Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Health Problems in Norwegian Peacekeepers 18–38 Years Postdeployment

Peacekeeping missions involve experiences that may impact the mental health of participating soldiers. However, research on the long-term mental health consequences of peacekeeping is sparse. The present study aimed to find the prevalence of mental health problems (MHPs), possible MHP predictors, and associations between predictors and MHPs in Norwegian peacekeepers 18–38 years after deployment to a United Nations peacekeeping mission. We used data from a cross-sectional, postdeployment survey of Norwegian peacekeepers who served in Lebanon between 1978 and 1998 (N = 10,605). Participants were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); anxiety; depression; insomnia; alcohol misuse; drug misuse; and exposure to pre-, peri-, and postdeployment stressors. Logistic regressions were executed to explore key variables associated with MHPs. Total MHP prevalence was 15.1%, 95% CI [14.4, 15.8]. The estimates for specific disorders were 0.1% for drug misuse, 3.4% for alcohol misuse, 4.0% for depression, 6.2% for PTSD, 6.4% for anxiety, and 9.3% for insomnia. Postdeployment stressors, OR = 1.91, 95% CI [1.79, 2.04]; employment status, OR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.33, 1.48]; and traumatic exposure during deployment, OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.09, 1.12], were positively related to PTSD, χ2(17, N = 8,568) = 1,791.299, p < .001. Similar patterns were found for the other MHPs. Considering that most participants (84.9%) reported low symptom levels, our findings challenge the widespread public perception that most peacekeepers have MHPs. Moreover, our results indicate that future peacekeepers should be prepared for challenges they may face not only during deployment but also in the years following their homecoming.     

Clinical safety of enamel matrix derivative (EMDOGAIN®) in the treatment of periodontal defects

Abstract The aim of the present clinical trial was to test tolerability during 2 treatments with EMDOGAIN® in a large number of patients. An open, controlled study design in 10 Swedish specialist clinics was chosen, with a test group of 107 patients treated with EMDOGAIN® in connection with periodontal surgery at 2 surgical test sites per patient. The procedures were performed 2 to 6 weeks apart on one-rooted teeth with at least 4 mm deep intraosseous lesions. A control group of 33 patients underwent flap surgery without EMDOGAIN® at I comparable site. In total 214 test and 33 control surgeries were performed. Serum samples were obtained from test patients for analysis of total and specific antibody levels. 10 of the patients had samples taken before and after the first surgery. 56 other samples were taken after one treatment with EMDOGAIN®, and 63 after 2 treatments. None of the samples, not even from allergy-prone patients after 2 treatments, indicated deviations from established baseline ranges. This indicates that the immunogenic potential of EMDOGAIN® is extremely low when applied in conjunction with periodontal surgery. Comparison between the test and control groups demonstrated the same type and frequency of post-surgical experiences, i.e., reactions caused by the surgical procedure itself. Clinical probing and radiographic evaluation was performed at baseline and 8 months postsurgery. About half of the patients (44 test and 21 control) were also evaluated after 3 years. There was a significant difference between the test and control results at 8 months post surgery. and this difference had increased further at the 3 year follow-up. The 2.5–3 mm increase in attachment and bone level after treatment with EMDOGAIN® was of the same magnitude as seen in the studies with split-mouth design aiming for lest of effectiveness of EMDOGAIN®.     

Plasma proteins in a standardised skin mini-erosion (II): effects of extraction pressure

Background  

A standardised suction technique has been used to sample plasma proteins in dermal interstitial fluid (IF) serially for 5 to 6 days from a suction-induced skin mini-erosion. Increased protein concentrations ascribed to inflammation have been shown from day 1 onward. In this study, we assessed the effect of two different extraction pressures on IF sample composition.     

The psychology behind doping in sport

Drugs and methods to improve physical performance among athletes have been used since the beginning of sport history, but the use of performance enhancing drugs has not always been regarded as cheating. In short, the motives for doping are improving and maintaining physical functioning, coping with the social/psychological pressures and striving for social and psychological goals, including economic benefits. Factors such as, “doping dilemma”, “win at all costs”, cost versus benefit, and the specificity of some specific doping agents, also play major roles. It seems that action on the athletes′ attitude about the achievement of physical improvement and creating effective methods to reveal the drug abuse, are two main ways in winning the struggle against doping.     

Shielded and unshielded geometries in the search for orphan sources.

A car-borne NaI(Tl) spectrometric system was used together with a 137Cs source to obtain realistic data in the search for unshielded and semi-shielded orphan sources. The potassium-stripped counts (PSC) method was used to estimate the influence by the shielding on the detection ability. A reduction of about 5% in the critical distance was obtained for the semi-shielded source. A curve fitting method was also developed and evaluated. Results from the curve fitting method showed inferior ability to find the source compared to the PSC method. However, it can be a useful complementary tool, for characterisation of the source shielding, and estimation of the distance from the road.     

Vibration exposure and conditioning lesion effect in nerves: an experimental study in rats.

The effects of controlled vibrations of defined frequency (80 Hz), acceleration (32 m/s2 root mean square), and duration (5 hours daily, 2 or 5 days) induced to the hind limb of rats on the regeneration potential in the sciatic nerve after a test crush lesion were determined. Exposure to vibration induced a marked and significant increase in outgrowth length of axons from the crush injury as evaluated after 3 and 6 days with the pinch reflex test. This effect was still observed 1 month but not 3 months after exposure to vibration. Even such a short duration of vibration exposure as 2 days induced an increased length of outgrowth. Such a conditioning effect may be due to local changes in the environment of the axons or to changes in the nerve cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglion. The results indicate that an alarm reaction exists in the nerve at a time point where no structural changes are observed in the nerve. By inducing such a conditioning lesion to nerve tissue, vibration represents a trauma corresponding to a crush lesion or transection of the nerve.     

Natural killer cell activity and CSF monoamine metabolites in suicide attempters

The aim of this study was to investigate markers of serotonin and immune function in suicidal patients. Cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells (NK) and CD16 lymphocytes were studied in 28 suicide attempters and 26 healthy controls, and related in patients to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Patients with CSF 5-HIAA below the median had significantly lower NK cell activity than other patients. CD16 cell frequency was significantly lower in patients than in controls, and patients also tended to have lower NK cell cytotoxicity than healthy controls. There were no statistically significant correlations between 4-hydroxy-3methoxyphenyl glycol (HMPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), CSF cortisol and NK cell activity. The results support the hypothesis of compromised immune function in suicidal patients with evidence of disordered serotonin function.