One-Day Peer-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Workshops for Postpartum Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Myriad treatment barriers prevent birthing parents with postpartum depression (PPD) from receiving timely treatment. We aimed to determine whether a peer-delivered online 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based workshop added to treatment as usual (TAU) improves PPD and its comorbidities and is more cost-effective than TAU alone. METHODS: This parallel-group, randomized controlled trial took place in Ontario, Canada (June 7, 2021, to February 18, 2022). Participants were ≥18 years old, had an infant ≤12 months old, and an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥10. Participants were allocated to receive the workshop plus TAU (n = 202) or TAU and waitlisted to complete the workshop 12 weeks later (n = 203). The primary outcome was change in PPD (EPDS score) from enrollment to 12 weeks later. The secondary outcome was cost-effectiveness and tertiary outcomes included anxiety, social support, partner relationship quality, the mother-infant relationship, parenting stress, and infant temperament. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 32.3 years (SD = 4.30) and 65% were White. The workshop led to a significant reduction in EPDS scores (15.95-11.37; d = 0.92, p < 0. 01) and was associated with higher odds of exhibiting a clinically significant decrease in EPDS scores (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.26-3.29). The workshop plus TAU was more cost-effective than TAU alone. It also led to improvements in postpartum anxiety, infant-focused anxiety, parenting stress, and infant temperament. CONCLUSIONS: Peer-delivered 1-day CBT-based workshops can improve PPD and are a potentially scalable low-intensity treatment that could help increase treatment access.

In-person 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy-based workshops for postpartum depression: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to one in five mothers and birthing parents, yet as few as 10% access evidence-based treatment. One-day cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based workshops for PPD have the potential to reach large numbers of sufferers and be integrated into stepped models of care. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial of 461 mothers and birthing parents in Ontario, Canada with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores ⩾10, age ⩾18 years, and an infant <12 months of age compared the effects of a 1-day CBT-based workshop plus treatment as usual (TAU; i.e. care from any provider(s) they wished) to TAU alone at 12-weeks post-intervention on PPD, anxiety, the mother-infant relationship, offspring behavior, health-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Data were collected via REDCap. RESULTS: Workshops led to meaningful reductions in EPDS scores (m = 15.77 to 11.22; b = -4.6, p < 0.01) and were associated with three times higher odds of a clinically significant decrease in PPD [odds ratio (OR) 3.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.93-4.67]. Anxiety also decreased and participants had three times the odds of clinically significant improvement (OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.03-5.04). Participants reported improvements in mother-infant bonding, infant-focused rejection and anger, and effortful control in their toddlers. The workshop plus TAU achieved similar quality-adjusted life-years at lower costs than TAU alone. CONCLUSIONS: One-day CBT-based workshops for PPD can lead to improvements in depression, anxiety, and the mother-infant relationship and are cost-saving. This intervention could represent a perinatal-specific option that can treat larger numbers of individuals and be integrated into stepped care approaches at reasonable cost.

Online peer-delivered group cognitive-behavioral therapy for postpartum depression: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to one in five mothers and birthing parents, yet just 10% receive evidence-based care. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine if a synchronous online 9-week group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention delivered by mothers who have recovered from postpartum depression (i.e., peers) could effectively improve PPD and its comorbidities. METHODS: Participants (n = 183) in this study lived in Ontario, Canada, were ≥18 years-old, had an infant <12 months, were fluent in English, and scored ≥10 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). They were randomized to experimental (received intervention plus treatment as usual (TAU)) or waitlist control (TAU plus the intervention after a 9-week wait) groups. Depression, anxiety, social support, mother-infant bonding, and infant temperament were assessed at baseline and 9 weeks later. Outcomes were assessed in the experimental group 3 months post-intervention to assess stability. RESULTS: Statistically significant reductions were observed in EPDS (B = 5.99; p < 0.001; d = 1.32) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 scores (B = 5.94; p < 0.001; d = 1.22), improvements that remained stable 3 months post-intervention in the experimental group. Maternal social support (p = 0.02; d = 0.40), infant-focused anxiety (p = 0.02; d = 0.54), and infant negative emotionality (p < 0.01; d = 0.23) also improved post-intervention and remained stable 3 months later. CONCLUSION: Online peer-delivered group CBT for PPD can effectively treat PPD and anxiety, and improve social support, infant-focused anxiety, and negative emotionality in infants. This intervention could provide the means to increase access to treatment for those experiencing PPD and improve outcomes for mothers, birthing parents, and families.

