Presence of Depression Is Associated with Functional Impairment in Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese Adults with Vascular Disease/Diabetes Mellitus—A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: The association between chronic diseases and depression has received increasing attention, and are both considered to increase the risk of functional impairment. However, previous research evidence is controversial. Our study aimed to investigate the association between depression, three types of vascular disease (i.e., hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke), diabetes mellitus, and functional impairment in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people. Methods: We designed a cross sectional study. Data were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2018. Logistic regression models were used to explore the association between independent variables and functional status. Results: Lower functional status was significantly associated with comorbid depression and vascular disease/diabetes mellitus (Activity of Daily Living/Instrumental Activity of Daily Living: Adjusted OR of Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, Myocardial infarction, Stroke is 3.86/4.30, 3.80/4.38, 3.60/4.14, 6.62/7.72, respectively; all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Depression is associated with functional decline in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals with vascular disease/diabetes mellitus. Identifying mediational factors and preventative strategies to reduce concurrent depression in persons with vascular diseases should be a priority therapeutic vista

A Review of Potential Neuropathological Changes Associated with Ketamine

Expert Opinion on Drug Safety216813-83

A narrative review of non-racemic amisulpride (SEP-4199) for treatment of depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder and LB-102 for treatment of schizophrenia

Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology16111085-109

Dissecting Causal Associations of Diet-Derived Circulating Antioxidants with Six Major Mental Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Although observational studies have suggested associations between circulating antioxidants and many mental disorders, causal inferences have not been confirmed. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted using summary-level statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to explore whether genetically determined absolute circulating antioxidants (i.e., ascorbate, retinol, β-carotene, and lycopene) and metabolites (i.e., α- and γ-tocopherol, ascorbate, and retinol) were causally associated with the risk of six major mental disorders, including anxiety disorders (AD), major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BIP), schizophrenia (SCZ), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). MR analyses were performed per specific-outcome databases, including the largest GWAS published to date (from 9725 for OCD to 413,466 for BIP participants), UK Biobank (over 370,000 participants), and FinnGen (over 270,000 participants), followed by meta-analyses. We found no significant evidence that genetically determined diet-derived circulating antioxidants were significantly causally associated with the risk of the six above-mentioned major mental disorders. For absolute antioxidant levels, the odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 0.91 (95% CI, 0.67–1.23) for the effect of β-carotene on OCD to 1.18 (95% CI, 0.90–1.54) for the effect of ascorbate on OCD. Similarly, for antioxidant metabolites, ORs ranged from 0.87 (95% CI, 0.55–1.38) for the effect of ascorbate on MDD to 1.08 (95% CI, 0.88–1.33) for the effect of ascorbate on OCD. Our study does not support significant causal associations of genetically determined diet-derived circulating antioxidants with the risk of major mental disorders

Social Isolation, Loneliness and Generalized Anxiety: Implications and Associations during the COVID-19 Quarantine

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a predominantly global quarantine response that has been associated with social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety. The foregoing experiences have been amply documented to have profound impacts on health, morbidity, and mortality. This narrative review uses the extant neurobiological and theoretical literature to explore the association between social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety in the context of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that distinct health issues (e.g., a sedentary lifestyle, a diminished overall sense of well-being) are associated with social isolation and loneliness. The health implications of social isolation and loneliness during quarantine have a heterogenous and comorbid nature and, as a result, form a link to anxiety. The limbic system plays a role in fear and anxiety response; the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, HPA axis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, insula, and locus coeruleus have an impact in a prolonged anxious state. In the conclusion, possible solutions are considered and remarks are made on future areas of exploration

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.621773Frontiers in Psychiatry1162177

