Identification of primary polydipsia in a severe and persistent mental illness outpatient population: A prospective observational study

Studies to date have only investigated primary polydipsia in hospitalized psychiatric patient populations, where rates range from 3% to 25%. The objective of the present study was to determine the occurrence of primary polydipsia in a psychiatric outpatient population, and to determine the perceptions of outpatients with self-induced water intoxication regarding reasons for drinking excess fluids, health risks, and insight into their behavior. All 115 psychiatric outpatients from a Community Outreach Program in Kingston, Ontario, were invited to participate in this study. Of these, 89 (77.4%) were enrolled. Data collection included chart reviews, structured interviews, weight measurements, and urine collection. The incidence of primary polydipsia was found to be 15.7%. One-half of the polydipsic people presenting with medical complications suggestive for water intoxication had cigarette smoking as a strong correlate. There were interesting answers to the self-induced water intoxication questionnaire. These showed a lack of knowledge related to the normal quantity of fluids necessary daily and about healthy behaviors. Excessive drinking occurs in psychiatric patient populations outside of institutional/hospital settings. Patients have limited awareness of the severity and possible complications from their problem. Given the prevalence of polydipsia, more effort should be put into identifying and treating this problem.     

Diagnosing epilepsy in neurology clinics: A prospective study

The certainty of the initial diagnosis of epilepsy was assessed prospectively by one neurologist in outpatients. One hundred and fifty-eight consecutive referrals with loss of consciousness or possible epilepsy were seen. The relative contributions to the initial diagnosis from the referral letter, history taking in clinic, physical examination, and investigation were compared. There was a referring diagnosis in 28.5%. The neurologist reached a diagnosis in 87% of the 158 cases: in 43% epilepsy, 25% syncope, 12% non-epileptic seizures and in 7% other diagnoses. There was a low correlation between referral and specialist diagnosis. Physical examination did not change the diagnosis in any patient. Investigations changed the diagnosis in one patient. Neuro-imaging revealed a relevant abnormality in 12/43 (27.9%) scanned. The yield from EEG was 7/25 (28%), but the EEG changed the diagnosis in only one case. Cardiac testing confirmed the type of syncope in 2/47 (4.3%) of patients. Blood tests did not contribute to the diagnosis in any patient. The neurology consultation significantly increased diagnostic certainty. The diagnosis of epilepsy remains largely clinical. It is important that patients are aware of this prior to investigation.     

Psychosocial factors related to mental distress among Norwegian adolescents

Objective: to investigate psychosocial factors associated with mental distress among adolescents. Methods: a questionnaire survey was conducted in nine secondary schools (n = 740) and three high schools (n = 548). The sample consisted of 1288 adolescents. Results: females reported more mental distress than males. Illicit substance use and peer social status of deviant behaviours was positively related to mental distress among males, whereas the status of attractiveness was positively associated with mental distress among females. Conclusions: interventions could focus on school problem behaviours, substance use and peer social status factors. The interventions should be targeted to gender-specific risk factors.     

Refractory status epilepticus: A prospective observational study

Purpose: Status epilepticus (SE) that is resistant to two antiepileptic compounds is defined as refractory status epilepticus (RSE). In the few available retrospective studies, estimated RSE frequency is between 31% and 43% of patients presenting an SE episode; almost all seem to require a coma induction for treatment. We prospectively assessed RSE frequency, clinical predictors, and outcome in a tertiary clinical setting. Methods: Over 2 years we collected 128 consecutives SE episodes (118 patients) in adults. Clinical data and their relationship to outcome (mortality and return to baseline clinical conditions) were analyzed. Results: Twenty‐nine of 128 SE episodes (22.6%) were refractory to first‐ and second‐line antiepileptic treatments. Severity of consciousness impairment and de novo episodes were independent predictors of RSE. RSE showed a worse outcome than non‐RSE (39% vs. 11% for mortality; 21% vs. 63% for return to baseline clinical conditions). Only 12 patients with RSE (41%) required coma induction for treatment. Discussion: This prospective study identifies clinical factors predicting the onset of SE refractoriness. RSE appears to be less frequent than previously reported in retrospective studies; furthermore, most RSE episodes were treated outside the intensive care unit (ICU). Nonetheless, we confirm that RSE is characterized by high mortality and morbidity.     

