bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P01-255 - Maternal Postpartum Depression in Association with Autistic Traits in the Offspring
Authors: Salvanos P. , Sylvén S.M. , Papathoma E. , Petridou E.T. , Skalkidou A.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

Postpartum depression is a common but yet under diagnosed condition that affects new mothers but has also been linked to psycho-emotional and developmental difficulties in the offspring. Autistic disorder is a severe developmental disorder that has a much better prognosis when diagnosed early. The aim of this study was to examine the possible association between maternal postpartum depression and the presence of autistic traits in the offspring.

Methods

We undertook a longitudinal study in Athens, Greece, following a cohort of 291 women with questionnaires for 24 months after delivery. The women filled out the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at six and twelve months postpartum and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) at around 18 months after delivery. Both questionnaires are used as screening tools, using a cut-off of 12/30 for the EPDS and 3/23 for the M-CHAT.

Results

95 women who had filled out both the EPDS at 12 months postpartum as well as the M-CHAT were included in the analyses. Self-reported postpartum depression in the mother at 12 months postpartum was strongly associated with the presence of autistic traits in the offspring at 18 months of age (OR= 5.24, 95% CIs 1.15-23.79).

Conclusions

Maternal postpartum depression was found to be associated with the presence of autistic traits in the offspring at 18 months of age. These findings stress the need for early identification of postpartum depression cases and careful follow up of both mother and offspring.
P01-256 - Long-term influence of rats with newborn fluoxetine exposure at different period
Authors: Tang J. , Wang G. , Liu Z. , Shu C.
Published: June 2010

Objective

To evaluate newborn fluoxetine exposure at different period on development and behavior of adult rats.

Methods

Male rat pups were randomized to be treated once daily with fluoxetine(s.c.) or saline(s.c.) during postnatal day 1∼7 and postnatal day 8∼21. Recorded the body weight. Starting at 90 days of age, all rats were tested with several experimental facilities, including open field test, elevated-plus maze, novelty- suppressed feeding test and forced swim test.

Results

:

1

Weight gain of rats with fluoxetine exposure during postnatal day 1∼7 were lower than controls (P<0.05).

2

Exploratory behavior decreased and depression anxiety behavior increased in adult rats with neonatal fluoxetine exposure (P<0.05), and more severe with postnatal day 1∼7 exposure (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Newborn fluoxetine exposure may result badness weight gain and depression anxiety behavior in adult rats, and the earlier exposure may accompany the larger risk.
P01-258 - Child OCD- Therapeutic Approach. A Case Report
Authors: Tsitsi P. , Roboti P. , Voura N. , Papanikolaou K. , Angelidis G.F.
Published: June 2010

Objective

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions, actions which disrupt everyday functioning, and is frequently recognized in youth. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely recommended as first-line pharmacotherapy.

The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate Escitalopram monotherapy in juvenile with OCD.

Method/material

The material used comes from the archives of the Child/Adolescent Clinic of the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) of Katerini, Greece.

Discussion/results

A 9-year-old child was referred to the Child/Adolescent Clinic of the CMHC. The patient presented unwelcome repeated thoughts that induced anxiety symptoms while at the same time he performed several actions (compulsions) to neutralize his obsessions. From his history, a mood disorder episode was described at simultaneously with the onset of OCD. Then, the patient was admitted in a General Hospital (for a month) and was treated with Fluoxetine on and off for several years. Due to relapse of the symptoms, Risperidone was introduced (1mg/day). The scheme was not beneficial enough, so another SSRI (Escitalopram) was initiated while Risperidone was withdrawn gradually. Six months after the initiation of Escitalopram, the patient's situation is stable, the obsessions and compulsions have been restricted and he appears in better mood.

Conclusions

Monotherapy with Escitalopram seems to provide significant levels of symptomatic improvement in cases of OCD in juvenile producing effective results to this young patient.
P01-259 - Supporting the Neonatal Intensive Care Parent - Research into Parental Supports and Perceptions of the Intensive Care Experience in Australia
Authors: Turner M.
Published: June 2010

Objective

In 2008 a new support group based on psycho-educational principles, attachment theory and neurodevelopmental practice, began at the Womens and Childrens Hospital (WCH) in South Australia. This group caters for parents, grandparents and other carers, who have children in neonatal intensive care and special care nurseries.

2 years of research have been done to evalaute the parent experience of neonatal intensive care and the support networks available for parents.

Method

Qualitative interviews have been performed with parents who have attended the group. The 1st set taken when their babies were in the nursery and then 5 months post discharge. Interviews with nursing staff who work within the nursery were also completed in 2009. A survey study using the PSS-NICU is underway at present and will conclude in late 2010.

Results

The parent interviews were reviewed with framework analysisand indicated a number of themes. The main theme was the loss of control of the parental relationship and the distress at sharing their child with nursing staff. Nursing staff interviews were analysed with framework analysis and the main theme was of chronic parental distress and difficulties managing the parental grief.

