Comparing outcomes in chronic depression following inpatient psychotherapy for patients continuing versus discontinuing antidepressant medication

The longitudinal contribution of prolonged grief to depression and suicide risk in the aftermath of suicide loss: The moderating role of self-criticism

BACKGROUND

Suicide-loss survivors (SLSs)-individuals who lost family member to suicide, have been recognized as at risk for several mental health complications, including depression and suicide. Recent studies have emphasized the contribution of prolonged grief (PG) symptoms and suicide-related shame as facilitators of depression and suicide risk in the aftermath of suicide loss. In this six-year longitudinal design study, we examined self-criticism as a moderator of the link between PG and depression and suicide risk, with suicide-related shame mediating these links.

METHOD

Participants were 152 SLSs (130 females) aged 18-70 who completed questionnaires assessing prolonged grief, depression, and suicide risk as well as trauma-related shame and self-criticism.

RESULTS

A moderated mediation model shows that high self-criticism intensified the relations between PG and shame and between shame and depression and suicide risk, above and beyond the contribution of the longitudinal PG trajectory. Importantly, the indirect effects of PG on both depression and suicide risk via shame levels were found only among SLSs with high levels of self-criticism.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight the critical longitudinal role of self-criticism in facilitating depression and suicide risk among SLSs with higher levels of PG. Theoretical implications relating to healing processes and focused clinical recommendations are discussed, including interventions for addressing self-criticism and suicide-related shame in the aftermath of suicide loss.

Symptom Change during Waitlist for Medicated and Nonmedicated Patients with Chronic Depression

INTRODUCTION

Patients seeking psychotherapy often spend time on waitlist (WL), the effect of which is largely unknown. WL patients may forego alternative non-psychotherapeutic assistance and thus do more poorly than had they not been placed on a WL. The course of symptoms might also be influenced by use of antidepressant medication (ADM), an issue that remains unexplored in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

In a naturalistic setting, WL symptom change before inpatient psychotherapy (mean weeks of waiting = 22.6) was assessed in a sample (N = 313) of chronically depressed patients.

METHODS

Using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, patients' symptoms were tracked at assessment, when admitted to treatment (i.e., after WL), at posttreatment and 1-year follow-up. Multilevel growth curve analysis was used to examine waitlist change for the whole sample as well as for ADM users and nonmedicated patients.

RESULTS

Symptoms were reduced significantly from assessment to admittance (Cohen's d = 0.47). Symptoms reduced less for ADM users (d = 0.39) than for nonmedicated patients (d = 0.65).

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that chronically depressed patients experience a decrease in symptoms during WL, quite likely due to treatment expectations. We discuss whether less symptom improvement for ADM users could be attributed to iatrogenic comorbidity and a higher degree of demoralization in this group.

Moral injury and mental health outcomes among Israeli health and social care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a latent class analysis approach

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges to health and social care workers (HSCWs) who face morally challenging and life-threatening decisions. Following exposure to events that transgress moral beliefs and expectations, HSCWs might experience psychological, social, and spiritual problems referred to as Moral Injury (MI).

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to examine patterns of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) among HSCWs and their associations with MI, mental health outcomes and psychological correlates.

METHOD

A sample of 296 Israeli HSCWs volunteered to complete a cross-sectional electronic survey with validated self-report questionnaires in February and March 2021. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes characterized by unique patterns of exposure to PMIEs. Socio-demographic, work and COVID-related variables were used to predict patterns of exposure to PMIEs, and differences in mental-health outcomes and psychological correlates between classes were assessed.

RESULTS

Three subgroups were identified: 'high exposure' (19.5%), 'betrayal-only' (31.3%), and 'minimal exposure' (49.4%). Perceived stress increases the odds for inclusion in the 'high exposure' and 'betrayal-only' classes. Participants in both the High Exposure class and the betrayal-only classes reported higher levels of depressive, anxiety, posttraumatic and more moral injury symptoms as compared to the 'minimal exposure' class. Importantly, both 'high exposure' and 'betrayal-only' classes reported lower levels of self-compassion and higher levels of self-criticism, relative to those in the 'minimal exposure' class.

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings offer an overview of the complex associations between patterns of exposure to PMIEs and associated predictors and outcomes. Clinicians treating HSCWs coping with COVID-19 related stress should be aware of the contribution of exposure to PMIEs to HSCWs' distress and to the unique constellation of high self-criticism and low self-compassion among HSCWs with exposure to PMIEs.