Factors Associated with Depression in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most frequent comorbid psychiatric condition associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of current depression in OCD, differences in socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms between OCD patients with and without depression. Additionally, factors associated with comorbid depression were investigated in our study. Methods: In total, 140 OCD patients, of which 63 were OCD patients with MDD (OCD+MDD, n=63) and 77 were OCD patients without depression (OCD-MDD, n=77) were included in the study. All patients were diagnosed with OCD using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Beck Depression Scale were administered to all patients. After the socio-demographic and clinical variables and scales were accomplished, the OCD patients divided into two groups as OCD with or without depression and we compared their mean scores of the variables and scales. Univariate analyses were followed by logistic regression. Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, marital status, period without treatment, profession, medical and family history, and social support between the two groups. Anxiety, depression, and obsession and compulsion scores were significantly higher in the OCD+MDD group. The avoidance, insight, instability, and retardation scores of the OCD+MDD group were also significantly higher than those of the OCD-MDD group. Conclusion: Our study suggests that many factors are strongly associated with depression in OCD. Positive correlations between poor insight, severity of obsession and compulsion, and stressful life events during the last six months increased the risk of depression in OCD. Our study suggests that high level of avoidance, instability and retardation, history of suicidal attempt, and delayed treatment are other notable factors associated with the development of depression in OCD

Social Anxiety Level in Adult Patients With Epilepsy and Their First-Degree Cohabiting Relatives

Epilepsy affects not only the patient but also the patient's cohabiting relatives, to various degrees. This study investigated state and trait anxiety, depression, and social fear and avoidance levels in 48 adult patients with epilepsy and 48 family members, compared with 43 healthy control subjects, using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. The results suggested that the patients and their first-degree relatives had higher levels of depression, state and trait anxiety, and avoidance compared with healthy subjects. The mothers of patients with epilepsy had the highest level of depression and anxiety

Correlation Between Life Events and Quality of Life in Patients with Medication-Overuse Headache

Introduction: The present study aimed to determine (a) the correlation between type and number of stressful life events and quality of life in patients with medication-overuse headache (MOH) and (b) whether stressful life events could be attributed to medication overuse and the conversion of headache to a chronic type. Methods: The present study included 114 patients aged between 15 and 65 years who met the criteria for headache classification of International Headache Society (IHS). The patients were divided into three groups according to the revised 2004 IHS classification; MOH (n= 64), chronic migraine (n=25) and episodic migraine (n=25). Detailed data on clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded. Neurological and physical examinations were performed for differential diagnosis. The patients underwent structured clinical interviews for DSM-IV Inventory (SCID-I), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Life Events List. Scores of these inventories were statistically compared. Results: Comparing MOH group with episodic migraine group via SF36, statistically significant decreases were observed in the subscales of physical role limitation (p=.024), pain (p=.0001), general health (p=.043) and social functioning (p=.004). There was a statistically significant correlation between the number of life events and the time the disease became chronic in the patient group with non-MOH chronic migraine (p=.027). Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was observed between stressful family life events and the body pain subscale of quality of life scale (p=.038). Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that stressful life events impair quality of life in patients with MOH. It was also found that number of stressful life events could be attributed to the conversion of headache to a chronic type

Evaluation of Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Medication Overuse Headache

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and relationship between childhood maltreatment (CMT) among patients with medication overuse headache (MOH) and to investigate whether CMT is associated with medication overuse in patients having headaches or with headaches that become chronic. Epidemiological studies report a relationship between childhood abuse and headache. There is growing knowledge about the evidence that childhood maltreatment leads to neurobiological sequel. Medication overuse is the most important problem for migraine to become chronic. But in the literature, there was no information about the role of childhood abuse in MOH and for migraine to become chronic. Methods: A total of 116 patients with headache, aged from 15 to 65 years, were included in the study. Patients having chronic migraine (CM), MOH and episodic migraine (EM) were selected out of patients presented to the headache outpatient clinic. Types of headache were determined according to the revised International Headache Society (IHS) criteria published in 2004. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were performed. Presence of psychiatric co-morbidities was evaluated by a clinician using Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Fourth Edition. Results: A total of 116 patients with headache were included in the study. Of patients, 64 had MOH, 25 had CM and 27 had EM. The prevalence of CMT, particularly emotional neglect (62%), physical neglect (44%) and emotional abuse (36.2%), was determined higher in all headache groups. There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence of childhood maltreatment between MOH, CM and EM groups. No statistically significant difference was detected between educational status, psychiatric co-morbidities and childhood trauma, except for physical neglect. Conclusion: Childhood maltreatment was observed in MOH as in other forms of migraine and headache. However, no significant difference was observed between the three groups of patients with headache

Predictors of posttraumatic stress in children and adolescents

We investigated the association between PTSD symptom levels and sociodemographic characteristics, earthquake survival, and related losses, and post-earthquake life events 4 years after two major earthquakes in Turkey in a sample of children and adolescents who emigrated from the devastated area. The study subjects consisted of 1999 earthquake survivors who moved to Ankara, Turkey, at the time of the study. The inclusion criteria included age ranging from 8 to 18 years and the absence of a serious cognitive or mental disorder that would interfere with response to self-report questionnaires. Regarding the earthquake experiences, unexpectedly, the findings indicate a significant association between posttraumatic stress, depression, fear and avoidance symptoms and only one of five subscales of Earthquake Experiences Scale, namely Functionality, even after controlling for the post-earthquake life events. Impact of earthquake was not found to predict psychological symptoms. Children and adolescents' subjective perception of the earthquake was an associated factor with higher posttraumatic stress and depression scores. Impact of earthquake was not found to predict psychological symptoms. We conclude that the level of PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents who survived a major earthquake is determined by the negative impact of the trauma on functionality and the degree of subjective negative perception about earthquake. Additional studies of PTSD in survivors of other types of major trauma are required to provide the interventions most effective for those individuals.PTSD Children and adolescents

The impact role of childhood traumas and life events in patients with alopecia aerate and psoriasis

© 2014, Ismail Volkan Şahiner et al.Background: Alopecia areata (AA) and psoriasis are common dermatological diseases which may be associated with psychosomatic origin. Close relationship with stressful life events has been shown both AA and psoriasis in previous studies. Dermatologic diseases which are thought to be psychosomatic origin are not examined about childhood traumas except AA. In the literature there is no study that investigates both stressful life events with childhood trauma in healthy indiviudals and dermatological diseases with psychosomatic origin such as AA and psoriasis. Objective: To determine whether stressful life events and childhood traumas play a role in AA is the first aim of this study. If it is, will this role specific for AA as a second aim? The patients with psoriasis and healthy individuals were also investigated too. Methods: Patients (range: 18-70 years of age) with a diagnosis of AA and psoriasis who admitted to Dermatology Outpatient Department of Baskent University Medical Faculty between August 2009 and July 2010 were recorded and analyzed for our study. Healthy individuals without past or present psychiatric symptoms proven by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) as control group were selected randomize. Forty patients with AA, 30 patients with psoriasis, and 50 healthy subjects as controls were stratified as three individual groups. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Life Events Checklist, The Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory and socio demographic data questionnaire were administered to the participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results: The rate of childhood traumatic events, the stressful life events, anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher in both AA and psoriasis group than healthy controls. Significant difference was not found between AA and psoriasis patients. Conclusion: Childhood traumas and stressful life events may play a role in the pathogenesis of AA. In addition, this role may also apply to other psychosomatic diseases as psoriasis. This result may let us understand the role of past and present psychological stressors in the etiology of dermatologic psychosomatic diseases. Psycho dermatologic new approaches are needed to evaluate stressful life events and childhood traumas