Conclusions

These results indicate that psychological support should be focussed on 1. the attachment relationship in trauma and 2.dealing with grief at deviating from the normal parenting experience. These results were used to provide modifications to our parent group and to structure education and support for nursing staff in the intensive care unit.
P01-261 - Felt Security and Suicidality in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents
Authors: Zanussi U. , Cawthorpe D. , Wilkes T.C.R.
Published: June 2010

Introduction

Attachment theory offers both a conceptual framework and an empirical basis for understanding the development of parent-child relationships and their contribution to individual psychosocial adaptation across the life cycle. Although no existing model adequately predicts suicide, family relationship problems are increasingly implicated in the etiology of adolescent suicidal behaviour.

Objectives

We sought to examine the association between felt attachment security and a history of suicidal behaviour among a group of adolescents in psychiatric treatment.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between felt attachment security and a history of suicidal behaviour among 122 hospitalized adolescents. Felt security (as measured by the validated Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire) has been defined as one's perception of the availability and responsiveness of an attachment figure.

Results

Compared to others, the group coded as both depressed and suicidal had significantly higher scores on the AAQ subscales of ‘perceived unavailability’ and ‘angry distress’, as well as higher comorbidity and lower self-esteem compared to non-suicidal, non-depressed adolescents. The model accounted for approximately 50% of the observed variance.

Conclusions

Attachment theory integrates ethological and psychoanalytic principles in describing the origins and growth of human personality. It provides a coherent framework for understanding adolescent suicidality.
P01-410 - Stress-related, Self-inflicted Wounds During On-line Gaming: Diagnosis, Co-morbidity and Treatment
Authors: Siomos K. , Floros G. , Braimiotis D. , Lappas A. , Karagiannaki-Kastani I.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

The purpose of this presentation is to describe two cases of teenage addiction to on-line gaming where the subjects required medical attention due to unintentional, self-inflicted injuries to the tongue and upper lip during the course of the game.

Methods

Case study of two teenage boys, both aged 15, who attended the Specialized Outpatient Unit for Internet and PC Addiction in our Clinic, due to incessant on-line video-gaming that had a number of detrimental effects to their well-being.

Results

The first teenager had repeatedly bitten his tongue due to stress experienced during gaming while the second had bitten his upper lip. In both cases their injuries required emergency medical assistance and thorough examinations for other possible causes (e.g spasms) for their injuries were negative. The first teenager was diagnosed with Internet Addiction Disorder and separation anxiety - pathological attachment to mother, he scored 78 on WISC-III. A behavioral intervention for separation anxiety and a CBT program for IAD was successful; his on-line gaming was limited to 2 hours/day on follow-up. The second teenager was diagnosed with IAD and co-morbid depressive disorder. Fluoxetine (30mg/day) was initiated and his mood improved while his computer usage time fell from 16 to 4 hours/day. A CBT program was initiated and he's under treatment with good progress.

Conclusions

Teenagers addicted to on-line gaming can experience severe stress which they may instinctively attempt to alleviate with self-inflicted wounds. Co-morbidity with other psychiatric disorders should be carefully assessed. Treatment can be pharmaceutical or psychotherapeutic.
P01-264 - Depression, Alcohol Use Disorders and Nicotine Dependence in the General Hospital
Authors: Botega N. , Mitsuushi G.N. , Azevedo R.C.S. , Mauro M.L.F. , Fanger P.C. , Lima D.D. , Silva V.F. , Gaspar K.C.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

To identify prevalence rates and related patient characteristics associated with depression, alcohol use disorders (AUD), and nicotine dependence among individuals admitted to a university general hospital.

Methods

4352 consecutively admitted patients were assessed using the HAD scale and AUDIT. They were also asked on daily cigarette smoking during the previous month. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

56.6% were male. The average age was 49.3. Prevalence rates of depressive disorder, AUD and nicotine dependence were, respectively, 14%, 9.8% and 16.9%. In the multivariate analysis depression was associated with previous suicide attempt (OR = 8.7), less schooling (3.6), prior use of psychotropic medicines (3.1), cancer (1.7) and pain (1.7). AUD were associated with male sex (OR = 6.3), smoking (3.5), admission for an external cause (2.4), mainly road accidents, and previous suicide attempt (2.3). Nicotine dependence was associated with AUD (OR = 3.4), young adulthood (2.3), widowhood (2.2) and previous suicide attempt (1.8).

Conclusions

This is the largest sample of medical and surgical inpatients surveyed by standardized screening instrument, for 13 months, in a Brazilian general hospital. High prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders and respective patient profiles highlight the need to develop more effective methods for detecting and managing these disorders. Hospital admission should be considered a milestone in a person's life from which a psychiatric disorder is detected and specific treatment strategies are implemented.
P01-266 - To assess the Impact of an Alcohol Nurse Specialist on Alcohol Related Referrals to an Irish Liaison Psychiatry Service
Authors: Clancy M. , Cotter D. , MacHale S.
Published: June 2010

Introduction

Referrals for advice regarding treatment of alcohol related disorders form a large component of the liaison psychiatry workload. This study aims to demonstrate whether the addition of an alcohol liaison nurse specialist would decrease the number of patients needed to be seen by psychiatrists.