Bipolar illness: A prospective study of life events

The purpose of the following is to present initial results from a prospective study of life events as precipitants of affective episodes. The role of life stresses in the etiology of affective episodes has been evaluated by several investigators.^1–3 In general, these reports consisted of interviews of depressed patients concerning life events which occurred at some time prior to the onset of their episode. The data obtained were retrospective in nature (asking patients to recall events in the recent past), a method which may be subject to error in terms of determining if the event actually occurred and when the event occurred in relation to the actual onset of affective symptoms.⁴ Furthermore, prior studies have dealt with heterogeneous populations of affectively ill patients from a diagnostic viewpoint.We have studied life events prospectively in a group of well characterized bipolar manic-depressive patients. This preliminary report will focus on life events for the initial ten months in a subgroup of these patients, all of whom were bipolar and were being chronically treated with lithium carbonate.     

Neurodevelopment of babies born to mothers with epilepsy: A prospective observational cohort study

Objective

Despite widespread monotherapy use of lamotrigine or levetiracetam during pregnancy, prospectively collected, blinded child development data are still limited. The NaME (Neurodevelopment of Babies Born to Mothers With Epilepsy) Study prospectively recruited a new cohort of women with epilepsy and their offspring for longitudinal follow-up.

Methods

Pregnant women of <21 weeks gestation (n = 401) were recruited from 21 hospitals in the UK. Data collection occurred during pregnancy (recruitment, trimester 3) and at 12 and 24 months of age. The primary outcome was blinded assessment of infant cognitive, language, and motor development on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd edition) at 24 months of age with supplementary parent reporting on the Vinelands Adaptive Behavior Scales (2nd edition).

Results

There were 394 live births, with 277 children (70%) completing the Bayley assessment at 24 months. There was no evidence of an association of prenatal exposure to monotherapy lamotrigine (−.74, SE = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −6.5 to 5.0, p = .80) or levetiracetam (−1.57, SE = 3.1, 95% CI = −4.6 to 7.7, p = .62) with poorer infant cognition, following adjustment for other maternal and child factors in comparison to nonexposed children. Similar results were observed for language and motor scores. There was no evidence of an association between increasing doses of either lamotrigine or levetiracetam. Nor was there evidence that higher dose folic acid supplementation (≥5 mg/day) or convulsive seizure exposure was associated with child development scores. Continued infant exposure to antiseizure medications through breast milk was not associated with poorer outcomes, but the number of women breastfeeding beyond 3 months was low.

Significance

These data are reassuring for infant development following in utero exposure to monotherapy lamotrigine or levetiracetam, but child development is dynamic, and future follow-up is required to rule out later emerging effects.     

Weight gain in adulthood in relation to socioeconomic factors,mental illness and personality traits: A prospective study of middle-aged women

The relationships between body weight change during a six-year follow-up period and a number of psychosocial variables were studied in a representative population sample of middle-aged women. Those women who had gained weight ? 5.0 kg were compared with the rest of the sample taking into account age, social class and initial level of obesity. Never-married women were over- represented among the women with weight gain ? 5.0 kg. Husband's social class (based on occupation) was inversely related with weight gain. Educational level, own social class and annual income were not significantly different between the two groups. There was a positive relation between mental illness (disability degree), depth of depression and weight gain. Use of psychotropic drugs, frequency of anxiety attacks and phobia grade were not related to weight gain, however. The personality trait order was positively related to weight gain, while there were no significant relationships between the other personality variables studied and weight gain. The study thus indicates that psychosocial factors might be of causal importance for the development of obesity in adult women. Further studies on the role of these factors for regulation of energy intake and expenditure seem to be justified.     

Screening high-risk cancer patients for VTE: A prospective observational study

Background

The utility of screening for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients is unknown. We evaluated this in a prospective cohort study of cancer patients initiating a new chemotherapy regimen and deemed high-risk (score ≥ 3) based on a validated Risk Score.

