The Distress Thermometer and Its Validity: A First Psychometric Study in Indonesian Women With Breast Cancer.
The Distress Thermometer and Its Validity: A First Psychometric Study in Indonesian Women with Breast Cancer.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
PLoS One. 2013; 8(2): e56353
Iskandarsyah A, de Klerk C, Suardi DR, Soemitro MP, Sadarjoen SS, Passchier J
PURPOSE: This study aims to translate the Distress Thermometer (DT) into Indonesian, test its validity in Indonesian women with breast cancer and determine norm scores of the Indonesian DT for clinically relevant distress. METHODS: First, the original version of the DT was translated using a forward and backward translation procedure according to the guidelines. Next, a group of 120 breast cancer patients who were treated at the Outpatient Surgical Oncology Clinic in Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Indonesia completed a standard socio-demographic form, the DT and the Problem List, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses identified an area under the curve?=?0.81 when compared to the HADS cutoff score of 15. A cutoff score of 5 on the DT had the best sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.64). Patients who scored above this cutoff reported more problems in the practical, family, emotional, spiritual/religious and physical domains (30 out of 36 problems, p-value<0.05) than patients below the cutoff score. Patients at advanced stages of cancer experienced more emotional and physical problems. Patient's distress level was negatively correlated with overall quality of life, general health and all quality of life domains. CONCLUSIONS: The DT was found to be a valid tool for screening distress in Indonesian breast cancer patients. We recommend using a cutoff score of 5 in this population. HubMed – depression
Long-Term Impact of Earthquakes on Sleep Quality.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
PLoS One. 2013; 8(2): e55936
Tempesta D, Curcio G, De Gennaro L, Ferrara M
PURPOSE: We investigated the impact of the 6.3 magnitude 2009 L’Aquila (Italy) earthquake on standardized self-report measures of sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) and frequency of disruptive nocturnal behaviours (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-Addendum, PSQI-A) two years after the natural disaster. METHODS: Self-reported sleep quality was assessed in 665 L’Aquila citizens exposed to the earthquake compared with a different sample (n?=?754) of L’Aquila citizens tested 24 months before the earthquake. In addition, sleep quality and disruptive nocturnal behaviours (DNB) of people exposed to the traumatic experience were compared with people that in the same period lived in different areas ranging between 40 and 115 km from the earthquake epicenter (n?=?3574). RESULTS: The comparison between L’Aquila citizens before and after the earthquake showed a significant deterioration of sleep quality after the exposure to the trauma. In addition, two years after the earthquake L’Aquila citizens showed the highest PSQI scores and the highest incidence of DNB compared to subjects living in the surroundings. Interestingly, above-the-threshold PSQI scores were found in the participants living within 70 km from the epicenter, while trauma-related DNBs were found in people living in a range of 40 km. Multiple regressions confirmed that proximity to the epicenter is predictive of sleep disturbances and DNB, also suggesting a possible mediating effect of depression on PSQI scores. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological effects of an earthquake may be much more pervasive and long-lasting of its building destruction, lasting for years and involving a much larger population. A reduced sleep quality and an increased frequency of DNB after two years may be a risk factor for the development of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.
HubMed – depression
Neuropsychological profile of psychogenic jerky movement disorders: importance of evaluating non-credible cognitive performance and psychopathology.
Filed under: Depression Treatment
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013 Feb 16;
Heintz CE, van Tricht MJ, van der Salm SM, van Rootselaar AF, Cath D, Schmand B, Tijssen MA
BACKGROUND: Psychogenic movement disorders are disorders of movements that cannot be explained by a known neurological disorder and are assumed to be associated with psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety. OBJECTIVE: To examine the neuropsychological profile of patients with psychogenic movement disorders. METHODS: We examined cognitive functioning using neuropsychological tests in 26 patients with clinically established psychogenic jerky movement disorders (PMD). We included 16 patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) who served as a patient control group, in addition to 22 healthy control subjects. Non-credible test performance was detected using a Symptom Validity Test (SVT). Psychopathology was also assessed. RESULTS: Apart from a worse performance on a verbal memory task, no evidence of neuropsychological impairments was found in our PMD sample. Interestingly however, patients with PMD reported more cognitive complaints in daily life and performed worse on the SVT than the two other groups. Patients with GTS did not report, or show, cognitive impairments. In patients with PMD, we found associations between verbal learning, SVT performance and severity of depression and anxiety complaints. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that some patients with PMD show non-credible cognitive symptoms. In contrast, no evident cognitive impairments were present in patients with PMD or GTS. Our study underlines the importance of assessment of non-credible response in patients with PMD. Additionally, non-credible response might aid in the differentiation of PMD from other movement disorders.
HubMed – depression
Overcoming Depression in Teens and Pre-Teens: A Parent’s Guide (Dr. T’s Living Well Series)Depression is treatable! The first step is to recognize it. Then develop an “action plan” which includes a professional assessment…
Therapy and the Postpartum Woman: Notes on Healing Postpartum Depression for Clinicians and the Women Who Seek their HelpThis book provides a comprehensive look at effective therapy for postpartum depression. Using a blend of professional objectivity,…
Mood Support Mineral Supplement, 60 CountMood effex is an herbal feel-good dietary supplement that is formulated to enhance mood, relieve stress and calm nerves. Our joy-p…
More Depression Treatment Information…