Satisfaction and attitude of bipolar patients regarding electroconvulsive therapy: Modified or unmodified

Objective: Ministry of Health of Turkey issued a legislation to use only modified electroconvulsivetherapy (ECT) in 2005, and this study aimed to assess satisfaction and attitude of bipolar patientsregarding modified and unmodified electroconvulsive therapy.Methods: A total of 100 patients (50 treated with modified electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) and 50treated with unmodified ECT (UM-ECT) with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (depressive or manic episode)were invited to participate in this study. Patients with euthymic mood were included.Satisfaction and attitude towards ECT were evaluated with a structured attitude questionnaire, and MECTand UM-ECT patients, and their subgroups (depressive vs. manic) were compared.Results: No significant differences were found between M-ECT and UM-ECT groups regarding age, sex,marital status and occupation. The majority of all patients (78%) were satisfied from treatment withECT and with the outcome (88%), without significant differences between modified and unmodifiedgroups. Forgetfulness (70%) and headaches (57%) occurred in all groups, with the only significant differencein forgetfulness being reported by more manic patients treated with UM-ECT. Depressive andmanic patients treated with UM-ECT reported concerns of brain damage and physical harm significantlymore frequently. While 86% of patients treated with M-ECT consented to a future treatment,this was significantly less in patients treated with UM-ECT (50%).Conclusions: Bipolar patients report a high degree of satisfaction treated either with modified orunmodified ECT but there was a significant difference in perception of adverse effects and willingnessfor receiving ECT in future

A Comparison of Quality of Life in Patients with Alexithymic and Non-Alexithymic Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Report

Purpose: The impairment the quality of life in schizophrenia should be seen as a public health problem rather than a psychiatric approach. The aim of this study was to improve the life quality of the patients with schizophrenia in terms of providing a different approach in order to examine the alexithymia. Material and Methods: This study was conducted with patients who were treated a outpatients in Erenkoy Mental and Nervous Diseases Training and Research Hospital Psychotic Disorders and Schizophrenia Outpatient Clinic. The data collection form, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF-TR) and the 20- item Toronto Alexithymia Scale were administered to 152 patients with schizophrenia who accepted to participate in this study. Results: The life quality of the alexithymic patients with schizophrenia compared to non-alexithymic patients with schizophrenia, in all sub-scales were found to be statistically significantly lower. Conclusion: When the individuals with schizophrenia were divided into two groups as alexithymia or non-alexithymia, it was observed that the group with alexithymia was affected adversely in all areas of life quality. It was stated alexithymia caused an unexpected progress in schizophrenia. [Cukurova Med J 2015; 40(1.000): 107-112

Attitudes toward COVID-19 pandemic measures and clinical symptom severity in schizophrenia patients: a preliminary cross-sectional study

Objectives The study aim was to compare clinical symptom severity and quality of life (QoL) among schizophrenia patients according to their attitudes toward pandemic measures and reported lockdown-related disruption. Methods Patients with schizophrenia attending follow-up sessions at two community mental health centers were included in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients were assessed using a standardized form and the following psychometric instruments: the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Heinrich–Carpenter Quality of Life Scale and Clinical Global Impressions Ratings-Severity scale. Patients were grouped according to their attitudes toward pandemic measures (positive attitudes or non-positive attitudes). Results No significant differences were found in sociodemographic and clinical variables, clinical symptom severity or QoL between schizophrenia patients with positive attitudes and those without positive attitudes toward pandemic measures. Guilt feelings and trait anxiety levels were positively related to lockdown-related disruption. Conclusions Positive attitudes toward pandemic measures may be affected by factors other than the sociodemographic and clinical status of schizophrenia patients. It is important that such factors are assessed in future studies to better manage pandemic-related challenges among schizophrenia patients

