Journal of affective disorders
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Lifetime rates of depression are distinctly higher in women reflecting both real and artefactual influences. Most prevalence studies quantifying a female preponderance have examined severity-based diagnostic groups such as major depression or dysthymia. We examined gender differences across three depressive sub-type conditions using four differing measures to determine whether any gender differences emerge more from severity or symptom prevalence, reflect nuances of the particular measure, or whether depressive sub-type is influential. ⋯ The study had considerable power reflecting large sample sizes and thus risks assigning significant differences where none truly exist, although we repeated analyses after controlling for the type I error rate.
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Low IQ is associated with an increased risk of suicide and suicide attempt in adults, but less is known about the relationship between IQ and aspects of suicidal/self-harm behaviours in adolescence. ⋯ In contrast to previous studies of IQ-suicide associations in adults, we found that higher IQ was associated with an increased risk of non-suicidal self-harm in male and female adolescents and suicidal thoughts in males. Associations of IQ with self-harm differed for self-harm with and without suicidal intent, suggesting that the aetiology of these behaviours may differ.
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Most first lifetime episodes among persons eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder are depressive, often with years of delay to a final differentiation from unipolar major depression. To support early differentiation, we tested several predictive factors for association with later diagnoses of bipolar disorder. ⋯ In multivariate modeling, 7 factors were significantly and independently associated with bipolar disorder diagnosed up to 13 years after initial depression.
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The aim was to examine the prevalence and consequences of co-occurring insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms in depressed adults drawn from a representative sample of the U.S. population. ⋯ Co-occurring insomnia and hypersomnia symptoms were associated with a more severe MDE. Further research is warranted to more fully understand the joint presentation of insomnia and hypersomnia in depression.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Could glutamate spectroscopy differentiate bipolar depression from unipolar?
Accurate differentiation of bipolar and unipolar depression is a key clinical challenge. A biological measure that could differentiate bipolar and unipolar depression might supplement clinical assessment. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy measurements of total glutamate and glutamine (Glx) in anterior cingulate cortex are one potential measure. The objective of this study was to assess the potential performance of this measure. ⋯ On available data, measurement of anterior cingulate Glx is a promising potential tool for differentiation of bipolar and unipolar depression. This potential effect requires direct validation within mixed clinical cohorts.