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual abuse is associated with eating disorders (EDs) severity. However, the psychological mediators of this association have received scant attention in the literature. METHOD: The present study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of psychological maladjustment, alexithymia, and self-esteem in the relationship between sexual abuse and EDs severity in a sample of 134 treatment-naïve patients with an EDs and 129 paired healthy controls. RESULTS: In the EDs group, EDs severity among participants who had been sexually abused was mediated by greater psychological maladjustment and alexithymia (indirect effects: ß = 12.55, 95% CI [6.11-19.87] p < 0.001; ß = 3.22, 95% CI [0.235-7.97] p < 0.05, respectively). By contrast, these variables had no significant mediating effect on EDs severity in the control group. DISCUSSION: These findings support the hypothesis of a disorder-related relationship between sexual abuse and alexithymia and psychological maladjustment, which, in turn, influences EDs severity. Alexithymia and psychological maladjustment appear to be promising therapeutic targets for patients with EDs who have a history of sexual abuse.

Emotion Regulation as a Moderator of Outcomes of Transdiagnostic Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Emotional Disorders.

The aim of this study was to examine the potential moderating effect of baseline emotion regulation skills-cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression-on the relationship between treatment allocation and treatment outcomes in primary care patients with emotional symptoms. A total of 631 participants completed scales to evaluate emotion regulation, anxiety, depression, functioning, and quality of life (QOL). The moderation analysis was carried out using the SPSS PROCESS macro, version 3.5. Expressive suppression was a significant moderator in the relationship between treatment allocation and treatment outcomes in terms of symptoms of anxiety (b = -0.530, p = .026), depression (b = -0.812, p = .004), and QOL (b = 0.156, p = .048). Cognitive reappraisal acted as a moderator only in terms of QOL (b = 0.217, p = .028). The findings of this study show that participants with higher scores of expressive suppression benefited more from the addition of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy to treatment as usual (TAU) in terms of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and QOL. Individuals with higher levels of cognitive reappraisal obtained a greater benefit in terms of QOL from the addition of psychological treatment to TAU. These results underscore the relevant role that emotion regulation skills play in the outcomes of psychological therapy for emotional symptoms.

Analysis of the PHQ-15 by individual items: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) is among the most commonly used questionnaires to assess somatic symptoms in primary care settings. The aim of our study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies that have analysed individual items from the PHQ-15 to determine the influence of differences in sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Studies analysing PHQ-15 by individual items were searched in Medline/PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus from 1999 to November 2019. Results: Data were extracted from 13 studies. The most frequently reported symptoms were "pain in your arms, legs, or joints", "back pain", "headaches", and "feeling tired or having low energy". In patients with mental health disorders (depression, anxiety disorder, and somatoform disorder), the most commonly reported somatic symptoms were "trouble sleeping", "feeling tired or having low energy", and digestive symptoms. In the meta-analysis, females scored significantly higher than males on 3 of 14 items: "headaches" (odds ratio [OR] 2.16, p<.001), "dizziness" (OR 1.58, p<.001), and "stomach pain" (OR 1.46, p<.02), with a small to moderate effect size for these differences. Conclusions: Gender differences were detected for three items (headaches, dizziness, and stomach pain), although the magnitude of these differences was small. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between individual items and other sociodemographic variables. In addition, more research is needed to determine measurement invariance across various demographic groups.

Introducción: El PHQ-15 (Patient Health Questionnaire) es uno de los cuestionarios más utilizados para la valoración de los síntomas somáticos en atención primaria. El objetivo del estudio fue realizar una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis de los estudios previos que analizaron los ítems individuales del PHQ-15 y determinar su asociación con las variables clínicas y sociodemográficas. Metodología: Esta revisión sistemática se llevó a cabo de acuerdo a la declaración PRISMA. Los estudios que analizaron el PHQ-15 por ítems individuales fueron obtenidos en las bases de datos de Medline / PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO y Scopus; desde el 1999 hasta noviembre de 2019. Resultados: Los datos fueron extraídos de 13 estudios. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron "dolor en los brazos, piernas o articulaciones", "dolor de espalda", "dolor de cabeza" y "sentirse cansado o con poca energía". Los pacientes con trastornos mentales (depresión, ansiedad y trastorno somatomorfo), presentaron con mayor frecuencia "problemas de sueño", "sentirse cansado o con poca energía" y síntomas gastrointestinales. En el metaanálisis, las mujeres obtuvieron puntuaciones significativamente mayores que los hombres en 3 de los 14 ítems: "dolor de cabeza" (odds ratio [OR] 2.16, p<.001), "mareo" (OR 1.58, p<.001) y "dolor de estómago" (OR 1.46, p<0,02), con un tamaño del efecto de pequeño a moderado. Conclusiones: Se detectaron diferencias entre ambos géneros en tres ítems (cefalea, mareo y dolor de estómago), aunque la magnitud de estas diferencias fue pequeña. Es necesario seguir investigando para lograr una mejor comprensión de la relación entre los ítems individuales y las variables sociodemográficas. Además, es necesario investigar la invarianza de medición en los diferentes grupos demográficos

