Psychiatry research
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Psychiatry research · Jan 2013
The use of the theory of planned behavior to predict engagement in functional behaviors in schizophrenia.
In schizophrenia, low motivation may play a role in the initiation and frequency of functional behaviors. Several reviews support the efficacy of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict engagement in various behaviors, but little research has utilized the TPB to explain functional behavior in schizophrenia. This study tested the TPB for predicting prospective engagement in functional behaviors in a sample of 64 individuals with schizophrenia. ⋯ Using path analysis, social norms and control were significantly related to intentions, which in turn predicted greater engagement in functional behaviors. Results suggest that patients with schizophrenia make reasoned decisions for or against engaging in functional behaviors. Skills training interventions that also target components of the TPB may be effective for increasing motivation to engage in learned behaviors.
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Psychiatry research · Dec 2012
Burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among staff in community-based mental health services.
Providing care to individuals with complex mental health needs can be stressful. However, little research has focused on the emotional, cognitive, and physical consequences of providing mental health care. The aim of this study is to assess burnout (BO), compassion fatigue (CF) and compassion satisfaction (CS) among staff at the four community-based mental health services (CMHS) of Verona, Italy. ⋯ A significant increase in the BO and CF scores was also detected for each extra year spent working in a CMHS. A higher level of CF was associated with female and having been experienced one negative life event in the previous year. These findings are useful for health managers and team leaders to identify factors affecting the professional quality of life of mental healthcare staff, and can provide a rationale for detecting staff at risk for developing negative work-related outcomes.
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Psychiatry research · Dec 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of escitalopram versus placebo on perceived stress and salivary cortisol in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with depression-A randomised trial.
The effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) on healthy individuals remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that escitalopram decreases perceived stress and salivary cortisol. The trial has a randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design. ⋯ These findings from a randomised clinical trial suggest that a long-term escitalopram administration to healthy participants results in a decrease in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity measured by salivary cortisol compared with inert placebo. However, change in salivary cortisol was one out of multiple outcome measures. The results of the present trial do not refute salivary cortisol as a potential endophenotype for depression.
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Psychiatry research · Dec 2012
Extending the utility of the Depression Anxiety Stress scale by examining its psychometric properties in Chinese settings.
The Depression Anxiety Stress scale (DASS) is a widely used instrument for assessing mental health status, but the construct validity of the Chinese version of the test has not been demonstrated. The current study recruited three independent samples of Chinese participants to examine its reliability, factor structure, and utility in differentiating groups expected to show high and low scores on the scales. The first sample comprised 605 undergraduate student volunteers from Beijing, the second sample comprised 138 residents from the Sichuan Province who had experienced the 2008 earthquake there, and the third sample comprised 86 Beijing residents. ⋯ Confirmatory factor analysis with the student sample supported a three-factor latent structure for the DASS (depression, anxiety, and stress). Substantially higher scores on all scales were found for the Sichuan earthquake sample compared with the Beijing resident's sample. Implications of these findings for the assessment of mental status using the DASS in China are discussed.
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Psychiatry research · Dec 2012
Depression symptoms and chronic pain in the community population in Beijing, China.
We explore the association of depressive symptoms and chronic pain (arthritis, back or neck pain, headache, or other pain) in a community population of Beijing, China. Two thousand four hundred and sixty nine residents aged 16 years and older were investigated in 2010. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-3rd version. ⋯ MDD was significantly associated with arthritis (AOR=2.23) back or neck pain (AOR=4.17), headache (AOR=3.16), and other chronic pain (AOR=3.51). Multiple types of chronic pain are associated with depressive symptoms and MDD. Future studies are needed to infer causality.