Methods

Patients were evaluated with baseline and Q4 (± 1) week serial ultrasonography for up to 16 weeks; additionally, computed tomography scans for restaging were also evaluated for VTE.

Results

The study population comprised 35 patients. Pancreatic and gastro-esophageal cancers were the most common diagnoses. Of these, 8 (23%) developed a VTE. This included 5 patients with DVT alone (14%), 1 patient with PE alone (3%) and 2 (6%) with both. Ultrasound examinations identified asymptomatic DVT in 9.3% of patients at baseline; 0% at weeks 4 and 8 and 5.6% at week 12. Restaging CT scans identified asymptomatic PE in one patient at week 6 and in one patient at week 9 with subsequent DVT at week 10.

Conclusions

Screening for asymptomatic VTE has not been previously used as a clinical strategy in ambulatory cancer patients. We report that one-tenth of patients at baseline had occult DVT and in this high-risk population, screening at baseline may be of value.     

On mental illness: A review

The author reminisces about his training in the '40's, when “everything seemed to be in good order in the house of psychiatry,” and then turns to a philosophical consideration of confusions which have arisen because advancing knowledge inevitably complicates rather than simplifies our understanding of mental health and illness. He believes that psychiatry must retain and follow a medical model which includes psychological and sociological concepts and thus, by necessity, is multifactorial and dualistic.     

How mental health literacy and experience of mental illness relate to stigmatizing attitudes and social distance towards people with depression or psychosis: A cross-sectional study

Background Evidence suggests that mental health literacy among the public is low, and stigmatizing attitudes are widespread. So far the effects of anti-stigma campaigns are small, and studies demonstrate that negative attitudes have been quite stable through recent decades. Aims To investigate the relationships between mental health literacy, experience of mental illness and stigmatizing attitudes/social distance towards people with depression or psychosis. Methods A cross-sectional study in which staff members from public services in Sweden (n?=?1027) completed questionnaires covering demographic data, self-reported experience of mental illness, identification of a vignette for depression or psychosis, beliefs about helpful interventions for the illness presented in the vignette, and attitudes and social distance towards people with the illness. Results About 50% of participants could identify depression and less than 40% psychosis. A higher degree of mental health literacy was related to less stigma and social distance but mainly towards people with depression. A similar relationship was shown for having personal or family experience of mental illness and attitudes/social distance. Negative attitudes and social distance were significantly higher in all aspects measured towards a person with psychosis than a person with depression. Conclusions A higher degree of mental health literacy relates to more positive attitudes and less desire for social distance towards people with depression. The differences between depression and psychosis should be taken into account in anti-stigma interventions.     

Parapartum mental illness: an interview follow-up study

A total of 54 parapartum mentally ill mothers and 89 controls were followed up approximately 6 years after childbirth. In total, 80% of the patients avoided further pregnancies during the follow-up period, compared to 58% of the controls (non-significant difference). One-third of the patients did not live together with their child, compared to only 3% of the controls. Index mothers tended to report more problematic relationships with their children. Poor childhood relationships during the mother's own childhood seem to be of special significance for the development of these problems. This study suggests a rather gloomy prognosis for parapartum mental illness. The suicide rate was 4.5%. In total, 22% of the patients, compared to none of the controls, had been on sick leave during the last 3 years, or had received a disability pension owing to mental illness at the time of the follow-up. The readmission rate for psychiatric in-patient care was 46% in the patient group.     

The challenge of chronic mental illness: a retrospective and prospective view

The challenge of chronic mental illness lies in developing effective service delivery systems that will preserve patients' functioning and limit their disability. The author uses a review of changes and excesses of the past 30 years--including deinstitutionalization, relocation of patients to nursing homes, the domination of psychodynamic concepts, and the naivety and partial successes of the community mental health movement--as a basis for outlining manageable ways to meet this challenge. Care for the chronic patient must be developed within a long-term rehabilitative context and with wiser use of available benefits and funds, including consolidation of funding sources. Mental health advocates should coordinate activities rather than compete with one another, and case management should be based on more sophisticated concepts and training.     