The role of cognitive factors in differentiating individuals with somatoform disorders with and without depression.

The present study, based on a cross-sectional design, was conducted in the primary care setting with patients presenting somatic symptoms suggestive of somatoform disorders (SFD). The main aim of the study was to determine whether cognitive variables could differentiate between patients with SFD alone and those who also present depressive symptoms suggestive of depression (SFD + depression). All participants (N = 796) completed validated self-report measures to assess somatic, depressive, and/or anxiety symptoms, as well as functional impairment, quality of life (QoL), and cognitive variables (worry, rumination, metacognition, cognitive distortions, and emotion regulation). Univariate and multivariate analyses (controlled for potential sociodemographic and clinical confounders) were performed. On the univariate analysis, significant differences between the SFD and SFD + depression groups were found in sociodemographic and clinical variables, functional impairment, QoL, and cognitive variables. On the multivariate analysis, the only significative variables associated with comorbid SFD + depression were anxiety (ß = 0.27; p < 0.001), physical and psychological QoL (ß = -0.10; p = 0.01; and ß = -0.21; p < 0.001, respectively), and marital status (ß = -65; p < 0.05). Cognitive variables were not significantly related to depressive symptoms in patients with SFD. These findings suggest that patients with SFD - with or without comorbid depression - share common cognitive processes and thus both groups could benefit from transdiagnostic cognitive therapy.

Factors differentiating panic disorder with and without comorbid symptoms of depression.

The aim of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and clinical differences between people with a probable diagnosis of panic disorder (PD) and those with PD and a probable comorbid diagnosis major depressive disorder (PD + MDD). We also sought to explore the potential contribution of cognitive variables to help differentiate between PD and PD + MDD. This was a subgroup analysis of 331 patients with PD symptoms who were included in the PsicAP clinical trial. All participants completed scales to evaluate panic, depression, somatization, cognitive and performance variables. A univariate analysis showed significant differences (p < .01) between the groups (PD vs PD + MDD) in clinical variables. Somatization was the best predictor of comorbid PD + MDD (ß = .346; p < .01). Cognitive variables do not appear to play an essential role in predicting the presence of depressive symptoms in people with a screen positive for PD. These findings appear to support a transdiagnostic treatment approach for PD, which may be useful regardless of whether comorbid depression is present or not. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Somatic symptoms were associated with a higher probability of be in the PD + MDD group. Cognitive variables do not play a relevant role in the differentiation of both groups. A transdiagnostic approach can be useful for the treatment of PD or PD + MDD group.

Fortification of maternal milk for preterm infants.

During the last few decades, neonatal survival rates for preterm infants have markedly been improved. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that preterm neonates should receive sufficient nutrients to enable them to grow at a rate similar to that of fetuses of the same gestational age. Although human milk is the recommended nutritional source for newborn infants for at least the first six months of postnatal life, unfortified human breast milk may not meet the recommended nutritional needs of growing preterm infants. Human milk must therefore be supplemented (fortified) with the nutrients in short supply. The fortification of human milk can be implemented in two different forms: standard and individualized. The new concepts and recommendations for optimization of human milk fortification is the "individualized fortification". Actually, two methods have been proposed for individualization: the "targeted/tailored fortification" and the "adjustable fortification". In summary, the use of fortified human milk produces adequate growth in premature infants and satisfies the specific nutritional requirements of these infants. The use of individualized fortification is recommended.