Methods

In-patient ward referrals were examined over 2 nine month periods. The first nine month period examined all alcohol related referrals when there was no liaison alcohol nurse. In the second period, the nurse was present. Data was analysed using SPSSv15.

Results

A total of 243 referrals were examined over the 18 month period. The number of alcohol related referrals to psychiatrists dropped from 145 to 97 after the arrival of the alcohol nurse. This represented a 33% drop in the number of referrals. The alcohol nurse saw a total of 175 referrals. The psychiatrists saw a higher percentage of delirium tremens, 13.3% increased to 27.7%, p value .009. Also of note, the percentage of female referrals increased from 28.9% of all referrals to 44.3% of all referrals after the arrival of the alcohol nurse p=.027.

Conclusion

The addition of an alcohol nurse specialist led to a substantial drop in the number of alcohol related referrals to psychiatrists allowing additional time to be devoted to other aspects of the liaison psychiatry workload. More patients with delirium tremens and more women are being seen since the introduction of the alcohol nurse. Medical teams have a lower threshold of referral and more hazardous and harmful drinking was identified. Earlier intervention can help decrease longer term morbidity from alcohol.
P01-268 - The Role of Psychostress in Breast Cancer Carcinogenesis
Authors: Djordjevic M. , Sapic R. , Krivokapic Z. , Bojic M.
Published: June 2010

Stress as a risk factor is often taken into consideration in various research studies nowadays. There seems to be an emotional background in developing different diseases.

The aim of the study was to quantify psychostress through a case-control approach.

Methodology

Following the matching in accordance with age, place of living, profession and marital status, 286 cases and 529 controls were interviewed looking for these parametres: death of the family member, an accident with severe consequences, the loss of work, a serious illness of a family member, divorce. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used for relative risk (RR), interval of cofidence (IC), attributive risk (AR), an estimation parametre vector, standard error, standard regressional coefficient, HI square test.

Results

The study shows that the biggest emotional stress is death of child, death of mother, loss of work, disability, all of which were generally experienced two years prior to clinical diagnosis of the disease. RR for the cases is l.9 with the IC l.4 - 2.6 and AR 22%. RR for women in urban areas is higher than for those in rural areas and reads 2.2 with IC l.5- 3.l. It is interesting to point out that RR is the highest among the women aged 30 - 39 and reads 4.4, whereas for women aged 65 and beyond it is l.6.

Conclusion

According to the results in multifactorial etyology of the carcinogenesis we come to the conclusion that psychostress acted as a promoter two years before the illness was clinically diagnosed.
P01-272 - Study Regarding the Rehabilitation of Patients with Stroke and Associated Depression
Authors: Frunza A.A. , Laza C. , Manea M. , Nica A. , Mologhianu G. , Puiu M.G. , Popa M. , Bectas S. , Ghibusi E.
Published: June 2010

Objective

This study aimed to detect and quantify depressive disorders following strokes and to follow the evolution of such patients after administering anti-depressive medication in association with the rehabilitation program.

Materials and method

This is a prospective study on 36 patients suffering from post stroke hemiplegia, situated in an interval of two to twelve months after the stroke. The patients have been randomly divided into two groups, the study group consisting of 21 patients who received anti-depressive medication in addition to the rehabilitation program, and the control group (15 patients) who only received the rehabilitation therapy. All patients were evaluated for depression using the Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) at the beginning of the study and after two months of anti-depressive medication. Their clinical and functional evolution was evaluated using standardized scales and quality of life scales (FIM). Other parameters were noted such as age, sex, level of education and family support.

Results

As expected, both the depression and the functional scores improved significantly after two months of rehabilitation treatment associated with anti-depressive medication in the study group compared to the initial evaluation. Also, improvement was noted when compared to the results of the control group.

Conclusions

.

in accordance with others published studies, this analysis shows the importance of early detection and treatment of post stroke depression

.

A multi disciplinary team that includes a psychiatrist must be assembled for the treatment of stroke patients, as such a team brings the most benefit to the patients.
P01-276 - Depression and Heart Failure Outcomes
Authors: Ibishi N.F. , Kola V. , Musliu N.
Published: June 2010

Chronic illnesses such as HF may precipitate depression. In either case, there are both behavioral and pathophysiologic mechanisms by which depressive symptoms may lead to adverse outcomes in patients with HF.

Depressive symptoms are common in patients with HF, and are associated with markedly worse baseline health status, and are a strong predictor of worsening of HF symptoms, functional status, and quality of life over time and leads to increased hospitalization and rate of mortality.

