Encephale
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
[Concurrent validation of the suicidal risk assessment scale (R.S.D.) with the Beck's suicidal ideation scale].
The prevention of suicide is a top priority in mental health. The determination of high risk suicidal groups is not sufficient. The expressing suicidal ideas is not a protective factor, but in contrary a risk factor to take into account, or even to search and to quantify: 80% of the subjects who attempt to commit suicide or commit suicide express such ideas months before. ⋯ Moreover, a score of 7 and more on the suicidal risk assessment scale RSD seems to represent a risk level judged particularly significant by the experimenters. In effect, the existence of such a suicidal risk was a criteria of exclusion and no patient with a level superior to 6 on suicidal risk assessment scale RSD was included. In conclusion, the utilisation of the suicidal risk assessment scale RSD could be interesting in the prevention of suicide.
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In order to assess prevalence of depression and anxiety among epileptic patients and to compare it to a control population, a matched case-control survey was performed in 196 persons above 18 Year old (98 epileptics and 98 controls matched according to sex, age 10 and social environment) in Republic of Benin (West Africa), using Goldberg's Depression and Anxiety scale. Two main investigators helped by 5 sociology students were trained on a questionnaire by a psychiatrist skilled with public health matters. People taking part in the survey are epileptic patients who already used health services. ⋯ However the psychometric characteristics of Goldberg's scale are accurate (for depression subscale, a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 68%; for the whole scale, a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 68%). It would be pertinent to carry out a study to validate Goldberg's scale within some African populations. This study also highlights the importance of psychological factors in epilepsy and suggests a specific global care of the disease.
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In this study of psychiatric inpatients' perceptions of the seclusion-room experience, 67 admitted inpatients were interviewed during 6 Months within 3 days of the experience, and 24 hours after. A 35-items semistructured interview schedule was used to obtain information on six research questions. Subjects' perception of the reasons for their seclusions varied greatly from perceptions of staff members. ⋯ Sheridan et al. (1990) observed a 2:1 ratio of negative-to-positive attitudes toward seclusion among patients interviewed at a VA hospital. They also noted that patients' attitudes toward initial seclusion had no effect on subsequent seclusion rates. Thus, although it appears to be reasonably well-established that seclusion "works", i.e., it provides an effective means for preventing injury and reducing agitation, it is at least equally well-established that this procedure can have serious deleterious physical and (more often) psychological effects on patients.
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Insomnia is a frequent symptom in the general population; numerous studies have proven this. In the past years, classifications have gradually given more emphasis to daytime repercussions of insomnia and to their consequences on social and cognitive functioning. They are now integrated in the definition of insomnia and are used to quantify its severity. ⋯ Subjects older than 65 Years were generally retired and therefore less prone to sleepiness and to cognitive difficulties. Insomnia consequences were limited due to their inactivity. Complementary studies should be undertaken to describe the daytime repercussions of insomnia for this specific age group of the general population and to measure these repercussions.