Psychometric properties of the difficulties in emotion regulation Scale in a perinatal sample.

BACKGROUND: One in five pregnant and postpartum individuals experience an anxiety, depressive, and/or trauma-related disorder. Emotion dysregulation (ED) underlies the development and maintenance of various mental health disorders. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is the most comprehensive and commonly used measure of emotion dysregulation, yet limited evidence supports its use in the perinatal population. The present study aims to evaluate the validity of the DERS and its six subscales in a perinatal sample and to assess its predictive utility in identifying perinatal individuals with a disorder characterised by emotion dysregulation. METHODS: Pregnant and postpartum individuals (N = 237) completed a diagnostic clinical interview and self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and perceived social support. RESULTS: The DERS subscales demonstrated good internal consistency and construct validity, as it strongly correlated with measures of anxiety and depression and failed to correlate with a measure of perceived social support. Results from an exploratory factor analysis supported a 6-factor solution, suggesting structural validity. An ROC analysis revealed good to excellent discriminative ability for the DERS full scale and four of the subscales. Finally, an optimal clinical cut-off score of 87 or greater was established with a sensitivity of 81% for detecting a current anxiety, depressive, and/or trauma-related disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for the validity and clinical utility of the DERS in a treatment-seeking and community sample of pregnant and postpartum individuals.

Psychometric properties of the PSWQ in a sample of pregnant and postpartum women.

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)-characterised by excessive and uncontrollable worry-is the most frequently diagnosed anxiety disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Identification of GAD often relies on assessment of its cardinal feature, pathological worry. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is the most robust measure of pathological worry to date but has not been extensively evaluated for use during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study evaluated the internal consistency, construct validity, and diagnostic accuracy of the PSWQ in a sample of pregnant and postpartum women with and without a principal GAD diagnosis. METHODS: One hundred forty-two pregnant and 209 postpartum women participated in this study. Sixty-nine pregnant and 129 postpartum participants met criteria for a principal diagnosis of GAD. RESULTS: The PSWQ demonstrated good internal consistency and converged with measures assessing similar constructs. Pregnant participants with principal GAD scored significantly higher on the PSWQ than those with no psychopathology and postpartum participants with principal GAD scored significantly higher than those with principal mood disorders, other anxiety and related disorders, and no psychopathology. A cut-off score of 55 and 61 or greater was determined for detecting probable GAD during pregnancy and the postpartum period, respectively. Screening accuracy of the PSWQ was also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the robustness of the PSWQ as a measure of pathological worry and probable GAD and supports its use in the detection and monitoring of clinically significant worry symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum period.

The Effectiveness of 6 versus 12 Months of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder (BPD) are lengthy, posing a barrier to their access. Brief psychotherapy may achieve comparable outcomes to long-term psychotherapy for BPD. Evidence is needed regarding the comparative effectiveness of short- versus long-term psychotherapy for BPD. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine if 6 months of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is noninferior to 12 months of DBT in terms of clinical effectiveness. METHODS: This two-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled noninferiority trial with suicidal or self-harming patients with BPD was conducted at two sites in Canada. Participants (N = 240, M (SD)age = 28.27 (8.62), 79% females) were randomized to receive either 6 (DBT-6) or 12 months (DBT-12) of comprehensive DBT. Masked assessors obtained measures of clinical effectiveness at baseline and every 3 months, ending at month 24. DBT-6 and DBT-12 were outpatient treatments consisting of weekly individual therapy sessions, weekly DBT skills training group sessions, telephone consultation as needed, and weekly therapist consultation team meetings. RESULTS: The noninferiority hypothesis was supported for the primary outcome, total self-harm (6 months: margin = -1.94, Mdiff [95% CI] = 0.16 [-0.14, 0.46]; 12 months: margin = -1.47, Mdiff [95% CI] = 0.04 [-0.17, 0.23]; 24 months: margin = -1.25, Mdiff [95% CI] = 0.12 [-0.02, 0.36]). Results also supported noninferiority of DBT-6 for general psychopathology and coping skills at 24 months. Furthermore, DBT-6 participants showed more rapid reductions in BPD symptoms and general psychopathology. There were no between-group differences in dropout rates. CONCLUSIONS: The noninferiority of a briefer yet comprehensive treatment for BPD has potential to reduce barriers to treatment access.