The Effect of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundMany people living with major depressive disorder (MDD) in China do not receive treatment owing to a lack of mental health services, along with significant stigma toward mental illness. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) has been proposed to increase access to mental health care for people with MDD. ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the efficacy of ICBT for depressive symptoms in patients with MDD; (2) evaluate the effect of ICBT on anxiety symptoms, nonspecific psychological distress, general self-efficacy, depression stigma, social function, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL); and (3) explore the acceptability of and satisfaction with the ICBT program among participants. MethodsPatients with MDD were enrolled and randomized to the ICBT group or the waiting-list control (WLC) group. The ICBT group received ICBT delivered through a WeChat mini-program with general support by nonspecialists. Participants in the 2 groups were self-evaluated online at baseline and posttreatment for changes in the primary outcome (ie, depressive symptoms) and secondary outcomes (ie, anxiety symptoms, nonspecific psychological distress, general self-efficacy, depression stigma, social functional impairment, and HRQoL). Changes in outcomes were measured by changes in overall scores on respective scales, and response and remission rates were calculated based on depressive symptoms. The acceptability of and satisfaction with the ICBT program were measured by treatment adherence and participants’ feelings (ie, modules seriously completed, perceived benefit, and satisfaction). ResultsWe included 40 patients who were randomly assigned to the ICBT group and 44 who were assigned to the WLC group. Compared with the WLC group, the ICBT group had fewer depressive symptoms, fewer anxiety symptoms, less nonspecific psychological distress, and greater general self-efficacy. Moreover, the ICBT group had higher response (18/31, 58%) and remission rates (17/31, 55%). The adherence rate in the ICBT group was 78% (31/40), and the majority of participants who completed all ICBT modules were satisfied with the ICBT program. ConclusionsICBT demonstrated greater improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, nonspecific psychological distress, and general self-efficacy among selected patients with MDD in comparison with the findings in waiting-list controls. The ICBT program in this study had good acceptability and satisfaction among participants. Trial RegistrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100046425); https://tinyurl.com/bdcrj4z

Longitudinal Association between Stressful Life Events and Suicidal Ideation in Adults with Major Depression Disorder: The Mediating Effects of Insomnia Symptoms

Stressful life events (SLEs) and suicidal ideation (SI) are prevalent in persons with major depression disorder (MDD). Less is known about the underlying role of insomnia symptoms in the association between SLEs and SI. This three-wave prospective cohort study sought to investigate the longitudinal association among SLEs, insomnia symptoms, and SI in persons with MDD. The study population included 511 persons with MDD (mean [SD] age, 28.7 [6.7] years; 67.1% were females). Generalized estimated equations (GEEs) were utilized to explore prospective association among exposure of SLEs, insomnia symptoms, and SI. Additionally, a structural equation model (SEM) was employed to estimate the longitudinal mediating effect of insomnia symptoms in the relationship between SLEs and SI. Our study demonstrated that cumulative SLEs were determined to be longitudinally associated with SI in persons with MDD. We further observed that the association between SLEs and SI was significantly mediated by insomnia symptoms. Clinicians assessing persons with MDD, especially those with the history of SLE, could carefully evaluate and promptly treat insomnia symptoms as part of personalized assessment of their depressive illness, thereby achieving early prevention and intervention for suicidal behaviors in persons with MDD

Suicide reduction in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons informing national prevention strategies for suicide reduction

10.1177/01410768211043186Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine11410473-47

Data_Sheet_1_Prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress in war- and conflict-afflicted areas: A meta-analysis.docx

BackgroundWith the rise of fragility, conflict and violence (FCV), understanding the prevalence and risk factors associated with mental disorders is beneficial to direct aid to vulnerable groups. To better understand mental disorders depending on the population and the timeframe, we performed a systematic review to investigate the aggregate prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms among both civilian and military population exposed to war.MethodsWe used MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Embase to identify studies published from inception or 1–Jan, 1945 (whichever earlier), to 31–May, 2022, to reporting on the prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms using structured clinical interviews and validated questionnaires as well as variables known to be associated with prevalence to perform meta-regression. We then used random-effects bivariate meta-analysis models to estimate the aggregate prevalence rate.ResultsThe aggregate prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress during times of conflict or war were 28.9, 30.7, and 23.5%, respectively. Our results indicate a significant difference in the levels of depression and anxiety, but not post-traumatic stress, between the civilian group and the military group respectively (depression 34.7 vs 21.1%, p 2 = 98.1%), while the aggregate prevalence of depression post-wars was 29.1% (95% CI: 24.7–33.9, I2 = 99.2%). The aggregate prevalence of anxiety during the wars was 43.4% (95% CI: 27.5–60.7, I2 = 98.6%), while the aggregate prevalence of anxiety post-wars was 30.3% (95% CI: 24.5–36.9, I2 = 99.2%). The subgroup analysis showed significant difference in prevalence of depression, and anxiety between the civilians and military group (p ConclusionThe aggregate prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress in populations experiencing FCV are 28.9, 30.7, and 23.5%, respectively. There is a significant difference in prevalence of depression and anxiety between civilians and the military personnels. Our results show that there is a significant difference in the prevalence of depression and anxiety among individuals in areas affected by FCV during the wars compared to after the wars. Overall, these results highlight that mental health in times of conflict is a public health issue that cannot be ignored, and that appropriate aid made available to at risk populations can reduce the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms during time of FCV.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=337486, Identifier 337486.</p