Relationship Between Long Working Hours and Depression: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Clerical Workers.

Relationship between long working hours and depression: a 3-year longitudinal study of clerical workers.

J Occup Environ Med. 2013 Aug; 55(8): 863-72
Amagasa T, Nakayama T

To clarify how long working hours affect the likelihood of current and future depression.Using data from four repeated measurements collected from 218 clerical workers, four models associating work-related factors to the depressive mood scale were established. The final model was constructed after comparing and testing the goodness-of-fit index using structural equation modeling. Multiple logistic regression analysis was also performed.The final model showed the best fit (normed fit index = 0.908; goodness-of-fit index = 0.936; root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.018). Its standardized total effect indicated that long working hours affected depression at the time of evaluation and 1 to 3 years later. The odds ratio for depression risk was 14.7 in employees who were not long-hours overworked according to the initial survey but who were long-hours overworked according to the second survey.Long working hours increase current and future risks of depression. HubMed – depression

Pilot Study of Younger and Older HIV-Infected Adults Using Traditional and Novel Functional Assessments.

HIV Clin Trials. 2013 Jul-Aug; 14(4): 165-74
Sandkovsky U, Robertson KR, Meza JL, High RR, Bonasera SJ, Fisher CM, Marsh AJ, Sheehy MK, Fox HS, Swindells S

Objectives: Emerging data suggest that HIV disease and its treatment affect the aging process. Accurate and reliable measures of functional status are needed to investigate this further. Design: A pilot study in groups of younger and older HIV-infected adults using objective measures of function. Methods: Evaluations included neuropsychological testing, grip strength, balance assessed by the Wii Balance Board, and actigraphy. Surveys were used for depression, fatigue, loneliness, self-reported activity level, and sexual function. Two-samplet test or Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used for continuous variables and exact chi-square tests were used for comparison between groups. Results: Twenty-one participants were 20 to 40 years old (younger; mean age, 31.5), and 20 were more than 50 years old (older; mean age, 56.5). There was no difference between groups for depression, fatigue, or loneliness. Overall, there was a trend to lower scores in the older age group for neuropsychologicalz score (P = .11) and for verbal learning (P = .09). Functioning in the memory domain was significantly lower in older subjects (P = .007). There was no difference in executive function, speed of processing, memory, motor skills, or total activity. Gender differences in sexual function were observed. Four older and 3 younger participants met the definition of frailty. Total activity by actigraphy did not correlate well with self-reported activity. Conclusions: Objective tests were well accepted and feasible to perform, although not all are suitable for widespread clinical or research use. Objective measurements of activity did not correlate well with patient self-report, which has implications for future studies in this area. HubMed – depression

Identifying Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Students in the School Setting.

J Sch Nurs. 2013 Aug 7;
Allison VL, Nativio DG, Mitchell AM, Ren D, Yuhasz J

Early detection of mental health problems in school-age children offers the opportunity for prompt referral to treatment which is critical to their success in school. School nurses are in a key position to screen for mental health issues in the school setting. This article discusses how school nurses began a new initiative to use two validated screening tools, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item for detecting depression and the 5-item Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders for detecting anxiety in middle school/high school-aged children in selected urban schools. Students having positive screens were referred to the multidisciplinary school-based Student Assistance Program team for further evaluation and referral. These screens improved the identification and referral for treatment of children suffering from anxiety and/or depression by expediting the connection to services. HubMed – depression