Depression is an independent risk factor for HF mortality, either through direct pathophysiological mechanisms of neurohormonal activation, arrhythmia, inflammation and hypercoagulation or through behavioral mechanisms.

A meta-analysis has demonstrated that patients with depression were three times more likely to be nonadherent with treatment recommendations. As for the treatment of obesity, poor nutritional habits, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles, patient non-adherence can complicate physician attempts to modify psychosocial risk factors

In this article we review and synthesizes the research assessing the effects of depression as mental disorder in HF treatment and prognosis and can arise many unresearched issues regarding the future managment difficulties in untreated and undiagnosed depressive disorder and his outcomes.

Clinicians should be aware of the strong link between depressive symptoms and adverse health status outcomes in patients with HF and the treatment of non-physical aspects of chronic disease should be considered as part of the management of HF, in order to reduce anxiety, depression, and disturbances of social function.
P01-281 - Psychopathological Features in Somatic Asymptomatic HIV Positive Patients
Authors: Latas M. , Kostic M. , Glomazic O.
Published: June 2010

Background

Many studies on samples of HIV-positive patient's shows correlation of psychiatric symptoms and medical and immunological symptoms of HIV infection. Also, presence of psychiatric distress was showed in some somatic diseases, especially the ones which lead to chronic.

Aim

The aim was to examine presence of psychopathological symptoms among HIV-1 infected patients which haven’t developed AIDS, in comparison to hepatitis B or C infected patients.

Methods

Sample for consisted of 60 patients: a) 30 somatic asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive patients who constituted study group, and b) 30 patients infected with hepatitis B or C which constituted control group. All of them have been assessed on the presence of psychiatric symptoms by the SCL-90 (The Symptom Checklist 90). After the assessment those two groups were compared by student's t test on every subscale and total score.

Results

Results of the study showed that patients in both groups exhibited moderate presence of psychopathological symptoms, especially symptoms of depression, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. Moreover, patients with HIV exhibited obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Results showed that there are no statistically significant differences in presence psychopathological symptoms between somatic asymptomatic HIV-positive patients and patients infected with hepatitis B or C.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study it could be concluded that, beside the moderate presence of psychopathological symptoms in the samples of somatic asymptomatic HIV-positive patients and hepatitis B or C infected patients, there is no statistically significant difference in those samples of patients.
P01-287 - Psychiatric and Neuropsychologic Changes in Growth Hormone Deficient Subjects After Traumatic Brain Injury and Response to Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy
Authors: Maric N. , Doknic M. , Pavlovic D. , Pekic S. , Stojanovic M. , Jasovic-Gasic M. , Popovic V.
Published: June 2010

Objective

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recently recognized as a risk factor for hypopituitarism, presented most frequently with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). GHD is associated not only with changes in body composition, but also with impaired quality of life, cognitive dysfunctions and some psychiatric sequelae, usually classified as “depression” or “atypical depression”. The impact of GH therapy on mental status is still unknown.

Design

Psychiatric and cognitive functions were tested in six adult GHD subjects at baseline (minimum three years after TBI), reassessed after six months of GH replacement therapy as well as twelve months after discontinuation of GH therapy. Psychiatric and cognitive examinations included semi-structured interviews and three instruments: Symptom-checklist (SCL-90-R), Zung Depression Inventory and standard composite neuropsychological battery.

Results

Six months of GH therapy in GHD TBI patients improved cognitive abilities (particularly verbal and nonverbal memory) and improved psychiatric functioning. Severity of depression decreased, as well as intensity of interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, paranoid ideation, anxiety and psychoticism. In three GHD patients who stopped GH therapy for twelve months we registered worsening of the verbal and nonverbal memory, as well as increase in Zung score and three SCL dimensions: inter-personal sensitivity, anxiety and paranoid ideation.

Conclusion

This preliminary data suggest that GH therapy induced reduction of depression, social dysfunction and improvement in certain cognitive domains in GHD patients after TBI. Our data support the necessity of conducting randomized placebo-controlled trials on the effects of GH therapy on neuropsychological and psychiatric status in GHD TBI patients.
P01-296 - “I don’t Want to be a Patient”: Case Report on Munchausen's Syndrome
Authors: Pires Z. , Ribeiro A. , do Vale C. , Monteiro L.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

The Munchausen's Syndrome, first described by the English doctor Richard Asher in 1951, refers to a factitious disorder present in patients who are repeatedly admitted in medical emergencies for apparent serious diseases and are looking forward to intensive medical care. The authors present a challenging case report, highlighting the importance of a thorough medical investigation before setting into Munchausen's Syndrome stigmatizing diagnosis.

Methods

The authors present a case studied in an Oncological Center, with emphasis on the medical data, diagnostic process, multidisciplinary approach, family-social-occupational implications and outcome. A review on Munchausen's Syndrome, using Medline database, focusing on the last decade publications on the subject, was carried out.

