Controlled prospective study of postpartum mood disorders: Comparison of childbearing and nonchildbearing women.

A controlled prospective study was undertaken to determine the extent to which pregnancy and the puerperium are associated with increased risk for minor and major depression, depressive symptomatology, and poor social adjustment. A large sample of childbearing (CB) women were recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy along with an equal sized, matched sample of nonchildbearing (NCB) women. Ss were assessed multiple times during pregnancy and after delivery by questionnaire and through personal interview on measures of depression and other mood states and marital and social adjustment. There were no differences between CB and NCB Ss with respect to rates of minor and major depression during pregnancy or after delivery. However, CB women experienced significantly higher levels of depressive symptomatology and poor social adjustment than NCB women during late pregnancy and the early puerperium. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Controlled prospective longitudinal study of women with cancer: II. Psychological outcomes.

The incidence and etiology of major life difficulties for women with survivable cancer were studied. Women with early stage cancer (n?=?65) were assessed after diagnosis but prior to treatment and reassessed at 4, 8, and 12 mo posttreatment. Two matched comparison groups, women diagnosed and treated for benign disease (n?=?22) and healthy women (n?=?60), were also assessed longitudinally. Results for 4 life areas are reported: (a) Emotional response to the life-threatening diagnosis and anticipation of treatment was characterized by depressed, anxious, and confused moods, whereas the response for women with benign disease was anxious only; these responses were transitory. (b) There was no evidence for a higher incidence of relationship dissolution or poorer marital adjustment; however, 30% of the women treated for disease reported that their partners may have had some sexual difficulty. (c) There was no evidence for impaired social adjustment. (d) Women treated for cancer retained their employment; however, their involvement was significantly reduced during recovery. Data suggest "islands" of significant life disruption following cancer, which do not appear to portend global adjustment vulnerability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vulnerability to postpartum depression: A prospective multivariate study.

A sample of 115 primiparous women was assessed during pregnancy and the postpartum to identify the predictors and correlates of postpartum depression. The variables considered were marital adjustment, attributional style, life stress, maternal expectations for and perceptions of infant behavior, and blues symptoms. The data obtained at each assessment were submitted to principal-components analyses to identify variable clusters or constructs, which were used to predict both depressive symptom levels and a diagnosis of depression. Concurrently, symptoms and diagnosis were related to mothers' perceptions of their infants as temperamentally difficult. Prospectively, depressive symptomatology was predicted by low marital adjustment and depressed mood during pregnancy, optimistic expectations for infants, prepartum life stress, and early postpartum symptoms of anxiety and cognitive impairment. Although diagnostic status was related to a subset of these variables, results indicate that depressive symptom levels and diagnosis are not synonymous measures of the construct "postpartum depression." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and substance use disorders: A prospective study.

The personality systems of Cloninger (as measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire [TPQ]) and Eysenck (as measured by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire [EPQ]) both have been linked to substance use and abuse. The current study examined the predictive utility of both systems for substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Participants (N?=?489 at baseline) completed the EPQ and TPQ and were assessed via structured diagnostic interview at baseline and 6 years later (N?=?457 at follow-up). Both the EPQ and TPQ scales demonstrated bivariate cross-sectional and prospective associations with SUDs. Within each system, those dimensions marking a broad impulsive sensation-seeking or behavioral disinhibition trait were the best predictors prospectively, although the 2 systems were differentially sensitive to specific diagnoses. These relations remained significant even with autoregressivity, other concurrent SUD diagnoses, and multiple personality dimensions statistically controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gabapentin treatment of mood disorders: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE: To determine if gabapentin is effective either as adjunctive treatment or as monotherapy for major affective disorders in a naturalistic setting. METHOD: All charts of patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder or unipolar major depressive disorder treated with gabapentin in a private psychiatric practice were reviewed and clinical response was assessed retrospectively using the Clinical Global Impressions scale for Improvement (CGI-I). RESULTS: Gabapentin was moderately to markedly effective in 30% (15/50) of patients, with statistically nonsignificant differences between patients with bipolar disorder type I, bipolar disorder type II and NOS, and unipolar major depressive disorder. 70% reported side effects, mainly sedation, with 16% of the total sample discontinuing treatment due to adverse events. CONCLUSION: Gabapentin appears to be somewhat effective as add-on treatment in a subgroup of patients with mood disorders in a naturalistic setting. Prospective, controlled studies are required to clarify these pilot data.     