Patient perspectives in pediatric neurology: a critical shift in the paradigm of outcome measurement.

This review explores children's self-reported outcome measurements in pediatric neurology. We examine the following questions: (1) What is meant by patient-reported health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes? (2) How can patients express whether the interventions they receive do more good than harm? (3) Why and how should pediatric neurology patients help determine the outcomes of interest? (4) What tools and recommendations are available to evaluate the outcomes of interest? Applying patients' perspectives across the processes of evaluation of medical interventions has become an important expectation. These developments, consistent with current healthcare goals, coincide with the evolution of pediatric neurology into a sophisticated diagnostic-interventional field that aims to prolong survival, decrease impairments and symptoms, and improve patients' well-being - the recognized essential endpoints of interest in all medicine.

Treatment selection in borderline personality disorder between dialectical behavior therapy and psychodynamic psychiatric management.

BACKGROUND: No evidence-based therapy for borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibits a clear superiority. However, BPD is highly heterogeneous, and different patients may specifically benefit from the interventions of a particular treatment. METHODS: From a randomized trial comparing a year of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to general psychiatric management (GPM) for BPD, long-term (2-year-post) outcome data and patient baseline variables (n = 156) were used to examine individual and combined patient-level moderators of differential treatment response. A two-step bootstrapped and partially cross-validated moderator identification process was employed for 20 baseline variables. For identified moderators, 10-fold bootstrapped cross-validated models estimated response to each therapy, and long-term outcomes were compared for patients randomized to their model-predicted optimal v. non-optimal treatment. RESULTS: Significant moderators surviving the two-step process included psychiatric symptom severity, BPD impulsivity symptoms (both GPM > DBT), dependent personality traits, childhood emotional abuse, and social adjustment (all DBT > GPM). Patients randomized to their model-predicted optimal treatment had significantly better long-term outcomes (d = 0.36, p = 0.028), especially if the model had a relatively stronger (top 60%) prediction for that patient (d = 0.61, p = 0.004). Among patients with a stronger prediction, this advantage held even when applying a conservative statistical check (d = 0.46, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Patient characteristics influence the degree to which they respond to two treatments for BPD. Combining information from multiple moderators may help inform providers and patients as to which treatment is the most likely to lead to long-term symptom relief. Further research on personalized medicine in BPD is needed.

Validation of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool-Neuro in brain-injured adults in the intensive care unit: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pain assessment in brain-injured patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is challenging and existing scales may not be representative of behavioral reactions expressed by this specific group. This study aimed to validate the French-Canadian and English revised versions of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT-Neuro) for brain-injured ICU patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in three Canadian and one American sites. Patients with a traumatic or a non-traumatic brain injury were assessed with the CPOT-Neuro by trained raters (i.e., research staff and ICU nurses) before, during, and after nociceptive procedures (i.e., turning and other) and non-nociceptive procedures (i.e., non-invasive blood pressure, soft touch). Patients who were conscious and delirium-free were asked to provide their self-report of pain intensity (0-10). A first data set was completed for all participants (n = 226), and a second data set (n = 87) was obtained when a change in the level of consciousness (LOC) was observed after study enrollment. Three LOC groups were included: (a) unconscious (Glasgow Coma Scale or GCS 4-8); (b) altered LOC (GCS 9-12); and (c) conscious (GCS 13-15). RESULTS: Higher CPOT-Neuro scores were found during nociceptive procedures compared to rest and non-nociceptive procedures in both data sets (p < 0.001). CPOT-Neuro scores were not different across LOC groups. Moderate correlations between CPOT-Neuro and self-reported pain intensity scores were found at rest and during nociceptive procedures (Spearman rho > 0.40 and > 0.60, respectively). CPOT-Neuro cut-off scores ≥ 2 and ≥ 3 were found to adequately classify mild to severe self-reported pain ≥ 1 and moderate to severe self-reported pain ≥ 5, respectively. Interrater reliability of raters' CPOT-Neuro scores was supported with intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.69. CONCLUSIONS: The CPOT-Neuro was found to be valid in this multi-site sample of brain-injured ICU patients at various LOC. Implementation studies are necessary to evaluate the tool's performance in clinical practice.

