Sex differences in the use of coping strategies: predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms

This study examined sex differences in the use of coping strategies and their relationship to depression and anxiety-related psychopathology. Responses on measures of coping strategies, depression, and anxiety were obtained from a carefully screened nonclinical sample (N = 107). The results demonstrated that women who used less positive reframing had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared with women who used more positive reframing and to men irrespective of their use of more or less positive reframing. In addition, women who reported the use of more self-blame had elevated levels of trait anxiety, although a similar effect was not found for men. The observed sex differences in the use of coping strategies and their association with depression and anxiety-related problems underscores differences in the clinical presentation of anxiety and depression between women and men.     

Gender differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism: A cross-sectional study

Objective. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) has gained increasing attention in the investigation of the pathogenesis of depression. Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) is associated with a marked aldosterone excess. Prior studies on PA describe an increased prevalence of anxiety and sub-threshold depressive symptoms in these patients. Methods. In a cross-sectional exploratory study we investigated 132 patients with PA. Twenty-seven patients were studied before initiation of specific treatment (U = untreated), 56 were studied 5.4 years after initiation of mineralocorticoid antagonist treatment (MRA) and 49 patients were studied 4.3 years after unilateral adrenalectomy (ADX). GAD-7 and PHQD self-rating questionnaires were used to assess symptoms for anxiety and depression. Results. No significant difference was found between the three investigated groups. A higher prevalence for depression and anxiety compared to the normal population was found. Women of all groups had higher mean values compared to men, for depression in untreated patients this difference was found to be significant. Correlations between the psychopathology and hormones were only found for renin. Plasma renin concentration correlated significantly with anxious symptoms of untreated females. Conclusions. This study supports the RAAS to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression as patients with PA seem to be more depressive and anxious compared to the normal population. Gender differences in the regulation of the RAAS seem to be apparent, as females were more affected by the dysregulation than males.     

Childhood trauma and anger in adults with and without depressive and anxiety disorders

Background

Childhood trauma (CT) is associated with severe sequelae, including stress-related mental health disorders that can perpetuate long into adulthood. A key mechanism in this relationship seems to be emotion regulation. We aimed to investigate (1) whether childhood trauma is associated with anger in adulthood, and, if so, (2) to explore which types of childhood trauma predominate in the prediction of anger in a cohort that included participants with and without current affective disorders.

Methods

In the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), childhood trauma was assessed with a semi-structured Childhood Trauma Interview (CTI) at baseline, and analyzed in relation to anger as measured at a 4-year follow-up with the Spielberger Trait Anger Subscale (STAS), the Anger Attacks Questionnaire, and cluster B personality traits (i.e., borderline, antisocial) of the Personality Disorder Questionnaire 4 (PDQ-4), using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Post hoc analyses comprised cross-sectional regression analyses, using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) also obtained at a 4-year follow-up.

Results

Participants (n = 2271) were on average 42.1 years (SD = 13.1), and 66.2% were female. Childhood trauma showed a dose–response association with all anger constructs. All types of childhood trauma were significantly associated with borderline personality traits, independently of depression and anxiety. Additionally, all types of childhood trauma except for sexual abuse were associated with higher levels of trait anger, and a higher prevalence of anger attacks and antisocial personality traits in adulthood. Cross-sectionally, the effect sizes were larger compared with the analyses with the childhood trauma measured 4 years prior to the anger measures.

Conclusions

Childhood trauma is linked with anger in adulthood, which could be of particular interest in the context of psychopathology. Focus on childhood traumatic experiences and adulthood anger may help to enhance the effectiveness of treatment for patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Trauma-focused interventions should be implemented when appropriate.     

Personality differences in patients with depressive illness and anxiety neurosis

This study explores personality in subgroups of affective illness. Self-assessment scores on Cattell's 16 Personality Factor (16 PF) Questionnaire were obtained from 87 patients comprising five groups, namely ill and recovered unipolar and bipolar depressives and chronic anxiety (CA) neurotics. It was predicted that the anxiety group would have more abnormal scores than both actively depressed groups, but the three groups had markedly similar traits. The prediction that three different types of personality profiles would be obtained from the two recovered depressive groups and the anxiety group was partly confirmed. However, the scores of the anxious patients were more similar to those of recovered unipolar depressives than either was to recovered bipolar depressives. It is suggested that the similar personalities of unipolar depressives and anxiety neurotics may be aetiologically important. Furthermore, the differences between the two recovered depressive groups supports the idea of distinguishing between sub-populations in studies of affective illness.     