A prospective study of stressful circumstances, illness symptoms, and depressed mood among adolescents.

This study assessed the relationship of stressful life circumstances to illness symptoms and depressed mood among adolescent girls (in the 7th through the 11th grades). At two times, respondents indicated whether each of 20 commonly experienced circumstances had occurred to them and whether they rated its occurrence as positive or negative. Additionally, they completed an illness symptoms checklist and a standard measure of depressed mood. Cross-sectional analyses showed that circumstances rated negatively were associated with poor physical and mental health. Perspective analyses, controlling for initial physical or mental health status, revealed that negative circumstances led to reports of greater illness symptoms or depressed mood only when positive circumstances were low. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation.

In this review, we discuss ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies on mood disorders and mood dysregulation, illustrating 6 major benefits of the EMA approach to clinical assessment: (a) Real-time assessments increase accuracy and minimize retrospective bias; (b) repeated assessments can reveal dynamic processes; (c) multimodal assessments can integrate psychological, physiological, and behavioral data; (d) setting- or context-specific relationships of symptoms or behaviors can be identified; (e) interactive feedback can be provided in real time; and (f) assessments in real-life situations enhance generalizability. In the context of mood disorders and mood dysregulation, we demonstrate that EMA can address specific research questions better than laboratory or questionnaire studies. However, before clinicians and researchers can fully realize these benefits, sets of standardized e-diary questionnaires and time sampling protocols must be developed that are reliable, valid, and sensitive to change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Plasma GABA in children and adolescents with mood, behavior, and comorbid mood and behavior disorders: a preliminary study

Plasma GABA concentrations (pGABA) were measured in 115 inpatients (aged 7-17) with child psychiatric disorders. Group mean pGABAs were compared for 38 patients with mood disorders only (MOOD), 29 with behavior disorders only (BEH), 48 with comorbid mood and behavior disorders (MOOD + BEH), and 14 normal controls (CON, aged 14-17). The BEH group was characterized by (a) high mean pGABAs (157 vs. 133 pmol/ml), (b) lower mean pGABAs in BEH subjects who had been receiving pharmacotherapy with SSRIs or other medications (p < 0.026), and (c) decreased pGABA with increasing age (p = 0.019). These features were not found in controls or in groups of patients with mood disorders (MOOD or MOOD + BEH). Elevated mean pGABA in the BEH group appeared specifically in patients with comorbid CD and ADHD, not in patients with ADHD or CD alone (p = 0.004). No patient in BEH (or CON) had pGABA below 100 pmol/ml, but low pGABAs were found in 15% of MOOD patients (who had no behavior disorder) and in 16% of MOOD + BEH patients. Pharmacotherapy did not change pGABAs in the MOOD or the MOOD + BEH groups. No pGABA differences were found among the anxiety disorders, either alone or with mood or behavior comorbidity. The finding that plasma GABA levels are elevated in nonmedicated behavior disorders that present in the absence of mood disorders, and appear to lower following medication treatments, merits increased attention to the pharmacological study of nonaffective behavior disorders.     

Temperament, personality, and the mood and anxiety disorders.

Reviews the literature on temperament, personality, and mood and anxiety disorders. The review is organized primarily around L. A. Clark and D. Watson's (1991) tripartite model for these disorders, but other influential approaches are also examined. Negative affectivity (or neuroticism) appears to be a vulnerability factor for the development of anxiety and depression, indicates poor prognosis, and is itself affected by the experience of disorder. Positive affectivity (or extraversion) is related more specifically to depression, may be a risk factor for its development, suggests poor prognosis, and also may be affected by the experience of disorder. Other personality dimensions (e.g., anxiety sensitivity, attributional style, sociotropy or dependency, autonomy or self-criticism, and constraint) may constitute specific vulnerability factors for particular disorders. It is suggested that more longitudinal and measurement-based research that jointly examines anxiety and depression is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adjustment in first-time mothers: Changes in mood and mood content during the early postpartum months.