Treating Heel Pain in Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Hard vs Modified Soft Custom Orthotics and Heel Pads.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the effectiveness of soft vs hard orthotics in treating heel pain and plantar fasciitis in adults. It also compared the level of function after orthotic use, cost, and number of visits for orthotics and explored whether age was a factor in orthotic effectiveness. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. Before randomization, patients were stratified by age (younger vs older adults) in blocks of 4 to ensure that there were an equal number of participants in each group (soft vs hard orthotics). SETTING: An orthotic clinic in a community-based hospital and a private orthotic clinic. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were adults aged 18 years or older (N=44) with heel pain and plantar fasciitis. INTERVENTION: Participants received hard or soft customized orthotics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants rated their pain intensity and pain interference before and after orthotic use using subscales from the Brief Pain Inventory. Function was similarly measured using the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument: Function component. Analyses of age, cost, and number of visits were also compared. RESULTS: There was a reduction in pain intensity (P=.010) and pain interference (P<.001) but no change in function over time (P=.333), and no difference between the groups who received hard vs soft orthotics. Age had no effect on orthotic effectiveness. Soft orthotics were less expensive (P<.0001) and required fewer visits for fabrication (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: Both soft and hard orthotics provided effective pain relief, but soft orthotics are less expensive.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation in spanish of the malocclusion impact questionnaire (MIQ).

BACKGROUND: The Malocclusion Impact Questionnaire (MIQ) is a condition-specific measure that assesses the impact of malocclusion on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt the original version of MIQ into Spanish and to assess the acceptability, reliability and validity of this version in the Chilean population. METHODS: The MIQ was cross-culturally adapted for the Spanish language for Chile using recommended standards for the linguistic validation of instruments. To assess its psychometric properties, a cross-sectional study was carried out with 219 children aged 10 to 16 years from public schools in Puerto Montt, Chile, who completed the Chilean versions of the MIQ (MIQCh) and the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). The presence and severity of malocclusions was determined through the Dental Aesthetic Index by a trained dentist. The MIQ was administrated a second time two weeks later. The reliability of the scale was assessed by analysis of its internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and reproducibility (Intraclass correlation coefficient - ICC). The validity of the construct was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis and known groups method. Criterion validity was assessed by calculating the Spearman correlation with the CPQ11-14. RESULTS: The content comparison of the back-translation with the original MIQ showed that all items except two were conceptually and linguistically equivalent. The cognitive debriefing showed a suitable understanding of the Chilean version. The MIQCh demonstrated good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.85 and ICC of 0.91. A moderate correlation was found between the MIQCh and CPQ11-14 (0.58). In the known groups comparison, children who felt that their teeth bothered them and/or affected their life obtained significantly higher scores on the MIQCh. The OHRQoL was worse when the severity of the malocclusion was greater (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the applicability, reliability and validity of the Spanish version of MIQ for assessing OHRQoL in Chilean children with malocclusions.

Quality of life in adolescents with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and population norms.