Results

The clinical presentation initially led to strong suspicion towards Munchausen's Syndrome, since it was an young adult, single, health related profession (doctor), with life event triggers (family and social isolation; affective rupture).With the on going diagnostic process, it ended out on an atypical presentation of Crohn's Disease. However, the stigmatizing label had already been set, adding psychological damage to the patient (adjustment depressive disorder).

Conclusion

From the Munchausen's Syndrome review in recent literature, the authors conclude that this rare diagnosis is even rarer on oncologic settings. It should always be an exclusion diagnosis, made after a careful medical screening carried on by an expert and multi-disciplinary team, which should include a liaison psychiatrist. The patient presented classical Munchausen's clinical profile, which can be misleading by it self, incurring into a misdiagnosis.
P01-299 - Effect of preoperative information and reassurance in decreasing anxiety in patients who are candidate for coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Authors: Ranjbar F. , Akbarzadeh F.
Published: June 2010

Introduction and objectives

Psychological problems like anxiety in patients who are candidate for coronary artery bypass graft (CABGs) may increase mortality and morbidity. The effect of reassurance and preoperative information in decreasing anxiety is uncertain.

Aims

This study was designed to address the effect of preoperative information and reassurance in decreasing anxiety patients who are candidate for CABGs.

Methods

With experimental study and random sampling 85 (55male and 30 female) of 238 patients who were candidate for CABGs were included and completed spilberger anxiety test on the day of admission. Preoperative information and reassurance was done and test was completed again a day before the surgery. At last the Statistical analysis was done.

Results

The Mean score of anxiety in patients with mild anxiety disorder (21 patients) was 34± 4.2 before and 39±5.8 after intervention. In patients with moderate anxiety disorder (39 patients) the score decreased from 52.61±3.8 to 50.76±56. Twenty five patients had severe anxiety disorder formerly with score of 63.88±2.8 which decreased to 53.88±7.6. All of differences were significant statistically.

Conclusions

In patients with mild anxiety intervention of preoperative information and reassurance resulted in increasing of anxiety but in patients with moderate or severe anxiety disorder such intervention decreased the level of anxiety significantly.
P01-305 - Differences in the Treatment Response to Antithyroid Drugs Versus Electroconvulsive Therapy in a Case of Recurrent Catatonia With Graves’ Disease
Authors: Saito T. , Saito R. , Suwa H. , Yakushiji F. , Takezawa K. , Nakamura M.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

Treatment of medical catatonia sometimes requires management of presenting psychiatric syndrome as well as treatment of causative medical illnesses. Treatment response to these approaches may, however, differ even in the same patient suffering a relapse of a similar clinical picture, and this presents a therapeutic challenge for physicians. We therefore report a case of medical catatonia due to Graves’ disease which responded to antithyroid therapy in the first episode but required electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) when relapsed, then discuss the possible mechanism which caused different treatment response.

Methods

We describe the clinical course with the laboratory findings of recurrent catatonic episodes of a patient with Graves’ disease.

Results

A 25-year-old woman manifested stupor, catalepsy and echolalia accompanying goiter, proptosis and tachycardia. Laboratory findings on thyroid function were consistent with Graves’ disease. Treated with thyamazole (TMZ), her psychiatric and physical symptoms gradually subsided. She had remained euthyroid and symptom free for 10 years on TMZ 5 mg every other day. However, at age 35, she exhibited stupor with mannerism and stereotypy. Laboratory findings revealed mild exercerbation of thyroid function. Though antithyroid therapy regained euthyroid, her psychiatric symptoms persisted. Further treatment with neuroleptics did not ameliorate her symptoms. She was thus administered bitemporal ECT and recovered after 7th trial.

Conclusions

Aggravation of thyroid function associated with catatonic symptoms when relapsed was milder compared to the first episode. This suggested that dysregulation of thyroid homeostasis in the central nervous system might have persisted despite the peripheral euthyroid and could affect the treatment response.
P01-309 - The Life Quality of the Receivers a Year After Renal Transplantation
Authors: Tel H. , Tel H. , Dogan S.
Published: June 2010

Objectives

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a chronic disease that shortens the life span of individuals. Renal transplantation is accepted as good choice in the treatment of patients with ESRD. Many physical, psychological and social problems have been observed for many years in receivers after renal transplantation. The problems encountered after renal transplantation may adversely affect the life quality of the individuals. This study is carried out to define the life quality of the receivers after a year of renal transplantation.

Methods

54 patients that were followed in a transplantation centre of a university hospital between January 2007 and January 2009 were included into the study. The data is obtained through personal data forms and SF-36 life quality scale.

Results

It was defined meaningful negative relation between the age and life quality of the receivers was found (p< 0.00), as the age increases the life quality of the receivers decreased, the life quality of women receivers and the ones living in large families was found to be lower.

