Mental disorder comorbidity and treatment utilization

Age of onset of major depressive episode and association with lifetime psychiatric disorders, health-related quality of life and impact of gender: A cross sectional and retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the long-term impact of the age of onset (AOO) of the first major depressive episode (MDE) according to 3 age groups and considering gender.

METHODS

Data were extracted from NESARC III, a representative U.S.

SAMPLE

We included 8053 participants with an MDE history in a cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study. We defined 3 AOO groups: childhood-onset (< 13 yo), adolescence-onset (13-18 yo), and adult-onset (> 18 yo). We compared sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime psychiatric disorders per DSM-5 criteria, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in each group and performed gender-stratified analyses.

RESULTS

Prevalence of childhood-onset MDE was 10.03 %, adolescence-onset was 14.12 %, and adult-onset was 75.85 %. Suicide attempts (AOR = 3.61; 95 % CI 2.90-4.50), anxiety disorders (AOR = 1.92; 95 % CI 1.62-2.27), and personality disorders (AOR = 3.08; 95 % CI 2.56-3.71) were more frequent in the childhood-onset than in the adult-onset one. Adolescence-onset group showed similar results. Physical Disability scale (p < 0.001) and Mental Disability scale (p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the childhood-onset group. Results were more nuanced in the adolescence-onset group. Women in childhood-onset and adolescence-onset groups had poorer outcomes than the adult-onset group. Differences were less pronounced in men.

LIMITATIONS

Recall and classification biases inherent to survey design.

CONCLUSION

Individuals, particularly women, who experienced their first MDE during childhood or adolescence exhibit higher lifetime psychiatric disorder prevalence and poorer HRQOL than those with adult-onset MDE. These findings highlight the importance of preventive measures, early diagnosis, and treatment of youth depression.

Is there evidence that emotional reasoning processing underlies emotional disorders in adults? A systematic review

The prevalence of emotional disorders has increased in recent times. Emotional Reasoning (ER), which is a transdiagnostic process, occurs when feelings, rather than objective evidence, are used as a source of information to make judgements about the valence of a situation. Differences in ER may explain the existence and maintenance of emotional disorders. The objective is to systematically review the role of ER in the occurrence and severity of emotional disorders. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched through: PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus and The Cochrane Library. Search terms were "Emotional Reasoning", "ex-consequentia reasoning", "Affect-as-information"; and "emotional disorders", "anxiety", "depression", "depressive". Nine articles were included. An association was demonstrated between ER and a greater degree of anxious symptomatological severity. In depressive symptomatology, no significant differences were found. One study reported the effect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on ER bias, finding no changes after the intervention. Finally, another study evaluated the efficacy of computerised experiential training in reducing ER bias, showing significant differences. There are few studies on ER and its evolution in research has not been uniform over time. Encouragingly, though, research to date suggests that ER is a transdiagnostic process involved in several anxiety disorders. More investigation is needed to dilucidate whether ER also underlies the onset and maintenance of depressive disorders.

Exploring the Optimal Factor Structure of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: Associations Between Mindfulness Facets and Dimensions of Psychopathology

Recent studies of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and its condensed version (FFMQ-SF) fail to replicate the initially proposed five-factor structure in clinical samples. Failure to adequately understand the dimensionality of common mindfulness measures within clinical samples, therefore, represents an important gap in the current literature. The increasing popularity of mindfulness-based interventions warrants further investigation of differential associations between facets of mindfulness and different forms of psychopathology. We examined (a) the underlying structure of the FFMQ and FFMQ-SF, and (b) associations between FFMQ and FFMQ-SF facets and dimensions of psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and substance use disorders) in two large clinical samples (N = 2,779). Results from bass-ackwards analyses suggested similarly defensible five- and six-factor model solutions in terms of fit. The five-factor model was optimal when factoring in parsimony. Exploratory structural equation modeling revealed that all FFMQ facets with the exception of observe were negatively associated with the internalizing factor. Associations with substance use disorders were more complex. In both samples, five-factor FFMQ and FFMQ-SF models were determined to best represent these data. Whereas deficits in all FFMQ facets with the exception of observe correspond with lower internalizing psychopathology, a more nuanced association was observed with substance use disorders.

Integrating the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) into clinical practice

OBJECTIVE

Diagnosis is a cornerstone of clinical practice for mental health care providers, yet traditional diagnostic systems have well-known shortcomings, including inadequate reliability, high comorbidity, and marked within-diagnosis heterogeneity. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a data-driven, hierarchically based alternative to traditional classifications that conceptualizes psychopathology as a set of dimensions organized into increasingly broad, transdiagnostic spectra. Prior work has shown that using a dimensional approach improves reliability and validity, but translating a model like HiTOP into a workable system that is useful for health care providers remains a major challenge.

METHOD

The present work outlines the HiTOP model and describes the core principles to guide its integration into clinical practice.