AIM: To compare: (1) self- and proxy-reported quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with epilepsy, cerebral palsy (CP), both epilepsy and CP, and a representative general population sample; and (2) parental stress between parents of adolescents with epilepsy, CP, or both epilepsy and CP. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional observational study with 496 adolescents with epilepsy, 699 with CP, 192 with both CP and epilepsy, and 15 396 from the general population, assessed with the KIDSCREEN-52 and Parenting Stress Index (PSI). RESULTS: All KIDSCREEN-52 domains showed statistically significant differences across groups. The epilepsy population showed clinically better scores for 'school environment' than the general population (Cohen's d=0.62). Parents scored adolescents with CP lower than adolescents with epilepsy or general populations on 'physical health' (d=0.57, d=0.55) and 'social-support and peers' (d=0.82, d=0.91). Parents of adolescents with CP scored them lower than parents of the epilepsy group on 'autonomy' (d=0.62). Parents of adolescents with epilepsy scored them lower on 'mood and emotions' (d=0.52) and 'social acceptance' (d=0.66) than the general population. PSI scores were better for parents of adolescents with CP than for parents of adolescents with epilepsy (d=2.12, d=2.70, d=3.35, d=1.67). INTERPRETATION: Adolescents with epilepsy or CP self-report equal or better QoL than the general adolescent population, which should comfort families and allow clinicians to address parental concerns. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Adolescents with epilepsy, with or without cerebral palsy (CP), self-reported better school environment than adolescents in the general population. Proxy quality of life (QoL) results showed clinically important differences across groups in 6 out of 10 domains of the KIDSCREEN-52. Proxy-reported results showed poorer QoL scores for adolescents with epilepsy or CP than the general population. Parental stress level was lower in parents of children with CP or both CP and epilepsy, than in those with only epilepsy.

Longitudinal trajectories of depression symptoms in children with epilepsy.

AIM: To examine self- and proxy-reported symptoms of depression in children with epilepsy. METHOD: This was a prospective longitudinal cohort study of children with epilepsy. Participants were treated at six Canadian tertiary-care centers and followed over 28 months with repeated assessments of child self-reported symptoms of depression using the Children's Depression Inventory Short-Form (CDI-S). Trajectories of symptoms of depression were estimated using linear mixed effects (LME) modeling. RESULTS: At baseline, 477 children had complete data (mean age [SD] 11y 5mo [2y 1mo], range 7y 7mo-15y 1mo; 234 females, 243 males). Mean CDI-S T score at baseline was 45.7 (SD=7.5) and at 28 months was 44.9 (SD=8.2), both were within the 'average' range. Results from LME modeling revealed mean raw CDI-S score of 1.897, corrected for age 10 years (corresponding to T scores slightly below the normed mean of 50), with no significant change over three measurements (slope=-0.113, p=0.135), indicating that CDI-S scores were stable over 28 months. Children with high initial CDI-S scores had lower subsequent scores, as demonstrated by the correlation of -0.827 between intercept and slope (p<0.001). Parents reported comparable findings. INTERPRETATION: Self- and proxy-reported symptoms of depression were generally low and stable over an extended follow-up period. Normalization of scores was seen upon repeated assessment, even in children with higher scores of symptoms of depression at one point. These findings speak to the value and importance of repeated assessment over time. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: In children with epilepsy, self- and proxy-reported symptoms of depression were generally low and stable over 28 months. The trajectory of symptoms of depression was not associated with seizure severity, whether considering the frequency or type of seizures. Parents' reports of symptoms of depression were comparable to the children's self-evaluations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for perinatal anxiety: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Up to one in five women meet diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder during the perinatal period (i.e. pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum). While psychotropic medications are effective, they are associated with risks for mothers and babies. There is a growing demand for evidence-based non-pharmacological treatments for perinatal anxiety. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group therapy protocol for perinatal anxiety. METHODS: In total, 96 women were randomized to cognitive behavioral group therapy or waitlist at a clinic specializing in women's mental health. Participants were 22-41 years of age, pregnant or up to 6 months postpartum and had an anxiety disorder with or without comorbid depression. RESULTS: Compared to waitlist, participants in cognitive behavioral group therapy reported significantly greater reductions in the primary outcome of anxiety (State-Trait Inventory of Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety, η2p = .19; Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, η2p = .16), as well as in secondary outcomes including worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire, η2p = .29), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, η2p = .33) and depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, η2p = .27; Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, η2p = .11). Maternal status (pregnant, postpartum) and medication use were unrelated to treatment outcomes. All gains were maintained, or continued to improve, at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Cognitive behavioral group therapy was effective in improving anxiety and related symptoms among women with anxiety disorders in the perinatal period.