This longitudinal study investigated changes in the content of mood and in mood levels of primiparous mothers. Interview responses were collected from a core sample of 32 women during pregnancy and at 1, 3, and 16 months postpartum. Correctional analyses of interview mood scores across time indicated consistency in mothers' moods from one point to the next, although mothers felt considerably better at 3 and 16 months postpartum than at earlier time points. Despite this overall improvement in mood, mothers showed different temporal patterns in relation to the different referent categories. It was found that positive feelings about the infant increased linearly, whereas positive feelings about the spouse showed a U-shaped function, with least positive feelings experienced during the 1st and 3rd postpartum months. Self-directed affects remained relatively constant throughout the 16-month postpartum period. The results are discussed in terms of changes over time that occur during the transition to parenthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological factors in the development of mood disorders with a seasonal pattern

The psychiatric records of a 7-year period were searched for cases with seasonal mood disorders. Among 358 cases with a mood disorder there were 41 patients with 3 or more admissions, 4 of which were demonstrating a seasonal pattern. It was found that the depressive or manic episodes of these patients were anniversary reactions associated with intense traumatic experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. The seasonal pattern of the depressive episodes fulfilled the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The time and sometimes the place of the traumatic event acted as triggers eliciting the clinical symptoms. This study showed that anniversary reactions may constitute a subgroup of seasonal mood disorders manifesting both depressive and manic episodes, which are precipitated primarily by psychological factors rather than climatic conditions.     

Improved biochemical variables, nutrient intake, and hormonal factors in slow nocturnal hemodialysis: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether slow nocturnal hemodialysis (SNHD) can be safely performed in patients with end-stage renal disease to improve the biochemical and clinical outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted an 8-week pilot study in nondiabetic adult patients, who underwent dialysis 6 nights per week for 8 hours each night. A dialysate flow rate of 300 mL/min and a blood flow rate of 250 mL/min, through an internal jugular dual-lumen venous catheter, were used. The equipment used was a COBE Centry System 3 dialysis machine and Fresenius F-80 (1.8 m2) or Baxter CT 190 (1.9 m2) dialyzers. Five patients were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Two patients did not complete the study because of catheter-related infections--one at day 7 and one after 4 weeks of SNHD. All patients had improved blood pressure control, and no intradialytic adverse events occurred. Dietary intake improved, urea and creatinine levels significantly decreased, and weekly delivery of dialysate increased on SNHD. Potassium, chloride, beta 2-microglobulin, phosphorus, calcium, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol all improved on SNHD. Serum testosterone increased in the three men on SNHD, but parathyroid hormone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone remained unchanged. Erythropoietin levels increased on SNHD, despite no change in exogenous erythropoietin doses in three patients and discontinuation of administration of erythropoietin in one. The following biochemical factors did not change significantly: serum sodium, bicarbonate, vitamin B12, folate, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin. CONCLUSION: Higher doses of hemodialysis benefit nutrition, improve biochemical variables, and may improve many hormonal systems.     

Affective instability, family history of mood disorders, and neurodevelopmental disturbance.

The association between affective instability and both family history of mood disorders and signs of neurodevelopmental disturbance was examined in a sample of 303 adults. Affective instability was measured using the borderline personality disorder “affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood” diagnostic criterion as assessed dimensionally using the Personality Disorder Interview—IV. Participants were interviewed concerning family history of mood disorders, with family history coded using the Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria. Minor physical anomalies, inconsistent hand use, and dermatoglyphic asymmetries were used to index neurodevelopmental disturbance. Affective instability was associated with elevated rates of family history of mood disorders, particularly among individuals who exhibited inconsistent hand use and greater minor physical anomalies. These associations could not be accounted for by shared variance with age, gender, negative affect, or personal history of mood disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Controlled prospective longitudinal study of women with cancer: I. Sexual functioning outcomes.

