Psychological medicine
-
Psychological medicine · Jul 2005
Sexual orientation and mental health in a birth cohort of young adults.
This paper sought to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and mental health in a New Zealand birth cohort studied to age 25 years. ⋯ Latent class analysis was used to combine indicators of sexual orientation, same sex behaviour and attraction to form an empirically based classification of sexual orientation. The best-fitting model classified the sample into three groups: exclusively heterosexual orientation (87.6%); predominantly heterosexual but with same-sex inclinations or experience (9.6%); predominantly homosexual (2.8%). Proportionately more women than men were classified as predominantly heterosexual (14.2% v. 4.8% respectively) or predominantly homosexual (3.9% v. 1.5% respectively). Cohort members with a predominantly homosexual orientation had rates of mental disorder and suicidal behaviours that were between 1.5 and 12 times higher than for those with an exclusively heterosexual orientation. These associations persisted after adjustment for confounding. The associations between sexual orientation and mental health were more marked for males than females. CONCLUSIONS. The findings suggest a continuum of sexual preferences amongst young adults. Variations in sexual orientation were clearly associated with mental health. These associations tended to be stronger for males.
-
Psychological medicine · Jun 2005
Positron emission tomographic imaging of neural correlates of a fear acquisition and extinction paradigm in women with childhood sexual-abuse-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the conditioned fear paradigm, repeated pairing of an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) (e.g. electric shock) with a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) (e.g. bright light) results in a conditioned fear response to the light alone. Animal studies have shown that the amygdala plays a critical role in acquisition of conditioned fear responses, while the medial prefrontal cortex (including anterior cingulate), through inhibition of amygdala responsiveness, has been hypothesized to play a role in extinction of fear responses. No studies have examined neural correlates of fear conditioning and extinction in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ⋯ These findings implicate amygdala and anterior cingulate in the acquisition and extinction of fear responses, respectively, in PTSD.
-
Psychological medicine · Nov 2004
Anxiety and depression in parents 4-9 years after the loss of a child owing to a malignancy: a population-based follow-up.
Some consider the loss of a child as the most stressful life event. When the death is caused by a malignancy, the parents are commonly exposed not only to their own loss, but also to the protracted physical and emotional suffering of the child. We investigated parental risk of anxiety and depression 4-9 years after the loss of a child owing to a malignancy. ⋯ Psychological morbidity in bereaved parents decreases to levels similar to those among non-bereaved parents 7-9 years after the loss. Bereaved mothers and parents who lose a child 9 years or older have on average an excess risk for long-term psychological distress.
-
Psychological medicine · Oct 2004
Psychological distress and negative appraisals in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a novel disease. The authors have limited knowledge of its impact on mental health. The present study aimed to examine the level and extent of psychological distress of SARS survivors following 1-month recovery, to explore patients' negative appraisals of the impact of SARS, and to evaluate the associations between psychological distress and negative appraisals. ⋯ Psychological distress of SARS survivors at 1-month recovery is real and significant. Negative appraisals may play a pivotal role in the development of psychological distress for SARS survivors, at least in the short term.
-
Psychological medicine · Oct 2004
Poor social integration and suicide: fact or artifact? A case-control study.
Sociological studies have shown that poor social integration confers suicide risk. It is not known whether poor integration amplifies risk after adjusting statistically for the effects of mental disorders and employment status. ⋯ The association between family and social/community indicators of poor social integration and suicide is robust and largely independent of the presence of mental disorders. Findings could be used to enhance screening instruments and identify problem behaviors, such as low levels of social interaction, which could be targeted for intervention.