Impulsivity in bipolar disorder

WOS: 000270343400006Objective: Impulsivity as an important component in the initiation of behavior plays a central role in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. The association between bipolar disorder and impulsivity has been clearly presented; however, there are still contradictory findings about the presence of impulsivity in bipolar patients during inter-episodic periods and whether it presents a risk factor for the development of multiple mood episodes (depressive, manic or mixed). The aim of this study was to assess the presence of impulsivity and the relationship with impulsivity-related characteristics in patients with bipolar disorder, Methods: The study was carried out in the Psychiatry Clinics of Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine and Erenkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases. All consecutive patients gave written informed consent. The study group was composed of 60 consecutive bipolar disorder patients (29 female, 31 male) whereas the healthy control group consisted of 60 subjects (32 female, 28 male). The subjects were evaluated by using the Turkish version of the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated Form (EPQR-A), Aggressions Questionnaire (AQ), Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and sociodemographic data form. Results: The two groups were similar to each other in means of gender ratio, age, marital and economical status except for education period. In the bipolar disorder group, the scores of impulsivity, aggression, dimensions of personality and anger were significantly higher than other groups. Correlations between scores of all scales were also significant. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that patients with bipolar disorder still present impulsive traits in interepisodic remission period. There were also significant correlations between impulsivity and other related-characteristics like aggression and anger. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2009; 10:198-203

Impulsivity in bipolar disorder

Amaç: Dürtüsellik, davranışın başlatılmasının bir bileşeni olarak, duygudurum bozukluklarının etiyopatogenezinde merkezi rol oynamaktadır. Bipolar bozukluğun dürtüsellikle olan ilişkisi açıkça gösterilmiş olmakla birlikte, dönemler arasında (inter-episode/remisyon) dürtüsellik varlığının, izleyen herhangi bir duygudurum döneminin gelişmesinde hangi ölçüde risk oluşturduğu hala açıklığa kavuşmamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bipolar bozukluk hastalarında dürtüselliğin varlığını, şiddetini ve dürtüsellik ile ilgili klinik özelliklerle ilişkisini araştırmaktır. Yöntem: Çalışma, bipolar bozukluk tanısıyla Çukurova Üniversitesi Balcalı Hastanesi ve Erenköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Psikiyatri Kliniği’ne ardışık olarak ayaktan başvuran ve çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden 60 hasta (29 kadın, 31 erkek) ile yürütüldü. Kontrol grubu, yaş ve cinsiyet olarak eşleştirilmiş 60 sağlıklı kişiden (32 kadın, 28 erkek) oluşturuldu. Hastalara, Türkçeye uyarlanmış Barratt Dürtüsellik Ölçeği-11 (BIS-11), Eysenck Kişilik Anketi-Gözden Geçirilmiş Kısaltılmış Formu, Agresyon Ölçeği, Spielberger Sürekli-Öfke ve Öfke İfade Tarzı Ölçeği ile demografik bilgi toplama formu verildi. Bulgular: Gruplar eğitim yılı dışında yaş, cinsiyet, medeni durum ve ekonomik durum açısından birbirine benzer yapıda idi. Bipolar bozukluk grubunda dürtüsellik, agresyon, kişilik özellikleri ve öfke puanları sağlıklı kontrol grubundan anlamlı ölçüde yüksek bulundu. Ölçekler arasında korelasyon anlamlılık düzeyindeydi. Tartışma: Bulgularımız, ataklar arasındaki iyilik dönemlerinde de bipolar bozukluk hastalarının dürtüselliklerinin fazla olduğunu göstermektedir. Hastaların dürtüsel özellikleri agresyon, kişilik özellikleri ve öfke ile yoğun ilişki halindedir.Objective: Impulsivity as an important component in the initiation of behavior plays a central role in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. The association between bipolar disorder and impulsivity has been clearly presented; however, there are still contradictory findings about the presence of impulsivity in bipolar patients during inter-episodic periods and whether it presents a risk factor for the development of multiple mood episodes (depressive, manic or mixed). The aim of this study was to assess the presence of impulsivity and the relationship with impulsivity-related characteristics in patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: The study was carried out in the Psychiatry Clinics of Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine and Erenköy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases. All consecutive patients gave written informed consent. The study group was composed of 60 consecutive bipolar disorder patients (29 female, 31 male) whereas the healthy control group consisted of 60 subjects (32 female, 28 male). The subjects were evaluated by using the Turkish version of the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated Form (EPQR-A), Aggressions Questionnaire (AQ), Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and sociodemographic data form. Results: The two groups were similar to each other in means of gender ratio, age, marital and economical status except for education period. In the bipolar disorder group, the scores of impulsivity, aggression, dimensions of personality and anger were significantly higher than other groups. Correlations between scores of all scales were also significant. Conclu- sion: The present findings suggest that patients with bipolar disorder still present impulsive traits in interepisodic remission period. There were also significant correlations between impulsivity and other related-characteristics like aggression and anger