Depictions of mental illness in print media: a prospective national sample

OBJECTIVE: Because there are no published reports of depictions of mental illness in print media based on national samples, we set out to prospectively collect and analyse a near complete New Zealand sample of print media. METHODS: A commercial clipping bureau was contracted to provide cuttings of all items with any mental health or illness aspect over a four week period. These items were analysed for potentially positive and negative depictions and how mental illness was represented within each item. An independent search for additional newspaper items concerning one prominently featured topic indicated that the rate of identification of relevant stories was at least 91%. RESULT: The collection consisted of six hundred print items which were most commonly news or editorial pieces (n = 562, 93.7%). Negative depictions predominated, with dangerousness to others (n = 368, 61.3%) and criminality (n = 284, 47.3%) being the most common. Positive depictions, including human rights themes, leadership and educational accomplishments occurred in 27% (n = 164) of all items. Generic mental illness terminology without reference to specific diagnostic categories was present in 47% of all items (n = 284). CONCLUSIONS: Negative depictions that predominate confirm the stereotypic understanding of mental illness that is stigmatizing. These findings underscore the challenge facing us as mental health professionals attempting to change attitudes towards mental disorders when the stereotypes are so regularly reinforced.     

Topiramate in refractory epilepsy: a prospective observational study

PURPOSE: This prospective observational study explored the efficacy and tolerability of topiramate (TPM) in patients with refractory epilepsy attending a single outpatient clinic. METHODS: One hundred seventy patients (82 men, 88 women, aged 18-75 years) with refractory localization-related (n = 134) or idiopathic generalized epilepsy (n = 36) were started on adjunctive TPM using a standard titration schedule. TPM was introduced after a 3-month prospective baseline, and doses were adjusted according to clinical response. End points were seizure freedom for 6 months, > or =50% seizure reduction for 6 months compared with baseline at the highest tolerated TPM dose (responder), or discontinuation of TPM because of side effects, lack of efficacy, or both. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (23%) patients were seizure-free, and 80 (47%) more patients had a useful therapeutic response. Thirteen seizure-free patients and 16 responders took 100 mg of TPM daily or less. TPM was discontinued in 51 (30%) patients. The most common side effects resulting in withdrawal were fatigue, weight loss, irritability, paresthesia, depression, and headache. Concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were stopped in 30 patients. Twelve were established on TPM monotherapy, eight of whom remained seizure-free. Final TPM doses and concentrations varied widely among the three outcome groups. CONCLUSIONS: TPM was efficacious as add-on and monotherapy in patients with refractory partial and generalized seizures in everyday clinical use. A good response was obtained in many patients with TPM doses substantially lower than those studied in regulatory clinical trials. The wide variation in dose-response and dose-toxicity relationships may reflect different neurobiologies causing refractory epilepsy and differential efficacy of AED combinations.     

Stigma and discrimination related to mental illness in low- and middle-income countries

Aims.This paper aims to provide an overview of evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs) worldwide to address: the nature of stigma and discrimination, relevant context-specific factors, global patterns of these phenomena and their measurement and quantitative and qualitative evidence of interventions intended to reduce their occurrence and impact. The background to this study is that the large majority of studies concerned with identifying effective interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination originate in high-income countries (HICs). This paper therefore presents such evidence from, and relevant to, LAMICs.Methods.Conceptual overview of the relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature on stigma and discrimination related to mental illness in LAMICs are available in English, Spanish, French and Russian.Results.Few intervention studies were identified related to stigma re-education in LAMICs. None of these addressed behaviour change/discrimination, and there were no long-term follow-up studies. There is therefore insufficient evidence at present to know which overall types of intervention may be effective and feasible and in LAMICs, how best to target key groups such as healthcare staff, and how far they may need to be locally customised to be acceptable for large-scale use in these settings. In particular, forms of social contacts, which have been shown to be the most effective intervention to reduce stigma among adults in HICs, have not yet been assessed sufficiently to know whether these methods are also effective in LAMICs.Conclusion.Generating information about effective interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination in LAMICs is now an important mental health priority worldwide.Key words: Discrimination, evidence-based psychiatry, health service research, mental illness stigma