Parent Proxy Discrepancy Groups of Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To study the extent to which parents are able to serve as true proxies for their children with epilepsy using a more granular approach than has been found in any study to date. METHODS: Proxy resemblance to the child was based on discrepancy in z-centered child minus parent scores of matching quality-of-life (QOL) domains for 477 dyads. Latent class mixed models (LCMMs) were built, with child's age as the independent variable for epilepsy-specific and generic QOL. Data were obtained from the QUALITÉ Canadian cohort, which recruited children with epilepsy aged 8 to 14 years at baseline and their parents. RESULTS: Both epilepsy-specific and generic LCMMs produced latent classes representing proxies that were overly positive, overly negative, or in agreement relative to their children with posterior probabilities of 79% to 84%. The "agreement" classes had N = 411 and N = 349 in the epilepsy-specific and generic LCMMs, respectively. The epilepsy-specific LCMM had a small unique class of N = 5 with a posterior probability of 88% called "growing discrepancy." CONCLUSIONS: Most parents of children with epilepsy can serve as valid proxies for their children on QOL scales. Poorer parental adaptation is more related to overly negative proxies, whereas low peer support from the child's perspective is more related to overly positive proxies.

Can behavioral strategies increase physical activity and influence depressive symptoms and quality of life among children with epilepsy? Results of a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study examined whether increasing physical activity (PA) through 6 months of behavioral counseling positively influenced depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) over 12 months among children with epilepsy (CWE). METHODS: A longitudinal multisite randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 8-14-year-old children with active epilepsy. Participants wore a pedometer to track daily PA and completed 3 measures at 4 time points to examine depressive symptoms and QoL. Stratified by site and activity level, participants were randomized to an intervention or control group. The 6-month intervention included 11 behavioral counseling sessions targeting self-regulation of PA. To assess the associations among PA, depression scores, and QoL, primary analysis involved mixed-effects models. RESULTS: We recruited 122 CWE, of whom 115 were randomized (Mage = 11 ±â€¯2; 50% female) and included in the analysis. The intervention did not increase PA in the treatment compared with the control group. No differences were found between groups over time during the subsequent 6 months, where PA decreased among all participants. Results did not show differences between the groups and over time for measures of depressive symptoms and QoL. SIGNIFICANCE: The intervention did not improve or sustain PA levels over 12 months. Both groups demonstrated declines in PA over one year, but there were no changes in depression scores or QoL. As most participants were already nearly reaching the Canadian average of step counts of children their age, with a baseline daily step count of over 9000, there may be a challenge for further increasing PA over a longer period.

Mental Health Stigma: Explicit and Implicit Attitudes of Canadian Undergraduate Students, Medical School Students, and Psychiatrists.

OBJECTIVES: To compare explicit and implicit stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness among undergraduate students, medical school students, and psychiatrists, and to assess whether attitudes are associated with education level, exposure to, and personal experience with mental illness. METHODS: Participants from McMaster University were recruited through email. Participants completed a web-based survey consisting of demographics; the Opening Minds Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC) 12-item survey, which measures explicit stigma; and an Implicit Association Test (IAT), measuring implicit bias toward physical illness (diabetes mellitus) or mental illness (schizophrenia). RESULTS: A total of 538 people participated: undergraduate students ( n = 382), medical school students ( n = 118), and psychiatrists ( n = 38). Psychiatrists had significantly lower explicit and implicit stigma than undergraduate students and medical school students. Having been diagnosed with mental illness or having had a relationship with someone experiencing one was significantly associated with lower explicit stigma. Mean scores on the OMS-HC "disclosure/help-seeking" subscale were higher compared with the "attitudes towards people with mental illness" subscale. There was no correlation between the OMS-HC and IAT. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the theory that increased education and experience with mental illness are associated with reduced stigma. Attitudes regarding disclosure/help-seeking were more stigmatizing than attitudes towards people with mental illness. The groups identified in this study can potentially benefit from anti-stigma campaigns that focus on reducing specific components of explicit, implicit, public and self-stigma.

