Depression Treatment: Poor Sleep in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.
Poor sleep in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
PLoS One. 2012; 7(11): e49996
Bøe Lunde HM, Aae TF, Indrevåg W, Aarseth J, Bjorvatn B, Myhr KM, Bø L
Poor sleep is a frequent symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Sleep may be influenced by MS-related symptoms and adverse effects from immunotherapy and symptomatic medications. We aimed to study the prevalence of poor sleep and the influence of socio-demographic and clinical factors on sleep quality in MS- patients.A total of 90 MS patients and 108 sex-and age- matched controls were included in a questionnaire survey. Sleep complaints were evaluated by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and a global PSQI score was used to separate good sleepers (?5) from poor sleepers (>5). Excessive daytime sleepiness, the use of immunotherapy and antidepressant drugs, symptoms of pain, depression, fatigue and MS-specific health related quality of life were registered. Results were compared between patients and controls and between good and poor sleepers among MS patients.MS patients reported a higher mean global PSQI score than controls (8.6 vs. 6.3, p?=?0.001), and 67.1% of the MS patients compared to 43.9% of the controls (p?=?0.002) were poor sleepers. Pain (p?=?0.02), fatigue (p?=?0.001), depression (p?=?0.01) and female gender (p?=?0.04) were associated with sleep disturbance. Multivariate analyses showed that female gender (p?=?0.02), use of immunotherapy (p?=?005) and a high psychological burden of MS (p?=?0.001) were associated with poor sleep among MS patients.Poor sleep is common in patients with MS. Early identification and treatment of modifiable risk factors may improve sleep and quality of life in MS.
HubMed – depression
Mental health literacy of depression: gender differences and attitudinal antecedents in a representative british sample.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
PLoS One. 2012; 7(11): e49779
Swami V
Poor mental health literacy and negative attitudes toward individuals with mental health disorders may impede optimal help-seeking for symptoms of mental ill-health. The present study examined the ability to recognize cases of depression as a function of respondent and target gender, as well as individual psychological differences in attitudes toward persons with depression.In a representative British general population survey, the ability to correctly recognize vignettes of depression was assessed among 1,218 adults. Respondents also rated the vignettes along a number of attitudinal dimensions and completed measures of attitudes toward seeking psychological help, psychiatric skepticism, and anti-scientific attitudes.There were significant differences in the ability to correctly identify cases of depression as a function of respondent and target gender. Respondents were more likely to indicate that a male vignette did not suffer from a mental health disorder compared to a female vignette, and women were more likely than men to indicate that the male vignette suffered from a mental health disorder. Attitudes toward persons with depression were associated with attitudes toward seeking psychological help, psychiatric skepticism, and anti-scientific attitudes.Initiatives that consider the impact of gender stereotypes as well as individual differences may enhance mental health literacy, which in turn is associated with improved help-seeking behaviors for symptoms of mental ill-health.
HubMed – depression
Duloxetine in affective disorders: a naturalistic study on psychiatric and medical comorbidity, use in association and tolerability across different age groups.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2012; 8: 120-5
Dell’osso B, Camuri G, Dobrea C, Buoli M, Serati M, Altamura AC
Duloxetine, a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is currently approved in many countries for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The present naturalistic study was aimed to investigate tolerability of Duloxetine in a sample of patients with affective disorders and psychiatric/medical comorbidity, comparing tolerability in monotherapy versus polytherapy and across different age groups.The sample included 165 patients, affected by anxiety and/or mood disorders with or without comorbidity, who had been taken Duloxetine for at least 1 month. Sample variables were collected through a retrospective chart review.Most common primary diagnoses were MDD (49.1 %), Bipolar Disorder (BD) (15.7 %) and GAD (5.5%). The 40 % of the sample had psychiatric comorbidity: in particular, anxiety disorders (15.8 %) (GAD 7.9%, Panic Disorder -PD- 7.3%) and personality disorders (9.1%) as the most frequent ones. With respect to medical comorbidities (68% of the sample), hypertension (12.1%) and diabetes (7.3%) were the most common ones. Mean duration of treatment and dosage of Duloxetine were, respectively, 11 months (± 9.1) and 70 mg/day (± 28.6). The 68 % of the sample received Duloxetine in association with other drugs. Minor side-effects, in particular drowsiness and gastrointestinal problems, were reported by 15 % of the sample. No difference in terms of tolerability across distinct groups, divided on the basis of mono- vs polytherapy as well as of different age, was found.Duloxetine, mostly administered in patients with affective disorders with psychiatric/ medical comorbidity and in association with other drugs, appeared to be well tolerated, showing limited rates of side effects of mild intensity. Further naturalistic studies are warranted to confirm present results.
HubMed – depression
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