The incidence and etiology of sexual difficulties for women with survivable cancer were studied. Women with early stage gynecologic cancer (n?=?47) were assessed after diagnosis but prior to treatment and then reassessed at 4, 8, and 12 mo posttreatment. Sexual and medical outcomes were compared with data from members of 2 matched comparison groups who were also assessed longitudinally: women diagnosed and treated for benign gynecologic disease (n?=?8) and gynecologically healthy women (n?=?57). Global sexual behavior disruption did not occur, but the frequency of intercourse declined for women treated for disease, whether malignant or benign. In relation to the sexual response cycle, diminution of sexual excitement is pronounced for women with disease; however, this difficulty is more severe and distressing for women with cancer, possibly due to significant coital and postcoital pain, premature menopause, treatment side effects, or a combination. Changes in desire, orgasm, and resolution phases of the sexual response cycle may also occur, but they are of lesser magnitude or duration or both. 30% of the women treated for cancer were diagnosed with a sexual dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Human spatial abilities: Psychometric studies and environmental, genetic, hormonal, and neurological influences.

Reviews the spatial abilities literature. Psychometric consideration encompasses (a) factor analytic studies that conclusively demonstrate the existence of at least 2 spatial factors—Visualization and Orientation, and (b) predictive validity studies that argue for the social relevance of these factors. Sex differences in various aspects of perceptual-cognitive functioning (e.g., mathematics, field independence) are interpreted as a secondary consequence of differences with respect to spatial visualization and spatial orientation abilities. Sources of variation in performance on spatial tests including environmental, genetic, hormonal, and neurological are considered, with special emphasis on age and sex differences. Evidence that variation in spatial test scores is to some degree heritable remains positive; however, the X-linked recessive gene hypothesis that has served as a tentative explanation for sex differences in spatial abilities and for the mode of genetic transmission is not supported strongly in recent studies. Neurological studies showing variations in the lateral organization of the human brain provide experimental evidence for a structural source of the variation in spatial abilities, and this evidence is reviewed as it relates to human handedness and cerebral bilateralization for spatial and linguistic functions. (9 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Food, mood, and attitude: Reducing risk for eating disorders in college women.

Food, Mood, and Attitude (FMA) is a CD-ROM prevention program developed to decrease risk for eating disorders in college women. Female 1st-year students (N = 240) were randomly assigned to the intervention (FMA) or control group. Equal numbers of students at risk and of low risk for developing an eating disorder were assigned to each condition. Participants in the FMA condition improved on all measures relative to controls. Significant 3-way interactions (Time × Condition × Risk Status) were found on measures of internalization of sociocultural attitudes about thinness, shape concerns, and weight concerns, indicating that at-risk participants in the intervention group improved to a greater extent than did low-risk participants. At follow-up, significantly fewer women in the FMA group reported overeating and excessive exercise relative to controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological aspects of systemic lupus erythematosus: cognitive function, mood, and self-report

Previous studies have shown that Tetrahymena citrate synthase and the Tetrahymena 14-nm filament protein are encoded by a single gene and translated from one species of mRNA, and that they are identical in terms of molecular weight, antigenicity, and some enzymatic properties. In this study, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we demonstrated that the citrate synthase comprised pI 7.7 and 8.0 isoforms, while the 14-nm filament protein comprised three isoforms with isoelectric points of 7.7, 8.0, and 8.4. The amino acid sequences of the NH2-terminal portions of all isoforms were identical and the peptide maps with V8 protease were almost the same. In addition, when the citrate synthase activity of each isoform was measured after separation by non-urea isoelectric focusing without denaturing treatment, the pI 7.7 and/or pI 8.0 isoforms exhibited the citrate synthase activity, but the pI 8.4 isoform only found for the 14-nm filament protein did not possess this activity. These results suggest that the polymorphism of these isoforms is caused by some posttranslational modifications, and that it may have resulted in the different compartmentalization and functions of Tetrahymena citrate synthase and the 14-nm filament protein.     

Impact of daily mood, work hours, and iso-strain variables on self-reported health behaviors.

Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the job characteristics, daily work variables, and self-reported health behaviors. Results indicated a more important role for within-person daily fluctuations than for between-persons variations in predicting health behaviors. Whereas negative affect was negatively related to health behavior for both men and women, work hours had negative impacts for women only. Iso-strain variables showed few main effects and a modest number of interactions with daily variables (mainly for men). Findings point to the limited impact of stable features of work design compared to the effects of daily work stressors on health behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)