Conclusions

The life quality of the receivers after a year of transplantation was good in low level. It is necessary that the receivers be cared with holistic approach and supported them to have quality life considering life quality of the individuals.
P01-311 - Alexithymia, Hypochondriasis and Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms in Patients with Chronic Prostatitis
Authors: Tournikioti K. , Moussas G. , Korkoliakou P. , Christodoulou C. , Gourgoulis G.M. , Tsiodras S. , Nika S. , Panagopoulos P. , Giamarellou H. , Lykouras L.
Published: June 2010

Objective

Chronic prostatitis has been long considered a psychosomatic illness, however the psychological profile of patients suffering from it, has not been fully elucidated yet. The present study aims to assess alexithymia, hypochondriasis and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with chronic prostatitis.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with chronic prostatitis at a tertiary care ID clinic were evaluated for the presence of alexithymia, hypochondriasis and obsessive compulsive symptoms using respectively the following psychometric tools: Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Whiteley Index (WI) and Leyton Obsessional Inventory (LOI). Patients were categorized according to the NIH Consensus Classification System for Prostatitis Category and the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) was calculated.

Results

57 patients (median age 40 yrs old; IQR 32-51.5 yrs) have been evaluated so far. Median CPSI score was 18 (IQR: 13-24). Median TAS score was 44 (39-57), median LOI score was 13 (10-15) and median WI score was 28 (22-38). An abnormal LOI score indicative of obsessive-compulsive features was noted in 58% of patients and an abnormal WI score indicative of hypochondriacal beliefs in 45%. CPSI strongly correlated with TAS score (r=0.57, p=0.007).

Conclusion

High rates of alexithymia, obsessive compulsive symptoms and hypochondriasis are present in chronic prostatitis patients. Alexithymic features were strongly correlated with quality of life measures such as the CPSI. These findings necessitate further elucidation and suggest that patients with chronic prostatitis may need psychiatric counseling and therapy.
P01-312 - Quality of Life and Inflammation in Patients with Kidney Transplant
Authors: Turányi C.Z. , Molnár M.Z. , Szeifert L. , Adorjáni G. , Czira M.E. , Ujszászi A. , Háromszéki B. , Fornádi K. , Mucsi I. , Novák M. ,   Psychonephrology Study Group
Published: June 2010

Objectives

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has profound effects on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with serious mental health, physiological, and socio-economic implications. The co-occurrence of inflammation and protein-energy wasting in patients with CKD (called the Malnutrition-Inflammation Complex Syndrome (MICS)) is known to be associated with adverse medical outcomes and increased mortality. We designed this study to examine the relationship between nutritional and inflammational status and QoL in patients with kidney transplant.

Methods

Data from 100 randomly selected patients were analyzed in a cross-sectional survey. Socio-demographic parameters, laboratory results, transplantation related anamnestic data, co-morbidities and medication were tabulated at baseline. MICS was assessed with a recently developed scoring system (Malnutrition Inflammation Score - MIS). Health related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed with the KDQOL-SFTM questionnaire.

Results

Mean age was 51±13 years, median (Interquartile range, IQR) time since transplantation 65 (83) months, 57% were males and 19% had diabetes. The median (IQR) MIS was 3 (3). The MIS significantly and negatively correlated with almost all HRQOL domains analyzed, and this association remained significant or near significant in multivariate linear regression analysis for the log-transformed scores on Energy/fatigue (beta=-0.059 p< 0.001), Bodily pain (beta=-0.056 p=0.004), Physical functioning (beta=-0.029, p=0.072), Emotional well-being (beta=-0.024 p=0.077), Symptoms/problems (beta=-0.023 p=0.005) and Sleep domains (beta=-0.027, p=0.056) after statistical correction for age, gender, renal function, dialysis time, comorbidity and occupational status.

Conclusion

Malnutrition Inflammation Score is independently associated with different dimensions of health related quality of life in kidney transplanted patients.
P01-314 - Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Disorders Among Thyroid Disorder Patients in a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia
Authors: Zainal N. , Yaacob S. , Kaur A. , Pendek R.
Published: June 2010

Introduction

Depression and anxiety are the commonest psychiatric disorder in patient with thyroid disorders but continues to be significantly under-recognized and under treated. As a result, it may affect quality of life.

Objective

The objective was to determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety among thyroid patients and their associates.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the Endocrinology Clinic in University Malaya Medical Centre. The patients were interviewed by using MINI International Neuropsychiatry Inventory (MINI) for diagnostic assessment. Socio-demographic and the clinical data were obtained by interviewing the patients and also from the case notes. Quality of life was assessed by using Short Form Health Questionnaires (SF-36).

Results

A total of 160 subjects were recruited. Current prevalence of 9.4% for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 22.5% for Anxiety Disorder (AD) were found using MINI. Lifetime prevalence was 17.5% for MDD and 27.5% for AD. Panic disorder was the commonest type of anxiety disorder (16.9%) followed by generalized anxiety disorder (11.3%), social phobia (4.4%), agoraphobia (2.5%) and obsessive compulsive disorder (1.9%). Having past history of depression or anxiety was highly significantly associated with MDD (p< 0.001, OR 276.6, 95% CI= 33.2-2306.9) and AD (p< 0.001, OR=16, 95% CI=4.9-51.6). The score for quality of life was lower in those with MDD and AD. It was more pronounced among MDD patients.