Social anxiety and insomnia: the mediating role of depressive symptoms

Anxiety is commonly associated with insomnia. Given that social anxiety disorder is one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders, socially anxious individuals may be particularly vulnerable to insomnia. However, there is currently very little empirical work on this relationship. This study used bivariate correlations to examine whether social anxiety was related to insomnia in an undergraduate sample (n=176) using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Insomnia Severity Index. Further, we utilized responses from the Beck Depression Inventory to investigate the role of depressive symptoms in the association between social anxiety and insomnia. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine the moderational and mediational role of depressive symptoms in the link between social anxiety and insomnia. To increase generalizability to clinical samples, analyses were repeated on a subset of the sample with clinically significant social anxiety symptoms (n=23) compared to a matched control group (n=23). Consistent with expectation, social anxiety was associated with increased insomnia symptoms. Specifically, social anxiety was correlated with sleep dissatisfaction, sleep-related functional impairment, perception of a sleep problem to others, and distress about sleep problems. Importantly, depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between social anxiety and insomnia, thereby at least partially accounting for insomnia among socially anxious individuals. Our data support the contention that social anxiety is associated with insomnia and suggest that depression may play a vital role in this co-occurrence.     

Childhood life events and childhood trauma in adult patients with depressive,anxiety and comorbid disorders vs. controls

Hovens JGFM, Wiersma JE, Giltay EJ, van Oppen P, Spinhoven P, Penninx BWJH, Zitman FG. Childhood life events and childhood trauma in adult patients with depressive, anxiety and comorbid disorders vs. controls. Objective: To investigate the association between childhood life events, childhood trauma and the presence of anxiety, depressive or comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders in adulthood. Method: Data are from 1931 adult participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). Childhood life events included divorce of parents, early parental loss and ‘placed in care’, whereas childhood trauma was assessed as experienced emotional neglect, psychological, physical and sexual abuse prior to age 16. Results: Childhood life events were not associated with psychopathology, except for ‘placed in care’ in the comorbid group. All types of childhood trauma were increasingly prevalent in the following order: controls, anxiety, depression, and comorbid group (P < 0.001). The higher the score was on the childhood trauma index, the stronger the association with psychopathology (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Childhood trauma rather than childhood life events are related to anxiety and depressive disorders. The strong associations with the comorbid group suggest that childhood trauma contributes to the severity of psychopathology. Our study underscores the importance of heightened awareness of the possible presence of childhood trauma, especially in adult patients with comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders.     

高危孕妇焦虑抑郁症状发生率及相关危险因素

背景：高危孕妇与普通孕妇相比在妊娠期会出现更多的并发症,高危因素作为一种应激因素更易诱发孕妇产生焦虑、抑郁等负面情绪症状。目前国内外对高危孕妇焦虑、抑郁症状的研究相对较少。
　　目标：调查产科高危妊娠孕妇焦虑、抑郁症状发生率及其相关危险因素。
　　方法：对197例孕中期（16-20周）的高危孕妇在妊娠最后4月每月进行综合性医院焦虑/抑郁量表（HAD）评估和风险因素调查。产后3-7天、42天及3月进行爱丁堡产后抑郁量表（EPDS）评估和风险因素调查。
　　结果：入组时高危孕妇HAD焦虑均分：3.69(2.76),抑郁均分：3.42(2.53)。焦虑症状14例(7.18%),抑郁症状10例(5.13%)。多因素分析显示,怀孕有无保胎（OR：8.162,95%CI：1.213-54.914）和乙肝阳性（OR：8.912,95%CI：1.052-75.498）与焦虑症状相关。尿糖阳性（OR：30.529,95%CI：1.312-710.610）和既往出血史（OR：7.122,95%CI：1.015-49.984）与抑郁症状相关。孕期影响高危孕妇焦虑、抑郁症状的因素有：近3月孕妇健康状况、担心胎儿健康、夫妻关系、婆媳关系等。
　　结论：高危妊娠孕妇焦虑、抑郁症状较常见。近3月孕妇健康状况、婆媳关系、夫妻关系、担心胎儿健康是高危孕妇孕期焦虑、抑郁症状的风险因素。     

