Factors associated with violence against women following the COVID-19 lockdown in France: Results from a prospective online survey

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown (March 17th-May 11th 2020) on violence against women in France. METHODS: A prospective survey was conducted online between April 2th 2020 and July 5th 2020. Female respondents were recruited from social media networks using the snowball sampling method. Data were collected three times: during (2-19 April) and at the end (11-25 May) of the first lockdown, and following the first lockdown (20 June- 05 July). Sociodemographic variables, lockdown living conditions, financial impact of COVID, and history of psychiatric disorder were evaluated, together with changes in psychological distress over the lockdown period, and the risk of being assaulted post lockdown. RESULTS: Psychological distress was elevated and remained stable for most of the 1538 female respondents during lockdown. More than 7% of women were affected by physical or sexual violence post lockdown. Unwanted sexual contact accounted for the majority of abuse, but physical and sexual assault were also prevalent. The risk of being abused was higher for participants who had changed anxiety/insomnia symptoms over the lockdown period, and a history of abuse. DISCUSSION: Women who experienced changes in anxiety/insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown were at higher risk than others of being assaulted post lockdown, especially when they were already socially vulnerable. While social and psychological factors accounting for these changes warrant further investigation, communication and preventive measures during pandemics should include initiatives tailored to women more vulnerable to violence

Postdetoxification Factors Predicting Alcohol-Related Emergency Room Visits 12 to 24 Months After Discharge: Results from a Prospective Study of Patients with Alcohol Dependence

International audienceBACKGROUND: Relapse is common in patients with alcohol dependence, even after detoxification. The aims of this prospective study were to investigate changes affecting patients during the first 6 months after discharge from hospitalization for detoxification and to determine the influence of these changes on the likelihood of alcohol-related emergency room (ER) visits in the following 18-month period. METHODS: The study included 88 patients hospitalized for participation in a detoxification program in the addiction department of a university hospital in Rennes, France. Alcohol consumption, psychiatric symptoms, and life events were investigated by addiction specialists during hospitalization and 6 months afterward. For each patient, the number of alcohol-related ER visits in the last 6 months was prospectively recorded at the hospital 12, 18, and 24 months after hospitalization. The rate ratios of ER visits as a function of sociodemographic variables and changes observed 6 months after discharge were estimated using Poisson regression with autoregressive errors. RESULTS: Nearly half of the patients (47.7%) had ER visits in the 12- to 24-month period following discharge. The likelihood of ER visits was higher for patients living with friends/parents and for those with aggravated psychiatric symptoms, negative changes in their family life, and who had a medical follow-up in the 6 months after discharge. In contrast, the likelihood of ER visits was lower for patients living with children and those with improved psychiatric morbidity. Alcohol consumption and psychiatric symptoms at baseline had no significant effect. CONCLUSIONS: Monitoring changes in psychiatric symptoms and family life early after a detoxification program may help identify patients who are vulnerable to relapse in the subsequent 18-month period. Systematic screening for these changes as early as possible, in combination with appropriate treatment and the establishment of a social support system, could be fundamental in avoiding further relapses and ER visits

Depressive symptoms are related to boredom proneness in patients receiving hospital care, regardless of alcohol status, lifestyle, or social support

International audienc

Protecting Vulnerable Road Users from Injury

Aymery Constant and Emmanuel Lagarde discuss policies to protect pedestrians, and pedal and motor cyclists, from injury

Aymery Constant's Quick Files

The Quick Files feature was discontinued and it’s files were migrated into this Project on March 11, 2022. The file URL’s will still resolve properly, and the Quick Files logs are available in the Project’s Recent Activity

Sustainable Actions to Address Alcohol Burden in Sub-Saharan Africa

International audienc

Etude des facteurs prédictifs des troubles de l'humeur induits par interféron-á au cours du traitement de l'hépatite C chronique (approche descriptive et transactionnelle)