Conclusion

The prevalence of MDD and AD among patients with thyroid disorders should be recognised. In addition, patients with MDD and AD had poorer quality of life.
P01-315 - Dissociative Memory Impairments and Immigration
Authors: Staniloiu A. , Borsutzky S. , Markowitsch H.J.
Published: June 2010

Dissociative memory disturbances characterize dissociative disorders (such as dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, dissociative identity disorder, Ganser syndrome) and certain anxiety disorders (post-traumatic stress disorder). Across various cultures, they are recognized to be precipitated by psychological stress. In immigrant populations, stressful experiences arising during migration and acculturation could lead to somatic and psychiatric symptoms (including dissociative ones). A delayed onset of these symptoms - that at times occurs - may reflect a kindling sensitization or an incubation effect.

Objectives

We review four patients who developed Dissociative Disorders (Dissociative Amnesia and Ganser Syndrome) on a background of stresses related to immigration.

Methods

Patients were investigated medically, psychiatrically and neuropsychologically and in part neuroradiologically.

Results

Patients were adult males with Eastern or Central European background and no known previous psychiatric or medical illnesses. They immigrated to Germany or Canada and encountered several difficulties in the process of migration or adaptation to the new country. All developed severe psychiatric dissociative symptoms after objectively minor stresses, which occurred several years after their immigration to the new country of residence. Despite adequate treatment, their symptoms followed a chronic course. The patients’ neuropsychological profiles shared similarities, such as executive functioning deficits (e.g. limited cognitive flexibility) and impairments of emotional processing in addition to severe autobiographical amnesia.

Conclusions

We propose that stresses related to immigration and acculturation could trigger dissociative memory disorders in immigrants via a dysregulation of the hormonal stress responses, which is mediated by individual characteristics (cognitive flexibility, emotional processing abilities, language competence and cultural affiliations).
P01-319 - Traumatic Experience and Cultural Perception of Time - a Clinical Approach
Authors: Bastos C. , Coelho C.
Published: June 2010

Two fundamental aspects of cultural intuitive conceptions of time's passage - cyclic and continuous temporality - are here related to clinical psychopathology of post-traumatic stress in Brazil. People with predominantly cyclical cultural perceptions of time tend to see life and death as part of an eternal movement. Severity and persistence of mental trauma are not directly related to the magnitude of the catastrophe or even of the traumatic experience, but rather to the way they pervade the mind and to the roles they represent on it. Modern culture tends to produce individuals prepared to a highly complex world, running in a frantic rhythm and under constant pressure. Nearly all events must be anticipated, planned or controlled, and obsessive traits tend to be facilitated. However, in catastrophic, unpredictable events, when nothing can be done, these full-schedule people may show frailty and despair.

In our clinical experience, traditional communities seem capable to bear extremely high levels of aggression or suffering - in traumatic and catastrophic situations - without showing proportional signs of mental stress. While in the high social layers of modern communities an act of violence as an assault or rape may have serious and long lasting consequences, in everyday public hospital practice we come across victims of potentially traumatic events without any of the expected devastating effects on their mental life. Periodic dissociative rituals may have a role in their resilience.
P01-325 - Science and Religion Two Obligatory Poles in the Formation of the Normal Personality
Authors: Enatescu V.
Published: June 2010

The Informational models of the levels of the psychic constitute a methodology of access to the scientific research and understanding. In this system are accepted two types of thinking: mystical-religious and pragmatic-scientific. This two models of thinking are totally different as mechanism but them presence is strict necessary for the reliability of the behavior. It doesn’t exist any scientific argument that can modify the religious beliefs determined by revelation, education, and formation. The scientific knowledge cannot be religious motivated. Both systems are necessary for the normality and unfortunately them mixture in some kinds of hybrids of knowledge do not add a value of efficiency or utility.

Correctly, we can talk about a typology of personality culturally determined. Or, every culture is based on some religious myth and beliefs.

Extraordinary is the observation that the real men of science and of culture are religious, belong to a religion and the atheism is specific to the educational and formational lack.