Examination of the decline in symptoms of anxiety and depression in generalized anxiety disorder: impact of anxiety sensitivity on response to pharmacotherapy

Pharmacotherapy is an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), but few studies have examined the nature of decline of anxiety and depression during pharmacotherapy for GAD and even fewer studies have examined predictors of symptom decline. This study examined the decline in symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with GAD during a 6-week open trial of fluoxetine. Growth curve analyses indicated that pharmacotherapy with fluoxetine led to significant declines in symptoms of anxiety and depression over the 6 weeks of treatment. However, the decay slope observed for anxiety symptoms was significantly greater than that for depressive symptoms. Further analyses revealed that the decline in anxiety remained significant after accounting for the changes in symptoms of depression. However, the effect of treatment on depression was no longer significant after controlling for the reduction in anxiety symptoms. Overall anxiety sensitivity (AS) did not moderate the level of reduction in symptoms of anxiety or depression during pharmacotherapy. However, AS specific to physical concerns demonstated a marginal negative association with decline in anxiety and depression. AS specific to social concerns also demonstrated a marginal negative association with decline in anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that the decline in anxiety symptoms is independent of the decline in symptoms of depression during pharmacotherapy for GAD and specific AS dimensions may predict symptom change in GAD.     

Sleep problems and their relation to cognitive factors,anxiety, and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents

Background: Existing research indicates sleep problems to be prevalent in youth with internalizing disorders. However, childhood sleep problems are common in the general population and few data are available examining unique relationships between sleep, specific types of anxiety and depressive symptoms among non‐clinical samples of children and adolescents. Methods: The presence of sleep problems was examined among a community sample of children and adolescents (N=175) in association with anxiety and depressive symptoms, age, and gender. Based on emerging findings from the adult literature we also examined associations between cognitive biases and sleep problems. Results: Overall findings revealed significant associations between sleep problems and both anxiety and depressive symptoms, though results varied by age. Depressive symptoms showed a greater association with sleep problems among adolescents, while anxiety symptoms were generally associated with sleep problems in all youth. Cognitive factors (cognitive errors and control beliefs) linked with anxiety and depression also were associated with sleep problems among adolescents, though these correlations were no longer significant after controlling for internalizing symptoms. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of their implications for research and treatment of sleep and internalizing disorders in youth. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Relationship of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder symptoms, depressive/anxiety symptoms, and life quality in young men

Aim:  Attention-deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to be among the most frequently missed of psychiatric diagnoses in adults because its presentation in adulthood so often mimics those of better-known disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms, depression/anxiety symptoms, and life quality in young men.
Methods:  Nine hundred and twenty-nine draftees into the Taiwanese army completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life–Brief Version, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Scale. Based on high ASRS scores, a total of 328 adults (35.3%) were identified as having ADHD: 65 (7.0%) with definite ADHD and 263 (28.3%) with probable ADHD.
Results:  The 328 subjects in the ADHD group had more severe depressive, anxiety symptoms and daytime sleepiness, and had poorer quality of life than the 601 controls (all P  < 0.05).
Conclusions:  ADHD should be included in the differential diagnosis for young men presenting with anxiety, depression, daytime sleepiness, and poor quality of life.     

Alexithymia and anxiety sensitivity in Turkish depressive,anxiety and somatoform disorder outpatients