Patient-reported quality of life and biopsychosocial health outcomes in pediatric epilepsy: An update for healthcare providers.

In the 21st century, clinicians are expected to listen to, and understand their patients' views about, their conditions and the effects that these conditions have on their functioning, values, life goals, and welfare. The goals of this review are as follows: (i) to inform, update, and guide clinicians caring for children with epilepsy about developments in the content and new methods of research on patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, and functioning; and (ii) to discuss the value of using these concepts to explore the impact of diverse interventions that are implemented in daily practice. Drawing on the literature and our program of research over the past two decades, we focus on our current understanding of a variety of health concepts and recently acquired knowledge about their significance for the lives of patients and their families. We discuss the advantages of measuring patient-reported outcomes that tell us what is important to patients. We advise on what characteristics to look for when choosing a patient-reported measure, and the relevance of these considerations. In addition, we address gaps in research knowledge and the causes of confusion that have limited their use in our daily clinical practice.

Dimensionality of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) dimensionality is much debated, with the greatest number of reported factor structures. Therefore, this review appraised the methodologies of studies investigating the factor structure of the PSQI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MEDLINE, PsycInfo, AJOL, BASE, Cochrane Library, Directory of Open Access Journals (Lund University), CINAHL, and Embase were searched systematically to include articles published till 23rd March, 2018. The articles with the objective of factor analysis of the PSQI (20 articles) or with a major section on the same subject (25 articles) were included. There was no limitation about participant characteristics. Descriptive analysis of articles for measures of the suitability of the data for factor analysis, details of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and details of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed. RESULTS: The analysis used by the majority did not employ the simplest scheme for interpreting the observed data: the parsimony principle. Other shortcomings included under- or non-reporting of sample adequacy measures (11 out of 45 articles), non-use of EFA (20 out of 45 articles), use of EFA without relevant details, non-use of CFA (11 out of 45 articles), and use of CFA without relevant details. Overall, 31 out of 45 articles did not use either EFA or CFA. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the various PSQI factor structures for standard sleep assessment in research and clinical settings may need further validation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable because this was a review of existing literature.

The effectiveness of 6 versus 12-months of dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder: the feasibility of a shorter treatment and evaluating responses (FASTER) trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Although Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychosocial treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD), the demand for it exceeds available resources. The commonly researched 12-month version of DBT is lengthy; this can pose a barrier to its adoption in many health care settings. Further, there are no data on the optimal length of psychotherapy for BPD. The aim of this study is to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of 6 versus 12 months of DBT for chronically suicidal individuals with BPD. A second aim of this study is to determine which patients are as likely to benefit from shorter treatment as from longer treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: Powered for non-inferiority testing, this two-site single-blind trial involves the random assignment of 240 patients diagnosed with BPD to 6 or 12 months of standard DBT. The primary outcome is the frequency of suicidal or non-suicidal self-injurious episodes. Secondary outcomes include healthcare utilization, psychiatric and emotional symptoms, general and social functioning, and health status. Cost-effectiveness outcomes will include the cost of providing each treatment as well as health care and societal costs (e.g., missed work days and lost productivity). Assessments are scheduled at pretreatment and at 3-month intervals until 24 months. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to directly examine the dose-effect of psychotherapy for chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with BPD. Examining both clinical and cost effectiveness in 6 versus 12 months of DBT will produce answers to the question of how much treatment is good enough. Information from this study will help to guide decisions about the allocation of scarce treatment resources and recommendations about the benefits of briefer treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02387736 . Registered February 20, 2015.