It is interesting how some deviations that lead to fanatics and are in contradiction with the religious principles specific to the populations lead to disharmonic structures and aberrant behavior (see terrorism, see the roots of xenophobia)

The paperwork is a debate on large of the forming of the personality from the cultural anthropological point of view with an informational approach of the game of significations.
P01-326 - From the Faith to Knowledge in the Psychic Modeling
Authors: Enatescu V. , Enatescu V.R.
Published: June 2010

The approach of the psychic can be done from the scientific incidence or from the religious incidence. Unfortunately in the last decades, exists more and more a mixture between different and even multiple religious models and scientific elements. Or, it have to be understood that the religious model is based on revelation and faith and is an element belonging to the culture and to the cultural dimensions of the different population groups, with a very important determinism over the behavioral models. These religious models cannot be confused and also cannot be put in antithesis with the models of scientific knowledge, which are based on experiment, repeatability and logical argumentation. Or, right such a scientific model evolve in time, making optimized approximations, beginning from the material support of the neuro-psychical functions to the informational processes. The piece of information itself has levels of different complexity, beginning from the statistic level, semantic level, Gnostic level and heuristic level, the last being specifically human. The role of the speech and of the reflected thinking becomes not only an argument of the human thinking for psychiatrists and psychologists but also an argument of the apparition of human being for anthropologists. This kind of approach, of strict scientific informational modeling has to counteract the circulating pseudo-models with positive and negative energies, which cannot be scientific defined. We highlight that it doesn’t exist any contradiction between our religious beliefs and our scientific knowledge, being totally different and disjunctive fields, which can not get in reciprocal contradiction.
P01-328 - Explanatory Models of Suicidal Crisis Behavior in Women with Turkish Migratory Background
Authors: Heredia Montesinos A. , Yesil R. , Temur-Erman S. , Aichberger M.C. , Bromand Z. , Rapp M. , Heinz A. , Schouler-Ocak M.
Published: June 2010

Studies demonstrate that suicidality in female Turkish immigrants in some European countries is higher compared to native-born women of the same age. This indicates a demand for a better understanding of suicide in this group of the society, and, based on such knowledge, specific concepts for prevention. Embedded in the development of a suicide prevention campaign for women of Turkish origin in Berlin, Germany, we assessed explanatory models of suicidal behavior using a qualitative approach. Specifically, we employed focus group discussions with Turkish experts as well as focus group discussions with Turkish women from the community. Groups were stratified by age (age range 18-34, 35-49, and 50+) in order to account for age effects and effects of migration generation. Results show differential conceptions of suicidal crises, the patterns of distress, the perceived causes, and the preferences for help-seeking and treatment as a function of age group and expertise. Based upon these results, we provide a framework for explanatory models of suicidal crisis behavior that are specific for women with a Turkish migratory background in Germany.
P01-330 - Dreaming Brain and Acculturative Mind
Authors: Lee S.B.
Published: June 2010

Author intends to explicate dreaming brain and mind interactions by interpreting the neurophenomenology of dreaming brain as well as by analyzing the narratives of collected dream data. The author articulates acculturative dreaming mind by demonstrating two empirical research outcomes and suggests some analogical connections between dreaming brain and acculturative dreaming mind.

The author explored an acculturative dreaming model by analyzing dream data that show an unconscious self-adaptation or acculturative self-process. The author designed “Lee Acculturation Dream Scale” (Lee, Sang Bok, 2005: Psychological Reports, 96, 454-456) to analyze the location of each dream by evaluating the dream content. A two-sample t test on the mean score of the “Lee Acculturation Dream Scale” indicated significant difference between men and women (Lee, 2005).

In terms of domain-specific dreaming mind the author analyzed the dreamers’ anxiety level by evaluating the dream content. A sample t test on the “Lee Cross-cultural Anxiety Dream Scale”(Lee, Sang Bok, 2008) means showed significant difference between the two groups(p< 0.001): Korean college students group (N=93, M=1.7, SD=1.2) and Korean-American college student group (N=165, M=2.3, SD=1.5). In this study, Korean American college students, who were experiencing cross-cultural life situation and under acculturation process in the USA, showed more anxiety in their dream contents than Korean college students.

Dreaming brain and mind need to be recapitulated as having inherently acculturative function regardless of cultural origins, value or life-style difference.
P01-334 - Alcohol use and Related Problems: a Cross-cultural Analysis
Authors: Osain Welcome M. , Alekseevic Pereverzev V.
Published: June 2010

Background

The pattern of alcohol use might differ among people of different ethnic groups. Differences in alcohol use and related problems among undergraduates of various ethnic groups - Belarusians, Arabians and Nigerians in Belarus were examined.

Methods

Altogether, 1345 Belarusian, 120 Arabian and 84 Nigerian undergraduates participated in a randomized anonymous study using the AUDIT questionnaire, including other alcohol related questions.

Results

Overall, 91.1% Belarusian, 63.3% Arabian and 56.9% Nigerian alcohol users were identified. A total of 16.3% Belarusians, 32.5% Arabians and 22.7% Nigerians were problem drinkers. Beer was the most preferred alcoholic beverage among the general undergraduates’ population of all ethnicities.

Conclusion

Differences in the pattern of alcohol use and related problems exist among the undergraduate population of various ethnicities in Minsk, Belarus. The Belarusians had higher percentages of alcohol users, but relatively lower proportion of problem drinkers, compared to the Arabs and Nigerians. No significant differences were noted in the preference for alcoholic beverages among all ethnicities.