Objective. To assess the relations between anxiety sensitivity, and dimensions of alexithymia in somatoform, anxiety and depressive disorder patients. Methods. The sample consisted of 124 patients with the diagnosis of depressive, anxiety, or somatoform spectrum disorders (DSM-IV). Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), 16-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), Hamilton Depression (HDRS), and Anxiety (HAS) scales were used. Results. The total sample (n=124) was divided into three diagnostic categories. There was one Depression Group (n=69). Due to small sample sizes, diagnoses in anxiety and somatoform spectrum disorders were combined in two relatively larger Anxiety (n=42) and Somatoform Groups (n=13) for statistical purposes. No statistically significant difference was found in the TAS-20 total or subscale scores between the three diagnostic groups. In all three diagnostic groups, there was a strong and significant positive correlation between ASI and TAS-20 total scores. In all three groups, there was a significant positive correlation between TAS-20 Factor 1 and ASI. In the Depression and Somatoform Groups, ASI scores were found to be significantly positively correlated with scores on TAS-20 Factor 2. Conclusion. This study reveals that alexithymia does not differentiate depressive, anxiety, or somatoform disorders, yet suggests a functional relation with anxiety sensitivity on a subscale basis.     

Distress and functioning in mixed anxiety and depressive disorder

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity of mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (MADD) with reference to functional characteristics and symptomatic characteristics in comparison with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and groups showing subthreshold symptoms (exclusively depressive or anxiety related). The present study was carried out in the following three medical settings: two psychiatric and one primary care. Patients seeking care in psychiatric institutions due to anxiety and depressive symptoms and attending primary medical settings for any reason were taken into account. A total of 104 patients (65 women and 39 men, mean age 41.1 years) were given a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Present State Examination questionnaire, a part of Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry, Version 2.0. There were no statistically relevant differences between MADD and anxiety disorders in median GHQ score (19 vs 16) and median GAF score (median 68.5 vs 65). When considering depressive disorders the median GHQ score (28) was higher, and median GAF score (59) was lower than that in MADD. In groups with separated subthreshold anxiety or depressive symptoms, median GHQ scores (12) were lower and median GAF scores (75) were higher than that in MADD. The most frequent symptoms of MADD are symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression. Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder differs significantly from GAD only in higher rates of depressed mood and lower rates of somatic anxiety symptoms. Distinction from depression was clearer; six of 10 depressive symptoms are more minor in severity in MADD than in the case of depression. Distress and interference with personal functions in MADD are similar to that of other anxiety disorders. A pattern of MADD symptoms locates this disorder between depression and GAD.     

氟伏沙明治疗伴有焦虑的抑郁症对照研究

目的：比较氟伏沙明与氟西汀治疗伴有焦虑的抑郁症疗效和不良反应。方法：71例伴有焦虑的抑郁症患者随机分为氟伏沙明组36例和氟西汀组35例,分别给予氟伏沙明和氟西汀治疗。疗程8周。采用汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）、汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）、治疗中出现的症状量表（TESS）评定疗效和不良反应。结果：两组HAMD和HAMA评分治疗后均较治疗前显著下降（P均〈0.01）;以氟伏沙明组在治疗1周起即显著下降（P〈0.01）,而氟西汀组在治疗2周起显著下降（P〈0.01）;两组间比较差异有显著性（P〈0.05或P〈0.01）。两组不良反应相仿。结论：氟伏沙明与氟西汀治疗伴有焦虑的抑郁症均安全有效,但氟伏沙明起效更快。     

急诊科住院患者抑郁、焦虑症状与生命质量的评估

目的：了解综合医院急诊科住院的躯体疾病患者抑郁、焦虑症状的检出率以及生命质量。方法：总共评估某综合医院急诊科住院的躯体疾病患者278例,意识清楚,自愿合作并完成调查,采用的调查工具包括综合医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADs）、总体健康自评问卷（GHQ-12）、健康状况调查问卷（SF-36）。结果：以HADs评分≥8分者为阳性,抑郁症状阳性者比例为29.9%（n=83）,焦虑症状阳性者比例为25.5%（n=71）;以≥11分为肯定者,肯定有抑郁症状群为12.6%（n=35）,肯定有焦虑症状群7.6%（n=21）。以GHQ-12≥4分者为划界分,可能存在心理障碍者比例为36.3%。SF-36的多个维度分值明显低于正常人群常模。多元线性回归分析显示,年龄、性别、合并有抑郁、焦虑症状、就诊次数与SF-36分值显著相关,提示抑郁焦虑症状越严重,生命质量越低。结论：综合医院的急诊科躯体疾病住院患者频繁罹患抑郁、焦虑症状,抑郁焦虑症状群影响患者生命质量。