Les effets secondaires psychiatriques de l'interféron-á(IFN-á), en particulier les troubles de l'humeur, peuvent constituer une limite importante à l'observance thérapeutique. Leur caractérisation reste cependant imprécise. Le but de ce travail était de caractériser de façon prospective, à l'aide d'outils standardisés et validés, la survenue de troubles de l'humeur (incidence, facteurs de risque, délai de survenue et traitement) chez des patients traités par interféron pégylé et ribavirine. De plus, le modèle transactionnel du stress a été employé pour mesurer l'effet des transactions et du coping sur l'ajustement aux effets de l'IFN-á. 97 malades (50 H, âge 46+-12 ans) atteints d'hépatite chronique C naïfs traités par interféron-á et ribavirine pendant 24 à 48 semaines ont été inclus dans l'étude. Ils ont été systématiquement évalués lors d'un entretien semi-structuré (MINI-DSM-IV) à l'inclusion (T0), un mois après le début du traitement (T1), et trois mois après le début du traitement (T2). L'évaluation comprenait : les antécédents psychiatriques personnels et familiaux, les symptômes dépressifs (MADRS), le niveau d'anxiété trait et état (STAI-Y), et la fatigue (BFI). Les patients ont également rempli des questionnaires de stress perçu, de contrôle de la santé, de soutien social et de coping à T1. Les critères d'ajustement (symtômes dépressifs, qualité de vie) ont été mesurés à T2. 33 patients (34%) ont présenté un trouble de l'humeur. Ces troubles de l'humeur correspondaient selon le DSM-IV à un épisode hypomaniaque ou maniaque dans 19 cas (58%) et à un épisode mixte dans 14 cas (42%). La survenue des troubles de l'humeur était significativement associée aux antécédents de dépression, aux symptômes anxio-dépressifs et à la fatigue à T0. Des régressions multiples ont montré que l'anxiété-trait était le principal prédicteur de l'irritabilité et de la détresse psychologique à T2 (b= 0,31; p<0,001, et b= 0,32; p<0,01, respectivement), alors que les pertubations physiques étaient influencées par l'âge (b= 0,28; p<0,01), les antécédents psychiatriques familiaux (b= 0,22; p<0,01), et la fatigue à T0 (b= 0,21; p<0,05). Le soutien social, le contrôle externe et le coping palliatif ont une influence positive mais limitée sur les syptômes à T2 (p<0,05). Des régressions hiérarchiques ont montré que l'effet des antécédents psychiatriques familiaux sur les critères à T2 transite par l'induction de l'anxiété-état à T1. Les troubles de l'humeur sont fréquents (34%), au cours des trois premiers mois du traitement par IFN-á; et ils associent souvent une composante maniaque irritable. Des antécédents psychiatriques et des symptômes anxio-dépressifs élevés avant le traitement constituent des facteurs de risque majeur vis-à-vis de l'apparition de ces troubles. En revanche, les variables issues du modèle transactionnel du stress n'ont qu'une influence limitée sur l'intensité de ces pertubations.Psychiatric side effects are common with interferon-á therapy, and responsible for treatment discontinuation in 10% to 20% of cases. The aim of this study was to characterize psychiatric events occurring during Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) treatment, and to determine vulnerability factors associated with their occurrence. Transactional model of stress, in which appraisals and coping processes are believed to play a central role, has been evoked to explain emotional and physical adjustment to IFN-á therapy. 97 CHC patients (50 males, mean age 46+-12 yrs) treated for the first time with interferon-á plus ribavirin for 24 to 48 weeks were enrolled. Psychological variables were systematically assessed, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-DSM-IV), the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), at baseline (T0), after one month (T1) and after three months of treatment. Patients also completed measures of perceived stress, control appraisals, social support and coping after one month of treatment (T1). Variables related to psychological and physical adjustment (depressive symptoms, quality of life) were assessed two months later (T2). Psychiatric events occurred in 33 patients (34 %). They consisted of mood disorders (according to DSM-IV) in all cases with irritable mania/hypomania in 19 cases (58%) and major depression with manic/hypomanic features (depressive mixed states) in 14 cases (42%). Their occurrence was significantly associated with past drug use, and elevated anxiety and depression scores at T0 (p<0,05). In multivariate regression analysis, trait anxiety (T0) was the main predictor of psychological distress and irritability during treatment (b= 0,31; p<0,001, et b= 0,32; p<0,01, respectively), whereas physical syptoms were predicted by older age (b= 0,28; p<0,01), family psychiatric history (b= 0,22; p<0,05), and initial fatigue (b= 0,21; p<0,05). Social support, external control and palliative coping had a little, but significant positive influence on symptoms (p<0,05), but emotion-focused coping was always related to poor emotional adjustment. Hierarchical regression model showed that the relationship between family psychiatric history anxiety adjustment criteria was mediaded by anxiety after one month of treatment. Mood disorders are common (34%) during the early stages of interferon therapy for CHC, and often include irritability and manic/hypomanic features. Psychiatric history and elevated scores of anxiety and depression at baseline are significant risk factors for their occurrence. But appraisal and coping processes have little influence on these emotional and physical disturbances according to transactional model of stress.BORDEAUX2-BU Sci.Homme/Odontol. (330632102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Obésité et addictions alimentaires : l'apport de l'étude du comportement et des neurosciences illustré au travers du projet Hed-O-Shift

National audienc

Predictors of Short-Term Alcohol Drinking in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospective Study in Three Addiction Outpatient Centers in France

International audienceThe present study investigates the extent to which the COVID-19 crisis disturbed different life domains of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and assessed the associations between these disturbances and the risk of short-term alcohol drinking. All patients aged >18 years receiving outpatient care at three addiction treatment facilities from 15 April to 30 May 2021 were eligible for inclusion in the study. A trained resident assessed the extent to which the COVID-19 crisis affected their professional activity, social life, access to healthcare, and drinking problems, together with craving, drinking behavior, psychological distress, physical/mental health, and sociodemographic and clinical data. The same investigator assessed alcohol drinking 1 month after their visit. Nearly half of the patients felt that the COVID-19 crisis had a serious impact on their drinking problems, despite minor disruptions in access to healthcare. These disturbances significantly influenced short-term alcohol drinking in univariate analysis, together with psychological distress, craving, and drinking problems. Only craving predicted alcohol drinking in multivariate analyses, suggesting that psychological and drinking problems, as well as COVID-19 disturbances, increased the risk of alcohol drinking by increasing craving. Craving should be systematically investigated in patients with AUD to establish adapted social support systems during pandemics