RESULTS

Potential advantages and limitations of the HiTOP model for clinical utility are reviewed, including with respect to case conceptualization and treatment planning. A HiTOP approach to practice is illustrated and contrasted with an approach based on traditional nosology. Common barriers to using HiTOP in real-world health care settings and solutions to these barriers are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

HiTOP represents a viable alternative to classifying mental illness that can be integrated into practice today, although research is needed to further establish its utility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-compassion as mediator between coping and social anxiety in late adolescence: A longitudinal analysis

INTRODUCTION

Previous research uncovered that self-compassion is related to coping strategies elicited during stressful situations, and might also contribute to less biased perceptions of social situations. Hence, the current study's objective was to investigate longitudinally the mediator role of self-compassion in the relation between coping and social anxiety in late adolescence, with emphasis on the first months of adjustment to college life.

METHODS

The sample included 63 first-year students (75% women) from Romania with a mean age of 18.76 years. They filled out the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory at Time 1 (beginning of the first semester), as well as the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form and the Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale-Short Form at both T1 and Time 2 (3 months after the baseline assessment).

RESULTS

The results of the mediation analyses showed that both approach and avoidant coping at T1 exhibited a significant indirect effect on social anxiety levels at T2 through self-compassion measured at T2 controlling for the effects of gender, self-compassion and social anxiety at T1. These findings suggested that approach coping increases the likelihood of more compassionate views of oneself, which are likely to contribute to less social anxiety; conversely, avoidant coping decreases self-compassionate attitudes, which in turn increase social anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provided added evidence to the fact that during the transition from adolescence to adulthood, teaching college students a more self-accepting and kind perspective on one's imperfections could play a significant role in preventing and treating social anxiety.

A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Can Transform Mental Health Research

For more than a century, research on psychopathology has focused on categorical diagnoses. Although this work has produced major discoveries, growing evidence points to the superiority of a dimensional approach to the science of mental illness. Here we outline one such dimensional system-the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP)-that is based on empirical patterns of co-occurrence among psychological symptoms. We highlight key ways in which this framework can advance mental-health research, and we provide some heuristics for using HiTOP to test theories of psychopathology. We then review emerging evidence that supports the value of a hierarchical, dimensional model of mental illness across diverse research areas in psychological science. These new data suggest that the HiTOP system has the potential to accelerate and improve research on mental-health problems as well as efforts to more effectively assess, prevent, and treat mental illness.

Examining predictors of help-seeking behaviours in patients with mood and anxiety symptoms

Relatively little is known about individual characteristics that factor into the decision to seek help for mood and anxiety symptoms. The current study was undertaken in order to examine factors that predict the likelihood of seeking help for mood and anxiety symptoms amongst a clinical population. Patients (N = 278) referred to a tertiary care clinic in Toronto, Canada were asked about their help-seeking behaviours (HSB) through initial intake assessments and self-administered questionnaires, including the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Correlates of anxiety and depression were examined to determine whether they could predict HSB amongst individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder with or without comorbid Major Depressive Disorder, as well as Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder. Psychiatric diagnoses were then examined to determine whether comorbidity and demographic factors impacted HSB. Results indicated that there were significant differences in anxiety and depression correlating mainly with anxiety sensitivity, as a predictor of HSB, and that there is a complex relationship between disorder type and demographic variables. The implications of these findings and suggested targeted interventions are discussed.

Prevalence and predictors of no lifetime utilization of mental health treatment among people with mental disorders in France: findings from the 'Mental Health in General Population' (MHGP) survey

PURPOSE

No lifetime utilization of mental health treatment (NUMT) is an indicator of the treatment gap among people in need of treatment. Until now, the overall prevalence and predictors of NUMT have never been explored in France.

METHODS

In a 39,617-respondent survey, participants were assessed for NUMT, i.e., no lifetime psychotherapy, psychopharmacotherapy, or psychiatric hospitalization. Mental disorders were investigated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI 5.0.0). MINI diagnoses were grouped into five categories: mood disorders (MDs); anxiety disorders (ADs); alcohol use disorders (AUDs); substance use disorders (SUDs); and psychotic disorders (PDs). Using multivariable logistic regression models, we explored the factors associated with NUMT among the MINI-positive respondents. The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated for each factor.

RESULTS

In total, 12,818 (32.4%) respondents were MINI-positive, 46.5% of them reported NUMT (35.6% for MDs, 39.7% for PDs, 42.8% for ADs, 56.0% for AUDs, and 56.7% for SUDs). NUMT was positively associated with being male [OR 1.75 (1.59-1.91)] and practising religion [OR 1.13 (1.02-1.25)] and negatively associated with ageing [per 10-year increase: OR 0.88 (0.85-0.91)], being single [OR 0.74 (0.66-0.84)], being a French native [OR 0.67 (0.60-0.75)], and experiencing MDs [OR 0.39 (0.36-0.43)], ADs [OR 0.47 (0.43-0.52)], AUDs [OR 0.83 (0.73-0.96)], SUDs [OR 0.77 (0.65-0.91)], or PDs [OR 0.50 (0.43-0.59)].

CONCLUSIONS

In France, NUMT rates were the highest for AUDs and SUDs. Additionally, suffering from MDs or ADs increased the lifetime treatment utilization for people having any other mental disorder. This finding emphasizes the need to better screen AUDs and SUDs among people treated for MDs or ADs.