6 research outputs found
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Background: Numerous studies have suggested that 54%-100% of patients with IBS may have associated psychiatric illness and
personality pathology. This transversal controlled study was realized in order to evaluate anxiety and depression levels, as well as
the personality characteristics of patients with IBS and to compare the results obtained with patients with episodes of depression and
healthy individuals.
Subjects and methods: The experimental group consisted of 30 IBS patients, while two control groups consisted of the same
number of inpatients with episodes of depression and healthy individuals from the general population. There were equal number of
men and women in the study sample and all subjects were aged between 25 to 65 years. Standard psychometric instruments
employed included Hamilton anxiety scale, Zung depression scale, Hamilton depression scale, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory (MMPI), Eysenck Perosonality Inventory (EPI).
Results: The average Hamilton and Zung depression scores were significantly higher in patients with depressive episodes
compared with the IBS patients, while the mentioned scores among them were also significantly higher compared with the healthy
controls. There were no significant differences between IBS and the group with depressive episodes in the average Hamilton anxiety
levels, EPI neuroticism and extraversion levels and MMPI neurotic scales levels (Hs, D, and Hy). The significant differences were
observed comparing the IBS patients to healthy individuals.
Conclusion: The patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome who asked for medical help (consulters) because of their
intestinal symptoms, presented emotional problems such as depression and anxiety and expressed neurotic personality
characteristics
Depression in the Perinatal Period: Course and Outcome of Depression in the Period from the Last Trimester of Pregnancy to One Year after Delivery in Primiparous Mothers
Background and Objectives: One of the most significant psychiatric problems in women is depression related to the perinatal period. Our study aims to determine the frequency and course of depressive symptomatology in the perinatal period with particular reference to objective rate and outcome of postpartum depression. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-eight pregnant/postnatal women were included in a prospective, longitudinal, observational study during which the depressive symptomatology was estimated at the third trimester of pregnancy, and the first, sixth, and twelfth month‚ postpartum. All participants completed a semi-structured sociodemographic questionnaire constructed for research purposes, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and The Mood Disorder Questionnaire at each time point. Postpartum depression diagnosis was confirmed by a trained and certified psychiatrist with long-standing experience. For a better understanding of the trajectory of depressive symptomatology and genuine postpartum depression, we classified depression into those with new-onset and those left over from the previous observation period. Results: In general, 48.9% of participants in the study were depressed at some point during the investigation. A total of 10.6% of women were depressed in the third trimester. The highest percentage of new-onset depression (25%) was in the first month after giving birth and was maintained for up to six months, after which the appearance was sporadic. Most of the postpartum depression resolved in the period from the first month to the sixth month after childbirth (20.7%). The episodes mainly had characteristics of unipolar depression. Conclusions: Our results imply that a new onset of depression is most intensive during the first six months, and after that, it is sporadic. Further studies are needed to explore whether all depressive symptomatology in the postnatal period is the same, or perhaps postpartum depression, classified in this way, has specific characteristics, etiology, and consequently different treatment and preventive options
Risk Factors and Predictive Value of Depression and Anxiety in Cervical Cancer Patients
Background and Objectives: Women with cervical cancer may experience depression or anxiety, influencing their quality of life and even their adherence to cancer treatments. This study aimed to explore and measure the levels of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from cervical cancer and to identify the possible predictors among known risk factors such as age, cancer stage, smoking status, number of partners, use of contraceptives, and annual gynecological visits. Materials and Methods: In total, 59 patients with cervical cancer were included. A consecutive sampling method was used to select participants in this research. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Zung Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Zung Depression Scale (SDS). The subjects were divided into three groups, according to the stage of cancer. Results: Scores of depression and anxiety were increased in all recruited cervical cancer patients. A significant correlation was found between disease stage and the scores of depression (p = 0.002) and anxiety (p = 0.016). More severe depressive symptoms correlated to a more advanced stage of the disease. A multiple linear regression showed that disease stage and annual visits to the gynecologist are the risk factors associated with higher depression scores. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer are a vulnerable group for the development of the psychiatric disorders and they require screening programs, which could potentially detect candidates for co-psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. They demand particular attention because anxiety and depression are associated with the significant burden of the underlying disease and unfavorable survival rates
Risk Factors and Predictive Value of Depression and Anxiety in Cervical Cancer Patients
Background and Objectives: Women with cervical cancer may experience depression or anxiety, influencing their quality of life and even their adherence to cancer treatments. This study aimed to explore and measure the levels of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from cervical cancer and to identify the possible predictors among known risk factors such as age, cancer stage, smoking status, number of partners, use of contraceptives, and annual gynecological visits. Materials and Methods: In total, 59 patients with cervical cancer were included. A consecutive sampling method was used to select participants in this research. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Zung Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Zung Depression Scale (SDS). The subjects were divided into three groups, according to the stage of cancer. Results: Scores of depression and anxiety were increased in all recruited cervical cancer patients. A significant correlation was found between disease stage and the scores of depression (p = 0.002) and anxiety (p = 0.016). More severe depressive symptoms correlated to a more advanced stage of the disease. A multiple linear regression showed that disease stage and annual visits to the gynecologist are the risk factors associated with higher depression scores. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer are a vulnerable group for the development of the psychiatric disorders and they require screening programs, which could potentially detect candidates for co-psychiatric and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. They demand particular attention because anxiety and depression are associated with the significant burden of the underlying disease and unfavorable survival rates